text:
The pads are listed as 60 mm, but they're actually 57 mm! Whereas the average guy's ear in America is 65.9 mm. Their being average size for the industry doesn't change that. The bottom line: this isn't going to be circumaural for *most* people. It's a failure of design, plain and simple.
The Oppo PM-3 A Competent Comfortable Mobile Headphone Measurements
It's worth mentioning at this point that I have now measured three PM-3s. The first one seemed to have erratic behavior at around 6-9kHz. I received a second pair for measurement some months after the first pair; this second pair did measure differently and did not exhibit the behavior. I then grew concerned because I didn't know if I was seeing an early sample that wasn't quite up to snuff or poor manufacturing tolerances, so I requested a third pair be overnighted to me. The third pair did quite closely match the performance of the second pair. My feeling is that I just receive an early pair the first time and manufacture had not been quite dialed in. All charts are available to view: Sample A; Sample B; and Sample C.
I've gone over the frequency response pretty comprehensively in the review itself, but to recap: The raw response shows a headphone not too sensitive to position on the head. Frequency response is very close to the Harman target response, deviating only in the bass rise extending slightly too far into the mid-range; the dip between 4-8kHz; the top octave is slightly too rolled off; and the peak at 3.2kHz might be a few dB too high. Regardless, I'd say this is the closest headphone I've seen to the target curve. See page two of this review for a Harman curve corrected frequency response.
30Hz square wave is a little misshapen by the pad bounce that can be seen in the frequency response curve between 80-200Hz. I've personally never been able to hear any problems due to the propensity of pads to resonate on the springiness of the foam...well, maybe the DT48 which has it to the extreme. Otherwise, the 30Hz wave shape is good staying above zero for its entire duration and with no sway back. Always good to glance over and look for bass distortion at this point, and notice very little evident with the PM-3. The PM-3 has good bass response at a level that doesn't draw attention to itself.
300Hz square wave shows a pretty significant overshoot of the initial edge; I attribute this to the slightly excessive FR peak at 3.2kHz. I would have expected this headphone to have an edgier quality looking at that spike, but I guess the frequency component of the feature is in just the right place for it to sound good even though it's a bit emphatic. There is a small second ring after the initial spike, but very little noise thereafter. Likewise, the impulse response looks a little slow to me, and there is some subsequent stuff, but it's generally pretty clean relative to most headphones. FWIW, I didn't hear any graininess in these cans.
Distortion is very low in the PM-3, and the 100dB curve lies at or below the 90dB curve indicating these cans can play loud well, which I did hear in listening. Impedance and phase are nearly flat, a characteristic common to planar magnetic headphones. Impedance is at 26 Ohms.
Isolation plot shows quite good isolation, these will cut down background noise well and others will have a difficult time hearing your music as leakage is quite low.
At 47mVrms to achieve 90dBspl, the Oppo PM-3 will play at satisfying levels with portable devices.
These are dead in the water for me for that reason.
They wouldn't work for me. What size ears do they fit?
What size ears will these fit around?
Indeed it is a failure of design. Manufacturers need to understand that these pseudocircumaural designs are not doing any good. If you need portable, go for portable offerings. Circumaural headphones should guarantee big enough pads/cups for the best comfort AND sound quality.
I have discussed this numerous times in recent months on our website (headaudio.weebly.com) or discussion boards because I am really sensitive to pad sizing... It is a much more important topic than people seem to realise. In order to achieve a proper seal and comfort, you not only need large enough diameter but also enough DEPTH. The smaller the pads, the more your pinna or the surrounding area is 'interfering' and ruining the proper seal. Manufacturers then sometimes try to compensate for this using increased clamping force which is something I distaste as well. I sometimes wonder if they are trying to invent a new category of headphones: half on-ear, half over-ear.
I would be somewhat more willingful to accept a bit smaller earpads with dynamic offerings where the sweetspot radius is not ideal (due to the driver's nature => you have to take care about how to position the headphones properly on your head to get the ideal FR) but we are talking orthodynamic here. Look at the Hifiman headphones - extremely consistent despite different positioning. Why? Because they designed the section between driver and your ears properly. No need for smallish earpads with properly designed orthodynamic headphones.
Oppo would have easily gotten couple times more sales, had they made the pads user changeable and/or included even slightly bigger/deeper pads to begin with.
Yes, headphone design if full of compromises and so are sales!
When beta testing the headphones, I found that the initial PM3 had very good if not the best vocal performance I've ever seen in a headphone, vocals just seemed so realistic and well imaged. The second version was a tad too forward in the upper midrange, causing it to lose some of that magic, so we settled on something that was a mix of the two. The end result was a headphone that still held the vocal magic of the very first beta PM3, but with some extra liveliness in the upper midrange and treble to 'lift' it off the ground.
The vocal performance just seems to be an inherent strength to the PM3 and its driver/enclosure, even if you tweak its sound somewhat. The ear openings are too small for me to be considered fully circumaural, but the pads are good enough for decent comfort for 30-345 minutes. I'm glad that Oppo and us Beta testers could work together to get a very good end result.
I also prefer the PM3 to the PM1 as well.
I've posted a head-fi review on the PM-3 and I agree with the majority of impressions made here. I've always found Tyll's reviews to be pretty spot on if you take into account his personal sound signature preferences. I greatly enjoy the PM-3 and highly recommend people to try them. I also prefer the PM-3 over the PM-1 like TMRaven and Tyll.
I also personally found the PM-3 to also be very representative of neutral to my ears. I thought there was a subtle emphasis on sub-bass over other neutral-oriented dynamic headphones and some slight smoothing of the upper treble. I agree the vocals are a strong suit for the PM-3s with a very organic presentation of the midrange.
re: on the earpads, I've found the PM-3 earpads to actually be more comfortable than the PM-1/PM-2 earpads whose hard surface of drivers lightly brush against my ears. the foam disk that the PM-3 has above their driver really helps. I am one who has a lot of issues with earpad size, but the PM-3 was surprisingly comfortable for me without any issues.
ps: my review is found here for those interested (http://www.head-fi.org/products/oppo-pm-3/reviews/12713)
I had a chance to listen to the PM-3s at Axpona 2015 and I really liked them for their $399 price point. Of the new headphones I tried at Axpona I liked the PM-3s and Dan Clark's (aka Mr. Speakers) Either the best. Didn't get enough time with the HE1000 to form an strong opinion. I thought the PM-3a offered a better price to performance ratio that the new EL-8 and I own the XCs so I generally like Audeze products.
This headphone has been on my must listen list for some time. I can't wait to get a chance to hear it. I am curious how it stacks up against the DT 150 in terms of fidelity and scalability. Having similar levels of sound quality and what seems better neutrality in a more appealing and more portable package will be nice.
Judging by the measurements, it should be really interesting to have someone compare the Oppo PM3 to the Soundmagic HP100/150.
The PM3 seems to be more practical due to its size and foldability, it has less harmonic distortion, cleaner impulse response, and more even bass response. On the other hand, the HP100/150 is cheaper (but with some issues with headphone cups breaking off), and has better isolation than the PM3. The frequency responses look fairly similar to me, with the HP100/150 being perhaps a bit more energetic around 10k.
Thanks for the great review, Tyll. How would you compare the comfort of the PM-3 vs the Shure SRH1540?
"This 4-8kHz region can be really horrible sounding if over-accentuated—think piercing sibilance that makes you wince."
That's because THAT is the presence region--actually, it's defined by John Atkinson of Stereophile as roughly 2kHz to 5kHz, but close enough--and it's known as the presence region because that's where our ears can be most sensitive. Hence the piercing sounds if over-accentuated.
