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Hello everyone. How are you today? Before you read the answers below, you should know that this is a really neat quiz.And, trust me, you will be very surprised when you read the results. Here's what you need to do – first, you need to look at these images above, concentrate on these arches and see which one you feel more of a connection with the most. Look at the beautiful paths that show beyond. Let the serenity of the colors and it's feeling guide you. And then, when you are sure which one you feel connected with the most, read the number that corresponds it below. See what your future tells you:
If you chose the Door #1, Your Path is Freeing.
Here's what you need to know – so, if you chose the door number one, then you are the type of person who needs a ton of space. You are a person that needs the freedom to do things in his/her own way. You prefer a path that you carve yourself, especially one with infinite possibilities and routes. This means that you don't want to feel constrained. If you chose the door number one, then you are highly independent and even rebellious, but you don't like confrontation. You're more likely to passively resist someone or something. You hate to be rushed, and you prefer to take the time to savor life. You're too busy enjoying life to draw attention to yourself.
If you chose the Door #2, your path is Private.
But, if you chose the door number 2, then, you are the kind of person who prefers to travel alone. Yes, you are a person that likes to observe, think, and sort out whatever is in your head. You prefer a path that's fit for one. You can see others once you arrive at your destination, but you need your downtime first. But, you are also very original and insightful. You look at the world in a unique way, and others can benefit from your point of view. The bad thing is that you are a bit of a loner, but you connect well with people when you take the time. And you are very understanding as well.
If you chose the Door #3, Your path is Colorful.
If you chose the door number 3, then you are a very engaging and engaged person, and you love to be a part of the world. This means that you like to experience it all. And your ideal path is filled with color, excitement, and beauty. You are a person that it's more about the journey than the destination. You are curious and excited to learn more. And you always love to start conversations, and you ask lots of questions. You are intellectual and witty. You think of more zingers than you'd ever use, and you keep people laughing.
If you chose the Door #4, Your path is Exciting!
If you chose the door number 4, then you are always moving forward in your life, often into the unknown. Well, this means that you just go for it and deal with the consequences later. Your ideal path is unpredictable and maybe even a little scary. You are drawn to the unknown. You can be a rule breaker, and you're even somewhat careless. Sometimes, you just act without thinking, but it usually all works out for you. You are very spontaneous and a major thrill seeker. You are going to make the most of the time you've been given on this planet!
If you chose the Door #5, Your path is Welcoming.
Here's what you need to know – if you chose the door number 5, then you are a peace-seeking, low maintenance person. Your path is welcoming. This means that you are very content, and you don't like to be bothered. Your ideal path is clear cut and enjoyable. And you always want to enjoy your trip and to know what you're getting into. You will often take the easy choice whenever possible. Life is hard enough, and you never want to make it harder on yourself. You are stable and supportive of those around you. You are known for your consistency and down to earth perspective.
If you chose the Door #6, Your path is Quiet.
But, if you chose the door number 6, then you value solitude in all aspects of your life. And sometimes, you spend large periods of time alone without feeling lonely. Your ideal path is one that is very still and quiet. You want to absorb everything around you without feeling overwhelmed. And you always seek meaning in every aspect of life and you live very deliberately – both in action and in thought. You don't like crowds, but you do like people. You value authentic relationships, and you prefer the depth of one on one interaction.
So, answer this question in the comment section bellow – which door did you choose and what are your thoughts? We really hope you enjoyed this article and don't forget to share it with your friends and family. Thank You.


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A significant RTYC representation across some of the leading boats at the Spetses Classic Regatta 2014.
Here Hugh Morrison's 90ft 'Savannah' provides a backdrop to Lykiardopulo family's immaculately restored 'Navisa'.
Navisa is the world's oldest surviving Seaview mermaid and was helmed to victory in class and division by Penelope and Foti Lykiardopulo.
'Savannah', an active participant on the Mediterranean Panerai circuit, is owner driven and has an experienced crew with Brian May as her regular (and brilliant) Tactician and Nick Lykiardopulo as Navigator. She took the class, division and overall prize at the regatta.
Her regular crew has its origins in Nick Lykiardopulo's highly successful 'AERA' programme and include Colin Campbell, Simon Moore, Charles Fowle, Nick Gaynor, Peter Jenkins, John Manzoni, Giles Mackay, John Claxon, Geoffrey Stocker and many other RTYC members.
Sailed on a picture perfect race course, between mainland Greece and Spetses island, consistent 12-18 knot breezes, perfect sunshine and excellent organisation afloat and ashore, Spetses Classic Regatta (in the last week of June) attracts over 65 competitors (the most recent Panerai regatta, in Argentario, attracts roughly 45) is now firmly on the map of Mediterranean yachting events.

subset: commoncrawl


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Freer Fundraiser
Author Dave Freer is moving his family from South Africa to Australia. Because of the worldwide economy, however, he discovered that he suddenly doesn't have enough to pay the quarantine fee for their dogs and cats. Freer will be posting his novel Save the Dragons on his website, continuing when certain fund-raising thresholds are reached. Currently, Freer has raised enough to post the first ten chapters.


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- Note that not every product available on these websites is necessarily made in the USA. Some brands may only offer a small selection of American-made products. Check the product description before buying to be sure.
Finder is committed to editorial independence. While we receive compensation when you click links to partners, they do not influence our opinions or reviews. Learn how we make money.
Top American-made leather handbags and wallets
Our fave picks of the best leather handbags and wallets that are made right here in America.
There's a sense of luxury that comes along with buying an American-made leather bag, purse or wallet, but also a sense of pride for supporting American workers and the US economy. Whether you're looking for a practical tote bag that can fit everything but the kitchen sink or a chic clutch or wallet that you can break out for special occasions, you're sure to find just what you're looking for from these top made-in-the-USA purse brands.
Made in USA brands
We've put together a list of top brands that make leather handbags here in the good ole U.S. of A.
|Made in
|Bag types
|What to know
|Where to buy
|14th Rose
|Leather handbags, clutches, wristlets and cellphone purses
|Wholesale orders available
|Totes, purses and work aprons
|Offer lifetime guarantee against defects in workmanship or materials
|New York
|Leather drawstring and box purses and phone slings
|Only leather bags are American-made
|Beau & Ro Bag Company
|New York
|Clutches, crossbody bags, fanny packs, backpacks and wine totes
|Custom orders available
|Blair Ritchey
|Clutches, handbags and totes
|Luxury bags designed to also be very functional
|Brynn Capella
|Clutches, handbags, wallets and satchels
|Leather imported from Italy
|Leather handbags, clutches and wallets
|Donates a portion of every sale to the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking
|Calleen Cordero
|Leather handbags, clutches and wallets
|For every product sold at their two Calleen Cordero retail stores, two trees are planted
|cinda b
|Totes, backpacks, wallets, wristlets, beach bags and cosmetic bags
|Bags are made of poly/nylon fabric and are water- and stain-resistant and machine washable
|Clare V.
|Handbags, wallets and travel bags
|Exclusively made in America since 2008
|Leather totes and crossbody bags
|Only select items are made in the US
|Frank Clegg
|Leather totes, briefcases and backpacks
|Vegetable tanned leather imported from Europe
|Fred Eisen
|Leather purses, totes, shoulder bags, messenger bags and more
|Custom made to order
|Graf & Lantz
|Leather and wool felt totes, clutches, backpacks, laptop sleeves, messenger bags and wallets
|Vegetable tanned leather; have strong sustainability policies where they try to waste as little scraps and materials as possible
|Harvey's Handbags
|Totes, wallets, clutches, crossbody bags, backpacks and travel bags
|Bags are made out of seatbelts; they have a special collaboration with Disney
|Holly Aiken
|North Carolina
|Totes, handbags, diaper bags, clutches and wallets
|Most bags made primarily of vinyl
|Jess Rizzuti
|New York
|Designer handbags and clutches
|Eco-friendly designs
|Joshu + Vela
|Totes, duffels and backpacks
|Made of canvas and leather
|Mei Vintage
|Clutches, wallets, crossbody bags, fanny packs and tote bags
|Many styles use upcycled materials
|Merci Fortune
|New York
|Leather duffle bags, satchels and clutches
|All materials are made in the US
|Paige Hamilton
|Handbags, backpacks, clutches, totes and wallets
|Nylon and leather imported from Italy
|Pietro Alessandro
|New York
|Clutches, totes, messenger bags, wristlets and handbags
|Leather imported from Italy
|Rebecca Ray Designs
|Ohio and Pennsylvania
|Equestrian-inspired handbags, clutches, totes, duffels and accessories
|Products are guaranteed for life
|Sea Bags
|Totes, handbags, duffels, diaper bags, wine bags and travel bags
|Made from recycled sails
|Skipper Bags
|Beach totes and drawstring bags
|Made from recycled sails
|Stephanie Dawn
|Quilted handbags, totes and specialty bags
|Similar to Vera Bradley bags, but made in America
|Uptown Redesigns
|Large tote bags
|Made of recycled clothing garments
|Malibu American
|Clutches, totes and cross-body bags
|All materials American-sourced
Retailers that offer American-made handbag and wallet options
Just a few of the retailers that offer American-made bags include:
Our top picks
- Claire V. Marcelle Maison Leather Tote – Aside from the chic, designer look of this bag and its drop-dead gorgeous French lavender colored suede, our favorite thing about this Clare V. bag is its versatility. By day, it's a leather tote with enough room for all of your daily essentials. By night, it folds over into an elegant clutch.
- Holly Aiken Turbo Tote Large – We love the clean, classic designs that Holly Aiken bags are known for. Plus, you get a whole lotta tote for the price, thanks to the design's "sneaky snap" expandable sides. This bag is perfect for the on-the-go mom or busy young professional who needs to carry it all but also wants to be fashionable.
- Stephanie Dawn Quilted Zip Tote – If you love that Vera Bradley look but would prefer to buy an American-made product and are shopping on a budget, Stephanie Dawn bags are absolutely worth a look. This zip tote is bright and bold and has that lovely quilted, handcrafted look that never goes out of style.
Are American-made handbags more expensive than imported bags?
Not necessarily. While many American-made handbag brands can be a bit pricey, that's because they typically offer handmade, designer handbags that are more expensive to produce than your average bag. Their handmade imported counterparts are usually just as expensive.
On the other hand, bags that are mass-produced in countries outside of the United States can be much cheaper because it takes much less time and money to create them. If you're looking for a more affordable made-in-the-USA handbag option, check out Stephanie Dawn, Holly Aiken and cinda b.
Common Questions about American-made handbags
Shop more made-in-America brandsBack to top
Ask an Expert


