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I'm with a school district and we've used deepfreeze for over 5 years. However recently, my boss says that deep freeze pricing has gone up and for me to investigate options. We are looking for a simple replacement for that works kind of like Microsoft's steadystate use to. I ran into Reboot Restore Rx from a spiceworks forum and so I am here. I am interested in your Reboot Restore Rx as a free replacement, but there are a few holes in your product. First and foremost, why would a school consider it as a replacement for deep freeze when it has no security? My first impression is that any student can easily disable the reboot restore settings with a simple mouse click. Am I missing something? This can't be suitable for any school with this obvious "hole".??
No announcement yet.
Looking for an Alternative for Deep Freeze or steadystate preferably free or cheaper
new posts
If you are looking for an alternative replacement for Microsoft's Steadystate, then you can look at our freeware Reboot Restore Rx. Both are free and restore PC's on every reboot. However, alternative solutions such as deepfreeze are more inline with our Drive Vaccine software. Here are the main differences between deepfreeze and Drive Vaccine:
- Deep Freeze can only restore on startup, Whereas Drive Vaccine allows for restore on startup, logoff, end-of-day, weekly or any fixed schedule
- Deep Freeze does not have a mini-os or a subconsole.
- With the technology behind Drive Vaccine, you have the ability to instantly "Ratchet forward" a baseline update without having to reboot the PC multiple times as is the case with Deep Freeze. This is the primary flaw in the archetecture of Deep Freeze. Since you need to reboot the machine into a "Thawed" state in order to make any changes, it poses a risk if the Windows or AV updates are not compatible with existing applications. If such an issue occurs, you would need to re-image the machine; a process that is very time consuming and defeats the purpose of having this type of automated imaging (if you will).
- With Deep Freeze you do not have the built in ability to block USB usage or Internet, which is a feature that is required in many school systems for desktop security
Hope this information helps you out.
- 1 like
I am interested in the replacement for steadystate, namely because its free, just like Steady State was. But I don't think that your people know much about steady state. I understand that you wish for users to upgrade to your paid product. But even though Windows steadystate was free you would be able to login with Administrative rights to disable and enable the protection. However, in your Reboot and Restore Rx any student can easily right-click on the icon and disable the restore function.
With regards to DeepFreeze, the only reason we don't like it is because the cost is too high. I was wondering if you guys are going to update the Reboot Restore with password protection, or if your Vaccine is the only other option.
Hello DaShadow, you are correct in Reboot Restore Rx any user right click and disable the restore function, however we are working on a version to be released in few months which will allow only the Administrator to enable or disable protection so this will be a great add on to this great freeware. However if you are seeking for a software that will give you Admin control now then you may want to check out our Reboot Restore Rx (previously Drive vaccine) software which is a much cheaper and the best alternative for Deep Freeze.Reboot Restore Rx (freeware) prevents any and all changes made on your drive(s) making those PC's bulletproof and unbreakable.
DaShadow - not sure if you are still interested, but as you requested to have a better Steadystate alternative, our development team has included the security feature within our Reboot Restore Rx software. The latest build allows only Admin account to view the tray icon. Guest users and regular Windows user can't see the tray icon and so they are not able to enable/disable the protection. Howeever, if you are looking at a true replacement for Deep Freeze then you may want to look at Drive Vaccine, just because of the ability to work with large deployment of PC's and accept Windows OS updates. However, if you just want the simple Reboot and Restore functionality, like the Deep Freeze standard then our Freeware Reboot Restore Rx should suffice. Let me know if you need any assistance. Here is a screenshot of the Drive Vaccine features:
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So if I use the latest download of the free reboot restore program; I will be able to install the software and access through windows Admin account? But the student accounts or guest account will not display the tray icon? is this correct? If so, this is awesome! I will give it a try and thanks for implementing this feature so quickly. I don't think that Drive Vaccine is the one for us at the moment, as we are looking for something more like steadystate and not deep freeze. but thanks anyways for the info,
Hey Dashadow! that is correct Reboot Restore Rx version 2.0 only gives the Administrator enable or disable protection which is a Big up on the old version making it officially the Alternative to windows steady state software. Reboot Restore Rx is indeed what you are looking for if you are looking for something that has been replaced by Windows steady state, since that is no longer supported.
Hey, Even I found the cost high as compare to other products. But I think its worth it, considering the product features. Did you ask them for discount? We are using it from last 3 years. As far as I know, they offered us good pricing plans along with discounts.
I have used SteadyState in the past, as well as Deep Freeze as an replacement, but realistically, if one is looking for a alternative to steadystate it should FREE. Because Windows SteadyState was free.
I know that the folks at Horizon and Deep Freeze will provide me with discounts on upgrading to their "enhanced" products. But, at the end of the day all of these solutions restore PC's on restart. That is all that I want for our computer labs. Reboot Restore Rx does what steady state does while still being FREE!
FredMillar, you say its worth using deep freeze because of the features of the product, what exactly are you talking about? what specific features in deep freeze do you mean could you please expand , as I may be interested too but I want to see the comparison if the price is right.
Here are some questions I have
How do you do windows updates in Drive Vaccine vs Deep freeze and what does it compare to the freeware Reboot Restore Rx?
does it support windows 7 embedded?
Did you ask them for discount? We are using it from last 3 years. As far as I know,????Last edited by vastonsmith; 01-26-2016, 11:41 PM.
Originally posted by Kritesh View PostHey Dashadow! that is correct Reboot Restore Rx version 2.0 only gives the Administrator enable or disable protection which is a Big up on the old version making it officially the Alternative to windows steady state software. Reboot Restore Rx is indeed what you are looking for if you are looking for something that has been replaced by Windows steady state, since that is no longer supported.
Make admins manually type in the physical drive's UUID as a password. Not very convenient but doable, and the solution to lost passwords is to explain how to retrieve the UUID from the physical drive. Worst case pull the HDD out and read it in another system. Still not foolproof, still not tightly secured but if you can't access the physical drive through the network then getting the UUID would be difficult/impossible to obtain without tearing the machine apart to access the drive, and that would tremendously improve the security. You could also display the UUID of the drive at the end of the program's installation and if that UUID is found in a novhd.txt file on the root of (any?) drive letter it enables access to the subconsole, otherwise users WOULDN'T EVEN SEE IT, it just restores then reboots. You could even write that file on a USB key or other removable storage at product install time. To access admin functionality all that is necessary is to login to an admin account and select it from the system tray, OR, insert the USB / removable media having the physical drive's UUID on it and reboot into subconsole.
I have noticed something else : if you have c drive normal and all other disks/drives encrypted, Deep freeze can not freeze c only even if i select only c, it will freeze all other drives, wich really sucks.
I bought Drive Vaccine because this one works correctly: c is locked, the others are unlocked....
Originally posted by kye04 View PostI have noticed something else : if you have c drive normal online bingo and all other disks/drives encrypted, Deep freeze can not freeze c only even if i select only c, it will freeze all other drives, wich really sucks.
I bought Drive Vaccine because this one works correctly: c is locked, the others are unlocked....Last edited by RichardFri; 06-23-2018, 09:43 PM.


