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From Aaargh to Art!
Weeds are Patterson Clark's palette...and his canvas.
Weeds are Patterson Clark's palette…and his canvas.
By Steve Werblow
Patterson Clark recognizes the beauty in weeds. Sort of. I mean, he hates seeing them in Rock Creek Park near the Washington, DC, home he lives in during the week, or in the wilder corners of his homestead near rural St. Michaels, Maryland, and along the roadsides and ditches between the two.
But in his disdain for invasive plants that crowd out native vegetation, dilute the local gene pool by hybridizing with native plants, and alter the habitat for local wildlife, Clark has reached a compromise of sorts—he has turned his passion for pulling alien weeds into a driving force behind his art.
Shifted relationship. Clark embarked on his current path as a weed warrior and weed artist 15 years ago, after he earned a special permit from the National Park Service, which administers Rock Creek Park in the nation's capital. He began battling invaders after his busy workdays as a journalist—Clark's day job is creating informational graphics to report on complex science and policy.
Pulling weeds was fine, but Clark began to search for ways to change the dynamic. "I realized that I had built up this antagonistic relationship with the plants, and wanted to shift that relationship to something more positive," he says.
"I was determined to harvest this stuff and figure out how to get it to bankroll its own removal," he adds. "Since I'm an artist with a chemistry and biology background, I just pulled all those skills together."
Clark researched the ancient craft of papermaking. He experimented with plant extracts and by-products that could be used as inks and dyes, and learned how to carve intricate printing blocks.
Every step of the way, he delved deep into each art and craft, drawing on the focus that allowed him to build a career comprehending complicated subjects and turning them into illustrations that become clear to casual readers in moments.
"Eradication" turned to "harvest." And weeds turned into the raw materials for beautiful artwork that celebrates…the beauty of weeds.
Clark's knowledge of plants is as deep as his passion for detail and his love of art. He describes the subtle differences between English and Irish ivy, the telltale waxy coat on the leaves of white mulberry that differentiate the invasive tree from native red mulberry. Even without leaves, he can spot the stems of Japanese honeysuckle on the roadside and describes how he waxes the cut ends of its wood so it dries slowly, without checking and splitting.
It is expertise born of passion, endless curiosity, and growing up accompanying his father, a farmer-turned-botanist, on seed-collecting expeditions.
"I did wild harvesting with my dad when he was doing his Ph.D.," Clark says. He became adept at harvesting the seeds of the catgut plant his father was studying, and tuned into his father's family history on a farm near Charleston, Illinois.
"We left the farm before I was old enough to run a combine or drive a tractor," he says, glancing at a photo of him and siblings on the farm. "My dad always had a big garden and we were expected to pitch in. I really enjoyed that kind of work. Being from a farm family, labor and harvest are in my blood."
The Illinois farm left an imprint on Clark, just as the family's move to Conway, Arkansas, stays with him in a gentle hint of a Southern accent.
Ancient crafts. Clark's weed art starts in a thick roadside stand of white mulberry, a relative of the paper mulberry used in China for paper making since about 100 AD. Clark snips the stems from a dense shrub and brings them home to his kitchen. After the stems steam in a huge soup pot, he peels off the bark and clips the strips onto mulberry boards, then uses a putty knife to separate the bast—the long veins and arteries of the plant—from the bark. That's the fiber that will make a bright, white paper.
The ivory-colored bast strips go back into the pot, boiled in an alkaline solution until their thin fibers can easily be pulled apart between Clark's fingers. More boiling, rinsing, and seemingly endless stirring begins loosening the fibrous strips. Clark peers through the steam as he stirs, plucking out tiny bits of bark with tweezers. Rinsed and drained, the fibers form a dense ball that looks like dough.
Clark places the wad of fiber on a white mulberry chopping block he built, and begins beating it with a pair of homemade white mulberry bats. He rotates the mass, beats it thin, folds it back into itself, rotates, beats, repeats. Periodically, he stops to pick out stray bits of bark that eluded him in the soup pot. Then the pounding resumes.
It's another long process, but vital to separating the mass into individual, hair-thin fibers. Clark checks his progress by adding a few pinches of fiber to a jar of water. Finally, they form a fine suspension. It's time to recombine the fibers into paper.
Clark swishes the fibers in a large tub, a process called "hogging the vat." There are a few more pauses to remove a few last bits of bark, then more hogging. Clark picks up a screen on a wooden frame—called a mould—and fits another wooden frame called a deckle on top. With a smooth, arcing sweep, he dips the mould and deckle into the vat, emerging with an even coating of fiber. Any hesitation, any little tip or wiggle, and the paper will end up with thick patches. As water rushes back into the vat and Clark removes the deckle, the transformation is complete—from twigs to a sheet of paper.
Clark builds a stack, or "post," of sheets, squeezes it in a 20-ton press, and dries it in a fan-aerated drying press. Then he turns his attention to ink.
Alchemy. The shelves of Clark's studio resemble a medieval druggist's shop, with stacks of glass jars filled with leaves, sticks, powders, and emulsions. He has spent years discovering the hidden colors of weeds, from the fluorescent yellow he makes from Mahonia to the green of ivy, pink of multiflora rose, or the aqua that appears when bush honeysuckle phloem is steamed in sodium carbonate.
Clark's prints often weave the forms of several weed species in muted arrays that showcase each plant's dyes and pigments. Today he's focusing on white mulberry, so he scrapes soot he's collected by burning mulberry wood chips and uses a glass muller, or pestle, to incorporate the ash into a viscous gum base to form a dark maroon ink.
He rolls the ink onto a carved wooden block, carefully places a piece of newly dried white mulberry paper on it, and levers the massive iron arm of a 19th century printing press. A day after cutting the twigs and putting them into his soup pot, the circle is closed and weeds have become art.
Clark notes that printmaking is a particularly appropriate way to create art from weeds.
"Original drawings are one-of-a-kind—precious in a way," he muses as he eyes the stack of new paper. "The weeds are not precious. Printmaking is, however, very weedy. You produce a lot of them and send them out into the world like seeds."
Clark's prints are taking root in collections around the country, often sought by people who have heard him speak at botany or art lectures or who have encountered his alienweeds.com website. Not surprisingly, his fan base skews heavily toward botanists, weed warriors, and environmentalists who respect his mission as well as his art.
Patterson Clark's imagination is creeping like a vine into new corners of the art world. He's taken to creating elaborate carvings from the wood of invasive trees, tapping into new colors and textures. He is also working on prints that create moving sequences like flip-book animations, which he plans to photograph so they can be viewed on-screen.
In his tradition of creating the blocks, brushes, deckles, and bats for papermaking, he has begun crafting fantastical instruments to use in creating the soundtrack for his animations—a delicate, fine-grained lute-like instrument strung with Asiatic bittersweet that will also provide percussion.
Count on Clark to combine alchemy, ancient-sounding instruments, antique presses, and computer-edited animation in his weed control quest.
"I'm not a handmade purist," he says. "I'll use any tool that facilitates the removal of these plants."


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Welcome to Stanton Industrial Sales
|Stanton Sales stocks an extensive range of fasteners, building products
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This includes , bolts, as well as structural bolts, nuts, washers, fasteners, nails, rivets, sleeve anchors, touch up paints, cold gal, hoop iron, hex drivers a varied range silicone and much more.............In fact, if it is not listed in our product range, we take pride in our service provision and delivery, and will be able to source the required product for you at a competitive price. Products can be in bulk, or specialty hang packaging with your individual company logo.
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This croc is not to be mocked
I am often asked by customers if a bag they're buying will be a good investment. The one that has just walked in to store (almost literally) would definately tick that box. It is by a beautiful designer called Serapian. Who are a Milan based house born in the 1920s, they also made bespoke bags for Ingrid Bergman and Audrey Hepburn in the '60s.
A price tag from one of their current crocodile briefcases in Harrods is £20,000. You know that it is a big number when you need a comma! This makes the one Timpanys currently has in store look positively cheap. The beautiful crocodile skin Miss Gina bag retailed for 11,000 Euros and we are re-selling it in mint condition for £3500. If you like investing in beautiful and rare bags. This stunning piece is one for your collection.
What are you investing in?


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Other Texas Dance Hall Programs
Texas Dance Hall Preservation offers programs that help to promote Texas dance halls and support halls' capacity to serve and strengthen their communities. Some of those programs include:
Dance Hall Photo Exhibit
TDHP developed a traveling photo exhibit in 2018 that has been displayed at libraries, cultural heritage centers, Texas airports, and the Texas state capitol. Special thanks to Ranch Connection LLC, the Sales Family of Duncan Springs Farms, and Irving Arts Center, whose generosity made this exhibit possible.
Photographers who provided images for the exhibit include Deborah Fleming, Gary E. McKee, Dave Norris Photography, and Wendy Schutt; Lee and Judi Temple, owners of Kendalia Halle, contributed a photograph by Jennie Trower.
Photographs from the display can be viewed here and are available for purchase, with proceeds benefiting TDHP.
To host the exhibit at your venue, please contact us.
Support Texas Dance Hall Preservation
Your kind and generous help makes it possible for us to work directly with dance hall owners to provide technical assistance, workshops, grants for building repairs, and other resources. Please become a TDHP Member and make a donation today.


