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September 7, 2015 § 5 Comments
We dropped down off the Switchbacks in a line. Sweeping through the right-hander onto PV Drive South all of the familiar figures fell into place.
Charon, Rudy, Derek, Leadout, Michael, Cuttler, Stathis, X-Man, and Undercover formed the point while the rest of us jostled for protection on the screaming downhill followed by the punchy rollers through Portuguese Bend. Everyone knew what was coming and it was gonna fuggin' hurt.
The scene of so much misery is called The Glass Church because, amazingly, it is a gradual roller that starts at the bottom of … guess what … a glass church. It's not very long and it's not very steep so it's just the right distance for everyone to get in over his head.
Undercover pounded off the front in a hopeless kick destined for immolation and, always the one to pick the worst wheel at the worst time, I went with him. Chunks of sputum, toe jam, and tooth enamel began to bleed out of his eyes and after a couple hundred yards he began doing the Brad House arm flap. When he slowed to a pace that I could pass and maintain, I jumped past. The wankoton was well behind. I ground it halfway up the grade until I heard the telltale "whoosh, whoosh" of approaching carbon doom made of 100% full carbon.
It was Rudy. I grabbed on, then held on as he accelerated all the way up the roller and over the top. Derek was with him and we had a gap. I took something that looked like a pull, only it wasn't. After a few rotations we were at the bottom of the little hill past Terranea. Rudy launched. Davy had bridged, somehow. Three-quarters of the way up the bump I punched it coming up the right-side gutter.
We flew down the short grade to the final uphill before the sprunt. Davy charged with X-Man, who had also come across, on his wheel. I faded backwards like the burnt out stage of a Saturn rocket.
We regrouped at the light and Rudy was grinning. "You hung on," he said.
"Barely. There was that one point on the Glass Church when you came through and I had to bite down hard."
"Those are always the moments when you either make the split or you don't."
"It felt like I was slowly chewing off my own tongue."
"But then it lets up and you've made the split. Because everyone else backs off."
"The taste of your own tongue isn't very good," I mused.
"I work with a lot of riders who are just starting out. They have that great 'new' fitness but the depth isn't there yet, where they can max out and still bring their heart rate back down. They hit top gear and stay elevated."
"There's so much out there about how to train," I said, "but I'm still waiting for someone to write a book about how to win."
He laughed. "Yeah. Same as in poker. Cycling appears to be about training and fitness, or in poker it appears to be about luck, but in the final round it's always the same five guys sitting at the table."
"Because the guys who win have a playbook."
He nodded. "And they follow it."
"When are you publishing yours?"
We had hit the bottom of Via Zumaya and he glided away. "Someday!" he said.
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Most amazing and incredible cycling award ceremony ever
October 28, 2014 § 19 Comments
On Saturday night we celebrated the 2nd Annual South Bay Cycling Awards. It's not often that you get to spend an evening with your best friends, surrounded by mediocre food, great beer, and a six-foot inflatable plastic penis. But when you do, you remember it.
The planning end of things was going smoothly. Over 120 cyclists had RSVP'd, which meant that ten would show up and the other 150 would be people who hadn't RSPV'd but who remembered about it that morning and didn't have anything better to do. Those who had something better to do, which was pretty much everyone, did it, only to find out that what they were doing wasn't really all that fun.
The event was held at On the Rocks, a miserable, terrible place with bad service and inept management that was a perfect match for our bizarre collection of misfits and drunks. Despite having made arrangements a month in advance, and checking up with the manager several times, we got a call on Friday night wanting to know if we were still going to have our event on "Sunday."
"Uh, no."
"Cancelling, huh?"
"Uh, no."
"No. We'll be there on Saturday, like we told you."
"Oh." Uncomfortable silence. "Well, there's a football party that will be going on at the same time out there on the back patio with you but I guess it will be over by around 6:30 or so, so I guess it's no problem."
We arrived at 5:00, an hour beforehand to set up, start drinking early, and hang up the Wanky Bedsheet only to find that the football party was a fairly large group of LSU fans watching their beloved football team beat the other team with a miraculous array of touchdowns, touch-ups, base hits, penalty kicks, and impressive moves with their football bats. The reason that the management thought it would be "no problem" is because when we told them we'd have well over a hundred and fifty cyclists in attendance, they heard the word "cyclists" and stopped listening, just like the double-cheeseburger cagers who see cyclists and stop giving a fyling fluck.
Fortunately, we were all used to being treated like shit and being ignored, so On the Rocks was quite the natural venue. The only thing that wasn't all right was the beer, which we'd ordered in advance.
"You have our two kegs?" I asked.
"What kegs?" asked the manager.
"The ones I ordered."
"Oh, those. You didn't bring them with you?" It was a novel response, really, and took a pretty clever wit to ask a guest to your bar if he'd brought his own kegs.
But I had to say, "No. I don't usually travel with my two, 100-pound aluminum beer kegs unless I'm on my bicycle, and tonight I drove."
Six or seven IQ points rallied across the thick forehead of the manager, who then said, "Well, I think I may have a couple in the back." Quite a relief it was, to know that a sports bar had beer, so I paid for the kegs and got to work immediately emptying them. Since we weren't paying a room fee, I was underwriting the cost of the kegs and the bar would make its money by charging $2 a glass — a great deal for the riders who'd get to guzzle premium Strand Brewing Co.'s 24th Street Ale for a couple of bucks, and a great deal for the bar, who would sell two kegs guaranteed and get to keep whatever didn't get drunk.
The bar was very happy at this clever deal because as the cyclists trickled in, among them Smasher and Boozy, it was obvious that this wasn't a crowd that could put much of a dent in two full kegs of six-percent beer. Had the manager Googled Smasher and Boozy he would have known that the only thing he'd have left in his kegs by the end of the night was oxygen.
Shortly thereafter the swag wagon from SPY Optic showed up, carting huge boxes of t-shirts, gimme caps, stickers, wristbands for the beer, and several thousand dollars' worth of their best performance eyewear to hand out to award recipients. The t-shirts were for the entire staff of On the Rocks, including the kitchen staff, so we could fly the SPY colors throughout the bar.
One by one the classy employees at On the Rocks came over, picked up the t-shirts and caps, then went into the back and stuffed the swag into their purses. Niiiiiiiice!
Finally, New Girl arrived with a giant cake that was bigger than Dallas and decorated with a Wanky Awards motif because nothing tastes better with beer than cake. It was, after the six-foot penis and the martini glass with a plastic penis inside courtesy of Pablo, the most awesome prop of the evening, and unlike the penises, it tasted great.
As things were getting underway, the giant inflatable penis was wreaking havoc with planning, as no one could get it properly blown up. One after another, valiant cyclists with giant lungs would wrap their lips around the giant penis and blow, but to no avail. Finally a man among men, none other than A-Trav, took over, stuffed the cock into his mouth, and blew it like no cock has ever been blown (up) before. With the big dick swollen and standing tall, the party could begin.
Unlike the inaugural awards in 2013, when everything was completely made up on the spur of the moment, the level of high expectations for 2014 had meant that I'd meticulously scripted the entire event and left no detail unplanned. However, in the two hours before we started handing out the awards, I was forced to consume too many fermented recovery drinks, and forgot what I was supposed to say or do.
As I staggered to the front and the PA system was ignited, it turned out that there was nothing to worry about. The LSU fans were so busy screaming and roaring and bucking each other in the futt that nothing anyone said over the PA could be heard beyond the first row of attendees. We began by honoring the awardees from 2013, a process that involved Sausage going through the crowd and hanging a big cardboard star on Mardi Gras beads around the necks of the recipients, along with a sticker that noted their particular distinction.
Next, the Mayor of the South Bay, Iron Mike, presented the Godfather with a bottle of wine for the Godfather's accomplishments and contributions to stuff. The bottle, a 15-year-old Opus cabernet, was worth more than the net assets of the entire assemblage of cyclists, which is to say $45.87. The Godfather gave a beautiful and moving speech that was drowned out by the LSU fig puckers, who screamed, shat themselves, and drizzled cheap beer from their armpits each time the team scored another grand slam.
According to the vague notes I could halfway make out on my damp note cards which smelled vaguely like Strand Brewing Co.'s 24th Street Ale, I gave thanks to all of those who were kind enough to help make the event happen yet smart enough to confiscate all cell phone cameras before standing next to the inflatable penis. Most concerned was one of the podium strippers, whose father is up for re-election in Kentucky in a few days, and who had said that if any of the pictures with the big dick and the judge's daughter showed up on the Internet before November 5th, there would be some unexplained disappearances in Southern California the following week.
We thanked Joel Elliott for the beer from Strand, and we thanked SPY Optic for the recipient awards and for giving the staff at On the Rocks something to sell to their friends and/or customers to augment the night's tips. In keeping with the spirit of too much liquor, and not enough time, Ole Smokey Mountain Moonshine had donated a custom jar of moonshine for each award recipient.
Although everyone was ordered not to drink their award on the premises, the clogged gutters around three a.m. showed that many ignored this sage advice.
Next, an old fedora was passed around to collect money for a rider. Several hundred dollars, a couple of bad checks, and whole bunch of I.O.U.'s were donated, showing the incredible generosity of the cycling community. Also in the hat was a 100 dollar bill, which must have been donated by the Mayor, since he's the only cyclist who has a hundred dollars, much less carries it around in his pocket.
Since the rider who had hand-crafted the Wanky Awards last year — beautiful painted horseshoes on gorgeous blocks of wood with embossed nameplates — was unable to attend, the recipients were not going to get their coveted physical award. However, Manslaughter leaped into the breach, and completed all 20 plaques in a frenzy of artistry, good taste, and beer that gave each plaque an amazingly unique look, like the heads of babies who are delivered after difficult, 46-hour labors that involve forceps and lots of pulling and yanking and squashing.
In other words, they were beautiful.
Some attendees who were unfamiliar with the Wanky Awards wanted to know "what they were all about." So I told them. These awards are about community. Friends and enemies. Fights and reconciliations. Laughing at ourselves. Saying thanks. Showing compassion when it's hardest to show. Encouraging our friends. Supporting those who have lost a loved one, filing restraining orders, and making fun of Prez.
What we are is a family. And what is a family? It is a group of people who are more or less continually mad at each other. Yet despite being mad, we are also often on medication, which makes the madness easier to bear and sometimes even comes across as happiness. Those in our extended cycling family not on medication were in rehab, and could not be with us.
As one big dysfunctional family, the Wankys are an evening where we can reach across the aisle, even if it's only to steal the other person's drink when she's not looking or get the phone number of some little cutie while our wife is drunk and hitting on some guy. Mrs. WM showed up dressed as a naughty nun, but I'm sure that was a coincidence. Most of all the Wankys are a time when we can forget our grudges for an evening, if only so that we can forge newer, stronger, more long-lasting grudges, grudges that, we can only hope, will last forever.
Speaking of grudges, no award ceremony could ever exist without disappointment. In most award ceremonies, where people are distinguished for their accomplishments, those who don't receive the trinket or, dog forbid, even get nominated, attendees often go home feeling ashamed, angry, left out, embarrassed, and hurt. Fortunately, at this award ceremony people felt that way even if they did get an award. So, as Knoll would say, there's that.
A note on the award selection committee: There were four members: Me, Olive, Stanley, Stella, and Spanky. Olive and Spanky (the Chihuahuas) generally voted as a block, whereas Stella and Spanky (the bulldogs), were more independent. I cast the tie-breaker when votes were evenly split. Selections were made based on nominations that people emailed in or on strange faces and names that came to me in the dead of night.
The key to the Wankys is, of course, that you must be present to win. People who begged, lied, outrageously self-promoted, offered sex, beer, money, or free tires got preference. People who let their actions speak for themselves and hoped they would be rewarded for their modesty were essentially ignored. If you weren't selected this year, now you know why, and there's always next year, and yes, I accept PayPal.
With the Wanky Bedsheet hung across the fence, the penis fully inflated, the podium strippers all lined up, the crowd thoroughly hammered, and the LSU fig puckers humping their empty pitchers of Miller Lite, we could finally begin. And we did.
The award categories and awardees were as follows. Sit down, or click over to your favorite clothing-optional web site; this is gonna be a long one.
Mad Dog Award for Best Advocate: Greg Seyranian for his role in "It's a Wonderful Life"
Eric Bruins for his role in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington"
Gary Cziko for his role in "Dr. Strangelove"
Greg was instrumental in getting the critical mass for the Big Orange weekend rides on PCH that eventually changed the entire way that the CHP and LA Sheriff's Department enforce the law on this roadway. What was once a terrifying, glass-and-debris-filled fustercluck of a ride has now become the world's best bike lane thanks to Greg's leadership and advocacy. Groups of cyclists on this extraordinarily beautiful road no longer have to hug the gutter, dodge parked cars, opened doors, garbage pails, and Cher, and can instead take the lane and ride safely and legally without fear of police persecution. Greg's leadership is one of the most impressive examples of bike advocacy ever, and it affects thousands of people every single week.
Eric Bruins was an equally instrumental advocate, but rather than duking it out with Greg in a special mud pit we had designed for the occasion, he was unable to attend due to a last-minute emergency that involved riding his bike to San Diego and having a legitimately good time.
Gary Cziko has also provide incredible support for the advocacy efforts on PCH and through his continual contributions to the CABO listserv, where he has quickly become one of California's leading advocates on bicycle law, safety, and training. Plus, he has that awesome dress shirt with the pizza stains on it.
I Can Get it Cheaper on The Internet Award for Best Bike Shop: Peyton Cooke for his role in "Beer Goggles"
Ted's Manhattan Beach Cycles for its role in "Little Shop of Horrors"
Sprocket Cycles for its role in "Saturday Night Fever"
Peyton is best known for being available any time of the day or night that doesn't conflict with Happy Hour to help fix your bike (Happy Hour generally runs from noon to midnight, Mon – Sun). He has a private garage conveniently located behind Strand Brewing Co., where he can get your bike needs taken care of while you swill IPA at the bar.