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Lion for a Day
Posted September 22, 2010on:
I love lions. They're probably my favorite animals next to pandas (yeah, I love those lazy fuzzballs). Random Objects has a great lion design in their shop called "Lion for a Day" that I just can't stop looking at.
The shirt shows a roaring lion and a quote from Elizabeth Kenny that says "It is better to be a lion for a day than to be a sheep all your life." I highly stand by this quote, as I find it better to be a bold individual than to follow what everyone else is doing in the mainstream. This is a terrific design with a positive message!
You can purchase "Lion for a Day" at Random Objects for $20.
Tags: lion, quote, Random Objects, text, white


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« Value and more value. | Main | We knew that. »
December 01, 2008
Were you ready for Europe's REACH directive?
Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council, of 18 December, 2006.
The Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and restriction of CHemicals (REACH) is a remarkably comprehensive European Union chemical and environmental regulation. It requires all companies manufacturing or importing everyday chemicals into the European Union in quantities of "one tonne" or more per year to register these substances with a new European Chemicals Agency in Helsinki, Finland. Potential registrants (i.e. manufacturers and importers of chemical substances) must pre-register these substances by today, December 1, 2008, in order to benefit from postponed 'phase in' deadlines. REACH is 849 pages long, took 7 years to pass, and has been described as the most complex legislation in the European Union's history.
The European Chemicals Agency.
Posted by JD Hull at December 1, 2008 11:59 PM


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Posts filed under 'advertising'
This 2 minute video will make you smile.
During my years as a copy writer, creative director and marketing coach, I've learned that it's not what we say that counts, but how we say it.
The video shows an instance of one person helping another use the most powerful words to solve a problem. That's what successful content creators do and that's why everyone else can use their help.
A magician explains why lies are often the "truth" we want to hear.
Old media vs. new media.
Media industry ad revenue declined 12% year-over-year to $125.3 billion in 2009, according to a report issued by Kantar Media, the WPP-owned research firm formerly known as TNS.
The only major growth area: Online ad spending. Internet ads — display only — increased 7% in 2009, according to the report.
Meanwhile, TV ad spending fell 10%, as cable outperformed network TV, and spot spending fell dramatically, as political ads from 2008 weren't around in 2009. Magazines dropped 17%, newspapers and radio each dropped 20%, and outdoor fell 13%.
from the Silicon Valley Insider | Chart of the day
Elegant marketing by a landscaping guy.
This afternoon, I got up from my desk and headed outside and up my driveway to fetch the mail. On the way, I noticed a small bit of shiny plastic at the edge of the drive and decided to pick it up for proper disposal on my way back to the house, er… office. We had a big wind storm two nights ago. The power was out for hours and trash cans had been tipped over. Stuff happens… no big deal.
When I picked up the plastic bag, I took a look and cracked a smile. There it was, on the edge of my driveway, the most elegant bit of marketing communication I had seen in quite a while.
It was a small plastic bag with a stone and a landscaper's business card inside. "I work for people in this neighborhood and I'd like to work for you."
Perfect package, focused targeting, elegant message. BOOM… a trifecta!
If I had been away, the plastic bag would have protected the message from the elements for quite awhile. It was tossed on the side of my driveway, so I wasn't likely to destroy it with my tires. Business cards are cheap, and no postage was required. The stone can be recycled into my existing landscaping. The I'm just sayin'… this thing is elegant.
As it turns out, I already have a landscaper. BUT, I'm keeping this card just in case.
What's the most elegant marketing message you received today? How can you learn from it to improve your own?
Yes, Virginia, people are still reading newspapers.
It seems that setting aside a portion of your advertising budget for newspapers isn't such a bad idea after all. The question every marketer should ask is how can I measure the return on my investment?
Reports of the death of print newspapers may be premature, suggests Scarborough Research. While print newspaper readership is indeed declining slowly, nearly three in four U.S. adults still read printed news on a weekly basis. Printed newspapers appear to be holding onto their audiences well in an era of fragmented media choices, Scarborough says.
Source: The Nielsen Company
Consumers are segmenting themselves.
Before allocating resources, savvy marketers identify segments of the marketplace where they stand the best chance of making an impression that will lead to a sale. In short, they look for the "low hanging fruit".
Big companies use sophisticated CRM (customer relationship management) software to track customer activities, compare them with other customers, and target new offers or custom-tailor support services. In theory, CRM sounds good, but it is complicated and costly.
According to an article by Nick Wreden in Strategy+Business…
A better alternative is now available: The rise in social networks and online communities, combined with the new era of the Web-empowered consumer, makes it possible for companies to reap the benefits of segmentation without many of its costs or complications.
Using self-segmentation information for marketing does present challenges. It must be accompanied by organizational changes. These include allowing or expanding customer input into such insular areas as product design, services, policies, and procedures, and may require that departments other than marketing and customer service open their doors to customers.
Marketing must de-emphasize product promotion and think bigger than the company's brand, tuning into conversations and issues that customers and prospects face. Monitoring and responding to conversations among multiple communities is labor-intensive, and the signal-to-noise ratio can be low.
There are risks as well. The same community that offers an opportunity for a stronger relationship can also generate a backlash that hurts the brand and affects sales.
Read the entire article here.


text: NEW YORK—ESPN.com launched an updated version of its MLB GameCast feature Monday that automatically changes any game's outcome in favor of the user's favorite team. "I used to think that being able to toggle the 'HitZone' on and off was pretty awesome, but toggling a victory on and off is so much better," Mariners fan and GameCast subscriber Mike Walker said. "Most of the time, I'd be following along with the game online and then be pissed off when the Mariners lost. Now, all I have to do is hit the 'make my team win' button." Although the new premium feature is not available for the NFL or NBA GameCasts, baseball fans can obtain the new program by signing up for ESPN Insider and paying a $1,000 monthly subscription fee.


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Some stats: There are nine cartons here of zingy lurid racy tough gritty and absolutely not pc pulp fiction paperbacks. Of the pocket sized kind, there are 139 books, including 8 Ace Double Novels. The word "dame" occurs, I'm estimating, about 1,500 times.
|Other common words include sucker, killer, murder, heck, aw, gun, piece, curves, and dark.
|The eight double novels.
|My favorite cover may be I Want Out, with its double frame.
|The other side of the same books, flipped over and turned upside down. That's how they work. Apparently it's called "tete-beche." The Big Fix takes the cake for me.
|The spines.
|The edges. Not too shabby.
|She's naked, wet, her hair is dry and styled, and she's about to hit this guy over the head with the butt of a gun. Noir has its own logic. Best not to mess with it.


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Things You'll Need
- Measuring tape
- Felt
- Scissors
- Glue gun
- Glue sticks
- Large feather
- Rhinestones
- Sequins
- Hook and loop fastener
The flapper look from the 1920s has made a comeback in the form of Halloween costumes and theme party outfits. Dresses are available at specialty stores, costume shops and vintage clothing retailers, but why not make your own customized accessories? Headbands were hot in the '20s, and were often embellished with rhinestones, feathers or sequins. Have fun and create your own headpiece with a glue gun and a few supplies.
Turn on the glue gun and allow it to come to temperature.
Measure the length of your head, directly around your forehead. Add 2 inches to the total.
Cut a strip of felt 2 inches wide and the length determined in Step 2.
Cut the hook and loop fastener into a 2-inch square. Apply a dime-sized dollop of hot glue to the back of each side of the hook and loop fastener and press each side onto one of the ends of the felt headband to create a closure. Allow the glue to dry before moving on.
Apply another small strip of glue to the back of the base of the feather and adhere the feather to the front or side of the headband. Cover the base of the feather with another dollop of glue and a large rhinestone.
Distribute small dots of glue to the front or side of the headband and add more rhinestones or sequins. Get as fancy as you like, or keep it simple. Allow the glue to dry fully before wearing the headband.
Photo Credits
- PhotoObjects.net/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images


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Today's Gospel: John 6:60-69
Often times when we hear a hard teaching of the church, we may be tempted to "fight it" or argue against it. Some people, like the many disciples, leave Jesus and His church. However, Peter says it best when he responds to Jesus' question, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." What great faith he had in Jesus, when so many people left! Today is not much different. When we look around, it may seem that Catholics and other Christians are in the minority. Many people stray because they are uncomfortable with a certain teaching. However, only through Jesus and His Church can we have eternal life. To whom else shall we go?
How have I lived today? Have I stayed with Jesus and His church despite some tough teachings? Or have I strayed and lived my own way?
Dear Jesus, help me to always choose you. When I am tempted to stray because I want my own way, remind me of your Divine Plan. Like the good Heavenly Father that you are, help me increase my faith in you.
We thank our friends at The Word Among Us for providing our gospel reflection team with copies of Abide In My Word 2015: Mass Readings at Your Fingertips. To pray the daily gospels with this wonderful resource, visit The Word Among Us.
Copyright 2015 Jennifer Gladen