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It hasn't been a good day for Altisource Asset Management Corp (AAMC). In fact, the day is looking downright catastrophic. The company's stock is currently trading at $840 per share, which is down more than $259 for the day. The company's stock has lost more than 30% of its value in less than four hours of trading.
The precipitous fall comes on the heels of reports that the company's affiliate, Altisource Residential (RESI), was shut out of a distressed loan auction from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. According to a statement from HUD, Lone Star Funds was the sole winner of the auction, with a weighted average bid of 77.6% of the collateral value.
HUD said that this was the first time in the history of its Distressed Asset Stabilization Program that a single bidder submitted the highest bid on "each and every pool."
HUD said that the sale involved a total of 23,000 defaulted single-family loans with $3.9 billion in unpaid principle. The auction consisted of 16 pools of loans, varying in size from $93 million to $1 billion.
HUD also noted that there were 68 "qualified bidders" and that 27 investors submitted 163 bids on the pools, for an average of 10 bids per pool.
"The sale was the most competitive sale to date, drawing a larger number of bidders and bids per pool than previous sales," HUD said in the statement.
Click here to see the full statement from HUD.
HUD also noted that the sales price has risen from previous DASP auctions, from approximately 50% to the 77.6% winning bid from Lone Star Funds.
Although not confirmed, it is believed that Altisource Residential was one of the bidders in the auction and was shut out, as were all of the other bidders.
The day hasn't been kind to Altisource Residential either as its stock is down currently 3.02 points (11.78%) for the day.
So what's wrong at Altisource?
In recent months, Altisource and its affiliates have come under fire from the superintendent of New York State's Department of Financial Services, Benjamin Lawsky, over the company's handling of its own distressed property auctions.
In April, Lawsky sent a letter to Altisource's affiliated company, Ocwen Financial Corporation (OCN) questioning its relationship with Altisource Portfolio (ASPS) and its subsidiary, Hubzu, which Ocwen uses as its principal online auction site for the sale of its borrowers' homes facing foreclosure, as well as investor-owned properties following foreclosure.
"The relationship between Ocwen, Altisource Portfolio, and Hubzu raises significant concerns regarding self-dealing. In particular, it creates questions about whether those companies are charging inflated fees through conflicted business relationships, and thereby negatively impacting homeowners and mortgage investors," Lawsky wrote at the time.
"Alternatively, if the lower fees are necessary to attract non-Ocwen business on the open market, it raises concerns about whether Ocwen-serviced properties are being funneled into an uncompetitive platform at inflated costs."
But if the company can't acquire any more distressed properties through HUD auctions, then the question becomes: What will the company do next?
Last week, HousingWire asked the very same question about Ocwen. Analysts from Compass Point Trading & Research believe that the company may push to expand its business beyond servicing distressed mortgages.
"We believe the company is close to announcing it will be expanding into another area beyond mortgage servicing, such as title insurance or other consumer servicing," Compass Point's analysts said. "How it takes shape remains to be seen, but we would expect the new initiatives to be announced by 2Q14 earnings."
And with the company sitting on more than $1.8 billion in total capital, according to Kroll Bond Rating Agency, it begs the question of whether the company is truly prepared to spend money to make money.


