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I'm opening this thread because Crybaby's suggestion.Hope you like it.
As far as it's long I''ll complete it slowly...Suggestions are welcome of course.
I'll also open another one talking about classical and falmenco guitarist too.
Clasical guitar as we known today was born with Antonio de Torres(1817-1892)
Antonio de Torres. Antonio de Torres Jurado was born in Ca?ada (Almeria) in 1817 and died in Almeria in 1892.He learned carpentry in the town of Vera and worked in this job for some years. Then he moved to Granada in 1850 where Jose Pernas, who lived in 8 Plazuela street, taught him the art of making guitars. Torres who completely surprised everybody, as he did not have any previous relatives in this field, and he learned guitar making at the age of 33, achieved excellent results. Together with other guitar makers they created a basic, simple and elegant guitar, with a slender head and pronounced curves. He also took advantage of certain woods which were not appreciated in other European countries, like rosewood and cypress, which are still used in the making of flamenco guitars. The decoration of these guitars was minimal, as they were built foremost for playing.
The pragmatic Spanish guitarists, had realized before anyone else that the guitars which were so beautifuly decorated, worsened the quality of the sound because they were uncomfortable to play. The head of these guitars, since the 18th century, were long. They were equiped with rudimentary wooden pegs, adaptable simply by rubbing. Such characteristics are still in use in flamenco guitars. Although the rest of Europe used guitars with more strings (some longer and others shorter, Spain remained loyal for a long time to the six string guitar, probably because as it was bigger size was the most convenient for its use: the accompaniment of Andalusian songs and dances. It was not until 1820 that they adapted the six string guitar, with some changes adapted by Torres, the "Stradivarius of the guitar." After that this instrument evolved to the actual classical guitar we use today. There is little information about the period he spent with Jose Pernas, but what is known is the meeting he had with the concert performer Julian Arcus, which was determinant in his idea to dedicate his time exclusively to the making of guitars. In this meeting Arcas explained to Torre the problems of sound volume that the guitars had at that time.
His first phase as guitar maker is in Seville, between 1854 and 186__. His guitar labels had the following information:
"Por D.Antonio de Torres (On some labels the word "de" was omitted)
Calle Cerregeria 32 (en alguna cerrajeria)
Sevilla n?32 a?o: 186.....
The job of guitar making did not give him a good enough salary, so he left Seville in 1870 and settled in Almeria, where he established a porcelain and cristal store. After 1880 untill 1892 appears his second phase of guitar making, but he does this only for friends and not as a job. At this time his guitar labels had the following information:
Antonio de Torres
Constructor de Guitarras en Sevilla
vive hoy en Almeria, Calle Reah n?20 Ca?ada
Guitarra n?20 a?o de 18......
As we can see, he himself was conscious of his "two phases;" another surprising fact is that he never signed his labels. According to the biography of Alberto Romanillos, Torres had manufactured about 320 guitars during his career. Only 66 still remain. Antonio Torres had a very important influence on guitar making for various reasons. He lenghtened the body of the guitar and left a well marked neck. He also used lighter materials and and thin boxes and due to this, these instruments were not heavier than its predecesors. He also added (through an empirical process) a system of of lenghth proporsions based on a certain geometrical logic, that is still used today. Though his main contribution consists of a system of rods invisible to the naked eye. Such system is made with some wooden rods situated inside the instrument, whose function consists in both avoiding the bending of the instrument and giving you a complete freedom of movement. The purpose of these rods was to reinforce the cover and also it had an acustic type purpose.He used seven rods: one in the center and three on each side. A guitar built in 1763 by Francisco Perez, in Cadiz, came equiped with rods, but it does not seem as a post modification. Later, Luthiers , Jose Benedit and Juan and Jose Pages, from Cadiz and Francisco Sanguino, from Seville, bettered the process of fan shaped rods, of which we had mentioned before it was Torres who set the patterns. He thought rightly that the box and the rod were the vital points of the instrument. Imagine the lucky listeners of the time like Domingo Pra, who said the instrument had an exceptional sound. This same guitar can still be seen in the museum of instruments of the conservatory of Barcelona, although its bad condition makes it impossible to repeat that historical experience. Torres also set the standard lenghth of the diapason of the guitars in 650mm, lenghtened the "Trastes" and eliminated all the decorations. His artistic carvings around the "Boca" and the sides had a personal characteristic. His own carvings around the "Boca" are like yellow spikes on a green background. Doquier tried to immitate this, some of his guitares have been dimantled so as to penetrate in the mistery of its unmistakable sound and labels have also been falsified which appear on instruments which Torres had never really built. Though it is not difficult (due to the amount of his production) that an authentic uncataloged Torres guitar can still appear anywhere in the world.
*Taken from: http://www.laguitarra.net/ITorres.htm
Next famous and highly appreciated guitarmaker was Jos? Ram?rez (aka Ram?rez I) who begun Ram?rez dinasty and his brother Manuel Ram?rez.
The Ramirez family from Madrid, also represents a saga of manufacturers of guitars that starts up with Jos? Ramirez I in 1882, until the current manufacturer called Jos? Ramirez IV. Their guitars are of great level, and they enjoy great prestige among the professional guitarists. This firm owns several National and International rewards, relate to its craft . At the moment he builds with the professional guitars an excellent range of guitarsdedicated to students and amateurs.
Jos? Ram?rez of Galarreta and Planell, was born in Madrid in 1858. At the age of 12 he began working as an apprentice in the workshop of who was later to become his Maestro; Francisco Gonz?lez. The Gonzales shop was located on the Carrera de San Jer?nimo street in Madrid.
In 1890 Jose I established himself at Concepci?n Jer?nima n? 2, where his descendants continued to build guitars until the year 1995. And at this current time the store has been relocated on the street La Paz n? 8, very near the old shop.
Although Francisco Gonz?lez had Jos? Ram?rez like only pupil Jos? himself, however, was his smaller brother's teacher, Manuel Ram?rez, as well as of his son, Jos? Ram?rez II, also the teacher of Enrique Garc?a that later established himself in Barcelona (where he left a pupil: Francisco Simplicio), and of Juli?n G?mez Ram?rez. He also taught the trade to Antonio Viudes and to Rafael Casana, as well as to Alfonso Benito and to Antonio G?mez.
Thus, the Ramirez Dynasty began in Jos? Ram?rez?s workshop. Jos? Ram?rez was recognized as an outstanding master guitar-maker. In fact, flamenco guitarists would frequently approach him to find a solution for better projection of sound?. And that's how Jos? created the "tablao guitar." Although he was in agreement with the design by Torres, he built a larger flamenco model than most classical guitars in those days. The tablao guitar brought him much success, and added to his reputation as a maker of fine guitars.
Manuel Ram?rez de Galarreta y Planell was born in Alhama of Aragon in 1864. Although the habitual residence of the family was Madrid, the father's profession forced them to reside some time in this town. Manuel learned from his elder brother, Jos?, the guitar-maker's trade. And at the age of 27, in 1891, he decided to establish himself on his own. At the beginning, his idea was to move to Paris, and when he communicated his idea to Jos?, he helped him to carry out his project.
However, for an unknown reason, Manuel changed his plans, and he finally established himself in the n? 24 Cava Baja Street of Madrid, which sowed an enmity between the two brothers. The situation between them was never to clear up. After a time in Cava Baja Street, Manuel moved his shop to n?5 Santa Ana's square, and later on to n?10 Arlab?n Street, where he stayed definitively. In a short period of time he was to develop great prestige, by not only making guitars, but also violins, and he was named luthier of the Royal Conservatory of Madrid. In addition, he continued the school begun by his brother, and the guitar-makers he formed were recognized as amongst the best. These pupils were Santos Hern?ndez, Domingo Esteso and Modesto Borreguero.
With all the success obtained by the tablao guitar designed by his brother Jos?, it was natural that Manuel continued building it, but little by little he started developing it and perfecting it until getting an instrument that, still today, is the "model" for this type of guitar. Around 1912, a young man presented himself in the workshop in Arlab?n street with the purpose of renting a guitar for a concert he was to give. The clothes and general appearance of Andr?s Segovia were outlandish. The strangeness of the petition, as well as the visitor's aspect, made Manuel play with the situation giving him a guitar but not taking him very seriously.
However, after listening the youth playing, Manuel was so amazed that he decided to give him the guitar. That prodigious guitarist who played in taverns in exchange for a coffee was Andr?s Segovia. The guitar that Manuel gave him is now on display in the Metropolitan Museum of New York.
Jos? Sim?n Ram?rez of Galarreta and Pernias was born in the year 1885. He grew up in his father's shop, and he not only learned the trade from his father, but from journeymen like his uncle Manuel, Enrique Garc?a, and Juli?n G?mez. Besides being a guitar-maker, he was a guitarist, and when he was 20 years old he was hired to go on a two year tour of South America.
He found it very difficult to convince his father to let him accept the contract, but finally he convinced him that two years was not such a long time. However, the tour was prolonged, and the two years turned into almost 20?The group he traveled with had been dissolved so Jos? stayed in Buenos Aires. There he met the girl who later would become his wife, and who had traveled from Spain to Argentina with her family. They had two children, Jos? and Alfredo.
