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What if you and your family are not together when an emergency or a disaster strikes?
Much of children's time is spent at school, at a friends, or at other activities away from the home. Most adults spend the majority of the day away from the family and the home. Families are often separated when disaster or emergency hits.
We need a plan. How will we contact one another? Where will we meet? How will we get back together? Who do we call? Each member of the family needs to know how to handle different situations.
This may sound silly, but, I remember watching 'The Land Before Time.' It always devastated me how poor Cera was separated from her parents. She was lost and alone and didn't know what to do. When we watched that movie, my mommy would say 'what do we do if we ever get separated?' and we would discuss different situations, like being 'lost' at Wal-Mart. My mom did a great job at making sure we knew from a young age what to do in all sorts of emergency situations.
Preparing Children:
- Talking about emergencies can be stressful and scary. Start small & keep it age appropriate.
- Small children can learn their parents names and phone numbers.
- Children should know how & when to call 911, and their home address.
- Children need to know who 'trusted' adults and neighbors are.
- If you are separated in an emergency, Where should the child go? Where will you meet?
- Talk to your children about strangers and intruders.
- Create a 72 Hour Kit for your child.
- Discuss how to handle Bug Bites, sprains, cuts, and minor emergencies
- Children can keep a small emergency kit in their back pack at school with basics like a flash light, contact information, water, a blanket , ect
- Discuss major emergencies: flood, tornado, earthquake, ect
- Discuss and prearranged a care-provider for your child incase you are not available
- Inquire about your daycare or schools emergency plans.
Family Emergency Plan:
- Who are your out-of-town contacts? Many times in an emergency, it is easier to make a long distance call than a local. This out-of-town contact may be in a better position to communicate between family members
- Learn to use text messaging. Many times text messaging services work in areas where phone signal may be too weak to make a call.
- List emergency contact as 'ICE' (In Case of Emergency), many times emergency personnel will look for your ICE as a contact if you are in an emergency.
- Understand the emergency alert services for your area. Does your area have a tornado siren? Are emergencies broadcasted by local TV stations or local radio? Does you community have an automated telephone system to alert of emergencies? Is there an alert service for your area you can subscribe to?
- Keep important documents and information in a safe place where you may access them in the event of an emergency.
- Create Wallet Cards with emergency information for family members
- Use the Ready.gov family plan creator to easily create a plan for your family
- Inquire about emergency plans at places where your family spends time: work, daycare and school. If no plans exist, consider volunteering to help create one.
- Talk to family and neighbors about how you can work together in the event of an emergency
- Know what to do if you are in an emergency in a moving vehicle or in a high-rise building
- Become as informed on emergency and safety information as possible
- know CPR
- Know how to handle minor emergencies, such as sprains, burns, cuts, ect
- Know how to handle broken bones, severe injury, snake bites, allergic reactions, ect
- Have a 72 Hour kit ready for family members
- Have a 72 hour kit in your vehicle and office
- Have an Evacuation Plan
- Be informed
- FEMA Plan & Prepare
- Ready.gov
- Ready Kids
- Be Informed at Ready.gov
- CPR Training information
- American Red Cross
- Emergency Education


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My guy has white flakes on his shoulders. Help!
Shampoos with either selenium sulfide or zinc pyrithione (like Neutrogena T/Gel Daily Control, $6.99) minimize the snowy dandruff that's caused by scalp fungus, says NYC dermatologist Amy Wechsler. Buy him a bottle, then just say it's something for, ahem, mild flakes.

subset: commoncrawl


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Episode 1&2 starts with an aged Emperor Kangxi (Hawick Lau) basking in all his glorious achievements yet not without a wave of sentiment as he looks back to a time when he fell in love.
Flashback to a teenage Kangxi who he sets in motion an elaborate plan to defeat Ao Bai, a veteran official greedy for power after serving three generations of Qing Dynasty emperors. Undeterred by several close calls, Kangxi succeeds and issues an edict to capture or kill any of Ao Bai's followers that attempt to resist.
The traitor in question is none other than Liang Er's father and her entire family is slaughtered by the imperial guards on her tenth birthday. As the sole survivor, Liang Er wanders the streets and gets captured by conmen. This is also the moment when she meets Kangxi who also happens to be on the run from a group of assassins. They escape on a horse and become close confidants oblivious to their tragic connection.
In order to lure the pursuers away, the two part ways and Liang Er arrives at the Na La residence where her childhood friend Na La Rong Ruo vows to protect her despite his father's objections over harboring a fugitive.
To help Rong Ruo's father, Na Lan Yi tries to kill Liang Er if not for Rong Ruo who stops him in the nick of time. However, the damage is done and Liang Er has lost all recollection of her past. In a way, the circumstances helped her case as she can now thrive as a palace maid under the name Wei Lin Lang (Zheng Shuang).
First Impressions: The Kangxi versus Ao Bai storyline has been retold time and again and it's an exciting moment for Kangxi's reign as emperor. However, I wasn't expecting that the epic takedown will be handled by a bunch of kids. Sure, the mini me versions of the adult cast are cute and their performance solid but it feels odd to say the least especially with the not-so-subtle hints of childhood romance for a ten year old Liang Er. I mean - the horse scene - they're just kids!
For more synopsis, cast and ratings, see my 2016 Chinese historical drama listing.


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Has Dr. Sheldon Cooper met his match?
The Big Bang Theory has finally nabbed famed theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking to film a cameo.
As first reported by TV Guide Canada, Hawking filmed a scene with Jim Parsons, a.k.a. Sheldon, Friday for the show's April 5 episode. In the scene, Hawking has a "run-in" with Sheldon.
Leonard Nimoy becomes Big Bang Theory's "dream" guest star
The CBS comedy had invited Hawking to appear on the show before, but at the time they were told he was too ill to participate. Hawking's appearance will air the week after another big guest star stops by. Star Trek's Leonard Nimoy will lend his voice to the March 29 episode when he speaks to Sheldon in a dream sequence.
Hawking, coincidentally, played a hologram of himself on an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and also played himself on The Simpsons and Futurama.
Are you excited to see Hawking and Sheldon together?
The Big Bang Theory airs Thursdays at 8/7c on CBS.


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Online Salon Supply "OnlineSalonSupply.com" is a retail distributor of permanent makeup, cosmetics and other beauty salon products located in California, United States. Our company slogan is "Your beauty, our passion!", and with good reason. Online Salon Supply is about being yourself. Finding what suits you and bringing out the best of what you have...naturally!
We offer a huge selection of permanent makeup and beauty salon products to meet all the composite needs of the makeup artists, salon professionals, and the general public. Online Salon Supply combines the industries' lowest prices with fast and accurate service. With a dedicated team of beauty experts who receive regular training directly from brands, Online Salon Supply provides accurate, intelligent information on each product. Supplying some of the leading permanent makeup, cosmetics, beauty and hair brands such as Biotouch, KP Beauty Products, Custom Colors, and Tattoo Soothe.
We will also blog permanent makeup on a weekly basis where we cover unique products, industry news and even provide how-to's and guides.
With new products and brands arriving at Online Salon Supply regularly, sign up to our newsletter to receive the latest information and offers. Don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for regular giveaways and updates.
on orders over $75 & more
on orders placed before 12PM PST
Worldwide Shipping


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Maternity Photographers in Adelaide Tune A new Mother who was delighted with her maternity photographs taken by one of Adelaide's top photographers thanked her with something artistic of her own. She composed a tune for the photographer to show how much she appreciated the effort and skill that went into her beautiful images that she will always treasure. She promised to return for baby photographs very soon. The composition has been uploaded here for everyone to enjoy. Visit: http://photoplaystudios.com.au/adelaide-maternity-page/maternityp... 00:01:34 271 0 Downloads 0 Comments
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single fun loving girl. i love nature and beaches. i love to meet nice and caring romantic guy that loves nature and fun
Member Profile
Does this member meet your requirements? Why not sign up for free (or login) to send a message or a wink?
My Passions
- beach
- cooking
- kissing
- movie
- dancing
My star sign
- Taurus
I'm a...
- Smoker


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The Princess Party Package
Price: $38.99 per child (plus tax), minimum of 8 kids
The Princess Party Package is a 2 hour package filled with fun AND pampering! Spoil your child and their guests like princesses:
- A full 2 hours inside a private party room (which comes with full decorations including a table cloth, balloons, paper plates, napkins, utensils and cups).
- First half hour will be for play on the Famous Adventure Challenge. Also included is 6 tokens for the birthday child and four for each of their guests to play on our various arcade games.
- Second half hour birthday child and party guests will be eating in their private party room
- Last hour will be spent in the party room with manicures and makeup.
- All party princesses will receive their own tiara and wand
- All party princesses will receive a loot bag with their own nail polish at the end of the party
- The food that will be provided includes:
- 1 slice of pizza per child OR hotdog
- Popcorn
- Pop OR juice
- Also included in the package are 10 birthday party invitations (or you can print them here!).
- Cake is not included. Bring your own nut free cake or purchase from Kidsports for $29.99 plus tax.
- Party princesses can play on the Adventure Challenge for as long as they want once the party is over
(all makeup products are natural and all nail polishes are non-toxic and kid friendly)
Important Rules:
- All kids must wear socks for play
- No outside food or drinks allowed, except for cake, veggie platters and fruit platters (NUT FREE). If any other food is brought in for parties we reserve the right to ask you to remove it or a service fee will be charged.
- If you would like to order any additional food pizza can be ordered on the day of the party. One week notice required for food platters
- Non-refundable $50.00 required for booking. In case of cancellation, deposit is held for one year.
- Up to 10 adults for free; additional adults will be charged $2.99