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You don't know what a true vice grip feels like until you've been embraced by a six-foot-two Finnish metalhead. Dani's long fingernails dig into my arm as he surveys the crowd below us with the intense cognitive absorption you normally only see in someone who's just done a sizeable slug of coke.
Except there have been no narcotics. I'm not even drunk. We're just singing "Sweet Child O' Mine".
"This is why I love to do the karaoke," Dani shouts to me after we perform, flecking the shell of my ear with spit. We met about ten minutes earlier, when he pulled the back of his high-rise jeans down to display a warped tattoo of Axl Rose's face on his hip meat. "Has anyone on this planet been feeling such release as right now?"
Having totally forgotten about me, Dani (go-to karaoke track: "Welcome To The Jungle" – Guns N' Roses) lurches across the room to plug his next song into the iPad.
Think of karaoke and you'll probably think of Japan. Those glass boxes set into skyscrapers where, for a reasonable fee, you can scream into a neon night that can't hear or see you but you can see yourself and you look like a Lost in Translation extra and you've never felt more alive. Karaoke was invented there in the 1970s, used in hotels and bars as a go-between for drinking and interacting after work hours.
But karaoke spots can also be found in abundance in the activity's lesser-known cultural home: Helsinki. It's a small capital city with about 30 karaoke bars or clubs – one every few minutes walk in the centre – a figure difficult to pin down because the activity is so popular that pubs will just "have" machines they bring out. There is a metal karaoke bar. A gay karaoke bar. There is a public library with a karaoke booth. It is very possible that many Finnish people love karaoke even more than the Japanese.
"I used to think karaoke was just something for old men to do in bars, or [something] you did with your family at gatherings," 25-year-old shop assistant Salla ("Chasing Highs" – ALMA) tells me during my first day in Helsinki. "My grandfather would always bring out the karaoke machine at home and sing on it. Now it's become cool. It'd be normal for you and your friends to casually do it every Friday or Saturday night."
I'm told by another Finn that "like the Japanese, we are shy and reserved" and don't like to talk about feelings. It's said offhand and in the same way Brits would habitually and accurately call themselves awkward and apologetic. "For some reason, karaoke makes us able to express ourselves more," Salla says. "It makes us friendly and we can show more of ourselves."
If you care about something, anything, it has to be done well. JoJo ("Stay With Me" – Sam Smith), a tattooed twenty-something-year-old who runs the event I'm in Helsinki for, later warns with a scathing look that there are "good" places and "bad" places to do karaoke. A bad place: "there is no host, just people putting on the songs themselves, nobody caring how it sounds, people so drunk there is no control and the sound system isn't excellent". Which sounds a lot like British karaoke. Karaoke booths? Pathetic. Self-service? Boring. "That is not nice, that is not my karaoke."
"Culturally, we love to sing as a country and are serious about it," she says and she's not wrong. Finns will literally practice their go-to karaoke songs at home so they know all the words and can do them perfectly when they're out. But there is seemingly a contradiction. "We don't do it sober. Oh yes, Finns are drinking." As for the Japanese, alcohol is a priority in de-stressing, lubricating those social exchanges and somehow, mystifyingly to enhance good karaoke performances.
JoJo grins and gestures to the black window we're sat next to, marbled with condensation. "Look outside. It's dark and cold eight months of the year. That's eight months to drink and sing."
I'm in Helsinki not just for brief karaoke-based chats with strangers, but for the 2017 Karaoke World Championships.
On Friday evening it's the semi-finals of the competition, and I'm on a grey peninsula of land that couldn't feel lonelier. The Championships are apparently somewhere on an industrial park that no woman should be walking around alone, and the cold wind off the Baltic Sea is biting cracks into my red hands. No one is here. No one would hear the screams.
And then suddenly, I hear them. I'd know those haunting cries anywhere: "Bring Me To Life" by Evanescence, miraculously one of my favourite karaoke songs to perform. This is a divine sign.
The Championships are held inside the Tapahtumakeskus Telakka, a space decked out like something your dad would do to the kitchen after a mid-life crisis – arcade games, shiny reds and pinks, angled spotlights – with an awards ceremony set-up at the back. Every competing country has a table facing the stage, which is furnished with a large monitor for the lyric videos. Members of the public can pay to watch at the back. There are three categories: male, female and duets. The hosts, Finland, and – of course – Japan are there, as are others, including Brazil, Canada, India and the Philippines. Notably, Britain is absent – further proof our country has lost its vital essence.
Thankfully, Ireland is here, represented by three brassy and brilliant women I later befriend. Elaine ("Hey Big Spender" – Shirley Bassey) is a mum and piano teacher in her forties who'd accidentally become the female rep for her fair country after doing karaoke pissed in a Dublin pub. Her mates, Louise and Maggie ("Purple Rain" – Prince and "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" – The Proclaimers) are on the Bacardi from the off. I meet them in the secondary karaoke room installed for anyone to use. "Oh god, I'm just here for the laugh of it," explains Elaine.
But how and why are any of these people here? It's not exactly clear. You had to be the "best" karaoke performer in your country – however that's decided – and then to have proved your worth in heats earlier in the week.
When I walk back into the main room there is a disheveled male contestant – Victor – dressed like Fat Mike, in a yellow and black stripy tie and pantaloon jeans, onstage. He sings "Pretty Fly for a White Guy" in an American accent, his Russian voice grappling awkwardly underneath the curve of the words. Back and forth he bounces, the chain on his jeans swinging like a metronome. "Give it to me babaaay," he begs one last time.
Just as your mates would be thumping chests like virile gorillas, splashing their pints and slurring along for encouragement, in front of the stage is an area that anyone can trot into, pick up their country's flag and start politely waving. Apparently there's an official WhatsApp group chat in which attendees are asked to rally if a contestant has a particularly weak crowd. The Japanese male contestant didn't leave, and kept a grin on his face, waving on through every song. I didn't realise at the time but our Russian friend didn't have many people there.
"I think it sucked. It needed more personality," says a short bald American next to me. It turns out he's a songwriter and vocal coach from LA named Tracy ("Iris" – Goo Goo Dolls) and was previously a judge of the competition. This year, he's hosting the livestream. He tells me three times that he's Finnish metal band Lordi's vocal coach. He has one follower I know on Twitter, and that follower is Britney. "They defeat themselves, some of these performers," he says. "There's an after party every night, and they go out and party and drink and blow their voices out."
I worry about Elaine, who – on the basis of her craic – may well have had a drink before her show.
Considering he'd been a judge, I ask Tracy what the panel is looking for. "Technique, stage presence, originality and song choice," he says. "You can be a great singer with massive stage presence and pick the wrong song: game over. Game over. If you pick an obvious song? That'll bomb. But if you crush it, maybe it won't." An obvious song? He starts singing "Georgia On My Mind" by Ray Charles, and keeps going for a while longer than I know what to do with.
As we chat, the "King Of Karaoke" – a small Indian man in a huge red leather jacket with shades hanging from the neck of his T-shirt – swaggers over. He tells me he's the King Of Karaoke and that everyone calls him the King Of Karaoke. His real name is Savio D'Sa ("You And I" – Lady Gaga). "I've been in this game for years, from the 2000s to now," he says, putting his glasses on, even though it's dark inside. "It gets tiring, but I was basically responsible for spreading karaoke to the entirety of India."
Savio's outlandishness is quite something, but it's nothing compared to the singers themselves.
There's a Singaporean female contestant in full red pleather and sparkling nine-inch boots singing something in her first language that segues into "Lady Marmalade" and ends in the splits; a Scandi Chad Kroeger with goatee and mirrored aviators singing Audioslave, who, upon noticing my camera pointed at him, begins eye-fucking it like a true karaoke champ; a Finnish former champion dressed all in black who sings Frozen's "Let It Go" in Finnish.
His face, body and long coarse ponytail are so utterly mismatched from the voice and tenderness of the song it's a wonder to see. This is what Tracy meant by a good song choice. Pale and sweating profusely, he flips his chin at the audience. At the end of the first chorus, he throws his hairband out, tossing his mane, a glorious moment of triumph to the audience's "oooo, ahhh". At the close, he turns, flings a teary, scorned look over his shoulder and half whispers-half kisses the final line in English, "The cold never bothered me anyway".
Between songs, all-American suited and booted host Michael ("White Wedding" – Billy Joel) hypes up the next contestant. Backstage, he tells me of his dream to expand the competition. He'd bought it after the old owners got too old because he couldn't bear to see it die. He wants the British to pull their finger out and start a team. I strongly consider it. Elaine, Louise and Maggie start hyping me up, whooping, telling me I'm great even though they haven't seen me sing. But that's it, isn't it? Anyone can be great at karaoke.
At 10PM, the finalists are announced. Elaine's through: we have more Bacardi to celebrate. Everyone congratulates each other with the appropriate hug, air kiss or bow, according to their cultural customs, and grins and claps as they themselves are voted out. Not a sign of resentment on anyone's face. This is what karaoke does. Karaoke is peace and karaoke is harmony.
Until the finals.
What is karaoke? For the first of many times this weekend, I try to work it out. It's not the same as an open mic night where you sing your own songs, with no recorded track and a level of professionalism expected (for instance, actually knowing the words). Neither is it a Stars in Their Eyes-type scenario, since there's no pressure to perform the song like the artist. It's not drag, because, apart from one contestant dressed like a queen and a couple of guys singing Whitney Houston numbers, there isn't anything political or subversive about what we've seen so far.
I'm not alone in my confusion: no one knows what karaoke is. Or, at least, everyone has conflicting ideas. Some countries go for gags and flamboyance. Canada and America, for example, are full Glee club, whipping out Broadway numbers. Others perform folk songs from their country in traditional dress. Every act is diverse to the point that they're completely incomparable. I wonder how the English-speaking judges will avoid unconscious bias towards lyrics they understand or melodies that are closer to the pop songs they're familiar with.
The finals become, for a Brit, a slog. Banter and alcohol-fuelled performers diplomatically weeded out, all that remains – bar Elaine – are the serious singers pacing around, sipping lukewarm honey and lemon water, and getting back-rubs from their vocal coaches. Every imperceivable misstep – forgetting to glance in the direction of the judges, not enough vibrato on a single note – produces fury and yelps in the make-up room. I see one woman smash down a make-up bag so hard that its contents fly out across the floor.
The eyes of Fatima Suarez ("Mexico Lindo Y Querido" – Ana Gabriel) brim with tears that match her sparkly sombrero. This is the first time Mexico decided to join the competition giving the 29-year-old her shot at the big time. "I'd sing all day every day with my daughter at home," she tells our translator. "But then I hired the 2014 karaoke winning champion to be my vocal coach and got very serious." What will it mean for her to win here tonight? She lowers her head. "To win would be the greatest sign I need to know that I will dedicate my life to music 24-7. To wherever it is possible to go with my singing: I will."
Ballad after ballad after ballad, I become desensitised to the blooming emotions, the love, the heartbreak.
Ireland are my only hope. Elaine cruises into a big cock-rock number, microphone swinging, tongue out, horns to the crowd. They aren't the best vocals out of the remaining bunch, but there are balls. Colossal, swollen balls, bigger than anyone else's – and god, it looks fun.
Sadly, it isn't enough. Elaine's out. But she couldn't care less, because she's had a bloody laugh and that was the point, wasn't it. I say I'm proud of my mum, and Maggie calls me a cheeky cow and says we're all sisters. Elaine and Maggie both groan loudly when the next competitor kicks into another love song, and I find myself joining in.
Where, I wonder, is the fire, the devil that strikes your heart when you scream along in a booth with your mates to "Let Me Entertain You"? That wildness that comes from fully letting go, from embracing being bad. Had the Karaoke World Championships misunderstood karaoke or had I?
Eventually, the judges announce the winners and they cry and cry and cry. Everyone steps forward holding their flags at awkward angles, and the bulbs flash, and family members weep too, and suddenly it's time to recalibrate and remember we're a global family and perform extremely long saccharine renditions of songs, the type that round off musicals and leave you itching to leave.
Me and the Irish lot do exactly that, escaping on a karaoke-bus, warming up with "In the Shadows" by Finnish band The Rasmus, and falling out at an afterparty.
It's at these bars that you realise Finns love getting absolutely mortal. The queue time for karaoke is two hours long, so all there is to do is drink and go buck-wild for anyone performing. I smack the table with a glow-up foam rod branded with the Karaoke World Championships' logo, and a married couple extend a sincere invitation to come back to their sauna and do the same to them.
It's outside the friendly competition of the championships, where the real amateurs are, that true karaoke can be found. Goateed Finns take off their tops, revealing belly tattoos, to beat out metal numbers. There is no hint of embarrassment, just full throttle earnestness.
For the British – who aren't cool enough to show up to the competition – I go up in a Hello Kitty hoodie, seven pints deep, and slut-drop to the Britney version of "I Love Rock 'N' Roll". The middle-aged male French contestant in a jazzy suit finds a second mic for backing vocals, and we work the crowd. I go down to audience level to find my new Irish mates, and we sing into the mic together. I try to laugh, but I can't, because we've all lost our voices.
This is not a skill that can be evaluated. The Championships, ironically, reinforced the fact that rules can't – or shouldn't – exist when it comes to karaoke.
Karaoke isn't a style, it's a chance to be the best singer you can be or a free pass to be a tit. It's a therapeutic vessel for escape. You can cut through the noise and feel listened to for three minutes and 45 seconds, but simultaneously disappear into someone else's song, into someone else who wouldn't bat an eyelid at jumping on the back of a stranger as you ride him consensually across a sticky floor. It's sexual and visceral and also neutered and platonic. It's as innocent and hearty as dancing to "Take On Me" at your aunty's wedding. It's attention-seeking, but everyone is seeking attention. There is no hero worship or hierarchy. After the outro, it's onto the next turn. The world is forgotten and nothing exists out of that living room, booth, stage, venue.
Waiting for my flight home, I see I've been added to a WhatsApp group by the Irish women, and sent a video of the four of us all singing into the microphone together, looking ecstatic. The message is signed off with an "E" and a heart emoji. I look like an idiot and it's fantastic.