The following, I believe, refers to the midrange--and while the midrange has plenty of presence, it's not what is meant by "the presence region":
"I wouldn't characterize this as a big problem in the PM-3 because it means they're not strident—even though their presence region (say 800-3kHz) is a bit forward."
..the experts always say "Don't be swayed by the exciting sounding ones, because what sounds exciting for five minutes in the show room sounds irritating and fatiguing for more than five minutes at home" The same thing goes for headphones. The difference between "long term exciting" and "short term exciting" is a very fine line. After listening to these headphones for a couple months now, I can say with confidence that Oppo nailed it!
Sennheiser created confusion by releasing a wireless and a wired version so close to each other. Many folks think if they listen to the M2 wireless in passive mode it is the same headphone as teh wired only version...two different worlds. M2 wired is a much better sound signature.
But what's up with the treble on this puppy?
It looks like there's a modest rise in volume between 10Hz and 4kHz. But the average dBs appear to take a nose-dive above 4kHz.
I'm looking at the two compensated curves on the top of graph btw.
And you are right about above 4khz IMO.
I won't say there is modest volume rise from 10hz to 4Khz, because frequency below 20hz is virtually not audible. You should look after 20hz, and these slight volume difference from 20~40hz is very very hard to distinguish. And I can still say the bass of this PM-3 is extended extremely well. Yes, extremely.
Considering these information, you will say it is about flat from 30hz to 2khz. and very slight emphasis from 2khz to 4khz.
And from 4khz, it drops. I consider -5dB line on graph is about reference line of this graph. And it drops like 7~8dB.
There is definitely noticeable treble drop in this can. I notice this right away when I started to compare my Sennheiser HD 600 / hidition NT-6. Though it is not terrbie by any mean. Good thing is that around 6khz is frequency range that makes treble harsh. It is range of sibilant sound. having a drop on this region make this PM-3 more relaxing, and much more comfortable sound.
At the same time, you can clearly argue this is a bad thing, and I believe it is the bad part of this can. Probably the biggest complain of mine.
Though I just cannot complain too much, because 7~8dB trench through small region is not a worst thing, and having trench right on sibliant region has some pros; And PM-3 offers everything including overall design, quality & finish, isolation, comfort, uniqueness(hey, the only outdoor planar magnetic), price, and sound quality except that treble portion.
I just cannot complain too much. Overall, I agree with Tyll. Your point is right. It is definitely worth of mention, and it is arguably cons, but it is not too bad.
All I can say is if your are treble geek or treble enthusiast, then you have to think twice before purchasing this can.
It helps to get some confirmation from another user on this question.
There are some fairly prominent spikes in the 9-10kHz treble range on the Oppo PM-1 and PM-2...
...so maybe that's one reason the treble was dialed back a bit more on this newer PM-3 model? If that's the case, perhaps they overcompensated a little too much.
I was also wondering though if some of Tyll's tweaks to the Harman curve could be slightly exaggerating the falloff above 4kHz in the corrected curves on this PM-3 plot...
Or does the downward tilt between 4kHz and 20kHz on the upper curves seem about right in people's experience with this headphone?
FWIW, the NAD VISO HP50 still looks a bit flatter to me on its Harman plot (though it has a slightly darker overall tilt than the PM-3, and isn't planar-magnetic)...
Since these seem to be two of the top contenders in the "flatness wars", did you give the NAD any consideration before getting the Oppo PM-3?
Also, how different is the sound quality on the PM-3 vs. a regular headphone? And which do you like better?
Appreciate any further thoughts you or others may wish to share on this subject.
Well, I think spike on 9~10khz is mainly due to innerfidelity's own compensation curve. Maybe it is OPPO's PM series sound signature of having slight peak, but it seems 9~10khz peak is very common for many innerfidelity data.
Back to PM-3 graph, note peak and trenches start to appear after mid range. usually it became more intense from treble.
Since innerfidelity do not apply any smoothing option at this point, you can assume the sharp peaks are not too bad. At the same time, PM-3 lacks ultra-high as well. I am not saying PM-3 is unable to generate ultra high, because I heard 19khz sound when I performed ultra high frequency test, but it makes me to increase volume more than my other cans(HD600, B&W P7).
I personally nver heard NAD VISO HP50, but I think planar magnetic unit or PM-3's own sound signature makes some differences from normal dynamic headphone. Though, I do not want to say it is better because it is planar magnetic.
Below from here is completely my personal experience, but after I read several PM-3 reviews, it seems impressions are surprisingly similar. They are not same, but I see very similar nuance in the review.
The unique sound signature of PM-3 is..... relaxing. If I put it in bad way, it is boring. It does not give any "WOW" impression when I first pick up my can. But it is not bad by any mean.
When I compared PM-3 to P7, which has a bit more bass, but except that, pretty similar sound signature, P7 is headphone that give "WOW" impression. Not just because it has some more bass. Its treble also impress me a lot. A lot of detail is there. Wierdly enough, P7 has also slightly suppressed treble just like PM-3. But P7 impressed me hard. I feel I heard every instrument of song very vividly, especially treble.
On the other hand, after using P7 for a while, I start loose my concentration, and when I lost my concentration, P7 became just plain. There is no WOW left.
PM-3 is just opposite of that. When I first hear it, it does not impress me by any mean. So I do not concentrate at listening at first. But the sound of PM-3 is very relaxing, no fatigue. And it is so relaxing. I start to like it more. And this makes me concentrate back. From here on, I starts to hear very well extended ultra-low sound, and I also found mid is very punchy. After that, I hear all the detail back from zero. More and more I hear PM-3, I starts to like it.
I do not know this 'relaxing sound' aspect is common aspect of planar magnetic headphone, but PM-3 sounds very relaxing, which makes me think this is very natural sound. And this is probably reason why Tyll say this PM-3 is one of the most neutral headphone. It is fairly neutral in graph already, but graph-wise, I think HP50 is flatter. due to lack of treble. and I can definitely feel lack of treble when I directly compare PM-3 to other cans. However, it just sounds very natural when I just hear PM-3 alone casually.
I won't say PM-3 will be better pick, but I think PM-3 is definitely worth of hear especially for an extended time period of listening.
And you seem to have excellent taste in headphones.
Based on the graphs, the B&W P7 looks a little beefier in the mid-bass and upper treble than the Oppo PM-3...
And the peak at 3kHz isn't quite as well-defined. But it also looks like a pretty good match to the Harman curve. I'd like to see a compensated Harman plot of this model as well.
The midrange on the B&W P7 also looks very similar to, and possibly somewhat smoother than the Oppo PM-3.
Focal Spirit Pro is even flatter, in the bass range at al teast: http://cdn.innerfidelity.com/images/140321_Blog_HarmanResponseFR_FocalSp...
...in the 100-300Hz range. But the NAD still looks flatter to me overall, due to less chop in the treble.
FWIW, the PSB M4U 1 and Koss SP330 also seem like they'd plot pretty close to the Harman curve, but with a few more bumps and valleys (esp. in the treble) than the NAD.
The Akai MPC also looks like a pretty good match, though it has a fairly sizable notch between 3.5 & 9kHz, some ringing in the Impulse & 300Hz tests, and needs a good seal for correct bass response, based on the raw FR samples...
Some graphs of M4U 1 & SP330 for comparison...
Sub-bass looks a little out of balance on the Koss's left and right channels (with too much on left).
Tyll, I got it from John Atkinson's definitions of the presence range, occurring in many places in Stereophile over the years. He doesn't always verbally define it, but the times I've seen him do so, it begins at about 2,000: One example is here: 'The WITT's 2–8kHz "presence" range is mildly depressed relative to the midrange.' Another is his reference to the presence region in the Revel F30 speaker's frequency response, showing a graph with a dip between 2kHz and 4kHz. Another: "The HF contour can be seen to boost or depress the speaker's output over an octave or so in the presence region, centered on 4.5kHz,..." I don't recall it ever going as low as you define it, and it just always seems to me that your definition is just a little too broad, and therefore not as meaningful as the narrower definition.