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The city of Victorville is in San Bernardino County in California. It is a large city located in the Victor Valley and it was incorporated back in 1962. For a long time the city was known for its Air Force base and military presence. Part of the area is still used for some Air Force training, but the area today is primarily occupied by the local airport, which is the largest employer in the city itself. Other portions of the local economy are made up by educational and medical services. The area is also known for its access to fine outdoor recreation. The population of Victorville is over 120,000 people.
Different Services
Victorville has many fine aspects that make it a great city to consider relocating to for your home or business. Those who are considering coming to the city will find several quality moving companies in the area that can assist you when you are moving to Victorville.
Victorville, California
Victorville Moving Companies Directory
Golden Eagle Moving Services, Inc. – Golden Eagle Moving Services are agents of United Van Lines, one of the largest moving companies in the country. This means you will have the backing of a high quality and experienced service throughout your move. They can assist you when your move is local, long distance, out of state or even international in nature. They can also assist you with specialty moves of items like fine art, antique furniture, a pool table, grandfather clock, computer equipment, a piano or anything else that requires extra attention when being moved.
1450 N Benson Ave
Upland, CA 91786
(800) 328-4367
Golden Eagle Moving Services Inc.
Eastern Van Lines – Eastern Van Lines can help you with any residential, commercial or industrial move that you need accomplished. They can ably bring your belongings to a new apartment, condo, house, office or corporate location and have everything there for you on time and securely.
2671 Pomona Blvd
Pomona, CA 77407
(626) 969-4292
Starving Students Movers, Inc. – Starving Students Movers has over forty years of experience in moving, so you know you will get a quality, secure move when you work with them. They know what it takes to handle your belongings the right way and with great care. They offer a variety of moving options, including full service moves to help you with all of your packing and unpacking needs.
11934 W. Jefferson Blvd
Culver City, CA 90230
(877) 304-8626
Starving Students Movers, Inc.
FirstKlassMoving.com – FirstKlassMoving.com are specialists in industrial and commercial moves of all sizes. They can help move and of your sensitive technical equipment or heavy machinery with great ease. They are fully licensed and insured for your protection and use only the best tools and equipment to handle each move they are involved in. Quotes and estimates are available regarding the rates, prices and cost of labor for your move.
1340 S Wabash St
Glendora, CA 91740
(626) 804-7012
Victorville Wikipedia Page – A description of the history of the city and the important geography, demographics and highlights of the area.
Victorville Craigslist Page – A listing of local services, classified ads and products available on Craigslist in the Inland Empire area including the city of Victorville.
City of Victorville Website – The official website for the city of Victorville including the local history, government services and departments, community news and a calendar of events of the city.


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Lekki Urban Forest and Animal Sanctuary Initiative (LUFASI) is an NGO dedicated as an urban hub where people can connect to and interact with nature in Nigeria.
LUFASI sits on 20 hectares of land at the Majek area (Km 41) along the Lekki-Epe Express Way. It houses species like the Ekki "Iron Wood" tree (Lophira Alata), the critically endangered Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes Monachus) and the African Pied Hornbill (Tockus fasciatus).
The vegetation consists of pocket habitats of swamp forest and oil-palm plantation with large manicured garden spaces and pond-side landscapes for recreation and celebrations.
LUFASI is driven by the mission to conserve native biodiversity, educate about Climate Change and the natural environment, and collaborate with the wider community of stakeholders


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Live Online Spiritual Class, Internet/International
03 May 2009
The Comforting Discovery That Mental Troubles Do Not Exist.
Today, I can now reveal how I was able to quickly release total strangers of their mental suffering and strife in open meetings.
My Enlightenment Day realisations included: A person can not be truly unhappy. A person carries their troubles in their mind. The a person can drop their troubles very fast.


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Form 4868 is the form administered by the IRS to permit tax payers an extended volume of time to file their taxes, via Oct fifteen. Nevertheless, this kind and no other procedure will extend the amount of time you have to spend your taxes penalty free of charge. If you can't get your taxes submitted by the Apr 15 deadline, you will need to have to post Type 4868.
Don't overlook that filing for an extension on your taxes doesn't suggest that you have an extension to spend the taxes because of. If you do owe additional taxes to the authorities, and don't shell out them when you file your extension, you're likely to be subjected further penalties and desire on that volume! Several men and women forget this simple fact or don't realize it and end up producing a large mess out of Ian Leaf Scam their taxes.
When you ship in your return varieties, the IRS will notify you that they have obtained them. Even so, the IRS will most likely not notify you when they acquire your extension. If you do file 1, then it is a great concept to call the IRS and validate they acquired it. Also, for your reward constantly make and keep a photocopy of any tax documents you deliver out.
When submitting an extension, we all swear on our mother's grave that we will get on prime of the predicament well ahead of the extension time period operates out. Properly, did you? If not, the clock is ticking and it is late in the fourth quarter of the football sport.
We know right when our taxes are thanks, someday in the thirty day period of April, right. Well to be a lot more specific taxes are because of sometime in the middle of the thirty day period April. You will get around to filling out your taxes this 12 months. You will open up that new tax preparing application software you received last Xmas. Or possibly you will even go to your neighborhood H&R block to fill out your individual taxes this Ian Leaf Scam calendar year.
If you desire to get 2010 Montana point out tax extensiondeadline or would like to lengthen your state cash flow tax submitting deadline, you require to ship your files on-line by April 18th. You can have nominal fascination charges on your tax quantity and for that, do your greatest estimate of taxes you owed. 1 of the best issues is to shell out online which is less difficult, a lot quicker and protected.
Please be positive to deliver this Ian Leaf Scam type prior to the April fifteenth owing day. If your form is sent following April fifteenth, it will not be acknowledged. If it is despatched prior to the fifteenth, the odds are sturdy that the extension will be authorized. After authorized, you will get a 'reprieve' from submitting your earnings tax until Oct 15th. That indicates you will end up with a six thirty day period automatic extension. There is, nevertheless, only one extension offered for every tax 12 months so you want to get your return in by Oct 15th. There are number of exceptions to this. Most notably, these that could be out of the country over and above the 6 month period or are serving in the navy in an overcome zone may be presented further time. For all other folks, the October 16th deadline will be locked in stone.
It will make me much more likely to be audited. Nope. Statistically talking, your possibilities of an audit may be reduced when you file for an extension. A lot of men and women feel IRS agents are necessary to audit a specified quantity or proportion of returns each months but they usually fill their quotas nicely before the October extended filing deadline the IRS gained't inform anyone their Ian Leaf Scam audit secrets though).
You need to know if you're heading to owe much more taxes this calendar year, so figure that out first. You can file the extension, but with out paying the taxes owed, it's going to do you no great!
Sometimes April 15th closes in on you, and you can't get your tax returns together. What you can do in this predicament is file a request for an extension to file your taxes. Complicated, appropriate? It's the authorities – they like it that way.


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The Street is closely watching developments as GE moves ever closer to selling NBC Universal. Now that GE has reached a preliminary deal with Vivendi over the sale of its 20 percent stake in the peacock network – a deal to unload NBC seems all but inevitable.
Under the proposal, NBC Universal would become 51 percent owned by cable giant Comcast and 49 percent by GE.


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Advanced Environmental Options, Inc. is recognized for its excellence in the coordination of support systems and equipment. Our extensive range of environmental equipment, combined with our technical expertise, is second to none! AEO offers a state-of-the-art Lumex Mercury Analyzer and Mercury Vapor Scrubber , and Baccurate Mercury Detectors for mercury contamination.
With an ever-increasing change in environmental awareness, AEO is providing products, services and technology to power plants, industries and schools to insure proper procedures are followed and proper measures are taken to insure protection for people and the environment.


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It's been too long! But we're back with a new episode and some new cast members. Check in on where we've been and what we've been up to. Come meet Kiri, our new co-host, as we talk to her about her experiences in writing and editing.
If you're going to AnthroCon 2018, both Kiri and Ocean will be there to say hi. Also check out Claw and Tales from the Guild: World Tour, new books coming out at AC from FurPlanet.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download


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Last Updated on
These healthy cookies are filled with bits of cranberries, pistachios, love and joy! They are so good you can even have one for breakfast and not feel guilty!
"I received free samples of Wonderful Pistachios mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Wonderful Pistachios and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time."
I love Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and when I make them I usually add chopped almonds. This time, I ditched the raisins and added dried cranberries and instead of almonds, I added Wonderful Pistachios. The combination of nut and fruit are perfect!
I know cookies aren't exactly referred to be a "healthy" treat or snack. BUT these ones are! These are great for breakfast and a pick-me up afternoon snack when you have a sweet tooth (like me). I usually get my sweet cravings at night so I eat these for dessert!
Healthy Cranberry Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter; softened
- 1/4 cup natural sugar of your choice
- 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 1/4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp. chia seeds
- 1/2 cup of Wonderful Pistachios; unshelled
- 1//3 cup of dried cranberries
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
- With a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, honey, and maple syrup for 2-3 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Add egg and vanilla and beat to combine.
- In a separate bowl, combine oats, flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in the pistachios and dried cranberries and mix with a wooden spoon.
- Scoop the dough into two tablespoon balls or scoop with a mini ice cream scoop and place a couple inches apart on the baking sheets. Lightly press down on the dough balls to flatten just slightly. Bake for 9-11 minutes until the edges of the cookies are done and the center is still slightly underdone. Do not over bake, as they will finish cooking on the baking sheet. Place the baking sheets on wire racks and allow the cookies to cool completely.
So why are these cookies healthy for you?
These bites of joy have oats, whole wheat flour, antioxidants, fiber, and the best part all the nutrients from pistachios!
According to Wonderful Pistachios, this nut is known as the The Fit Nut. They are loaded with protein and fiber, and are considered a smart snack. These pistachios are deliciously fulfilling and has the 'good fat' that our bodies need. Did you know…The green and red-purple hues in Wonderful Pistachios come from antioxidants. So treat yourself to nutritious pistachios. These nuts are full of nutrients and minerals and are good for your overall health so get crackin'!
These cookies will appear to be a little under-cooked when you first take them out of the oven but I promise, they will bake for a little longer once they get taken out of the oven. I prefer my Oatmeal cookies to be on the soft and chewy side. They are even chewier with the bits of dried cranberries and then don't forget about the crunchy pistachio pieces!