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Arsenal have seen a number of top-class goalkeepers wear the famous jersey in north London over the years but there is one that stands tall over all the rest; David Seaman.
The Rotherham-born stopped joined Arsenal in 1990 from Queens Park Rangers, accumulating 405 league appearances for the Gunners before leaving to join Manchester City in 2003.
During his 13-year spell in north London, Seaman won three league titles, four FA Cup's, one League Cup, two Community Shields and the UEFA Cup Winner's Cup – standing as Arsenal's first-choice stopper during a period of long success for the Gunners.
Seaman was a key part of the defence that Arsene Wenger inherited at Highbury in 1996, which also formed the basis of England's national team as the stopper earned a total of 75 caps for the Three Lions.
He was an instant success at Arsenal after being signed by George Graham, remarkably conceding just 18 goals in 38 matches as the Gunners clinched the first division title in the 1990-91 season – paving the way for further glory in the years to come.
Seaman proved to be a warrior on the field and a menace to the opposition, saving three penalties in a shootout victory against Sampdoria in the 1993 UEFA Cup Winner's Cup – before conceding a last-gasp goal in the final to Real Zaragoza, who scored from 40 yards.
Unfortunately, that memory is one of the first people come to when remembering Seaman and he is also tied to the fate of England's World Cup fate in 2002 when Ronaldinho lobbed the experienced stopper – and a debate still rumbles on to this day as to whether the former Barcelona star meant it.
That is the life of a goalkeeper, as one mistake can prove costly, but Seaman always bounced back. His defensive record was remarkable, conceding just 17 goals in 1999 as Arsenal missed out on retaining the Premier League title by just a single point.
Evidence of his bouncebackability was shown in the 2002-03 season following the World Cup in South Korea and Japan, his last at Arsenal, Seaman shone throughout the campaign – getting the ball rolling by saving a Freddie Kanoute penalty in a 1-1 draw with West Ham at Upton Park.
The standout moment came in an FA Cup match against Sheffield United, where a stunning save to deny Paul Peschisolido from scoring with a header from six yards, in what appeared to be an open goal, led Manchester United legend Paul Schmeichel to claim it was the best save he has ever seen.
Perhaps the true value of Seaman was shown in the years after his departure. While Arsenal had an immediate successor in German Jens Lehmann, the campaigns that followed saw the Gunners struggle to identify a top-class candidate to star between the sticks.
Lehmann's performances declined after a number of seasons, with Arsenal then bouncing between the likes of Manuel Almunia, Wojiciech Szczcesny, David Ospina and Petr Cech – which brings us right up to the modern day, where Arsenal still lack that star between the posts.
Fans will hope the recent signing of Bernd Leno from Bayer Leverkusen can fill the void left by the ghost of Seaman but it is going to be a huge ask.
Arsenal Legends play Real Madrid Legends on September 8th, at The Emirates Stadium, London. Think you know better than professional managers?! Simply download the On The Team App from Google Play or Apple store and get selecting your team to be in with a chance of being the Arsenal Legends Assistant Manager.


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In the world of business, having a strong brand is everything. Those who lack a powerful branding strategy are certainly going to struggle in their climb to success. Having a compelling brand can make the difference between success and failure in the business world.
In this course you will learn how to develop a powerful brand strategy by blending your personality and values with the functionality of your products, becoming a authentic brand and company.
Whether you lead a growing company, or are just starting out, this course will walk you through all of the necessary steps for creating a powerful brand. With proven, and well-organized logic, it will set you on the path to selling more—and at higher prices—giving the customers exactly what they want and sending your profits through the roof.
In addition, I'm going to reveal hidden elements involved in creating a successful brand―from the strapline that gives the brand a narrative and a purpose to clever uses of typography that unite design and language.
This course explores every step of the development process required to create the simplest and most immediately compelling brands.
Who this course is for:
- Anyone interested and willing to learn more about branding
- Entrepreneurs who are looking to create products and businesses
- Designers, brand marketers, product managers
- People who are looking for a short course that moves quickly and gets to the point
- You'll need a desktop computer (Windows, Mac, or Linux).
- No prior knowledge or experience needed. Only the desire to learn!
Last updated 5/2019
Direct Download
Business Branding: Develop a Unique Brand Identity.zip | Mirror [Size: 607.5 MB]
Download Torrent (Please seed after downloading)
Source: https://www.udemy.com/business-branding-strategies/


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I want all the relations in a sketch to be removed with the help of a macro. But after recording and running the macro, nothing seems to happen. I added a random sketch.
Dim swApp As Object
Dim Part As Object
Dim boolstatus As Boolean
Dim longstatus As Long, longwarnings As Long
Sub main()
Set swApp = Application.SldWorks
Set Part = swApp.ActiveDoc
End Sub


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Phone: 678-957-3100
Degrees and Certifications:
B.S. Kennesaw State University M.A.T. Kennesaw State University
Mrs. Yancey Miller
Mrs. Yancey Miller is a chemistry teacher at Peachtree Ridge High School. This is her fourth year at Peachtree Ridge, and she is happy to be a Lion. Mrs. Miller is passionate about science and looking forward to working with Peachtree Ridge Lions in chemistry classes this year!
Mrs. Miller has a bachelors of science degree in chemistry and a masters of arts in teaching, both from Kennesaw State University. As a graduate student she studied secondary science education with a focus on chemistry education. As an undergraduate student she participated in numerous faculty-led chemistry education research studies. Additionally, during her undergraduate studies she worked as a general chemistry tutor. She has previously worked as a chemist at Underwriters Laboratories and as an Emergency Medical Technician.
In her spare time Mrs. Miller enjoys spending time with her pets (two dogs and three cats), reading books, hiking and spending time with her nieces and nephew.
1st Block: SPIRE Pathway Chemistry
2nd Block: Planning
3rd Block: AP Chemistry
4th Block: SPIRE Pathway Chemistry
The SPIRE Pathway syllabus can be found here. The AP Chemistry syllabus can be found here.


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UPDATE (January 2020): The villagers installed the planned water treatment plant. Now around 3,270 people have access to clean drinking water, which will be beneficial for the health of the community. Take a look at the pictures below to see the successful installation and the happy residents of Piduguralla:
Christmas is a time for traditions. At s::can we have had the tradition of giving to people in need for over a decade. This year we decided to support a new organization that will help villagers in India to fulfill the basic need for water.
We are proud to partner up with ASSIST to make sure that the poorest of the poor in Piduguralla get access to clean drinking water. Here is a little overview of the project:
Construction of a Water Treatment Plant in India
Providing safe water to the people in Piduguralla has become a major challenge. Therefore, our main goal is to help construct a water treatment plant with reverse osmosis technology that will supply 1000 liters of clean drinking water per hour. This will have a huge impact on the health of the villagers. To make sure that the treatment plan is working properly, an ASSIST colleague will go to the treatment plant on a weekly basis and report back to us.
Women Empowerment
Another important part of ASSIST's work is to empower women to claim their place in India's society. With that in mind, they formed women's self-help groups that have received tremendous recognition from the local government. Additionally, they celebrated the International Women's Day 2019 in Piduguralla and integrated women in various village development activities.
Many thanks to everyone involved for helping to achieve our vital goal of clean drinking water for the villagers in Piduguralla, India. If you would like to get more information about the organization, please visit www.assist-india.org


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- Montana Colors
Would you like to stay up to date on the latest MTN world news? Products, graffiti, murals, festivals, art and much more. Green Man
Green Man
"Green Man" Hoodie model for men: 270g/m2, 65% cotton and 35% polyester, designed in Barcelona and made in Europe with guaranteed quality control.
A convenient and comfortable garment in Emerald Green RV-182 (MTN 94) with a Berilo Green RV-183 (MTN 94) hoodie interior. Screen printed MTN logo in Matte Berilo Green.
Available in sizes S-M-L-XL-XXL.


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Jay Dyer
Client Service, Marketing
Jay joined Becker Capital in 2005. Jay works in marketing, sales and client service. When not at work, Jay spends his time skiing, biking and traveling with his flight attendant wife. With five University of Oregon Ducks in the family, he also attends many Duck games.
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
B.S., University of Oregon


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Monday, January 16, 2017
With Walk to Run, the focus was on the importance on being physically active and improving your cardiovascular health. Now it is time to consider improving your core strength. When discussing your core, most people only think of their abdominals. However, your core consists of over 30 paired muscle groups from your shoulders to your hips.
According to Jack Carter, a Supervisor at The Health Club as well as a Nationally Certified Strength and Conditioning Trainer with Distinction, "As we age, we tend to lose muscle mass. It is very important to stop this process. There are so many benefits to increasing your core strength including better balance, stability, helps in long-term weight loss goals, and improved flexibility just to name a few. Not to leave out the obvious, resistance training will make you stronger overall."
The Health Club, which is owned and operated by Norman Regional Health System, is committed to proper certification and education. The dedicated staff consists of degreed or advanced degreed fitness professionals including nationally certified personal trainers, certified special population and certified strength and conditioning specialists. This is what sets The Health Club apart from other facilities. They will be glad to answer any of your questions about various exercises and proper technique. Personal training sessions can be scheduled to create a customize program specifically designed for you.
Simply call The Health Club at 405/329-5050 or stop by at 3720 West Robinson. The main entrance is located at the back of Brookhaven Shopping Center in the southwest corner. Walk under the green awning and meet the team that is ready to help you!
Remember in 2017; be mindful of the word RESOLVE. RESOLVE to be a healthier and better you.