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The Skirmish Collection
Paperback, 94 Pages
Price: $16.95
Prints in 3-5 business days
This set of 10 skirmish scenarios was developed by a recognized scenario designer in the war-gaming community. All of them have been presented at Fall In, Cold Wars, Little Wars, or Historicon and garnered eight HMGS best game awards in the process. Although designed for Final Combat, you can play these historical scenarios with your favorite skirmish rules in any scale.
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Product Details
- Copyright
- Stephen A. Fliss (Standard Copyright License)
- Edition
- Second Edition
- Publisher
- Britton Publishers
- Published
- December 8, 2014
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 94
- Binding
- Perfect-bound Paperback
- Interior Ink
- Black & white
- Weight
- 0.75 lbs.
- Dimensions (inches)
- 8.5 wide x 11 tall
- Product ID
- 21941754
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Below is the speech delivered by Shantha Rau Barriga, Director of Disability Rights at Human Rights Watch, in The Hague, The Netherlands on September 10th, 2015. She spoke strongly about the need to address the rights of people with disabilities within the international development sector:
The Netherlands can be proud of the impact it has had in international development assistance. A lot has been achieved over the last 15 years – but people with disabilities in many countries have not shared equally in these gains.
People with disabilities have been left behind as development has moved forward.
This becomes very clear when looking at the data we have available – and when considering concrete examples:
Meet Amman, a young boy with cerebral palsy whom I met in a village in the far western region of Nepal. His mother brings him to the entrance to his school every day, and then watches as Amman crawls up, on all fours, the steps into his classroom.
He was 16, yet had just started school two years before, studying in Class 2 with classmates who were nine years younger. Because the school did not have an accessible toilet, Amman couldn't go to the bathroom all day.
Amman's school was one of the newer schools in his community, one of many across Nepal built with the support of international development assistance. Despite the daily barriers, Amman is one of the more fortunate children with disabilities in Nepal. He actually attends school.
Indeed, when I met with government officials in Nepal, they were proud to tell me that 94 percent of children in Nepal were in school. Then I asked them: who are those 6 percent denied an education? Mostly children with disabilities.
Nepal and many other countries have made important progress toward achieving universal primary education – the second Millennium Development Goal. However, universal education will remain an unattainable goal if children with disabilities continue to be left out.
The exclusion of people with disabilities is of course not limited to education – it is persistent in so many areas of life.
For example, people with disabilities are often denied sexual and reproductive health services. Physical barriers are one cause, but there are other others: discriminatory attitudes, a general lack of awareness and lack of targeted services. In fact, there is widespread belief that people with disabilities do not have sexual relationships or the desire to have children.
We've documented cases of people with disabilities denied HIV testing and treatment in Zambia and women with disabilities who did not have access to pre-natal care in northern Uganda.
Sexual and reproductive health is generally an area that international donors pay great attention to – and the challenge is to ensure that these services are provided in an inclusive manner.
But an even greater challenge are areas such as mental health, where services are often non-existent in the first place.
Meet Doris, a 57-year old woman with bipolar condition in Ghana. She languished in a spiritual healing center for 5 years, tethered by a rope to a wall for months, denied food and water for days at a time, and left to sleep, bathe, and defecate in the open.
In Indonesia, the practice of shackling people with mental health conditions has been widespread. Over 57,000 people have been locked up in chains, with little to no access to mental health services. We met one woman who lives a few hours away from Jakarta, who has been locked up in a dark room for 15 years, her hands tied behind her back like this. We met two sisters who lived in a goat shed for 4 years, allowed out only 1-2 hours per week.
The situation in Ghana and Indonesia underscore the need for greater investment in mental health as a key component of development assistance in the area of health.
It is also essential to monitor how aid is spent, to ensure that it does not in any way contribute to human rights abuses.
So, why should the Netherlands prioritize inclusion of people with disabilities in its policies for international cooperation?
- It's a matter of equal rights
The urgency of including persons with disabilities is not just a moral imperative. It is the new international legal standard, as reflected in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
The CRPD is a comprehensive human rights treaty, which spells out the rights of persons with disabilities in many areas of life. Respect for inherent dignity, independence, individual autonomy, non-discrimination and participation are among the treaty's core principles.
The CRPD's standards do not just apply within the borders of States Parties. Indeed, the treaty foresees that States Parties will ensure that "international cooperation, including international development programmes, is inclusive of and accessible to persons with disabilities".
- It's a matter of scale
There are an estimated 1 billion people with disabilities around the world, 80% of whom live in developing countries. They make up 20% of the poorest, most marginalized people in those countries. Compounded by conflicts and the growing aging population, the number of people with disabilities worldwide will likely only rise further. And in terms of numbers, it is not just persons with disabilities who are affected – the entire family can be affected by the additional costs, stigma and discrimination resulting from disabilities throughout the world.
Despite these high figures, people with disabilities are often invisible when it comes to aid. In the crisis in Central African Republic, for example, of the eight UN and nongovernmental aid agencies Human Rights Watch interviewed, none were systematically collecting data on people with disabilities, and their needs were not fully included in the agencies' programming. The reality is: If you are not counted, you don't count.
Of course, there are competing priorities and limited resources, especially in a crisis situation, but people with disabilities represent 1 in 7 people, and they have the same rights as any other person.
- It's a matter of responsibility
Donors should make sure that no new money is used to build new barriers. The only way to prevent this is by including persons with disabilities in all programs, at all levels. Particularly at the planning stage. For example, when designing a new building or service, governments should be considering how to make it inclusive right from the start – which is much more time and cost effective than thinking about accessibility at the end, as an after thought.
Donors have important influence in the countries they partner with – by making inclusion a requirement for funding, donor countries can encourage governments to meet their commitments under the CRPD – and ensure that persons with disabilities have equal access to the benefits of development cooperation.
- It makes economic sense
The inclusion of people with disabilities in development is not only important from a human rights perspective. There are also economic reasons to do so. Exclusion of people with disabilities from education, jobs and health care generate economic costs to individuals, their families and societies at large. For example, in Bangladesh, one study indicated that the exclusion of people with disabilities from the labor market resulted in a total loss of US$891 million/year; income losses among adult caregivers added an additional loss of US$234 million/year.4
Still, there remains a widespread perception that inclusive interventions are simply too expensive, especially in low and middle income countries. But there is growing evidence that this is not the case, certainly not across the board. Including persons with disabilities is for the most part a matter of smart planning that looks beyond the short term. And it is, that point is worth repeating, by now a legal requirement under international law. The rights and interests of people with disabilities therefore need to be considered as a cross-cutting issue in all programs and at all levels – similar to how gender is viewed.
This month marks the launch of the SDGs – we are entering into a new era. Throughout the negotiations there has been a strong emphasis on 'leaving no one behind'. Now is the perfect opportunity for the Netherlands to embrace inclusion, and commit wholeheartedly to ensuring that no one is excluded from your development efforts.
Otherwise the cycle of exclusion will be perpetuated, and another generation of people with disabilities will be left out of school, health care and other development goals.
The Netherlands is already a champion of gender mainstreaming. Next, I hope you will take on the challenge of disability mainstreaming!
At stake are the lives and livelihoods of millions of people with disabilities and their families around the world, who, like Amman, that young boy in Nepal, face steep barriers in trying to leave poverty behind.
Thank you.
Shantha Rau Barriga is director of the disability rights division at Human Rights Watch. She leads research and advocacy on human rights abuses against persons with disabilities worldwide, including in China, Croatia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Peru, Russia, Uganda, the United States and Zambia. She has worked on a range of issues including: the shackling of people with psychosocial disabilities, denial of education for children with disabilities, violence against women and girls with disabilities, institutionalization of children and adults with disabilities, and the neglect of people with disabilities in humanitarian emergencies.


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Hotel Gartnerkofel Austria / Carinthia / Nassfeld - Pressegger See - Lesachtal / Hermagor
Hotel Gartnerkofel Bike holiday in Hermagor, Carinthia
The Hotel Gartnerkofel is a family-run Mountain Bike Hotel for the entire family, and is located in Hermagor at Nassfeld in Caringathia. The Waldner Family and the entire feel-good team always aim to create an unforgettable holiday for you. The unique location in 1.550 m above sea level offers a wide range of tours and other sporty activities, starting directly at the front door.
The spacious wellness area with indoor pool, whirlpools, 11 different saunas as well as separate children's swimming area invites to relaxation. Get pampered with a massage and beauty treatments and enjoy the tasty Alpine-Adriatic cuisine afterwards.
More information about your mountain bike holiday
Non-binding request
Your inquiry goes directly to: ****Hotel Gartnerkofel Waldner GmbH, Herrn Martin Waldner, Sonnenalpe Nassfeld 18, 9620 Hermagor, Österreich


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Here's a list of videos that I think are good examples of short, powerful and informative (persuasive) videos. I place them into two categories: 1) high input - video took a significant amount of time to create graphics and 2) low input.
Low Input Videos
- MinutePhysics Higgs Boson
- MinutePhysics Theory of Everything (Peter Reich's son does these)
- Hans Rosling on Population Growth (too long, but a good low tech talk)
High Input Videos
Another option to communicate science for the general public is "infographics". Following is a handful of cool examples:
- Feltron.com (not science, but annual reports interesting use of static data visuals to tell a story)
- Visualizing the Worlds Food Consumption
- Trade Impacts on Biodiversity Map, Website for Project, connected Nature Paper (Lenzen et al. 2012)
- Hans Rosling's Gap Minder
A few other thoughts I had:
- Do you want to have associated links that give introductions to concepts that people can click on as they view the videos? This could be easily done in YouTube. A place to link to explain more basic concepts might be Learn.Genetics from the U of Utah.
- Consider creating "YouTube Channels" for your lab group and for the APS Seminar Series where you can compile all of the videos in one online place. Here's an overview of what a YouTube Channel is, does and how to create it (start video around 3:30). The great thing is that the UMN provides us with YouTube accounts through our x500.
And finally, to complete an already too long email: Brett Victor, user-interface designer (developed apple products) created an easy-to-use javascript library called "tangle". This tool allows people to create "interactive graphics" within text descriptions. This could be powerful for digital written work potentially. See example here and here.
Have a happy holiday season,


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Downtown Recycling System Vision Study
2015-16 | KCDC Studio Project
Kansas City's recycling system doesn't cover downtown multifamily and commercial uses producing an unsustainable diversion rate of 27% that is significantly behind its national and regional peers. The purpose of this project was to generate a comprehensive vision study for the recycling system for the downtown area which would center on an urban design perspective aimed at integrating recycling into public realm as its physical and programmatic attribute, and a constituting element of its aggregate design quality. In order to achieve that, the project had to engage a substantive research on the range of issues including waste audits; device ways to correlate incompatible data formats and generate analytical studies; address political issues and test policy scenarios; consider cradle to cradle and closed loop material resources management issues; plan and design overall recycling system for the target area and provide detailed design studies for the constituting elements of the system.
This project was generously supported by funds from the MARC Solid Waste Management District and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. For more information on recycling resources and waste reduction efforts in the region, please visit the MARC Solid Waste Management District website: http://www.marc.org/Environment/Solid-Waste/
For more information on this project, please see our publications listed below.


