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As my previous post may have led you to believe,
a tornado hit my house I had a little cleaning up to do today. Sure, the kids should have helped in the undoing of the results of their early-morning mayhem, but I figured I could do it faster myself. So The Chief packed up the three youngest and hit the road, leaving me to whisk through the house and accomplish untold miracles (OK, the sheets were changed, the downstairs was straightened and vacuumed and all the toys were put away. And a serious dent was made in the laundry. Miraculous enough, if you ask me!)
One must reward a man like this. He'd be way too popular on the open market! :)
So Pie School is officially back in session!
I went with a French Apple Pie, in honor of our Patron Saint of the Month, St. Vincent de Paul. His feast was actually yesterday, but our plans were set aside in order to spend the day with family commending the soul of my dad's dear sister.
(It actually was a wonderful day. It's amazing how that works -- sadness and loss are what bring you together, but there is great joy and comfort in the gathering. I wish I could remember that before the wake and funeral, though. I never want to go, but I'm always so glad I did.)
So, anyway, I'm all about pinch-hitting. (It's actually way better than overplanning and the exhaustion that follows! But I digress.)
I asked The Chief to pick up some apples for me -- I prefer a sweeter apple for pie, like a Crispin, but instead, on the advice of the apple grower, he came home with 20 ouncers -- a new one to me.
My face must have surely betrayed my doubt.
"It's OK, they're made for cooking, " said Step 2, who works for the apple grower. "They taste like bark," she added helpfully.
OK, then.
I made two pies, one without sugar for me, using crispins, and the 20 oz. pie with plenty of sugar. (Bark, I'm certain, tastes better that way.)
Here's my recipe:
Crust (I made enough for a double crust pie, then split it between the two):
- 2 c all-purpose flour
- 1/2 t salt
- 2/3 c white shortening
- 6-7 T ice cold water
Mix the salt into the flour; cut in the shortening. Sprinkle on the water, 1 T at a time, mixing in gently with a fork. Handle as little as possible; that's my mom's secret. Pat the whole flaky mess into a ball (or, two balls in this case), gently shaping it into a roundish mound. Roll out once, and once only, to a circle about 1" wider in diameter than the outside edge of the pie plate. Mend any tears with a dab of ice water. Place carefully in the pie plate, and shape the edges (I just used a fork).
- 7-8 c 20 oz. apples, peeled and sliced thinly (I used 5 apples about the size of my whole hand)
- 1/4 c white sugar
- 1/2 c packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 t nutmeg
- 1/2 t cinnamon
- dash ground cloves
- 1 t freshly grated lemon rind
- 1 T flour
Mix all the ingredients except the apples in a small bowl. Place a layer of apples in the prepared crust, then sprinkle with a generous scoop of the sugar mixture. Repeat until all the apples and sugar are used up, ending with sugar.
French Crumb Topping:
- 1/3 c. butter
- 1/3 c. light brown sugar
- 3/4 c. flour
- 1/2 c. finely ground pecans
Mix together in a small bowl, incorporating the butter with a pastry blender or fingers. Crumble evenly over the top of the pie.
Cover loosely with foil (tent-style), and bake for about 25 minutes at 375 degrees F. Then remove foil and continue baking another 25 minutes, or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender.
Let stand for about 20-30 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, if desired (oh, yes we did). Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
And the verdict?
Major thumbs up! (Much to my surprise, actually!)
I tried to shield the crumb topping from burning, using a piece of foil, but it still burned a little. I took off some of the more offendingly darkened crumbles, and the pie looked better. (The Chief ate the burned ones, gladly. He's so good to me! But I'd rather feed him something nicer...gotta watch out for those open-market girls out there!) :)
I was surprised at what appeared to be a lack of juice from these apples, when the pie first came out of the oven. I'm a big fan of thick, buttery, spice-infused, drippy, apple-juicy goodness, but I feared that maybe these apples were singularly devoid of that possibility. (You know, kind of like ... bark.)
But not so! The apples held up extremely well, and the filling was perfect! The touch of lemon zest -- not something I normally add to apple pie -- was delightful, and infused the crust. I'd be tempted to go ahead and add zest to the pie crust itself, it was so good!
The crust turned out great; flaky and light. I think it could've used just a touch more salt. But the texture was great, and even with the juicy filling, it was not at all soggy.
I'm no "fluter" though. There is an artistry there (and a certain lack of coordination here) that seems unattainable to me. Thank goodness for forks.
But I'm gettin' there, Ma! You better start making your amazing pie crusts again, or there'll be talk!! :)
...and the rest of our St. Vincent de Paul feast: A not-very-French but tasty chicken in mustard sauce, freshly baked Artisan bread, and Brussels sprouts.


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When I was a child, I had no doubts what so ever that the Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States would always make the correct decision, a decision that balanced the rights of the individual American citizen with the principles and Rights enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights. Until recently, I still believed in the wisdom and guidance of the SCOTUS. But that belief and support was heavily eroded by decision that curtailed individual property rights in favor of corporate controlled politicians, of declaring corporations not only equal to an individual person but by their decision gave de facto greater rights to corporations over that of the common man, and the destructive and corruptive Citizen's United decision.
The Supreme Court has betrayed America. Today the SCOTUS made a decision that has ended my belief that the Justices make decisions based on preserving U.S. citizens rights and preserving the Constitution. Today, the SCOTUS said the individual mandate in ObamaCare will stand. In other words, Americans are property– slaves to the whims of the corrupt, vindictive, and greedy politicians and bureaucrats of the U.S. government.
That's right my fellow citizens, we've returned to bad old days of slavery except this time it's not limited to one race or area of the country, it's all of us. Worse, this new incarnation of slavery is codified in law and approved by the very Court that is supposed to help prevent the rise of dictatorship in our government. With this ruling, the SCOTUS has said the government can force any American to buy a product by including a "tax", as the SCOTUS so quaintly justified their traitorous decision, as punishment for refusal to partake in what ever commerce they demand of you.
Is this the America you want? The next time a corporation or bank has financial trouble, do you really want the government to be able to order you to buy that corporation's or bank's product? Well, that's exactly the dangerous precedent the SCOTUS made today. In the yes of the government, you are not a citizen, or an individual, you are property. And believe me, there are plenty of wanna-be dictators in our government who will look to use this decision to strip away Americans of their rights and freedoms. All one need do to see evidence of this is to look at the previously mentioned curtailments of property rights and granting supremacy of corporate personhood over the individual to see the path to a dictatorship in this country is fast approaching.
The question is this: will Americans stand for this or fight back against the forces within our nation that want to destroy it for their personal wealth and power? A part of me wants to give up and leave the country as it looks less and less like the nation of opportunity, change, and freedom of my youth. But a bigger part of me wants to fight back and reclaim my country and turn it back to a beacon of freedom and liberty and individuality. I for one, will fight, be it at the ballot box, in the courts, or, if it comes to this terrible last resort, in the streets against the rise of dictatorship in this nation. Despite the corruption of our government, I think America is still worth fighting for.
What will you do, my fellow Americans?
The only good thing about the decision by the SCOTUS: it revealed Obama's blatant lie that the individual mandate was not a tax. The SCOTUS clearly stated it mandate was (even though they ignore basic economic principle that you are a not a participant in an economic activity if you chose not to partake in said activity). That makes Obama, Pelosi and Reid LIARS! Seems that Representative who called Obama a liar was absolutely correct.

subset: commoncrawl


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3/4 Sleeve Top Humanity To Community Print
or make 4 interest-free payments of $17.50 AUD fortnightly with More info
Made from 100% Bihar hand-loomed cotton, the 3/4 Sleeve Top Humanity To Community Print with our new black and white block-print.
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We limit the number of clients that we have at one time, allowing us to focus on your case.
Find out if you and your family can benefit from our elder law planning services!
Our firm exclusively handles elder law concerns so your family can obtain peace of mind.
Let us help. Request your consultation today and we will be in touch.
As we celebrate Memorial Day, it is a good time to once again let all wartime
veterans and their surviving spouses know that a benefit is available
through the Veterans Administration to help them with the costs of their
long-term care. It is officially called Improved Pension but more commonly
referred to as Aid and Attendance.
Aid and Attendance, like other long-term care assistance programs such
as Medicaid, has eligibility requirements that have to be satisfied. For
Aid and Attendance the eligibility requirements are 1) qualifying wartime
service, 2) being disabled or over age 65, 3) income limits and 4) asset limits.
Income is one of the most misunderstood eligibility requirements. This
is because for eligibility purposes, income is not gross income but net
income after deductions for allowable expenses such as unreimbursed medical
expenses. Unreimbursed medical expenses are in general, the costs of long-term
care that are not covered by the person's income or the person's
health or long-term care insurance.
Assets or net worth is the most difficult eligibility requirement to define
because the VA does not have a maximum asset threshold. For example, unlike
Medicaid, the Aid and Attendance program's asset limit is not a
defined maximum number, like for instance the person can't own more
than $2,000 or $15,000 or $25,000 in assets.
Instead of a defined asset maximum, the VA just offers as guidance that
the assets owned by the person are not sufficient to meet the costs of
their long-term care needs. In addition, the VA reminds applicants that
the Aid and Attendance program is designed as a safety net program and
not as an asset protection or estate preservation program.
Despite the gray area in the asset eligibility requirements, Aid and Attendance
remains a benefit program that many wartime veterans or their surviving
spouses grappling with the costs of long-term care should know about and
consider exploring further.
Request your free consultation today to get started.