In 1923, he received the news of his father's death, so he returned to Madrid with his family. Two years later he was in charge of the Ramirez workshop on Concepcion Jer?nima. He was on the first floor of the store and was assisted by Jesus Mart?nez. While on the second floor workshop we could find Alfonso Benito and Antonio G?mez as journeymen with Marcelo Barbero, who was still an apprentice at the time. Manuel Rodr?guez nicknamed " Marequi" was there applying varnish but not as guitar-maker, which his son Manuel Rodr?guez would become later when he entered as an builders apprentice many years after the war.
Jos? Ram?rez II was a Maestro recognized for his work, and in 1923 he participated in the Ibero-American Exhibition of Seville where he obtained the Gold Medal. In 1936, due to the many problems that were brought on by the Spanish civil war, he had great difficulty in getting wood and materials for the construction of guitars. The situation lasted a long time; considerably hindering his work. That shortage was the main reason for his discussions with his son Jos? when he became journeymen and began to do experiments.
Jos? Ram?rez Mart?nez was born in May 1922. He joined the family workshop at the age of 18. His apprenticeship took place with no privileges but very soon he was admitted as a journeyman and he quickly began to experiment developing the guitar as a concert instrument. Because of the lack of material, and the fact that his investigations were not very profitable, his father and he would constantly argue about his father selling his experiments without keeping track of his work.
In 1954 his brother Alfredo died. He was in charge of the administrative work and was Jose?s best supporter, for he was convinced that Jose?s experiments would achieve their objective.
Three years later his father died and Jos? took over the running of the business with the help of his wife, Angelita. He had to give up his bench in the workshop and devote himself to full time management and supervision of his journeymen. He would work out his designs on paper and assign his journeymen to carry out the experiments he devised. Many of his investigations bore interesting fruit; like the discovery of red cedar for the harmonic top in 1965. This discovery was later adopted by practically all guitar manufacturers in the world, although at the beginning it was highly criticized because of its innovative nature.
He also tried different varnishes, and since his guitars were lacquered with alcohol based shellac like furniture, he felt they needed a more consistent rich varnish that not only protected the wood but would bring a better sound out of the instrument. Finally he got the owner of a laboratory; which sympathized with his restless pursuit, to mix an elaborate urea based varnish that gave an excellent result.
We had used this urea based varnish for many years but regrettably, some years ago, the laboratory changed their formula; affecting the quality and we had to stop using it. Jos? Ram?rez III made several experimentations with the string length; arriving at a particular scale that gave the best result for sound and projection without being too long. This 664 mm scale is the one being used today, but there was also a demand for a shorter scale that forced him to design a guitar with a 650mm scale. This happened in 1986, and for that reason the model was named C86; referring to the year of its creation. Later on his son Jos? Enrique modified the design; keeping the 650mm scale but changing the name of the pattern.
In 1983 Jose designed the ?camara? guitar, with the intention of eliminating the ?wolf notes.? It gave some positive results; for instance the clarity of its sound was excellent for studio recordings. This model adds an interior finish of Jacaranda or Caviuna located near the middle of the sides. The new guitar models were built with double sides of cypress in the interior. Later on they would change and use sycamore - and then they began to build them with half double internal sides. That remained until 1991. The double sides of cypress are glued to the Rosewood. Don't get confused and think this is plywood, since Jacaranda, caviuna and cypress are all solid woods. It was one of Jos?'s Ram?rez III acoustic experiments, and because of its excellent results, we still it use it today in our traditional guitars. In fact, some other guitar makers are using our technique at the moment. For all of his experiments and investigations, it is impossible to not give honorable mention to the 10 string guitar. This instrument was designed by Jose at the beginning of age 60. He started by performing some tests based on the ?viola d'amore?, but didn?t get satisfactory results, so he looked for the cooperation of Narciso Yepes who was very helpful in the development of this instrument.
Later he designed the eight string guitar for Jos? Tom?s. Meanwhile, Jos?'s main collaborator was Andr?s Segovia?. Ever since they met in 1952, Segovia was the one pointing the way with his wise critique. His demands and his scant approval reined supreme in Jose?s ears, for Maestro Segovia was extremely demanding when he had to choose an instrument for his use. This provided a great stimulus for Jose in knowing that Segovia should be interested in one of his guitars. In 1960 he built a guitar in which he compiled all the experiments that had given him good results. He added new ideas like the thickness of the wood, and asymmetries in the internal structure as well as vibrant masses at the traverse bar... When Segovia tried that guitar, he said he would like to keep it for a season, so he took it with him for awhile and traveled with it; making the Australia Tour in 1961. That was the first of a long list of guitars built by Jos? Ram?rez III for the Maestro to perform with in his concerts. As his construction techniques improved, he continued to experiment.
Those days coincided with the beginning of a long period of expansion, and this helped propel the guitars to world-wide popularity. Jos? moved the workshop to General Margallo Street while maintaining the small store at Concepci?n Jer?nima 2. In the new workshop, he teamed-up with several guitar-makers to be able to take care of the growing demand for his instruments. Later, toward 1970-71, he moved the workshop to a larger building, accepting even more journeymen; as the waiting list for his guitars had increased by two years. However, the workshop never became a factory. There were and are machines dedicated for fine work but there were machines dedicated for coarse work while the delicate work was done by the artisans. He ended up having a great number of journeymen building each guitar; from the beginning to the end, in accordance with the traditional method.
This was not "mass production," and never was. There were; on the other hand, several apprentices helping the journeymen in their tasks. They would loosen screws; untie borders, sand, and other jobs that allowed more time for the journeymen to do their delicate work. Also in 1971, the store in Concepci?n Jer?nima N?2 closed. They moved to a larger one, exactly in front of the old one at number 5, on the same street.
Many honors and awards were given to him; among the most outstanding were the gold medal of the Guitar Society in Chicago in 1962, the Bronze medal award by the Official Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Madrid, gold medal to the exemplary Artisan of the Union Work of Craft, in Madrid, in 1972. He was also elected Honorary Partner of the Centre Culturale de la Chitarra in Rome in 1968, and Honorary Partner of Music in Compostela in 1983. He obtained the DIAPASON D'Or from the Ministry of Education and Culture of France in the year 1987, etc.
From all of the many cherished awards, the one he held most dear was a letter dedicated by Andr?s Segovia honoring his work.
Jos? Enrique Ram?rez Garc?a was born in Madrid in May 1953. He started working as an apprentice in 1971 at and reached the category of journeymen in 1977. He started at the time of the expansion initiated at the beginning of the 60s.
In 1979, he got the recognition of Andr?s Segovia since the Maestro chose from among several guitars that the workshop had previously selected and had sent to him. The one constructed by Jos? Enrique was the one chosen. This was a big surprise and especially a big satisfaction for him. His joy was so great that he wrote a great dedication with signature that was stuck beside the label. Mr. Segovia used this guitar until the end of his days, and according to the letters written by Segovia to Jos? Enrique, he used it with great satisfaction. This same guitar was sold at the beginning of 1997, in Japan, for 50.000 US $.
In 1988, he decided to run the family business with his sister Amalia. His idea was to re-define the models that were being built then. In the middle of the 80's, a change had been detected in the taste in sound of some guitarists. On one hand the rich and deep harmonic sound of our guitars was still appreciated, but this new current looked for an instrument with a clearer and more direct sound. He decided to make some modifications in the internal structure of our guitars -like the double sides - always taking as a base the pattern of the sixties. What he got was an instrument that came closer to the new taste, but without completely losing any characteristics of the old ones. It was in 1991 when Jos? Enrique realised this was a mistaken road that he had been taken, and as in many things in life decided it better to undo everything and to start again from the beginning.
He began to build a guitar with all the characteristic sound of the sixties which he named Traditional, and another one which didn't have anything to do with the previous one, one which expressed that clear and direct sound which was the solution for new tendencies. That guitar, after several experiments, was completely defined in 1992, and he denominated the Special.
Today, two lines are built in Ramirez?s workshop. Esencially, Jos? Ram?rez IV defined and improved the work done by his father, although he also introduced his own innovations. Besides defining the two lines professional classic guitars, he developed techniques of construction that made thm the most comfortable and easy instruments to play, and also more stable in their assembly thus avoiding in some cases, and reducing in others, the deformations due to the movement of the wood.
Another important chapter is the student guitars that never attracted Jos? Ram?rez?s III whose interest was centred exclusively in the professional guitars. In fact, already in the time of Jos? Ram?rez I, those guitars, dedicated to beginners, students and people with little purchasing power, were sold in the workshop as an alternative to those made by hand that, naturally, were much more expensive and of a very superior quality. That is to say, the same as now.
Jos? Ram?rez I, who had rejected guitars "made in series" had also seen the necessity of selling them in his business. At the beginning he didn't put a label on them, but with time he realized that this was a mistake because a lot of people could come to his shop with complains and he couldn?t prove the guitar was really coming from there. Also, without label, how could he argue with a client's statement? So, finally, he ordered some special labels, different to those he put in the professional models, to be made, and this way ended the problem.