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Then on Wednesday, we were all about this:
Friday, March 23, 2012
coconut ice cream sandwiches + part 3 of ice cream sandwich week...
Then on Wednesday, we were all about this:
2 comments:
Well you know I would read your blog everyday, because you always have fun things to say and write about. But I totally hear ya about taking a step back and not blogging as much. Especially with all the fun things you have going on.
You just do what you gotta do and I'll eagerly look forward to your posts. :)Replies
Thank you for this. I was thinking about you this morning...as weird as that sounds. I was so appreciative of all your continued support. It really helps on days when you feel like no one reads your stuffs! :)Delete
Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Proverbs 16:24
Hey friends, I feel it's time for a little update :) Any comments which might be found inappropriate to myself or my readers, including but not limited to: Spam, Offensive or Rude Comments, Vulgar Language, and Self-Promotion Spam, will be deleted.


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Crosswalk.com aims to offer the most compelling biblically-based content to Christians on their walk with Jesus. Crosswalk.com is your online destination for all areas of Christian Living – faith, family, fun, and community. Each category is further divided into areas important to you and your Christian faith including Bible study, daily devotions, marriage, parenting, movie reviews, music, news, and more.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.John 1


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At our recent Assist Travel event one of the most interesting topics discussed was the trials and tribulations of organising visas for our Executives. It seems everyone there had a story or two to tell so I asked our exhibitors, Blair Consular, to give a few more tips on dealing with Visas.
Key rules:
- Before completing a Visa application, familiarise yourself with any Embassy closures or rule changes – these will affect your Visa processing time.
- Always leave plenty of time – Embassies can request additional information and documentation without prior warning.
- Complete all forms carefully.
- Make sure that all of your documents match – for example, they all need to state the same Visa duration and trip purpose.
- Check how long your Executives Passport is valid for – most countries will need at least six months validity.
Points to be aware of:
Every PA will know the feeling when a Visa application doesn't work out – it's probably one of the most stressful elements of booking travel. One of the top rules with Visas is to leave plenty of time to avoid last minute stress. We've seen numerous applications where it's been the last part of the trip to be arranged, and most of the time the application is smooth sailing – but it's not always successful! To help plan your Visas, we've put together this table for some key points for the most problematic Visa destinations:
How to avoid disasters
I would always recommend using a Consular Agent to handle your Visa applications – you can't underestimate the benefits of knowledge and experience when dealing with Embassies! A good Visa agent will pre-check your application before lodging it, offer advice and be there to guide you through the process. At Blair Consular Services, we offer:
- Full application checking service to minimise rejections
- Free of charge local courier collection/delivery service
- Lodging service – All applications are lodged the following working day after receipt of the documents, and will be lodged by a Visa trained courier. All of our Visa applications are dealt with exclusively by Blair employees
- Full online tracking facility
- Collection of the completed Visa
- Expedited return of the Visa – We can arrange airport meets, an international courier or motorbike if necessary
- All clients will be assigned an Account Manager, allowing us to provide the best level of service possible.
To find out more information on our services, please visit our website www.blairvisas.co.uk or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com
This post is sponsored by Blair Consular. Follow the link for more information about Practically Perfect PA's sponsored posts.


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When you've never been to Europe before it's hard to plan because, you've never been there. You don't know how things work or how easy they can be. I remember people telling me that traveling around Europe is cheap and easy, but how?! After helping a friend plan out her first trip to Europe I remembered what it was like planning that trip for the first time. To help you plan your first trip, here are three things to remember!
Don't Over Do It
I know you want to go everywhere possible when you're in Europe. I remember wanting to fit as much as possible into the trip. Because if you're there then yo might as well go. But this isn't the case. Pick an area or country you want to see and try to stay around there. You will spend less on travel time and money getting to those places.
Here is an example of wanting to go to too many places in two weeks!
After showing my friend this map of how far every country she wanted to visit was and that she would need a plane for every trip, I helped her plan a better route.
Utilize Trains, Ferries, Buses, and Public Transportation
In America these things are not that common to use to get to places. But in Europe they are so easy, convenient, and cheap! I would have never thought to take a ferry to Tallinn from Helsinki, but it was cheaper than flying and a cool experience. Look at all the options you have to travel to your destination when planning. Also, public transportation in awesome. You can get where you need to be quicker than walking. Don't be daunted about trying to figure out a metro system in a different language. You will probably get lost, but that's normal and you will figure it out!
Take Time to Go to Less Touristy Spots
While of course I think you should check out the famous tourist things, because those things are really cool! But also there are so many other cool things that are not as famous. You can also really see a culture better when it's not overrun with tourists.
Wherever you go, have a blast! And I hope these three things help when you are planning your trip 🙂
What advice do you have for first time travelers? Or where is your first trip to?
All Material is Copyrighted by Boarding for Chynna. Please Do Not Use Without Permission.


text: For wood products that contain visible wood it is important to be able to describe the aesthetic properties desired, to measure and communicate them. The aim of this investigation was to shed light on the connections between people's preferences and the physical blend of wood features measured in digital images of Scots pine wood surfaces. A total of 215 persons from Sweden with different backgrounds were interviewed regarding their preference for ten Scots pine wood surfaces containing knots. Their impressions and preferences were documented by a questionnaire. Many texture features (140 variables) were extracted from grayscale images of the wood surfaces and the connections with the preference data were modeled by partial least square analysis. Results from detail questions concerning what people thought about specific wood features were used as guidelines for the variable extraction. Prediction models for the preference questions were established and reported. For each prediction model, the 30 most robust wood feature variables were sorted out before the modeling. The results show that the wood feature variables varied in importance and all but one model was significant. The most important variables were those that detect different kinds of feature distribution over a wood surface and especially those variables that detect a deviation in center of gravity. The results illuminate the use of subjective preference data regarding the aesthetic properties of wood and give rise to some ideas of how to implement them in a production process.