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After taking a break to concentrate on the MLS Cup, College Soccer and other soccer doings, this week GotSoccer checks back in with the latest edition of the Brazil 2014 Spotlight, when we take a look at Eddie Johnson.
The peripatetic Johnson is on the move yet again, traded to DC United from Seattle, just one year removed from leading the Sounders in goals en route to winning the MLS Comeback Player of the Year award.
Not too long ago the idea of Eddie Johnson playing for the U.S. in the 2014 World Cup was the longest of longshots. Johnson had taken himself out of the national team picture with a disastrous move to Fulham in the English Premier League.
After establishing himself in MLS with the Kansas City Wizards and with the U.S. MNT, as a brilliant athlete with an eye for goal, Johnson made the move to London. Johnson could outrun you or out jump you, and in joining a team so Yank friendly that it had acquired the nickname Fulhamamerica, his adjustment should have gone well. It didn't. Brian McBride, Clint Dempsey, Carlos Bocanegra and Kasey Keller all had productive years at the Cottage, but it never happened for Johnson.
EJ was on the books at Fulham from 2008-2011, but the striker appeared just 19 times without scoring a goal. Fulham sent Johnson on several loan stints, where he was better, but not by much. When he finally came back to MLS in 2012, Johnson signed with Seattle after rejecting an earlier offer from the league, and also seeing an offer from Mexico rescinded in mysterious circumstances.
The Fulham experience bruised Johnson's reputation, and the one time super prospect came back to MLS fighting to salvage his career. Johnson did just that, leading Seattle in goals while winning the league's Comeback Player of the Year Award, for the second time. Johnson also won the award in 2006 while with Kansas City.
Johnson's play caught Jurgen Klinsmann's eye, and he earned a recall last October. On October 12, 2012 in Johnson's first game under Klinsmann, the U.S. played the tiny nation of Antigua and Barbuda in the semifinal round of Concacaf World Cup Qualifying. It should have been an easy W, but that was not how it played out.
That night in a driving rainstorm Johnson was the hero, scoring both U.S. goals, including the stoppage time winner. The U.S. had already lost to Jamaica and drawn with Guatemala in the semifinal round. A failure to beat Antigua and Barbuda could have put a serious crimp in the U.S. run to Brazil.
Johnson's most recent previous goal for his country had come in June, 2008 in an 8-0 win over Barbados, but now he was firmly in the conversation for Brazil. Johnson solidified his place by scoring three goals in the final round of WCQ, including the opener against Mexico, in a 2-0 U.S. win in Columbus. That win assured the Americans of a place in Brazil, did it do the same for Johnson?
The new DC man faces competition for a place in Klinsmann's 23, but the coach's willingness to play Johnson as a wing, as well as in his natural striker role, could help Johnson find his way onto the U.S. charter flight to Brazil.
Recent struggles aside, Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey are entrenched as lead attackers in the U.S. lineup. Johnson, Icelandic-American Aron Johannsson and Terrence Boyd lead the race for the final two or three forward positions. Klinsmann normally names five forwards, although Donovan is sometimes listed at forward, and at other times is grouped with the midfielders.
Herculez Gomez could work his way back into the picture, Chris Wondolowski is still on the fringes and someone like Juan Agudelo could potentially make a late run.
So, nothing is assured for Eddie Johnson. Why? For all of his talent Seattle still felt moving Johnson was the move to make. The Sounders were upset by Johnson's "pay me" display after he scored a goal earlier in the season. Seattle chose to give Designated Player money to Ozzie Alonso, and they shipped Johnson to DC.
Johnson will need to perform for rebuilding United, who are said to be preparing a DP contract for their new striker. There are those who note that while Johnson fills the net against MLS and Concacaf competition, he flopped when faced with the rigors of the English Premier League.
In the end it will be up to Johnson, and Klinsmann. We won't know until May, but for now Eddie Johnson is back in the conversation, and that in itself is a win for the well traveled goal scorer.


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Frew's career extended after Steel advance to Grand Final
On the back of an emotionally-charged outing, the Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel have advanced to Sunday's Grand Final against Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse in Palmerston North.
In honour of local legend Wendy Frew, who is set to hang up her bib at the end of the season, and with the stadium named after her to mark the occasion, the Steel rose to the challenge with a hard-fought 53-49 win in the Elimination Final against a gallant Silvermoon Tactix in Invercargill tonight.
The Steel's greater experience and winning know-how proved the difference against a Tactix team who had a season to be proud of after the perennial battlers made the Finals Series for the first time.
After a strong start, the southerners were outplayed through the middle stages by the tenacious Tactix before storming home in the final stanza. The rise of both goal shoots, Jen O'Connell for the Steel and her opposite Ellie Bird, the competition's two tallest players was a feature in a thrilling clash, both having a big influence. But it was big-game composure and experienced heads that won the day.
The Steel got their wish and the inspiring Frew gets to lead the Steel one last time in what will close an endearing and enduring netball chapter.
O'Connell was back for the Steel after missing their last match with an ear complaint while Bird and Brooke Leaver teamed up in the Tactix shooting circle. It was the home side who showed the early initiative, quickly out of the blocks and impressing with their speed through court, spearheaded by Shannon Francois and Gina Crampton to hold a slight edge.
With Bird double-marked, the Tactix had a few problems getting the ball into her hands while at the other end, O'Connell showed her value with a perfect return as the Steel took a 15-12 lead into the first break.
Australian import Kate Beveridge took over at goal attack in the Tactix line-up as the Christchurch-based team made a big move in the second stanza. With the dynamic defensive combination of Jane Watson and Temalisi Fakahokotau warming to the job at hand, the visitors found more turnovers coming their way.
Midcourters Kimiora Poi and Erikana Pedersen, alongside the crafty Beveridge, took every opportunity to feed the towering Bird, who, with impressive accuracy, helped the Tactix negate a six-goal deficit to complete a stunning turnaround before heading into the main break with a slim 29-28 lead.
Both teams delivered an accurate and intense third stanza, Fakahokotau adding to the drama with a speedy timeout to fix a split lip. Initially, it was the visitors, on the back of the growing presence of Bird who looked set to take charge when building a five-goal buffer.
Not to be outdone, the Steel retained the customary doggedness and patience to claw their way back and level up the scores. An unruffled O'Connell was all poise under the Steel hoop with her accuracy keeping her team right in the contest.
An exciting finish was guaranteed after a drawn third quarter left the Tactix with a 41-40 lead at the last break.


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The rain started midway through my short run. Light at first then heavy, like all weather in Chicago. In the hour and half between work and a social engagement, I decided steal away a quick run. The clouds at 5 p.m. were dark and cotton like, and I knew was gambling with Mother Nature by trying to be outside for longer than 15 minutes and yet I wanted to take my chances. Knowing that my upcoming surgery will sideline me from running for several months, and feeling stressed about the procedure, I needed the endorphins to calm my nerves.
The rain pounded down, and the walking path emptied of tourists and bike commuters. It was me and the rain. The front of my teal t-shirt darkened, my hair wetted to the point of dripping, and I stuck my phone down my pants in attempt to keep it dry.
When the weather sings during a run, there isn't much I can do.I have to get home somehow, and without a wallet or keys, my only option is to go the way I came. The rain soaks, the wind thrashes, and I lower my head. I dig my heals in and keep putting one foot in front of the other, like I am trying to finish a 100-mile race through the desert instead of the last mile in a casual run. It doesn't matter how slow I go, though, I feel heroic. Other runners may seen the rain as a good enough reason to stop, but I am out there daring Mother Nature to give me more.
I always feel a bit better when I can outlast Mother Nature, and this weekend I needed the confidence boost. Most days, I couldn't get myself to a mental calm, and I tended to start the morning lethargic and without emotional energy. I questioned big pieces of my life and what may need changing. I don't know where to start and what direction to head. Mostly, I feel overwhelmed.
Part of it came from making preparations for my surgery. I have spent most of my life very healthy, something I love bragging to doctor's about during check ups. This surgery changes that. Although the procedure is routine and I should bounce back just fine after a few months, my body isn't as resilient as I once thought it was, and as I get older, I know it will continue to falter me. That scares me. I'm also terrified about being put under and that the recovery will be harder than I am anticipating.
Also, I feel defeated in my writing ambitions. For the last several months, I've been pitching stories to websites and magazines, submitting pieces to literally, and sending portions of my manuscript to agents. This week, I got a rejection letter nearly every day. I know, I know, that's part of the process. Yes, I have heard the story about Steven King's Carrie being rejected 30 times, how he threw it away, and his wife fished it out and convinced him to send it to one more editor. Or, how JK Rowling received "loads" of rejections before a publisher took on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I know that all writers get more no's than yes's, at first, but it still stings and makes me question my talent. (Also, to note, my book is no where near as good as HP or anything Stephen King has written.)
Out running in the rain that day, thinking about my failures, I remembered the Orpah quote and how running often mimics life. There are times when things are challenging for reasons beyond your control, and you can't fix it – in fact, fixing it only makes it worse. Rather, you have to endure because it's the only way through.
I am feeling off today, as I tend to do on the weekends. I get in these funks when I feel like my contributions are small and worthless, and I don't know what I am doing. As I prepare for a new week, I know that I can outrun this storm. I just got put my head down and keep going.


text: The soprano ANITA HARTIG was born in Romania. After completing the Music School, the young singer completed her vocal studies at the Music Academy in Cluj-Napoca. Anita Hartig is a prize winner of several international competitions. In 2006, she gave her stage debut as Mimì in La Bohème at the Opera in Cluj. At the Wiener Staatsoper, where she is an ensemble member, Anita Hartig gave her debut in October 2009 as Musetta (La Bohème) and has also sung roles among others, like Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Despina (Così fan tutte), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Echo (Ariadne auf Naxos), Frasquita (Carmen), Mimì (La Bohème), Marzelline (Fidelio), Micaëla (Carmen), Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro) and Liù (Turandot). Performances have led the soprano to important international music theatres, e.g. Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Milan Scala, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London, the Bayerische Staatsoper, the Semperoper, the Paris Opera, the Zurich Opera, the Liceu in Barcelona, the Hamburgische Staatsoper, to Tokyo and Athens, to the Théâtre de La Monnaie, the Cardiff National Opera, to Berlin and Toulouse.


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Love your inspirations, noelleloveshoney! :)
A Community Recipe by Noelleloveshoney
I found a whole jar of tropical traditions coconut cream in my pantry and was in the mood for something special. This recipe was inspired by Vivapura's website recipe for white bark. They're not too sweet, so you could add more powdered sweetener but I don't think I'd use agave because the coconut butter may seize...
Found in:


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On December 10, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and the National Defense Forces (NDF) liberated the villages of Zafaria, Tell Boulus, Umm Turaykiyah, Rujm al-Ahmar, Shutayb, Mushayrifah and al-Hawiyah in the northern Hama countryside, according to the Syrian Army media department. Thus, the SAA is now deployed in the outskirts of the strategic town of Abu Dali located in the southern Idlib countryside.
The pro-Syrian government blog al-Masdar News said that the Tiger Forces will soon launch its attack from Khanasir town towards the Abu Duhur Airbase in the southwestern Aleppo countryside.
Syrian pro-government activists confirmed that General Suheil al-Hassan had arrived Khanasir to oversee the upcoming attack.
Meanwhile, Syrian opposition activists reported that over 190 airstrikes and 1,800 artillery shells targeted the positions of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in the northern Hama countryside and southwestern Aleppo countryside in the last 24 hours.
From it side, the HTS-linked news agency Iba'a claimed that HTS fighters repelled an attack of the SAA on their positions in the village of Hajar southwest of Khanasir. According to Iba'a, HTS fighters captured a vehicle armed with a 14.5mm gun from the SAA while repelling the attack.
Iba'a also said that HTS fighters repelled another attack of the SAA on the village of al-Shakusiyah in the northeastern Hama countryside. 8 soldiers of the SAA were killed by HTS during the clashes around al-Shakusiyah, according to Iba'a.
The HTS defense lines in the northern Hama countryside and southwestern Aleppo countryside will be under a stiff pressure in the upcoming days as the SAA is deploying more fresh units to boost its ongoing attack there.