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Mitsubishi Hitachi to supply Qatar with top technology to support diversification
Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS), a leading supplier of equipment and services to the power generation market, marked the official opening of its office in Qatar.
The guest of honour was HE the Minister of Energy and Industry Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada.
Japanese ambassador Seiichi Otsuka, QEWC general manager and managing director Fahad Hamad al-Mohannadi, senior government officials, diplomats, and prominent businessmen representing the energy sector also attended the event.
The new office was registered and is operated under the administration of Qatar Financial Centre (QFC).
The opening of MHPS's office in Doha marks a new chapter in the firm's long-term commitment to supporting Qatar's 2030 National Vision and the country's sustainable development.
As a manufacturer and supplier of power plants, boilers, generators, and gas and steam turbines, MHPS will supply Qatar with cutting-edge technology that supports the nation's economic diversification and provides industry with efficient and reliable energy with high environmental standards.
"The Doha office will provide an operational hub for MHPS in the country to distribute and showcase the latest power generation and associated technologies," MHPS said in a statement.
Akimasa Muyama, MHPS chief technical officer and senior executive vice president said, "MHPS is proud to mark our commitment to working in partnership with Qatar with the opening of this office. The launch of our office today is a sign of our long-term commitment to helping enhance Qatar's economy and industry through MHPS innovations and state-of-the-art technology.
"Qatar is going through transformational developments plans, and we are adapting to these changes by diversifying our products and operations to remain an active partner. Sustainable energy, sustainable talent and sustainable solutions are our priorities across the globe and nowhere more so than here in Qatar. MHPS has a long, proud history of bringing powerful ideas, and powerful products to the world and we are happy to add a new chapter to that history today in Doha" he added.
-Gulf Times


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Dr. Gary Aronsen, Manager
Yale Mammalian Evolutionary Morphology Laboratory
Professor Eric Sargis, PI
Yale Reproductive Ecology Laboratory
Professors Richard Bribiescas and Claudia Valeggia, PIs
Established in 1998, biological anthropologists at the Yale Reproductive Ecology Laboratory conduct research on the evolutionary biology of humans and non-human primates. We are particularly interested in the evolutionary biology of key life history traits such as reproduction, growth, aging, and immune function. We are also engaged in human and comparative research on behavioral ecology and bioeconomics.
The Program in Reproductive Ecology sponsors research and educational initiatives involving the interaction between the environment, ecology, and reproductive biology in human and comparative contexts.
The Program on Stress and Family Resilience
Professor Catherine Panter-Brick, Director
The Owl Monkey Project in the Argentinean Chaco (Proyecto Mirikiná)
Professor Eduardo Fernandez-Duque, Director
The Owl Monkey Project, started in 1996 by Dr. Eduardo Fernandez-Duque, is a multi-disciplinary program on the owl monkeys of the Argentinean Chaco. Studies are conducted on population biology, demography, behavior, genetics, endocrinology and conservation in collaboration with numerous institutions and colleagues and with the support of international and Argentinean funding agencies.


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Stefan Cross shares his thoughts about the latest developments in Glasgow following a letter from the City Council to the local Unison branch.
Now I haven't seen the Council's letter and although I have read the Unison update, what I don't understand is why the letter from Robert Anderson hasn't been published, as well, so we can all see what it says.
I'll have more to say tomorrow, but like Stefan I would caution against any premature celebrations at this stage because while the demise of the WPBR is welcome, there is a complete lack of detail on the compensation Glasgow claimants are due for working under 'unfit for purpose', discriminatory pay arrangements since January 2007.
So I'm in Paris learning about the French Revolution when my phone goes crazy with Facebook posts claiming there's going to be an equal pay settlement payout in January and not only that, it was,allegedly, UNISON saying so on Facebook.
And I knew nothing about it. As is often the case, there turns out to be some truth in the rumours but someone has seriously misinterpreted what was said.
There was indeed a UNISON post, put up without any discussion with the claimant group, and which in my view jumps the gun in a number of ways.
What seems to have happened is that as a result of yesterday's staggering result on the consultative ballots, the Head of HR, Robert Anderson, has written to the UNISON Branch Chair responding to what he believed were UNISONs demands. Brian Smith has then taken this letter to the relevant UNISON committee and they have as a result called off any strike ballot until at least a January 2019. Brian has then posted this decision on Facebook with some extracts from the Robert Anderson letter.
Now this has been completely, but entirely predictably, been misinterpreted as a commitment to payouts in January 2019. Now I don't blame the members for this as it's an obvious implication from the UNISON post. In my view BS should have been much more careful by emphasising the caveats, ie it's not guaranteed and a hell of a lot of hurdles still to go. But even this was understandable because the important message from BS seemed to be why they were not going to ballot for strike now, not the promise of settlement.
In a nutshell this appears to be because UNISON think Robert Anderson's promises were good enough. This is entirely a union matter and something they had every right to do. But as they chose not to consider discussing it in the claimant group I'm entitled to express my opinion, and I don't think it's helpful. I think they've jumped the gun.
Why? Because they've taken the pressure off the council until 2019 without first seeing how the negotiations are progressing.
So what were the demands and what were the promises?
DEMAND 1 - abandon WPBR. This has been promised but not yet delivered by councillors. This is very likely to happen but why not wait until it does.? We also have no idea what will replace it. At the moment UNITE is trying to stop A4ES even being involved in these discussions. There are going to be big issues to address here.
DEMAND 2 - a timetable for settlement. The councils response to this is new. This is where the misinterpretation arises. The council does say that they hope that negotiations can be completed by the end of the year, and so far as it's possible, start paying out in January. This is a definite improvement, but it's just a commitment to a timetable, nothing more. This is supported by the fact that UNISON say if this timetable is not kept then they will ballot for strike action. It is certainly not a promise of a payment in January. This would be impossible as we have not yet discussed a single issue. As I said, this is not my territory, it's a union matter, but I would have preferred a shorter pause than 6 months. I personally think that there are still so many legal issues in dispute that a full settlement is unlikely and I'd have liked to have kept the pressure on.
DEMAND 3 properly fund the settlement. Now I think this demand has not been met. Funding a new pay structure and funding hundreds of millions in Back pay are not the same thing. Further all Mr Anderson has said is that he wants a properly funded pay system. This is not a promise or commitment at all, IMO, just an expression of opinion. UNISON may take a different view on what Mr.Anderson's letter means, but again I think they've jumped the gun and could have pursued this far more rigorously. This is still a massive issue that has not been resolved.
I also don't know why UNISON acted so quickly to put off any strike ballot. It's less than 48 hours since the ballot result. Why the rush? Why no discussion with others?
But that's their prerogative.
It's up to each of you to take your own view and it seems it was unanimous in the relevant committee, so all the lay reps must be happy.
We wait to see what GMB has to say.
So summary before I go off and check in. Good news is that we now have a commitment to a timetable as well as a commitment to abandoning WPBR. We don't have funding. We don't have a guarantee of a payout in January and there is a huge amount of work and disagreements to tackle before that can happen, but in return for those commitments UNISON has agreed not to ballot before the new year.
I hope that is clearer. I hope I have understood Brian Smith's post correctly. If not I will let everyone know. In the meantime feel free to add your comments.


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OBWB Water Stewardship Director Anna Warwick Sears was interviewed May 16 by David Suzuki for his upcoming show on Adaptation to Climate Change on the CBC program "The Nature of Things".
The "Weather Report" episode is slated to air August 19, 2007.
From the CBC website:
WEATHER REPORT: Explores the evolving impacts and social implications of climate change. As the world reels from a series of unprecedented weather events, it is clear that climate change is forcing a fundamental re-evaluation of our most basic assumptions about energy, progress and values. Traveling through North America, the Canadian Arctic, India and China, the film follows a rising tide of corporate leaders, inventors, visionaries and local activists who are leading the movement for action on an issue many deem the most important of our time. August 19, 2007


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Gone like summer – Strawberry Story
I have never taken into account how much i listen to this band, and how much i turn to them for things i need at the times i need them. I never realised how much this band has become one of my favourites. I love Strawberry Story. They do everything right, have everything right, even a drum machine. Their faster songs are better than their slower ones (a universal truth), but everything is great and the essence of what makes them great is in everything. I've just figured out all i want to do today. It shouldn't take more than half an hour. I'll start again at the beginning after that.