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OSC is committed to respecting your privacy and protecting personal information you have given us and we aim to be clear about why and how we will use it.
We've always felt this is important in carrying out our day-to-day activities, and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) means that since May 2018 we have given you more ways to control what we know about you.
This Privacy Statement explains our approach to your data rights and protection and we hope the following sections answer any questions you have about how we store and handle your personal information, but if not please do get in touch with us.
It's important that you know who "we" are. "Oxford Study Courses", "OSC" and "OSC Publishing" are business names of Oxford Study Courses Ltd, a company registered in England (no. 5206618) and based in Oxford, UK. We have subsidiary companies in the USA (Oxford Study Courses Inc) and Australia (Oxford Study Courses (Australia) Pty Ltd).
Where we refer to the 'OSC website', it means any one of OSC's sites. We host sites at osc ib.com, smartbacc.com and ibready.today.
More information about OSC can be found at https://osc-ib.com/about.
For all questions, comments and requests regarding this Privacy Statement you are welcome to contact us:
- by sending an email to: firstname.lastname@example.com
- by post to: Belsyre Court, 57 Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6HJ, UK
- by phone: +44 1865 512802
A key foundation of the GDPR is that organisations should only ask for and use personal information where there is both a purpose and a legal basis for doing so.
If you're just taking a look at OSC and what we offer, then there's no need to provide us with any information about yourself.
There are a number of valid reasons that we might request and use your personal information, such as:
- you have contacted us to get a better understanding of OSC or its services and you provide us with information about yourself to allow us to give you more specific answers to your questions;
- you are a potential customer, employee, supplier or business partner, and it is legitimate to believe that you have an interest in OSC and what we provide. This means we might contact you about OSC using the information we hold, for example we let staff and teachers in schools know about our revision guides and courses on this basis;
- you are already a customer, employee, supplier or business partner, and in order to fulfil the terms of the agreement we have with you we need certain information which we will store and use;
- you have given your consent for us to contact you or send you information, in which case we make it clear at the time you provide your details how we will use them. If you are a student, we may also obtain your parent or guardian's consent before we use your information.
The types of information that we collect depend on what relationship you have with OSC and how you interact with us. To fully understand the basis on which we process your data, we have assessed the different ways we do this to check that it is legitimate and fair.
If you contact us or we contact you, whether by phone, email, post, live chat or enquiry form on our website, we may keep a record of that correspondence. Where appropriate, we may take correspondence received in one form and store it in another, likewise where you have given more than one way to reply to you we may choose the most appropriate method. For example, if you phone us then we may record details of the conversation in our contact management system and send you information you request by email.
The types of data we record include your name, who you are, contact information, and the correspondence itself. We may also keep associated notes or process the information, combining it as necessary with any information that we already legitimately hold, and store the result of any assessment or analysis or decisions made.
Browsing the OSC website
Providing personal information on the OSC website is optional. That said, information is transmitted by your web browser, the web infrastructure and the web server, in order for pages to load in your browser. Some of this data is logged and could potentially be used to identify you as an individual, and because it happens behind the scenes you may not know what it is and how it is used. As this is quite technical, we have a section 'Using our website' to tell you more about this.
Using features of the OSC website
Certain features of the OSC website work better, or only work, when you provide information about yourself:
- to create and manage your personal login for the OSC website and 'remember' your online profile requires your email address and will additionally retain any further information you give in order to personalise your website browsing to your interests. This includes access to the Student or Teacher Area of the site for course participants;
- the 'live chat' function does not require your contact information unless you would like a copy of the conversation sent to you. We will store a copy of the chat for future reference which will include any personal information you have provided;
- we may invite you to enter a competition, take part in a promotion or ask you to complete a survey on our website or on a third party provider's website, but these are voluntary. If we use a third party provider we will ensure that our agreement with them does not give them the right to use any personal information we provide for any other purpose. We will use your answers for research purposes with the ultimate aim of providing the best services and resources to our customers.
Subscribing to newsletters and updates
You have the option to subscribe to different types of information from OSC according to your interests. You can opt in to these communications by phone, in person (e.g. at one of our events), by email or through our website. We give you detailed choices so you only get messages about things you are actually interested in.
Newsletters and updates that you subscribe to are generally fulfilled via email and we will use the email address you provide along with the interests you have told us about in order to do this.
Each communication you receive contains a link to manage your preferences, where you can opt out of things you no longer want to hear about, or opt in to new ones, or unsubscribe from everything. It is important to know that if you use the "unsubscribe" link in an email you receive, this will clear all your opt-in preferences, not just for the type of message you clicked the link in.
Note that we may need to communicate with you about other things, for example if you enrol on a course or purchase revision products, and using your contact details for this purpose is treated separately.
General marketing
OSC sends marketing information to people who have expressed an interest in knowing about specific products (such as our courses or revision resources) or specific subject areas (for example Maths, where we have academic articles, exam practice videos, revision guides and courses). This is generally sent by email therefore we will use an address that you have provided for this purpose along with the interests you have told us about. As with newsletter and update emails from OSC, each message contains a link for you to manage your preferences.
We also send some marketing information, primarily to schools and related to a particular role such as the DP coordinator or librarian, where we believe there is a legitimate interest in you receiving it. This may be by email or in printed form. You can contact us to request that we not do this.
Purchasing revision products on the OSC website
If you decide to purchase products from us, such as ordering a revision guide, then we will ask you for personal information so we can:
- process your order, which will include sharing your information with our fulfilment partners;
- obtain payment for purchases through the site (via payment card or other financial means);
- carry out our obligations arising from any contracts entered into between you and us, for example if you are a Smartbacc licensee;
- contact you in the event of any problems with the delivery of items you have ordered from us;
- keep an order history so we and you can see past purchases;
- contact you for feedback on the products you ordered and/or our customer service;
- conduct statistical analysis that does not require personally identifiable information, but helps us to identify improvements to our services.
Enrolling on a course
We require you to provide information about yourself when you fill out an application form for an OSC course so that we can process your application as well as to help determine the suitability of our courses and the options available to you. While the form is ordinarily completed online, we may receive information from you by email, post, fax or telephone, all of which will be stored in our booking system and processed together.
If you start, but do not complete, an application for one of our courses then we may:
- store all of the information you have provided so that you can return to the application at a later date;
- use the information you have provided in the application form to contact you to see if you need more information or other assistance to complete the application, or to know if you have changed your mind.
To submit a completed application we may collect and process the following data about you, the applicant:
- your name and address;
- your contact details to answer your queries and to inform you of updates to your application and to let you know about new or changed services;
- your nationality, where you go to school and academic information including subjects studied and level if you are a student;
- your gender, for practical considerations when attending the course especially where accommodation is provided by OSC;
- your date of birth which we use as part of how we identify you and to validate that you can legally use some or all of our services;
- the name, address and contact information for a parent or legal guardian where you are a student;
- previously-supplied information, for example if you have an existing website login profile or if you have attended a course or made purchases from us in the past;
- personal information about your health, dietary or any other conditions or requirements that we would need to be aware of if you attend a course;
- other information about you necessary for us to accept your application and to fulfil the agreement entered into between you and us;
- a record of your agreement to the terms and conditions for your course when submitting the application;
- your (and your parent's information if appropriate) to determine any discount entitlement as an OSC Family member;
- payment card or other financial information needed to process course fees;
- any of the information we collect may be used to undertake statistical analysis, which is generally on aggregated information, that helps us to operate the courses successfully. For example if our analysis shows that we are not receiving applicants from certain regions where we have done previously, we may increase our marketing activity in that area to ensure that our advertised courses have sufficient take-up to run.
Prior to or during your attendance on our course, we may collect and process further data, including:
- to provide any third party involved in the management or delivery of our courses with relevant information about course participants to enable them to fulfil their obligations, for example to provide internet access by wifi, if you have booked our Airport Meet & Greet service, or if the course venue requires participant lists for security purposes;
- your photograph when you register for your course in order to identify you for security purposes or in case of emergency;
- your photograph or likeness while you are participating in courses or course activities which we may share via social media or use in our marketing material, subject to your consent to such uses;
- your mobile number to send text message notifications where you have requested them. We don't use text messages for marketing purposes. We may use your mobile number to contact you by phone or text while you are attending a course with us if we need to contact you urgently;
- to allow you to participate in interactive features of our online services, when you choose to do so, such as the Student Area;
- the collection of feedback on class content and teaching to improve your course experience;
- to manage your attendance and participation on the course or extra-curricular activities including to record and process details of attendance, incidents, wellbeing or sickness, and financial transactions.
After completion of your course, we will retain some information as may be necessary for business, accounting or legal purposes, such as:
- we may contact you after your course to get your feedback in order to improve our courses and customer service;
- we may contact you after your course with information about future OSC courses or revision resources that we legitimately believe would be of interest to you based on the course you took;
- logs of medical or other incidents occurring during the course;
- financial records of transactions.
Managing our suppliers and other business relationships
If you are a supplier to OSC or other business partner, we will collect, store and process data about the interactions we have with you and this will include relevant personal information about individuals. The types of personal information we process and the purposes include:
- name and contact details that enable us to communicate with you, including for general correspondence and to maintain the relationship, to notify you about changes to our services that will affect you, or to send marketing materials such as newsletters and catalogues where this is relevant;
- details of any contracts that you enter into with us, including non-disclosure agreements;
- storing and using any information necessary to carry out our obligations arising from contracts entered into between you and us, including sharing relevant information with third parties contracted in connection with the services;
- carrying out business or credit checks to manage your account that may refer to or identify individuals, depending on the type of business;
- carrying out or requiring evidence of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) or similar checks where needed to provide a service to OSC;
- recording and maintaining financial records of transactions to create an account history as well as for accounting, tax and legal purposes;
- analysis of financial transactions and evaluation of contracts in order to manage them effectively, find where improvements can be made, or to identify irregularities for investigation.
Information from third parties
We use third parties to collect data on our behalf to support our activities.
We also on occasion ensure our records are as up to date as possible through running address and detail verification checks through sources that are deemed acceptable by the Information Commissioners Office.
We conduct broad data analysis to gain a better understanding of how interests, demographic factors, geography and engagement trends relate to the relevance or attractiveness of OSC's products and services. This process looks at aggregated data, and is applied to groups of people with similar characteristics.
OSC may use the personal data you have provided to make sure we only contact you when relevant and about things that ought to be of interest. For example, we would 'profile' students who have attended one of our Mid IB courses to the extent that we know what stage of the IBDP programme they are at, and therefore would know that pre-exam Revision courses would be relevant to them the following year.
We do not use entirely automated profile-based decision-making which could have an adverse effect on you.
We do not sell your personal information to anyone.
We share your information with third parties when they are acting on our behalf, under a specific agreement, for example we provide your name, address and phone number to courier companies that are delivering items you have ordered from us.
We will not share your data with third parties to use for their own purposes unless we are required to do so by law, for example by a court order or for the purposes of prevention of fraud or other crime. We share your personal information with marketing companies only where they are acting contractually on our behalf. These companies are not given any rights over your data other than those necessary to fulfil the service OSC has requested.