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Funeral Suits Return With Tree Of Life
Funeral Suits break their silence with the release of a brand new track - "Tree Of Life" - their first new music since the release of their Stephen Street produced debut album "Lily Of The Valley" in 2012.
The one thousand days in between has seen the popularity of the band grow, as their videos - strange emissaries of nightmarish dread - have seeped into the consciousness of millions of music fans from Mexico to Milan to Minneapolis. These sly cinematic increments, led by the terrifying "All Those Friendly People", enabled the band to tour Europe and the US, before they reconvened to start writing again, in the UK, Ireland and Sweden; at the end of 2014.
Funeral Suits spent much of summer 2015 in Germany, in a studio overlooking the Mauerpark in Berlin. The band worked with producer Jochen Schmalbach - best known for his work with Rammstein and Klangkarussell - on the songs that form the core of their forthcoming album. Additional production and mix work has been done by the father-and-son team of Ken and Jolyon Thomas; Ken is best known for his work with Sigur Ros and M83, while Jolyon has recently enjoyed success with Slaves.
The first progeny of their collective labours is "Tree Of Life", emerging blinking into the spring sunlight as the lead track from a new Funeral Suits EP which will be released later in the summer.


text: Studio Modh is moving into new offices! Beginning June 1st, Studio Modh will be housed in the newly renovated 1000 Dean Creative Work spaces in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. The move will enable Studio Modh to continue to grow and connect with some of the great makers and other designers in Brooklyn. More images of the new space to come as we move in. Above are some images of the great new desks and millwork being fabricated by Glenn Paul Smith, local millworker and artist.


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A Texas woman injured when her airbag exploded in a September traffic accident is suing Takata and Honda Motor Co., alleging that the companies knew the design of the airbags was defective.
Serena Martinez, 42, was injured on Sept. 11, when her 2002 Honda Accord was involved in a collision in Fort Bend County, Texas, allegedly caused when Mary Lopez of Harris County made a left turn in front of Martinez, resulting in a low-speed collision.
Upon impact, the ammonium nitrate in the airbag detonated, causing the inflator to fragment and metal shrapnel to be forced through the airbag, striking Martinez in the chest and arm, causing severe lacerations, the lawsuit charges.
Takata airbags are defectively designed because they use ammonium nitrate as an airbag propellant, said attorney Mo Aziz, who is representing Martinez. Ammonium nitrate is dangerously unstable and highly sensitive to temperature changes and moisture, Aziz said, adding that it has been known for decades that ammonium nitrate goes through thermal cycling that leads to its degradation and makes it more susceptible to detonation.
"Unfortunately, I expect to see more fatalities and serious injuries caused by exploding ammonium nitrate inflators," said Aziz, who also represented the family of Houston teenager Huma Hanif, killed by an exploding airbag inflator earlier this year.
"Takata has known of inflator ruptures since 2002. However, Takata chose to suppress that knowledge," Aziz said in a statement to ConsumerAffairs.
Hanif's vehicle was initially recalled in 2008, but records showed that the recall repair never took place.
11 known dead in the U.S.
Federal safety regulators on Oct. 21 confirmed the 11th U.S. death involving Takata airbags. The agency has not released the name of the victim, but the vehicle she was driving was on a list of 2001-2003 Honda and Acura models that were at "substantially higher risk" of having the metal canister in the airbag rupture.
It is not known for certain whether Martinez' 2002 Honda had been recalled and, if it had been, whether the recall was completed.
As we reported recently, car dealers across the country routinely face lengthy delays in getting the parts needed to carry out safety recalls. Some, like Ford, offer little in the way of help for customers while others, including Honda, say they offer loaner or rental vehicles when there are delays getting replacements for recalled Takata airbags.
Keep an eye on your inbox, the lastest consumer news is on it's way!


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Deathcore titans Whitechapel have been hard at work on a new album since last August, but the real details are surfacing about it now, including the cover/title and a new single! The album is titled Our Endless War and is a bit more visually interesting than their last cover, although they've definitely made a shift from their older album covers that were more conventional metal covers. The new cover is pretty clean looking for sure, also there's quite a rift with people at the moment about the second band name logo they've been using. While I do love the old logo, the new one fits this cover more and is frankly really clean looking. I think it works really well for them.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
New Whitechapel Song 'The Saw Is The Law'!
Deathcore titans Whitechapel have been hard at work on a new album since last August, but the real details are surfacing about it now, including the cover/title and a new single! The album is titled Our Endless War and is a bit more visually interesting than their last cover, although they've definitely made a shift from their older album covers that were more conventional metal covers. The new cover is pretty clean looking for sure, also there's quite a rift with people at the moment about the second band name logo they've been using. While I do love the old logo, the new one fits this cover more and is frankly really clean looking. I think it works really well for them.
Check Out The New Boris The Blade Track!
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Incoming Whitechapel Song!
New I Declare War Song 'Quiet'!
I Declare War are heading towards the release of a new album entitled We Are Violent People By Nature, which is set to release on April 15th this year. This album follows up their self titled album from 2011, which was one of my favorite albums that year and the strongest outing the band has had yet. 'Quiet' feels exactly in line with the tone they set with the self-titled album and while the lyrics are a little more generic than the last albums fare, they fit the band well still.
Monday, February 24, 2014
Band Of The Week: Lorelei
According to Last.fm there are at least 9 artists/bands that share the name Lorelei. This might be a record for most shared name, which is surprising as it's not some stereotypical metal name or anything, but none-the-less it's apparently a common name. Despite that though a quick Google search of the term 'Lorelei band' will almost certainly point you towards this weeks band of the week. Lorelei recently dropped their debut album Lore Of Liesand it's already vying for one of this years best albums.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
The Kennedy Veil - Trinity Of Falsehood
Metal as seen by outsiders who don't listen to the genre is a garbled mess of instruments being played a beyond comprehensible speed mashed together into what sounds and feels like a literal wall of noise. Not the wall of sound idea made popular by Phil Spector in the 60's, but more of a wall of sound that's crumbling down and burying you alive. Now as a metal head we generally scoff this stuff off and move on because we're more trained to hear the subtleties and the talent packed into these walls of noise. There's almost a challenge to it and it makes repeat listens that much more important and enjoyable.
Monday, February 17, 2014
The Restitution - Waves
In the ever broadening subgenre of metalcore there is a huge divide between radio friendly cookie cutter bands, and progressive/experimental bands. Bands like Norma Jean and Oh, Sleeper cut their teeth pushing the genre to darker tones and all over the map playing, collections of noise and rhythms that when put together make wonderfully energetic music that's unafraid to give the listener a wild ride. LA based band The Restitution are doing their best to further that progressive push. Waves is a swinging thundering giant, fighting for your attention and once it has that it does everything it can to keep you guessing what comes next. The album flows very well and the strong writing keeps things from falling into a lull.
Posted by Spideralex at 2:55 PM 0 comments
Labels: 2013, 2014, Norma Jean, Oh, review, sleeper, The Restitution, Thrice, underoath, Waves
Band Of The Week: Near Death Condition
I might have just found these guys recently, but Near Death Condition have been killing it for about 13 years now. This Sweden based technical death metal group have two albums under their belt and a third album on the way here in a short number of weeks. I've been playing their last album relentlessly though in preparation for it.
Friday, February 14, 2014
New Demon Hunter Song/Video!
I've always had a bit of a soft spot for Demon Hunter, their last album didn't exactly wow me, but This World Is A Thorn, The Triptych, and Summer Of Darkness are some pretty fantastic albums. I've also enjoyed much of Ryan Clark's artwork for many bands. Today the band released a lyric video for a new song from their upcoming album Extremist. The song is titled 'Artificial Light' and while the video itself isn't particularly that interesting, the song is pretty good and the guitar solo is great.
Details Surface For Devil You Know's Debut Album!
Devil You Know, the supergroup formed by Howard Jones (ex-Killswitch Engage, Blood Has Been Shed) Francesco Artusato (ex-All Shall Perish), and John Sankey (ex-Devolved, Fear Factory), announced their formation a while ago, but now details have surfaced for their debut album via the bands Facebook page. Above you've got the album artwork, and the title which is The Beauty Of Destruction.
Monday, February 10, 2014
Band Of The Week: Nightshade
Nightshade's members hail from both France and the US, originally founded by their french guitarist Bastien Deleule, the band has since released two full length albums and signed with Bullet Tooth Records. They are a deathcore band with a heavy influence from melodic death metal. They aren't too incessant with the breakdowns, and the lead guitar work makes for some great songs.
Friday, February 7, 2014
Preview New Austrian Death Machine!
It's been almost exactly a year since the successful crowd funding campaign of Austrian Death Machine's new album Triple Brutal and while the delay is most definitely related to the whole mess of a situation Tim Lambesis got into, it's good to see that the album is finally going to see the light of day. After getting a real mastering session done in August last year the album is slated to be released April 1st. I can't imagine this ending up to be a giant April Fools Joke, I would venture Tim doesn't want any more negativity around him, and that this release date just coincides with the comical nature of the project itself.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Fleshgod Apocalypse Post Video For 'Pathfinder'!
Fleshgod Apocalypse's Labyrinth is a pretty phenomenal album, and it made my best of list for last years albums. It's a great continuation of the sound they established with Agony, with a heart around the story of the Minotaur. The band has posted a video for the song 'Pathfinder' and int he video they deal with the themes of the story they are telling on the album. It's a well shot video and makes for an entertaining few minutes. Well worth your time.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Hear 15 Seconds Of New Whitechapel!
Whitechapel's one of the biggest names in deathcore and fans have been patiently waiting for new material from their upcoming yet to be titled release they've been working on. While we still don't have many details and this update is not huge, it's still something to be excited about. There is a 15 second clip from a song supposedly titled 'Anxiety'. The clip mostly shows off Phil Bozeman's excellent vocal talent with a fast paced vocal verse.
Band Of The Week: Dan Dankmeyer
Instrumental metal is not the biggest genre around, but it's fans are damn loyal. Bands like Animals As Leaders, Chimp Spanner, and Scale The Summit have garnered quite the following for themselves. There's also Drewsif Stalin, who has made quite a name for himself via his djent instrumental cover songs as well as his own material. It's been covered plenty of times before how the advent of technology as it is today allows for bands to produce great quality work with an instrument, a laptop, and the right software. One man bands are bigger than ever. I don't quite recall how I found Dan Dankmeyer, probably just browsing Bandcamp, but his instrumental work is top notch.
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On Tuesday (3/20/12), Sean Hannity lamented the fact that President Obama will never likely agree to an interview on Hannity. "I'd be respectful," Hannity insisted. Somehow, he and his two guests kept a straight face when he said that.
So what "respectful" questions do you think Hannity, the bigoted birther would ask? Some of my ideas:
Mr. President, if you're not a Muslim why haven't you bombed Iran yet?
Mr. President, if you don't hate white people, why didn't you just show Donald Trump your long-form birth certificate?
Mr. President, don't you think you have a double standard if you called Sandra Fluke and not Bristol Palin?
Share your suggestions!
Robert Urban commented 2012-03-24 06:48:32 -0400 · Flag
Welcome to the show Mr. President. In keeping true to my pledge that "I" would be respectful, I would like to bring out my dear friend Ted Nugent to ask you some questions.
Bob Roberts commented 2012-03-24 00:27:14 -0400 · Flag
Mr. President, why does you wife hate America??
Bob Roberts commented 2012-03-24 00:26:11 -0400 · Flag
With all due respect Mr. President, why haven't you united the country racially like you promised??