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the Guide For Children
Jul 18, 2016
This site can be an online ecological source for children to find info tips, and creativity enthusiasm to go natural. As well as for those people that have removed the recycle bin on our computer we realized we'd to locate a method to recover the recycle container. Vacant the Recycle Bin by appropriate-hitting the Recycle Bin symbol on your own Desktop, and pressing Recycle Bin. If of what we can everybody recycled half the enviroment is likely to be technique visit imec.com.my cleaner and tidier nevertheless you should recycle or reuse all you could. These files are located inside the regional push (The push which Windows is mounted) And, we CAn't change its area specifically, except that of My Files. A few of my friends if they obtained their recycle container was observed by their pc on computer wasn't past on their pc at all.
After you have TESTED the recycle bin on your desktop check out the underside with this menu you will seethe 'employ' key. You are able to recycle up to 84% of your garbage by simply getting it from the garbage can and adding it within the recycling container. You want to click to 'employ' for this transform (recovering the recycle container on your PC). Modifying the standard precise location of the My Audio folder for your unique directory can simply does this. Most discovered these beneficial to obtain the recycle container on the PC .
As well as for those of us that have wiped the recycle bin on our computer we knew we had to discover a strategy to recover the container. Clear the Bin by appropriate-hitting the Recycle Bin icon on your Desktop, and after that pressing Recycle Bin. If everyone recycled 1 / 2 of what we can the environment is going to be more tidy and approach cleaner however, you should recycle or reuse whatever you could. These folders are situated in the regional drive (The push where Windows is fitted) And, we can not adjust its site specifically, except that of Our Papers. A few of my buddies when they obtained their computer identified their recycle bin on computer was not present on their pc in any way.
After you have EXAMINED the recycle bin on your PC check out the bottom of this selection you will start to see the 'apply' key. You can recycle upto 84% of the trash by simply getting it out of the garbage can and getting it while in the recycling container. We want to click to 'use' for this change (recovering the recycle bin on your PC). By changing the My Audio folder's default precise location for your particular directory this can quickly be achieved. Many identified these helpful to retrieve the recycle bin on the computer no matter what happened to it.
As well as for those folks which have removed the bin on our pc we knew we'd to locate a solution to recover the bin. Empty the Bin by proper-hitting the Bin symbol on your own Desktop, then pressing Empty Recycle Bin. If everybody recycled half what we can the enviroment will soon be way cleaner and tidier but you should recycle or recycle whatever you could. These versions are located within the nearby travel (The push on which Windows is installed) And, we CAn't adjust its location specifically, except that of My Papers. A few of my pals once they obtained their recycle container was found by their pc on pc wasn't past on the desktop whatsoever.


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watch 02:21
The Loop (Games)
Do you like this video?
|Journal Category
|Betrayal (AA)
|Journal Level
|Scales with player level
|Journal Difficulty
|Starting Zone
|Antonica more
|How to Start
|Speak to Gol M'Tun outside the North Qeynos gates ( -30, -14, -55 ) /waypoint -30, -14, -55.
|NOTE: A discussion page exists which may contain more information
What does this information mean?
- This quest scales to the level of the character.
- At lvl 90 the mobs are Grey and Non Agro.
- The characters inside will see through invis but you can get pretty close to them before they will react. Try not to kill too many of them. If you stick to the corners and are patient they will keep wandering around and you can make it through only having to kill 1 or 2.
- Head to North Qeynos. The Guards are level 55 at the gates, Lower level characters can avoid the guards by go in through the Peat bog to the Vermin's Snye to Down Below, then North Qeynos. Click on the basement door behind the little building directly east of the Clothspinners tailor shop at loc ( 329, -22, -190 ) /waypoint 329, -22, -190 and zone into the instance Spreading the Truth.
- When you first zone in there will be several wandering attendees who wander around and see through invisible. (They seem to be maximum level 70)
- You can not kill more than 2 to 3 attendees or the quest will not update.
- First make it into the door to the right and steal the key from the Celestial Watch ecclesiastic in the room. You can right click on him and do this without killing him. He is not aggressive.
- Then make your way up the stairs. There are only 2 up here, but they are standing on either side of the podium you need to get to, so you will have to kill them.
- If you inch up the middle slowly, you can place the sermon without aggro, just keep right clicking until it lights up.
- Right click on the locked door and choose "unlock".
- Replace the pages on the podium and get back out.
- If you have a few wandering attendees attacking you, just keep clicking on the book until you get the update. They seem to do really low damage.
- Return to Gol M'Tun.
If you kill too many wandering attendees you simply have to zone out and back into the instance. You do not need to restart the quest.
- Completing this quest gives -5000 faction with The City of Qeynos
- Completing this quest gives +5000 faction with The City of Freeport
- Completing this quest gives -5000 faction with The City of Kelethin
- Completing this quest gives -300 faction with The Celestial Watch
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


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Michael Shepherd
Michael Shepherd is a four-time World Pizza Champion and president of the pizza resource website – perfectingpizza.com. Michael owned and operated three pizzerias in Northwest Ohio for 20 years, growing the small-town locations into a multi-million dollar company using nontraditional marketing methods, out-of-the-box thinking, and a systemic approach to operations that consistently earned him over 20% in profits.
Michael's 25+ years of pizza experience started with one of the big chains where he delivered pizza through high school and college. He launched his first pizzeria in 1997 and went on to open a total of three pizzerias; covering a wide range of concepts — a del/co, carryout only, and a full-service pizzeria restaurant with 120 seats. He was runner-up for the Ohio SBA's Small Business of the Year in 2006, Hardin County Business of the Year in 2007, and won the 20 Under 40 Entrepreneur Award in 2008. He is also certified in Neapolitan & Classic Italian Pizza Making by the International School of Pizza.
His pizzerias have won numerous awards for pizza making over the years at pizza competitions across the country. Michael has earned eight medals from the World Pizza Championships held in Salsomaggiore, Italy, for Fastest Dough, Largest Dough, and Team Acrobatic, including three gold medals.
Michael is retired from operating his pizzerias but wants to share his vast knowledge of the pizza industry with operators such as yourself in hopes of helping you avoid common pitfalls and headaches that plague the industry and hopefully help you achieve profits that you never thought were possible.
Outside of pizza Michael's time is consumed by family, running, and OCR (Obstacle Course Racing).
Pizza Quest Info
Vision Statement
Pizza Quest is a site dedicated to the exploration of artisanship in all forms, wherever we find it, but especially through the literal and metaphorical image of pizza. As we share our own quest for the perfect pizza we invite all of you to join us and share your journeys too. We have discovered that you never know what engaging roads and side paths will reveal themselves on this quest, but we do know that there are many kindred spirits out there, passionate artisans, doing all sorts of amazing things. These are the stories we want to discover, and we invite you to jump on the proverbial bus and join us on this, our never ending pizza quest.
Peter's Books
...and other books by Peter Reinhart, available on Amazon.com


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Good ideas abound in the universe. Great ideas are scanter. Often, what keeps a good idea from being a great idea is the implementation strategy that one follows to transform an idea into being. A start-up team must constantly balance limited resources, namely capital, labor and time, to achieve viability and to position itself for ambitious growth. What if you could start with more than your idea? What if you could multiply the return on your resources during the most critical stages of your start-up?
The Sitemason platform exists for just this purpose. Our team has already designed, built, tested, deployed, reinforced, secured and replicated an incredibly powerful, cloud-based platform on which start-ups can advance their development schedule dramatically. Sitemason can advance a project beyond the working model and prototype stage to a fully scalable Minimum Viable Product (MVP) in a much faster trajectory. The implementation of a great idea really requires your development team to focus on the most important aspects of pursuing its core mission. Imagine if a construction company had to first make its own bulldozer before it could ever start building a house or if a doctor had to make her own stethoscope to examine patients. And yet, the technology industry, especially start-ups, often assumes that you have to build everything. Not anymore!
With Sitemason check off the following:
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Make your idea great and let Sitemason multiply your team's output, roadmap capacity, opportunities for success and your ROI. The one thing that you won't be multiplying is your time to market. We're going for fractions on that goal.


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L.L. Barkat
L.L. Barkat is the Managing Editor of Tweetspeak Poetry and the author of six books for grown-ups and four for children, including the popular Rumors of Water: Thoughts on Creativity & Writing. She has also served as a writer for The Huffington Post blog and is a freelance writer for Edutopia. Her poetry has appeared on NPR and at VQR and The Best American Poetry. Connect with her on LinkedIn.
Latest posts by L.L. Barkat (see all)
- Poems From the Coffee Shop: Pine Needle Tea and Small Kindnesses - March 25, 2020
- Poems From the Coffee Shop—Chamomile and Wild Honeyed Bread - March 19, 2020
- Home Ed 101: Setting Up Your Home School Classroom - March 16, 2020


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Seems like forever and a day since I've had a chance to catch my breath in the midst of immense change for all of Whytes. Our first task started before x-mas with switching apartments - a month-long event of hauling hundreds of loads up and down two flights of stairs that my groin is still recovering front. Completely loving the new space which is a major upgrade - especially with fresh Jack Whyte art on the walls.
Once settled we ended up diving directly into learning "Responsive Site Design" in order to ensure our content remains current and compatible. This kind of dynamic designing has been an ongoing self-education like none other and still hasn't ended - with final edits for both Art of Chainmail and Whytes Online yet to be completed.
Although I'm totally in love with the first draft of the new RSD Art of Chainmail - a resource sure to grow. Something cool about this design is that (like Scrapbook: a story of art) we worked with nothing other than materials we already had on hand and although we later purchased RSD software, the original RSD AOC draft was created for a budget of exactly $0. Yay frugality!
Of course all of this is just build up to working on our free Manitoulin Island Colouring Book and some other secret art projects that we still have in the works.
In the memetime I managed to complete a new introduction banner for my blog and social media network in my "spare time" (see above.)
Chain on!


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Sales Negotiator – London
With six offices across London, including in Nine Elms, Canary Wharf, Wapping, New Providence Wharf, Royal Wharf and West Hampstead, we're always keen to hear from sales negotiators looking to further their career.
What we will ask of you:
- Qualify applicants
- Identify applicant needs and match them to suitable properties
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- Deliver the highest levels of customer service to clients
- Sales experience (minimum one year)
- A can-do attitude with the self-motivation and determination to meet and exceed targets
- Confident and proactive nature
- Willingness to learn
- Customer focused attitude
- Strong communication skills
- Ability to work as part of a team
- Full driving license
What we offer in return:
- Competitive salary
- Uncapped commission structure
- Mobile phone
- Training opportunities, including industry qualifications
We're looking for people who are passionate about what they do. If that sounds like you, please get in touch by completing the form below.