When you opt in to receiving information, updates or subscriptions by email from OSC, MailChimp is the service we use to manage your consents. When you provide your details on a sign-up form, MailChimp records your information and OSC has access to it. If we obtain your request for updates by a different means, such as by phone or in writing, then we will upload the information to MailChimp in order to contact you.
OSC may contact you on behalf of third parties (such as IBSCA or other course providers) if it is relevant to do so based on the interests you have specified, but unless we have gained your specific consent we will not pass your details to those third parties.
Information about our courses, revision resources and other content such as articles, and other services provided by OSC is freely available and does not require you to tell us who you are or anything else that identifies you. This is the same whether you look at our website, start a live chat with us on our website, call our office, or talk to us at a conference, school visit, or other event.
If you contact us by email, complete an enquiry form, or request a call-back, then you will obviously need to provide us with contact information so we can respond to you. Similarly, if you contact us about something specific then it may be necessary for us to ask for information to provide an answer. In these cases, it may then be necessary to store the information for later reference and we will let you know if we are going to do so; if you do not give consent then it will mean that the information cannot be referred to or relied on later.
We do have some features on our website where we will need some information about you, and if you prefer not to give any details then those features won't be available to you. If you block cookies or analytics services in your browser, you can still use the OSC website but you will not be able to carry out certain actions such as purchasing revision guides, registering for updates, or applying for a course.
There can be circumstances where someone else provides us with personal information about you or you provide us with personal information about someone else. For example:
- If you're a student applying for an OSC course then we will need information about your parent or guardian such as name and email address, or vice versa if you are a parent applying for your child. Though these are connected to one application, everyone is treated as an individual and we will acknowledge to each person that we have been given information relating to them and provide details about how to contact us regarding any data issues or requests.
- Where we operate an event such as a revision programme in a school, the school will need to provide us with information about the students who will attend, ranging from names and emergency contacts to any medical or other conditions that OSC staff and teachers need to be aware of. Consent for this provision of information is obtained by the school and governed by a contract in place between OSC and the school which sets out our obligations to protect and keep confidential such data. Where we work with other organisations on the same basis, similar arrangements will apply.
- Educational agents may contact OSC in connection with students on whose behalf they act, and where they provide us with personal information about those students we ensure it is the minimum required for OSC and the agent to provide the service they have agreed with the student.
OSC may be given legitimate access to personal information for marketing purposes, for example by sponsoring an event we may receive an attendee list, or through membership of an association we may receive a member directory. We do not purchase general mailing lists or lists of students for marketing purposes.
We may work with other relevant organisations who contact you about OSC on our behalf but we will not be provided with your email address or other information in these cases unless you have given your consent to that organisation to share it.
OSC has social media accounts with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others. Signing up to use a social media service requires agreement to that provider's terms which set out the provision of privacy and rights.
We post information and photos to our social media accounts, and this may include images of our course locations including participants. If you attend one of our courses, we will request your consent before posting photos of you on our social media sites, however if you are not easily identifiable you may appear in photos whether or not you give this consent. We cannot prevent other people sharing photos in which you appear or information about you on social media, whether posted or tagged to our account or someone else's, but as far as we can we will delete, block, or report unwanted or inappropriate content about you if you request it.
Through these social media, we may receive, or have access to, information about you that you have shared publicly, to a group of people, or to us directly. We apply the same principles and controls to information that we use from such sources as we would if it was provided directly by you, including whether OSC should gather, store or use that information at all.
The GDPR states that individuals retain ownership of their own personal information and sets out a number of fundamental rights when organisations use it.
When you consent for us to contact you for marketing purposes, we make sure this is freely given, specific and unambiguous so you know what you are opting in to. You can withdraw this consent at any time and we will provide a means for you to do that every time we email, call or write to you.
You also have the right to:
- change your communication preferences;
- request a copy of the information we hold about you;
- update or amend the information we hold about you if it is wrong;
- ask us to not process your personal information in certain ways;
- ask us to remove some or all of your personal information from our records (except where there is a legal requirement, or other legitimate grounds, to keep it);
- raise a concern or complaint about the way in which your information is being used.
If you are unsure and have further queries on how we might use your data, please get in touch and we will be happy to answer your questions. See the 'How to contact us' section.
If you would like to change your preferences or update the details we hold about you, please contact us.
We also set limits to the length of time we will keep your data. The duration varies for different types of individual and for different types of information provided by the same person.
We take into consideration what purpose OSC needs your information for, our legal obligations, and tax and accounting rules, when determining how long we should retain data. When we no longer need to retain it we have a process to securely delete or dispose of it.
If you feel it is no longer necessary for us to keep your personal information, you can ask us to delete some or all of it, which we will do provided there is no overriding reason for us to keep it.
If you choose to opt out of receiving communications from us, we may still need to retain and process relevant data about you for other legitimate purposes, including contacting you for those purposes. For example, you may unsubscribe from update emails, but we may need to email you about an order you have placed with us.
The data that we collect from you may be stored digitally or on paper either within our office systems within the UK or on data servers which are located in the European Economic Area ("EEA"). Where we use internet hosting or cloud providers, we select locations in the EEA.
Your data may be transferred from one place to another including outside the EEA, for example if you enrol on a course on our website that is being held in Australia. It may also be processed by staff operating outside the EEA who work for us or for one of our suppliers or affiliates. Such staff may be engaged in, among other things, the fulfilment of your order, the processing of your payment details and the provision of support services.
These countries may not have similar data protection laws to the UK, however we take steps to make sure they provide an adequate level of protection and any transfer of your personal data outside the EEA will be carried out in compliance with applicable laws.
By submitting your personal information to us you agree to this transfer, storing or processing at a location outside the EEA.
Whether we store your information on paper or in digital format, we take measures to protect it. The exact mechanisms for securing our systems are themselves kept confidential, however we can say that:
- our offices are kept secure and sensitive paper documents are in locked storage;
- we use security measures in our IT systems reflecting technological progress and developments, applying good practices to our network security, virus/malware detection and prevention systems, access controls and encryption;
- we avoid where possible allowing data to be taken outside our normal protected systems, such as on USB removable storage media;
- we undertake reviews of the type of information we process and who has access to it;
- we give training updates to our staff on security procedures and how to avoid accidental disclosure through scams, phishing or social engineering techniques.
Some of the common risks to security are at the user level. Where we have given you (or where you have chosen) a password which enables you to access certain parts of our website, you are responsible for keeping that password confidential. We ask you not to share the password or use the same password for more than one website.
For card purchases we work with an authorised payment agent that helps us to check directly with your bank that the card is valid for purchases. Our payment agent processes your card details according to the international security standard PCI DSS, which was developed by the card companies VISA, MasterCard, Diners, American Express and JCB. This means that your card details are processed with a very high level of security. When you pay by card, we reserve the right to carry out an identity check.
Unfortunately, even after following good practices, the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure. We will do our best to protect your personal data, but we cannot guarantee the security of your data transmitted to our website or sent by email, and any transmission is at your own risk.
If you are using OSC's website and register for updates, log on to the website to access certain features, order a book or other products, request information, provide feedback, apply for a job, join a discussion group or join an electronic mailing list, you will be asked to provide personal information such as your name, e-mail address, whether you are a student or teacher or other, and your location (including postal address if relevant). This information is collected only with your knowledge and permission, and is kept in various OSC databases. If you are purchasing something from us, you may be asked to provide your credit card details which are stored temporarily to process the transaction but not permanently.
Leaving comments or joining online discussions will mean that other people visiting the same pages will see personal information that you have volunteered. This information may require someone to be registered with us, or it may be public. You should therefore use discretion in what you disclose.
The information gathered during general browsing of OSC's website is used to analyse trends and usage of the site and to improve the usefulness of the site, as well as to identify or prevent improper use. It is not connected with any personal information.
Server logs
Server logs may record your IP (Internet Protocol) address, domain name, browser type, operating system, and information such as the web site that referred you to us, the files you downloaded, the pages you visit, and the dates/times of those visits. OSC does not try to identify individuals from the server logs without the consent of the individual (for example if a website user was experiencing technical difficulties that we had to investigate).
A cookie is a small text file saved to, and, during subsequent visits, retrieved from your computer or mobile device.
OSC's websites use cookies to provide data or functionality that help us to give you the best experience while you are browsing as well as to review usage and make further improvements. Wherever possible, the information we use for this purpose will be aggregated or anonymised i.e. it will not identify you as an individual visitor to our website.
- By continuing to use our sites without changing settings, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.
- You can disable cookies if you prefer, but if you choose to do so you will not be able to take advantage of all features of the website.
- You can erase cookies from your computer or mobile device using your browser once you have finished browsing. Your browser "Help" pages have instructions on how to manage cookies.
Third-party cookies and analytics
We use third-party services that collect statistics in aggregate form to provide analysis tools.
OSC uses Google Analytics, which tracks website visitor behaviour so that we can measure performance and improve services for our audiences. This service uses tracking codes which can follow you across different websites, but OSC does not receive personally-identifiable information as all data reported is anonymous. For full details on how Google Analytics works, please see the Terms of Service (https://www.google.com/analytics/terms/gb.html). If you do not want Google Analytics to use your data, then a browser add-on is available (https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout/).
OSC also uses MailChimp for email communications, which uses similar tracking tools to enable us to know whether a message has been opened, whether it resulted in the reader responding to the email by visiting a link, or if it resulted in a purchase. This helps us to make sure our communications are interesting.
Our website may include links to other websites outside our domains and which do not fall under our supervision. We cannot accept any responsibility for the protection of privacy or the content of these websites. We offer these links only as a suggestion to make it easier for you to find more information about related subjects.
We take our responsibilities very seriously in ensuring the personal information we obtain is held, used, transferred and processed in accordance with the GDPR. We also adhere to all other applicable data protection laws and regulations including the Privacy and Electronic Communication Regulations.
As a UK-based organisation, OSC's use of data is regulated by the Information Commissioner's Office which is the independent authority set up to uphold information rights. The ICO's website is an official source where you can learn more about the regulation and your rights, and can be found at https://ico.org.uk/.
Oxford Study Courses Ltd is the Data Controller for information submitted by you to OSC via our websites, by email or post, by phone, at events, or through any other direct interaction with OSC relating to OSC's own courses and products. That means we determine the purpose of the storage or processing of personal information.
OSC has subsidiary companies established in the USA (Oxford Study Courses Inc) and Australia (Oxford Study Courses (Australia) Pty Ltd) in order to manage our activities in those countries and your data from OSC may if relevant be processed by them, or they may collect further personal information from you that is stored and processed by OSC.
Where OSC provides services on behalf of another organisation, that organisation will be the Data Controller but OSC will act as Data Processor in order to undertake those services which may include event management, marketing, sales, or other activities.
This Privacy Statement was issued on 16 May 2018.
We may update this Privacy Statement from time to time. Any changes we may make to this Privacy Statement in the future will be posted on our website at https://osc-ib.com/privacy and, where appropriate, notified to you by e-mail.