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Relaunch for Orion Wholesale's online store
Posted: March 14, 2018
Orion Wholesale has announced the relaunch of its online shop. The company says that an intense period of development, and the employment of cutting edge technology, has yielded a store with a new look, clearer layout and more technical functions. Online ordering for its customers will therefore be quicker, simpler and more user-friendly.
Orion says its new store is well equipped for future demands and it has been optimised for smartphones and tablets. It contains more product photos, information and videos, while dynamic product recommendations and new filter options should help retailers find what they are searching for much easier.
The new site can be seen at www.orion-wholesale.com


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Top: Disney Hall, Frank Gehry
Bottom: Farnsworth House, Mies van der Rohe
Archive for the 'Chicago' Category
The stock market made manifest in Architecture02/05/2009
Renzo Piano's Art Institute of Chicago wing – sneak preview01/15/2009
When the Modern Wing at the Art Institute of Chicago opens on May 16, 2009, you are in for a treat. The galleries and the building are elegant, uplifting spaces, beautifully detailed. They should support the art very well, and not overwhelm it. This is the highest quality design and craftsmanship seen in a public project in Chicago since Millennium Park.
I guess you still get a lot for 300 million dollars, the budget here. Unlike so many twisting, over-reaching museum buildings that have come on the scene of late, Chicago wisely went for understated architecture that will not date quickly, with its neo-classical symmetry and elegance.
The expansion will increase the size of the museum by more than one third. It's the largest (and best) expansion to the museum since it opened one hundred and thirty years ago. The exterior is limestone, like most of the museum; and for those who are counting, this adds more than 250,000 square feet.
Me, I can't wait to go in. Let's enter under the glass canopy:
Once you're inside, this architecture will graciously step back, and let you contemplate –and get excited by – the art. When you enter through those doors above, you'll see
(Of course the floor will be finished.)
You're looking south here. This is what's called the "main street" of this project. It runs all the way into the old building and provides a new north-south axis to the museum that until now was mainly organized east-west.
Officially this double-height space is called the Griffin Court, after the high-flying hedge fund manager and art collector — as in $80 million dollars for a Jasper Johns painting — Kenneth Griffin of Citadel Investment Group. He and his wife Anne are said to have had one of their first dates in the Art Institute, and well before the current economic mess we're all in, (and I'm sure he lost more than I have), Mr. Griffin made a generous donation of about $19 million dollars and got the court named after him. This makes you realize we're lucky that the project broke ground in 2005. A $300 million dollar addition like this would not be planned in the current economic conditions. It also drives home the point that the Art Institute did not sell naming rights for the entire wing. Bravo! "The Modern Wing." That's nice Midwestern straight talk and modesty.
At the far end of the "main street" will be a café, which we hope will fill this entry space with the sweet smell of espresso. Walk through the doors at the end and voila! you'll be in the center of the old museum. (For those who remember, you'll be where the Marc Chagall stained glass used to be. The Chagall windows will return, but it hasn't been decided exactly where they'll be placed.)
On the right of the Griffin Court is a long north-south gallery building. The first floor will be galleries for special exhibitions– the first will be works by Cy Twombly. The second floor will be galleries for Architecture and Design! Finally, they get their due at the Art Institute of Chicago. Space for architecture and design exhibitions will almost triple, up to about 7500 square feet.
Elsewhere on the ground floor of the Modern Wing you'll find an admissions desk, coat room and shop; plus galleries for photography, and electronic media.
Notice in the photo above, on the left side, the nice "quote" Piano offers Chicago — a Mies van der Rohe style "floating" staircase, like the masterpiece Mies designed for the Arts Club of Chicago.
There's Mies' stair. Piano is a big fan of Mies. I once walked with him through Mies' New National Gallery in Berlin, and he spoke of the beautiful clarity in Mies' manner of expressing structure and also said he appreciates the way Mies uses reflections and transparency.
Back to the entryway. On the left, just past the "homage" staircase, where you see the light coming in, you'll find a new garden. Renzo Piano is a master of the confluence of Nature, Architecture and Art. He loves to display vegetation, through large glass walls, to bring nature indoors. He's done this to superb effect at the Menil Collection in Houston, his masterpiece Beyeler Foundation museum in Basel, and at the New York Times building. It is very satisfying, particularly in an urban environment. Much good architecture, like art, is based on nature and he is wise to provide us with the connection.
Besides the architecture and the light and space and sound in the entry court of the Modern Wing you won't find any art displayed. It's not even climate controlled enough for art. But it will be suitable to rent out for functions and it's already in demand.
The long corridor
reminds me of
The great Italian "gallerias" such as the one in Milan. Renzo Piano is Italian, and studied there. (In Milan, not in the galleria — although that galleria is also good place to study urban beauties.)
Piano's foyer in Chicago gives us a modern asymmetry, and novelty. But the structural ribs that help hold up the roof repeat with regularity for the length of the ceiling. As you walk through the foyer you're aware of their rhythm, their repetition, and of the repetition of the module that they create up above. The visually regular "beat" gives us the sense of a humanist, ordered, 19th-century glass-covered arcade; with the added pulse of the mystical mathematics of the Renaissance. Yes, Renzo Piano at his best is capable of all that. Few of today's designers are.
The Art Institute quotes him as saying,
Chicago is known everywhere as the first city of modern architecture. Here you are building within the great tradition of our own time, but also within sight of the immense open lakeshore, within steps of a vital city center, just across from Millennium Park. My desire was to root the Art Institute's building deeply in this ground, but at the same time to give the Modern Wing air and lightness—to let it levitate. A continuation of an urban fabric, a flight into new experiences: this is what I have hoped to achieve, for Chicago and for one of the world's best-loved museums.
The Art Institute foyer or "court" also reminds me of Renzo Piano's long, narrow, lit from above with natural light "Arkaden" shopping mall at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin.
Once again we see how museums have become places to "consume" culture.
But while the malls in Milan and Berlin feature shops left and right the Art Institute Modern Wing offers you elegant rooms in which to look at art. On the right, you see the new galleries for Architecture and Design. Much larger and better space than what those departments currently have. But most of the new galleries are in the large square to the left of the entry court.
Let me say here that the Michigan Avenue entrance into the original 1892-3 Beaux-Arts palace is expected to remain the principal entrance.
You can enter from Michigan Avenue, wind your way through Asian and other non-Western art, and antiquities, medieval, Renaissance, Baroque and so on up to the end of the nineteenth century — at which point you'll find a door. Open it, to enter this new Modern Wing, for 20th- and 21st-century art.
The progression is well thought out. And the passage from old art/old building into the new should be satisfying. Going this way, you will enter the Modern Wing on the second floor. There you'll find the Art Institute's 20th- and 21st-century European painting and sculpture, contemporary art, photography, and architecture and design. The architecture and design galleries will house temporary exhibitions and show pieces from the permanent collection.
In the galleries in the new building you'll get views like this:
What a view! What a city! That's Millennium Park, with the Frank Gehry bandshell.
Now move back, away from the window. The gallery, still under construction, looks like this:
What a gallery! I like the trend of connecting galleries to views of the city, rather than blocking out all natural light and urban connections. Of course, walls are being constructed in these elegant rooms, on which to hang art. So, unfortunately, but necessarily, we won't get many of the great unobstructed views seen above.
You can see the galleries are nicely proportioned and nicely finished. They could be larger, especially for contemporary art, but a wonderful aspect of Chicago's Art Institute is that it doesn't overwhelm you; doesn't exhaust you. Almost everywhere you have an intimate relationship to the art on display, and it looks like that will continue here in the new wing.
What would a Modern Art museum in America be without a Sol Lewitt wall drawing? They nearly all have them. Click here and here to see what these are all about.
The Art Institute will mount Wall Drawing #63, which it acquired in 1985. It has been "up" once, perhaps twice, since acquisition.
When you go upstairs to the third (and top) floor, you get similarly gorgeous galleries, and these are lit with natural sunlight, masterfully manipulated by the scrims and the "flying carpet" structure of the roof. It's a white, extruded aluminum sun-screen of cantilevered blades.
They capture the north light and send it into the top-floor galleries.
The system is designed to adjust to minute fluctuations in light. Photovoltaic cells in the window scrims and computer-controlled artificial lighting are supposed to keep light levels consistent.
Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW) is among the best at manipulating natural light in rooms for looking at art. See their Paul Klee Center in Switzerland, or the Nasher Sculpture Garden in Dallas, or again, the Beyeler Foundation in a suburb of Basel, Switzerland- in fact, here's a view of the highly-acclaimed Beyeler. See the similarities?
A floating roof ("flying carpet" Piano calls them both) to manipulate the light. A classically inspired three-part façade. Flat planes of stone projecting out into space. A strong combination of nature, architecture and art.
Interesting that for Piano's largest museum project to date – Chicago- he chose to drawn on what many consider his best museum – the Beyeler.
Often when artists enlarge their works, that is, increase the scale, the design falls apart. Failure ensues. Due to scale, Chicago may not be the jewel that the Beyeler is, but Piano has done an expert job of keeping the sensitivity of his earlier, more intimate work. And it's exciting to see it recast at urban scale for Chicago.
Having recently visited RPBW's work in Los Angeles- the Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM)
– as in Chicago, a wing for contemporary art attached to an encyclopedic museum (the L.A. County Museum of Art) – I can say I much prefer the work in Chicago. It's far more elegant both outside and in. In L.A. the outside is a forbidding, too-solid, stone box. The light is nice in the top floor galleries, coming through metal fins and treated glass and then scrims, as in Chicago. I find Chicago's ceiling composition to be more pleasing. In L.A. RPBW put ventilation grills in the floor of the galleries. They create dark lines in the floor, which have no relationship to the temporary walls that curators build, and the thick dark lines on the floor distract your attention from the art on the walls. I'm glad we don't have those in Chicago.
Where the third floor views are the most stunning, through the double panes of glass, which make everything quiet and serene.
The third floor will feature European painting and sculpture since approximately 1900, including works by Picasso, Matisse, Kandinsky, Brancusi, and Giacometti. The new building will allow the Art Institute for the first time to display these works in galleries filled with natural light.
Renzo Piano Building Workshop is one of the busiest firms in the world. And at some of their projects the detailing is exquisite. At others it is less so. You'll be pleased with the detailing in Chicago. It is fine throughout the Modern Wing.
Notice the slight indentation (called a 'reveal') when the gallery walls meet the floor. (It won't be as prominent when finished.) This makes the floor seem to float, it makes it seem less solid, makes the space for art seem more ethereal.
Look at the glass staircase.
Glass in this building is for looking out at the city; also to reflect the city.
Take the stairway down to the first floor.
Much of the space in the new wing will be devoted to Museum Education. It's on the ground floor, easily accessible, free of charge, no need to pay museum admission. The Art Institute will double its space for Museum Education. To inspire a cultured populace and future generations of visitors to the Art Institute!
You enter this directly off of Monroe street. Walk through the birch-lined corridor.
You'll find 20,000-square feet of classrooms and studios for school kids and families. Again, Piano let the natural light pour in.
At times the light is almost Edward Hopper-esque, as in this room, which fronts a new garden.
A new garden? Yes. Again, that combination of nature, art and architecture that Piano strives for. He pulls the outside into the building. The garden, designed by a woman familiar to Chicagoans (and garden-lovers around the world), will go underneath this great Renzo Piano "flying carpet."
Read my next post on the Art Institute to find out who is designing the garden. This view is from Columbus Avenue, between the new Modern Wing of the Art Institute, and the old east entrance to the museum.
Read about it, and I'll tell you about the exterior of the building (which I find too large for its site) in my next post.
As for sustainability, the Art Institute seeks silver LEED certification for the Modern Wing,
I'll also write soon about the 620 foot long bridge also designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop. In daring Chicago structural style it will span Monroe Street with few supports, and fly above the street (what a view from there!) to the third floor restaurant and to the admission free third floor sculpture terrace of the Art Institute.
for a look at the exterior of the new Modern Wing
of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Renzo Piano gets all Midwestern, at the Art Institute of Chicago01/13/2009
Coming soon to Hello Beautiful! – a sneak preview, with images, of the new Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago, by the Renzo Piano Building Workshop. (It's due to open May 16, 2009.)
For now, here's an image of the east facade, as seen from Grant Park.
For a while during construction, this facade- which faces Grant Park and Lake Michigan to the east- was just stone, and rather blank. I thought it a shame. Why deprive visitors to the Art Institute, of what would be great views, surely from the upper floors?
If we're going to build such a tall building in the park, we at least should give ourselves some new vistas in return.
I was relieved when they mounted this glassed-in modernist ornament.
But I couldn't quite figure out why I liked it as much as I did. Yes, it's a nicely designed and crafted piece of ornament, which in modernist tradition will be functional. It is less solid than the wall, thus it brings out the essence of the stone. It even offers transparency; which we always find interesting. It creates desire, a good thing for an art museum. It also creates a satisfying, three part facade. The parts are nicely proportioned to each other and to the whole, and we "hear" a nice rhythm, of solid / void / solid. This is far more musical than a plain stone facade would have been.
But it has more power over me than those reasons would cause, and I was trying to figure out what it is. So I walked around this facade, looking at it from all angles, until I saw
the great relic. The arch from Louis Sullivan's demolished Stock Exchange.
Yes, that's it. The way Renzo Piano placed this form-follows-function ornament on the facade, and the way it contrasts to his minimalist stonework, reminds me of Louis Sullivan's Midwestern "Jewel Box" banks. Such as this one in Grinnell, Iowa.
Go to the Art Institute and see if you feel it. Renzo Piano channeling Louis Sullivan.
Stanley Tigerman's Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie, Illinois01/12/2009
Due to open in April 19, 2009. The top view is taken from the Edens Expressway, I-94, which is how most people will first see the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center.
When you visit you'll park in an adjacent lot (many school groups are expected), get out of your car, and be greeted by
Now walk around the side of the building. Their website tells us,
"Visitors enter on the dark side, where dark walls and sharp angles represent 'the descent into darkness.' The permanent exhibition begins in the dark side.
The "hinge" of the building is an awe-inspiring Book of Remembrance, and is the memorial to those who perished in the Holocaust. The "cleave" formed by the hinge between dark and light, houses an authentic early 20th century German rail car that serves as the museum's anchor artifact."
The third part of the building "ascends into the light." The soft rounded edges and rooflines filled with natural light emphasize exhibits that represent the rescue and renewal of survivors of the Holocaust."
The 65,000-square-foot facility will be anchored by a permanent exhibition to tell the story of the Holocaust. It also will house a "Hall of Reflection," a 300-seat theater and a library.
Do you remember the Chicago northern suburb of Skokie? After World War Two it held one of the largest concentration of Holocaust survivors in the world. (For years Skokie had signs saying, "World's Largest Village." Michael Feldman of Public Radio's "WhadYa Know?" called it "World's Largest Shtetl." In 1977 and 1978, a small group of Illinois Nazis attempted to march there. The issue went to court, ultimately the fools marched in Chicago.
Today the Holocaust survivors in Skokie are fewer in number, although many of their descendants still live in and around the far more multi-cultural village today.
Here's another view of Stanley Tigerman's building, seen next to David Hovey / Optima's large condo complex. They both abut a large Cook County Forest Preserve. You see the two parts of Stanley Tigerman's building.
The dark and the light. I look forward to its opening this April.
Thanksgiving quiz – You've never been inside this building, but you will be. – What is it?11/27/2008
Its indoor "street," with shops or galleries to each side reminds me of an Italian Galleria, such as
and it is the "son of"
In which major new cultural building, due to open
(with a splash) in May?
Details and more thoughts on this, more photos, exterior shots, plus- is the bridge to this any good? It's got a tough act to follow! Answers after we pause for Thanksgiving. I'll also write about the restoration work at Mies van der Rohe's 860-880 Lake Shore Drive Apartments.
I have much for which to be grateful. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. And write me, if you can name the building above.
E.L. swell in Dwell11/14/2008
by, moi.
No link available, but the magazine is. The entire issue is superb.
A Great Day in Chicago!11/05/2008
And, among other issues, clearly Obama's victory will help Chicago bid for the 2016 Olympics:
''I wonder how IOC members will react when Mr. Obama appears in a presentation for Chicago,'' Japanese Olympic Committee (a rival bidder for 2016) President Tsunekazu Takeda told Japanese media Wednesday." More here.
Photos: Top: Pan-African News, Art Institute by spudart, Metropolitan building with beacon by spudart, aerial view with lake and light: Chicago Tribune, Obama et al onstage via Reuters.
Mies' Lake Shore Drive Apartments being restored10/30/2008
I've written a lot about the restoration going on at 860-880 Lake Shore Drive by Mies van der Rohe. It's time to start showing some pictures of the buildings that look better than they have in years. Here's one of the new plaza being laid down.
I'll try to post more photos over the next few days, culminating in a spectacular shot of the two buildings, taken from Olive Park, across the water, showing just how crisp and jet black the new paint job looks. The two buildings really pop out now, as they should. After these two zen-like high-rises, the rest is background.
Big thanks to Marc Boxerman for the photos.
Mies' Lake Shore Drive Apartments being restored10/30/2008
I've written a lot about the restoration going on at 860-880 Lake Shore Drive by Mies van der Rohe. It's time to start showing some pictures of the buildings that look better than they have in years. Here's one of the new plaza being laid down.
I'll try to post more photos over the next few days, culminating in a spectacular shot of the two buildings, taken from Olive Park, across the water, showing just how crisp and jet black the new paint job looks. The two buildings really pop out now, as they should. After these two zen-like high-rises, the rest is background.
Big thanks to Marc Boxerman for the photos.
A more transparent Farnsworth House10/23/2008
Amazing. The Farnsworth House with all the furniture and the teak wardrobe at the east end removed. The wardrobe was taken away for restoration after the flood. We get a chance to see Miesian space flow in new ways.
I think Mies didn't want that cabinetry there, his client Edith Farnsworth convinced him she needed it.
Photos courtesy of Whitney French and Landmarks Illinois. Every historic house should have site manager who is such a good photographer!
Three more photographs here. And you'll find out how to visit the house, and/or help pay for restoration.