But...you're the expert. I'm just a guy who read Stereophile for several decades.
Holt and Atkinson are not in agreement here. Atkinson is probably more correct looking at established norms such as this.
It does make sense, as you said, that those frequencies are where the ear/brain is most sensitive, and most aware of excesses.
This is the Audio Glossary from stereophile. Everyone should read it at least once. It will much better allow one to describe exactly what they are hearing, including the "presence range".
Just recently sold my Sony MDR-1A for the Momentum 2.0 Wired Ivory. I've tried a few others like the MSR7 (gave me the worst treble headache ever) and M50X (very nice but needs more resolution and upper end smoothness) and found that the MDR-1A made me the most happy so far. However the MDR-1A's build quality let me down with creaks and the bass was a bit too loose in the end.
The Momentum 2.0 fixes the build quality issues I had with the MDR-1A, tightens up the bass, sounds great overall, is just as comfortable, but the upper half of the sound isn't quite as exciting as the MDR-1A - if by only the smallest of amounts. However as a portable headphone overall the Momentum 2.0 is excellent, especially considering build quality longevity vs the MDR-1A. Real Leather and a nicer iOS remote seals the deal.
However I was wondering if it was worth trying the Oppo PM3 next or start saving for the Noble K10 Wizard Edition that I really want. I would be very interested in hearing Tyler comment more on the Oppo PM3 vs Momentum 2.0. CNET mentioned that the PM3 isn't very forgiving vs something like the Momentum 2.0, something which gives me pause. All the headphones I've liked so far are forgiving. The MSR7 for example rapidly turned me off using just my iPhone as a source. That said the Oppo PM3 has a lot of hype around it.
I didn't love the Momentum. I bought them blindly to be my portable, and was never impressed during my month of ownership. Everything was just weak to me. Vocals seemed distant, the bass was reckless, and the highs didn't sparkle in the way people described (although I'm a big Grado fan, so take my opinion of the highs with a grain of salt.) BOTH the NADs (which I ended up with) and the Oppo PM3 would be better options - by a lot. They have an incredibly similar sound. For me, it came down to value. $250 new for the NADs, with a huge jump in SQ over the momentum, and $150 less than the Oppo. ALSO extra points for coming from Canada.
There must be a law that says if I post I'll do this I have to do the opposite in the end. Just ordered up the PM-3 + HA-2. Thanks inner fidelity, your reviews as always was a big factor. I needed a DAC Amp to progress and these two seem to bundle nicely together.
How do you think this headphone is against audio technica msr7? I now own the audio technica msr7,and shure se846.Sorry for bad english,i live in norway.I want the best sounding headphone for portable use (with fiio e07k andnes,and sony xperia z3).I think the msr7 sounds great,but are a little to bright.So i get a little tired in my ears.And they are warm and pressure a lot on my head.I like headphones best,but have iems i use in loud enviroment (i think iems have better noise cancelation).The shure se846 is an great allrounder.And im looking for an headphone that also is an great all rounder.I like warm,smooth sound,and that where u can hear all the details.Im not an expert audiphile,but i like audiophile sound ;) Have bought some high rez albums on hd tracks,and are using wimp hifi (tidal).Before i have ovned sennheiser momentum,denon ah-a100,and yes,one time i ovned the hd800.But open headphones are not for me.Having kid in house,its absolutly impossible to use.Lol.And for the price,i thouht it was to bad having it in the box,99% of the time.So i sold it.
The oppo pm3 looks interesting.Little high price,but if the sound delivers,i might buy one set.I listen to all kind of music.Rock,pop,electronica,classical,folk,blues,ect.I want to find the best possible headphone for me.I dont have the chance to test so many headphones,and now i want to buy one,i will have for many years to come :) and the oppo pm3 might be just that one :)
The oppo pm3
The OPPO and NAD show near enough the same frequency response, impedance, disortion. The other responses are near enough as well. Are these phones using the same drivers? Sound may differ due the different construction?
Great review on the Oppo PM3. I am awaiting the arrival of my PM3. I was wondering if I could buy a cable like the QED Profile J2J for it. Would it be able to fit the socket on the side of the headphone since it has a stepped jack? =) TIA
Hi Tyll - thank you very much for your review. Truly appreciate your work. I'd like to hear your opinion if you were to rank PM-3 / 1540 and Viso HD50 in terms of sound quality and sound + portability? I currently have Final Audio Pandora Hope VI and ifi micro IDSD (dac/amp). I will likely play music from LG G4 when I travel.
Thanks Tyll!
Here in singapore I am not able to find a place where I can compare Oppo Pm-3 with Audeze El-8 or Shure 1540, between the 3 which is ranked one, acccording Type Shure is better but than he says only at low volumes, he says Oppo are best but boring and have not seen any review of EL-8 Closed back, I got the opportunity to hear EL-8 Treble is crisp and sharp but not too bright and bass has good texture and punch but not boomy, I wish Oppo which are more portable can match the Treble energy and bass of Audeze EL-8, So please help me with my quest for best. Thanks
Hi Tyll,
how can we understand from measurements if a headphone has better resolving power than another?
I am a happy owner of a pair of NAD HP50 and I really appreciate their resolving power, it is much better than my Wharfedale diamond speakers and probably of any speakers I could ever afford...
Resolving power is to me a very significant measure of audio quality!
Thank you for this site.
Have you any informations about the wireworld cables for headphones?
I found out that the 6khz dip can be removed by shifting pm-3 a bit forward on the head. I tested with tone generator and some songs.
I guess aligning the "mandarin" opening to the center of ear canal opening is critical.
Gosh so these, B&W P7 Momentum's or HP50's... how do you decide? You give these nothing but praise but then say the others are more resolving..... I wish I could buy all of them :/
I agree about the size... manufacturers need to make these headphones to fit over and clear the normal ear size. I would love to own a pair of the PM-3's, but they are too small and going to be uncomfortable over wearing them for longer than a few minutes. I have just been trying out several pairs of headphones, which I wrote up over at www.avnirvana.com and the biggest issue I have is finding a set that will fit over my ears comfortably. No doubt OPPO would sell a lot more if they would make the pads larger, or interchangeable for larger pads.
Hi. I plan to buy these cans, but I´m worried about the possibility of not getting an optimal marriage with my studio interface (Apogee Symphony I/O, first generation), because of their impedances: PM-3 is 26 Ohm and the headphone amp on the Symphony is 30 Ohm. I´m concerned not about "loudness", but frecuency response, because of something I read:
"If the output impedance is greater than an 1/8th of the headphone impedance, there will be undesirable variations in frecuency response: weaker bass, glaring mid-range emphasis, muted high frecuencies, odd phase characteristics. The greater the output impedance, the more likely there will be a discrepancy in the way your headphones receive the sound. This can manifest erratically depending on the headphone. Basically they will not sound as they are meant to". Is this… true? Does it apply to the PM-3?
According to this, when using the PM-3, the output impedance of the amp should NOT be greater than 3.25 ohm (26/8 = 3.25). But the headphone amp on my interface is 30 ohm. Will this compromise the performance of the PM-3? I think they´ll work well with my Astell & Kern portable player (2 ohm), but I´m choosing the PM-3 because of their neutral reference quality, and if they lose accuracy when paired with my interface, I feel like making a bad purchase decision, as I want to upgrade my headphones mainly for studio work (checking mixes & masters), personal entertainment is just a (very) exciting bonus…
Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.