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Brutal Heat Halts Echo & the Bunnymen Concert in St. Louis Saturday
Brutal Heat Halts Echo & the Bunnymen Concert in St. Louis Saturday
By Jaime Lees
Mon, Jul 24, 2017
St. Louis' brutal weekend heat was so bad, it took down a rockstar.
At the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre on Saturday night, the lead singer of Echo & the Bunnymen (and the subject of our music feature this week) was overcome by the heat and had to leave the stage.
Ian McCulloch gave it his best shot. Wearing his signature jacket despite the day's record-setting 108-degree temperature, he pushed through at first — and even took sustenance from an oxygen mask. But finally the heat cut things short.
The day had been brutally, dangerously hot. Still, the Violent Femmes went on as scheduled, with the Bunnymen following closely behind after the sun went down.
Despite every bit of their human instincts telling them to avoid the outdoors, a shocking percentage of the audience still managed to show up for the outdoor concert, with the seated area appearing to be about half full. And though the crowd loved the Violent Femmes' set, it's likely that most of the audience was there primarily to see Echo & the Bunnymen — the band hasn't played St. Louis in twenty years. (Their last gig here was a slot at Pointfest 1997 on another stupid-hot day at the same venue.)
The venue did everything it could to make sure that it didn't have mass casualties on its hands. The amphitheatre was well-staffed, cooling stations were easy to find, misting fans were circulating and, most importantly, administration smartly waved the usual policy that limits guests to bringing in just one bottle of water. From the front gate to the stage barricades, every staff member we encountered was kind and helpful. (Not much could be done to improve the restrooms, however, which are always and forever people-baking cinderblock kilns.)
The Violent Femmes started right on time and seemed to tolerate the heat fairly well. At that point in the night it was overwhelmingly hot down in the closely packed front bowl of the audience. About halfway through their set my friend and I decamped for the slightly breezier air that was available near the outer edges available away from the crowd.
We returned to our seats in time for the Bunnymen. Their set started normally enough, with the entire amphitheatre going dark and then the stage glowing in their traditional style: plenty of smoke machines and dramatically backlit like the film version of an alien abduction.
The band took the stage, and all seemed well — stellar, even — until it suddenly wasn't. McCulloch's voice was strong and beautiful for the first half of their set but then it became clear that he was slipping. He abruptly stopped singing and said he had to exit for five minutes "to breathe," but he came back sooner than that and resumed his duties.
Try as he might, McCulloch kept fading. His breathing between songs had become labored and shaky. A worried stagehand who had previously been busy throwing bottles of water out to the audience followed his movements closely after that, placing an IV bag of fluid just behind him on the drum riser.
The band had to pause two more times (once with McCulloch just stepping to the back corner of the stage to get aid from an oxygen mask) but try as he might, he couldn't quite swing it under these awful conditions. We felt like we were about to witness a truly scary incident if McCulloch pushed himself any harder. It was time to stop.
A few attendees didn't feel the same way, taking their complaints to Twitter to say that they were let down, wanted a refund, etc. But I think that if McCulloch hadn't needed to leave the stage, nobody would've even known that the band's set was shortened. They still managed to play for just about an hour and skipped over lesser-known songs on their planned setlist in favor of the radio hits that most of the audience had come to witness. And in the end, they only cut four songs total.
Many of the complaints I saw said that McCulloch should've removed his jacket and that would've helped him with tolerating the heat. Meh. Maybe. But I think it was his full-body singing style that did him in. That kind of dazzling vocal ability must require a shitload of breathing tricks and the humid air was thick and miserable to simply exist in, much less sing. Add to that the heat from the stage lights and it's a miracle that the dude didn't collapse immediately.
There were ambulances leaving from the back area of the venue as the show ended, but if one of those was for McCulloch, he did a good job of bouncing back, because he played Chicago last night as scheduled.
As I described the after-concert scene to a friend the next day: "The very reasonable Midwesterners filing past us after the show were all saying that McCulloch should've taken off his jacket if he was hot, but that would be like Gene Simmons performing in flip-flops. Completely unacceptable."
This show seemed to indicate that the legendary Ian McCulloch would rather drop dead than dim his personal style. And I, for one, have nothing but respect for that. Shine on, Mac. See you next time. (Hopefully indoors.)
link: Riverfront Times
You Can See Jon Hamm Right Here in St. Louis for $25
You Can See Jon Hamm Right Here in St. Louis for $25
By Jaime Lees
Wed, May 31, 2017
For us locals, the coolest thing about Jon Hamm is that you might just see him anywhere around St. Louis. He's a frequent visitor to his hometown, one who's been spotted all over the city, from the Central West End to Tower Grove Park.
He also lovingly reps us when out of state, forever rocking a tattered Cardinals hat or t-shirt in paparazzi photos. Jon Hamm loves St. Louis, and St. Louis loves Jon Hamm even more than it loves the St. Lunatic. (Maybe.)
It's entirely possible to catch ol' Hammy at the library, too, and that's one sighting you can be sure to enjoy soon … if you're willing to ante up, that is. Hamm is coming to the St. Louis County Library's Lindbergh location on Saturday, July 22, for an event where he will "discuss his local roots and storytelling through film and television performance with Curtis Sittenfeld, bestselling author of Prep, soon to be a new comedy series from HBO."
The event page makes sure to note that there will be no meet-and-greet with Mr. Hamm, so you'll just have to flirt with your eyes from the audience. But get to the event early; maybe your imaginary boyfriend will be roaming around and you might drool upon him.
And the worst that can happen is that you get to take in the majesty that is the St. Louis public library system. Did you know that they have books there and that they let you borrow them for free? Crazy. You can research anything from anacondas to zippers.
Get your tickets here, or check out the event's Facebook's page. Tickets are $25 and include, yes, a commemorative poster.
link: Riverfront Times
Chuck Berry Gets a Loving Goodbye from the City He Always Called Home
Chuck Berry Gets a Loving Goodbye from the City He Always Called Home
By Jaime Lees
Mon, Apr 10, 2017
It is impossible to overstate the significance of Chuck Edward Anderson Berry. He's been frequently credited with inventing the entire genre of rock & roll music, but his influence reached much further than the radio. His existence changed the world.
Berry was the ultimate cultural icon. No other figure in the history of modern music has had such a lasting, measurable impact. And as a native and proud St. Louisan, Berry has always held an extra-special place in the heart of locals. Chuck Berry, you see, belonged to us. He was the embodiment of all that is magical and special about St. Louis culture, and when he died last month, a huge part of our history died along with him.
It took a few weeks to put together, but Berry's family planned a wonderful series of events to celebrate his life. Chuck loved an audience, and this entire past weekend was set up so that fans could participate in saying goodbye. There was a toast held outside on Delmar Boulevard on Saturday night, followed by a viewing of Berry's body on Sunday morning at the Pageant that was open to the public.
The private service for the family was scheduled to commence immediately after the public viewing, and the Berry family gave out passes to the private service to three hundred members of the public who queued up excitedly in the hopes of witnessing this historic event. It was a generous offering to many of Chuck's biggest longtime fans.
Some of those fans had been waiting outside the Pageant since 5 a.m., when the line for the viewing started. There was a steady stream of mourners all morning, but most just popped in for a minute or two, paid their respects and then left. There was never a long, intolerable line to get into the viewing. In fact, for most of the day visitors could pretty much just walk right in.
Many fans who expected the process to take longer spent the rest of their day hanging around outside the venue, enjoying the breezy weather while trading their favorite Berry stories. The majority of these fans had managed to see Berry play live, something that all agreed was a special event.
In a live music setting, Chuck Berry could not be beat. He played a monthly show at Blueberry Hill's tiny basement venue, the Duck Room, well into his '80s. Though those shows got progressively looser over the years, Berry made up for his slipping technical abilities by piling on the charisma. He stood there and smiled and the entire crowd smiled back, overjoyed just to be in the same room as him.
And though he was always untouchable on stage, Berry's behavior off stage was more than troublesome. To put it simply: Chuck Berry was not always a hero. He had a long and documented history of assaulting women and this fact did not go unaddressed on the day of his service. A small group of protesters held up signs outside of the entrance to the Pageant to remind visitors of the darker side of his history.
But inside the venue, it was all love. Berry's body was laid out tastefully and the room was beautifully decorated and lit. A parade of speakers took the stage to sing Berry's praises. Many of them took the time to mention that Berry was a civil rights icon: What Berry did with music helped people to cross racial divides out in the streets. White audiences who might not have otherwise embraced a black musician were helpless to resist the power of Berry's guitar.
Gene Simmons of KISS was a surprise speaker at the service. He was hiding out in the back and looked properly devastated before being asked to say a few words. His impromptu speech was one of the best of the entire event; he told the audience about his own past as a young immigrant to the United States and about how Berry and his music helped to bring people together.
"It's a sad day, but I think it's a happy time. Look at the legacy," Simmons said. "He broke down the barriers and made all kinds of people's hearts and minds open up to the idea that we all belong to the same people."
Another crowd favorite was Marshall Chess, son of Leonard Chess of Chess Records. He's an engaging, delightful storyteller and his charm was on full display. But the speech of the day, appropriately, came from Charles Berry Jr. He was funny, sincere and remarkably composed, given the circumstances. He explained that his father was his hero and that he felt honored to be able to learn from the master. He said that many people taught him how to be a musician, but that his father taught him how to be a man.
Charles Berry Jr. thanked his many friends and family members in attendance and then, in a remarkable display of midwestern hospitality, he took a moment to address the public, who had been seated in the balcony area. He looked up and said, "You're my friends now, too, because you're here with me."
During this moment, and when Berry's clearly heartbroken grandchildren performed ("We are doing this in remembrance of our grandfather, and for the joy of our grandmother"), the crowd always acted respectfully, seeming to realize that though it looked like a state funeral and the deceased was a world-renowned celebrity, this was absolutely a personal family event.
The entire service was overwhelmingly and impressively touching. There were musical performances from Marlissa Hudson, Dwayne Buggs, Johnny Rivers and Billy Peek. Outside after the service, the Funky Butt Brass Band played a devastating rendition of "St. Louis Blues" as the coffin was loaded into the hearse. (Little Richard had also been scheduled to attend and sing a gospel song, but he had fallen ill and couldn't make it.) Near the end of the service, condolence letters from Bill Clinton, Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones and St. Louis mayor Francis Slay were read to the crowd. Slay's proclamation was read by new mayor-elect Lyda Krewson, and it praised Berry for always sticking close to home.
Legendary local bluesman Mat Wilson is a huge fan of Berry and attended every event this weekend that honored his hero, including the public toast and moment of silence held at Berry's Walk of Fame star outside Blueberry Hill on Saturday night. A scholar of American music with a special interest in regional history, Wilson praises Berry easily and enthusiastically.
"My band, the Loot Rock Gang, got to open for Chuck, and I also had a chance to open for Chuck playing guitar for my wife, Little Rachel," Wilson says. "It was quite the honor. Chuck is the grandfather of rock & roll and I think it was really special to have him here in our neighborhood. He's the originator. It's not to be taken lightly that the originator of rock & roll came from our own town."
Echoing this sentiment, St. Louis native and real life guitar hero Richard Fortus (Guns 'N' Roses, Love Spit Love, Thin Lizzy, Pale Divine) also stopped into Berry's viewing on Sunday afternoon to pay his respects.
Fortus said, "For me, this was a big part of my growing up, being from St. Louis. Not only his music, but his persona. The early videos for me were huge: seeing Chuck Berry on TV and what an enigmatic performer he was. I remember playing down on the Landing when I was a kid and him coming in and grabbing a guitar and yelling at people if they didn't know his songs. It was awesome.
"It was special, growing up in St. Louis and knowing that he was part of the lineage," he added. "He's one of the biggest parts in the history of rock & roll."
The Funky Butt Brass Band plays Chuck out:
link: Riverfront Times
St. Louis Ranked in Top 50 U.S. Cities for Music Fans
St. Louis Ranked in Top 50 U.S. Cities for Music Fans
Posted By Jaime Lees
Fri, Jul 15, 2016
According to a recent report from consumer spending website ValuePenguin.com, St. Louis is ranked as the 42nd best city in the United States for music fans.
I'd never heard of Value Penguin, so I knew not to trust the results. What is a Value Penguin, anyway? It sounds like a new mascot for Aldi discount supermarkets. Still, in the little preview photo that I saw, it showed my beautiful city as "high ranking" (with a bright blue dot) so I expected us to be #1. I clicked over to bask in the warm glow of rocketing civic pride.