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Latest posts by Shawn Kalon (see all)
- Modi Hai Toh Mumkin Hai! - 25/08/2019
- NDA Emerges as Star, Chowkidaar Ka Surgical War. - 05/06/2019
- Opinion and Exit Polls: How much Sach, How much Jhol? - 22/05/2019
DILWALE 8th day collections –
Friday – 8CRORE+ approx
TOTAL INDIAN COLLECTIONS – 110crore +approx
Strong – West Bengal and single screens
Weak – north
Overseas – 86 crore till date which is a testimonial stamp of it doing very good their.
Will it rise like it's competitor in NORTH, well it's a dicey state as damage has already been done with AVERAGE to Below reports from whosoever has gone.
As I always say DIE HARD fans of stars never effect a movie(whose love or blindness goes beyond movies and such types which are minimal) , it's the person who is only interested in going to cinema (and they are in majority) who makes the difference,because if that was not the case RAJNIKANT would not being producing disasters after disasters


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Talk about anything bike related.
Post Reply
2 posts • Page 1 of 1
Re: Facebook
Believe it's CRM who kindly keeps the place going... Not sure about Facebook as I'm not on therepip wrote:who is the moderator or owner of this site now.is it still paul. does the site have a facebook page?
Post Reply
2 posts • Page 1 of 1


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text: Photograph of the week Being a keen photographer for many years I always know when I am out taking photographers which one is going to be 'the shot', normally its within the first few or last shot. This weeks POTW was taken at another favourite location of mine, the RNLI Lifeboat station in Margate. The Royal […]Read More


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Giant mosques are sprouting everywhere around France. Some 150 projects have been launched, often marked by excessive size.
"Today, mayors are the foremost constructors of Mosques," says Dalil Boubakeur, smiling. The former president of the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) is thought to have contributed to the institutionalization of Islam in France.
Mayors and councilors of almost every political stripe are courting Muslim voters with promises of new stately mosques
"By divine will, it's thanks to the deputy mayor that the project succeeded," says Karim Banissa. An emphyteutic lease aided the construction by 1 million, just as an annual subsidy of 100,000 euro, officially directed at cultural activities: the mayor used all financial means available to him, without violating the 1905 law which provides that the 'Republic will not recognize nor subsidize any religion."
Imperceptibly, in five years, local officials moved from caution, even distrust of Islam, to consecration.
With municipal polls around the corner, mayors and councilors of almost every political stripe are courting Muslim voters with promises of new stately mosques. "Most of the candidates have realized that building mosques is the best way to get votes.
There are some 1,700 Muslim places of worship in France but only about 400 are stately mosques, according to recent estimates by the Interior Ministry. (ONLY ????)
France is home to some 6-7 million Muslims, the biggest Muslim minority in Europe.
SOURCE:ISLAM IN EUROPE Islam Online
No more mosques in the European Union until we see churches, temples and synagogues in Mecca
That's right, France, keep funding mosques while GANG RAPE BY MUSLIMS is out of control.
The population of France is almost 10 percent Muslim. They are the descendants of Algerian, Moroccan and Tunisian workers who came from France's ex-colonies. Now, many of them live in neglected public housing projects, ruled by violent gangs and increasingly susceptible to Islamic fundamentalism.
There was a trial in Lille where a 13-year-old girl was gang raped by 80 men. Sometimes, it's 80, or 50 or 10. It's absolutely terrible. In the case of Argenteuil, it was horrible. A young woman was raped in a school. Of course, everybody knew, but they're so afraid of these young men that they prefer to close their eyes. That's the price of peace in the ghettos."
When the verdicts came down in this case, the courthouse turned into a madhouse. Eighteen teenagers were convicted of raping a 15-year-old girl over a two-month period. But what really shocked France was how the mothers of those boys reacted.
"You call this justice, seven years in prison for some oral sex," says one (Muslim) mother. "It's the girl who should be behind bars."
Related Videos: islamization-of-the-west


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How knowledge management mediates the strategic role of talent management in enhancing customer's satisfaction
This article aims to investigate the nature and effect of talent management strategies on customer satisfaction in Jordan's banking sector, as well as the mediating effect of knowledge management in this relationship. Based on the extant literature, the author developed indicators and multi-item measures for the independent variable, dependent variable, and the mediator using a survey instrument (sample N=1189, with an 89% response rate). The results show those employees' perceptions of Talent Attraction Strategy, Talent Development Strategy, Succession Planning Strategy, and especially Talent Retention Strategy are the most important contributors to Talent Management. They also suggest that Talent Management Strategies contribute to enhancing customer satisfaction through improvements in knowledge management. Overall, the Study Equation Model demonstrates that knowledge management mediates the relationship between talent management strategies and customer satisfaction. As a rule, Talent Management Strategies have a positive relationship with knowledge management, which in turn has a positive influence on customer satisfaction.
AGBOR, J. M. (2011) The Relationship. between Customer Satisfaction and Service Quality: a study of three Service sectors in Umeå. Master Thesis (unpublished): Umea University.
AHMADI, A. A.; AHMADI, F.; ABBASPALANGI, J. (2012) Talent Management and Succession Planning. Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business, v. 4, n. 1, p. 213-224.
AKRAM, K.; SIDDIQUI, S. H.; NAWAZ, M. A.; GHAURI, T. A.; CHEEMA, A. H. (2011) Role of Knowledge Management to Bring Innovation: An Integrated Approach, International Bulletin of Business Administration, v. 11, p. 121-134.
AL-AZZAM, Z. F.; IRTAIMEH, H. J.; KHADDAM, A. A. H. (2017) Examining the Mediating Effect of Strategic Agility in the Relationship. between Intellectual Capital and Organizational Excellence in Jordan Service Sector. Journal of Business, v. 6, n. 1, p. 7-15.
ANDERSON, J. C.; GERBING, D. W. (1988) Structural Equation Modeling in Practice: A Review and Recommended Two-Step. Approach. Psychological Bulletin, v. 103, n. 3, p. 411–423.
AREIQAT A. Y.; ABDELHADI T.; AL-TARAWNEH H. A. (2010) Talent Management as a Strategic Practice of Human Resource Management to Improve Human Performance. Journal of Contemporary Research in Business, v. 2, n. 2.
ARNOLD, K. A.; TURNER, N.; BARLING, J.; KELLOWAY, E. K.; MCKEE, M. C. (2007) Transformational Leadership. and Psychological Well-being: The Mediating Role of Meaningful Work. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, v. 12, n. 3, p. 193–203.
BAHRAMI, M. A.; GHOLAMI, A. (2016) The Relationship. between Knowledge Management and Talent Management and Employee Engagement Export Development Bank of Iran. International Academic Journal of Accounting and Financial Management, v. 3, n. 10, p. 32-41.
BARKHUIZEN N.; MOGWERE P.; SCHUTTE N. (2014) Talent Management, Work Engagement and Service Quality Orientation of Support Staff in a Higher Education Institution. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, v. 5, n. 4, p. 69-77.
BAYYURT; NIZAMETTIN; RIZVI (2015) Impact of Talent Management on Perceived organizational Effectiveness: Service Industry in Lahore, Pakistan. Research Journal of Business and Management, v. 2, n. 4, p. 468-487.
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DAHIYA, D.; GUPTA, M.; JAIN, P. (2012) Enterprise Knowledge Management System: A Multi Agent Perspective. Information Systems, Technology and Management, v. 285, p. 271-281
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GHOLAMI, M. H.; ASLI, M.; SHIRKOUHI, N.; NAZARI, S.; NORUZY, A. (2013) Investigating the Influence of Knowledge Management Practices on Organizational Performance: An Empirical Study. Acta Polytechnica Hungarica, v. 10, n. 2, p. 205-216. DOI: http://10.12700/APH.10.02.2013.2.14.
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HENSELER, J.; RINGLE, C. M.; SINKOVICS, R. R. (2009) The Use of Partial Least Squares Path Modeling in International Marketing. Advances in International Marketing, v. 20, p. 277–320.
HOR, F. C.; HUANG, L-C.; SHIH, H-S.; LEE, Y-H.; LEE, S. (2012) Establishing Talent Management for Company's Succession Planning through Analytic Network Process: Application to an MNC Semiconductor Company in Taiwan. Computers and Mathematics Applications, v. 60, p. 528–540.
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IRTAIMEH H. J.; AL-AZZAM Z. F.; KHADDAM A. A. (2016) Exploring The Impact of Talent Management Strategies and Service Quality on Patients' Satisfaction. International Journal of Management (IJM), v. 7, n. 7, p. 23-38.
IRTAIMEH, H. J. (2017) Impact of Strategic Leadership. Competencies on Enhancing Core Competencies in organizations: An Applied Study on AlManaseer Group. International Journal of Advanced Research (IJAR), v. 5. n. 2, p. 2528-2538. Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.21474/IJAR01/3436.
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KIESSLING, T. S.; RICHEY, R.; GLENN, M. J.; DABIC, M. (2009) Exploring Knowledge Management to Organizational Performance Outcomes in a Transitional Economy. Journal of World Business, v. 44, p. 421- 433.
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MCDONNELL, A.; LAMARE, R.; GUNNIGLE, P.; LAVELLE, J. (2010) Developing Tomorrow's Leaders—Evidence of Global Talent Management in Multinational Enterprises. Journal of world business, v. 45, n. 2, p. 150- 160.
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SHARIF, M. T.; YAQUB, R. M. S.; KHAN, M. A.; JAVED, F. (2014) Knowledge Management Maturity and Growth: A Strategic Perspective of Pakistani Universities. Industrial Engineering Letters, v. 4, n. 2, p. 55-71.
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14807/ijmp.v10i2.854
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When it comes to injuries, you might assume that few sports are as dangerous as boxing. But polo is the game for true men of steel, it seems, after the Prince of Wales discovered he had done more damage to himself than Amir Khan.
Khan, the former light welterweight world champion and Olympic silver medallist, has surely shed more blood in the name of sport, but when it comes to broken bones the Prince of Wales is the true champion.
The Prince, 66, spent three nights in hospital in 1990 after badly breaking his right arm falling from a polo pony. He needed a second operation three months later to insert a metal plate in a bone that had not healed.
He has also suffered several back injuries, knee surgery on worn-out cartilage and has broken his shoulder bone and a rib in separate fox hunting accidents. He gave up polo in 2005.
"King" Khan, meanwhile, has reportedly suffered fractures to his hands in the ring but has otherwise avoided serious injury.
The 28-year-old boxer met the Prince in Sunderland, where they swapped tales of sporting injuries during an event to promote a National Citizen Service project in which teenagers help older people learn about social media.
Khan said: "He is a very nice guy. I have met him two or three times before and he seems like a boxing fan.
"We had a bit of a chat about boxing and we had a chat about his polo and how many injuries we'd had.
"He'd had more injuries in that than I have in boxing. It shows you can get injured in all sports."
During their meeting, Khan showed the prince a tweet he was sending to his 1.5 million followers across the world about the royal visit.
Martha Armstrong, 63, who lives in a local complex for retired people, met the Prince.
She said afterwards: "We talked about grandchildren, tablets and technology.
"I cannot describe the experience I had - I didn't think I would be introduced to him."
Her life has been changed by learning about new technology as she can talk online to family members around the world.
"The scheme is absolutely brilliant," she said. "It's nothing to be afraid of."
Earlier, the Prince visited Britain's most productive car plant and saw Nissan Leaf electric cars roll off the assembly line.
The plant in Sunderland is the UK's only mass market electric car manufacturer, and it employs 6,700 making a range of models for the Japanese giant.
Tale of the (surgical) tape: Prince Charles v "King" Khan
Prince of Wales:
Head: Lost consciousness briefly after falling from polo pony in 2001, given the all-clear after hospital visit
Left cheek: Needed six stitches after he was thrown and kicked by a pony during a match at Windsor in 1980
Throat: Lost his voice for 10 days after being hit in the throat playing polo in 1981
Shoulder: Fractured shoulder bone after falling off his horse during fox hunt in 2001
Internal organs: Collapsed with severe dehydration following polo match in Florida in 1980 and was put on a saline drip
Right arm: Broken in two places after falling from polo pony in 1990. Spent three nights in hospital, then another week in hospital having metal plate inserted after it failed to heal
Back: Injured several times in falls from horses and polo ponies, leading to "serious degenerative disc problem", with one disc at base of spine prolapsed
Rib: Broken in fall from horse during a hunt in north Wales in 1998
Right knee: Needed keyhole laser surgery to repair damaged cartilage in 1998 caused by years of wear and tear
Amir Khan
Face: Cuts, bruises and black eyes
Right wrist: Former trainer Freddie Roach claimed in 2012 that Khan was carrying a long-term injury to his right wrist
Hands: Saj Mohammed, a member of Khan's support team, claimed that Khan had fractured both hands in his 2012 victory over Carlos Molina, but Khan's father denied it