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Sunday, August 19, 2012
Boots, Hat, Spurs, And A Rope
The Exotic Male Dancer As Cowboy
Are you easy? Working It To Get The Tips.
There is usually at least one in every social circle. You know the one they say is 'easy'. That usually means the one that you can get to go to bed with you with very little effort. And you can 'easily' find out who that person is by listening. You'll hear things like, "He's slept with everyone in the bar." Or, maybe, "Who hasn't he slept with?" I make no judgements here. I mean, a boy has got to have his fun hasn't he? So, I ask the question, are you easy? Well, maybe that isn't exactly what this blog is about. (Photo: Brick ~ Dallas, TX)
What I really want to know is whether you stay with the easy money or do you work the crowd? In some bars/clubs the dancers make their tips, not while dancing on the stage, but while walking around the room working the crowd. By working the crowd, we mean talking and flirting with the patrons, placing your body very close (if not basically in their lap), and well...shall we say some allow a little discrete exploration of said close body. WHAT? You mean they have their hands on...and they... Well, not always, not with all dancers, but yes, sometimes it does happen. Just keeping it real here. (Photo: 340 Nightclub ~ Pomona, CA)
By staying with the easy money I am talking about the regular customer. The one you know will tip and usually tips well. But at the same time, this customer often keeps his/her hands busy in your personal space. I do not recommend that you leave this guaranteed source of financial support but I want to suggest that maybe you move around the room a little more. Some customers just need a little attention and will begin to tip. For example, if I tip a dancer while he is performing on stage, etc., if he stops by my table when he is finished and thanks me, I will tip again and usually more. When I walk up to the pole, I am giving him attention and tip money. When he walks to my table, he is giving me attention. Yes, I will tell you up front, I am easy. So, when the exotic male dancer gives me some attention I will respond financially. (Photo: Club Xstatic ~ Springfield, MA)
Why is it important to work the entire room? We've all heard the proverb, "Don't put all your eggs in one basket." In this case, we're meaning that an exotic male dancer should not rely on one major source for all their tips during a night. Why? Well, let's say this customer moves away from the area. Then, you've lost all that income. However, if you have been 'working' other customers in the crowd, then if one leaves, there is less damage and usually you have someone who will quickly take their place. (Photo: MJs Bar ~ Los Angeles, CA)
Also, when customers are ignored, they are less likely to return. I've given examples like this before but it's worth repeating. I went to a male strip club one night with two friends. Between the three of us we had $300 dollars that night to spend on the boyz. Except for one dancer, we were ignored. The reason we were ignored was mainly because the dancers chose the easy targets, the customers who were regulars and tipped them often. However, had they pulled themselves away for a few minutes and spread a little attention our way, they would have been able to receive not only the tips from the regulars, but a large portion of our $300 would have found its way in their waistebands as well. (Photo: Club Krave ~ Blue Island, IL
So, what have we learned? First, don't spend all your time with the quick and easy money. Second, work the room. Third, give some attention to new customers or those you don't yet know. Until next time, come over here and stand real close to me. I'll start sliding dollar bills in your ...
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Friday, August 10, 2012
The Swing State
~ The Male Stripper Interpretation
In this election year you cannot be exposed to the news, facebook posts, conversations, etc., without hearing something about U.S. politics. And lately a popular topic has been the 'swing state', a state that could eventually go for either candidate because at this point it is too close to call. Well, we have our own interpretation of 'swing state'. We've shared a few of our favorite examples in this blog. Please enjoy! (Photo above: The Bow Wow ~ Columbus, OH)
(Photo above: Ethan ~ Chicago, IL)
And we're not discussing the blue or the red state labels. The only left and right we are interested in is watching which way the momentum is going, left or right thigh. And we like it when the poll shows that everything is going up and down frequently. In our interpretation top of the poll is good as well as bottom. And we don't measure in percentages, we're more partial to inches. (Photo above: Pan Dulce ~ San Diego, CA)
(Photo above: The Bow Wow ~ Columbus, OH)
We have our own interpretation of such things as a Tea Bag too, but that's for another blog at another time. However, we would like to Occupy the space right in front of any of these dancers. Camping out could be fun! And we would tip too!
There used to be a saying on election day that went something like "Head to the polls!" which meant going to vote of course. We hope that maybe we have inspired you to vote, one way or another. Do your civic duty and cast your ballot by pulling the knob or the old-fashioned way of marking it and then putting it in the hole.
(Photo above: MJ's ~ Los Angeles, CA)
Click on any of the pics in this blog for more information about the clubs/events/agencies where these dancers perform. And see if you can catch them in a swinging state. You may have to make a move and come from behind.
Until next time, don't forget to tip the boyz! And if they're wearing something red, white, or blue...give them a little extra!
Monday, August 6, 2012
Death Of A Facebook Page
Where have the half-naked exotic male dancer pic albums gone?
A funeral dirge may need to be played soon for some facebook pages. It seems in 2010 facebook hit a peak for marketing of clubs, events, agencies, photographers and male dancers or at least many of those related to the exotic male dancer entertainment industry. Since that time I have noticed more and more facebook pages being neglected or even ignored. If you view the photo albums you will often find their owner's last album posts were from Halloween 2010 or New Year's Eve 2010, etc. And although they continue to post posters for their upcoming events. The rest of their facebook page is dead. In some cases, their official website fares no better and may be even in worse repair. (Photo above: Pan Dulce ~ San Diego, CA)
Some of this could be due to the success of Twitter and it's image offshoots which provide a simple quick post. However, as a promoter, I am a true believer in getting your name out in as many places as possible. And I strongly believe in building the photo albums, updating info, etc., on facebook because the target market for exotic male dancers wants to see dick and ass. It's that simple. When there is an album showcasing the latest and hottest dancers at an event or club night, this target market is going to click on a pic posted on facebook and then follow it to the album it came from in order to obtain more information, and let's be real...they're going to go see if they can see more cock outlines in briefs, butt cheeks being revealed, etc., etc. They might even look at the muscular build and face. And they will think, I want to go and see that in person...and tip it...and cop a feel...and... (Photo above: Andrew Christian Promo)
(Photo above: XL Nightclub, Manhattan, NY)
And while I am on this topic let me add in the basics. With the poster-type ads posted on the facebook wall, I quit counting the number that do not list a club's address, city, zip and phone number. Sure, the regulars are going to know the location, but has it been forgotten that we are a mobile society? People travel all the time for work and play. When I travel I am always looking for a way to fill my nights with fun and entertainment. Of course, the first thing I look for is exotic male dancers. Since male dancers are my favorite form of entertainment, I am going to spend a little more time digging to get the information I need. But, there are those who are not as passionate about the subject as I. But if given the information they need while attached to that pic of a sexy male dancer, I predict they would more often make the decision to attend. When the location and other information is not there, will they take the time to look for it? You never know and could have missed a potential customer...which could translate into a lost door charge, lost drink charge, lost drink tips, and lost exotic male dancer tips. (Photo above: Featuring Johnathan Myers for Eleven Nightclub ~ Los Angeles, CA)
Now that I have my rant out of the way, let me make it clear that there are many exceptions to the rule as well. There are those who are still using facebook as a successful marketing tool while providing us with some mighty sweet male eye candy. And I have posted pics from some of them in the paragraphs in this blog. Some of my favorites are Andrew Christian underwear (West Hollywood, CA), James Townsend Photos (West Hollywood, CA), BJs NXS (Dallas, TX), Pan Dulce (San Diego, CA), 340 Nightclub (Pomona, CA), XL Nightclub (Manhattan, NY), and male dancer and entertainer Johnathan Myers (Los Angeles, CA). (Photo above: 340 Club ~ Pomona, CA)
(Photo above: BJs NXS, Dalls, TX)
So, my advice is to get out those smart phones and start using your cameras. Build albums that promote your business, service, entertainment, etc. And keep posting them on my wall. I do notice, particularly if you'll attach a hot exotic male dancer whose private parts are about to bust out of those hopefully-too-small for him underwear. An occasional jock-strap works as well. (Photo above: James Townsend Photos ~ West Hollywood, CA for Whitey Tighties)
|We move in a fast-paced, media hungry world. Last month's pics and videos are old news. Last year's pics and videos are ancient history. Keep it fresh. Keep us coming back for more. Until next time, keep tipping the boyz and take a pic or two while your at it. And post them in an album...you can call it, Photos For Mike, or something just as clever. (Photo above: 340 Club ~ Pomona, CA)