Jos? Ram?rez II kept selling student guitars made in series, and more than that: he also designed some student models and he orderd them from the best manufacturer in Valencia. One of those models stayed till the middle of the 70s in the workshop, although already by then, and for many years, models were sold and not designed by Ram?rez, but rather they were chosen among the normal production of some factories, always looking for the most acceptable quality as possible. In fact, Jos? Ram?rez III, the same as his grandfather, rejected the student guitars, which is why he didn't care about the slow disappearance of those guitars designed by his father. However, Jos? Ram?rez IV didn't think this way.
He was very aware of the importance that those guitars could have for beginners and offering the student guitar would bring a guarantee of quality supported by the Ram?rez name. His argument was that a beginner shouldn?t necessarily start playing with a professional guitar, and that it was necessary to think of an instrument that, besides being accessible in price,should have good quality and be pleasant to play with. So in 1986 he designed a student line manufactured exclusively for Ram?rez with a special selection of wood. This line has been very welcome as a good starting point toward professional use. Later, in the year 91, coinciding with changes in the professional models, Jos? Enrique designed another more economic student line than the previous one, denominated " R ", being based on the insole of the professional pattern C86.
Amalia Ram?rez was born in Madrid in October 1955 into the Ram?rez guitar making family, and familiarized herself as she played as a child in its surroundings. By the age of 21 she joined the workshop where she learned how to make guitars. She left for a few years; only to return to help her brother Jose Ram?rez IV in the restructuring and management of the shop, and to bring a new look to the family business. The work was evenly distributed between the two. Jos? Enrique was devoted mainly to the workshop while Amalia applied herself to the commercial aspects. Amalia also built guitars after establishing the workshop again in General Margallo.
The real change occurred at the beginning of 1993 when they returned to the original outline of a reduced workshop and a limited production. ?Today, all of our professional guitars are sold. They can be acquired in our store in Madrid or through our world-wide network of distributors.? In the summer of 1995 the store moved from Concepci?n Jer?nima n?2, to the street of La Paz n? 8, very near the old store.
At the moment, the House of Ram?rez workforce comprises ten persons. The workshop has three officials - Carmelo Llerena, Fernando Morcuende, and Ricardo S?enz. The three apprentices are Pedro Abel Morcuende, Laura del Pino y Cec? S?nchez. Supervising the organization is Marisa Sanzano, who checks the production in the workshop and occupies herself with the administrative work, and assisting with the secretarial work is Arancha Prieto who works in the main office.
Two guitarists, with astistant Oscar Leal, work in the store. Antonio Molina- a Rock & Roll guitarist - and the gifted flamenco guitarist, Paul Mart?nez, who is responsible for the shop. Amalia Ram?rez can be found there, and after Jos? IV?s death in June of 2000, she took over the running of the company and committed herself to carry on with the family tradition.
Jos? Enrique Ram?rez left four children; Cristina, Almudena, Jos? Enrique, and Francisco Javier. They are still very young but Cristina has expressed an interest to continue the family tradition and will soon learn how to build guitars. Also, Jos? Enrique will join the business in the future when he?s finished with school. Therefore there is great promise for the Ram?rez family to continue with a fifth generation of guitar builders.
*All this resembles are taken from the web www.guitarrasramirez.com
I highly recomend buying the book titled ?Things about the guitar?by Jos? Ram?rez III or its spanish versi?n ?En torno a la guitarra?.I have mine signed by Amalia Ram?rez and I?ve learnt a lot from it.
There are other great guitarmakers, some are Manuel Ram?rez related, as direct disciples Doming Esteso and Santos Hern?ndez and some are Jos? Ram?rez related as main disciples as his son Jos? Ram?rez II, Enrique Garc?a, Rafael Casana and Antonio Viudez.From these last mentioned people are coming some excellent guitarmakers too as Faustino Conde(Conde Hermanos? uncle) and Jos? Ram?rez III. Jos? Ram?rez III teachs Paulino Bernab?,Jos? Ram?rez IV,,Jos? Romero,Arturo Sanzano andMariano Tezanos father among others.
-Manuel Alonso Gim?nez .................... MAG (1), later n? 18
-Cayetano ?lvarez Luna ................................ (2)
-Jos? Luis ?lvarez Mariblanca .......... JLA, later n? 15
-Paulino Bernab? Almend?riz ...................... PB
-Carlos Blanco Pe?a ................ CB (3), later n? 20
-Enrique Borreguero Marcos .............. EB (4), later n? 17
-Manuel C?ceres Pizarro ................. MC, later n? 8
-Alfonso Contreras Valbuena ............. AC, later n? 7
-Pedro Contreras Valbuena ........................ PC (5)
-Jos? Flores Dur? ....................... JF, later n? 3
-Juan Garc?a Rey ....................... JG, later n? 9
-Manuel Gonz?lez Contreras ....................... MG
-Pedro Jim?nez Posadas .......... PJ (6), later n? 16
-Jos? L?pez Cubillo ................. JL (6), later n? 12
-Carmelo Llerena Mart?nez ......................... CLL, later n? 4
-Miguel Malo Mart?nez .................. MM, later n? 1
-F?liz Manzanero Cabrera .......................... FM
-Pedro Manzanero Cabrera ........................ (7)
-Ignacio Manzano Rozas ............................ I M
-Antonio Mart?nez Ortega .......................... AM
-Juli?n Moraga Rodr?guez ...................... JM (8), later n? 19
-Fernando Morcuende de Cruz .................. FM, later n? 5
-Ram?n Pe?alver Soler ................................. (9)
-Teodoro (Goyo) P?rez Mariblanca ........... GP, later n? 13
-Jos? Romero Garrido...........JRG, later n? 14
-Manuel Rodr?guez Fern?ndez .................... (10)
-Arturo Sanzano Moreno .................... AS, later n? 6
-Mariano Tezanos Castro ..................... MTC (11), later n? 10
-Mariano Tezanos Mart?n .................. MT, later n? 2
-Juan Miguel Guardiola Moreno ................. MAG, later n? 11
-Jos? Ram?rez IV ......................................... 0 (12)
-Amalia Ram?rez ............................................. (13)
(1) Although these were his inicials, I beleive he never used them: he used a number
(2) He didn't have inicials, when he made guitars, he used those of Pedro Contreras, PC
(3) The same as (1)
(4) The same as (1) & (3)
(5) Shared inicials with Cayetano ?lvarez
(6) His surname is Jim?nez, not Gim?nez; in addition, his name is Pedro - I have no record of Manuel
(7) He has no inicials because he never made guitars
(8) The same as (1), (3) &(4)
(9) Although he was the first disciple that he had, the same as: (7)
(10) He was not a disciple of Jos? Ram?rez III, he was a workmate, but he left before developing all his inovations. He's a disciple of Jos? Ram?rez II
(11) He also used the inicials MT, but with the T inverted, in order to distinguish him from his father
(12) He normally didn't use inicials, although at the beginning, in some guitars, he used "O". If he should use them, they would be JER
(13) She doen't use inicials on her guitars, although should she do so they would be AR.
Mostly the guitarmakers follows Torre?s style, but there are several as Arturo Sanzano who comes some innovation too?..
Paulino Bernab?. Is considered among the rare elite of guitar makers. His instruments, widely usted by concert and recording artists, are sought after for their uniquely powerful , clear an sustaining tone. Born in Madrid on July 1932 studied the classical guitar with Daniel Fortea, a pupil of T?rrega. It was during these years that he developed an interest in guitar construction. The sound of his guitars is unique in that they have robust basses, strong trebles, and a wide palette of tone colours; a true "concert gran" among guitars. In 1972 completed a 10-string guitar for Narciso Yepes, which Yepes played until his death. In 1974 was awarded the Gold Medal at the International Grafts Exhibition in Munich.
Casimiro Lozano
Lozano?s guitars are the perfect work of a great luthier. The sound of his guitars is impressive, perfectly well- balanced, with rich harmonics well checked and very easy to play. Hisresearch centres on getting a spectacular sound. He works alone in his workshop without any assistants. He prefers a limited production, so the guitar comes completely from his hands.
Gerundino Fern?ndez. (Almer?a) It is possibly the last of the great alive teachers in the art of the construction of guitars. She was born in Almer?a in 1931, he began to work the wood when he was very young. He is self taught and has studied their own conception of the instrument thoroughly. His guitars have a special personality.
Antonio Marin Montero. Granada 1933. The manufacturer of current guitars of more prestige inside of and outside of Spain. It combines the tradition with the investigation con an excellent result. The sonority of its guitars is of great power and the balance between sharp and serious perfectly compensated. It builds some 12 guitars a year, what is difficult to have these instruments in stok. It is necessary to wait some months for the delivery of the guitar.
Pedro de Miguel. The signature "Pedro de Miguel" corresponds to two great artisans of Madrid. Pedro Perez and Miguel Rodriguez. They worked for twenty years in the workshop of a man called Ramirez, where the reached their fame. In 1990 they established their own workshop. They offer three level quality guitars. First class guitars: totally handmade and have an exceptional sound quality and finishing. Second class guitars: also with an exceptional sound quality and finishing. Third class guitars: factory made studio guitars, made under the standards marked by these artisans. In little time, their guitars have reached great prestige among classic guitarists and especially flamencos. Gerardo Nu?ez, Pepe Habichuela play on "Pedro de Miguel" guitars.
Manuel Raimundo. For more than 30 years, Raimundo has been improving the construction of his guitars. The selection of the most suitable wood and the great quality of his finishes guarantee the guitarist's satisfaction. In 1993 he won the Prize Craft Chamber of Commerce, and 1991 the Commercial Craft.
Jer?nimo Pena. Born in 1933 in Marmolejo Spain. At age nine he was a carpenter apprentice, further on he became interested in the art of guitar making. He became a student of guitar maker Carlos Ramos in Barcelona and by 1967 he was building guitars full-time. One of the qualities of his guitars is the sweet rounded sound they produce, and also his beatiful carvings on the head and the bridge of his guitars. Among their clients it was Andr?s Segovia