Ted's Manhattan Beach Cycles is owned by someone not named Ted — Manny Felix, one of the best mechanics and shop proprietors in the South Bay, is the go-to guy for people in and around Manhattan Beach for sales, service, and some of the funniest stories ever.
Sprocket Cycles, located in Redondo Beach and run by Paul Che, is another superlative bike shop where you can get all of your cycling needs taken care of as long as they're legal.
Whippersnapper Award for Best Young Rider: Diego Binatena for his role in "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure"
Sam Warford for his role in "A Bridge Too Far"
Kristabel Doebel-Hickock (self-nominated) for her role in "Miss Bossypants"
Diego won this award in 2013, and followed up again as a Wanky Award recipient in 2014 with his fantastic race results which landed him a pro contract for 2015 with the Hagens-Berman U-23 pro cycling team. I and several others were hoping for a pro contract on their O-50 pro cycling team, but so far I've heard zip. Diego is also an Eagle Scout and an amazingly well-mannered young man considering how much of his life he's spent around cyclists.
Sam Warford had a breakout year, upgrading from Cat 15 to Cat 1 in the space of two seasons. Along with impressive race results this year, the 20-year-old will be riding for the SPY Optic Pro-1-2 team in 2015. Sam is a soft-spoken and very kind young man, plus he will tear your lucking fegs off.
Kristabel, otherwise known as "Tink," nominated herself for this award in an excellent display of shameless self-aggrandizement, for which she gets major kudos. The failure to offer sex or money eliminated her chances of winning this competition, but in her first full year as a pro she was recognized as the best young rider at some huge pro race in Philly.
Jared the Subway Dude Award for Person Most Transformed by Cycling: Jonathan Paris for his role in "Fast Food Nation"
Michael Barraclough for his role in "Meatballs"
Robert Efthimos for his role in "The 40 Year Old Virgin"
Jonathan used to live on cheeseburgers and in the winter he survived cold temperatures with his deep layer of blubber. Then, a couple of years ago, he became vegan and started riding his bike. Aside from a famous near-fistfight over a peanut butter sandwich after he'd gone without food for a few hours, Jonathan is a wonderful poster child for how cycling can change your life for the better. Now, instead of hanging out at McDonald's, he hangs out at Starbucks when he's not ripping off your lucking fegs.
Michael Barraclough is another rider who has reinvented himself and spared the lives of thousands of poor baby cheeseburgers by focusing on a healthy lifestyle and also cycling. He's a great-natured guy who everyone loves to ride with and who encourages others to give it their best.
Robert Efthimos found cycling and in the space of a few short years went from being a normal, successful, well-adjusted man at a high-powered law firm to a guy who takes videos of sweaty men on bikes. We're still trying to put a positive spin on it in negotiations with his lovely wife.
Potty Trained Award for Most Improved: Peta Takai for her role in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"
Tom Hall for his role as Taz the Tasmanian Devil in "Looney Toons's Devil May Hare"
James Cowan for his role in "Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby"
When Peta arrived in the South Bay a couple of years ago, many people thought she was "PETA," the animal rights organization. However, when they learned how to say her name properly (rhymes with "meta"), it took two full years to understand anything she said because she spoke with that funny Kiwi accent. In addition to mastering California English, she has also become an accomplished racer and super fun person to have in the peloton.
Tom Hall rocketed up through the wanker ranks in the space of a short year, but has not lived in LA long enough for us to crack his Tasmanian code. He seems to be a nice fellow, and can certainly rip your lucking fegs off, but until we can actually understand what he's saying, the jury's still out.
James Cowan is yet another linguistically-challenged South Bay rider who hails from the land of bangers and rash, blood pudding, and a queen who even in her best days looked like a dishrag wearing the world's ugliest hat collection. James has improved dramatically and is one of the NPR riders who can always be counted on to hammer at the front until he cracks. That used to be, like, immediately. Not any more.
Gang of Idiots Award for Best Cycling Club: Wonton Heavy Industries, LLC for its role in "The China Syndrome"
Big Orange for its role in "Police Academy"
SPY Elite Cycling Team for its role in "Bad News Bears"
This award was pretty much sewn up well in advance by Big Orange due a corrupt, incestuous relationship with the Wanky Awards' chief organizer in which everything is decided in secret, on the down-low, and in contravention of most laws and all good morals. However, at the last minute Wonton Heavy Industries papered Wanky's inbox with the most disgusting, blatant, self-serving, shameless slew of self-promoting shit that has ever been seen. So pathetic and groveling and lacking in even a shred of modesty were these attempts that Wonton easily beat out Big Orange and staged a come-from-behind even more dramatic than that being practiced by the LSU fig puckers across the way.
Big O had this one in the bag; their open door policy has brought in more riders and has helped make the roads safer for cyclists than any other club. They mentor, provide financial support for racers, and are the epitome of a friendly roadie club — something that is generally an oxymoron. Still, it was the Wonton come-from-behind that won the day.
SPY Elite Cycling Team was a distant third, as most of its riders didn't even bother to show up. Oh, well! We still had a frothy time on Sunday morning when MMX and Phil Tinstman obliterated the Kettle Ride, averaging 457 watts from Temescal to Cross Creek.
Multitasker Award for Best Rider in Multiple Disciplines: Marilyne Fichante for her role in "The French Connection"
Jeff Bryant his role in "The Perfect Storm"
Jon Davy for his role in "Every Which Way but Loose"
Frenchy is the only Wanky recipient to be stripped of her award immediately after getting it. We screwed up the nameplate somehow, but when we figured out the problem we gave the plaque back. Frenchy's excellence on the road, in MTB, and in cyclocross made her a natural recipient, plus her cute French accent.
Jeff Bryant was out somewhere, probably riding 100 miles at 28 miles an hour and then realizing that he'd forgotten to turn around at mile 50 so his 100-miler was now a 200-miler.
Jon Davy, who won his first national title on the track this year, couldn't come because it was a thoroughly bad environment.
Wanker of the Year: Stathis Sakellariadsi for his role in "Zorba the Greek"
Brad House for his role in "Psycho"
Seth Davidson for his role in "Strange Brew"
Stathis begged for this award, and the morning of the ceremony he said that if he were given something besides Wanker of the Year then he would still give his WOTY speech. So he got it, commemorating the zillions of blown lights on the NPR, billions of "the look," and dragging those on his wheel over to the yellow line so they can't get a draft. Of course, he's also one of the fastest riders around …
Brad, who won the award in 2013, was renominated on the strength of his acceptance speech in 2013, something we're all still trying to un-hear and dis-remember.
I got the most votes for WOTY, but Spanky, Stella, Olive, and Stanley enforced the rule that "Wanky can't get a Wanky." So sad.
Money Down a Rathole Award for Best Promoter: SPY Optic for its role in "Inglorious Basterds"
Chris Lotts for his role in "Fred Claus"
Dorothy Wong for her role in "Rough Riders"
Okay, my fingers are falling off and I'm barely halfway through. SPY got this for the BWR, the SPYclocross series, the thousands it has donated in merchandise, marketing, and manpower to promote and support races, and for the countless teams it has sponsored. Most importantly, Michael Marckx is a friend among friends, and I'd have found a way to distinguish SPY no matter what.
Chris deserved an award, but he was at the phat pharm this weekend.
Dorothy was promoting a race. Plus, I'm pretty sure she's not a drunk.
NPR Champ: Suzanne Sonye for her role in "Over the Top"
Eric Anderson for his role in "Raging Bull"
Cameron Khoury for his role in "Bridesmaids"
Suze is an icon, a champion, and a woman of strong opinions. She also won a Wanky in 2013 for Hard Woman of the Year. We love Suze even when she's telling us we're shull of fit, mostly because we are. She has mentored countless cyclists and keeps us honest. Sort of.
EA Sports, Inc., won the NPR Champ award last year, so this year he had to be satisfied with the little cardboard star.
Cameron is an up-and-coming youngster who has a great sprunt and is slowly finding his way towards the front. Occasionally.
Donut Champ: Derek Brauch for his role in "The Spy Who [didn't] Love Me"
Stathis Sakellariadis for his role in "To Live and Die in LA"
Keven Sandoval for his role in "Breaking Away"
Derek is a fixture on the Donut and one of the best all-around racers in SoCal. He is canny, a great clumber, and has one of the best accelerations around, which makes him a superb leadout. On the Donut he's always one of the last ones standing, and was one of the first to support the Great Alley Detour, which has now been more or less abandoned by wankers everywhere.
Stathis couldn't get two Wankys in 2014 because last year he didn't show up to collect his KOM and Donut Champ awards.
Keven is always a factor on the Donut. A prime factor, which means he can only be divided by himself.
Pin it On Bitch Award for Best Male Racer: Charon Smith for his role in "The Passion of the Christ"
Aaron Wimberley for his role in "The Fast and the Furious"
Robert Frank for his role in "No Country for Old Men"
Charon won a ton of races this year and did it with class. He's a mentor, a coach, a gentle guy, and a great competitor. Kind of makes you wonder what he's doing in cycling. Next year he is poised to inflict even more damage with an even stronger, faster team than in 2014.
Aaron is one of the best racers in SoCal, but he raced against Charon most of the year. Aaron is quick, has no equal in bike handling skills except for his teammate John Wike, and knows exactly how to read a race. Of course so does everyone else in the 35+ category. You read it like this: "Watch Charon."
Robert Frank raced way beyond his 47 years by completing most of the elite men's national road race championship, and absolutely slaying throughout the year.
You've Been Chicked Award for Best Female Racer: Kristabel Doebel-Hickock, again self-nominated, for her role in "Twiggy"
Lauren Mulwitz for her role in "Slaying the Badger"
Emily Georgeson for her role in "Night of the Living Carrots"
Okay, I'm totally done typing this thing and can't imagine that anyone is still reading. If you are, my condolences. Tink is a pro and she won the queen stage at the Cascade Classic. 'Nuff said.
Lauren has won in multiple disciplines this year and is one of the best up-and-coming racers.
Emily is incredibly talented, trains hard, and is very race savvy. She has had very good results this year; look for a break-out year in 2015.
Pay it Forward Award for Best All-Around Rider: Robert Efthimos for his role in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"
Joel Elliott for his role in "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell"
Chris Gregory for her role in "New Girl"
Robert dedicates time and energy to make our cycling community great. He takes and posts videos, helps organize clubs and events, and is a reasoned head in a community of deadheads, hotheads, and boneheads. He makes us all look good. As good as we can be, anyway.
Joel brews beer. He shares it. What else do I need to say?
Chris is always there to help. She's the first one to say "yes," and never complains, even though dog knows there's a lot to complain about. She's also one of the best podium strippers in the business, and did a great year in 2014 as well as in 2013.
Crashtacular Fred Award: Heather Somebody for her Broken Arm
This one was weird. We weren't going to give out the award because the winner couldn't attend. But at the last minute some gal with a broken arm dashed up and said "Gotta be present to win, I'm present, and I'm winning!" and she flashed her arm in a cast and took the award. If we'd had bouncers we'd have called them, but instead we were so impressed by her brass balls that we relinquished the plaque along with SPY wear and Ole Smokey Mountain Moonshine. She will treasure the beautiful twisted horseshoe splashed in blood and wrapped in wound netting that was so artistically designed by Manslaughter.
KOM Award for Most of Life Wasted on Strava: Lane Reid for his role in "The Losers"
Brian Perkins – Lifetime Strava Achievement Award – for his role in "Wasteland"
Miko Espanol for his role in "The Longest Mile"
Lane has entered the hall of shame as a two-time loser, having won the Strava award in 2013 as well.
"Tree" Perkins was out chasing a KOM and couldn't attend.
Miko logged 1,000,000 miles of vertical climbing on Strava, proving his eligibility for medical treatment.
Tougher than Nails and Broken Glass or HTFU Award: Phil Tinstman for his role in "The Eiger Sanction"
MMX for his role in "Dirty Harry"
Pete Smith for his role in "The Smurfs"
Phil won the Beverly Hills Grand Fondo, which will likely qualify him for master's worlds in September. He also turned in amazing rides on the BWR and won a bunch of tough road races. Hard dude, for sure.
Michael Marckx, perennial tough guy, wasn't as tough as Phil.
Pete Smith, who seems like a gentle fellow until you see him on the bike, was a close third.
Larger than Life Award: David Perez for his role in "Brokeback Mountain"
Tony Manzella for his role in "Godzilla"
Greg Leibert for his role in "Up"
Prez. The man. The legend. The Puerto Rican fashion stylista salsa dancer sprunter crash expert … gone this year due to a job (cyclists can look up that word on Google), Prez is back in black! And green/yellow/purple/orange, etc.
Tony Manzella. Dude. Fere the whuck were you?
Greg Leibert wins too many awards. Gotta give some oxygen to the mere mortals. One of the best people ever and a friend among friends, it brokeback my heart to see you not get another award.
For Better or Worse, Mostly Worse Award for Best Spouse/SO: Sherri Foxworthy for her role in "The Dukes of Hazzard"
Jami Tschetter for her role in "Trophy Wife"
Jeanette Seyranian for her role in "Gone with the Wind"
Don't worry Sherri, no penis pictures will be posted until after the judge's erection on November 4. Sherri is the patron saint of wankers who hang around the shop complaining about all the sand in their shorts. She puts up with more shit on a daily basis than a manure wholesaler. And always with a smile and a well-placed curse word!
Jami is the ultimate bike racer widow. She goes to the races, puts up with her hubby's obsession, and pretends to be interested in the junior high school drama. Best of all, she loves beer and she can DANCE!
Saint Jeanette has performed various miracles related to putting up with cyclists, and the Vatican is simply awaiting confirmation of the one where she turned water into carbo replacement drink before she is officially beatified.
Ian Davidson South Bay Rider of the Year: Kevin Phillips for his role in "The Natural"
Greg Seyranian for his role in "The Pied Piper"
David Miller for his role in "Dodgeball"
Kevin's got it all. Natural talent, incredible work ethic, tactical wits, and the most important thing of all — a fantastic sense of humor. Kevin has been the leader of the South Bay for years and has influenced hundreds of riders with his unique brand of friendliness, skill, and decency. Plus he's won a ton of national titles and held the hour record. Little stuff like that.
Greg has already been written about and crapcakes, I'm tired.
David Miller is going places, and prison isn't one of them. This year he turned in amazing performances on the bike and showed himself as one of the most affable, decent people in the peloton — in addition to being a leader. Your turn is coming, wanker, but you need to focus a bit more on bribing the Chihuahuas. You had the bulldogs, but Olive and Stanley split the vote.
That's it folks, until next year. Thank you!
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Flying the friendly skies
May 23, 2014 § 26 Comments
As we waited to board I looked at the 300-lb. hippo sucking on a 32-oz. Coke and stuffing the extra large fries and Big Mac down his throat and I knew that on this full flight to Philly I would be seated next to him. How did I know? This was my fate. He would require three seatbelt extenders and would piss into his barf bag. He would sweat on me and fart in my general direction. My only consolations were that I was on an airplane rather than a Conestoga wagon and that I wouldn't be murdered by Indians.