Hey just wanted to say that I really appreciate the measurements section of the review. Actually I prefer to read the written part (or watch the video) when considering a purchase. But in the case of the Oppo PM-3, when I pair it with my DAP, I get to EQ up the roll-off at the bottom and top of the range to my tastes and I get to reduce that m-shaped bump from 100-300hz, which helps smooth out the transition from bass to mids. It's a subtle tweak but it really helps open up the sound. Apparently one of the other benefits to being a PM-3 owner is you can run them balanced and they take to EQ well.


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Atomizers turn liquid into vapour. An atomizer consists of resistance wire (which heats up when electricity is passed through it) and something to feed liquid to the resistance wire (usually in the form of a wick), so that the wire can heat the liquid and turn it into a safe vapour for you to inhale.
Atomizers come in many forms, all of which do the same basic job. Some of them hold large amounts of liquid in an additional built in container (such as a cartomizer or tank), some types need an additional part to store the liquid in (such as a cartridge), and other types only hold a few drips at a time.
Due to the nature of the job they do, ALL atomizers either need replacing regularly, or have parts that need replacing regularly. This is why most retailers, including ourselves, sell atomizers as disposable items with only a dead on arrival warranty.
The different types of atomizer available can be split into 4 main categories:
- Cartomizer
- Atomizer/Clearomizer
- Tank System
- Rebuildable Tank System
Below we'll take a brief look at the different types.
Now a slightly older style, these are typically found on E-Cigarette lookalikes. They are usually one single piece and are pre-filled with E-Liquid.
Covers a wide range of styles. These types typically hold between 1.6ml and 2.5ml. Most are now replaceable coil types, but this title also includes disposable CE4s.
Tank System
Usually have a capacity of 3ml+ and are mostly pyrex rather than plastic.
Rebuildable Tank System
This covers all types that require re-wicking and re-coiling by hand. Most are dripping atomizers but there are a few larger capacity ones available, know as Rebuildable Tank Atomizers (RTAs).
- Keep your wick wet. Whatever your choice of atomizer happens to be, if you don't keep the part that feeds liquid to the resistance wire/coil wet (whether that is a wick or filler material), then instead of heating liquid, your atomizer will heat your wick or filler material.
- Don't overfill your atomizer. Overfilling can lead to leaks, which can damage your battery.
- If you do get a leak, make sure you either dry the atomizer out properly or replace it.
- Replace regularly, and ALWAYS CARRY SPARES. If you don't carry spares, you can guarantee that your atomizer will die at a time when you can't purchase another - disaster!
PG or VG? What is the difference? Which one is the one for me?
There are two main base carrier liquids used in our e-liquid (the refill liquid used in electronic cigarettes): PG and VG. We believe you should be able to choose the right base liquid for you, based on the qualities of the two options, so we have provided a brief description of both base liquids below.
1. PG or propylene glycol or propane-1,2, diol
- The most common solution used in electronic cigarettes.
- It is essentially inert in the body and can even be injected into the bloodstream without effect (and it is: it is the carrier liquid for drugs like diazepam that don't mix with water).
- It is a powerful bactericide and virucide, and has been used in hospitals to keep viruses from spreading.
- Has a robust throat hit greater than that of a purely VG based liquid.
- Is used successfully in our industry and is approved for usage in our products for consumption.
2. VG or vegetable glycerin or glycerol or propane-1,2,3, triol
- It is more viscous (thick) than PG.
- Produces much more vapour than a purely PG based liquid.
- Can act as a sweetener in E-liquid, and is in fact used as a sweetner in the food industry. This is as well as being used as a humectant and a solvent. In some cases it is even used for preservation. Chances are you are already consuming VG, or Glycerin elsewhere.
- Doesn't give you as much 'throat hit' as PG, meaning it is smoother, for those that prefer it like that, but not really suitable if you're looking for a huge 'throat hit.'
We hope this has helped you to decide which base is the one for you. Please note we also sell E-Liquid which consists of a mixture of both bases, allowing you to achieve the best of both worlds to some extent.
Filling a clearomizer:
Tips for getting the best from your Electronic Cigarette.
We want you to get the best out of your E Cig and for things to last as long as they can for our customers, so here are a few tips to help you take care of your electronic cigarette.
1. Before placing your battery on charge, clean the contact point on the top of your battery and also on your charging lead (with a tissue or cotton bud) to remove any build up of liquid.
2. Where possible use your battery until it runs out of charge, then place it on charge. This can prolong the product life of the battery, as every charge reduces that life a little.
3. Do not screw anything onto your battery too tightly. This includes atomizers, clearomizers and chargers. Screw them on until you feel a resistance, then stop. Screwing items onto your battery too tightly will damage the battery, the item you're attaching to it, or both of them.
4. Always keep spare parts. More often than not, you will need a replacement when we are not open, which then leaves you at risk of having nothing to use. This can result in you resorting to regular cigarettes!
5. Try not to keep your electronic cigarette in your trouser pockets. We've had cases where people have sat down with the e cig in their pockets and have snapped the battery,or strained their atomizer/clearomizer. This results in parts needing to be replaced.
6. Keep your e cig topped up with liquid, rather than letting it run empty. This can prevent an early onset of the burnt taste that you often get when an atomizer is near the end of it's useful life.
Q: What exactly is an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette/e-cig)?
A: An e cig, or electronic cigarette, is an electronic device that delivers a harmless vapour which the user can inhale, replicating the act of smoking. The vapour can contain nicotine allowing the user to not only satisfy their smoking habit, but also their nicotine addiction. Electronic cigarettes are not prohibited by law in indoor public locations, nor are they covered by the smoking ban. So, as long as the premises owner permits it, you may use them anywhere.
Q: What are benefits of using electronic cigarette?
A: The main benefits include:
- They are proven to work with smokers
- They are legal to smoke in public places
- They require no lighting, burning, or ashtrays.
- They leave no cigarette butts or horrible smell
- They contain no tobacco and cause no air pollution
- They contain no cancer-causing chemicals
- They cause no second hand smoking
- They emit no foul odors that stick to linen, walls, cars, etc
Q: Is it really legal to use electronic cigarette in public places?
A: The electronic cigarette can be used in any location and within any premises that introduced a ban on tobacco based cigarettes, with the introduction into Law of the Health Act 2006. The use of electronic cigarettes in public places is completely legal, and not bound up in the same troubling issues as the use of tobacco-based cigarettes in public places. There is, of course, seemingly never-ending legislation against the use of conventional cigarettes in public places; as just about every smoker across the world is only too well aware of. But the use of electronic cigarette in public places is something you may be pleased to know...
Q: What do I get in my starter kit?
A: Your electronic cigarette starter kit contains everything you need to get you going: At least 1 complete electronic cigarette (consisting of a rechargeable battery and atomizer), a USB charger and a full instruction leaflet (dependent on kit purchased). Some kits may include more than this.
Q: What available methods are there for charging a battery?
A: Electronic cigarette starting kit comes with a USB charger for your PC. If you don't want to use a PC, you'll need an additional mains adapter. Mains adapters are included free of charge with all double Ego kits.
A car adapter may also be suitable.
Q: How long does the battery last between charges?
A: Batteries are dependent on temperature, storage and use. Depending on the size of the battery, they can last beyond 14 hours for our biggest batteries. Heavy 'chain' smokers may exhaust the battery much more quickly so a spare on charge is advised. Batteries can be charged up to 200 times on average.
Q: Is E-liquid available in different flavours and strengths?
A: Yes it is available in many different flavours and in nicotine strengths of 36mg, 24mg, 16mg, 11mg, 6mg, and 0mg.
Q: How long do the batteries and atomizers last?