Spanish(classical) Guitars
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I highly recomend reading this interview with Paulino Bernab?,a Ramirez disciple.His guitars are selling around the world,Japan included(Kurosawa Gakki)
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There is a vintage Ramirez w/ papers going cheap!
I was looking on Ebay and there is a Ramirez selling for $545 complete with papers signed by JoseIII ! I thought that was a spretty good price considering the age.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 7382288852
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 7382288852
It's a student model "cheap" but the condition is not good(a spanish guitar sometimes is not possible to be repaired sucessfully).It this guitar were an US named branD(YOU KNOW WHICH) it would be sold as vintage and commanding high prices.I'll bvuy it if I was a collector but I'd never buy a guitar in that condition if I'm a player.....This guitar is rare ,including here Spain....Peple owning a Ramirez rarely sell the guitar....If I had a Ramirez I would send the guitar to Sanzano(one of Ramirez disciples) for reparing...
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It was the festival of lights at a remote village named Kotappa Konda. On that night in early summer, the hamlet was filled with thousands of lights along its narrow dusty lanes. At a distance, a mountain rose surrounded in the darkness. A blaze of dazzling lights illuminated the ancient temple of Lord Shiva in the holy shrine sitting atop the hill. The roadway ahead reaching the temple like a twisted snake was also brightly lit making it easy for lakhs of heaving devotees slowly scaling the steepness.
At the foot of the hill where the village remained cloistered for the rest of the year has blared and blazed alive beyond the wildest imagination of a rare visitor like me. In the next twenty-four hours the village whips the cauldron of religious fervor, an unrestrained joy of celebration, a parade of street parties. The whole place was oozing with people, in lakhs. As I rolled my car, navigating through jostling crowds I dragged inch by inch; it's obvious from the safety of my car the whole village was drowned in a sea of people.
Stalls of every make and size and variety lined the streets that the village could boast. Tea stained counters, makeshift kitchens with functional equipment serving varieties of meats, men gathered about them chomping. Younger children tugged close to the parents' eyed hungrily at dripping ice cream pushcarts and Jars full of colorful sweets and snacks, and a few children fondled the iced cones with their tiny tongues. Women in their colorful traditional saris draped in a festival relish, strings of flowers adored their oiled plaits seen bargaining for the best discounts, and words flowed fast and furious before they struck the deal.
Far beyond the clatter filled lanes, occupying vast tracts of fields a carnival ambiance was briskly taking shape. There were hundreds of hard hands ferociously working as if preparing for a battle to showcase their entertaining armor at the first shade of nightfall. I caught a faint music rising from the grounds, massive structures of 'prabhalu' as traditionally known looked something like a huge vertical bamboo grid almost a hundred feet tall shooting up into the summer sky. I counted fifteen of them each outdoing each other in the extravagance of decorations. The higher and lofty 'the prabhalu' it's rated as a lavishly prideful display – a big boasted ego for the landlords from the villages. Temporary platforms erected would be used later as dance floors no sooner than the night sets. I could see hundreds of loudspeakers fastened to bamboo frames erected in rows in the space fronting the stage that would take in thousands of audience once the dance floor erupts to life with dancers clad in skirts and silks as soon as the curtain of festivity fizzed open.
Then we reached the temple of Lord Shiva, the arrangements, to accommodate lakhs of people queued in massive trails of rows, entered every corner available were adequately good. Most people looked tired, perhaps the hours of waiting showed on their faces, old crinkled faces, young drowsy looks, and eager expressions of women – the whole multitude had poise in their feet, trust in hearts and devotion in their weathered eyes. They got pushed, and shoved by the security personnel in one direction, towards the sanctum. The crowds moved in little steps forward, chanting the name of Lord Shiva as if the chant filled energy in their weakened bodies to reach the altar of the god. Their hands joined above the heads as a mark of sheer devotion. Just for a glimpse of the holy deity, the crowds of disciples endured every hardship thrown at them. It may take hours before they would come out having had the luck of quick look of the lord for a few seconds. I saw them as a fortunate few with glitter in eyes, glow on their faces.
Hands folded in supplication, particularly the men in their seventies or eighties as I glanced at them; I had a question for myself, 'what's that their prayer would be? Do they need to put up such hardships to bow before the god?' Their folded, wrinkled, aged hands represented pain and hope. Whatever the age everyone needed hope to survive; it was the wisdom after watching them for a few hours had revealed to me.
For most of the disciples, Lord Shiva is a bright star in their dark backgrounds. It's the enduring hope that flowed in their feet to stand unquiveringly for hours to savor a spilt-second connect with the deity.
For me, the good vibrations spending time among the sincerest devotees felt like a healing balm soothing the inner storm I'm battling for many years. Enjoying the early summer evening among lakhs of hopefuls I viewed a thousand feet below at the distant blazing brilliance spreading in the clear sky. I could see the vast grounds filling with increasingly excited and impatient crowds. I couldn't make out from where these masses of people were seeping from.
Three more friends joined me and we planned to meet the other group of the convoy to reach the guest house for dinner and later sway with the milling crowds and enjoy; I don't know what secrets are in store for us in the exploding carnival ooze.
It had all seemed like so much fun from the start. Everyone was having a good time enjoying spiritual luck on such an auspicious day. My friend took over from me the driving seat, as we descended the hill, massive crowds filled all available margin walking down the steep, narrow road and as many moving up to reach the temple. It was a scary scenario; the roadway has hardly a vehicle span left and no space for anyone to walk on. Besides hundreds of buses are commuting up and down ferrying hordes of pilgrims.
As we adjusted in the car, I realized we lost sight of vehicles where the other groups of friends were moving. The place was so closed in by hills that our mobiles went dead. Four of us were isolated; we trooped slowly down the road almost wedged between the crushing crowds and brusque bus drivers. We got stuck in the car; nothing is visible except the overcrowded buses and people snaking through the available space and screaming at us. On a dangerously steep road, we are gridlocked; we had no clue how to come out of the situation. After an hour or so we slowly crawled along the traffic and reached a point of relative safety.
At that point, I never knew the next two hours we four of us would get entangled in an alarming crowd of zombies. As soon as we reached down, it was evident the police guarded and barricaded all the routes. Every entry points leading to the carnival area, into the village was blocked. The only way left for us to walk, but restless groups had already encircled my car. I felt like I'm floating amidst a cloudburst of masses. I could see them banging the vehicle shoving and pushing it. They seemed unruly and footloose. There were rabble and noise everywhere, and at the moment we didn't know which way to go or how we should escape the bizarre crisis. One tug, I knew the car would bump into people. It was easy to imagine what would be the fate of four of us if my friend at the driving seat faintly touched the accelerator.
Finally, police personnel came to our rescue suggested taking a crumpled, dusty road as only a way out possible, and we don't know where the neglected dingy pathway led to. We had no option left, it seemed like a quarry area, huge boulders strewn everywhere, dreadfully hidden barring few lights and our head beam lights we cruised suspiciously through pitch dark night. Everyone inside was waiting and breathing. Our eyes were popping trying to find what is ahead of us.
Meanwhile, our friends' group was frantically punching their mobiles to trace us, after more than an hour of blind driving and suspended tension we could catch a huge spread of bright white light glowing in the sky. A line of cheer appeared on our faces. I lowered the window to find out are we closer to the village through the crowds seemed no less alarming. Somehow we struggled to spot the guest house – our night's resting place. After two hours of suspense and frustration, our bodies relaxed once joined the waiting friends, and everyone seemed in an upbeat mood, and the aroma of cooked food helped ease our tensed nerves and rumbling stomachs.
The background story of this narrative:
(A groups of friends – twenty-five of us, Class of '78 from Agricultural College Bapatla, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh in India, visited Kotappa Konda on the eve of 'Sivaratri' in a convoy of twelve cars.
The day of Mahashivaratri Festival or the 'The night of Shiva' is celebrated on a moonless night in March. It's celebrated with devotion and religious fervor in honor of Lord Shiva.
From hundreds of surrounding villages, about six to seven lakh people throng to take part in 'day and night' fast at Kotappa Konda. It's all to celebrate 'Mahashivaratri' and get a divine glimpse of Lord Shiva in the temple perched on a mountain at 1400 feet.
As night fell as if the floodgates of mankind cracked opened; it shocked me popping at the tsunami of men, women, children, bullock carts, tractors, and motorbikes, cars, flooded into the vast acres of space allotted for a night long merrymaking: racy, suggestive, naughty dancing amidst ear-piercing music sounds and breath-taking psychedelic patterns of loud lighting of 'prabhalu'.
I never saw people poured in like huge waves – it's a riotous mass of deluge; lakhs of crowds scrambled together in one place. Everyone seemed in a dancing spree hysterically unrestrained, no inhibitions, no worry, and a deceptive religious fervor as an excuse.
One extraordinary saving grace was the one-upmanship of police planning and control to make it an incident-free event).