They were small consolations.
Mrs. WM and I got separated as we boarded. It was Southwest's free-for-all. She got a choice seat, somehow. I waded to the back, the last of the C-boarders, knowing that the only slot remaining would be next to the Human Big Mac.
Towards the tail I saw the last open seat. I hung my head in defeat, knowing what awaited, when what to my eyes should appear but a vacant middle seat next to a smoking hot, 20-something woman. I eased in. To the seat.
The plane took off. I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye. She had already glanced at me, and accurately sized me up: Old. Bearded. Skinny. Wrinkly. Likely to embark on a tale about "When I was a young man." She pointedly looked out the window.
Once we were at cruising altitude and the captain had told us to take off our pants I removed the Southwest in-flight magazine. I flipped through it. It was stupid and filled with restaurants I'd never visit and casinos I was too broke to become even more broke at. Then I saw him. The man. The myth. The 35+ Masters studmuffins.
I saw Charon Smith.
There he was in a full-color ad, staring out at me from the page of a magazine that had more readers in a month than the New York Times. I don't remember what he was hawking, some recovery juice or another, but there he was, massive arms flexed, Surf City team kit perfectly reproduced in a full-color ad, handsome face hidden behind the (lame) Oakley shades, and legs cut up better than a slice of tuna at a sushi shop.
I nudged Miss Hotness next to me. "See this guy?" I said, pointing at the ad.
"I know that dude."
She perked up, taking in Charon's studly arms and studly legs. "Really? How?"
It all happened so quickly! Here's what I wanted to say:
Charon isn't the team captain, he's the general of the peloton. He has class, he's humble in victory and congratulatory in defeat, he races clean, he trains hard, and every year he gets better and better and better. He's admired by many, respected by all, and mentors new riders whether they're on his team or not. He gives you a push when you're gassed even if you're on the other team, and he beats you fair and square. If everyone in the world were like Charon, the world would be a better place.
But instead, I said "I'm his coach."
Now Miss Hotnesss was really interested. "Really? You're a cycling coach?"
"Yeah. This guy is Charon Smith. He's one of the top pros in Europe. It's like being an F-1 driver, only cooler."
Miss Hotness was really interested as she checked out Charon's hunky arms and legs. "Wow. And you're his coach?"
"Oh, sure. I discovered him when he was a teenager. He was a skinny little punk trying to gain weight in a gym. I used to be a bodybuilder."
She looked at my narrow arms and narrower neck. "Really? You don't look like one."
"I lost all that weight. But I met Charon and taught him how to lift, how to put on muscle, and most importantly how to race his bike. He's the fastest sprinter in Europe and the US. Hits 60 miles per hour. On his bike."
Miss Hotpants was really ogling the photo. "That's incredible."
"Yep," I said. "Taught him everything he knows."
"I like to ride my bicycle," she said shyly.
"Really? You live in Philly?"
"No, I live in LA. I'm just going to Philly to visit my parents."
"Well, as a professional cycling coach I'd be glad to help you get to the next level. I'm not bragging, but Charon is going to be riding the Tour de France this year thanks to my coaching, and I'd be happy to, you know, show you a few tricks."
"That would be awesome!" She was looking at me with a mixture of admiration and respect and trembling fear.
"Oh, it's no big deal."
"What's your name?" she asked, almost timidly.
"David," I said. "David Perez."
"How can I get hold of you?"
"Friend me on Facebook. I'm the only David Perez in San Pedro."
"Okay," she said, glowing. "I will."
Me, my brother, and my bike
June 27, 2012 § 22 Comments
Yesterday's New Pier Ride was dedicated to my brother, who took his life on June 16, 2012. Slightly more than seventy people rolled out from the Manhattan Beach Pier at 6:40 AM. By the time we turned onto Westchester Parkway, the peloton was easily a hundred strong.
Christine Reilly, Stella Tong, Greg Leibert, Lauren Mulwitz, Joe Yule, Vickie VanOs Castaldi, Izzie VanOs Castaldi, Chris Gregory, Tink, Suze Sonye, Jay Yoshizumi, Brian Perkins, Gus Bayle, Rahsaan Bahati, Cary Alpert, Sarah Mattes, Greg Seyranian, Dara Richman, and David Perez brainstormed and got the word out so that people were at the Pier well in advance of the start time. Vickie and Greg took the sixty-five handmade armbands, beautifully lettered by Izzie with "R.I.P. Ian, '62-'12" and tied one to each person's arm. Then Dave Kramer introduced Greg, who made a short, moving, and beautiful speech about my brother, someone he had never met.
I then clipped in and led us out onto the bike path. Once I pulled off and floated to the back, I was overcome by the sight of the countless yellow armbands fluttering in the breeze. My friends had done this for me, as well as people I'd never even met, like Emily and her boyfriend Chris, who came over from the west side just to be there. Others who couldn't make it like Dara and Laurie were there in spirit, and still others showed up at TELO in the evening and shared their sympathies and condolence. I'll never be able to repay any of them.
It's a very good debt to owe, forever.
Girls and bikes
I got into cycling as a result of my brother, indirectly. His second year of high school he got in a horrific fight with my mom about the car. Our parents had divorced a couple of years before, and it was the kind of hateful, acrimonious, bitter divorce that paralyzes the kids and poisons your life for the next few decades, like battery acid in the ice cream. Ian was tired of fighting over the car and one day he went out and bought a black
Fuji touring bike. It cost $300, an incomprehensible amount of money.
Going from a Jeep Golden Eagle Cherokee to a bicycle? I had one conclusion: "Dork."
Within a couple of weeks, though, I discovered the source of his inspiration. His girlfriend was a cyclist, and they biked everywhere together. "Whatever," I thought. "He's still a dork."
Then a couple of weeks after that I began to hear moaning and groaning coming out of his bedroom. This was way before Internet porn. This was awesome, and he was a dork no more. "What a stud!" I thought. "That bike deal is pretty cool!"
Buses and bikes
Although I didn't rush out and get a bike to aid in the quick dispatch of my virginity, the idea remained that bikes were cool. This was partly because Ian had let me test ride his Fuji a few times, and it was so different from the rusted out Murray that I'd used for three years to commute to Jane Long Junior High that it hardly felt like a bicycle.
My freshman year in college at the University of Texas, 1982, my parents refused to let me have a car. I lived in the Village Glen Apartments out on Burton, six or seven miles from campus, and had to take the shuttle bus, which in those days was run by union-busting Laidlaw. They employed only hippy stoners from the 60's and 70's to drive the buses, and paid just enough to keep the hippies in weed, ensuring that there would never be any unionizing.
The Village Glen was one of the last bus stops on the Riverside Route before getting on I-35 and going to campus, so in the morning the buses were often full. That meant having to get out to the bus stop extra early, as the first bus or two rarely had room for even one more passenger. One morning in October I was standing in the rain waiting for the bus. The first one passed me and splashed me. The second one passed me. The third one roared by with an "Out of Service" sign on the front.
I screamed at the driver and flipped him off. He braked. I'd never seen a whole bus go sideways. Out bounded the raging hippy, fists balled and murder in his eyes. If I hadn't been so tiny and petrified he would have killed me. Instead he screamed. "How about I beat you into a fucking pulp you snotnosed little fuck?" he roared.
"Uh, I, I, I'm really sorry. Please don't kill me!" I begged.
"You ever fucking give me any attitude on a bus I'm driving I'll break you in half you little prick. They don't pay me enough in this shit job to put up with bullshit from spoiled little assholes like you!"
"Yes, sir," I mumbled.
[To crack dealer] "So, should I start using crack?"
I had to wait another twenty minutes in the cold, pelting rain. During those twenty minutes I went from being grateful that I'd get to school with all of my teeth to angry at being a bus sheep. My resentment built throughout morning classes and exploded in an epiphany when my last course finished at noon. "I'm gonna buy a fucking bike, just like my brother did! Fuck Laidlaw! Fuck that hippy stoner fucker! Fuck the rain!"
I practically ran down 24th Street to Freewheeling Bicycles and Crackhouse, where I realized something else after walking the aisle. "Fuck, I'm broke!"
Fortunately, Uncle Phil Tomlin had just the bike for me, a Nishiki International with Suntour derailleurs, Dia Compe brakes, and Sugino cranks. At a paltry $375.00, I'd be able to easily afford it as long as I didn't eat in November. Food or bike? It was an easy choice, especially with Uncle Phil kindly and professionally assisting me with my first bikecrack purchase.
The rest is history, and a year later I'd already been voted "Most Likely to be Killed by a Car or Truck" by my riding buddies. 1984 was my breakout year, when I dominated the Bloor Road to Blue Bluff Time Trial and won a coveted Laverne and Shirley board game for first place. The thirty years after buying that first bike have flown by, and somehow I'm still riding with the same happiness and joy as the day I pedaled that Nishiki out of the Freewheeling parking lot.
This is gonna hurt me and it's gonna hurt you
So this thing that has given me more joy and happiness, this thing that has surrounded me with friends who are often closer than family, is a gift from my brother. I thought about that while Greg spoke. He paid me the ultimate compliment in the process, saying that they had come to honor my brother because without him, I wouldn't be part of their community.
There's no other way to say this than to say I felt more loved than I have ever felt in my life. Sweaty, muscled men threw their arms around me, and sweaty, muscled, beautiful women did, too, each one saying something that sounded like love, regardless of the words. And as proof that these weren't just empty phrases, when we hit the bottom of Pershing they went so hard so fast that I was almost blinded by the pain.
"This one," Jaeger said as he came by with the ferocity of a jungle beast, "is for Ian."
There's a place for gentleness and for camaraderie; it's called the bricks on the Manhattan Beach Starbucks after the ride. The New Pier Ride itself is a place for the unbridled beatdown, the relentless attacking into the wind, the crushing of the weak by the strong.
"Memorial lap in silence?"
"Fuck you, dude."
"Give ol' Wankmeister the win?"
"Over my dead body. He wouldn't want it and I wouldn't give it."
Suffice it to say that today I was the weak, and others were the strong, and the law of the jungle prevailed, as it always should. But even though I was the weak and struggled at the end, I didn't get crushed. I got carried along by the unlikeliest thing of all, a raft of soft yellow ribbons floating in the breeze.
CBR Dominguez Hills Sunday crit and flailfest
June 11, 2012 § 9 Comments
Monday, the day after a hugely successful day at the races, is so depressing. The office still looks the same. The pile of shit that was on your desk, the pile from which you so joyfully fled at 4:59 PM on Friday, is still there, towering, leaning, and reeking of procrastination babies that have been sitting at the bottom of the pile for so long they've sprouted chest hair and developed deep voices.
You try as hard as you can to do the thing that you've done every other Monday in 2012: shove the hard shit further down the stack and cherry pick the easy shit that can be knocked out in a minute or two. Check your email. Refill your coffee. Peek again at the bottom of the pile to see if the procrastination babies have grown fangs yet. It's when they're at the fanged stage that you're fucked and will have to wrestle with them as they spring free from the pile, scattering everything else to the four winds as you battle what was once an easily solved problem but what has now grown into a fire breathing monster sprung from the gates of hell.
Fortunately, the biggest procrastination baby hasn't fanged yet and only has tiny little bumps on its gums, which means a few more reams of shit can be heaped atop the pile to weigh him down for another brace or two of Mondays until he's strong enough to claw his way out and ruin your week for real.
Race notes
Rich Meeker: Dude won the 45+ category in a sprint, which doesn't need saying because he showed up. The last time I was in a race with Rich I never saw him, so this was cool because I got within 30 or 40 yards and gawked good and proper. THOG-like, he notices everything that happens in the race. He's always towards the front, but never at it unless attacking or bridging or smoking the field for the win. Bastard. At least my helmet cam makes his butt look fat.
Charon Smith: Dude won the 35+ category in a sprint, which doesn't need saying because he showed up. Some guy in second place almost nipped him at the line except that he was forty-seven bike lengths back. A bunch of people I don't know won the other races, so fuck them. Then Charon went and did some ridiculous shit in the P/1/2 race, winning the field sprint or some shit like that. At least he got smoked on the climb by a girl on the Saturday ride, even though he busted a gut trying to catch her.
Eric Anderson: Second race after upgrading to Cat 2, he nails fourth in the 35+ and 12th in the P/1/2. Eric is the only sprinter I know with the Bahati-esque quality of pulling so fucking hard that your entire body trembles and shudders from the pain. How long before Eric makes Charon quit sitting up with 300m to go and actually pedal to the line?
David Perez: The reason DP is always praying so hard is because of all those demons inside. The big hairy one with four tails, twelve eyes, and a rusty pike with skulls on it is called "Upgrade Demon." It's the demon that he coughed up at the starting line after linking hands with the atheistic antichrist spawn of satan otherwise known as HoverHawk. Once the demon was out in the open, DP rode a hell of a race, tossing the demon back into the eternal lake of fire and nailing down 13th place in a star-studded field of legitimate crazies. This is a great result for our local South Bay boy, and here's hoping that more are on the way!
Chris Lotts: Seeing Chris come bombing by me in the crit was like watching a giant bowl of jello being flung from a fast-moving car. You keep watching to see if it's going to come apart, but the only thing that came apart was Wankmeister. Chris showed again that no matter how much of a strain he puts on the 500-lb. test line that holds his clothing together, he CAN STILL KICK YOUR ASS IN A CRIT.
Wankmeister self-evaluation: Attacking with Gary Walls and John Nist 10 minutes into the race was really stupid. Chasing down David Worthington was awesome, as he flipped me off for the camera. Rad!! Chilling at the front with Greg Leibert while our teammates rode in the breakaway was interesting. What's with all those lazyfucks who go to all that trouble to get in a break and then won't work together? Are they related to Jack from Illinois? Or do they think they're going to beat Rich Meeker in the sprint? Or do they just not know they're in a break? Props to teammate Alan Flores, even though he was herding frogs, for getting up the road with those doofuses. My attack on the incline with just over one lap to go was meaningless, but better than doing nothing. Maybe. Although I finished next-to-DFL, it was my next-to-best race ever, thanks to my GoAmateur helmet cam, which captured all of the spitting, snot-blowing, bad cornering, time spent out in the wind instead of intelligently drafting, and cries of fear from the hapless schmoes stuck behind me.
Next up on WM's race schedule: The Castaic Jailhouse Crit, an awesome 3.75-mile circuit race with a hill, providing a rare alternative to the typical four-corner crit that makes racing in SoCal so boring. Ooops…recent update by the promoter: Due to zillions of new rapists, child molesters, killers, and marijuana smokers being incarcerated at the same time that the state budget's being cut, the Castaic jail grounds have canceled the circuit race. However, a race will still go on, only as a (surprise) four-cornered crit, .75 mile in length. Nice work, felons.