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It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...
Well, the summer is coming to close over here. Yesterday it was 80 degrees outside, but the evenings have been crisp, and the forecast is for rainy days ahead and cold nights.
I'm just starting to get ready for the holiday season, and have a great set of shows coming up where you can buy my work in person. Stay tuned - this year I've got some great craft shows, and some great shops where you can buy my work in Western Washington.
My 2017 designs are up here on the website, just in time for your holiday orders. New this year are some fun "Ho Ho Ho" and winter sleigh designs - check it out!
If you want to order hand cut cards, here are some dates to be aware of:
- If you want to order cards, place the order NO LATER than November 15th.
- Orders placed by November 15th will ship for arrival by December 1st.
- Orders placed after November 15th will ship when they are ready, but are likely to arrive late December.
Want to order a custom color? Want to place a bulk order? Email me at email@example.com, and I can create an invoice for your idea.


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Tularù is an organic and multi-functional closed-cycle farm born that began life as a centre for sustainable production. It offers an alternative approach to solving current environmental, social and economic issues for farms.
Projects & Practice
Ensuring the preservation and restoration of species and habitats in Saxony, by offering free advice and relevant qualifications to land users.
A pilot programme in Scotland on Public Procurement led to new opportunities and markets for Scottish SMEs.
The Think Local development programme focuses on developing collaboration in short supply chain, by bringing together existing initiatives on farmers' markets, farm retail, food tourism, regional food and drink networks and in developing added value for rural producers.
Start-up courses designed specifically for new entrants to farming ensure a strong grounding in both agricultural and business principles in the Flanders region of Belgium.
An investment project that allowed a company to fill the gap in the local supply chain for wood chips in the north-west of Ireland.
Acquisition of a wood chipper that produces chips for cogeneration more efficiently, thus reducing the cost of tools and consumables per unit of finished product.
A project that supports the integration of young immigrants into Swedish society and is organised by young immigrants themselves.
An inter-territorial cooperation project to support the development of a system for verifying the traceability and the sustainable management of wood from hedgerows.
LEADER funding enabled the purchase of specialist equipment for training students in the use of modern and sophisticated archaeological surveying techniques.


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To run your car wash business with a profit margin, you need to get the right car wash equipment and supplies from the right dealers. Car wash equipment includes rollovers, tunnel systems, conveyors, etc. There are severalsuppliersof car wash equipment; youjust need to identify the right dealer and trust them to deliver to you the best equipment for your operations.
The internet is a store for car wash equipment, and many websites bring forth the best products from the top manufacturers. Brandslike Istobal are what everycar wash operator in the US ought to consider as they provide some amazing washing equipment as well as supplies.
Car wash equipment, in particular, can handle some tough vehicle cleaning jobs. As a result, it has numerous commercial applications and is used in a variety of industries. This article, therefore, provides you with insights on the various aspects surrounding thisequipment.
One of the questions most operators often ask is how long a washing machine can last. Well, here it is. Professionals build wash equipment, all the individual parts of the machines originate from reputable car wash manufacturers who produce high standard equipment that will work for a very long time.
What I can say is that washingequipment offer a substantial investment for any business and if you want yours to thrive you have to trust that the manufacturersrecognize the importance of producing equipment that provides value for money.
This is an issue that troubles many. But it shouldn't because most of this equipment are specifically built to get into regular contact with water. For this reason, manufacturers ensure that they embody features that provide resistance to corrosion. These include the presence of a heavy duty chassis and body, which are resistant to corrosion.
Washing other vehicles
The fact that theyare labeled as car wash equipment does not mean that they cannot be used to wash other vehicles. Car wash equipment is just a connotation because these machines can be utilized in a wide range of applications including washing trucks.
Safety is an issue of concern that arises in any discussion concerning the use of machines. In the case of car wash equipment, it is an element that we must understand has been critically figuredout, and all the safety features have been put in place to ensure the machines are as safe to use as possible. Most of this equipmentare designed and manufactured to eliminate and avoid all hazards and risks in their daily operation
However, as an individual, you need to also practice the necessary safety precautions at all times when using this equipment.
Operation skills
Car wash equipment like most equipment requires somebasicskills to operate the machine. Therefore as a car wash owner, you need to ensure that your staff is well trained to handle the machines with maximum safety and precaution.
The exact weight of an individual machine will depend upon its size, power output, and specific parts. These machines are, however, designed to be fully mobile.
Sometimes it can be troublesome having a heavy washing equipment when moving locations. Therefore, you should always factor in these issues when purchasing any car wash machine. You need to ensure that the machine you choose is of the appropriate weight but still can allow you an easy time moving it from one location to the other.
If you are concerned about the weight of a particular machine, you should consult with your supplier, before purchasing.
The above information should provide you with all the insight you need to purchase any car wash equipment.


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Having difficulty with your kids? They acting out and misbehaving? Disconnection usually is the culprit. Connection with your children is so important for so many reasons but in one word it's LOVE.
For the most part I have noticed that many parents have the goal of raising children to obey (myself being one of them). With all their energy, they try to ensure that they turn out "good" and the obvious way of accomplishing this goal is to teach them to do as we say right? This is a relationships based on rules and not connection or love. But we must learn and continue to learn that parenting is about relationship not rules and regulations. This doesn't mean there isn't rules, discipline, correction or chores but we as parent must see through the eyes of relationship and connection with our kids. Love must be the goal.
You may be thinking, "A relationship that is focused on connection and love sounds good but what am I supposed to do just let them do whatever they want?"
Until our children learn to deal with what is going on inside of them, they simply cannot learn to manage the freedom that's given to them. Behavior comes from inward beliefs therefore we must not get caught up on the behavior but rather become intentional in instilling the right beliefs. We as parents must be intentional in instilling strong core values and empowering beliefs systems. Not only still them but also example them out through you own lives.
They are kids! Our children are mistake makers. They don't know what you know and haven't experienced what you have experienced so be patient with them. They are all on a learning journey just like us. When we are afraid of their mistakes our anxiety controls our responses to them and fear becomes the teacher in the home.
For many parents intimidation has become the parenting tool. Using various levels of intimidation we seek to control them in order to make ourselves feel like "good parents" that have robots kids.
Do you really want fear teaching your children?
We want to empower our kids not make them afraid to fail. We must develop empowering core values in them and not fears of failure. If we train them in fear they will only "obey" when we are there present with them. When we leave their fear of punishment is gone and they will make decision out of what? This is why we must develop healthy core values within them. With core values they will live them out whether you are there or not.
I received these principles about 8 years ago and it really set me up for success with my own children. Today I truly seek to apply them with my own two kids who are now nine years old (Twins). I truly see the difference between the times I am applying them and the times when I slack and don't. I hope you learn to apply these yourself.
1. LOVE is ALWAYS the Goal
Our goal is to equip our kids to be able to give and receive love being able to love themselves and love others affectively. Wise parents will model and teach skills on how to give and receive love. They model and teach things such as joy, peace, trust, follow through, patience, self-control, hard work and how to listen to name a few. As parents our lives and actions define so much in their minds therefore example greatness.
2. Connection and Attention
Many children are love-starved because although their parents are around much of the time, they never really get the attention they need. It is better to spend smaller amounts of quality time with our children without distractions rather than lots of time when we are preoccupied with other activities.
Learn to "tune into" your children at all ages especially since they go through difference seasons having different needs. Interact with them spiritually, verbally, physically and emotionally. Interact in ways that empower them and set them up for success and make it fun!
When you are not interacting with your children, teach them to respect your time constraints and provide them with constructive alternatives such as creative play. These are skill that they will need in the future anyway so begin to teach them now. Yes you must intentionally connect with quality time but it is also true that they must learn to play without external stimulation.
3. A Respect For Obedience and Authority
To be successful in life children must learn to be successful in relationships because life evolves around relationships. We must equip them to respect the rights and needs of others. All relationships require giving, as well as receiving. Positive parenting requires that parents be good authority figures for their children. Having a friendship is great but the positive parental roles of nurturing, supporting, and wise counsel and never finished.
4. Personal Responsibility and Consequences for Actions
Equip your children to make decisions and to take responsibility for their actions. They need to learn that they have the power to make things happen. They are able to respond, response able or responsible.
They also need to know how about consequences. Create and be consistent with a well-managed system of responsibility and consequences creates peace in the home where everyone knows their roles and how to win and lose. Again, this is all with LOVE being the main goal. Discipline is to shine light on the area of weakness and it empowers them to rise up to their true potential. Discipline isn't to put them down and discourage them from trying again or even from cleaning up their own mess. Love shows them their value in the midst of their failure so that they feel powerful once again and can not only clean up their own mess but to gain so much wisdom form the situation.
5. Security, Consequences, And Self-Esteem
Most children have a desire to achieve and receive approval. This helps with the development of their identity and purpose. Speak their value out over them often. Tell them about their gifs and abilities, tell them about their potential, & tell them about their possibilities. Call out their greatness!
Self-Esteem is a result of a sense of personal self-worth and achievement. Great parents let their children know they are loved unconditionally for who they are rather than what they do, while encouraging obedience to set pre-defined rules, responsibilities and limits.
6. Creative Individuality
Every human being is unique. Even my own kids who are twins are totally different! Ha! Lazy parents try to cut corners and treat every child alike but we must realize that each have their own strengths and weaknesses. We as parents just be wise and help develop their strengths and create a platform for them to shine.
7. Modeling & Transparency
"Don't do as I do, do as I say" doesn't work if you haven't noticed. Positive and effective parenting requires that we model everything we expect from our kids. You expect them to eat healthy? You better eat healthy! Don't want your kids cursing? Than don't curse. Kids learn more from our actions than our words.
Along with modeling, honesty and openness if also important. Many parents try to hide behind their authority rather than being humble, honest and open with them. Transparency is essential for the development of intimate, close and bonded relationships of love and respect.
8. Need Fulfillment
Don't use your kids for your own personal need fulfillment. They are not toys or pets they are people! Our job is to work ourselves out of a job. Our job is to encourage the growth of a well-developed, productive, secure, independent, sociable, and responsible adult.
If we as parents have unfulfilled emotional needs, we had better go get help and get healed and not take it out on or project that onto you children.
9. Be Flexible
Parents should continue developing their children's creative potential. As kids grow, they change. Intentional parents are sensitive to and flexible to their children's growth stages. Intentional parents, "respond" to and encourage growth rather than "reacting" to it. Get a plan to be flexible as they grow because having a plan helps you respond and not react.
10. Hard Work
Positive parenting is both a need and a calling. There are few things as negative and as painful as giving failed as a parent and a few things as satisfying and fulfilling as having a well succeeded as one.
May you grow in your parenting because it truly is one of the most important jobs in the world!
Richard Martinez
Transformation Expert