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Julien Quentel has won the first PWA World Tour stage of his windsurfing career, after a dramatic finish at the 2014 Pegasus Airlines Alacati PWA World Cup, in Turkey.
The windsurfer from Saint Maarten had all the pressure on his side. After failing to advance from heat nine with a poor start, Quental was at the hands of Antoine Albeau, who only needed to finish fourth in the winners' final.
Surprisingly, the "French Bullet" missed the opportunity and failed to reach the semifinals. Julien Quentel was ready to celebrate a maiden victory in the pro windsurfing circuit.
"I'm really happy. I couldn't watch the heat with Antoine because I was just like is he or isn't he going to make the top four. But, thankfully it worked out for me. Today is a great day for me, after a week of brilliant racing here in Alacati," underlined Quentel.
Sarah-Quita Offringa repeated a robust performance in Turkish waters. The sailor from Aruba proved uncatchable yet again as she took her seventh victory out of a possible nine ahead of Delphine Cousin, who secured second place overall.
"Everything worked out this week. I don't know what the secret was, the sails that I borrowed from Jordy, a massive thanks to him, are really fast, and I also had nothing to lose at this event," explains Offringa.
"If I can keep the sails, then I'm planning on competing in France and New Caledonia, and hopefully with the discard I'll have a shot at the title."
2014 Pegasus Airlines Alacati PWA World Cup | Men
1. Julien Quentel
2. Antoine Albeau
3. Pascal Toselli
4. Arnon Dagan
5. Ben Van Der Steen
2014 Pegasus Airlines Alacati PWA World Cup | Women
1. Sarah-Quita Offringa
2. Delphine Cousin
3. Lena Erdil
4. Valerie Ghibaudo
5. Fulya Ünlü


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Saturday 20 October 2018,
- Tables of 10 seats. Includes complimentary
savouryand sweet platters to share.
- Tickets available from Radio 1XX
- Includes complimentary
savouryand sweet platters to share.
- Tickets available from Radio 1XX
- Includes a complimentary drink on arrival.
General Information
Tickets through iTICKET. Please note booking and transaction fees apply. Book using the links above or at www.iticket.co.nz or phone (09)361 1000.
Tickets also available from the Whakatane i-site, 4 Arts Sake Ohope, and Radio 1XX.
Please note this is an R18 event. Dress code: Formal.
Bus Routes
Bus tickets: $10 per person – must be pre-booked. Please note these are just for homeward journeys.
- Departs
- War Memorial hall via Mokoroa Road, Pohutakawa Avenue, Harbour Road, Ocean Road, Te Taiwatea Drive.
- Tickets available from Radio 1XX
- Departs
- War Memorial Hall via Commerce Street, The Strand, Quay Street, Hillcrest road
- Tickets available from Radio 1XX
- Bus Cancelled due to Lack of demand.
On the Night
Charity Auction
Thanks to generous local sponsors, a charity auction will take place at the event. Wonderful items including jewellery, pamper packages and holiday adventures. All proceeds from the charity auction support Life Education Trust EBOP.
This is available at the War Memorial Complex in Short Street, security will be on-site during the event however overnight security will not be in force.
Mobility/Disability access
Silver table seating is suitable for those with mobility issues, however,
Please note: the use of strobe and 'special' effects lights may be used and can induce epileptic fits and migraines.
Host Responsibility
Host responsibility/Transport is very important to Life Education Trust EBOP.
Please plan ahead to ensure you get home safely by designating a sober driver or booking bus transport home for after the event. Why
Intoxication persons will not be served. Persons under 18 years of age will not be permitted into the event.
We will be doing our darndest to reduce landfill waste from this event. We will be recycling all glass, cardboard, paper and accepted PET or type 1-7 plastics. Food waste will be composted. We'd love your help by reusing glasses – wine and water in particular. This is a huge help as it not only saves hot water and power costs but allows our staff to be more available to sort compost and recycling into the appropriate bins.