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MSI GeForce GTX 460 1GB Cyclone Video Card (Page 16)
Version and / or Patch Used: Release 220.127.116.11
Developer Homepage: http://www.nvidia.com//
Product Homepage: http://www.badaboomit.com/
Badaboom eliminates the frustration of video conversion by providing users with speed, efficiency, quality, and a sleek interface. In a practice that used to take several hours, Badaboom converts feature-length movies in a matter of minutes while keeping the videos looking crisp and clear.
By harnessing the power of NVIDIA CUDA-enabled GPUs, Badaboom offloads the CPU to allow users to continue browsing the Internet or checking email without decreased system performance, making transcoding high-quality video fast, easy, and painless.
Note: With the requirement for a CUDA enabled graphics card to run Badaboom, this means that we can only use NVIDIA based cards for this test.
Under BADABOOM we don't see anything out of the ordinary.
Last updated: Apr 7, 2020 at 12:29 pm CDT
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- Page 1 [Introduction]
- Page 2 [The Package]
- Page 3 [The Card and Specifications]
- Page 4 [Test System Setup and 3DMark Vantage]
- Page 5 [Unigine Heaven Benchmark]
- Page 6 [Benchmarks - CINEBENCH]
- Page 7 [Benchmarks - Resident Evil 5]
- Page 8 [Benchmarks - BattleForge]
- Page 9 [Benchmarks - Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X.]
- Page 10 [Benchmarks - Darkest of Days]
- Page 11 [Benchmarks - Far Cry 2]
- Page 12 [Benchmarks - Batman Arkham Asylum]
- Page 13 [Benchmarks - Dark Void]
- Page 14 [Benchmarks - High Quality AA and AF]
- Page 15 [Benchmarks - Elcomsoft Wireless Security Auditor]
- Page 16 [Benchmarks - Badaboom]
- Page 17 [Temperature Test]
- Page 18 [Sound Test]
- Page 19 [Power Consumption Tests]
- Page 20 [Total Performance Rating (TPR)]
- Page 21 [Total Value Rating (TVR)]
- Page 22 [Final Thoughts]