subset: commoncrawl


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Federal mediators will begin hearings next week in the wake of a one-day SEPTA strike that threatened to disrupt the work schedules for tens of thousands of people that ride the Regional Rails.
The walkout ended after President Barack Obama appointed an emergency board to mediate the contract dispute between the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority and two unions representing engineers and electricians.
About 400 workers walked off the job Saturday, shutting down 13 rail lines that carry about 60,000 passengers each weekday between Philadelphia and its suburbs in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Buses, subways and trolleys continued operating.
The workers were required by law to return after the creation of the emergency board, which expires in 240 days. After next week's hearings, the board will issue non-binding recommendations by July 14.
SEPTA spokeswoman Jerri Williams said all striking employees reported for work Sunday except for one, whose absence might not be strike-related, and operations ran well throughout the day.
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
SEPTA spokeswoman Kristin Geiger said no major delays were reported during Monday's morning rush hour.
Among the regular passengers glad to see the end of the walkout was Steve Bessler, who exited a train at downtown's Suburban Station on Sunday with his dad to transfer to the subway for a Father's Day outing to the Phillies game.
Bessler said that thinking about potential commuting chaos on Monday "really did stress me for a while." His backup plan was to drive to the subway, whose lines weren't affected by the strike.
"I was dreading that because everyone else would have been doing the same thing," Bessler said.
Marc Iwanowicz, 28, said his normal 45-minute train ride from Philadelphia to his job at a suburban sporting goods store took twice that long Saturday. He said he took a combination of subway and bus because a cab ride would have been too expensive.
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen vice president Stephen Bruno said the strike could have been avoided if SEPTA had agreed to the unions' proposal of accepted binding arbitration.
SEPTA has said its offer is on par with what its other transit unions have accepted.
Engineers, whose contract expired in 2010, are seeking raises of at least 14.5 percent over five years, about 3 percentage points more than SEPTA has offered. A group of engineers outside Suburban Station said they were not allowed to comment.
Terry Gallagher, president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, said Obama's intervention was "what we were waiting for." The union's contract expired in 2009.
Obama created the three-member board at the request of Gov. Tom Corbett. If no resolution is reached, a second emergency board can be requested.
In March, Obama appointed a second presidential emergency board to resolve a dispute between New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority and a union representing workers with the Long Island Rail Road.
The last SEPTA regional rail strike, in 1983, lasted more than three months.


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3D interiors rendering services has changed the way we perceive our homes and apartments. With the help of the notably-new technique, you can get a better idea of the design of house or apartment. Interior rendering services give the viewers an idea of how the house or apartment would like in a particular kind of setting. This setting could be related to furniture and fixtures, fittings, texture and other interior settings.
3D interiors rendering can help you take a virtual walkthrough of the upcoming building, home or apartment. This way you can virtually move from one room to another and see how it would be developed. 3D rendering takes away the surprise element from construction. You can actually see how the structure would look after being fully developed. This helps in getting even the smallest details fine tuned as per your requirement.
Altering a particular room or its setting is easier at the Architectural design stage as compared to the construction stage. Therefore, if you are not satisfied with a particular furniture or fixture, you can get it changed right when it is being designed. This way you can save a lot of time, money and effort, which can then be utilized in making your home more beautiful.
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Original Source: http://www.rayvatengineering.com/using-3d-interior-rendering-servic...
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Forget the Big Banks, this Financial Stock Could Jump 65%
High unemployment and slow economic growth are hardly conditions under which most companies thrive. But I've discovered an industry that is doing just that.
In fact, my favorite stock in this space saw annual sales gains of 8.5% in 2009, 15% in 2010 and 19% in 2011 while many other companies struggled to stay afloat. Earnings have also been on the upswing, with analysts projecting record full-year earnings of $4.95 per share in 2012 — an increase of 15% from last year.
But the story gets even better. In spite of those huge gains in both sales and earnings, shares have actually fallen on the year, currently down 10% (compared to the S&P 500's 5% gain). Take a look at the spread in the chart below.
That divergence between earnings and movement on the chart has created a rare opportunity to buy a great growth stock at a discount. The company I am talking about is Cash America Inc. (NYSE: CSH), a specialty financial services company with a market cap of $1.24 billion. With big banks restricting access to credit and financial services in the last few years due to economic uncertainty, demand for specialty financial services has surged. And that has played directly into Cash America's business model.
#-ad_banner-#The company operates in two segments: retail services and e-commerce. Its retail services segment operates a total of 1,080 store locations, with 776 in the United States and another 193 located in Mexico. This group specializes in pawn lending, consumer loans and check cashing services.
Its e-commerce segment consists of its Enova subsidiary, which specializes in online payday lending services, operating in 32 states as well as international markets in Canada, the UK and Australia. Although Cash America is a small-cap stock, it's one of the larger and leading names in specialty finance.
But just because this stock is unloved by the market right now doesn't mean it should be ignored. In fact, I think now's the time to buy for some very good reasons…
Bull case
Cash America continues to look to Mexico for key growth opportunities. That's because in spite of major economic gains over the last decade, many Latin American countries remain under-banked, lacking the infrastructure and financial resources to provide sophisticated banking services to its citizens. That creates a huge opportunity for a company like Cash America to quickly set up shop and fill the demand.
The Mexican market is also more fragmented than the United States, so there will be more opportunities for consolidation, operational gains and margin expansion. Cash America has almost doubled its store count in Mexico to 193 in the last five years, but at just 18% of the company's total locations, this is still an underdeveloped market with plenty of opportunity for growth.
E-commerce will also be a key driver of growth, where Cash America subsidiary Enova provides online lending services. Cash America made a very strategic move into the higher-growth market of online lending in 2006 when it acquired Enova. And that bet is now paying off nicely, with the segment posting a 47% increase in total revenue in its first-quarter results announced April 26. The international story also shows up here, with 91% of that revenue growth coming from abroad. Looking forward, Cash America has filed papers for an IPO spin-off for Enova, so that could provide an opportunity for investors who buy the stock to day to also eventually own shares of Enova as a pure play on electronic lending and financial services.
Cash America is also committed to returning value to its shareholders, announcing a dividend of three and a half cents per share during in its first-quarter earnings release. That doesn't exactly make the stock a yield hog, but in a world of low-to-no interest CDs and bank deposits, it's another valuable channel of income.
Risks to Consider: The biggest risk in the pawn and payday lending industry comes from the payday lending side of the business, where several states have enacted legislation making it unprofitable for payday lenders to operate. That drove Cash America's decision to abandon its consumer lending operations in Arizona, Montana and New Hampshire since 2006. Federal legislators have also enacted bills to cap lending rates to military families. Looking forward, although I think the regulatory risk discount is too high, the legislative actions on the state and federal level underscores how politics affects sub-prime lending.
Action to Take –> Cash America shares are down 10% on the year after falling with the market in April and May. But those declines come on the heels of more upward movement in earnings and estimates, so I don't think the disconnect will last long. Cash America is growing its business in key international and electronic markets, driving market share and big gains on the income statement. With a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of just 8.5, well below the 10-year average of 13, returning to just historical valuation while earnings surge implies 65% upside for the stock.


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you can find Krypton's footer settings in Appearance > Theme Options and then go to Footer tab. Options in this Footer Settings are :
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|Gold Fat Box
with love
Delivered in 4 working days
or 1 day on Express!
Already 600 000 Cheerzers are
satisfied with their order!
We have two problems at Cheerz: we really like precious metals and we tend to have slightly eccentric ideas. For example, one day we wanted to make a gold box so that you could buy your prints from us and be sure that your memories hold their value. To our great disappointment we soon realized that a gold box would be really expensive and really heavy. And as we are #TeamSolidGold there was no way we were going gold plated. Luckily, David, our box specialist came up with a solution. He designed a little machine which would apply hot stamping all over the Big Fat Box, giving it the shine of a thousand suns! To make our Gold Fat Box even more special we decided to only make 1000 and give each one a unique number (from 1 to 1000).