A: Atomizers are considered consumables and are DOA guaranteed. Spare atomizers and batteries are available separately to purchase from our website. The atomizer does all the hard work. Inside, a tiny coil heats rather like a light bulb, then contacts cold fluid repeatedly. Like a light bulb, the coil won't last forever! An atomizer's average life varies from 3 to 15 days depending on usage. Batteries have a limited life that is measured by the amount of times it is recharged. The more often you recharge the battery, the less time it will last. This also varies from product to product. On average you can expect a battery to have a useful life of anywhere from a month to 3 or 4 months. Our batteries are covered by a 30 day warranty.
Q: Why do I need spare batteries?
A: All lithium batteries permanently lose capacity over time. This is why electronic cigarette batteries have a relatively short life. The electronic cigarettes are considered as consumables, hence the reason the separate parts need to be replaced.
Q: Can I use other manufacturers cartridges and accessories ?
A: No, you are only guaranteed compatibility if you purchase your cartridges and accessories directly from The Best E Cigarette.
Q: What if I run out of liquid or lose my e-cigarette?
A: It happens to the best of us, so if you don't want to resort to tobacco cigarettes, make sure you keep a supply of liquid and at least a spare atomizer and a spare battery. If you are really committed to e-smoking then a second kit is the cheapest way to make sure you have a set of spares.
Q: How do the costs compare to that of smoking ordinary cigarettes ?
A: The cost of a bottle of E-liquid is £4.99 for 30ml, which will last an average of 2 weeks, so £9.98 per month. Add to that the price of replacing your atomizer 2 or 3 times a month, in this example we'll use CE4s, so £3.99 each, x3 = £11.97 a month. So that's £21.95 per month running costs. Even if we then assume the very worst, and add the price of a replacement battery every month on to that, we're still only at £31.94.
At the time of writing this, a 20 packet of the most popular brand of cigarettes costs £7.38. So a twenty a day tobacco cigarette smoker would spend £221.40 per month if they switched to E-cigs. Based on the costs in the paragraph above, they would save £189.46 a month, or £2273.52 A year. This is including the cost of replacing the atomizer 3 times a month, and the battery once a month. Chances are you won't have to do that every month anyway!
Q: Are e-cigarettes suitable for non smokers or under 18's?
A: Absolutely not. The cigarette is intended for adult smokers. They should not be sold, given to, or used by non smokers.
E-liquid contains nicotine and should be stored safely away from children.
We will not sell any of our products to anyone under the age of 18


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Is it really Thursday already? Gosh, time flies when you're sick. Or slows down, depending on who you are. That's right. I've been sick. Allergies laid me up in bed with my computer and Christmas gifts in the form of DVDs of Seasons 5, 6, and 7 (final) of Sabrina The Teenage Witch. Good news--I got through all the episodes (I just have to watch the TV movie special feature on the last disc of the final season). The bad news? Didn't get a lot done in the way of writing, reading, or pretty much anything else.
For the most part I've finally quit imitating Sneezy the Dwarf (from Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs) and I found that turning off the heat during the day has kept some of the problems from flaring. Namely, my eye finally stopped tearing and my nose quit running and I started feeling a little better. I've got some medicine and a nasal spray and I'm doing better than I was, but I'll tell you what...I hate allergies. Fortunately I've got ways of getting steam if I need to open up my sinuses, and a Vaporizer that runs at night (complete with a little green light on top--how nifty is that? Oh jeez, you can tell I've been sick, I'm thinking lights on vaporizers are cool. I really do need to get back to writing and reading and getting out of the house!)
Good news, however, (and yes there is definitely some) is that being MIA (or rather, sick with kick-your-butt allergies) gave me a chance to contemplate ideas for blog posts. I have an idea for one week, probably starting some time in January. I've also been thinking about authors to ask for interviews, and eyeing my stack of books I got for Christmas. Apparently I started a YA theme with my wish list.
I received:
Once Every Never by Lesley Livingston (if you haven't checked out her Wondrous Strange series, get yourself over to it. It's YA Fantasy/action/romance that is so fantastically written, it's just plain gorgeous).
Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs (I LOVE this woman's "Oh. my. gods." series dealing with Greek gods/goddesses and her mermaid series that starts with Forgive My Fins).
Vanish by Sophie Jordan (book 2 of her Firelight series--awesome book dealing with people who can turn into dragons--how dang cool is that?)
Plus I started reading a book (before Christmas) on my e-reader called Jessica's Guide To Dating On The Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey (I love that last name...sounds almost like "fantastic" --great last name for an author!) Anyway, it's pretty good so far, I haven't gotten real far into it, but vampire lovers, you might enjoy it--Romanian Vampires of royal blood.
We're so close to 100 official followers (those who are listed as followers in the right hand margin of this blog) I can almost "taste" it. When I hit 25 followers I did a big giveaway. Get me to 100 official followers listed and I'll look at doing another big giveaway in 2012. So tell your friends, fellow readers, blog followers, Tweeps, and anyone you know who reads/likes books (no, your dog/cat/fish/ferret/bird/lizard/monkey/lion/jackal/tiger/bear/hyena/ whatever pet unfortunately doesn't count...in my experience, they aren't exactly readers and they don't usually know how to post comments...of course, they probably could be trained...but still, I think we'll stick to the human species at this point for blog followers--makes it a little simpler).
What fun thing has been happening to you this week? (And am I alone in the allergy/cold department?)
Have A Terrific Thursday!


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Look a blog post and race report. All in one post. After months of radio silence! Of course, it's not for any of the races that I mentioned in my last post, but at this point, posting anything and proving that the blog is not in a medically induced coma is probably a good idea.
100 Miles of Nowhere Race Report Preamble
Well, I suppose it's time to blow the cobwebs off the blog and return to the land of the active participants in online life. What happened to all the "real" races this season, you ask? And all the goals? Well, most of the races got run and finished, most not as well as I would have liked and there are at least 3 unfinished race reports sitting on this self-same computer that I'm typing this one on. So really this isn't so much a race report as a massive apology/excuse for not having blogged in the last three months or so. Along with the excuses, there'll be discussions of the last "race" I did, namely the 100 Miles of Nowhere challenge that I signed up for in April and that most folks completed on June 1, when it was officially "raced". Why all the "air quotes", you ask? (And yes, I know they're not really air-quotes, just regular ones, but I assume that you, like me tend to read blog posts dynamically and emphatically and made the appropriate hand gestures as you were reading along. Be glad I didn't put in anything difficult like air "tai-chi" or air "push-ups".) Well the 100 Miles of Nowhere (not to be confused with Miles from Nowhere, a great bicycle adventure tale http://www.amazon.com/Miles-Nowhere-Round-Bicycle-Adventure/dp/0898861098) is a bike event that Fat Cyclist (www.fatcyclist.com) does every year for the last five years to raise money for Livestrong and sometimes more specific cancer charities like Camp Kesem this year. Here's where you can read more about the 100 Miles of Nowhere (hereafter MON) and Camp Kesem – http://www.fatcyclist.com/2012/04/17/register-now-for-the-2012-100-miles-of-nowhere/. You'll note that there is a cap on the number of entrants at 500 and by virtue of living across the Atlantic, I see posts earlier than most folks in the US since late afternoon for me is morning for you, so I managed to secure an entry into this most prestigious event. I already knew I couldn't do it on the "official" event date of June 2 (week before first big tri of the season and the short-lived coach experiment wouldn't let me) so I intended to do it the day after the race package showed up in my mailbox (I ordered it regular shipping rather than the super expensive fast shipping necessary to get the packet to me in time for the official race date that I already knew I couldn't do it on anyway). Little did I expect that I wouldn't get the race packet until mid August, three days before the hilliest 70.3 triathlon of my life and right in the middle of the most serious Ulcerative Colitis flare up of the last 10 years or so. So instead, I took Fatty's advice (see his blog post above, 13th paragraph) and did my 100 miles in October.