subset: commoncrawl


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French, 19th century. H & H green marble and bronze clock and candelabra garniture set. Clock with circular white porcelain face with banded gilt metal accents above curtained swag bronze mount. Clock and pair of four light candelabra garniture with seated winged caryatids at base of tapered columns and raised on lion's paw feet with rosette and scrolled foliate accents. Top of clock with winged eagle perched on a dome and holding a wreath in its talons above architectural post and lintel form. Clock with additional plumed helmets and laurel leaves resting on top of lintel structure flanking face. Back of clock with hinged circular pierced metal door that opens to reveal mechanism within, marked "H & H MADE IN FRANCE". Height of clock 17.5", width 11.5", depth 6". Candelabra height 19", width (across arms) 7".
Ahlers & Ogletree Auction Gallery


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5 Basic Tips for Beginner Videographers
You're already engrossed in the world of photography; now, you're ready to take the next step in your career. You want to expand your skills to incorporate videography as well. By doing so, you can make yourself even more marketable to a more diverse group of clients. And while there are some basics of photography that can be translated to videography, and some photography gear that can be used as video accessories, it's important to understand that picking up videography as a skill will take time, research, practice, and dedication. Here are a few basic tips that'll get you off on the right foot.
1. Store WiselyJust as you should store wisely with your still camera footage, you should do the same with your video footage. As a general rule, you should always have two copies of anything you shoot. Perhaps the easiest way to do this is to store directly on your video camera and have a copy on your SD card. Most video cameras have a setting that allows you to automatically copy any footage you take directly onto an SD card. Furthermore, make sure all your modes of storage allow you to easily upload your footage to another device. This may mean having the right cables to connect your video camera directly to your laptop or an SD card reader built into your computer.
2. Invest in a Quality TripodIf the tripod you use for your photography comes with easily interchangeable plate, you can save a lot of money by simply picking up the right plate that corresponds to your video camera. Otherwise, you'll need to invest in a tripod that'll fit your video camera. Tripod plates are just one of many video accessories you'll need to produce quality video. After all, few things ruin an otherwise great video worse than shaky, unstable shooting. Invest in a quality tripod and learn how to use it to smoothly pan and turn.
3. Read the Manual Cover to CoverOne of the best videography tips you'll ever learn is to know your equipment. The only way to do this is to read the manual and learn about all the features your camera has available (and how to use them). After all, the best videographers always shoot in manual mode; this means you'll have to learn how to adjust your settings manually to suit each unique situation, just as you would when working with a camera. Specifically, you'll want to learn how to use the "white balance" setting on your camera. This should be one of the first things you do anytime you shoot something. By setting white balance manually before shooting your video, you can ensure that all of your colors are just right. As VideoMaker.com puts it, poor white balance is "the video equivalent of throwing a bright red sock in with a load of white linen."
4. Know (And Avoid) Rookie MistakesJust as it's important to keep the basic videography tips in mind as you learn how to record video like a pro, it's also important that you avoid some of the most common rookie mistakes. Some of these include:
- Panning with your wrists instead of your hips. You'll end up with a more stable shot if you rotate with your hips instead of your wrists. Or, better yet…use a tripod (see tip #2).
- Over-using the zoom function. Unnecessary zooming can throw off your viewer and result in grainy footage. Before zooming, always ask yourself, "is there a good reason to get a closer look at this?"
- Calling it "filming." Okay, so this is a simple vocabulary faux pas, but it's one that many videographers take seriously. These days, video cameras don't have film, so what you're really doing is "recording," not filming.
5. Take Audio SeriouslySure, shooting good video has a lot to do with image quality, but in many cases, even the best quality video can be ruined by bad audio. Any time you're shooting a video where audio is important (which will probably be most of the time), make sure you have at least two audio sources. This is especially true during interviews. More than likely, your video camera will already have a built-in microphone, but you need backup. Consider a handheld audio recorder or a separate microphone to ensure you don't miss a thing. These are just a few basics of videography that you'll want to keep in mind as you get started. With enough practice and with the right video accessories, you'll be on your way to success in no time.
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-Backdrop Express Photography Team
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Trackback from your site.


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The season of giving has arrived. Start Thanksgiving Day off on the right foot at the Applied Materials "Silicon Valley Turkey Trot". Before the big meal, the holiday parade and the pies, squeeze in some exercise running alongside thousands of locals! Join this year's Turkey Trot and make it an annual tradition for you and your family. This new tradition will help the Healthier Kids Foundation of Santa Clara County, Housing Trust Silicon Valley, Second Harvest Food Bank, and The Health Trust.
The Turkey Trot on November 26, 2015 allows the participant to choose from a 5K or 10K walk or run, along with a kids fun run. This event was founded and produced by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group Foundation. Onto it's 11th year, this event has raised over $5 million to be given to local charities that support families in their most basic needs.
For more info, click here


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Yes they are exploited simply because the people who are watching television want to see interesting things like this, and when the public is interested it means that the television programs will make a lot of money. These twins that are shown on tv also make a lot of money.
The public aren't interested in watching these awful reality shows because they have relevant cultural or social commentary to make. They're watching for the two-headed freak stumbling around the garden. If the shows were not exploitative in nature, they'd spend more time on post surgical separation stories of these twins.
To some people it may seem that conjoined twins, featured in reality television programs, are exploited. However, this is the reality of TV. We could say anyone who shows up in any given program is directly being exploited for entertainment purposes. There are benefits to being in these shows, namely monetary, regardless of the format they show up in.
It seems very sad to me to have such a thing as conjoined twins that have not been separated. However, reality tv does its job by exploiting various groups and yet rewarding them by paying them money and giving them fame. If these people are being well compensated and gain some popularity, then they are probably not considering themselves to be exploited.
If the funds of the reality show featuring conjoined twins is going toward their bills, then no I do not believe that they are being exploited. Conjoined twins have a lot medical bills in which their parents cannot afford and this show may help the family out financially and bring attention to issues that surround conjoined twins.