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Despite the millions in false attacks from George Soros, the Murphy family, and national liberals, you've stood shoulder to shoulder with me and I want to thank you.
Here's the deal. In these final days, they're not likely to back down and their desperation will continue to grow. In order to fight back and ensure we have the resources to win, we set an online fundraising goal of $1 million and 12,000 donations for October.
We're almost to the end of the month and we're close to our goal. Keep us on track and make your contribution here: https://www.allenwestforcongress.com/contribute/.
We've got less than two weeks until Election Day, so it's important to give now and help us finish strong. You have stood with us throughout this entire campaign. Let's win this thing.
Make your contribution here: https://www.allenwestforcongress.com/contribute.
Steadfast and Loyal,
LTC (R) Allen B. West
Member of Congress
P.S. Don't forget to make your contribution today to help us meet our October fundraising goal: https://www.allenwestforcongress.com/contribute/.
Related articles
- Soros Resumes Donations to Help Democratic Candidates (blogs.wsj.com)
- Report: Billionaire George Soros gives $1 million to Democratic 'Super PAC' – @thecaucus (thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com)


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Support in Swanley
News • Jan 06, 2017 11:15 GMT
We are launching our popular Carers Course in Swanley (at Swanley Link) from Saturday 14 January. The course offers a useful programme of information, guidance and practical help for people caring for someone with a life-limiting illness and is run jointly with Carers First. It's open to anyone who is a carer – not just carers of ellenor patients.
Sessions are (all Saturdays):
14 Jan: How does it feel to be a carer?
21 Jan: Practicalities – equipment, wheelchairs, moving and handling
28 Jan: Financial support – what help are you entitled to?
4 Feb: The dying process – what happens as we reach end of life?
11 Feb: Nutrition – how to cope with reduced appetite
18 Feb: Open session – moving forward in your caring role
You do not have to attend all of the six sessions, but pre-booked is encouraged. Anyone who is concerned about leaving the person they care for to attend is encouraged to call, so that options can be explored.
To sign-up, please call Sarah Green on tel: 01474 320007 or email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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1. What were your first thoughts when you found out your wife was diagnosed with breast cancer?
It was a very surreal moment when Lindsey called me with the news that she had breast cancer. From the onset, when she first discovered the lump, the thought of breast cancer never really crossed my mind. I encouraged her to have it checked out but never expected it to be anything more than a little bump. When the words "I have cancer" came out of her mouth I kept thinking to my self she is only 25, we have been married less than three months this can't be true. I commute an hour to work every day and that drive home those three words kept playing over in my head the whole way. It was a long drive that day!
Being a newlywed of three and a half months my life had really been about adjustments and planning for the future. Lindsey and I were talking about selling our current house and upgrading to something that we both really wanted and a house we would want to bring a child home to someday (– no kids right now!). We were talking about five and ten year financial and career plans. We are both goal-oriented people and have things that we aspire to achieve. (I wanted to retire early and she has hopes of a career as a writer someday)
When the diagnosis of cancer was introduced into our life it put a giant "road block" on our 5 and 10 year road map. (Lindsey has affectionately dubbed it our little "road block"). Our priorities have obviously shifted now. Not only is our priority now, getting Lindsey through this disease, we also want to be an example to other people who are or could be facing the same thing. Cancer is not aware of your age, it does not care if you are a newly-married couple with plans of a fairy tale life on the horizon, and the bottom line is it can happen to anyone at anytime. We have shifted our priorities to fight cancer, and when she is cured, and we are beyond this point we will begin again for the dreams on our horizon.
3. What brings you hope and courage during the rough times?
My faith in Jesus Christ brings me hope on a daily basis. Lindsey and I have both agreed that if our adversity can be an example of faith to even one person then it is worth what we have and will go through.
John 11:4 states," When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it."
Stories of Jesus healing the sick and performing miracles occur many times throughout the New Testament, so what makes this one different from any of the others?
The next verse tells the difference. John 11:5 - "Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus."
I say all of this because what brings me hope and courage is the knowledge that my Savior's glory is made even bigger through trails such as this. I know that Lindsey will be cured and that our life will continue together, but, I believe that it is the rough times in life that our character and faith is put to the test and I consider it a pure joy (James 1:2-4) to face this hand-in-hand with my wife and Our Savior leading the way.
4. Did you want to know everything? (about the cancer, her status, etc.)
Of course I want to know every little detail. I want to know because in order to make the best possible treatment decisions and to map out everything it is important to gather all the facts.
That, and I kinda have to by default, when we do anything there is a crowd of family breathing down our necks wanting to know every detail of everything that is going on. It is good to know that we are so loved by so many but it can be overwhelming at times!
The best advice that I can give is always always be ready to put a smile on their face. Cancer can be a tremendously intense experience, and overbearing to someone that is going through it. If you can be there to take the weight off even for a few minutes by putting a smile on your spouses' face it can go a long long way. Telling jokes, making my self look stupid for some reason, and just spending time with Lindsey has been great for the both of us. Nothing makes me feel better than when I see a smile on her face.
6. How has it changed the relationship between you and your wife?
Being a newlywed of three months, I never thought that I would know my wife on such an intimate level so soon. Normally at this stage, I was sure that the biggest relational issues would be trying to figure out which side of the bed to sleep on, or squeezing the toothpaste out of the tube the wrong way. Surely, she would not be aware of all my little peccadillos, and heading for the hills. :)
With cancer now a part of our relationship it has, in all honesty, helped me view my wife in a whole new perspective. This disease has exposed both of us to the core. Sitting on the sideline and watching her go through this is the ultimate test of my faith. I would trade places with her in a heartbeat, but, the sickening truth I have to face is that I can't. However, I can stand with her and hold her hand through the whole thing. Being with her and seeing her handle this with such boldness and faith has given me a love for her that I could never put into words.
Yes, unfortunately this is not an uncommon experience for me. Both of my grandfathers, my aunt (mom's sister) and my mother have been diagnosed with some form of cancer.
My mother and her sister have both had spots of skin cancer removed from their bodies. My dad's dad was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in 2001 and unfortunately passed away about two years later.
Nope. I think I have covered it all. If you read this and want to know more about us check out Lindsey's blogspot.


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Troubleshooting Tools
Self-service, online admin tools for identifying issues with email services
We have plans to add more tools here for your convenience.
Traceroute to your IP address [a.b.c.d] from our primary, and secondary data centers for insight into the networks across which data moves between us, packet transfer performance, and latency.
- Primary Data Center: near Dallas, Texas, U.S.A. [traceroute]
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Planning Mia's 1st birthday party has got to be one of the most stressful experiences ever and it still isn't done yet!
I thought it would be good to do this post 3/4 of the way through planning and then I will be doing a post about the whole day once it has happened – 18.11.2018
Party planning isn't something I am familiar with so this is so weird for me! I genuinely have no idea what I am doing but everything is slowly coming together so I cant be doing too badly, right?
Just a little disclaimer – I have no idea if this is the right way to plan a party in terms of the order, however it has worked for me, it might seem a little backwards to some but I just wanted to explain what I did and how its all come together.
1. Guest List
The first thing I did was come up with a rough guest list, I needed an estimate for guests so that I could work out what size venue I would need so to do this I basically just wrote down all the family members on both sides and then any friends who have really stood out over the past 12 months in terms of making an effort with her, seeing her, asking about her etc.
2. Choosing A Date
I knew I wanted the date to be as close to her birthday as possible and her birthday is on Thursday 15th November so it made sense to try and get it for that weekend, I originally wanted Saturday 17th but later on in my little planning schedule I had to change for Sunday 18th (you'll see why if you read on…).
3. Facebook Event
So I decided to create a Facebook event for the party because I needed to put the feelers out for who would actually be coming out of the list I had written down (again for venue, food and cake). I created it for the Saturday and noticed pretty quickly that the vast majority of people I have invited are able to come and looking forward to it (between 30-40 which may seem a lot but we have big families).
4. Choosing A Venue
This had to be the hardest part of this entire planning situation, I must have cried about 4 times!
First of all the venue was just going to be our house until we realised that it was far too small to host that many people, then we asked Mia's Auntie if we could host it at her house because its a bit bigger which was all good until she found out how many people were actually coming and then again there are too many people.
It did get to the point where I was asked to cut down the guest list but being completely honest, why should anyone who loves her and has made an effort with her, miss out on this big celebration?
So then I began the search for a venue that would fit our number comfortably without having tonnes of extra space but was also within a decent price range. I contacted my first choice but they took almost a week and a half, nearly 2 weeks, to get back to me so in that time I must have contacted 15-20 different venues and every single one had an issue either with the date, catering, price or package.
In the end my first choice venue got back to me and we managed to come to an agreement – I would have to take the Sunday because of an event they already had booked for the Saturday however she didn't charge me for their basic kids party package because Mia is only 1 she doesn't need anything from the package (DJ, bouncy castle, entertainer), she just charged me the price of the room and included the bar for all the adults.
5. Choosing Decorations
When it comes to decorations I knew it had to be pink to avoid the hours of lectures I would get if it were any other colour!
If anyone doesn't know – I get lectured all the time about the way I dress Mia because I apparently dress her like a boy and I am going to confuse her (no I am not lying, that it what has been said to me!).
I spent days on eBay finding the perfect decorations and I also took pictures of the room so I could plan out where the decorations would go, where the food would go and where the cake display table would go. I managed to get all of the party decorations on eBay for £27, BARGAIN!
6. Mia's Outfit
This one is a little different because once I found out that her party was happening on the Sunday I decided to try and get her Christened on the same day.
I haven't found her Christening outfit yet but for her birthday party outfit I bought one from the app 'Wish', I know loads of people have seen and heard from the app but aren't sure about ordering, I went ahead and ordered her outfit because it was the nicest and cheapest I could find – it is GORGEOUS!
There is a long sleeve vest with 'One' in gold glitter, a pink tutu and a pink headband with a big gold glittery bow, I also bought her a little pink and gold glitter brown from eBay because I couldn't resist – I really want her to feel like a princess on the day and I know people might think 'well she won't remember it anyway' but I will remember every minute and we will have pictures to treasure forever!
7. Cake
I have the most incredible best friend in the entire world who has kindly decided to buy Mia her birthday cake!
I have an obsession with elephants so her birthday cake is 2 tiers, with a little elephant on top holding a pink balloon with '1' on it, it also has some pink and gold decorations and I cannot wait to see it and show her!
8. Food
I haven't gotten around to food yet because the party is still a month away and I will be doing that the day before – I am going to Costco with my friend and she is going to help me pick out a load of platters to get for everyone because I cant afford a caterer and theres no way in hell I am staying up all of the night before making sandwiches and cooking pork pies haha!
I think that is pretty much everything I have gotten sorted so far, I cant think of anything else but I can guarantee when I come to do the post about the actual day itself there will be loads of things I've missed out!
I hope you have a great day or night wherever you are,
Emm xoxo