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Date(s) - 12/04/2018
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Harbor Isle Beach Club
A special networking event for the AMI, Longboat Key, and Manatee Chamber members and guests at Harbour Isle Beach Club located at 220 Martinique Drive, Bradenton. Free for members and $10 for future members. No RSVP needed. For more information, please call the AMI Chamber at 941-778-1541 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Go Back
Go To Articles Directory Home Page
To get the current article, - See Below (at the bottom of the page) -.
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Web sites and videos listed in this page are frequently updated.
If you find that this page is useful (quality of web sites, images and videos, ...), you can add it to your favorites.
Bookmark Page !
The 10 Biggest Search Engine Optimization Mistakes: #3: Wrong Meta Description
The web page description can be found in the Meta Tag section of the page header. This is a section that is commonly missed out or not used to its full potential.
About the Author: David Bain is founder of the business articles resource http://www.BuildYourOwnBusiness.biz. Build Your Own Business features hundreds of different business articles on 28 different subjects including Strategy, eBusiness and Change Management. Latest additions to the website include a Top 5 Business Articles Podcast.


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Weekly Oracle Card Reading November 11-17, 2019
Category: The Crystal Wind Oracle Weekly Readings Written by Sherry Views: 1315
Oracle Card Reading November 11-17, 2019
Weekly Crystal Wind Oracle Card Readings By Sherry
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The Crystal Wind Oracle Card Deck Is Available Here:
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Folding scissor gates are a popular and economical way to secure a wide variety of installations. From roll-up doors on buildings and display windows in retail stores to blocking interior passageways and controlling access to non-public areas, the scissor gate has been common use for many decades. Easy to operate and easy to lock, they help prevent unauthorized intrusion and vandalism effectively and at low cost.
Quickly installed without the need for special tools, a high-quality folding scissor gate can quickly turn almost any opening into a secure opening. They can be ordered as single gates or double gates and are even available in portable form for use on a temporary basis when needed.
AMPM Door Inc. supplies folding scissor gates in almost any width or height. Our high-quality gates are made of steel and built and finished with care, to provide many years of smooth operation and rust-free service. If you need a scissor gate for a new application or to replace a bulky, hard-to-use existing scissors gate, we'll be happy to give you a money-saving price quote that includes freight charges. Call us at 800-286-3667 today!
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Description - Conga Party - Dress Up Games
Conga Party : Beat up that beat, and watch the conga line form! Join the line, bounce to the beat, and dance the night away with some cute summer styles. Do not know how to dance? Do not worry! Just put your hands on the hip in front of you, and let the music take control!
You are playing Conga Party . Do not forget to play one of the other great Dress Up Games at StarSue.Net