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Joe Shane (Shippensburg University, USA)
Hermeneutics, the art of understanding, is commonly used in qualitative research to define the researcher as the voice of the participants. The overall goal of a hermeneutic inquiry is to present the findings in a fair, comprehensive, and historically grounded manner. Narrative analysis complements hermeneutics by having the researcher present the findings in the form of a story woven together by plots. In this presentation, I will discuss the connections between the two theoretical frameworks and outline examples from our own work in chemistry and science teacher education.


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She did but it was boring. Kenya's fake relationships just aren't interesting anymore. It's expected of her by now.
Kenya Moore Checks Critic for Claiming She Had No Storyline in Season Nine
By: Amanda Anderson-Niles
"Real Housewives of Atlanta" just wrapped up an explosive ninth season, and for the first time in a long time, Kenya Moore wasn't the focus of the drama.
However, she wants folks to know that she's a big reason the ratings were strong.
Click next for the details.
17 Comments
Actually, the highest rated episode outside of the reunion is the episode where Sheree's son was arrested and Phaedra received that bomb threat. Kenya's fake relationship was a footnote in that episode. LOL.
Exactly. You can tell Bravo didn't send out those contracts yet. That's why everyone is so shook right now and trying to prove their worth. You have NeNe out here trying to remind people that she's the boss, Kenya throwing stale shade at NeNe again and lying about spiking the ratings, and Porsha still playing victim when she knows damn well she has blame in the mess with Phaedra. Oh and Kandi is out here doing interviews left and right about how she's such an innocent victim and pushing for Phaedra to be fired. They are all tired and the show really needs some brand new people.
I think the Entire cast needs to be scrapped and replaced. Didn't they do that to another franchise b4?
Kenya always takes all the credit for the ratings like she's the only one on the show. She shared that episode with multiple people and honestly if people really cared about Matt, she would have been sitting next to Andy. No one cared and that's why she really wants Phaedra and Porsha off the show. They make it easy to forget she's even on there.
The delusion is real. Most people outside of Kenya's delusional stans can agree she really brought nothing to the show this season. She knows it too and that's why she got so defensive about this tweet. Truth hurts.
Her entire storyline had to do with Matt yet he wasn't even at the reunion to remind us that she wasn't anything more than just a seat filler.
Kenya needs a spin off show called"Twirl The He'll on out of Here!! What ratings? Even her dogs are coupled up while she's walking around in Moore Manners lonely. Get off this coupled show and join the lonely Club non-factor erelevent channel 0 cas aint nobody watching your boring a-"
Bravo should have never accommodated Kenya and her failed storylines. Contrary to popular opinion, she helped lower the tone of RHOA. Is she still trying to have a baby, or nah?
Kenya has the to be one of the most delusional people on the show. If not, she's a very good troll.
She really needs to shut the f-ck up. RHOA ain't been sh-t since she's been on it.
When your exes go on to have real relationships and marriages but you're still faking the funk to stay on a reality show…
Meh. Sometimes you have to fake it until you make it I guess.
Even Andy told her she wasn't sh*t this season so um, yeah ok then….
She's always been boring to me. I don't get the hype. Everything about her is fake and not interesting.
Kenya brings adversity all the time. She is forever putting the others down when she has to pay men to date her. Everything is manufactured
She feels that she is better than the other cast mates and it shows. She is just so rude. She is constantly over talking everybody, always trying to be relevant. Kenya's character is not needed for she brings nothing but constant arguing. If this is the way black women act, Bravo needs to revamp or cancel. We r just tired of the foolishness.


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Happy New Year, everyone. At the start of every year, people make all kinds of resolutions. For writers, it's usually something along the lines of finishing that novel, writing more short stories (or simply more), submitting to that anthology, or something similar.
Here's the thing about New Year's resolutions: they usually don't last long. The reason for this is because the designation of New Year's Day as the beginning of new goals is arbitrary. I mean, what is New Year's Day? It's the event that makes us hang new calendars, start new billing and tax receipt files, and roll the little wheel another notch on our date stamps at work.
But, really, is January 1 any different than December 31? No, it isn't. Not where life issues are concerned. Life doesn't change one iota from December 31 to January 1. Our bodies keep functioning they way they've been (good or bad), we still have to get up at the same hour and go to the same job (unless you've gotten a new one), and your writing goals are still your writing goals—no less, no more.
The success of our goals relies not on the date, but our own determination. If your resolution is to lose weight and get in shape, do it because you want to live as healthy a life as you can, not because you need to be healthier "this year" (you need to be healthy every year because people love you). If you've been toiling on a novel and want to finish it, do it because you want to, not because the year has changed. If you've been wanting to get more short stories out there, do it because you want to increase your visibility as a writer, not because there's some unnamed mystic juju on New Year's Day. If there's an anthology you've had your eyes on, submit something to it because you want to face your fear of rejection, not because you believe that the current new year is going to be "my year" or the "year my ship will come in."
Now, if flipping that calendar spurs you to achieve your goals, fine. Go for it. But we should set out to achieve our goals all year long, no matter what the calendar says. Don't focus on dates or deadlines. Just focus on what you want out of life.
Just do it.


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Our work advances healthcare and improves health for people in Wyoming through our expertise in utilization management review, in partnership with Wyoming Medicaid.
We are staffed by qualified healthcare professionals who provide utilization management tailored to the needs of enrolled Wyoming residents. We are privileged to perform this vital work.
Please check this page regularly for updates.
March 19, 2020: COVID-19 and Business Continuity
During the current COVID-19 emergency, Comagine Health is fully staffed and business operations are not interrupted.
For utilization review, case management and related activities, we are continuing to process requests and answer calls via our toll-free numbers during standard business hours. We have business continuity plans in place to serve our clients, health care providers, patients and communities while also protecting our staff and minimizing the spread of the illness.
December 31, 2019: Recordings and Slides Available for December 11 and 13 Behavioral Health Webinar
Slides from our December 11 and 13 webinars for behavioral health providers are now available on the Provider Education page. The presentation included an overview of our website, as well as instructions on registering for and using the Comagine Health Provider Portal.
August 22, 2019: Skilled Nursing Services Refresher Recording & Slides Online
Earlier this month we held training webinars on skilled nursing services reviews. Links to the recording and slides from those sessions are now on the Provider Education page.
August 5, 2019: Slides Available for July 31 Behavioral Health Webinar
Slides from our July 31 webinar for behavioral health providers are now available on the Provider Education page. The presentation included an overview of our website, as well as instructions on registering for and using the Comagine Health Provider Portal.
March 27, 2019: Skilled Nursing Review Services for Waivers Webinar Online
On March 12 and 13 we presented webinars on using the Qualis Health Provider Portal to request skilled nursing services. To view the recordings and slides from those presentations, go to the Provider Education page and scroll down to "Webinar Archives."
March 21, 2019: PA Status Now Available Online 24/7
Prior authorization inquiry and print functionality is now available on the Wyoming Medicaid Secure Provider Portal. Providers currently with "Claims Submitter" security rights may access PA information. Please see the February 13, 2019, Provider Bulletin for instructions.
March 21, 2019: First Series of Skilled Nursing Review Webinars Online
On March 6 and 7 we presented webinars on how to register for the Qualis Health Provider Portal. To get the recordings and slides from these presentations, go to the Provider Education page and scroll down to "Webinar Archives."
February 25, 2019: Skilled Nursing Services Review Begins April 1. Join Us for Training in March.
On April 1, 2019, Qualis Health will begin performing prior authorization review of skilled nursing services for Wyoming Medicaid waiver participants. We process reviews through our secure online system, the Qualis Health Provider Portal. We invite skilled nursing providers to learn how to use the QHPP at our March training sessions. Visit the Provider Education page for complete details.
January 28, 2019: Revised DME Provider Manual Now Available
The Medical Supplies and Equipment Covered Services and Limitations Module has been updated. You can also find a link to this document on the Provider Resources page under "Provider Manual."
December 28, 2018: Prior Authorization Code List Updated
We have updated the Codes Requiring Prior Authorization document, effective January 1, 2019. You can also find a link to this file on the Provider Resources page under the heading "Prior Authorization Materials."
Adobe Acrobat® PDF files can be opened using Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have Reader, you can get it free from the Adobe website.
(800) 783-8606
(877) 810-9265
»Qualis Health Provider Portal
Amy Buxton
Provider Services Manager
Wyoming Medicaid
Department of Health
Division of Healthcare Financing
Phone: (307) 777-5081
Fax: (307) 777-6964


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Have you grown up reading comic books or watching the shows about comic book characters on TV? I can remember reading and watching shows about comics growing up! I still love them now! This giveaway is hosted by Jwan Jordan Comics! Jwan is a self publishing author for comic books.
His comic books are good for all ages! You do not need to worry about your children reading his comic books because he gears them toward children and makes them all family friendly!
These comic books are also priced reasonably so you do not need to worry about them costing you an arm and leg!
Are you curious what his comics are all about!? I bet you are!!! Come check out all about them!!!
Affairs of the Mind (AOTM):
Tells the tale of Rose Wood, our humble hero of the story, with a big mission on her hands. Rose is a regular teen with a very peculiar gift, as she has a broken halo that floats over her head that only she, and a few special others, can see. Rose soon discovers that whenever she does a good deed for someone in who needs help, her halo repairs itself. Intrigued by this strange phenomenon, she embarks on an mission to help all those she can. The only problem is that Rose is the most unpopular girl in high school and no one wants help from her! Thus a very comical and peculiar quest begins for little Rose Wood.
Affairs of the Mind Chibi! (AOTM-C)
Affairs of the mind Chibi is more focused towards a very young audience.AOTM-C stars little chibi Rose Wood in her many adventures of helping her friends while learning a valuable lesson about friendship, love and a variety of wholesome moral lessons. Staying true to children entertainment AOTM-C is a book that parents can read to their kids and enjoy while learning and fun lesson. Enjoy!
Hosted by Parsimonious Pash and these awesome other blogs!
Prize 3 Winners US ONLY:
(1) 11x17 Color Poster
(1) 11x17 Black and White Poster
(1) 11x17 Animated Poster
May 27 12:01AM EST- June 10th 11:59PM EST
Who Can Enter:
Legal US Residents 18+
Enter on the Rafflecopter below.
If you don't know how to enter read this post!
a Rafflecopter giveaway