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We're looking to assemble a diverse group of beta testers to really put our co-working space to the test! Our current target launch date for Community Beta is August 4, 2014 with Go-Live on September 1, 2014. During the beta phase our selected Beta Testers will be given access to reserve desk space at no-cost.
So..we're calling on all Staten Island start-ups, entrepreneurs, professionals, freelancers, bootstrapper, non-profits, dude with the crazy idea or the team that needs to get out of their basement or garage - to come and help us work out any kinks.
We are especially interested in working with Young Entrepreneurs and Military Veterans.
Applications that are selected will be notfied at least 10 days before we move into our beta phase. We'll be sending out access credentials and instructions for using our reservation portal.
Any questions? Fire them over to: hello [at] launchpads.co


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What Your Quad Main Computer Can Do For You?
Quad main computer has 4 processors and can be regarded a aspect of multi main processors loved ones. There is hardly any question that the effectiveness of quad main computer is much quicker than that of twin main desktops. Having said that, the effectiveness of quad main computer relies upon upon the variety of plans that operate and the algorithms utilised in those plans.
There is a well-known false impression that the quad main computer runs 4 times quicker than the one processor desktops. It does work, but for plans that are made to execute on quad main computer. The codes written in those plans enable the processor to accomplish 4 different duties at the same time. Online games this sort of as Gears of War or Crysis which need various duties like audio, physics reward or AI to operate at the same time can be played through the multi-threading processors of quad main computer.
Overall performance smart quad main desktops are quicker in multitasking and parallel programming. For occasion, various virtual equipment can be operate with 4 processors. Components virtualization, high-stop movie video game actively playing provision, movie and picture editing, audio transcoding, details folding, 3D rendering, voice recognition facility, the solutions are so a lot of to opt for from in quad main desktops. You can operate virtual studio on XP, work on Photoshop tasks on main OSX install or do any other plans in lunux distro. You can also operate XP virtual machine on top rated of XP. You will be ready to operate the greatest volume of virtual equipment that ESX three is able of managing. Having said that the number of Virtual equipment you operate relies upon on the memory room of your quad main computer.
When talking about quad main desktops, it is truly worth discussing about certain types of the quad main loved ones. The Kentsfield is the 1st quad main desktops vary from Intel. Its Higher effectiveness model was Main 2 Extraordinary QX6700 and mainstream brand name was named as Main 2 Quad Q6600. At this time Intel has introduced two other types: the Main 2 Extraordinary QX6850 and the Main 2 Quad Q6700. Of these two, the Main 2 Quad Q6700 is just a modification from the Main 2 Extraordinary QX6700 adorned with a locked main multiplier.
Basically the Main 2 Q series processor of Intel is very little but combination of two entirely distinguishable Main 2 Duos packaged into a one-socket CPU. The L1 and L2 caches are different to the two individual Main 2 sets. Entrance facet bus architecture is utilised to converse with a unit of external memory controller of the north bridge. The first Main 2 Q6700 displays an successful 1066MHz FSB clock pace with a bandwidth of eight.5GB/sec and the Main 2 Extraordinary QX6850 can go up to 1333MHz owning bandwidth of about 10.7GB/sec.
Obtaining reported about the issues that you can do on a quad main computer, the concern that is being at this time debated on is no matter whether these quad main desktops are a real require for this hour. For example, exact same effectiveness and pace can be attained with a twin-main CPU of Main 2 E6850 as with the Main 2 Extraordinary QX6850. So why you any user choose for quad main series which are high priced than the Main 2 desktops? It is a actuality that for common reason use, currently, Dual main or Main 2 is very best affordable alternative. Basically quad main desktops have been not made for common end users. It is for high stop end users who want to use elaborate algorithm plans, operate parallel programming, multithreading as perfectly as multitasking at the same time.
Having said that, with the arrival of a lot more elaborate coding programming, quad main computer is envisioned to be in demand from customers in in the vicinity of long run. In actuality, computer brands are constructive about a major growth of quad main computer end users with in a 12 months or two.


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Attention, steak eaters: We are nearing a livestock crisis.
With the planet expected to add another 2 billion people by 2050, it will be more difficult and more expensive than ever to keep eating poultry, fish, and beef at nearly every meal.
To meet global demand, the food industry could crank up the factory-food production model, but, as Arnold van Huis, a professor of tropical entomology at Wageningen University and Research Center, warns, "this puts heavy pressure on already limited resources of land, fertilizers and energy, while greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and environmental degradation will increase." And it would do little to keep the cost of chicken, pork, beef, and fish under control.
There is a environmentally friendlier, more economical alternative, although it's one that is high on the ick factor. We could introduce protein-rich insects into our diets.
Glen Courtright, a systems engineer and entrepreneur, is betting on the bugs. The Yellow Springs (Ohio)-based company he founded, EnviroFlight, has pioneered over the past three years a new bio-conversion facility powered by millions of mating black soldier flies and tens of millions of their wriggly offspring. The business is in the larvae.
"At our plant we can produce a few million black soldier fly eggs daily," Courtright says. "That's about 2,000 tons of a formulated animal feed every year." For years, conservationists have been keen to exploit the voracious appetite of the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) to speed up composting of food wastes. Anglers know the species for their pupae, which make ideal bait. Chicken and pigs like the fatty, protein-rich larvae, too. EnviroFlight is among the first to industrialize the production of black soldier fly larvae to introduce a sustainable, chemical-free, protein-rich feed source for the food-processing industry. It's part of a largermovement to tap insects (PDF) as a plentiful, more energy-efficient feed substitute that, it is hoped, could wean the food industry off the use of potentially harmful hormones and antibiotics to increase yields.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently warned that global food production must increase 60 percent by 2050 to keep up with population growth. "Every 12 days we can produce 225 pounds of clean safe feed ingredients for aquaculture, poultry, and crustacea—that's the holy trinity of fish, shrimp, and chicken—in a three-foot-by-five-foot space. You can grow the equivalent of one of me every 12 days," says Courtright.
via Business Week
The Latest Streaming News: Protein-rich insects updated minute-by-minute
Bookmark this page and come back often
Latest NEWS
Latest VIDEO


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COFFEE - Standard MEDIUM*
Sowden SoftBrew™ Coffee
*MAX 0.85 L – 28.7 oz
Art. SA002
COFFEECOFFEE - Standard MEDIUM*
Sowden SoftBrew™ Coffee
*MAX 0.85 L – 28.7 oz
Art. SA002
Sowden SoftBrew™ Coffee - model: STANDARD
The purpose of the SoftBrew™ filter is to keep the ground beans separated from the water thousands of microscopic holes allow the water to flow and take up the taste without over filtering whilst allowing some 'fines' to filter through to the coffee giving the typical 'body' of an excellent brew. The method is simple; place the filter in the porcelain pot, put coffee into the filter and pour over hot water at the temperature of your choice - that's it!
• Pot & Filter dishwasher safe
• High quality porcelain product
• SUS 304 (18/8) stainless steel filter* SoftBrew is a trademark registered by GJS srl
*patent pending


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Let start at the beginning – We just bought a 20 year old home here in North San Diego County – And that means we had a 20 yr old HVAC system that cost my kiddo his college fund the first five minutes of running it this last summer (and that was after putting solar in). So instead of having to sell body parts for a comfortable living space… we went to Costco where we were hooked up with Action Air Conditioning, Heating & Solar. All I have to say is FREAKING A AWESOME!!! Steve's the man with the master plan and Brandon and crew totally pulled it through!!! Thank you gentlemen… YOU ROCK!!!
Excellent service and communication. The install crews for heating, air, and solar were efficient, cleaned up after each work day and communicated the next steps. Dave Lund is experienced and always available to answer questions.
Strongly recommend for pricing, work, and follow through.
-Terri D.
We used Action Air to install Solar, I am more than satisfied with everyone that I worked with. All the employees were professional, kind and always willing to go an extra mile, especially our rep Benjamin Jones. Mr. Jones made us feel like he was taking care of his own family, not customers.
I will defiantly use Action for any of our A/C or heating needs, and will be sure to refer them. Thanks everyone at Action air, and I can't wait to get my first electric bill.
-Tasha M.
Both the HVAC crew and the sub-contracted solar PV crew were hard-working and efficient, but communicative as well. So if we needed to make a decision or suggestion, they took time to discuss with us, consult with their managers or other technicians, as needed, and come up with a solution. We ended up having a lot of confidence in them and their work.