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Total E&P Bolivie has successfully started up gas production from the Incahuasi field, 250 kilometers south of the business capital, Santa Cruz.
It is located in the Andean foothills, in an unusually rugged environment that required us to drill to a depth of more than 5,600 meters to reach the reservoirs.
After surmounting this complex logistical challenge, Total expects Incahuasi Phase 1 to deliver gas production of 6.5 million cubic meters a day.
Find out in pictures what is behind the scene of a gigantic project that required two-and-a-half years of work and took nearly 3,000 people to complete.
Total established a presence in Bolivia in 1994. We hold interests in three producing gas fields operated by Petrobras and have two exploration licenses. With the Incahuasi gas field, it's the first time Total has operated a project in the country.


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25 Feb ErmaRose Winery Launches with First Official Event
Jennifer Prothow made headlines in November 2018 when she announced that she would be opening the area's first and only fruit-based winery in 2019. ErmaRose Winery, named for Prothow's two grandmothers, is now gearing up for its grand opening.
On March 16 from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. ErmaRose Winery will host its first official event as a winery. "Sweet Art Wine Show" will be held at VFW Post 8790 and will feature ErmaRose's famous blends, sweet treats from master baker Tresheca Zachary, art displays from popular local artists, and food trucks.
As a Marine veteran, supporting the veteran community was Prothow's first priority in choosing where to host ErmaRose's kick-off event. VFW Post 8790 Commander Hector Giron got Prothow involved in the local VFW community, so she decided to have the event at the VFW to show her support.
"I'm very big into the veteran community," said Prothow. "When I got out (of the military) Hector was just very supportive, so I decided to have the event at his post to try to get the VFW some awareness and hopefully recruit a couple of new members."
The event is completely free and open to the public. Each visitor is given a ticket for a free tasting for each ErmaRose vintage. The wines will be available for purchase at the event.
For Prothow, being an active part of her community is the heart of her winery. That's why she incorporated so many other local businesses and entrepreneurs in her opening event. In addition to a free tasting, each visitor to Sweet Art Wine Show will get a cake bite from master baker Tresheca Zachary, owner of Treats by Tresheca.
Zachary's cakes are nothing short of masterpieces. The cakes invoke a sense of still life art- except they are entirely edible. Treats by Tresheca will also be selling her cakes at the event, but every visitor gets a taste of her art for free.
Popular local artists Alyssa Paul and LaShun Beal will also have their one-of-a-kind pieces on display.
As part of Prothow's commitment to supporting the veteran community, the event will also feature art from a program called "Warriors in Art". "It's a program where they teach veterans artwork. They teach them how to draw and how to paint. I'm giving them an avenue to sell their art after they've gone to the classes," Prothow explained.
And since no launch party would be complete without plenty of food, Sweet Wine Art Show will have "Pat's Wings on Wheels" food truck serving up fried wings for visitors. Prothow wanted to feature chicken wings and comfort food at her event because she believes her wine is best paired with fun, casual food.
ErmaRose Winery is redefining the wine industry, especially for the local community. It's launch party will introduce ErmaRose wines to the world in a fun, free, and inspiring event that you don't want to miss!
The VFW Post 8790 is located at 1560 Foley Street, Houston, TX 77055