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With Earth Day just around the corner, it is a good time to think about greening the home. One place that most people overlook when trying to make environmentally friendly choices is the closet. While it may be tucked way and largely out of site, the closet can play an important role in creating an environmentally friendly home. Greening the closet is not only important, but is actually quite easy!
"Our closets hold so much of who we are, from the clothes we wear on a daily basis to the special vintage items we want to preserve," says Fred Silber of Creative Organization, a New Jersey-based company that has created a line of sustainable, eco-friendly closet organizing products. "Because they tend to hold so much, and such a variety of things, it is important to make sure that it is an area of the home that is not overlooked when trying to live in an environmentally friendly way."
Here are five tips to keep in mind when greening the closet:
On Sat., Apr. 23 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Old Town Manassas will host the Fourth Annual Spring Cleaning Day at the Harris Pavilion at 9201 Center Street in Manassas, Va., where attendees can recycle their gently used household items or clothes and donate them to local non-profits, visit recycling and conservation exhibits, and kids can make earth-friendly art projects. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.visitmanssas.org or call 703.361.6599.
The Manassas Art Guild will also be featuring a spring Earth exhibit, where artists showcase their artwork reflecting themes of recycling, natural materials and the environment.
Spring Cleaning Day will also provide live entertainment from local entertainers, inflatable moon bounces for kids and a special preview of this summer's Manassas farmer's market vendors.
Speedy Green Car Wash is hosting four fundraisers in February. Twenty percent of car washes will go to the selected fundraiser. When you select a car wash, type in a fundraiser code. Fundraiser codes include: SERVE, 8099, Osbourn High School, 9005, Manassas Park High School, 1234 and Osbourn Park High School, 2222.
For more information, call 703-257-0737 or view www.speedygreencarwash.com.
Owned by Northern Virginian native, Chip Ashton, Speedy Green Car Wash is renowned for its cutting-edge car wash technology, as well as their commitment to protecting the environment. One hundred percent of all car wash water is recycled and biodegradable chemicals are used, placing them among a handful of car washes nationwide.
From Daniel Cortez:
Tea Party Patriots in northern Virginia will focus on climate change at their next scheduled educational advance in Manassas, Virginia March 19th.
The event sponsored by the Prince William County Tea Party Patriots (PWCTPP) will present "The Myth About Climate Change." The featured speaker will be William H. "Bill" Sargent, President of NOVA SEE (Scientists and Engineers for Energy and Environment)
A recent survey of tea party members conducted by the PWCTPP indicated that climate change; cap and trade and energy issues were the topics of most importance. "Due to this high level of interest, the program was developed to address questions and concerns," stated Nancy Schiffman, Lead Organizer of the PWCTPP.
From Prince William County:
The Department of Public Works is offering local youth an opportunity to learn more about the environment and participate in a conservation project this spring. Students in the 4th to 8th grades are invited to this year's Youth Ambassadors' Conference on the Environment on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2011, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at Stonewall Jackson High School in Manassas.
From the National Park Service:
The Manassas Museum has been hosting "From Cows to Condo" exhibit since October 3 of last year. The exhibit will be ending on September 6, so if you did not get a chance to visit yet you should plan to head there soon! It is an opportunity to learn about Manassas and Prince William County's 20th Century transformation from an agricultural community to a suburban community.
The Manassas Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday and Mondays on Federal Holidays. The hours of visitation are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Adults are $5.00, seniors over 60 and children are $4.00, and children under 6 are free.
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Last of the Weeping Cherry Blossom Shots
Month: May 2017
Filling in the Gaps
The network tv season has just about reached its conclusion. Summer re-run season is upon us and in a meaningful way it no longer matters at all. I am effectively down to one show ("The Middle") that I truthfully consider entertaining. It's been about two years since "The Big Bang Theory" was funny. "Last Man Standing" which used to add a tiny amount of right wing commentary in with the family sit-com formula had a comatose season that telegraphed the news that this season would be its last. "Kevin Can Wait" is a pale shadow of how funny "King of Queens" sometimes was and nothing else on the tube even mildly interests me. So, I've finally had to face it. There is no reason to watch network television anymore. Cable is slightly more promising. There are a few series that I hear are entertaining. I've been watching earlier seasons of Silicon Valley and it is funny but hardly worth paying for HBO. I can probably stream whatever I want on Amazon or Netflix or Hulu or blah, blah, blah. So, I can probably also join the ranks of those who have cut the cable and use the internet as their data and entertainment umbilicus. But for me that's weird.
The baby boomers were raised by the boob tube. It seemed like it was always on. It was the background music to our lives. ABC, NBC and CBS were our babysitters, our teachers, our neighbors and in a strange way our friends. We sort of depended on them to tell us what cars were cool, what other kids were wearing and what music we should listen to. Now I guess that has been replaced by the ubiquitous cell phone link to you-tube and facebook and whatever is trending on Twitter. Well, I don't do cell phone, but I guess the internet on my laptop is the equivalent. So now I amuse myself with that. But it's not the same. Sure, I've replaced the network news with a handful of blogs and news aggregators. And I search for reviews of movies and cable shows and books on the right-wing blogs and for the most part I can find what I want but something is missing.
In the 1990s I went to work and could talk to coworkers and find out about shows like Seinfeld and Home Improvement and it felt like we all shared a similar perspective on the humor or the take on current events. The writers of the shows reflected the common culture and the sensibilities of the country at large. That's completely gone. We are fractured and alienated from each other to such an extent that it almost isn't meaningful to talk about one country as existing anymore. I guess we are at least two peoples. And unfortunately, the group I'm in doesn't have a media. We have the rudiments of one. But it's much harder to make it work effectively and it doesn't feel as seamless and comforting as the old one was.
So, this post is just me thinking out loud and reflecting on where we are. I can remember one day during the Iraq War driving home from work and listening to NPR on the car radio. The slanted and dishonest reporting was so unbearable that I vowed never to listen to another show of any kind on Public Radio or television. And just saying it felt good. But it was the beginning of a long process to identify alternate sources and structures to patronize and support. I buy my fiction from sources that do not force a leftist narrative on their authors. I never click on a news article from the NY Times or the Washington Post or Politico or any of the other leftist mouthpieces. I never watch a Colbert or a Jon Stewart routine. I don't go to or rent a movie with a leftist slant or agenda. I support politicians who vote for the things I want. I sent a substantial check to Donald Trump during his campaign. I only support charities and organizations that reflect my values. I fill in the gaps around the places where the cancer had to be excised.
And I write this blog. I give my opinions and I spread the word on any people or sites that I think are right wing and useful. And I try to entertain and give encouragement.
So where are we? At the beginning. Is it good enough? No, but it's a beginning.
Trump vs The F.B.I.
Scene 1 (White House, Oval Office)
President Trump (PT) – Look Jeff, I'm glad that Comey is finally out of there but you've got to clean out that nest of bozos over there right away. I've got to have the FBI doing some real work. Between the narcotraficantes and the street gangs Americans are losing faith in the government.
Jeff Sessions (JS) – Mr. President, we're firing and reorganizing as quickly as we can but there are just so many Obama plants in the FBI that it's like trying to swat a cloud of mosquitoes. You're still gonna get bit.
PT – That bad? How many useful agents are there?
JS – I'd say about 40%. And there's just no easy way to segregate the good from the bad effectively enough to control the problems. When we restrict the classified clearance of the known bad actors they jump on someone else's computer and steal info off the database when they get a chance. And how can you stop that? It's hard to tell one guy in a cheap suit and a bad haircut from another.
PT – Never disparage a guy in a cheap suit and a bad haircut. He could be the next Commander in Chief.
JS – No offense intended sir.
PT – And none perceived.
JS – Exactly.
PT – Well, Jeff, something's gotta give. I'll discuss this with my highest counsel and get back to you.
JS – Ivanka?
PT – No, Schmoopy.
Scene 2 (White House, West Wing)
PT – Hello Schmoopy.
Melania Trump (MT) – Hello Schmoopy. Why do you have on the sad face?
PT – Because the FBI is full of bozos.
MT – Schmoopy, what is the bozos?
PT – A bozo is a clown.
MT – But the bozos should make you smile and laugh. Do they wear the funny face and the big shoes?
PT – No they wear the cheap suit and the bad haircut.
MT – Well that is the problem. I never laugh at the cheap suit and the bad haircut. It is not funny but very sad. Why do you not make them wear the bozo suit?
PT – Because no one would put up with that. He'd quit first.
MT – Would that be so bad.
PT – No Schmoopy. That would be kinda good. Thanks.
MT – That reminds me, I've got to bring in the tailor and the barber for you. We must look our best Schmoopy.
Scene 3 (FBI Headquarters – Jeff Sessions addressing the Executive Leadership of the FBI divisions)
JS – President Trump has formulated a strategy to streamline and optimize the reorganization of the Bureau. Effective immediately the organization will be divided into two groupings. The new division will start out essentially empty. It will contain a new director whom I will select and an administrative staff. This division will be augmented by any of the existing personnel of the Bureau who can be reliably vetted as effective agents. This new division will be designated the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Agent Smith (AG) – Mr. Sessions, won't the other division still be called the FBI.
JS – Yes, it will in fact be called the FBI. This older grouping will start out with all the personnel of the current Bureau. It will be up to the rank and file to facilitate their transfer to the new organization. They can do this by telling us where the "bodies are buried."
AG – Why exactly would we want to leave our present positions? We have a pretty good organization and we like the way things are done now.
JS – Well, there are some changes coming down the pike. For one we're changing the dress code. Here is a visual on the standard attire that will be expected starting Monday. Of course, some variation will be accommodated for gender and ethnic considerations but essentially this is your new look.
AG – Sir, that's a photo of Bozo the Clown.
JS – Yes, the beloved Icon of the 1960s and '70s. You all will don the face paint, big red squeaky nose, orange hair tufts, size twenty shoes and colorful puffy jumpsuit of Bozo. This will incentivize you to consider helping us clean out the rat's nest of Obama bitter clingers and fifth columnists. Also, it will allow us to easily monitor your proximity around sensitive information and systems. Standard operating procedure will be to check for clowns before leaving your work station unattended even for a second. And on your official government identification badge will be emblazoned your new department name FBI – Feckless Bozos of Imbecility.
AG – You paint a vivid picture Mr. Sessions.
JS – We want to make this decision as clear as we possibly can. You will stay in your present structure under the new arrangement. You will be assigned duties that include Saturday Morning Children's Television and outreach to pediatric hospital wards. Classes in juggling and seltzer squirting marksmanship will be mandatory. This will go on until either:
- You show us you can work for the country instead of against it.
- We find out you were involved in the leaks.
- You resign.
AG – Go to hell Sessions.
JS – Ah, ah ah! That's a Bozo no-no!
The Shrieking Calliope of Rage
I think Steampunk exists because the steam powered devices of the 19th century were so impressive to the senses. A steam locomotive fairly writhed with barely latent explosive potential. Even the safety relief valves that prevented the whole thing from rupturing into a multi-ton shrapnel device assaulted your ears with a screeching shriek that hardly spoke to any sane person's mind of safety or relief. This impressiveness transfers well to the written page. A good writer can weave a word image of the sights and sounds and the feel of the vibrations and even the taste and smell of steam coming off one of these mechanical monsters. Off the top of my head, I can think of two examples from imaginative works. The first is the Calliope and Carousel from Bradbury's "Something Wicked This Way Comes." The other is in the final scene in the boiler room from King's "The Shining." In both cases the steam powered engine is almost an entity in itself. A manic energy emanates from it and powers the action of the scene and drives the protagonist to attempt to disarm the menace of his shrieking foe.
So, where am I going with this? Oh come on, you know me by now. The hissing, sputtering, shrieking machine that threatens at any minute to explode from apoplectic rage is the MSM and its faithful audience. In the last week or so we have had any number of the usual suspects screaming, crying, cussing and threatening disaster over every and any action of the Administration. In some ways it is impressive. To keep up a hissy fit this long is no mean feat. Some of these individuals are not young and so you'd think the risk of stroke is not negligible. I'd say the most noteworthy instances to list were Stephen Colbert and Maxine Waters. Colbert had a meltdown over Trump disrespecting a CBS reporter named Dickerson. Colbert went into a rant against Trump and used some extremely derogatory sexual comments that even partisans of the left found offensive. Following that a few days later, he extemporized to his studio audience on the breaking news of FBI Director Comey's firing and was chagrined when the crowd cheered the news. He claimed it was the result of a pro-Trump audience. More likely, his constant attacks on Comey for harming Hillary's election chances temporarily confused the audience into forgetting that we've always been at war with Eastasia. I'm sure he straightened them out on that right away.
Waters took the Comey firing as the one hundredth excuse, to once again, call for the immediate impeachment of Donald Trump. When asked if she would have supported Hillary Clinton firing Comey she said she definitely would. Wow.
In the olden days B.T. (before Trump), a republican president or Congress would quail and jibber under the endless assault of the outrage machine. A Bush or a McCain would waffle and kowtow to accusations of racism or sexism or just plain ism. They were a hapless bunch and the Media and the dems knew it. That's why they are still hitting this play so hard. It always yousta work.
We may be in a golden period. A place in time where the libs are still using tactics that no longer work but before they figure out that they actually do real harm to their case. If this is the case then the trolling of Trump may actually be a very effective way of turning the public against the public positions of the left. Someone like Colbert blowing a fuse on screen might have a truly revelatory effect if at the same time an unapologetic President is managing to get things done in Washington at the same time.
As the inimitable Vox Day has noted SJWs always double down. If that is the case, then there may come a point when even the somnambulistic public wakes up to the fact that the Left has become a shrieking steam engine whose relief valve has been overwhelmed in furtherance of doubling down. And with any luck the Left will blow the whole thing sky high or run it right into a brick wall. If so I can make one last steam analogy reference, "God He stole the handle and the train won't stop going, no way to slow down."
Tolkien: A Very, Very Long Story – Part 1 – On the Screen vs. the Mind's Eye
Okay, The Lord of the Rings, the big enchilada. Tolkien wrote about a half a million words about his war of the ring. His son Christopher has made a cottage industry of publishing every scrap of draft paper that his father ever scribbled and analyzing them as if they were papyrus palimpsests of the lost plays of Sophocles. In the last sixty plus years an unending stream of analysis both professional and personal has been generated about these books. Everything that could be said has been said and about a million times. So, what possible justification is there for me to add to the ocean?
Well, it's my damn blog and I want to. So, without further ado…
I read the Lord of the Rings when I was about twelve. I was highly impressed. Obviously as I matured my opinion of the story was based on an evolving baseline of experience with fiction and personal experience of the world around me. Over the years my personal preferences among the various characters and scenes have altered somewhat. But my overall opinion of the work is still very high and very enthusiastic.
Over the course of the time I have been a fan of the Lord of the Rings, Hollywood has from time to time attempted to produce motion picture versions of it. Some of these were animated films. One was drawing superimposed over live action frames of film (Ralph Bakshi's film). Recently a sophisticated live action and CGI combination was produced by Peter Jackson and managed to win the Academy Award for best picture. The relationship between these films and the text is the subject of this post.
I will state categorically that none of the film versions of the Lord of the Rings before Peter Jackson's version ever succeeded (except in very small sections) in capturing the feeling of the book. The inability to draw the viewer into the reality of the story was always too strong. But in the Jackson version it succeeded.
Okay, here come the qualifiers. Do not confuse the above statement with an unconditional endorsement of every aspect of the movie. There are any number of things about the movie that I object to (some extremely strenuously). For instance, Denethor is rendered as a terrible man. I do not think that reflects Tolkien's intent or description. Also, some aspects of the treatment of Frodo and Sam's friendship is oddly portrayed and off-putting. The super human abilities of Legolas seem exaggerated and some of the silly treatment of Gimli are annoying. A hundred little and not so little problems exist.
Getting that out of the way I will say that Jackson's movies bring the Lord of the Rings alive. In a certain sense these films will give Tolkien's work a chance to become part of the mythology of the whole human race. Because although millions of people have read the books, billions of people will see the movies. Not every viewer will be impacted deeply by the story but enough of the books comes across in the films that the films will act as an amplifier of the story in the digital realm we now inhabit. So, on balance the Jackson films are a net positive for the Tolkien lovers of the world.
I'll cut this first Tolkien post short here. After all this is an endless pursuit. Best not to drone on too much. But I'll end with my opinion on the best scene in the Jackson films. And I'll specify I'm talking about the extended versions. The best scene is the Ride of the Rohirrim at the Battle of Minas Tirith. It was stirring and well done. Feel free to leave your opinion on the best scene in the comments.
What Does the Comey Firing Mean?
If you look at the various news aggregation sites, you'll find any number of articles that explain how Trump's firing of Comey will either:
- Cause the end of democracy in America, or
- Trigger Trump's impeachment and guillotining
So, where does this leave us normal people? Well, as I usually exclaim in my magisterial fashion, "Damned if I know." Does Comey and Obama's people have some kind of deep game that they are trying to play that will hobble or destroy Trump and his administration? Maybe? Is Trump counterattacking with the full force of the executive branch's formidable resources? Could be? Or is this just Trump clearing the decks to get his own guys in there to move on to new business? Sure, why not?
For even a staunch supporter of the "Troller-in-Chief", such as myself, it sometimes seems like this administration punishes its supporters as much as its enemies. Honestly, on a daily basis I reach the giddy heights of schadenfreude with the release of the latest Hillary rant, followed by a plunge into the stygian depths of terror when a sophomoric presidential tweet erupts onto the media scene. It's exhausting.
But I'm in this thing for the long haul and Trump's is the star that I've hitched my wagon to. I'm gonna give him as much slack as I have and let him get it done. Firing Comey seems like exactly the opposite play from a JEB! or Romney move. This tells me it's probably smart (or at least brave). Some people are saying that Trump's motive is to get a team into the FBI to start pursuing Hillary and/or the leakers from Obama's people. These sound like high risk moves. And that makes me think high risk/high reward. It's entirely possible we have someone with guts in the White House. Good.
It should be interesting to see how this plays out over the next few days. Right now Schumer is calling for a special prosecutor. Blumenthal is accusing the administration of treason. I'm guessing if the democrats weren't all atheists there would be charges of heresy. What would be indicative of Trump effectiveness would be if the administration can start getting ahead of the democrats in the news cycle and produce indictments of someone on the other side. I'd love to see some democrat operative testifying under immunity and naming names. Can you just imagine the howls of pain if some of the actual villains were unmasked and the sausage making that went on in the White House last year came to light? Who knows? Maybe even Saint Barack might appear with his halo slipping down a little if enough prosecutorial pressure was applied to the right Obama flunky. Admittedly that's just my dream version of how the post-Obama landscape could play out. More likely it would just tend to silence the press if they thought that pursuing the leaks would go away if they gave Trump some good press. So let's see who's winning and who's losing. We should know soon.
Bathtub Nitroglycerine and Perpetual Motion Machines
Families are a great invention. They allow us to remember stuff from long ago and be young again. Case in point, I have a descendant who is in middle school. He is forever describing to me machines he has invented that turn kinetic energy and wind and sunlight into potential energy stored in batteries and flywheels and allowing him to perpetually power the imaginary kingdom he rules with an iron hand. On a fairly frequent interval I remind him of the three laws of thermodynamics and the scourge of entropy. He laughs it off as fake news. Apparently, his generation has formulated the fourth law, magic.
All of these flights of fancy reminded me of my own early technological history. As a youngster, I had a fascination with chemistry. I quickly graduated from the hobbyist set up with a few bottles of sodium bisulfate, test tubes and an alcohol lamp to a professional ground glass distillation set up, temperature controlled electric heating, reagent bottles full of mineral acids and even some formidable organic solvents. I searched in arcane book stores for the organic chemistry recipes and set-ups that allowed for practical synthesis of various compounds that in my young mind were interesting. At one point, I obtained an old organic chemistry text that was part of a medical school curriculum from the 1920s. It included a number of compounds that interested me including nitroglycerine and trinitrotoluene. I went as far as obtaining all the reagents, equipment and vessels I would need to perform the reaction. On the day I had set for producing the first batch I was walking down to the supermarket to buy the fifty pounds of ice I needed to cool the reaction when it occurred to me that this might just possibly be a "bad idea." You see I remembered that nitroglycerine was a material that wasn't just dangerous during production but remained sensitive to heat and vibration at all times. Not owning a reinforced concrete bunker, I realized that after I manufactured the "soup" I had no place to keep it. Well, no place that would survive a detonation. Now you might think that this kind of rational evaluation would have steered me clear of all pyrotechnic and explosive materials. You would be wrong. The extent of my caution was to shift over to something less unstable but equally exothermic. I started working with thermite. In these post 9-11 days I imagine my experiments would probably fall under the heading of possible terror activity. Back then they were the stuff of Fourth of July celebratory hijinks. But even these relatively tame and successful forays into amateur pyrotechnics now give me pause. Just precisely how stupid is a teenage boy when it comes to unsafe activities. The answer comes back loud and clear. Infinitely stupid. I can remember what back then seemed to me to be failsafe precautions. In hindsight what I see was ignorance and just plain dumb luck. And that really frightens me.
Needless to say, these memories inform my present situation. It occurs to me that the adults around when I was hatching my munitions program thought that my forays into chemistry were altogether benign and to be encouraged. Hmmm. Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? Not just the Shadow. Any man who was ever a fourteen year-old boy knows too.
I intend to monitor my young Archimedes' progress with an eye for safety. I have gotten him some books on electricity and machines that stress safety and standard components. I know he has an interest in robotics. And I know he enjoys BattleBots so I will keep an eye out for any indication that his creations will include cutting surfaces or kinetic devices such as circular saw blades or pneumatic hammers. If my cautionary tale rings any bells in your own case, remember, the apple does not fall far from the tree.
TCM Goes Full Nitwit
Like many right-wing folk I was raised on the movies that were made in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Many of the movies made in the '30s and '40s possess a charm and appeal completely lacking in later decades. They reflect (or maybe echo) qualities of a culture and people that are appealing even to the decadent descendants of that world living in the tattered remains of today.
That's why even though Robert Osborne, the late host of Turner Classic Movies, was an obvious member of the Hollywood leftist fraternity it was still worth my while to tune in to TCM and watch the films. For the most part I didn't even mind listening to him discuss the movies either directly to the tv audience or as a dialog with some other Hollywood boob. As annoying as it was to hear Osborne discussing aspects of the film with the likes of Alec Baldwin or Sally Field it was still bearable for the most part. Osborne rarely went full tilt commie during these discussions so the tooth gritting quotient was still acceptable.
As Osborne aged, management must have decided that they needed a succession plan. To this end they installed an auxiliary host in the person of Ben Mankiewicz. Ben is the grandson of a Hollywood screenwriter and a strident leftist who appeared alongside the "Young Turks" during the 2016 presidential election results while they were melting down on camera. Occasionally his moonbattery has been on display but like Osborne he was usually able to keep his affliction under control.
Well, last month Osborne died. I guess Mankiewicz is nominally the host now. But several new hosts have been trotted out. Diversity, of course, is being touted in the choice of genders and races on display for these new hosts and based on the complete lack of name or face recognition associated with them I'm guessing they are essentially unknowns and therefore extremely economical employees for TCM to utilize. Well, what can you do? It's not as if Osborne was any big star. I think his claim to fame was that he knew some of the golden age actresses personally and was able to get them to appear on the show for interviews. These new hosts blather on from their points of view but they're not that much worse than the old act.
But now we're reaching a new level of abuse. Tonight, the presentation of "The Bad and the Beautiful" was co-hosted by Alec Baldwin and David Letterman. Now this is a level of toxic television viewing that I would compare with having to listen to Sauron chatting with Saruman about the latest advances in orc breeding. We have reached the limit. I assume a meltdown is imminent. It will probably occur during a John Wayne western and will involve words like imperialism, cultural appropriation, patriarchy and racial genocide. At that point, I'll either have to cancel TCM or shove my foot through the LED screen.
To combat the sense of loss I feel at having to cede yet another familiar cultural facet to the leftist demolition brigade I have decided to add classic movie reviews as a regular part of this blog. In the past I have endeavored to mix in a few sci-fi and western movies into my normal "current events" posts. Going forward I propose to increase them and expand the selection to golden age and equivalent quality later films that I think will be of interest to my readers (and you know who you are!).
So farewell Robert Osborne, you were a mostly benign lefty host of TCM. You are sorely missed now that we know what's coming next.
You Mean the Sky is Not Falling?
Andrew Klavan has been making me laugh and think since I found him at PJ Media about a decade ago. His "Klavan on the Culture" videos were hilarious and brilliant skewering of leftist thought and action that brightened up many a depressing day of the Bush and Obama presidencies. He continues his video presence on the Daily Wire but he put up an article at PJ Media that was linked on Real Clear Politics ( https://pjmedia.com/andrewklavan/2017/05/05/thanks-gop/ ) that I think addressed the endless negativity that not only defines the MSM but also infects right wing publications on a daily basis. Klavan is far from a Trump cheerleader. He's a smart guy who sees the contradictions we are living with. The alleged intellectual leaders of the republican party were complicit with the progressives in handing over the government (all three branches) to radicals who have basically dismantled our world and reassembled it into a grotesque parody that assaults our moral and physical senses with its depravity. The spectacle of men masquerading as women in every corner of the public space is only the latest symptom of the systemic infection that has been allowed to overrun the normal outline of our world. It's a case of life outdoing art and so much so that a Fellini movie would now be considered a taming down of the real world.
So, the thesis of his article is that Trump and the Congress should be cut a little slack. They have lately been making headway in reining in the excesses of the former administration and have even made some progress toward improving the situation. One point that I thought was important, was that Trump took advantage of a rule (the Congressional Review Act) that allows any government regulation less than 60 days old to be deleted with almost no effort at all. He set about the job of negating all the poison pill regulations that Obama enacted after finding out Trump had won the election. Klavan noted that the New York Times ("a former newspaper" as he always adds) decried this Trump action, in a tear drenched article, as a part of the demolition of the Obama legacy. This panic on the left hardly jibes with the non-stop lamentations that the right wing has been ululating for the last week or so. So, what is going on then? Who is right?
Isn't it lucky for all of you that I'm here in all of my Olympian objectivity and divine wisdom to pronounce on who is right and who is wrong and the generic whichness of what?
Of course it is.
Well they're both right (of course). The right wing faithful are rightly aggrieved at the current state of affairs and the slowness of improvement. With the Presidency, the Congress and the Supreme Court all nominally under right wing majority you would expect the guillotine working overtime piling up the severed heads of progressive malefactors at the base of Capitol Hill. You would imagine Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama, Harry Reid, Hillary Clinton and Barney Frank would be in the docket trying to plead for clemency while a special prosecutor was loading up a list of high crimes and misdemeanors long enough to reach the orbit of Mars. Rats like Stephen Colbert, Lena Dunham and Al Gore would be reduced to pushing shopping carts around on the streets of Los Angeles hoping to score a cheese rind or grapefruit peel from the dumpster behind the local Trader Joe's.
And the republicans in government are right to remember how the American people punished them for shutting down the government when Clinton rejected their budget balancing work in the 1990s. That left a mark that they never forgot. Careers were ended and democrats took seats in red states. It's pretty much a truism that people get the government that they deserve.
So I'm going to throw the tie to Trump on this one. He's making a dent. And one other thing Klavan notes in his article, Trump's continual trolling of the left is a gift that keeps on giving. It enrages them and provokes them to ever higher heights of moonbattery (e.g. Colbert's recent ravings). These people have reached a frothing state that's bound to take a toll on their public image. Whereas Trump's rating seems to be slightly rising.
So in conclusion, the sky is not falling and I'm not even close to being tired of winning.
Wherefore Art Thou Shmoe-meo?
The Last 1360 Days of the Trump Presidency
Lycra Spandexy (LS) – Oh Shmoe-meo, Shmoe-meo, wherefore art thou Shmoe-meo?
Morning Shmoe (MS) – I'm right here at the teleprompter and it's 37 seconds past the quarter hour my dear Lycra.
LS – Oh, Shmoe-meo renounce thy father's name, for I refuse to become Lycra Spandexy-Browfurrowed. A girl can only endure so much. You're a modern metrosexual man. Take Spandexy as your last name. Shmoe Spandexy has a kind of alliterative magic to it.
MS – Sure baby, a rose by any other name would blah, blah, blah. Just as long as we tie the knot before Chris Cashews is on the show again. He's getting that tingle up his leg again and I don't think either one of us is safe alone with him during commercial breaks.
LS – Wow, that's grim. Okay I am sold oh Shmoe-meo. I'll make the announcement on-air and the joyous huzzahs will resound around the set.
MS – Uh, yeah sure. And three, two, one!
LS – And we're back. During the break, Morning Shmoe agreed to become my husband and equal partner for life.
MS – You said it toots.
LS – And since we're both delirious with joy, we wanted our audience to be the first to know.
MS – And since this is the network that never stops pushing, we're going to turn today's show into a forum devoted to giving us the best advice for our life together. Lycra, who do we have scheduled for the panel?
LS – First up is our very own Snarkful Sadclown. And who better than an androgynous lesbian to help me pick out my wedding dress?
Snarkful Sadclown (SS) – Well, Lycra, if you really intend to degrade your body by becoming a walking biological function and a chattel handmaiden for the patriarchy, the least I can do is make sure you arrive in comfortable loafers and a sensible pantsuit from the Hillary Collection.
LS – But Mommy and Daddy said I'd look like a princess!
SS – This ain't your Mommy's network Princess. And I'd recommend a number two buzzcut for the hairstyle. That's right, this is real, you aren't dreaming, this your life.
LS – Why do you keep saying that?
SS – You-Tube said it gets clicks.
MS – Next up is noted gender studies authority and NY Times bestselling author of, "Painful Changes, Wardrobe Choices," Dave-Sue Haddgonadds. Good morning Dr. Haddgonadds. Am I pronouncing that correctly?
Dave-Sue Haddgonadds (DSH) – The dees are silent, you silly man.
MS – My apologies. Dr., what can I learn from you to make my marriage more fulfilling?
DSH – First of all, Shmoe, be aware that even contemplating yet another marriage between white, heterosexual, cis-gendered people is a crime against all LGBTQ and people of color. You are transgressing against the gorgeous mosaic that is the American life of today. It is vibrant, it is diverse and it will not be flouted by your retrogressive, hate-filled choices.
LS – Yes but we are white, heterosexual, cis-gendered people.
DSH – That's no excuse. Nowadays, options in transgender hormone therapy and transformative surgery allow any number of alternative body choices. For instance, Shmoe, I envision you as a five foot three inch tall black woman with a penchant for shall we say alimentary amorous pursuits.
MS – Five foot three?
DSH – Yes Dr. Farber is a virtuoso with the bone saw.
MS – I'm not sure I'm comfortable with the idea of gender reassignment surgery.
DSH – No problem. There's no pressure whatsoever. Our motto is "If you like your genitalia you can keep your genitalia."
MS – Somehow, that's less than totally reassuring.
DSH – And you, Lycra, would be just a stunning creature at 6' 3''with a Douglas Fairbanks Jr. mustache and a Heidelberg scar.
LS – But I want to be a princess!
DSH – Fine. We'll compromise You can be bi-sexual. See I'm willing to meet you half way.
MS – Dr., I hope during the break we can find some common ground on our vision of married life but first let me introduce our next panelist. He's the greatest living authority on pre-nuptial agreements Tad Litigious. Good morning Counselor, am I pronouncing that correctly?
Tad Litigious (TL) – No, Shmoe, the vee is silent.
MS – But there is no vee.
TL – That's why it's silent.
MS – Okay, Tad, what do I need to know about the legal aspects of marriage.
TL – Well, first off Shmoe, you're gonna need an ironclad pre-nup before you sign up for this rodeo.
MS – Why? Lycra and I are modern people with deep empathy for each other and compatible views on life and social responsibility. I respect her as a strong independent woman and I embrace her life choices both personally and professionally.
TL – Sure you do Poindexter. But listen to Uncle Tad for a minute and I'll set you straight on a couple of items. So, you two are on the same wavelength and believe in all the same touchy-feely talking points. Super-duper. But let's look about five years down the road. By then little blondie over there is just a skosh less perky here and there and your network will be replacing her with the twinkie du jure. Now based on what I've heard from the two of you, Little Miss Muffet over there isn't going to go into the baby raising business for you. She's gonna shop her act around the networks and she'll end up parked on the Home Shopping Network with the rest of the over the hill bimbos and probably putting down about a pint of gin every a.m. before curtain. My guess is you're the kind of old boy who'll find the twinkie du jure sort of interesting and with one thing following another, I'm guessing you'll be calling me up and handing me a seven-figure retainer to help you switch around Mrs. Browfurroweds. Now, if you don't have a pre-nup in place, she'll get 85% of your stuff. If you have one she'll get 55%. So, it's your call. I get paid either way.
MS – Well Tad, that all seems very unlikely, (sotto voce) call me later.
LS – Hey I heard that!
MS – Well that's all the time we have, but I just want all our guests to know that we valued their advice and with any luck at all we will have a full and happy life as man and wife. Or as something and something and for some reasonable length of time. But for me and Lycra…
LS – Up yours Shmoe!
MS – Here's to a happy and progressive today.