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Twenty district schools earn Civic Engagement awards
Mesa Public Schools won more 2016-17 Civic Engagement awards than any other district in the state.
For the third year in a row, the district has dominated the Civic Engagement awards. Of the 34 schools recognized statewide as 2016-17 Civic Engagement award-winners, 20 are from Mesa Public Schools.
The Arizona Department of Education Excellence in Civic Engagement Program recognizes schools that demonstrate effective implementation of the six proven practices in civic learning, including strong formal instruction in social studies, U.S. government, history, economics, geography, law and democracy. Simulations of democratic processes and procedures, service learning, classroom discussions of current events, and meaningful participation in student government were also taken into consideration. Applicants can earn one of three designations — Merit, Distinction or Excellence — based on their civic learning successes.
Rhodes and Shepherd junior high schools, and Red Mountain and Westwood high schools were recognized as Schools of Excellence, which is the highest honor possible and was awarded to just eight schools in the state.
Schools of Distinction are Carson and Franklin junior high schools; Dobson and Skyline high schools; and East Valley Academy. Schools of Merit are Mendoza and Sirrine elementary schools; Fremont, Kino, Poston, Smith and Taylor junior high schools; Mesa, Mountain View and Superstition high schools; and Summit Academy.
"Red Mountain High School takes tremendous pride in engaging our students, faculty and staff in civic excellence through action," says Jared Ryan, principal. "We are honored to have been selected for this recognition as we know this work leads to our community being a better place. Our students and staff work in collaboration to identify real-world problems and use their talents to create innovative solutions. Red Mountain High School is committed to being known as a community school that recognizes the importance of educating all students on their rights, roles and responsibilities as American citizens."
The schools will be formally recognized at the state civic learning conference March 2, 2018.


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1600 Rosecrans Ave Building 4B, Manhattan Beach Studios, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Glynis Ablon, M.D., F.A.A.D., is a board certified dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon, who completed her training at Baylor School of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Dr. Ablon is an assistant clinical professor at UCLA, practicing at both UCLA and Providence LCMH. She is active in clinical research and the first published author in the United States in mesotherapy. Dr. Ablon is an on-camera medical consultant for E! Entertainment, ABC, CBS, KCAL and Lifetime. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, American Academy of Liposuction Surgery, American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, and American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. Dr. Ablon also received the IMCAS Research Awar
Ablon Skin Institute > Review link
a year ago


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In order to give my feet, knees, hips and back some help in taking 6 million steps I recently had custom insoles made at a local outfitters.
Monthly Archives: February 2014
Pre-Hike Tip
In order to maximise the usefulness of my iPhone I took it in to an Apple store for a check-up and walked out with a brand new internal battery for – for free!
It's booked!
The last remaining obstacles are now passed – my torn shoulder in particular is much better – and I have now booked my flights and organised my passage to the start of the trail on Springer Mountain, Georgia.


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Internships at the Madison- Morgan Cultural Center
Want to gain experience in the field of Arts Administration? Consider an internship with the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center! Internships are open to college students and highly qualified high school juniors and seniors. We offer internships in the following areas:
Please take a look at the detailed descriptions for each internship below to find which best suits your interests and schedule. While unpaid, it can be arranged for internships to count for course credit.
To apply, please email a cover letter and resume to Rebecca Bonas at email@example.com. Please be sure to indicate for which internship you are applying in the cover letter.


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Uefa Cup round-up
By Tom Adams
Last Updated: 01/01/70 1:00am
Werder Bremen have one foot in the Uefa Cup Last 16 after a 3-0 win over Ajax.
Werder Bremen have one foot in the Uefa Cup Last 16 after a consummate 3-0 first leg win over 10-man Ajax.
Ajax were already facing an unenviable trip and their task was made all the more difficult when Olaf Lindenbergh was dismissed for two quickfire bookings after just 23 minutes.
Following a first half of dogged Dutch defending, Per Mertesacker broke the deadlock in the 48th minute - the defender reacting quickest to convert a Torsten Frings corner.
It was 2-0 just six minutes later, as Naldo headed home another corner from Frings and the Germany international then scored his team's third goal himself on 71 minutes.
Fabrizio Miccoli's last-gasp winner saw Benfica claim a 1-0 win over Dinamo Bucharest. The Italian fired home from a Manuel Rui Costa cross with just seconds left on the clock to give his team the all-important advantage.
Espanyol are also in pole position in their tie with Livorno following a 2-1 win in Italy.
Walter Pandiani gave the visitors the lead from the penalty spot in the 28th minute after Ito had been fouled by Fabio Galante.
Moha doubled his team's lead shortly before the hour mark when he drove in left-footed, but Galante gave hope to the Serie A side ahead of next week's second leg when he headed home a Dario Passoni corner eight minutes from time.
Elsewhere, Sammy Traore's header (45) and Bernard Mendy's shot from distance (88) gave Paris Saint Germain an excellent 2-0 win at AEK Athens.
Fenerbahce staged an impressive second-half fightback to draw 3-3 with AZ Alkmaar and keep alive their hopes of progression.
The Dutch Eredivisie side were the first to strike when Demy De Zeeuw converted Maarten Martens's pass in the 15th minute, but the hosts went in level at half-time after Temur Metin drilled home from the edge of the penalty area in the 28th minute.
AZ took a firm grip of proceedings in the second half, however, with two goals in a minute midway through the half.
Nourdin Boukhari's emphatic left-footed strike from outside the area restored the visitors' lead in the 62nd minute, and, less than 60 seconds later, Julian Jenner also shot from distance to stun the Turkish crowd.
To the hosts' credit, they replied almost immediately through Tuncay Sanli's opportunistic strike (67).
Metin then grabbed his second goal of the game a quarter of an hour from the end when his left-foot shot found the top corner of the goal to give the hosts hope ahead of the second leg.
Bordeaux and Osasuna played out a 0-0 draw in France to leave their Uefa Cup last 32 tie hanging firmly in the balance.
The Ligue 1 side had dropped out of the UEFA Champions League before being drawn against their Spanish opponents, but could not find a way through at Stade Chaban-Delmas.
2005 Uefa Cup winners CSKA Moscow were also held to a 0-0 home draw to Israeli side Maccabi Haifa.
On-loan West Ham United striker Yaniv Katan hit the post for Maccabi, in what turned out to be the best chance of the game that had to be staged in Vladikavkaz, as Moscow was deemed too cold a venue to play in at present.
The game between Shakhtar Donetsk and Nancy, however, did yield some goalmouth action, finishing as it did with a 1-1 draw.
January signing Marc Antonie-Fortune gave the French side the lead, and an important away goal, with nine minutes to go when he slotted home from inside the box.
However, Shakhtar hit back inside three minutes when Croatian international Dario Srna converted Andrei Vorobei's cross.
The Ukrainians suffered a potentially telling blow in injury time when influential midfielder Anatolii Tymoschuk was shown a second yellow card.
Click below for match summaries:
Bordeaux 0-0 Osasuna
CSKA Moscow 0-0 Maccabi Haifa
Shakhtar Donetsk 1-1 Nancy
Fenerbahce 3-3 AZ Alkmaar
Werder Bremen 3-0 Ajax
AEK Athens 0-2 Paris Saint Germain
Livorno 1-2 Espanyol
Benfica 1-0 Dinamo Bucharest


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Anders Åstrand & Soundscape
Anders Åstrand & Soundscape
Anders Astrand: Marimba/Vibes
Thomas Wingrean: Electronic/Hand Percussion
Ricard Hux Flux Nettermalm: Drums
Soundscape Orchestra (SO) started in 2012 when percussionist and laptop artist Thomas Wingren teamed up with piano virtuoso Adam Forkelid and drummer/big band arranger Calle Rasmusson. Together they wrote and arranged music for a twelve-piece orchestra, which was performed at a festival in Stockholm. In 2013, the project earned a sponsorship from the Swedish Jazz Federation. This time the group utilized a less orchestrated approach with a quintet setup. Two of the members from the original group, mallet specialist Anders Åstrand and reed player Peter Fredman were now joining the core trio. The quintet performed at the Stockholm Jazz Festival in 2015 to rave reviews.
Session: Daytime Showcase Concert
Date & Location
Sagamore Ballroom
Yamaha Corporation of America


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By Michael Mark, creative director/ceo @NYCA
Big Brother does exist. No, it's not the government. It's us. And it's a good thing. With the ubiquitous capacity to take a photo or capture video from your phone combined with the ability to communicate in an instant to millions on Twitter, we have 24/7 surveillance. We are being watched while we are doing the watching while sharing and it's for our own good. Who better to do it?
Personally I believe human nature is good. Yes, that even goes for most ad people. The universal camera that is trained on us all will show that to be true. In our emails we get more good stuff than ever; like this video about people who commit random acts of kindness.
The first images I saw from the United Airlines emergency landing in the Hudson came to my phone via Twitter.
But if you happen to be trying to pull something Mr. Naughty – well then, just like Tom Joad said in The Grapes of Wrath, "I'll be there." The 2009 version of the book will add "and I'll tweet my 25,000 followers and they'll tweet their followers…." The point is, if one person sees it, instantly millions will see it.
The election in Iran proves this. The outpouring was immediate and gripping. Twitter lists showed a steady stream of updates and links to photos and videos all making the developing turmoil clear and irrefutable. It's still going on despite threats from the Supreme Leader. The communication will not stop. And it's not only in government that this is happening, of course. When Amazon seemed to be censoring books, the Twitterverse was on them fast as you can "oh no you didn't" and Amazon used Twitter right back to react to the protests. The books are up for sale again.
Twitter had approximately 17 million unique U.S.-based visitors in April, and about 24 million worldwide, according to Nielsen. Its number of users has grown by more than a thousand percent over the last year. Are they all good guys? Maybe not, but their followers are watching them, making sure they behave – a mass deputizing.
So if you're a bad guy, take this as a warning because bad news travels faster than ever. Don't do it — because it's wrong. But if that isn't enough, don't do it because you will get caught. Because you are being watched.
Good news, though perhaps a laggard in making the rounds, will still get passed around and will inspire more and more good. I'm convinced of it. And that makes us all better, don't you think, my Brother?