Prologue: the illustrated excuse list
Except that is a lie. Since being sick for half the summer and into fall along with a slew of weddings and other events made me drop out of the Expat Lesbian Wife division, I managed to talk my most wonderful wife into doing this with me as part of our "taper" (there go those "air-quotes" again) for the Frankfurt Marathon which is a week from today and two weeks from last weekend when we did the MON. So we claimed the top podium spot in the Better-Late-Than-Never-Lesbian-Wives-Simultaneous-Relay division, instead. And what a victory it was!
(In case you're keeping track, it is now six days since I started this post, and two weeks since we rode the MON and the only reason I'm writing again is that I've got to run a marathon in 15 hours and need to finish at least one blog post and past race report before I'm allowed to watch TV for the rest of the evening.)
Here's an example tab that I have open at this moment in my web browser and that I will get to reading sometime soon: http://greatist.com/happiness/stop-procrastinating-help/ .
But before the actual race report, a poop report!
As an athlete with an autoimmune digestive ailment of the bowels that flares up inconveniently and with varying levels of misery at random and mostly unpredictable times in my life, I spend far too much time thinking about my poop and discussing it with various health professionals, friends, family, etc. This year to try to figure out what was going on and how to get it back under control, I started a poop log along with all the various meds I was taking and the food I was eating. I then digitized all this and used Matlab (http://www.mathworks.com/products/matlab/) to graph it all out (because I am a geek at heart. I started doing it in Excel and swiftly realized that Microsoft was simply not up to the task of dealing with my poop). The poop log started about a month after things started getting pretty bad and overall I lost 5 kg (about 11 pounds or 9% of my total body weight) while still doing 3 triathlons including a 70.3 with about 5000 feet of climbing on the bike. Because I'm either a total badass or a complete idiot. So, here's the excuse graph – or my poop chart from the end of July to the day after the MON. I've also marked the various weddings and triathlons on it. I didn't mark the week in Portugal in August nor the 3 days in Berlin in September (just before weddings-R-us time), but you get the idea – I was either communing with the porcelain gods every 90 minutes or so while awake, or without my bike almost continuously since I got the MON stuff from Twin 6. So there's my excuse all bundled up into one geeky chart with lines and circles and pretty colors and everything. And yes, PPD does stand for Poops per Day. I have the time of each also in the logbook, just in case I needed more information to figure things out and try to get healthy again.
Race Report Part 1: finding the course and getting the team ready
Back in April when I signed up – and I was incredibly excited about signing up – I've been following Fatty's blog for years at this point and the 100 Miles of Nowhere really appealed to my sense of the absurd (maybe next year I'll do it in a cockroach costume, or a rhinoceros, please tell me you get the reference…)
OK so MON, the course. We live in a really nice little suburb of Frankfurt and while the city is about a 40 minute bike ride away, the airport is only 20 minutes away. Originally, I thought we'd do the airport ride – our usual weekly after work ride when we don't want to do hills. It's about 13 miles out and 13 back over the exact same route and it contains bike trails, overpasses, one sort-of highway, the multi-use sidewalk, some nice trails, a generally big muddy bit, at least one bicycle underpass under the train tracks depending on our luck, and a cemetery at the turn-around. Almost perfect, except that it's simply long and fairly heavily trafficked by cars. But in case you were wondering, yes, we ride that route regularly on road bikes, dirt, mud puddles, curbs, and all. Because we're not too bright and we go to extreme lengths to find non hilly places to ride around here.
So, since the ultimate expression of going nowhere – riding to an airport for the express purpose of turning around and going back home again without actually getting on an airplane to go anywhere was out, I asked the Wife to find me a better route. She navigates all our bike trips because I have the directional sense of a particularly befuddled pot of petunias. She did that magic that all people with a good sense of direction and head for maps did and created us a beautiful 3.24 mile loop entirely on paved bike trails and back roads only about a mile from our apartment. So we had a plan. Now to execute it.
The Team!
And no, we did not originally intend to do this one together. In fact, back in April when I described what it was that I'd signed up for, she actually used her safeword to get me to stop talking about it. To explain, when we bike or run together, there are a few topics that upset one or the other of us, so we have a system to let the other person know to stop babbling on about decapitated bodies or sucking chest wounds or getting up while it is still dark to go run or similarly horrifying things. So the Hundred Miles of Nowhere was so horrifying in its concept to my Wife (and no, not the distance, she regularly rides 5+ hour rides with no problems, it was the very idea of bike around in circles with absolutely no purpose for hours that upset her) that not only could I not ask her to do it with me, I had to assure her that I would never ask her to do it with me and then immediately stop talking about it.
It was from that point inevitable that she would end up doing it with me.
The Bikes!
We did the ride in the middle of a marathon taper (well, more like near the start of it), so we knew we didn't want to go for any speed records or anything. I decided to go with my road bike because it is significantly more comfortable than my touring bike (clearly a sign I need a new touring bike) and she went with the touring bike since hers is incredibly comfortable and hasn't been out of the apartment since she got her shiny new road bike in June. Let me explain about touring bikes here. The places most folks ride in this part of the world for long distances are all well marked bike trails, usually with really lovely scenery and lots of little places to eat and drink along the way. All of these clearly marked bike trails ultimately will end up on a dirt or gravel road. A significant number of them will throw in a bit of singletrack just to see if you're paying attention. So her touring bike is essentially a really nice, custom mountain bike with a rigid frame on a set of bombproof 44 spoke wheels and Schwalbe Marathons. It's a really pretty bike. Her name is Randy (for randonneur) (The bike's name, not the Wife's.)
She got to wear the race number since I was on Ruby the unimaginatively named Specialized, who since I bolted a set of aerobars on her has no space for a number plate anymore. Yes, most age-grouper triathletes here just modify an existing road bike instead of getting a whole new bike. It's practical. And Germans are nothing if not practical. Incidentally, here you find significantly fewer used tri bikes with less than 100 miles on them for sale on Ebay or Craigslist). I know, I checked.
The ride preparations continue:
The weather was beautiful and we spent the morning getting ready (and really what would a Fat Cyclist event be without descriptions and pictures of food?). Getting ready consisted of:
First Breakfast
Laying out the food we would take with us on our difficult journey.
Going to the local market for more food for later and coming back with Second Breakfast.
Heading out the door, here's the Wife ready to ride 50 miles just so I don't have to ride 100. She's the best (even better than carbs).
The first thing we saw on the way to the course was a group of young people blasting loud music and spray-painting a wall. We went back the next day to see the finished work and the weird green blob off to the right turned into the Hypnotoad. I'll post a picture of him later.
Here's the start point of the loop. Note that it starts with a grouping of metal grates in the middle of the trail. I'm not entirely sure what these are for, other than eating skinny road bike tires. They're called Querrinnen and there were four of them on every loop, for a total of 60 Querrinnen successfully ridden over.
In contrast, the Wife looks fashionable and well-put together in her matching bike and gear, so it's probably a good thing that I had the camera for much of the day. We would have worn our matching Fat Cyclist jerseys, but they're waiting for us at my parent's house in the US as we've learned our lesson with the shipping to Germany after the 3 month wait for the race packet. (It was languishing for an indeterminate length of time in the Customs office at a little town that was definitely not our little town and about 300 km away. Yet somehow, it made it to us with all the Honey Stingers intact). So next year we will wear matching kit and maybe actually ride 100 miles each. My parents will get to enjoy the Honey Stingers.