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School Lunches
From September 2014 significant changes are happening to school food: cooking is back on the curriculum, every pupil in reception, year 1 and 2 will be eligible for free school meals and from January, new food standards are being introduced. These are three of the 16 actions in the School Food Plan, which aims to transform what children eat in schools and how they learn about food (see www.schoolfoodplan.com).
Good food and good food culture has been shown to lead not only to healthier, happier and more fulfilled children, but to improved educational attainment. Evidence from those areas that already provide universal free school meals is that children eat more healthily and perform better academically. Schools in those areas have also reported improved behaviour and atmosphere as a result of all pupils eating together every day.
New standards for school food have recently been published and will came into force in January. By following them, we can be sure that our pupils will get the nutrition they need across the whole school day. We believe that the school lunchtime is a great opportunity for our children to sit down together and enjoy their healthy and tasty meal, while developing their social skills.
Our hot meals are provided by Mrs B's Caring Catering Company. Children will be required to pre-order 3 weeks in advance from a menu provided (see below). Special dietary requirements can be met on request e.g. dairy free and children will still be able to bring in a packed lunch if they so wish.
Due to the restrictions on space and staff we are only able to offer a hot meal to Potters and Thatchers children.
Registering for School Meals
We ask that ALL PARENTS fill in a school meals registration form, see below. This is important so that we can continue to register pupils who attract pupil premium, which is worth £1,300 a year per pupil for our school.
Free School Meals Application form
The latest school lunch menu can be found below