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|How Jekabpils can be your business partner?
Demographics & land
Distance to major international cities
Road & railway infrastructure
|Largest foreign enterprises operating in Jekabpils
Largest Latvian enterprises operating in Jekabpils
Labour skills and education
Incentives and developments
Distance to major international cities:
Road and railway infrastructure:
Largest foreign enterprises operating in Jekabpils:
Largest Latvian enterprises operating in Jekabpils:
15 065 of Jekabpils' inhabitants are of active working age. Approximately 16% of all employed are engaged in manufacturing sector, 20% in wholesale and retail trade, and 12% in construction. Jekabpils is proud of its three higher education institutions, which are internationally accredited and provide degrees in business, law, psychology, public relations and many others.
Jekabpils City Municipality can also provide investors with land areas within the city's industrial zones.
Municipality can offer:
Contact information:
Margita Liepiņa
Head of the Public relations department
+371 65207318
E-mail: email@example.com
Real Estate offers for your project.
For more information see full profile of Jekabpils.
If you have selected Jekabpils as best potential location for your investment project, please fill out our Investment Project Assessment Form, and our Investment Promotion Team will be glad to help you with your business development.
Photo: Jekabpils City Municipality


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Meet Luther
12 year old Weimaraner
Presenting condition
- Arthritis in hips and knees
- Recently arthritis in left wrist joint
Medication when first treated
- Tramadol x 2 daily
- NSAIDs
Mobility when first treated
- Lame in hind legs
- Lethargic
Initial therapy
- Massage & physical therapy
- Particularly liked skin rolling for myofascial release (he had put on weight due to inactivity)
- Worked over thigh muscles to build them up again
- Physical therapy on neck and down spinal muscles
- Education & advice on passive stretches to ease his hips and knees
- Education & advice on active exercises to help stretch his back, neck and legs
Initial response from guardians
- "I just want to tell you, thank you for that. It's very encouraging – even I feel more relaxed"
Ongoing therapy
- Been treated weekly since Nov 2015
- Far more mobile now walking at least twice daily
Response from guardians
"Hi, I'll try and keep this brief, it may go on a bit…but don't worry, it ends well, nobody dies and you'll learn something.
My best friend Luther the Weimaraner reached 10 last year. He's a HUGE dog, over 50k at one point but always fed and exercised and loved very much. 2015 wasn't great for Luther, prostate removal, stomach problems and then the diagnosis that he was very arthritic. I was devastated, not least because I hadn't noticed the change in him because we're together all the time. So, the plan…drugs? Therapy? I trust my vet and we tried Metacam that made him ill, moved onto TRAMADOL !! That wiped him out, he couldn't make the stairs (we have a four floor townhouse), he wouldn't eat and last November I had to keep going into other rooms to cry about losing him so he didn't pick up on the vibe – you know that sounds strange to some people, but when you bond with another life, you bond.
I went back to my vet who I've had for over 20 years to discuss Luther's options, even if that meant euthanasia. He said, "I know you'll think this ridiculous but I know a guy who's a qualified dog masseur…and don't roll your eyes!" So I'm there, I've dabbled with massage, acupuncture, reflexology & feng shui, what did I have to lose? My best friend. So I called Dr Les Ellam kind of reluctantly. I mean I'm a realist, and the thought of paying to have my dog massaged…. But the universe gives you what you need – I'd known Dr Les for about twenty years, four times a week at the gym. He was a Dr at Brighton or Sussex Uni, and had helped me with some research for my job as a journalist but the gym closed and we had lost touch.
So I decided to give him a go, Luther was in a bad way. Took a few minutes, but from the first 6 weekly sessions, Luther wanted to eat again, go out, and didn't need the tramadol !!!! Les showed us how to learn his techniques and use them between visits. As Luther got better, Les suggested once a month but I see Luther gets wobbly after about a fortnight. I cannot praise highly enough the service Luther has received, he has been given back to us. Maybe not for years, but at least being a giant 11year old dog with arthritis isn't an unhappy life thanks to Achypaw. Also impressive, is the way Dr Les shows you how to do the work, it's not a situation where you can't help your pet unless you hire him. My insurance paid for 15 sessions and they've been worth every penny. AchyPaw prolonged and increased the quality of Luther's twilight years. If I hadn't seen it myself I would never have believed it.
"Get your dog massaged? Oh please!" Ok, I said it may go on, but if you have an aging dog that seems a little stiff, you may know how it feels yourself, at least look into this service. If you can't afford ongoing treatment as some of us are fortunate to do, then maybe a workshop is better. But if you love your dog, it may be the best thing you can do for them. Thank you for reading this far. See Luther on Instagram under #lutherweimaraner "


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By Kenneth F. McCallion, Esq.
It is very important to understand the difference between judicial foreclosures and non-judicial foreclosures. In simple terms, a judicial foreclosure requires a proceeding in a court. A non-judicial foreclosure does not require any proceeding in a court. In each type of procedure, a lender has the right to auction a property if the lender has properly filed all of the necessary paperwork. Let's review important aspects of each.


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Got 5 minutes?
Why not pop over to Seven Hills Crafts and check out their challenge.
This month it's a sketch, and it just lends itself to a shaker card.
This was my first time using foam sheet for my shaker,
just die cutting it the same as my card.
I found it so much easier than ds tape,
and my sequins didn't get stuck at the edges as much.
Seven Hills Crafts
Stamps & Dies - MamaElephant Just Hatched
MFT ZigZag Stitched Rectangles and plain nesties.
Ink - Hero Arts, Lia Colour Lights.
Card - DCWV Tres Chic
DP, Sequins/Stars/Funky Foam from my stash.


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More than 130 clients recommend us on Facebook! Visit us and learn why.
We are insurance brokers. All insurance brokers are legally bound to give their clients best advice in an honest and moral manner and in the client's best possible interest. This principle is known as "Best Advice".
This principle does not apply to sales representatives of insurance companies, insurance agents and employees of credit institutions selling insurance products. What if the product offered by the competitor was much more attractive for the client than the in-house product?


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Please read the following information to help you decide whether to apply to the Post-Graduate Training Program.
Who Should Apply?
- Post-master's professionals in mental health who are obtaining hours toward licensure as social workers, marriage-family therapists, and psychologists
- Licensed mental health professionals who want to expand their knowledge of open-ended, psychodynamic psychotherapy.
Prerequisite Experience
By the starting date of the program you must have:
- Completed a two-year or longer graduate program and received a master's or doctoral degree in a mental health field.
- Preference is given to applicants who have completed a minimum of 18 months (two full academic years) of relevant clinical experience, including 375 face-to-face clinical hours; for example, by doing psychotherapy, counseling, specialized treatment, crisis intervention, or case work. Preference is given to applicants who have acquired this experience post-degree and within the past five years.
Additional Criteria
You must be willing to commit 25 hours weekly to the program, including blocks of time for seeing clients—such as a morning, afternoon, or evening—on at least three days a week.
We've found that applicants best suited to the program are self-reflective and value self-awareness for psychotherapy practitioners. Most have undertaken their own psychotherapy. Personal therapy during the training program is highly recommended.
How Do I Apply?
This packet contains a detailed description of the application process and required materials. We are accepting applications on a rolling basis until all eight positions are filled. The program begins September 2020.
Use one of these two ways to obtain an application packet:
- Download and print the application packet. Complete all the requested application materials and mail them with your check for the application fee to The Psychotherapy Institute. To pay for your application fee online click here.
- Email or telephone The Psychotherapy Institute to request a printed application packet. Be sure that your message includes your name and mailing address.
The Psychotherapy Institute
2232 Carleton Street
Berkeley, CA 94704 (USA)
Clinical Director
Each year, the Institute accepts approximately eight staff therapists. We schedule interviews for as many applicants as possible. Depending upon the number of applications we receive, we may not be able to offer a personal interview to all candidates meeting the minimum requirements. The Selection Committee makes all decisions about personal interviews and the selection of trainees; its decisions are final.
All written materials that you submit as part or in support of your application become the property of the Institute. If you are not selected, we'll destroy all application materials.
Financial Aid
Prospective staff therapists for the 2020-21 academic year are eligible to apply for financial awards. Please see the link below for instructions and procedures for the application process. Applications are due June 1, 2020.
Download information and an application for the Financial Aid Program.
Submit your completed financial aid application via email to firstname.lastname@example.com, or via snail mail to:
The Psychotherapy Institute
ATTN: K. Sue Duncan (Financial Aid Program)
2232 Carleton St.
Berkeley, CA 94704


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Guest Post - Jenn Marie Thorne
A powerful novel in verse, Skyscraping tells the story of a teen living in New York during the height of the AIDS crisis whose world is shattered when she learns of her own father's diagnosis. It's a rich, humane and moving book, bursting with immediacy, set in a time and place that needs to be remembered.
About Jenn Marie Thorne:
Jenn Marie Thorne writes YA fiction from her home in beautiful Gulfport, Florida, alongside her dashing husband, her two daring toddlers, and her trusty hound Molly. An NYU-Tisch grad with a BFA in Drama, Jenn still enjoys making a fool of herself on at least a weekly basis. Other hobbies include writing about herself in the third-person, studying classical voice, learning languages, and traveling the world with her family. Her debut novel, THE WRONG SIDE OF RIGHT, is coming March 17, 2015 from Dial Books for Young Readers (Penguin).
Guest Post by Jenn Marie Thorne


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Main Content
About the Talk
April 28, 2009 2:30 PM
Lower AL .NET User Group (http://loweraldotnet.org/)Lower AL .NET User Group (http://loweraldotnet.org/)
In tough times, the good will survive, but only the best will Thrive! Are you thriving? Come to the session and learn how to enhance your technical skills, advance your career, and elevate IT as the business leader.


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My first thought on reading this profile on U.S. Senator Tom Coburn was that we could use that kind of integrity in Canadian government. My second thought was that whatever party he was with he would probably get kicked out of caucus anyway. My third thought was how corrupt the U.S. political system has become.
Thanks to Instapundit for this link.