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The 18th Annual Chicago Palestine Film Festival
April 20 - May 2
From April 20 through May 2, the Gene Siskel Film Center collaborates with the Chicago Palestine Film Festival to present the eighteenth annual festival representing the spirit and mood of contemporary Palestinian life.
This festival is dedicated to exhibiting film and video work that is open, critical, and reflective of the culture, experience, and vision of the artists. This year's festival is made possible in part through the support of the Crossroads Fund and the hard work of many volunteers. For their invaluable cooperation, the Gene Siskel Film Center thanks the members of the Chicago Palestine Film Festival Committee.
--Barbara Scharres
2018, Bassam Jarbawi, Palestine/USA/Qatar, 108 min.
With Ziad Bakri, Areen Omari
Sentenced to an Israeli prison for murder as a teenager, Ziad (Bakri), now in his thirties, returns home to Ramallah, to an unfamiliar world of smartphones, social media, and friends who have had the luxury of moving on. The joy of family celebrations soon gives away to confusion for a man suffering PTSD from years in solitary, and who smarts under the humiliation of depending on others, even for pocket money. Director Jarbawi skillfully brings the larger picture of unaddressed wounds into focus, as Ziad, eligible and single, struggles to find work and achieve normalcy while pursued by two women: his sister's best friend Salma (Maya Omaia Keesh); and Palestinian American filmmaker Mina (Yasmine Qaddumi), who hopes to make him the subject of her documentary. In Arabic and Hebrew with English subtitles.
On Saturday only, preceded by THE CHAIR (2018, Laila Abbas, Palestine, 15 min.). On Thursday only, preceded by BONBONÉ (2017, Rakan Mayas, Palestine/Lebanon, 15 min.). All in DCP digital. (BS)
The Tower
2018, Mats Grorud, France/Sweden/Norway, 74 min.
"Evocative…filled with moments of bittersweet humor and shreds of hope."--Jordan Mintzer, Hollywood Reporter
In this sensitively written and directed feature animation, eleven-year-old Wardi's beloved great- grandfather Sidi entrusts her with the precious key he always wears around his neck, signaling that another sad milestone in her family's tumultuous history in a Beirut refugee camp is looming. A child's-eye view of life among the labyrinthine streets and homemade towers of the 70-year-old camp becomes a daily journey of discovery, as the unique story of Wardi's family unfolds in all its pain and pride. Utilizing 2D, Claymation, and puppet animation, director Grorud, who drew on a year of work in the Bourj el-Barajneh camp to develop the story, traces four generations back to the 1948 Al-Nakba, when 700,000 Palestinians were ejected from their homes. In Arabic, English, and French with English subtitles.
Preceded by THE SON OF JERUSALEM (2017, Khalil Bensira, Palestine, 3 min.) and LAYMUN (2017, Catherine Prowse and Hannah Quinn, UK, 5 min.). All in DCP digital. (BS)
Killing Gaza
2018, Max Blumenthal and Dan Cohen, USA, 97 min.
- Wed, Apr 24th 8:00pm
Israel's 2014 assault on Gaza, a 51-day siege that reduced a heavily populated region to rubble, is seen from the perspective of residents who survived the ordeal, making this documentary a searing piece of living testimony. Missiles and artillery pound Gaza City as far as the eye can see in the film's opening sequences, in which blocks of low-rise homes, high-rise towers, and commercial properties are blown up with a relentlessness that becomes surreal in its pounding repetition. Over a period of months, filmmakers Blumenthal and Cohen return to the area to chart the progress of residents coming to grips with the devastation. Stories range from the shocked account of a man who returned to his decimated home to find six bound and gagged corpses in his shattered bathroom, to the defiant father of a murdered son, who declares. "Even if the rocks are all that's left, we won't surrender." In English.
Preceded by SALAM (2018, Claire Fowler, USA/UK, 15 min.). Both in DCP digital. (BS)
2017, Thomas A. Morgan, USA/Lebanon, 73 min.
"A feel-good doc that's clear-eyed and grounded in tough realities."--Sheri Linden, Hollywood Reporter
"A stirring tale of empowerment…shows how societal change can begin with small steps."-- Andy Webster, The New York Times
Traditional home-cooked Middle Eastern cuisine generates hope and family income for immigrant women in this inspirational documentary that focuses on innovative entrepreneurship within the confines of Beirut's Bourj el-Barajneh Refugee Camp. Palestinian Mariam Shaar, born and raised in the camp where her parents have lived since 1948, quit school to help support her family but found options limited until she hit on the plan to engage with other women in an enterprise involving the art and skill most of them know well--cooking palate-pleasing comfort food and regional specialties like the tangy Palestinian roasted chicken musakhan and the grain dish frikeh. Director Morgan follows the hard-won success of Maryam's collective, which starts by supplying school lunches and goes on to cater weddings and parties, and has now set its sights on operating the first-ever refugee-camp food truck. Executive-produced by Susan Sarandon, this story of grassroots ingenuity is also a mouth-watering foodie film. In Arabic with English subtitles.
Preceded by COFFEE POT (2018, Thaer Al Azzah, Palestine, 10 min.). Both in DCP digital. (BS)
What Walaa Wants
2018, Christy Garland, Canada/Denmark, 89 min.
"A classic coming-of-age story with a girl-power message."--Jay Weissberg, Variety
"Refreshing to see a film that portrays such a proud, resilient, young Palestinian woman…you will remember Walaa."--Amy Siegel, Point of View Magazine
This vibrant coming-of-age documentary follows a headstrong Palestinian girl raised under trying family circumstances in the Balata Refugee Camp, as she prepares to burst into womanhood on her own terms. Fifteen-year-old Walaa, coping with the return of her mother from eight years in prison for aiding a suicide bomber, announces her surprising resolve to join the Palestinian Security Forces. Director Garland follows her subject's progress over the five years in which Walaa pursues her dream, finding the discipline and rigorous physical demands of military life a greater challenge than she anticipated. Walaa's mercurial personality and energy level set the tone and the pace of the film, while under the eye of a new mentor she moves with newfound grace from teenage impulsiveness to capable adulthood. In Arabic with English subtitles. DCP digital.
Preceded by FACES OF NABLUS (2012, Omar Nabulsi, Palestine, 12 min.). Both in DCP digital. (BS)
The Truth: Lost at Sea
2018, Rifat Audeh, Jordan, 56 min.
First-time filmmaker Audeh's plan to record his participation in the 2010 Freedom Flotilla, a convoy of humanitarian ships that attempted to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza, took a shocking turn when the Israelis launched a nocturnal attack in international waters, killing ten activists and wounding or imprisoning hundreds of others. Born out of a pressing need to give witness to history and lay bare the scope of the tragic human rights violations, THE TRUTH has been meticulously assembled from rare video footage shot by Audeh and other participants who had been beaten, robbed, or taken into custody. Never-before-seen footage is supplemented by survivor statements that provide eye-witness testimony that starkly contradicts many of the mainstream news accounts of the event. In multiple languages with English subtitles.
Preceded by 9 HUMANS FROM GAZA (2018, Luca Galassi, Italy/Palestine, 35 min.). Both in DCP digital. (BS)
The Man Who Stole Banksy
2018, Marco Proserpio, Italy, 93 min.
This sprightly documentary examines the controversy surrounding a 2007 mural created on a Bethlehem wall by noted street artist Banksy, and reveals just how complex cultural interpretations of art can be. Conceived with apparent absurdist intent, Banksy's silhouette painting depicts an Israeli soldier checking a donkey's passport. Scores of Palestinian residents, including outspoken taxi driver Walid, the owner of the wall, took offense, believing that the artist meant to equate Palestinians with donkeys. The plot thickens when Walid decides that revenge lies in having the section of wall removed intact and auctioned off in Europe. Director Proserpio expands this bizarre story into a wider look at the issues surrounding the legality and ownership of guerilla art created in public places, with Palestinian citizens, lawyers, and art dealers all weighing in. Narrated by Iggy Pop. In English.
Preceded by THE CROSSING (2017, Ameen Nayfeh, Palestine, 11 min.). Both in DCP digital. (BS)
Naila and the Uprising
2018, Julia Bacha, USA/Palestine, 76 min.
"A must-see…as inspirational a tale as you're likely to see."--Kieran Fisher, Nonfics
"Examining the issue from multiple sides…a beautiful work of art."--Christopher Llewellyn Reed, Hammer to Nail
A feeling account of the lifelong activism of Naila Ayesh, Palestinian resistance leader during the First Intifada in the 1980s, this hybrid documentary unfolds the larger untold story of women's crucial role. In a career that began with her political awakening as a child, when the Israelis demolished her family home, Ayesh endures repeated arrests, jail time, and targeted harassment as she leads women in grassroots actions that effectively sustain the movement when the male population is decimated by imprisonment and deportation. Director Bacha alternates interviews and archive footage with starkly evocative animation to move this chronicle into an iconic realm in scenes including Ayesh's arrest, interrogation, and the torture that leads to her miscarriage, a tragic event that brought international attention and rallied Palestinian women to the cause. In Arabic, Hebrew, and English with English subtitles.
Preceded by FROM BENEATH THE EARTH (2017, Sami Alalul, Palestine, 21 min.). Both in DCP digital. (BS)


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Client Testimonials
The dynamic duo - Moe & Karen made selling our home as easy as possible and as enjoyable as they could. From our first encounter to our last they worked with us to do everything they could to make it successful. Their presentation of our home was hi-tech and imaginative.
Moe and Karen are the A-Team! Great couple who really focused on taking care of their client. Always accessible and always had our best interests in mind. Highly recommend the both of them!


text: Am Donnerstag, 14. März 2002 13:21 schrieb Jarno Elonen: > Hi, > > I'm trying to make a shortcut/script/program that would start Kmail as > another user (and thus open the corresponding mailbox) in my own KDE > session without having to type in the password. > > Any better ideas on how to implement this? > > - Jarno What about creating an executable icon with the following command in it (you need to enable X-forwarding in sshd.conf for this): ssh -X user2:password@localhost -f kmail (untested) I think that you can even set the window title to User2 by using kdeinit with some options. Olaf -- Dr. Olaf Stetzer Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe Institut für Meterologie und Klimaforschung Atmosphärische Aerosole (IMK III) - http://imk-aida.fzk.de Tel.: +49(0)7247-82-3249 (FAX: -4332)