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This weekend I looked at my blog and felt so guilty that I haven't written anything since 24 May. Sies man, Anja. Your WordPress theme was kak expensive and you need to use it.
Where have I been? I realised that I have explained it on every single social network except on my blog. So I have decided to give you guys a life update. If you've been following all my tweets – please feel free to click away, because this might be a bit repetitive for you.
If not; read on.
At the beginning of 2017 I vowed to be brave and reach for my dreams. Just kidding, this isn't Pinterest. Let me rephrase: At the beginning of 2017 I vowed to be a bad bitch.
It started with getting the right medication. You can read more about this here.
Last year I was literally too tired to care about my blog, and as a result I declined a lot of opportunities. So, step two was to resuscitate my blog and breathe new life into my Instagram. I've always had a passion for photography, and this year I decided to focus on it a bit more because it makes me very happy. My Instagram has become my pride and joy, but I have also been very careful to not sell a fake life.
This goes hand-in-hand with saying yes to more opportunities. In 2016 W24 asked me to write exclusive articles for them (ones that haven't been featured on my blog), but because I wasn't in the right headspace – I never got around to it. This year I took them up on the offer, and my first article was about comparing my life to other people's Instagram lives. You can read it here. I'm hoping to do more soon.
I also did something I never thought I would again: a vlog. I DESPISE hearing my own voice on a recording, and I am 100% a better writer than a speaker. So when Cosmopolitan asked me to be part of their Garnier Hair Diaries video – I was like: NUUUUOPE.
But then I remembered my Bad Bitch vow, and I said yes. The shoot started out really awkward, because I was so blerrie nervous. Everyone was so nice to me though and it really helped. I ended up having so much fun and I love how the video came out.
That brings me to the biggest reason my blog has been so quiet.
A month ago I handed in my resignation letter and I started a new job last Monday. It was a very scary decision for me, but one I needed to make for my selfcare eco-system. I realised that I was in the wrong field and that I needed to go back to my true passion: content writing and management.
I was fortunate enough to land a position doing exactly that, and I am so excited to see where it will lead.
On a personal front, JP and I are still together – even though his chewing often makes me want to move out. And my whining about tardiness makes him want to be late for everything forever.
But he has been my biggest cheerleader. I have days where I am Anna Wintour and I have days where I am 2014 Amanda Bynes. And he somehow manages to be there for me through all of this.
He is going to New York with me and I so happy and grateful to have him by my side.
2016 was not my year, or anyone else's year for that matter. I had a lot of health issues – some of it I have spoken about on my blog, and some of it I have kept private. But I have openly talked about my depression and insomnia, to help others who are in the same position as me. (For those of you who have not read these articles – I added one to the link in my bio.) Getting to the bottom of my this was a pricey affair, however. I went to so many GPs, alternative medicine practitioners and eventually a psychiatrist. By the end of last year I'd spent a fortune on specialists and medication, and I'd completely stopped buying/doing anything nice for myself as a result. At the beginning of this year I looked at my life and I decided that I need to stop letting these things control my life and choose ME. One of my BIGGEST dreams of all time has always been to go on holiday to New York, and so I vowed to make it happen. I decided to stop living in fear of last year's expenses and to just LIVE. I have my visa, my accommodation and my man – I'll see you in October, New York. P.S. If you have any tips and recommendations of places we should visit while we're there – comment and let me know! Photo by @wednesdayandoctober
I am looking forward to the rest of the year and being an ultra overachiever; I have already set my new batch of goals.
The list is very long, so I'll give you a sneak peek:
- Get a dog.
I promise to keep my blog alive from now on. And if I don't; please feel free to guilt-trip me.