I glanced at the very top of the list and didn't see St. Louis. I scrolled on down to #5. Still no St. Louis. By the time I got to #10 and didn't see the Lou I knew that this list was crap and that Value Penguin was populated by morons.
Ranked #1 on the list is Nashville, so-called "Music City." Well, that's convenient. That's like saying Chicago is the windiest city in the U.S. just because that's what people call it. No, you lazy jerks, the windiest city in the U.S. is actually Jackson, Mississippi. And just because you call yourself something doesn't make it true.
The rest of the nation might concede that Nashville is country music city, but that's about it. I knew a guy who was an audio engineer in Nashville for a decade and he said that 95% of the studio recordings that get done there are either country or Christian or both. He was so starved for any version of rock & roll that he almost cried tears of joy when he was hired to work on a Paramore record. Yes, Paramore, that "band" that consists of one marginally attractive Hot Topic employee and whoever they pay to stand behind her while she grunts and fluffs her hair. That's what passes for rock in Tennessee. No thank you.
I skimmed farther down the list and finally saw our ranking. Ah, #42. They say that 42 is a special number and that it's the "answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything." I knew we were magical.
I also noticed that a city in Florida is a whole eighteen slots ahead of us. Florida? Florida is only good making the rest of the country feel smart. The only decent music that ever came out of Florida was from Tom Petty and he got the hell out of there as soon as possible. I feel so bad for music fans in that state. Its biggest stars are Marilyn Mason, Aaron Carter, Pitbull and Limp Bizkit. You poor, sad, floppy dick-shaped peninsula.
Value Penguin used fifteen categories to piece together this whack-ass list, each with their own weight and specifications. Cities were scored based on their performances in various arbitrary contests. Some of the categories made sense (how many record stores per 1,000 people) and some of them made use of wild card factors like the average amount of days with precipitation per year, average closing times at bars and the percentage of population using public transport to commute.
Yes, any of these things could influence the lives of music fans, but so could literally thousands of other factors. And as a statistics professor once taught me, correlation does not equal causation. You don't have to be a numbers geek to see that this methodology is, at best, an elaborate game of pin the tail on the donkey.
So suck it, Value Penguin. We think that a good city for a band is also a good city for a fan. A good music city has multiple concert events to choose from each night. A good music city sees huge draws for local musicians. A good music city has volunteers and organizers and valued event planners. A good music city has cheap door prices. A good music city has affordable housing and a low cost of living. A good music city has musicians who support and celebrate each other. A good music city has dedicated and active fans. A good music city has small shows with big turnouts.
A good music city looks a lot like St. Louis, thank you very much.
– link: Riverfront Times
30 Ridiculous Things You Can Still Buy at Nagle's Before Its Doors Close Forever
30 Ridiculous Things You Can Still Buy at Nagle's Before Its Doors Close Forever
Posted By Jaime Lees
Thu, Jun 30, 2016
St. Louis is full of hidden treasures but Nagle's Variety & Collectible Gift Store in Florissant is not one of them. The family-owned classic "five & dime" shop has been in business for 46 years and has been a North County institution for decades.
The news came this week that owners Mike and Jeannie Nagle were retiring and liquidating the store's merchandise and fixtures. The shop was shut down for a few days to prepare for one giant, final sale.
Nagle's really was one of the last of its kind. With new dollar stores (and $5 stores) popping up on every corner, it was nice to have a reliable destination in mind when trying to hunt down the perfect funny little birthday gift or anniversary present. No matter what ridiculous item you were seeking, Nagle's could hook you up.
It's always been the place to find greeting cards, jewelry, candy, garden items, housewares, art supplies, crafts, candles, figurines, fabric, knick-knacks and tchotchkes of every variety, but they also kept up with trending crap. From Beanie Babies to Troll dolls, the toy du jour could always be found in multitudes at Nagles.
Truthfully, Nagle's has always been just full of crap, but in the best way. The mission of the store seemed to be to sell you crap that you didn't need. (And crap that you didn't even know existed, for that matter.)
The store opened up again yesterday to begin its final sale. The doors opened at 9 a.m.; at 6 p.m. the parking lot was still full. Inside the aisles were crowded and the cash registers were ringing nonstop. It would seem as though the entire county came out to snatch up the good deals.
The store was offering everything inside for 20 percent off and despite steady business all day, it didn't yet look picked over in the least. To say that there is still an abundance of inventory in that space would be an understatement. The store will continue to sell off all items over the next four weeks or so, with the discount percentage increasing all the while.
We took some time to go up and down the overstimulating aisles and choose some of our favorite (and/or most ridiculous) items still available in the store. All of these treasures (and toilets) can be yours. There is still time. Take yourself to Nagle's, get this crap and bid your old friend a fond farewell.
– link: Riverfront Times
Douche Lord Axl Rose Dares to Return to St. Louis with Guns N' Roses
Douche Lord Axl Rose Dares to Return to St. Louis with Guns N' Roses
Posted By Jaime Lees
Mon, Mar 28, 2016 at 11:04 am
It was 25 years ago this summer that Axl Rose sparked the infamous "Riverport Riot" and just a few days ago Guns N' Roses announced that it will return to St. Louis for the first time since the incident. (Location and date of concert still unknown.)
The Riot story goes like this: On July 2, 1991, Guns N' Roses came to St. Louis to play one of the first shows at a brand new outdoor shed venue called Riverport. (Now known as Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre.) During the show, Rose spotted a fan up front taking photos, he then flipped his shit and jumped into the crowd in an attempt to wail on the offender, a motorcycle enthusiast named Stump. After being caught on the big screen going berserk on his fans and lashing out at security, Rose was pulled out of the mayhem, said "Well, thanks for the lame-ass security, I'm going home" into the microphone, and then threw the mic down and exited the stage. The rest of the band followed.
The fans in attendance weren't about to tolerate Rose's antics (or the show being cut short) and they promptly rioted: ripping up the seats, lighting small fires, starting fights, tearing down signage and generally trashing the joint. The band fled the Riverport area and were driven across state lines into Illinois to avoid arrest.
Rose's bratty behavior was already well-documented by this point. His fragile ego always came across as insecurity wrapped in peacocking machismo, but on this night he seemed extra volatile. Dude was wearing Mormon underwear and a hideous gorilla jacket that would make even Dian Fossey cover her eyes but he still decided that he was going to jump into the audience and try to be the alpha male.
Because his aggro, immature outbursts were commonplace, this particular tantrum couldn't have been entirely unexpected, but the reaction of the crowd was immediately beyond the capabilities of Riverport security. The police called in every available officer and the rioting crowd was mercilessly escorted to the exits. The riot resulted in sixteen arrests, 60 injuries and a reported $200,000 in damage to the amphitheatre.
It took a year for Rose to finally be arrested on an outstanding warrant when he landed back in New York after a European tour. He was released on $100,000 bail but soon faced a St. Louis judge on multiple accusations of assault and a property damage charge. In the end Rose was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to pay $50,000 to St. Louis-area charities.
But before he even went to trial in St. Louis, Rose had already declared his own personal war on the city. His vendetta was long-running, too. Guns N' Roses' Use Your Illusion I & Use Your Illusion II were released a few months after the incident and included "FUCK YOU, ST. LOUIS!" in the liner notes. Rose was also seen on stage wearing a "ST. LOUIS SUCKS" t-shirt and he trashed the city at every opportunity. (Riverport is technically located outside of St. Louis in Maryland Heights, but a shirt that reads "MARYLAND HEIGHTS, MO SUCKS" wouldn't have been nearly as flashy.) He also wore a St. Louis Cardinals hat for approximately one second in the "Don't Cry" video. (At the 1:11 mark.) He must've wanted us to know that he was thinking of us because it's not like he wore hats and bandanas in an attempt to hide his thinning hairline or anything. Nope, not at all.
Maybe Rose has since softened his stance on St. Louis after working with our native son, wizard guitarist Richard Fortus. Fortus became a member of GNR in 2001 and has decades of high-level professional experience under his studded belt. (He founded Love Spit Love and played with Thin Lizzy, to say the least.) He's smart and talented and any city would be proud to have him as its ambassador. Fortus recently gave an interview where he explained that he missed the 1991 riot entirely. On the night of the riot, he said, he was playing across town at Kennedy's. (For local rock fans of a certain age, this statement will read as pure, undeniable St. Louis street cred.)
So where and when will this new Guns N' Roses concert happen? We have no official information on that yet, but we're guessing that they're implying that the show will happen sometime this summer. But making plans is not GNR's strongest trait— you know how it went down with Chinese Democracy. And assuming that "Riverport" still has a ban on Rose (and doesn't want a reenactment of 1991 on its hands), GNR would have to find another large venue to play.
When discussing this dilemma with a friend, he offered what appears to be a very reasonable venue prediction for the upcoming event. Keep in mind this is entirely conjecture, but he pointed out that current Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt recently mentioned on a podcast that in addition to welcoming the much anticipated NHL Winter Classic hockey game, that he was also planning on hosting an upcoming concert at Busch Stadium downtown.
In the last few minutes of The Ryan Kelly Morning After podcast Episode 37 (titled "Segment 1 – Show Open 03/10/16"), DeWitt says, "We've had a couple of false starts on concerts, so I don't want to jinx it, so I'll leave it at that. But we're trying to get one good one this summer and then one or two big ones next summer."
Could it be Guns N' Roses? Absolutely. Not many other major touring bands could hope to even partially fill a venue that holds more than 46,000 attendees. Furthermore, if this show is at Busch it would almost surely have to take place during the All Star break between July 8 and July 12. This location might also be good insurance against another riot— most St. Louisans would think twice before damaging the Cardinals' nest.
What's a St. Louis rock fan to do? We have ambivalent feelings about Guns N' Roses. We remember what happened on that hot summer night long ago, but years of prolonged exposure to KSHE has weakened our resolve. We, as a city, have always liked to party, but we still have very little tolerance for ego trip bullshit.
So to Axl we say this: Remember what happened the last time you tried to act a fool here? We don't play that mess so don't even try it again. We're primed and ready. If you try to step to us on our own territory we'll turn on you even faster than last time. Behave yourself because we promise you that this, sir, is the jungle.
Missed the action? Check out a short two-part documentary on the Riverport Riot below. It includes an interview with Mr. Stump and a hilarious "only in St. Louis" story about Izzy Stradlin's lost amplifier from witness Sebastian Bach of Skid Row.
link: Riverfront Times
10 Things We Could Do with $1.1 Billion Other Than Build a New Rams Stadium
10 Things We Could Do with $1.1 Billion Other Than Build a New Rams Stadium
By Jaime Lees
Mon, Jan 4, 2016
So building a new NFL stadium in downtown St. Louis will cost $1.1 billion. Yeah, billion.
With floods devastating much of our area, unforgiving winter weather approaching and regional tensions high, it's increasingly difficult to see how a new stadium for a failing football team could possibly be any kind of priority.
Not all of that $1.1 billion would be from our tax dollars, of course: the majority of the project wouldn't be paid for by residents. (Though it's not like we get a vote in it.)
With all of this money talk floating around, we got to wondering what else St. Louis could do with $1.1 billion. We could renovate what needs renovating. We could preserve what needs preservation. We could donate huge amounts to HeatUpStLouis.org and the thousands of other worthy charities in the area.
But how much is $1.1 billion, anyway? It's such a big number that it's hard to get a mental picture of what $1.1 billion could do. We made a list of examples to help us understand.
Here are ten St. Louis-specific things that we could do with $1.1 billion.
1. Pay admission for 92 million visitors to the City Museum
2. Order 11,000 more statues of Chuck Berry that don't look like Chuck Berry
3. Cover the cost of sending 110 million visitors to the top of the Gateway Arch
4. Buy 367 million people a concrete from Ted Drewes
5. Gift four years of undergrad tuition to 5,813 students at Washington University
6. Pay off more than 74 million City of St. Louis parking tickets
7. Bail out KDHX … like, at least twice
8. Ship a $50 care package from Imo's Pizza to 22 million people
9. Purchase 6,419 beers for each of the 19,150 people in attendance at a capacity St. Louis Blues hockey game
10. Blanket every square inch of land in Forest Park with Gooey Butter Cake and still have $443,710,640.00 left over
Lest you doubt our math on that last one, here's how we got there:
a. Forest Park is 1,371 acres. And one acre equals 43,560 square feet. That means Forest Park is 59,720,760 square feet.
b. One gooey butter cake is one square foot. That means it would take 59,720,760 gooey butter cakes to cover Forest Park.
c. The average price of a 12-inch gooey butter cake? $11.
d. The price of 59,720,760 Gooey Butter Cakes at $11 each would be $656,928,360.
e. 1.1 billion minus $656,928,360 = $443,710,640.
Would you rather have that stadium or all of this? Decisions, decisions.
link: Riverfront Times