And then we commenced riding fifteen times around the same picturesque loop on a gorgeous fall afternoon, thoroughly confusing one man out mowing his lawn, a few ladies rollerblading the same route in the other direction, on girl on a horse that we passed three times, and the big crowd of potato farmers harvesting away almost the entire time.
At lap 7, we stopped to watch the ferry (and eat powerbars – the Honey Stingers were consumed about 23 seconds after I received the race packet and sadly are unobtainable here, along with Gu, proper chocolate chips, Utz sour cream dip, and any decent Mexican food. Incidentally, out of the picture off to the right is the boat we had our wedding reception on. They serve excellent schnitzel so there are some advantages to living here.)
Some of the signage on our route, showing just how well-marked bike trails are. Another advantage!
We passed this stoplight 15 times. Eight of them it was red and seven it was green. It was green on the last lap, but turned red when I tried to take the picture, so it counted as red.
The only real obstacle on the course. Note how handily the Wife negotiates it.
By the eleventh or twelfth lap, even a road as nice as this starts to get a tiny bit boring. I think at this point in the conversation, we were probably speculating on whether it would be a good idea to get little baskets on the front of the bikes for the cats to ride in, like a lot of people do with their little dogs.
We headed over the bridge (costs less than the ferry and was our only hill of the day) to head home, where we changed into street clothes, got on the city bikes and went out for all-you-can-eat sushi at the local sushi conveyor belt restaurant. Because that is how a successful 100 Miles of Nowhere team simultaneous relay should end.
And Ziel! (That's German for finish line) Total time: 3:37, Average speed: 13.9 mph. Not our best showing, but a perfect fall day for a 50 mile bike ride during a taper.
And now I really need to get to bed, I'm running a marathon in the morning. I'll try to post about that one before I forget all about it. One thing I'll tell you is that I'm really looking forward to having tea again at the 39 km aid station just like last year. But this year, I hopefully won't sit down and chat with the nice volunteers for quite so long as last year.


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New York State
Legislature Passes CCA Ban
A bill to prohibit the use of chromated copper arsenate (CCA) treated lumber for any new public or school playground passed the New York State Assembly and Senate on Monday, June 17. The arsenic in CCA is a known human carcinogen and has been linked to nervous system damage and birth defects. The bill, A10221 and S7167, also requires existing CCA treated structures to be maintained to minimize leaching of the CCA and directs the commissioner of environmental conservation to publish information on the dangers of CCA-treated lumber and methods and materials to be used to minimize the structures leaching CCA. The bill will take effect within six months of its enactment.
CCA-treated wood products are used in decks and patios, picnic tables, playground equipment, walkways and boardwalks, landscaping timbers and fencing. The New York State bill's legislative memo states that "Educating the public about avoiding the use of CCA-treated wood should serve to reduce exposure from other uses, since alternatives are available."
Earlier this year, EPA announced a voluntary phase-out of CCA by the pressure-treated industry. After December 31, 2003, wood for residential uses may no longer be treated with CCA. However, this wood can continue to be sold off until supplies are exhausted. While the EPA phase-out is a positive first step, environmentalists argue that it does not adequately protect public health or the environment. All existing structures, including decks, picnic tables and playground equipment will remain untouched by the phase-out.
Both the New York State bill and the EPA agreement ignore the disposal issue and industrial uses, like utility poles, pilings and support lumber in buildings.
For more information see the Wood Preservatives Program page on the Beyond Pesticides website or contact us at [email protected] or 202-543-5450.


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Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
It is difficult to accept other reviews of this book when they call it "stunning," "well-written" and give it other accolades. Let's grant them that they may have read the paper version and I read the ebook where all of the missing words, misspelled words and poorly constructed sentences showed up. That doesn't explain the praises for the plot though. It contains some of the most unlikeable characters I've come across in some time.
The central characters are Lucy and Karen. Lucy is living in seclusion in a cottage with the spirit of her dead partner, Jake. She can hardly function because of the guilt she feels over not being able to save Jake in an accident she didn't cause and that she barely survived herself. Jake is inconsiderate enough to hang around giving her sad looks and doing nothing to help her move on with her life. Lucy's profound state of depression has her hiding from everyone and trying to escape everything by running every day. On one of her runs she discovers that the manor house on the property is now inhabited by Karen and her two children. Karen is recently divorced and has two of the most opposite children possible. Her son is goodness and light and her daughter is straight out of "The Omen" or "The Bad Seed." Of course Lucy and Karen become friends and then an attraction develops between them. As their relationship develops, the story takes a nasty turn as someone tries at least twice to kill Lucy. If the reader doesn't know immediately who it is, she just hasn't been paying attention to the story.
The story in Pennance is fundamentally fine. As the title indicates, both of these women feel that they have to atone for their lives. What isn't totally clear is why each one takes so much guilt on herself. Lucy acknowledges that she and Jake didn't really love each other and Karen's husband is certainly contributed to their problems. The constant harping on how much each one feels she screwed up becomes irritating after a while. The real mystery in the story however is how everyone deals with Karen's daughter, who shows definite signs of being a psychopath. This child needs serious professional help, but instead is allowed to get away with the things she does and receives a type of reward (to her) in the end of the book. There was already plenty of angst in this book without adding this child to the mix.
Pennance is one of those books that shows a writer has ability, but needs some help with polishing a book. The author has said that the mistakes were in earlier copies and have been corrected; however, the copy that I read was purchased a while after the book was published and I would have presumed the mistakes would be gone. What Clare Ashton needs is experience and a good editor. She's willing to write a story with an edge, which lesbian fiction sorely needs. The edge needs to be smoothed out though, so that it slices instead of hacks at what Ashton is trying to say.


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It's a long way from La Salle to Ukraine, but clothing, toiletries and school supplies collected here are helping to brighten the lives of children in two Ukrainian orphanages.
Janet Boychuk and her 16-year-old daughter Rowan are collecting supplies as part of the Boxes of Love project. They were planning on shipping the children's and teens' supplies earlier this week as part of a larger shipment headed to the Ivano-Frankivsk region in Ukraine.
Boychuk said they read a newspaper article about the Boxes of Love project five years ago. It was started by Dauphin, Man. resident Lindsay Rubeniuk who saw the need to support orphans while working on community development in that part of Ukraine. She started shipping supplies to Nadvirna Baby House in 2006, and was joined by another Dauphin resident Nicole Yunker. The women toured the orphanages in 2011 to establish connections and help ensure that money and supplies would get to the orphans.
"My daughter said, 'We need to do something to help them'," Boychuk recalled.
While a student at La Salle School, Rowan organized her classmates to create birthday cards for the orphans so each would receive something special. She and Janet also began collecting school supplies, backpacks, clothing and toiletries.
According to information from Boxes of Love, over $150,000 in monetary and supply donations have been raised in the past 10 years. As well as the 45 children under four years who live in Nadvirna Baby House, support is also given to 110 children who live in the Internat orphanage for older children.
Boychuk said she tries to gather items for older children as the focus is typically on younger children. Backpacks filled with school supplies are usually shipped from Manitoba to Ukraine in May.
"There's always something Canadian included," she said, noting that she hopes the orphans will be cheered by realizing that people from a distant country care about their welfare.
While the Christmas boxes are on their way, Boychuk said people can still make monetary donations year-round as shipping costs are high. She and Rowan are also willing to collect donated items to send in 2018.
For more information, see Boxes of Love Ukraine's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Boxes-of-Love-Ukraine-365973973455278/
Boychuk can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com
This publication related with such categories:
Publication from mass-media and TV Charity activity in Ukraine


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Filmmaker Emmanuel Itier drops by to discuss FEMME: Women Healing the World, his award-winning documentary celebrating women who are transforming and healing global societies on a daily basis. Sharon Stone, executive producer of the film, has also been invited to call in. This powerful and inspiring movie, which includes provocative interviews with 100 influential women, explains why feminine values like cooperation and nurturing are needed to solve many of the crises facing today's world.