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Scenius and workspace genius
Last summer in Sydney, Brian Eno, the English musician, curated "Luminous," a festival of music, ideas, light and performance. As its finale, he and associated musicians performed an almost day-long improvisational suite called "Pure Scenius." One reviewer, the blogger indolentdandy described the settling like this:
The stage design was fascinating. From the audience's perspective, Eno and his assistant were on the left sitting on office chairs behind desks with laptops and devices. Towards the centre at the front was Karl Hyde with laptops, a keyboard and devices. Behind them were The Necks: pianist Chris Abrahams, drummer Tony Buck and bass player Lloyd Swanton.
In front on the right was a lounge area (above) and next to it was a cafe tables with electric kettle, tea and milk clearly visible. Behind this were Jon Hopkins on piano and devices and Leo Abrahams playing a chocolate coloured Gibson SG through a MacBook Pro.
When not contributing to a song, musicians would wander over, make a cup of tea and sit and watch. The ensemble also grouped there in the intervals rather than going to a dressing room backstage…
It was amazing to watch Eno implementing his famous oblique strategies live – brief notes written and shared (using a webcam at his desk I think that displayed his notes on the laptop screens of the ensemble) for the band to respond to. Notes included (as best as I can remember them) 'quiet and warm like blood', 'approach the extremes of pitch' and 'introduce hot and cold'.
The setting is interesting in the embodiment of "scenius," a concept of place-based collective creation. Kevin Kelly describes scenius as "like a genius, only embedded in a scene rather than in genes." He says that Brian Eno "suggested the word to convey the extreme creativity that groups, places or scenes can occasionally generate. His actual definition is 'Scenius stands for the intelligence and the intuition of a whole cultural scene. It is the communal form of the concept of the genius.'"
The concept has resonated in a significantly large and diverse body of theory and practice. This idea that the design of place can play a significant role in the formation, development and nurturing of communal genius and organizational knowledge development has been tested by political action groups, social movements, and creative groups, and its influence observed in serendipitous innovators and others. The concept moves in terms like "epicenters," "third places," "third neighborhoods," "combined interactive intelligence," "collective inspiration," "social scene," "community genius," and Eno's own references to "fertile scenes," the "ecology of ideas," and "an ecology of talent."
A corporate profile
I got caught by the concept because of the very wide acceptance of the importance of place in creative collaboration, yet the resistance to the concept in the corporate domain by many who are nonetheless seeking ways to transform cultures and become more innovative, whether to contribute to or benefit from the achievement of a different sense of community.
In our work we have been called upon to develop, design or implement corporate facilities programs using newly developed "standards" or "guidelines" to transform a specific space or a portfolio of places to support, augment, or initiate other organizational change initiatives. These usually arise out of a finance function, most typically corporate real estate. Success is measured in terms of place and space (square feet per person, e.g.) and finally in terms of finance (cost reduction).
In best practice, the change initiative is cloaked in terms of cultural, operational or organizational change like "innovation" or "collaboration." In many of these cases, the form language of the change is in "open" offices and smaller work stations, and measured, in the end, by the financial and real estate metrics of people per seat, square feet per person, and dollars per square foot, rather than operational, social, cultural or impact measures.
Among the key emerging tools used in these programs is a body of data collected in various direct and indirect ways. Depending on the tool used, the data can provide analysis and insight on a spectrum of occupancy metrics– whether a space is occupied, for how long it's occupied, who is there, etc. I many cases the concluding analysis is, in effect, "look at how little of this real estate is used in the course of a day," leading to a program to cut space by 40% or more. In the best cases, there is additional information and observation to advise on the efficacy of a space for its purpose or to illuminate why it is that certain places are chosen for certain types of work and why they might work so well.
The very real caution to take in programs like this is to understand that the subject of the study is the space, and not the people using the space nor the intention of the space. Poorly designed or inappropriate space will show low occupancy and will be cut from the program and portfolio. The question of what space would be better for people and purpose is not asked, and so is not planned, designed and implemented. The program then delivers space that potentially leads to the next round of observations that make the proof for yet another space reduction, and a disengaged staff and reduced organizational performance, while yet showing great financial performance.
Places where people want to be
So back to "scenius." The concept that Eno outlines, the idea that the configuration or design of place and space is a significant and important component of creativity and innovation has been bubbling for a while.
Ray Oldenberg may have started this growing awareness of place-based creation and innovation with his book, The Great Good Place. It may have been Oldenberg who coined the term "third places" to describe the settings in the urban environment that nurture a sense of community and belonging. They are places that are informal, voluntary, and without the marks of status.
Stowe Boyd over at /message picks up the theme and talks of "third neighborhoods." Boyd is something of an expert in what he calls "social architecture." He speaks of the importance of social tools and settings for both startups and well established large organizations. He believes that "we are seeing a rethinking of work, collaboration and the role of management." Scenius for him is what the calls "social scene" where "every aspect of our identity and psychology is shaped."
The theme also resonates with Alex Steffen, editor of Worldchanging – A User's Guide for the 21st Century. In his blog, Steffen suggests that the "art of courting genius" is an essential capability of those attempting to innovate and develop solutions to big problems. He points out that genius does not arrive on cue, but instead in "unruly clumps, in great non-linear spurts of changed thinking." Without the right places and spaces, you'll miss what you had hoped to achieve. Instead, you must "create a welcoming place for [genius] and increase the likelihood that it will show up." Steffen uses the term "epicenters" to embrace the concept of scenius, places with the right ingredients to "set the conditions for a planetary explosion of new thinking."
Design principles
Kelly's reflection on scenius suggests that it is a concept achievable at many scales that allow this eruption of creativity to take place almost anywhere. He offers a succinct checklist for establishing the "geography of scenius" that includes conditions of mutual appreciation, the rapid exchange of tools and techniques, the network effects of success, and local tolerance for novelties.
We'll reflect in a later post on some more specific guidelines for achieving the potential for scenius. In the meantime, the setting of the improvisational performance we quoted in the top of this post offers a pretty good guide in its informality, ease, casual hospitality, elimination of the affects of stardom, various settings for participants, and multiple forms of spontaneous communication. The impact on the audience was huge, calling for multiple encores after hours of performance.
Most interesting was the impact on the performers themselves. Karl Hyde, one of Eno's collaborators said, "It was extraordinary! We all came off stage thinking, 'I've never been with a group of people that were so open-minded, generous and ego-less.'"