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Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Building vibrant places on Ottawa's waterfront
There is a growing global trend towards building public places around people which has big implications on vibrancy, economic development, and social interaction. As I've written before, I have a deep love for old European cities. I read about urban planning in the Roman Empire and sometimes look at pictures of old European squares. While I would consider myself to be progressive, I wonder if cities will ever return to the days where people met in the city square for hours, talked and shared a coffee.
Within placemaking I've developed a fondness for waterfront development. In my opinion, the waterfront should be one of the most vibrant places in a city. Before reading PPS' articles on waterfront placemaking I didn't realize how many cities were getting it wrong. Building a vibrant waterfront is an art. Unfortunately, Canada's capital city, and my home, is one of those cities that seems to be getting it wrong at the moment.
PPS's articles "9 Steps to Creating a Great Waterfront", "Great Waterfronts of the World", "10 Qualities of a Great Waterfront Destination" and "Mistakes by the Lake, River or Sea" provide us with some insight into building a successful or failing waterfront. How does Ottawa measure up to PPS's waterfront placemaking principles?
Create a Shared Community Vision
PPS encourages cities to develop a citizen-driven vision for a waterfront through a participatory effort which is more flexible than a master plan. Unfortunately Ottawa doesn't seem to have a comprehensive waterfront development master plan nor has Ottawa residents been given the opportunity to envision what they want the waterfront to look like. Like many places in the National Capital Region, the waterfront seems to be on the path of being developed around the tourist experience, mainly Canadians, and not for local residents. One of the ways to create vibrancy and draw tourists is to create a buzz among residents. Tourists will go wherever there's a buzz created by local residents, and the grand cultural buildings and parks envisioned for our waterfront are not buzz-worthy.
Create Multiple-use Destintations by Tapping the Power of 10
PPS' fifth step to creating a great waterfront tells us to create ten great destinations along a waterfront. "This focus on destinations, rather than "open space" or parks, enables a genuine community-led process to take root." Step six then says that these destinations need to be connected to each other seemlessly and should be walkable.
Ottawa's waterfronts are currently full of open park spaces with undentified uses. The Rideau Canal, Ottawa's UNESCO world heritage site, is surrounded by green spaces and paths that are great for pedestrians and cyclists but doesn't have the destinations requires to draw the average resident and tourists. A family in the suburbs doesn't say to themselves, "Let's leave our house in the suburbs on a Saturday morning to go walk along the canal" which means it is not yet a destination. What we learn from the art of placemaking is that open, park spaces are not destinations.
Balance Environmental Benefits with Human Needs
This step tells us that successful destinations find the median between environmental and human uses. PPS explains this balance. "But this natural restoration should not preclude human use. Boardwalks, interpretive displays, and even more active uses such as playgrounds and picnic areas can be incorporated into the shoreline design without sacrificing environmental benefits."
As a UNESCO world heritage site, the Federal Government and its departments and agencies seem to be opposed to development along the Rideau Canal in order to maintain a natural environment, but there are human uses that can complement environmental uses. San Antonio, Texas, nicknamed the Venice of America because of the development of its canal, has tapped into this balance.
With a visionary Federal Government, Parks Canada and NCC, Ottawa could be "Venice North" or "the Venice of Canada". The reason why the canals in Venice, Italy; Venice Beach, California; and San Antonio, Texas have become tourist attractions is not because of UNESCO world heritage designations, but because of the unique, world-class experience along the canal. What would experience are we creating on the Rideau Canal?
Too Much Passive Space or Too Much Recreation
According to PPS there are a few design elements that can ruin a waterfront. "Passive areas where people can sit or stroll are successful when they connect to destinations where more activities are available, forming a diverse whole. But when the waterfront is limited to natural areas, which are often seen as a healthy contrast to the city, the place loses the vibrant qualities that draw many people to the water...Natural areas and recreational areas work best when mixed with other sorts of destinations."
Whether on the canal or the river, Ottawa and Gatineau's waterfronts are full of passive space that are not a part of a larger mixed use place.
Lack of Destinations
Another noted pitfall in waterfront development is a lack of destinations. "Even well-designed and maintained waterfronts that provide excellent public access may not necessarily fulfill their potential as gathering places. If there are no special places that draw people, then the intrinsic vibrancy of waterfront gets squandered. Creating popular destinations doesn't mean relying on big projects. Rather, it involves layering smaller attractions that work together: A small boat dock, a restaurant, and a playground, if combined the right way, can all build off each other and enliven a waterfront much more than any single use ever could."
This point has been exhausted in this article, in a previous article, and by a few other writers in the city.
A Process Driven By Development, not by Community
The waterfront development process in Ottawa has thus far been driven by the NCC and Claridge Homes, and not by residents. As residents we should be given the opportunity to not only participate in but lead this process.
"Many waterfront planning efforts are led by 'development corporations', but when development is the primary objective, public goals and public process get left behind. As with any public space, the knowledge and desires of the community should form the framework for shaping waterfronts. When a city hands over the future of its waterfront to developers, the essential public spirit of the waterfront is compromised. Development is a necessary component of this process, but not the only point. It should fit within the community's vision, not override it."
Design Statements
"Many waterfronts today have become the site of stand-alone, iconic buildings. These buildings stand as design statements that neither foster lively public use nor connect their ground floor activity to the surrounding public spaces. In fact, these projects dampen public activity and diminish any sense of place...The success of a waterfront revitalization that relies on attention-grabbing design to draw people will be short-lived at best. Once the novelty wears off, there must be something substantial that keeps people coming back again and again."
In this article they refer to the Quadracci Pavilion in Milwaukee, Wisconsin which sits by the waterfront, the caption reads "it does nothing to support activity in the surrounding public spaces". Looking at the picture I can't help but draw a parallel to our own War Museum which sits along the Ottawa River near the Chaudiere Falls. Although the architecture is great it is a stand-alone, iconic building that doesn't add any vibrancy to the surrounding area. Some may say, "Give them a chance. The area is still developing." A part of the unparticipatory plan is for more open, park space along the water which would make this exactly what we don't need.
In another article where PPS commented on what the Buffalo, New York can learn from Granville Island in Vancouver about waterfront development. In this quote we find what could be a key error in Ottawa's budding waterfront. "...if you look at the [area around the Gugenheim Museum in] Bilboa, Spain, they only get about 800,000 visitors a year, and they're all tourists. You take Granville Island, you get 10 million visitors, and a substantial number of them are locals who come on a repeating basis. There are 3,000 people who work on Granville Island and 270 businesses. When you go to Bilboa, there's a museum and the people who work in the museum. And that's it."
This quote demonstrated two contrasting waterfront development models. The Bilboas anchored by a museum or iconic cultural building, and attracting primarilty tourists, and the Granville Islands anchored by vibrant commercial space, and attracting primarily local residents and businesses. The prior attracts 800,000 visitors per year while the latter attracts 10 million.
City council recently carried a motion to support a National Indigenous Centre proposed by the Federal NDP party which would bring another iconic, stand-alone building adjacent to the War Museum. I support the building of the centre on lands that are historically important to our First Nations, and I feel we don't do enough for them, but similar to the War Museum, it will not any vibrancy to the waterfront.
According to a recent Centretown News article there may be more museums on the way.
What's Next?
I encourage you to read more of PPS' articles on waterfront placemaking or follow them on twitter. I would even encourage the NCC and City to enlist outside help from organizations like PPS to develop a world-class waterfront.
The residents of Ottawa and Canada need to be engaged in the development of our waterfront. While for the most part I'm thankful for the presence of the NCC in Ottawa, if kept unchecked our waterfront can end up being iconic, stand-alone buildings connected by open, park spaces as seen across the river in Gatineau.
Ottawa's waterfront should be a destination filled with world-class attractions, whether cultural, commercial, or entertainment.
There's hope on the horizon. Vancouver's Granville Island, built on old industrial land, hass become a model for waterfront development around the world and provides us with an example for the development of the Hydro Quebec lands in the Chaudiere Falls-Victoria Island area which is in the NCC's long term plans. Ottawa deserves one of the most vibrant waterfronts in the world! Do you agree?
2 comments:
Great article, Kevin.ReplyDelete
One idea I've had for a while is that of always a cool "beach bar" of some sort, ideally along the canal but even on the newly developed Victoria Island. Dump truck full of sand, beach loungers, palm trees - a destination afternoon/evening spot for Ottawans.
I totally agree with you Kevin. I moved from Toronto couple years ago and when I arrived to Ottawa, it was just starting to have a lot of interesting developments underway. The renovation at Rideau mall it's at least a start and the metro system will surely bring more people downtown. Every year I see Ottawa more crowded with both the people of Ottawa, Gatineau and tourists. But the lack of public places development needs to be address. It is a very humane thing to have where you can interact with one another, it even attracts more tourists. The government district area downtown needs to be less a ghost town and more a vibrant part of the city. Come to think of it, there is not really a city downtown Ottawa, at least not the cities am used to. One last thing, it is very important for Ottawa to continue to grow and have new projects underway to help the city of Ottawa, also the capital of Canada, to stand out more and make it more capital-material than just another town in Canada. I am very hopeful and I hope to see new interesting projects in the future. And good blog Kevin.ReplyDelete