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Bulk home buying by investors driving up prices
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The real estate market is red hot, and some local homeowners are hoping to cash in. But analyst are worried about what's driving this upward trend and how it will end.
"We thought we'd give it a try and put it on the market," said Sean Premock who recently listed his home in Fort Lauderdale's Victoria Park neighborhood.
The asking price for his nicely renovated, three bedroom pool home is $589,000. That's about $150,000 more than he paid for it three years ago.
Despite the tens of thousands of dollars he's put in to the place, Premock stands to make a handsome profit by cashing out.
"Very much so, a lot of houses in here have increased dramatically over the past two years," he said.
The latest year over year numbers show home prices in Broward jumped 28 percent in the month of July. The median price is $275,000. In Miami Dade, the median price is $230,000 for a single family home. That's up almost 26 percent compared to this time last year.
Analysts say hedge funds and real estate investors are driving this upward trend. According to the most recent numbers from McCabe Research, big money managers purchased 40 percent of all homes in South Florida in July. That shrinking supply of homes is driving up prices.
"Houses, we're buying them for a fraction of what you can build them for, and that will only last so long," said Dallas Wharton, co-founder of Delavaco Properties, Inc., a Fort Lauderdale investment firm that's spent $145 million over the past two years almost exclusively in Florida. They've bought more than 1400 homes and multi-family units. Most of his clients are Canadian.
"For us, we'll go buy the houses, we'll renovate them if need be, we'll put tenants in them. We'll rent them and that's our intention, to have the rental income which provides the yield for our investors, and hopefully enjoy the appreciation on the asset," Wharton said.
But analysts worry that when prices level out, these institutional investors will flood the market with homes for sales and that will, once again, cause prices to drop like a rock.
"Are we creating an artificial bubble here?," Local 10's Roger Lohse asked Wharton.
"You know, I've heard that and I think not. I think absolutely not. You've got to think, where would we be without hedge funds and guys like ourselves? The neighborhoods would be downtrodden. I think we provide a service to the market and it's a free market, anyone out there is free to buy," he replied.
As long as the rental market is strong, Wharton said he'll keep his investors' money in real estate, and homeowners like Premock said they'll be more than happy to take it.
"I am a little concerned with that so, again, that's why I want to take the money and run," Premock said.
Analysts predict this upward trend in home prices will continue for three to five years, and after that, what happens with the real estate market will depend a lot on interest rates and whether banks make it easier to borrow.
The challenge for homeowners hoping to make a buck is to figure out when the market has topped out and sell before the big investors do.
Copyright 2013 by Local10.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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I've been using Henri Nouwen's Bread for the Journey recently for my devotions. This was the passage for today:
There is something beautiful about shyness, even though in our culture shyness is not considered a virtue. On the contrary, we are encouraged to be direct, look people straight in the eyes, tell them what is on our minds, and share our stories without a blush.
But this unflinching soul-baring, confessional attitude quickly becomes boring. It is like trees without shadows. Shy people have long shadows, where they keep much of their beauty hidden from intruders' eyes. Shy people remind us of the mystery of life that cannot be simply explained or expressed. They invite us to reverent and respectful friendships and to a wordless being together in love.
Nouwen's wisdom is so enriching here, especially since I've been making a conscious effort to practice the exact opposite in my life. I've been trying to be more vulnerable, more open, confessing my sins and weaknesses—less shy, in other words. These are good things, but there is a fragile beauty in its opposite as well.


text: Anyone that's shopped for new glasses in the past few years can relate to the expense and hassle that it can be. Frames are ruled by luxury brands and lenses can cost hundreds of dollars alone. Warby Parker is here to change that with great looking, boutique quality glasses for only $95 — and that's with prescription lenses included. Check out their full selection at WarbyParker.com, where you can virtually "try on" a pair yourself.


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ERROR: can't read /DL/db/CP/NAME_link.db database.
Archerd Shell Collection
About 350 species are known, most found in 6 meters or more of water, with a few species, only, found on shore.
shells are typically 4 mm in length, whereas
shells up to 150 mm have been found off shore of Japan. Fossil species of
up to 300 mm, with a 30 mm diameter, are known. The shells are widely used for jewelry and are often massed in the beaded portions of American Indian clothing decorations.
Family: Siphonodentaliidae
Dentalium elephantinum
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Elephant Tusk
, 6.5 cm
Drawing of the common tusk shell,
Dentalium vulgare
(da Costa, 1778)


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I know….today's heading is on the cryptic side. But it's all to do with these three great tunes:-
mp3 : Beastie Boys – Triple Trouble
mp3 : Chic – Good Times (12″)
mp3 : Franz Ferdinand – Take Me Out
A few years back, someone out there had the idea of mashing these three up. It's a style and format that has a lot of critics which is understandable as many of its proponents took liberty with one or more of the tracks, speeding it or them up or down a shade to make things fit. But today's example does work out well with the minimum of jiggery-pokerey.
mp3 : BB.C.FF – Check Me Out 4 Good Times
Freaky Friday indeed.


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Picture Perfect Sunday
Deborah Lippmann nail polishes l to r: Razzle Dazzle, Bad Romance, Some Enchanted Evening, Boom Boom Pow, Happy Birthday, Today was a Fairytale, Lady Sings the Blues and Across the Universe.
Categories: Deborah Lippmann, Picture Perfect Sunday
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2 Comments on "Picture Perfect Sunday"
January 9, 2011 at 1:50 PM #
Those are gorgeous! I think there was a place here that sold DL polish, I need to go back and check because everyone keeps posting the most beautiful swatches!
January 9, 2011 at 2:24 PM #
I've been wearing these polishes for the last few weeks and I still can't get enough of them. They're so pretty!If the place you buy them from is gone then you can go to http://www.kissandmakeupny.com. That's where I got mine from because they don't sell these in Australia.


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Tree of life necklace gathers nourishment from mother earth and reaches to the heavens. It grounds us and creates balance. It reminds us of the place we came from. Garnet gemstones - Love passion
Ancient cultures
According to myth, Noah used garnet to illuminate the Ark and light his path. Warriors decorated their weapons with Garnets for protection.
Indian mythology calls Garnet the "Kundalini fire" (fire of eternal metamorphosis). In Hinduism and Buddhism it is seen as a holy stone that enlightens the soul and gives wisdom
Chakra -Root and Sacral Chakras
- Product details
- 24K gold Vermeil Tree of life.
- Size 15x15x1(mm)
- vermeil is sterling silver with a gold plating of 40 micro inches of 98.5% pure gold plated over sterling silver.
- 18" gold filled Chain
- Gold Necklace
- Yoga Inspire jewelry.


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Great Advice For Keeping Your Carpets Clean
Dirty carpets not simply create your home smell bad, but they may also lessen your home's value. If you need to sell your home or feel much more comfortable, you need clean carpets. The advice included here will help you find someone that you can trust and will execute a good job.
You could possibly assume that rug cleaning companies will simply clean your carpets, nevertheless they usually offer other services at the same time. Often times in addition they focus on cleaning upholstery, so it is a good idea to find out about this. You could find somebody who is providing an arrangement on his or her cleaning services.
Some carpets will not respond well to chemicals. You want a cleaning service that is going to utilize the right productscarpet cleaning Dublin You don't want all of your rugs being damaged. Should you be not positive about your carpet cleaners skills, it can be time and energy to make contact with a professional.
Before agreeing to any type of professional stain treatment, check to see if your carpets are under warranty. Your carpet may already be treated of course, if used with another product, it can void the carpet's warranty.
In some cases the two products will react together and do irreparable damage to the carpet. Tell the professional concerning your carpet.
Understand that cleaning your carpet with chemical products exposes your entire family to substances that are potentially harmful. Consider eco-friendly solutions for cleaning your carpet, including rinses containing baking soda or vinegar to rid the carpet of chemical residue.
Make sure the rug cleaning professionals are aware of any electrical outlets situated on the floor. Electrical sockets can pose a serious threat if not handled correctly. It may hurt them or their equipment, yet your home could suffer the most damage.
After your carpet has been cleaned, ask the carpet cleaning pros for just about any tips they might provide to assist you ensure that is stays nice. Carpet cleaning services are able to provide you with great guidance on looking after your carpets. You can keep your carpet in almost new shape with this particular advice.
Most reputable rug cleaning services guarantee their work. When a service doesn't have guarantees, employ someone else. If you wish to remind the business from the guarantee, for reasons unknown, allow them an additional chance. When the company still does not perform as much as par, get a refund.
In the event the stain on the carpet is extremely difficult, you ought to probably work with a professional. An expert cleaning company posseses an arsenal able to eliminating stains from food, grease and in many cases bodily fluids–items that might otherwise be hard to get rid of. They could clean that without hurting your carpets, which helps you save time and money by the end.
There are a lot of methods a carpet could be cleaned, and every company can be different. For instance, there are companies that offer cleanings with absorbent pads. The machine used resembles a large floor waxer. It employs spinning pads that experience germs, mold and dirt from carpets.
The guidelines presented here have covered all the bases regarding an expert carpet cleaner. You can expect to end up having clean carpets if start using these tips to engage a pro. Living in your house could be more comfortable with nice carpets..


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Britain has finally topped the medals table at a Winter Olympics. News coming out of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics shows a surge in medals for the much-dead Empire's unwashed media denizens.
At the medals-award ceremonies last night the debt-ridden, wobbling on its last-legs island of Britain scampered up the medals table as the loutish, unwashed, stinky, smelly rotting teeth British media swept the podium in new major disciplines.
Due to the curse of Mother Nature and the quirky snow-situation Vanoc officials had quickly scrambled to put on replacement events.
In the breathalyzer-dental-body hygiene combined sport Vancouver's top media were absolutely outclassed by their Brit rivals.
New Olympic records were set by the Brit media in the following classes as they swept the boards:
Suffocatingly-repulsive gag-me halitosis - G S B
Awful unwashed body odour in the once-a-week bath [classified as a WMD] - G S B
Rottenest teeth and vilest gingivitis courtesy NHS - G S B
Haven't-changed-me-poopy underwear in a month - G S B
Worn-the-same-pair-of-socks-for-a-year [ my gut's too big to bend] - G S B
With more events on the way other Olympic media federations are complaining that the Brits are hogging this event in preparation for Londonistan 2012.
"This is an absolute case of preventing others from competing fairly. This is the Brit media's own version of Own the Londonistan Podium", complained a Russian journalist adding, "I'm glad I wasn't on that podium - they stunk so bad - I'm still gagging".
Lord Smellie of Awfully-Rottenly-Bottomley stood up in Parliament to "congratulate our Brit media for doing us proud. I say, good show chaps. Today all Brits can hold their unwashed heads held high".
Vancouver media, sparkling in their fragrant outfits were gracious in their defeat, flashing their perfectly aligned pearly whites: "This is one category where we don't mind finishing last"


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It has taken me through 3 changes of fabric, and frogging numerous threads, trying to decide whether to stitch with 2 or 1, but the QS Iris and I have finally arrived at a meeting of the minds in at least getting started.
With all of the wonderful patterns, so far along, I'm almost embarrassed to post this photo, but I'm trying to remember that everyone has to start somewhere. I always feel this way about starting any of my stitching projects! lol It is just worse with HAED designs because it takes so long for an image to appear. .but well worth the wait!
If nothing else, this should prove that I am indeed stitching on my QS Iris! lol
Wishing everyone a beautiful May Day tomorrow! May you receive many May Baskets full of beautiful flowers!