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The Buzz
Missouri Republican governor candidates to debate tonight
All five of the Republicans vying to be Missouri's next governor will face off for the first time tonight.
Businessman John Brunner, state Sen. Bob Dixon, author Eric Greitens, former Missouri House Speaker Catherine Hanaway and Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder will participate in a debate organized by the Cole County Republican Central Committee.
The debate start at 6:30 p.m. and will be held at the Missouri Farm Bureau in Jefferson City. It will be moderated by Senate Majority Leader Mike Kehoe, a Jefferson City Republican, and last aproximately 90 minutes.
Follow along with The Star's coverage of the debate tonight on KansasCity.com and on Twitter by using the hashtag #MoGov.
Jason Hancock: 573-634-3565, @J_Hancock


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Nordberg-McCann bill would ensure state quickly reports missing foster children
The bill got unanimous approval from the House Public Health Care and Human Services Committee Tuesday. It's a common-sense bill that probably shouldn't need to exist, but somehow it's necessary. Nordberg is especially concerned that runaway foster kids are easy prey for criminals.


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We continue to campaign for more funding to improve cycling in Oxford.
The first stage is to discuss and agree what we can learn from elsewhere, and exactly what we should be demanding.
Then we will campaign as vigourously and widely as possible to achieve sign-up to as much cycle spending as possible, invested to produce maximum benefit, and reported in as clear as possible a way. We will do all we can to hold those in power to deliver on their promises.
As part of our campaign, we have had two articles published in the Oxford Mail: Cash needed to realise our vision! and £120m cycling vision is good value – please take a look and comment if you like!
The Cyclox lead for this is Oly Shipp – please email him at firstname.lastname@example.com if you can help with this important priority.


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The Artist's Guide to Opening Sacred Space (for your creative spirit)
You know the feeling when you walk into your favorite yoga studio, massage room, meditation room, a temple or a beautiful cathedral? Your breath slows down, your shoulders relax and your senses open. You feel as if you've stepped into another world, a sanctuary, a quiet space that exists between places. It might be the intense depth of the scent of incense, the soft caress of drifting smoke, the sight of delicate lilies sitting on an altar or the way the light filters across the floor that makes you feel more alive. It might be the sound of a sweet melody that seems to balm your soul. Whatever it is, you recognize it when you feel it because it immediately makes you feel more expansive, grounded, or calmed (really whatever it is that you need in that moment).
Sacred space is a space that has been intentionally cleared and you call in the energies you need to help you with your creative and healing work.
What if I told you that you could create this kind of space for yourself? What if you could create a sacred space to help you connect more deeply to your creative spirit?
It's a lot easier to connect with the creative pulse within yourself when you feel clear, relaxed, and calm in your mind and body. The space around you can have a major impact on making you feel that way. So opening sacred space is a way to intentionally clear out any unhelpful energies and set a clear boundary around the place you work, so that only helpful, creatively flowing vibes can enter.
Why create sacred space?
- Sacred space cleanses the area and the people who enter it.
- Shamans believe that smoke helps disperse negative and unhelpful energy that might be hanging around or clinging to stuff. So when you use some sort of small fire source (a match, a smudge stick, or a candle even) you can rid your space the negative vibes that might be hanging around.
- Opening sacred space extends an invitation to your creative energy to come in and assist you in your creative endeavors.
- It helps clear the space of any negative or unhelpful energy.
- It is a way for you to express you gratitude to your creative energy.
Where and when to open sacred space
Anyone can create sacred space. There are no special qualifications other than your intention to do so. Opening sacred space for your own creative endeavor is an awesome idea, but here are some of the things you might want to open sacred space for are:
- your at home yoga practice
- a yoga class you are teaching
- an art making session
- meditation
- a special gathering like an art night or a women's circle
- your house (I like to open it in my house every so often as a reminder to myself that the sacred is always available to me)
What tools and materials do you need to open sacred space?
A great part about creating sacred space is that it can be done very simply without any special tools or experience. All that you really need is your intention. But there are a few fun things that you can also help set the tone:
- flowers/elements from nature
- music or drumming
- crystals or other objects of beauty
- burning incense, sage or palo santo
- a candle
- an opening prayer or inspirational poem
- essential oil or rosewater
Step-by-step guide to opening sacred space for your creative spirit
These are the steps that I use when I open sacred space in my own studio, but these are just guidelines, as you try it out for yourself, feel free to make up your own steps!
1. Find quiet time and gather any items you'd like to use to aid you.
2. Spend a few moments to get quiet and find your breath.
3. Set your intention to create sacred space. Perhaps jot down your intention or a few words that describe how you'd like your space to feel.
4. Light a candle, burn some sage, or anoint yourself with essential oil or spritz some rosewater.
5. Read your opening prayer or poem
6. Hold the space. While you do whatever work you've set out to do while in your sacred space, continue to stay in with your intention. I like to glance at flowers or other objects I bring to the space, keep a candle lit or play soft music as little reminders that I'm in sacred space.


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Kehinde B.
Senior Secondary Economics Tutor
Oriented Economics Tutor
My approach when teaching Economics is to break problems down into a step-by-step approach, making sure my students understand the concepts needed for each step.
I am Kehinde. A graduate of Business Administration from Yaba College of Technology.
I have enthusiasm for building the strength of the future generation through education and without proper tutoring process, this can never become a reality.
I have over five years experience teaching Economics and Mathematics in Senior Secondary School during and after my NYSC.
My students are always motivated when I teach them because from my first meeting with them, I build a trust in them and create a strong bond between us.
When a trust is built between a teacher and student, they find it easy to share and do tings together, and that's has been my strength.
HND Business Administration
Dec 2012 - Apr 2015
Yaba Colledge Of Technology
ND Business Administration
Dec 2009 - Oct 2011
Yaba Colledge Of Technology
Software manager and a blogger
May 2018 - Nov 2018
Suretrade Business Solutions Limited
I managed a software called Sureedu. A software created toanage school system online. As a blogger, I helped in writing and posting articles at least once in a week.
Class teacher Basic 2
Jan 2017 - Jul 2017
Riztat Nursery and Primary Schhol
Teaching Basic 2 all subjects except Mathematics, and also taking Basic 3 English Language.
Mathematics teavher
Oct 2015 - Oct 2016
National Youth Service Corps
Taking SS1-3 Mathematics during my NYSC year in Kwara state