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Closson Chase South Clos Vineyard Chardonnay 2008, VQA Prince Edward County
Ontario, Canada
$39.95 (215657)
Critic Reviews (3)
Like so many Closson Chase chardonnays this is a very intense, idiosyncratic and slightly baffling. Expect lifted...Sign In to see Critic Reviews. Not a Member? Please Sign Up.
A classic, old world inspired, Puligny-montrachet like Chardonnay with great elegance and depth. Nose of buttered...Sign In to see Critic Reviews. Not a Member? Please Sign Up.
Slightly acetic and certainly oxidative in style on the nose, with marked old/wet wood character, toffee/caramel and...Sign In to see Critic Reviews. Not a Member? Please Sign Up.
Community Reviews (2)
This toasty, buttery Chardonnay is warming me up nicely on a -30 winters night on the prairie. Much debate and lots to talk about regarding Closson's wines and wine making style. Oxidative-yes. A bit of VA-yes. But, I'm licking my glass, wishing it was a magnum instead. Baked apple, tinned mandarin oranges that are creamed then bruleed, creamed corn, toasted almonds and a huge minerally lemon finish. At this point, for experienced Chard lovers only. Drink by 2015. Tasted Jan '14


text:
Just recently, the exhibitor who usually invites us for boutique exhibit, put up a long mall - length wall for climbing.
I had my first and last wall climb when I was still in college, so that gives 12 years of break. hahhahah! So, when my family asked me to hit the wall, I can only make a pass since my hands and feet sweat a lot, making the stiff climb all more difficult.
My college classmate and friend mans the wall and simply encourages me to try it too, but I know I will just be a total fool of myself amidst mall goers. LOL!
But, my kid had tried to climb the wall twice and although he hit the 3 panel boards top, he was simply happy and proud of his accomplishments. Perhaps, tomorrow, we can have another fun and try the board myself.