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Orb-like seeded shades add volume to the silhouette of this contemporary pewter three-light bath light.
Additional Info:
Elevate a sophisticated en suite with this contemporary three-light bath light from Kichler. Made from antique pewter finish steel, this stunning light features stylish, pipe-inspired framework. Topped with rounded, clear seeded glass shades, this lamp offers a charming output. This bathroom fixture can conveniently be mounted up or down.


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Tag Archives: empties
Products I've Used Up | Empties #31
My last empties post was on April 23rd and I'm writing this ahead of time on the 9th of June, today's post is going to be a long one because I'm binning 30 products! Most of these are products I've … Continue reading
Posted in Empties Tagged beauty blog, empties, lucia widdop, ninarossbeauty, products Ive used up Leave a comment
Products I've Used Up | Empties #30
I toyed with the idea of the post, this is now the 30th empties post I've done where I go through the products I've used up, and if I'd repurchase. This is all of the empties I've gathered since the … Continue reading
Posted in Empties Tagged avon, beauty blog, body shop, bourjois, charles worthington, clarins, Colab, Collection, crabtree and evelyn, dove, empties, essence, gosh, herbal essences, illamasqua, john frieda, l'oreal, lucia widdop, makeup declutter, ninarossbeauty, philip kingsley, primark, quick fix facials, seventeen, superdrug, urban decay, veet 5 Comments
Empties #29
Just a warning this post will probably be a long one, since I was moving I had all my empties in a huge box and it made no sense to bring them with me so I took the photos made … Continue reading
Posted in Empties Tagged astor, beauty blog, carex, Colab, Collection, dove, empties, garnier, impulse, iwhite, johnsons, juicy couture, l'oreal, lucia widdop, models own, Mua, nails inc, ninarossbeauty, nivea, No7, pantina, products Ive used up, real techniques, Soap and Glory, soft and gentle, superdrug, vichy 4 Comments
Empties #28
Before I moved I had an entire box filled with products that I'd use up but I never got to share them with you guys (mainly because it would have been pointless packing up a box of rubbish to take … Continue reading
Posted in Empties Tagged beauty formulas, empties, estee lauder, garnier, illamasqua, impulse, lucia widdop, ninarossbeauty, products Ive used up, seventeen, so...?, Soap and Glory, wella, what skin needs 2 Comments
Empties #26
So I'd actually not checked my empties box and then I realised that I'd used up an absolute ton of products and by ton I mean literally I've used up a lot. It's actually a good thing, at the moment … Continue reading
Posted in Empties Tagged Barry M, batiste, beauty, carex, charlie, empties, essie, estee lauder, ghost, gosh, Grace Cole, guerlain, illamasqua, impulse, johnsons, l'oreal, la roche posay, lucia widdop, lush, MAC, max factor, Neutrogena, ninarossbeauty, nivea, No7, products Ive used up, Revlon, rimmel loondon, Schwarzkopf, soft and gentle, superdrug, wilkos 2 Comments
Empties #25
I didn't actually realise how many products I'd used up until I checked and realised that the stash I'd squirreled away for the past few months had grown rather large…oops. Today's post will share the products that I've used up … Continue reading
Posted in Empties Tagged Balance Me, batiste, beauty blog, body shop, Clinique, Collection, elemis, empties, estee lauder, garnier, herbal essences, jamberry, lucia widdop, ninarossbeauty, organic glam, palmolive, products Ive used up, Radox, Revlon, Sally Hansen, Schwarzkopf, seventeen, soft and gentle 2 Comments
Products I've Used Up | Empties #23
It's been a while since I've done an empties post and as a result I've gathered up a ridiculous amount of used up products. I'm sure you know the drill by now but just in case you're new to these … Continue reading
Posted in Empties Tagged batiste, beauty, beauty blog, Benefit, Clinique, dermo28, empties, essence, head and shoulders, impulse, l'oreal, la roche posay, lucia widdop, lush, new cid cosmetics, ninarossbeuaty, nivea, products Ive used up, ps I love..., rimmel london, salcura, Sinful Colors, Soap and Glory, stila 4 Comments


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A Patriot
In Memory of Paddy Bond
Of a sudden, he was there, among us,
weaving his way through crowds engrossed
in other things, the booze, the craic, the dance.
His practised eye homed in, found familiar
faces, his regular clientele, cultivated over
decades, forty years of trudging through
the scoffing hordes, a stranger among his own,
his message spurned by those it sought to salve.
'Irish Democrat, Irish Democrat,' his soft voice
bounced off dancehall's din, the memory
of his idol crushed beneath our waltzing feet:
When they murdered James Connolly
the Irish rebel.
Scarce the few who knew
the man, a son of landed gentry stock,
proud offspring of a hero of '98, Cambridge
scholar; no reason there to traipse hard, Marxist
roads, only a love of justice and humanity, a passion
for his native soil.
Gone now as quietly as he came;
and the Saturday night patriots
still call for one last fling:
let's raise our fists, lets shimmy to
Sean South of Garryowen.
(From Stick on Stone)
Mike Gallagher, writer, poet and editor, was born on Achill Island and worked in London for forty years before retiring to Kerry. His prose, poetry, haiku and songs have been published in Ireland and throughout Europe, America, Australia, Nepal, India, Thailand, Japan and Canada. His writing has been translated into Croatian, Japanese, Dutch, German and Chinese.
He won the 2009 Samhlaiocht Slam, the 2010 Michael Hartnett Viva Voce competition, he was shortlisted for the Hennessy Award in 2011 and won the Desmond O'Grady International Poetry Contest in 2012.
His poetry collection Stick on Stone was published by Revival Press in 2013.


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Randel House
Facing the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and only a few steps away from Vick and Spivey House, stands Randel House. Also nearby is the Academic Building 4, Lee Drain Building, Bernard Johnson Coliseum, White Hall, Rec Sports and South Paw. Residents are within minutes from everything on campus!
A traditional style living arrangement creates a close knit community of students. Residents enjoy the huge lobby available for entertaining and relaxing, along with central air conditioning and heat for added comfort.
Floor plan


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Year 1 Phonics: digraph 'ey '
In this lesson a new phase five sound is introduced - the E sound covering the letters EY which come at the end of a word. Children have previously looked at phase 3 sounds EA / EE and phase five E split paragraph. This session looks at alternative ways of using E sound in words. Activities give children of different abilities the opportunity to explore the sounds in a variety of ways, through outdoor games, messy play and recording and writing sounds.
Pack contents
- DVD containing lesson, teacher introduction and feedback.
- CD-Rom with lesson plan, feedback based on Ofsted criteria, CPD activities and more...
Video preview / View lesson plan
Licences for local authorities and training providers available.


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A swine flu scare, an explosive drug war and the global recession have put an end to RV tour company Tracks to Adventure's unique train caravans into Mexico.
"The train tours are over for now. It's a decision I had to make," said Tracks President Larry Olsen.
The drug war violence was the last straw.
"We canceled our Mexico trips because of everything that was going on down there," he said.
Tracks Last year organized two tours to the Yucatan Peninsula, one through the 172-mile-long Copper Canyon and one to Baja California where RVs were transported to Mexican campgrounds on flatbed railroad cars.
But even with the elimination of the Mexico tours, El Paso, Texas-based Tracks still is organizing more than 30 over-the-road RV tours this summer at an average cost of $6,000 per rig throughout the U.S., Canada and Australia. Rallies and trips include excursions to Alaska, through national parks in Colorado, Wyoming and Arizona, plus the Old South, Canada's Maritime provinces and to special events such as Madi Gras, the Calgary Stampede and the Rose Parade.
"We are still answering the phone and concentrating on the United States," Olsen said. "We've never had any trouble in Mexico, but something could happen. It took some thought and some soul searching to cancel the Mexico tours."
Although reducing his tour catalog, in one sense, Olsen said he's glad that the Mexico tours are over.
"It's a good thing," he said. "Running Mexico tours is very difficult. The suppliers are not reliable and the parks often are not up to the standards that people expect. There is a lot of adversity there."
Olsen will consider resuming the Mexico tours "if the security situation gets better down there.
"People always want to go to Mexico," Olsen said. "There are 100,000 Americans living down there, and we've got people calling up and saying they want to go, even now."


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Saturday, July 28, 2007
Here are several scenes from Youtube featuring Exodus Parts 1 and 2 from Season 3 of the Battlestar Galactica. The pre-battle speech by Admiral Adama, like Henry V's St. Crispin speech, is really inspirational.
Until recently, Youtube had a video that featured the entire Battle of New Caprica, but it has since disappeared. The two videos above, while having about a minute of overlap, captures most of it.
Season 4 of Battlestar Galactica is not slated to begin until January of 2008, though there will be a Pegasus movie on the Sci-Fi Channel in November called "Razors". I am really looking forward to seeing that.
Given the pounding that Galactica received in the Battle of New Caprica (I tried to find a picture of it, but without success), the damage she sustained means that she probably at best has one more fight left in her. So, I am guessing that Season 4, which is going to be the last season, is going to be rather skimpy on space battles. I am not privy to any spoilers, but it wouldn't surprise me if the series ends with Galactica being destroyed holding off the Cylons one last time while the civilian fleet escapes. I am still not sure how I feel about the revelation that Tigh, Tyrol, Anders and Tori are Cylons. Ronald Moore's got some splainin' to do.
Posted by Tommykey at 3:45 PM
1 comment:
- Sirkowski said...
I'm glad we'll have a resolution. Instead of the series being run into the ground until it's cancelled.
- 2:14 PM, July 31, 2007
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