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Starbucks vs. Nike: Which Stock's Dividend Dominates?
Dividend stocks outperform non-dividend-paying stocks over the long run. It happens in good markets and bad, and the benefit of dividends can be quite striking -- dividend payments have made up about 40% of the market's average annual return from 1936 to the present day.
But few of us can invest in every single dividend-paying stock on the market, and even if we could, we're likely to find better gains by being selective. Today, two of America's most recognizable aspirational retail brands will square off in a head-to-head battle to determine which offers a better dividend for your portfolio.
Tale of the tape
Starbucks is the world's largest specialty coffee retailer. Founded in 1971 and headquartered in Seattle, the company's aggressively expanded from a single store in Seattle's Pike Place Market to more than 18,000 stores across 60 countries, which are operated by licensees, franchisees, or Starbucks itself. The company underwent a major restructuring in the late 2000s, when it shuttered more than 300 domestic stores while simultaneously launching 900 new stores outside the United States. The company has also formed a strategic alliance with Tata Coffee, Asia's largest coffee producer, to bring Starbucks to India, the world's second-most populous country.
Founded in 1964, Nike , formerly Blue Ribbon Sports, is the world's largest supplier of shoes and apparel, and is also a leading manufacturer of sportswear and equipment. The company markets branded products through a combination of more than 800 branded retail stores, subsidiaries, other retailers, distributors and licensees across the world. The company recently launched a new product range called Nike Free, which has become a popular choice for athletic footwear consumers, and also has a range of digital fitness trackers headlined by Nike+, which can interface with users' computers and smartphones to enhance exercise experiences.
Market cap
$57.6 billion
$68.4 billion
P/E ratio
Trailing 12-month profit margin
TTM free cash flow margin*
Five-year total return
Round one: endurance (dividend-paying streak)
According to Dividata, Starbucks began paying dividends each quarter in 2010, for a 4-year long dividend-paying streak. That makes this an easy win for Nike , which has made regular payments to shareholders for more than 25 years since it first initiated dividends in 1987.
Winner: Nike, 1-0.
Round two: stability (dividend-raising streak)
Starbucks has increased its dividend payouts at least once every year since it began paying dividends in 2010. However, Nike has been raising its dividend at least once per year since 2003, according to Dividata. A solid decade of dividend-raising lets Nike win the stability crown without any hassles.
Winner: Nike, 2-0.
Round three: power (dividend yield)
Some dividends are enticing, but others are merely tokens that barely affect an investor's decision. Have our two companies sustained strong yields over time? Let's take a look:
Winner: Nike, 3-0.
Round four: strength (recent dividend growth)
A stock's yield can stay high without much effort if its share price doesn't budge, so let's look at the growth in payouts over the past five years.
Winner: Starbucks, 1-3.
Round five: flexibility (free cash flow payout ratio)
A company that pays out too much of its free cash flow in dividends could be at risk of a cutback, particularly if business weakens. We want to see sustainable payouts, so lower is better:
Winner: Nike, 4-1.
Bonus round: opportunities and threats
Nike may have won the best-of-five on the basis of its history, but investors should never base their decisions on past performance alone. Tomorrow might bring a far different business environment, so it's important to also examine each company's potential, whether it happens to be nearly boundless or constrained too tightly for growth.
Starbucks opportunities
- Coffee companies could benefit from the falling prices of Arabica beans.
- The company plans to open 1,500 new locations, reaching a total of 20,000 stores by 2014.
- Starbucks has been focusing on high growth markets, such as China and other Asian countries.
- The company recently filed a trademark application for its own carbonated beverage.
- Starbucks will benefit by collaborating with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.
Nike opportunities
- Nike's latest innovation, the Nike+ Fuelband, tap into the "quantified self" fitness movement.
- The global wearable-tech products market is expected to grow to $20 billion by 2017.
- Nike's Free Flyknit running shoes continue to attract substantial amount of customers.
- The company recently became a member of the prestigious Dow Jones Industrial Average.
Starbucks threats
- Dunkin' Brands plans to open 150 stores in the U.K. by 2018.
- Dunkin' also aims to double its domestic footprint to nearly 15,000 restaurants.
- Dunkin' plans to roll out a loyalty program to drive profits with targeted offers.
Nike threats
- Under ArmouracquiredMapMyFitness to battle Nike's FuelBand.
- Under Armour also partnered with Tottenham Hotspur to enter European markets.
- Foot Locker has been remodeling its stores to catch up to Nike and Under Armour.
One dividend to rule them all
In this writer's humble opinion, it seems that Nike has a better shot at long-term outperformance, thanks to its commitment to innovative products, its ubiquitous brand recognition, and its unrivalled merchandising strategies. The company's Fuelband line also offers the chance to build a new moat among tech-savvy fitness fans, although this is sure to be a highly competitive arena. Starbucks, on the other hand, could benefit greatly from an expanded presence in the emerging markets, but it may face fierce competition from other specialty coffee outlets. You might disagree, and if so, you're encouraged to share your viewpoint in the comments below. No dividend is completely perfect, but some are bound to produce better results than others. Keep your eyes open -- you never know where you might find the next great dividend stock!
Looking for more great dividend stocks?
One of the dirty secrets that few finance professionals will openly admit is the fact that dividend stocks as a group handily outperform their non-dividend paying brethren. The reasons for this are too numerous to list here, but you can rest assured that it's true. However, knowing this is only half the battle. The other half is identifying which dividend stocks in particular are the best. With this in mind, our top analysts put together a free list of nine high-yielding stocks that should be in every income investor's portfolio. To learn the identity of these stocks instantly and for free, all you have to do is click here now.
The article Starbucks vs. Nike: Which Stock's Dividend Dominates? originally appeared on Fool.com.Fool contributor Alex Planes has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Nike, Starbucks, and Under Armour and owns shares of Nike, Starbucks, and Under Armour. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright © 1995 - 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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Camberwell is famous for its restaurants… and rightly so! We invited local restaurants to run pop-ups showcasing the delicious tastes from around the world they have to offer.
Camberwell Arms
Speciality: In-house cured charcuterie, aged meats, chargrilled fresh fish from Cornwall's daily boats and the legendary pork fat and scotch bonnet on toast!
Location: 65 Camberwell Church Street, SE5 8TR
Favourite fact about Camberwell: Myatt's Fields Park was originally a strawberry and rhubarb plot that Joseph Myatt bequeathed to the people of Camberwell in his will.
About Camberwell Arms: Opened in February 2014, The Camberwell Arms is a pub which serves delicious food and drinks. Its sister pubs The Anchor and Hope in Waterloo and The Canton Arms in Stockwell have blazed the trail for beautiful pub food since they both opened and it is in their footsteps that The Camberwell Arms follows. The pub was recently shortlisted for The Evening Standard's best new restaurant award.
Head chef Michael Davies devises a daily-changing menu focussing on the best seasonally available fruit and vegetables, diligently reared and aged rare breed meat and sustainably caught fish. There is a charcoal grill, the use of which features heavily on all the menus, whether for larger sharing steaks or the freshest grilled sardines.
Speciality: Our gremolata crumb - it's packed full of herbs, garlic and lemon zest, and makes every dish we serve special.
Location: Pop-up
About Return Of The Mac: Return Of The Mac was born from the love of our childhood favourite, Macaroni and Cheese. We discovered that we weren't the only people obsessed with this cheesy delight, but that others had their own personal affair with the dish.
With over 30 years of hospitality experience between us, we put our creative heads together and endeavoured to make the tastiest, unique Mac 'n' Cheese combinations we could, and serve it to the world with a big cheesy smile.
We serve up quality Mac 'n' Cheese with the option of adding tasty toppings for some extra flavour. All our dishes are topped off with a herby gremolata crumb.
Old Spike Roastery
Location: 54 Peckham Rye London SE15 4JR
Favourite fact about Camberwell: Pre-1860, Camberwell was visited by Londoners for its rural tranquility and reputed healing properties of its mineral springs.
About Old Spike Roastery: Old Spike Roastery is a coffee roasting company based at 54 Peckham Rye, offering great quality coffee and jobs for homeless people in London. The shop was set up to provide some of the finest, freshly roasted coffee around. The team source their premium beans from all over the world and roast them at the shop on their very own roaster, affectionately known as 'Torberg'.
What makes Old Spike Roastery a little different from your regular coffee shop is the fact they are 100% not-for profit and are set up exclusively to help local homeless people in the community. Their mission is to provide expert training, housing and a job that will hopefully be a stepping stone into long term employment.
Old Spike works alongside Rye Pantry; exclusively providing delicious coffee based syrups, as well as Old Spike beans and cold brew coffee.
Location: 2 Datchelor place, SE5 7AP
About The Pigeon Hole: The idea for The Pigeon Hole is simple; a small but beautifully designed cafe that doubles as a second-hand furniture shop within the heart of south London's Camberwell.
In essence it is interactive shopping. The items you see inside – from the tables and chairs, to the artwork on the walls – are for sale, whilst the cafe provides customers with the best of local food and drink.
As well as this The Pigeon Hole continues to sell their homemade jams, jellies and chutneys in store, so pop by to see what latest combinations are on offer.
Location: London, but we are on wheels!
About Culture Shack: Culture shack is an aqua green vintage trailer that serves halal Caribean and Moroccan street food.