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(A walk among Guayacan trees, little palaces and sitting lions)
By Reinaldo Spitaletta
Translation by Adriana Elgueta
The architectural diversity, with old houses built according to bourgeois 'good taste', at a time when the city still watched screenings of the film Under The Sky of Antioquia (1925), whose frames did not come to show what was going to be the most beautiful neighbourhood (or barrio) in Medellín. According to its founder, Ricardo Olano, one of the features of the neighbourhood named in 1926 as neighbourhood El Prado.
El Prado was born under the guidelines of a 'garden city' and, as Olano himself warned, the eccentricity of its first inhabitants has made it into a mix of dreams and realistic awe. To walk its 50-foot wide streets, with front gardens and tree lines that still respect its founder's plans, is a whole sensational experience, as we shall see.
Someone strolling by could only just make out the mahogany windows or curly cumin plants, wrought iron, closing gates and flapping wings, Belgian stained glass, a feast for the eyes, a banquet of aesthetic dimensions. If the wanderer has an appreciation for gates, well, say no more. Arched, rectangular, enormous, with gigantic door knobs in the shape of a lion's head or a devil, some already altered by spurious rails due to sudden new changes. Prado has meandering streets, with blunt corners, towers and spires, Spanish and English tiles, two and three-storey houses, some like little palaces, others like medieval castles, including the odd one resembling a steam boats like those that slice through the waters of the Magdalena river with their tropical music and with the pride of the elite heritage.
Swiss-style chalets and the occasional reminiscence of Scottish architecture, there still are some lampposts with an air of tango about them, or a Parisian street. The pedestrian, or perhaps said another way, a kind of flâneur, or experienced wanderer, would observe Republican features, European and some colonial vestiges in the façades of the buildings. Rosette windows, cornices, decorations with triumphant leaves, strange flowers that evoke those from a book by the Catalan writer Mercé Rodoreda. Although a little neglected today, everything is possible in its geography.
Prado, whose first street (or carrera as they say in Colombia) was the continuation of the old Palacé, at a corner of which Darién built his first mansion (today metamorphosed into the Church of the Holy Spirit, erected in 1957, with a red bougainvillea vine which could be the biggest in the city), Joaquín Cano's house still shows such luxurious distinctions of Medellín's high society. Olano promoted the planting of yellow and lilac Guayacan trees, the first spread through the streets. Cadmio trees so that the breeze from the Sugar Loaf hill spreads wafts of scents throughout the neighbourhood. Various types of peppers complemented the garden, which was later elaborated with casco'evaca trees.
In the only neighbourhood in the city declared Cultural Heritage, you can find the house where one of the most famous engineers from Antioquia lived, Juan de la Cruz Posada, whose mansions still stands on the corner of Palacé and Belalcázar, currently occupied by a fashion shop known as Casa Prado.
The neighbourhood, bordered by Popayán (street 50C, although some extend it as far as Neiva, 50D), San Martín (street 46), Cuba (street 59) y Jorge Robledo (calle 65) grew from a spine formed by Palacé (street 50), with other streets parallel to it, like Venezuela y Balboa. Perhaps the strangest of buildings in the barrio is the Egyptian Palace, designed by Nel Rodríguez for optometrist and astronomer aficionado, Fernando Estrada, in Sucre between Cuba and Miranda streets.
Built like a little palace from Luxor (Egyptian town that houses the ruins of Thebes), its owner, a lover of the culture and history of the Fahroe named it Palacio Ineni, after the Royal Princess of such noble family. Pink granite pictograms y hieroglyphs, an observatory, Masons meetings in its upper romos, central patios with various lounges surrounding it made the residence of the founder of Óptica Santa Lucía, the most curious one in Prado. Today, however, ruin threatens her.
To walk through this barrio of eclectic architectural styles, is to find a little Arabesque in Casa Blanca (Balboa and Darién) and Welsh castles, like Casa Walsingham, on the corner of Balboa and Jorge Robledo Streets and diagonal to the mansion where Mrs Luz Castro de Gutiérrez lived, the venue for the Miss Antioquia beauty pageant in the old days.
Although Prado still conserves its lush greenery, today it's a mixture of old people's homes and convents (there are 22), with artistic hubs, psychiatric, oncology and pediatric clinics. Its only park, Olano, boasts two ceiba trees and new gardens. Its founder's residence is now the seat of Faculty of Education of the University of Antioquia, in Balboa and Jorge Robledo. To enter through its gigantic arched gate is to negotiate a maze on two enormous levels.
Almost all Prado still has is worth a visit. It tells stories, it conveys emotions. There are sitting lions and bohemian lofts. Turrets and mansions that appear inhabited by ancient ghosts. Its aged splendour still shines on many of the old houses, sometimes unbelievably so. Its thick trees still harbour birds, to stroll through its scenes is like the experience of walking into the past, to the days when presumptuous families of Medellín's elite built the area seeking comfort with exquisite taste. It was and, despite its decadence, it still is a "dream that became a barrio".
(At ninety years of age, a historical neighbourhood worth preserving)


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Billy Vera born May 28,1944 in Riverside,California his mom,Ann Ryan,was one of the Ray Charles singers on record and TV with Perry Como.Billy write several songs for barbara Lewis,Fast Domino, The Shirelles, Ricky Nelson or The Remain's classic_Don't Look Back.
In 1962 Billy recorded with The Resolutions for Valentine Records_January 1,1962/The Traveling Salesman.
L to R; Ronnie Hinds,Billy Vera,Bob Power and Al Exposito.
In the same year of 1962 Billy(Guitar and Vocals) with Ronnie Hinds(Bass),Bob Power(Guitar) and Al Esposito(Drums) were know as The Knight Riders and backing live acts of The Coasters,The Drifetrs or Little Anthony & The Imperials
They had to use the Contrasts name because were still under contract to United Artists. and recorded in 1962 for Laurie subsidiary label Rust Records as Billy Vera & The Contrasts_My Heart Cries/All My Love.The A Side originally written and recorded by Etta(James) and Harvey(Fuqua).
Later the group change their name to Blue-Eyed-Soul and in 1965 have two releases on Cameo Records backed by the Cookies.
-Shadow Of Your Love/Look Gently At The Rain.
-Somethin' New/Tonight I Am A King.
Information and pictures at;
Sunday, May 17, 2009
BILLY VERA & THE CONTRASTS (Rust Records)
Posted by Whitedoowopcollector at 1:43 PM
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