During 2013, FEMME won numerous awards and honors, such as Best Spiritual Movie Award from the Conscious Life Expo, the Illumination Humanitarian Award from Lady Filmmakers Film Festival, and the Global Citizen Filmmaker Award from the Santa Barbara Documentary Film Festival.
Filmmaker Itier has an impressive background as a director, writer, and producer. He directed the thriller Tell Me No Lies, the horror film Scarecrow, and the peace documentary The Invocation, which Sharon Stone narrated. He produced or co-produced films like Wildflower, Johnny Mnemonic, Another 9 ½ Weeks, and Shattered Image.
FEMME is available worldwide for streaming and downloads at www.FemmeTheMovie.com. Please check it out!


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I'm proud to announce that my first published novel: Off Leash is now available on Amazon! It's the first in the Freelance Familiars Series. The plan is that it will be on Amazon exclusively for the first 90 days where it will be KU select, then it will be released on the other stores. The book was copy edited by Marianne Fox and contains artwork by Beth Ermine.
Here's the Blurb:
When Thomas Khatt awakens to the magical world following the sudden, violent death of his elderly Archmagus neighbor, he doesn't get the standard package of awesome power combined with a hero destiny. Nope, he trades his thumbs in for a tail, tawny fur and four feet with a very low co-efficient of friction on linoleum. His destiny as one of three talking mountain lions in the magical world? To be sold at auction and bonded to some pimply faced apprentice for life.
Thomas would rather eat dirty kitty litter.
Armed only with an impressive set of chompers and buckets of snark, Thomas faces off against a lightning-bolt throwing granny and a sexy union recruiter as he desperately tries hold the threads of his old life together. To stay off the leash he'll have to take advantage of the chaos caused by the Archmagus' death and help the local Inquisition solve his murder. A pyromanic squirrel, religious werewolves, and cat-hating cops all add to the chaos as Thomas attempts to become the first Freelance Familiar.


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Year : 2016
Style : Doom Metal
Country : United States
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans + Video
Size : 118 mb
It's in Fresno, California city located between San Francisco and Los Angeles that was formed in 2014 Beastmaker, consisting of Trevor William Church on vocals and guitar, Andres Alejandro Saldate (aka "Juan Bonham") on drums and John Tucker the bass. Influenced by bands like Black Sabbath, Pentagram, Slayer or NWOBHM, the trio signed to Rise Above Records and released his first album in 2016 "Lusus Naturae".
Beastmaker from California are a brand new acquaintance to me and I was sold from the word go. So more of this please! I guess you can say this trio moves within the sphere of doom, but man the way Beastmaker unleashes their magic breathes new life into a somewhat overcrowded genre. Few new bands can match the old guard in terms of quality and honesty, and that's one part in which the band excels. Not afraid to show who their influences are, they blend this with their own beautiful ideas. And the resulting concoction brewing in the cauldron, is invigorating and delicious.Foreboding and punishing with a strong hint of early Black Sabbath, 'Lusus Naturae' brings out demons and nightmares from the darkest recesses of your mind. Mid-paced tempo, for the most part, with a full and earth-shattering bass guitar, loud and pounding drums that backs riffs that rips through steel. Adding occult themes for the lyrics and their magic brew is ready and potent as hell.You should definitely enjoy the entire album, you hear, simply because it is badass! However, there are some tracks that stands out and represents the band the best. Church bells initiates opener 'Clouds In The Sky' and you can feel a storm brewing as evil forces approaches. Sludgy, crawling and sinister, it's the perfect start to 'Lusus Naturae'. Sticking to the lurking, crawling stance 'Eyes Are Watching' is even more foreboding and claustrophobic. The brutal riffs and Trevor's distorted vocals enhances this greatly. The groove is on in 'Skin Crawler'. A thumping, pounding bass guitar leads the way as Andy and Trevor weaves their magic around it. Slightly faster tempo, Beastmaker still breaks it down with an eerie, trippy mid-section that only adds to their excellence. Very Sabbath-y, 'Burnt Offering' is occult doom at it's finest. No there are no baying Hammond Organs or seductive female vocals. Instead, the guys let their hair hang down as they belt out a fantastic evil creation. 'Mask Of Satan' is the best song of them all which is not a small feat, considering the great music throughout. Chugging riffs play on top of the bass guitar and drums, whose tightness and power can't be underestimated. Ending in the most bone-chilling fashion, 'The Strain' goes slow but aims for the gut and it hits home immediately.Like I mentioned earlier, Beastmaker are not afraid to show where they come from. The influence of a young and hungry Black Sabbath has the band enveloped, and then some. But the guys sidesteps any trappings of bringing in too much of their influences, simply by writing great songs and having a blast playing. All while making no apologies and rocking their socks off. I'm totally sold on Beastmaker and I urge you to check them out folks. Great stuff, indeed!
Line Up:
John Tucker Bass (2014-present)
Andres Alejandro Saldate Drums (2014-present)
Trevor William Church Guitars, Vocals (2014-present) - See also: ex-Inside the Sun, ex-Worship of Keres
1. Clouds in the Sky 04:21
2. Eyes Are Watching 03:00
3. Arachne 03:08
4. Skin Crawler 03:33
5. Find the Stranger 04:32
6. You Must Sin 05:02
7. Burnt Offering 02:55
8. Mask of Satan 03:26
9. It 05:06
10. Astral Corpse 03:14
11. Lusus Naturae 03:30
12. The Strain 03:50
+ Video "The Mask of Satan" (Official Video)
Please my link you can´t spread further and don´t upload to other hostings!!!
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Johnson Fain, the architecture firm behind several of the newest buildings in Downtown Los Angeles, is now looking to become a more direct participant in the development process.
Earlier this week, the Downtown-based firm filed plans with the City of Los Angeles to demolish its longtime Chinatown headquarters and replace it with a mixed-use complex. The proposed development at 1201 N. Broadway would consist of a podium-style building containing 124 residential units, 8,700 square feet of ground-floor retail space and underground parking.
Johnson Fain co-founder and partner Scott Johnson described the plan as being in its earliest stages. Following the adoption of the Cornfield Arroyo Specific Plan, Johnson said that his firm has been approached by many nearby property owners regarding the buildable potential for their land.
After observing the interest of others, Johnson and the firm recognized that their home base was a potentially viable development site, with close proximity to both Los Angeles State Historic Park and the Gold Line's Chinatown Station. Johnson Fain then set out to entitle the .7-acre site for a by-right development, fully compliant with the specific plan.
The property offers a smaller canvas than Johnson Fain has grown accustomed to with their other Downtown projects, best exemplified by Blossom Plaza and La Plaza Cultura Village. Both of those multi-acre sites allowed for pedestrian paseos lined by retail and restaurant space.
The office also sits directly across the street from the slender eight-acre property where the family behind the San Antonio Winery recently announced plans to develop a mixed-use development with up to 920 residential units and commercial space. Although that project, like Johnson Fain's, remains in the early planning stages, the two developments could combine to facilitate a northern extension of Chinatown's main commercial artery.
Moving forward, Johnson said that the project will spend the next year navigating the entitlement process. with construction documents to be generated after that point. Noting that Johnson Fain is an architecture firm rather than a developer, he stated that the project could be built as a co-venture with a real estate firm. A decision on how to proceed will not be made until 2018.
As to the future home of Johnson Fain, should the development come to fruition, Johnson stated that the firm intends to remain in Chinatown. However, an exact location will be determined at a future date.