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Neiafu: Apia to Neiafu passage log
Neiafu: Apia to Neiafu passage log
Rain, occasionally moderate but mostly misty, seems finally to be ending after two days. I was fortunate that Saturday was sunny and I could dry the Great Cabin.
Reportedly the wind is still blowing 20+ knots at sea and may finally decrease in the next few days, a week too late for GANNET and me.
With thick overcast I've had little solar charging, but with a bit more sunlight, the regulator seems to be working properly.
I emailed Yellowbrick and received, as always, a prompt and useful response. Most likely the problem is ingress of water at the charging USB port at the bottom. An O ring that should be on the cap isn't. I don't know when or how it could have been lost.
I have cleaned and dried that port and managed to get the unit fully charged. I activated it, and in twenty-four hours the charge has dropped to 93%, considerably more than normal, and a red light that flashes every ten seconds when the Yellowbrick is charging continues to do so even when it isn't. I'm going to let it run another day. It is possible that it is working well enough.
Below is the passage log.
I had to type it into the computer yesterday. Underway I wrote it by hand in a water resistant notebook. I never removed the laptop from its Pelican case during this passage.
GANNET's daily runs were remarkably consistent:
12 miles to noon the first day; then 112; 112; 110. For the three full days that's a 4.6 knot average. More than I expected. I was always in damage avoidance and trying to slow the little sloop down.
GANNET's daily runs since leaving San Diego now total 5200 miles. The remaining distance to the waypoint at the entrance to the Bay of Islands is 1,171 miles.
August 5, Tuesday
Pacific Ocean
0915 Sailed from dock under mainsail with first breath of wind. No need to fit and then remove Torqeedo.
Once out in the harbor I engaged tiller pilot while I brought in and stowed dock lines and fenders, then unfurled jib and took the tiller myself to sail out pass. In ocean, engaged tiller pilot again.
1000 Sunny day. Broad reaching NW to clear reefs that extend far from shore. Windex which had been working at dock stuck. Tied short pieces of red yarn to shrouds as tell tails.
13°44'S 171°56'W Vavau 325 miles 201°
day's run 12 miles
Rolling along at 5 to 6 knots under jib alone. Wind directly behind us. Fifteen miles to clear the west end of Upolu. Then 310 to Vavau and another eight to Neiafu harbor. Clouds over Upolu and the other big island, Savaii. Conditions rough an hour ago, but less wind now. I'm in no rush to reach the corner and have to harden up.
1400 In the lee of Upolu. Wind very light. Rolling in following seas. Seven miles to go before turning to 201°.
1630 Pounding into and falling off waves under reefed main alone close-hauled port tack.
I steered the strait between Upolu and Savaii. Chaos.
Strong gusts of wind. No wind. Jagged waves leaping up from all directions. Conditions like overfalls where seas of unequal height come together.
After we rounded corner, I remained on deck in foul weather gear trying to find the best path and sail conditions through rough seas. I'm hoping that as we move away from the islands the wind and waves will decrease.
I forgot to remove the American flag from the backstay. Fluttering wildly. Too dangerous to try now. I'm writing this in pencil in a notebook. Too rough to remove computer from Pelican case.
Good consequence: the Windex has been shaken free and is now functioning.
When on deck I had companionway closed and slat in place. No water down below. Now I have the slat out for ventilation and some water is coming in through that opening. But none from the sides, and we're taking a lot of water over the deck.
1800 GANNET slowed so set some of the jib. Trying to balance having enough sail to power through waves without leaping off them with thunderous crashes.
1830 I'm sitting on the port pipe berth facing west. Sun setting behind clouds.
A wave just crashed aboard.
Sky smoke, sea pewter.
We're moving along quite well. Still rough, but this has been about as I expected.
I smell of whiskey. I had just poured a plastic of Jameson's when GANNET leapt off a wave. When she landed, half the pour leapt onto me.
August 6, Wednesday
Pacific Ocean
0740 A horrible night. I'm not sure I got any sleep before 2330. I know I didn't between then and 0400.
At 2330 wind accompanying rain rounded us up and and the off course alarm went off. I got up and furled the small amount of jib set. GANNET continued under reefed main alone, leaping off waves and landing with terrible thuds.
I lay on the pipe berth unable to sleep. Finally at 0400 after two especially shuddering landings, I got up, put on foul weather gear and headlamp and went up and tied in the second reef, which on GANNET is at the third reef level. This helped.
I sat at Central, what I call my usual location in a SportASeat on the cabin floor facing aft. Drank a box of apple juice and managed to get a little sleep sitting up.
Several episodes of brief, heavy rain during the night.
During the night something started to groan. At first I thought it was the rudder, but the sound is coming from the starboard bulkheads. No cracks. They look secure, if unhappy.
At 0615 first light I put on foul weather gear again and went on deck to look around and set a tiny amount of jib.
Wave just crashed aboard.
We're now sailing under triple reefed main and a t-shirt of jib, making 4-5 knots, not pounding too hard, and have 230 miles to go.
The wind may have diminished slightly, but still far more than forecast fifteen knots.
Writing this by hand in water resistant notebook. Won't risk removing laptop from Pelican case.
0845 Tiller pilot just died. Not surprising in these conditions. Only old Autohelm that came with GANNET left. I'm saving it. Sailing almost close-hauled with tiller tied down. But I have to be ready to go out at any moment.
Conditions very rough.
0930 I opened the tiller pilot housing. Not a lot of water inside. I removed water with paper towel and Q-tips. Closed it. Took it on deck. Hooked it up. Nothing. I also tried the Autohelm. It works. GANNET is sailing on course by herself.
15°18'S 172°49'W Vavau 214 miles 200°
day's run 112
Still sailing with tiller tied down. Speed has dropped and am considering setting tiny bit of jib again. A crash just changed my mind.
Sunny. Hot.
1445 Slept an hour after protein bar lunch. Just out on deck in foul weather gear, unfurled part of jib and adjusted tiller line. Wind less than 20 knots. GANNET finds a smooth patch and accelerates quickly to 6 or 7 knots, then bashes into or leaps off a wave and stalls to 3.
1640 Wind maybe forecast 15 knots.
Set Autohelm tiller pilot to steer for night. Changing wind speed or direction would upset balance and take us off course with tiller tied down and I need sleep.
Still taking a lot of water over the bow, but it is not blowing all the way aft to the tiller pilot. Autohelm noisier than Raymarine. Low moan. Let's hope it is more waterproof, too.
Whatever was groaning around the bulkheads has stopped.
1830 I have seen this so often before: what was so hard becomes with a change in wind force or direction so easy. GANNET is moving smoothly through reduced waves two and three knots faster than she was smashing into them last night. Timing, if not everything, is a lot.
August 7, Thursday
Pacific Ocean
0830 Last night couldn't have been in greater contrast to the night before. Wind moderate. Seas lower. Little angle of heel. I slept soundly until 0500, two hours before dawn, when the wind began to increase,
I went on deck at 0620, first light, disengaged the Autohelm and tied down the tiller again. Also furled more of jib.
We're occasionally leaping off waves again and heeled 20°-30°. I don't like 30°, but nothing more I can do about it. Water coming aboard and down below, though not nearly as much as before I unblocked the hatch drains.
120 miles to go.
I really wanted an easy day.
Not going to happen.
0930 Reduced jib to tiny scrap.
Wave just crashed into GANNET's side. Not even a very big one. Thunderous.
1030 Very rough. Opened companionway—foul weather gear a given—and furled scrap of jib. No good. Just hobby-horse up and down in same place, so eased a bit of jib back out. Noisy. Leaping and pounding. Waves smashing aboard. Just have to get thorough this day and night.
17°04'S 173°29'S Vavau 102 miles 201°
day's run 112
In cockpit to tie loops to tiller and position blocks for sheet to tiller self-steering in case wind shifts. Tiller tied down only works close-hauled or very close reach.
1420 Several waves in succession washed over us. I said 20+ knots of wind from ahead would turn GANNET into a submarine and it has.
1620 While I would prefer to steer an accurate compass course as we approach landfall, conditions are too rough to risk the Autohelm and I'll leave the tiller tied down, unless wind and water coming over deck significantly decrease.
We're 80 miles to waypoint off the entrance to the passage into the islands and 7 less than that to the north coast of Vavau, the main island of the group to which it gives its name.
Continued solid low overcast.
As we stagger on, I've diverted my mind from this bedlam with an early gin and tonic and working a jigsaw puzzle on the iPad mini. Just finished the puzzle—a drawing of San Francisco in sailing ship days—and the drink.
If GANNET continues to leap off waves—and if we are to make any progress, she must—I won't get much sleep tonight. There are times I have figuratively said to the ocean, "All right, bring it on." And to my boat, "I've eased your way as much as I can, but now you are just going to have to take it and hold together." Thus far they have. But these landings are wrenching. I don't see how GANNET holds together. How any boat can.
1700 A few patches of blue sky astern. I don't know their meaning, if any.
Nights are long here. Thirteen hours. 1800 to 0700. 0600 still fully dark. We have a waxing gibbous moon. I saw it last night. Not at all the night before.
My left shoulder aches. Facing aft wedged into Central with the boat heeled far to starboard, my weight is on that shoulder.
1830 70 miles to go at unseen sunset. Total cloud cover.
I've never been on deck on this passage without foul weather gear and seldom even open the companionway without wearing it. However, I just did to reach out to bring the Velocitek below to change batteries, and two waves got me. Shorts and t-shirt soaked. Changed.
Wind remains 20+ knots.
August 8, Friday
Pacific Ocean
0440 22 miles to waypoint.
A fierce night.
I went to the pipe berth at 2000, but no chance of sleep. GANNET and waves continuously crashing. Got up at 2130 and finished reading Ralph Ellison's INVISIBLE MAN. Back to berth at 2300. Lay there awake. Maybe a little sleep after 0200.
Just checked. We're on course with tiller tied. Will hold off using Autohelm.
Cooler last night and now, though we're at 18° South.
0700 Just set Autohelm to steer. At first it didn't work. I checked the plug and saw corrosion around one of the two pins. Cleaned and WD40ed. Worked.
Vavau visible nine miles ahead. North and west coast 500' sheer cliff. Darker gray island against gray sky and sea.
The pants of my foul weather gear slid from where I stowed them between the pipe berths to under the companionway. Wet inside. Wearing them anyway. Not going to bother to dig out my other set. Not too long before we are inside passage between islands.
1200 Tied alongside fishing vessel to wharf Neiafu. This is the smaller of two wharves, but too big for GANNET.
The entrance passage is wide but leads to the southeast.
We had to tack up it in lulls and gusts. I steered with the tiller extension from the forward end of the cockpit where I could reach the jib sheets to tack, then back to hold the tiller. Gusts of 25 knots buried GANNET's lee rail. Waves were only 1'-2' and we powered through them rather than leapt, often making 7 and 8 knots.
A couple of small islands in the passage. Off one of them I saw three power boats near what I first thought were exposed rocks before one of them spouted and I realized they were whales. The power boats followed the whales. I did not.
After beating up the first passage, I was able to turn northeast up another for the final three miles. Less wind. Engaged the Autohelm. Fit outboard bracket and Torqeedo. Lowered main. Prepared dock lines and fenders. Tried calling Neiafu Port Control on handheld VHF. No response.
Gannet was making six knots under jib alone across smooth water. Wonderful. As we neared the narrow entrance into almost landlocked Neiafu, the wind headed us. I started the Torqeedo fifty yards off the first channel buoys and furled the jib.
When we turned into the harbor, the wind jumped in force and I had to give the Torqeedo more rpms than usual. Two catamarans were tied to the fishing wharf on either side of a local fishing boat. Some men waved me to tie to the fishing boat. I came alongside and handed them my lines.
Passage over.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014


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Sip a sweet ice cider at The Tasting Bar, savor a sticky maple treat from the Maple Shop, enjoy fresh breads and pastries from Jocelyn & Cinta's Bake Shop, order a specialty coffee from Beans by the Border, sit and enjoy a bite at the Ciderhouse Bar & Grill and finish your visit with a cold treat from Dolcetti Gelato.
It's all good, and it's all local! The NEK Tasting Center is dedicated to featuring and supporting Northeast Kingdom farmers and producers. Join us to learn, taste and enjoy!
The NEK Tasting Center began as a brain child of Eleanor and Albert Leger, founders of Eden Ice Cider, as they were thinking about expanding their business. A feasibility study was conducted in 2010 to look at the economic viability of the idea. The feasibility study and planning were partially funded by NCIC (through a USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grant), the Northeastern Vermont Development Association, and a Community Development Block Grant. The results led to exploration of partnerships and development of a business plan for private investors.
In 2012, the Legers and a number of investors purchased a former department store on Main Street in Newport, VT. Tenants leasing space in the building include: the Newport Ciderhouse Bar & Grill, Jocelyn & Cinta's Bake Shop, Butternut Mountain Maple, Beans by the Border Coffee Shop, and the Tasting Bar for Eden Specialty Ciders, whose cider production facility is also located in the basement. The tenants manage the NEK Tasting Center on a cooperative basis.