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Work At Home Jobs
Dwelling based business actions are intended for small scale businesses like sewing work and baking at home. For example, for those who're working a printing enterprise from house, you'll need to buy an expert printer and paper for it. When you're running a web-based business, it might be smart to improve your laptop and web speed. The federal government additionally helps disabled individuals to start companies from their homes.
Establishing a house based mostly business in India is perhaps the most prudent factor to do these days. Most house based businesses don't succeed. Starting a enterprise in this field will require some expertise, but so long as there is nervousness, there shall be a marketplace for teaching individuals to create and deliver displays.
In addition to being vital when beginning a business, enterprise plans are additionally required to assist present path to a completely-purposeful enterprise. I generate a six determine revenue yearly from this simple, home primarily based, low cost start up business and I can train you methods to do the same.
Unlike the large identify companies, you possibly can provide more versatile pick-up and drop off occasions, which is usually a godsend to many small companies. In case you have a knack for making a resume shine, you possibly can provide your providers to job seekers.
Hi Karlene love this article I would like to obtain a replica of the ten step pdf for beginning my own business. Whether or not you are making onesies and quilts for sale online or at local markets or doing repairs and alterations for locals with in poor health-becoming garments, your stitching machine could be your ticket to a work-from-home based business.


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It's getting close to the end of the school year here. The time when you clean out your cubbie, wash crayon marks off your desk, and say goodbye to your friends and teachers. Maybe promise to meet at the park for some games of follow the leader.
Mrs McBee Leaves Room 3
By Gretchen Brandenburg McLellan; illus. by Grace Zong
32 pages; ages 3-7
Peachtree, 2017
It's the end of the school year and all the kids are getting ready to leave. So is their teacher, Mrs. McBee. She won't be back in the fall. Before she leaves for the summer, she gets all the kids involved in cleaning up and releasing the butterflies. The kids don hardhats and get to work – all except William, who sits in the thinking corner.
When the boxes are loaded and gone, no one can find William. Where is he?
This is a delightful story about growing up, changes, and finding ways to remember the good things in your life. And to share those memories with others.
Swallow the Leader
By Danna Smith; illus. by Kevin Sherry
32 pages; ages 4-7
Clarion Books, 2016
What happens if you let shark play follow-the-leader? This delightful, wickedly funny counting book starts with one fish, then another. It draws in denizens of the sea in rhyme:
Follow the leader
Play like I play
Pretend you are me.
Flap like a ray.
From one to 10 they collect followers… but then it becomes a game of swallow the leader as bigger fish gulps down the smaller until the biggest one of all – GULP!
But all is not lost – BURP!
Review copies provided by publishers.


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Note: Oxfordshire buses will drop off again at the short march route and Dan Fearnley will be staying with this group as a bus steward.
BSL Interpreters
There will be BSL interpreters on stage for the speeches at both ends of the march.
Some of the stewards will also be interpreters - this will be clear on their jackets.
Getting to Bank
Bank station is very likely to be closed on the day.
The closest open station will be Cannon Street - this is about 5 mins from the Bank area.
From the tube there is step-free access from the Westbound platform only.
There is step-free access from the Network Rail platforms - more information can be found here: http://www.networkrail.co.uk/london-cannon-street-station/disabled-access/
Cannon Street has an accessible toilet - this will be the closest one to Bank.
Short march
For people who don't want to do the whole route there will be a short march.
This will meet on Whitehall, opposite Downing Street from 1.30pm. It will join the rest of the march as it comes down Whitehall towards Parliament Square.
Once at Parliament Square, there will be a safe area in front of the stage for wheelchair users, should they wish to use it.
The nearest accessible station is Westminster, on the Jubilee line.
The following buses also stop near Westminster: 11, 24, 148, 211, 88
Getting to Westminster from Kings Cross by tube
From Kings Cross mainline underground entrance
Lift C or D go to -1 Upper Ticket Hall
Lift H go to level 2 interchange - level incline on interchange level
Long walk on interchange level
Swap to lift J, go to level 3 Piccadilly line
Stand at the raised platform to right
Take Westbound train to Green Park
Interchange to Jubilee line
Lift D to interchange level
Long walk on interchange level
Lift E to platform level
Southbound platform Jubilee line
Take raised platform to right
Southbound train to Westminster
Turn right
Take Lift D to 0 District and Circle Westbound
Take Lift C to ticket hall level
Exit ticket barrier
Take lift A to street level
For the short march starting point
Go straight forward on to street and then turn right
Turn right on Parliament Street and walk down towards the area opposite Downing Street
For Parliament Square
Cross Bridge Street at the crossing
Cross to the middle of St Margaret Street
Then cross into Parliament Square
The nearest disabled toilets will be:
- In the cafe at Westminster Central Hall (open until 4pm)
- Costa in Trafalgar Square
- St Stephen's Tavern, by Westminster station
If you have any questions please contact Sarah at firstname.lastname@example.com
News >


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I've just received my fall schedule for the digital photography classes I will be teaching at the Torrance Griffith Adult Center. You can see the description and schedule by clicking here to go to my web site. For convenience, I have included the information below.
For those of you who are on my email distribution list and did not receive an email today or within a couple days it is probably because your email came back undelivered. I spent about two hours reconciling the list today, and that means you are no longer on it. If you would like to be added back on, please email me.
Also, for those of you interested in the classes I teach at the South Bay Adult School, I posted its schedule in an earlier post.
Fall 2009 Schedule
I will be teaching a total of five separate classes at the Griffith Adult Center this fall. We are using Photoshop Elements 7.0. The fall catalog should be available soon, which is generally when registration begins. I will be distributing handouts from password protected pages attached to my blog in a similar manner as I did during the spring. You will be given the password and any handouts needed for the first day of class at the first session.
Please note there is only one level of camera class this term. This class will be for both those just starting out and/or using a relative simple digital camera. that does not allow for manually selecting the shutter speed and lens aperture. The same class will also accommodate those students using a digital SLR or a more sophisticated compact digital camera, which does allow one to manually set the shutter speed and F-Stop setting. However, the student need not be advanced. In-class shooting assignments will vary with the camera type being used as necessary.
The following are the basic descriptions for digital photography classes I will be teaching in the fall.
Digital Photography & Organizing Photos
This is the course to start with if you are new to digital photography, thinking about it, or just want to find out what all of the fuss is about. But, it is also the one course that will help you keep track of and protect all of those digital images you have been collecting on your computer. You will learn how to use the Organizer of Photoshop Elements beginning with importing images to your PC, managing them, and then protecting them.
This course builds an excellent foundation for the photo editing courses offered. The class will also introduce you to creative ways to share your photos with others, including slide shows, photo albums etc. We also discuss digital cameras, printers and scanners.
Thursdays, 12:30-2:30 pm, beginning September 17th.
Get to Know Your Digital Camera
For this term, the basic and the more advanced camera classes will be combined into a single class. In-class assignments and instructions will structured to accommodate the more advanced cameras as appropriate.
Do you find the manual that came with your new digital camera confusing? Or maybe some of the pictures you have taken using its programmed or automatic mode did not turn out like you had hoped. Are you struggling a bit to understand or set all of those options you are presented with, let alone knowing how and when to use them? If so, then this may just be the class to help you get more from your digital camera. This is a hands-on course – your hands on your camera. Class size is purposely being kept small to maximize the benefit to you. For those of you who have DSLR cameras, in-class assignments and instruction will be structured to accommodate your camera as appropriate.
Wednesdays, 5:30-7:30 pm, beginning September 16th. (6 Meetings)
Please note, there is an information sheet that lists what you should bring with you to the first class, and a couple of things you need to do prior to the first class meeting. Click here to see these instructions.
Get to Know Your Digital Camera – Advanced
(Combined with the Basic Camera Class for the Fall Term)
This class is designed for those people who have a digital SLR or a more advanced compact digital camera that allows the shutter speed and lens aperture to be selected manually. The exercises we do will focus on those features that are available on these more advanced cameras. We will begin using the automatic and programmed modes, but will then move on to the manual modes for more creative control of the image. This is a hands-on course – your hands on your camera. Class size is purposely being kept small to maximize the benefit to you. If you are brand new to digital photography, you may want to take the beginning camera class described above first.
Please note, there is an information sheet that lists what you should bring with you to the first class, and a couple of things you need to do prior to the first class meeting. Click here to see these instructions.
Digital Photography and Editing
This class deals with improving and enhancing your photo images once you have transferred them to your computer. The course basically deals with the Edit Mode of Photoshop Elements 6. Using layers and the various selection tools are just two of the topics thoroughly covered. Specific exercises also address converting photo images into works of art. This course will also address the Guided Edit task pane that was new in Photoshop Elements 6. Although not specifically covered in class exercises, scanning, obtaining quality prints, and related digital photography topics are discussed and/or demonstrated as appropriate.
Wednesdays, 12:30-2:30 pm, beginning Sptember 16th.
Digital Photography Projects
Explore the variety of ways that you can share your digital images with family, friends, and colleagues. This course will cover making slide shows in Photoshop Elements 7 and other photo projects possible using the program. The course also covers using Movie Maker for editing video files and augmenting slide shows produced in PSE. The free Photo Story 3 program from Microsoft will also be explored.
This course can viewed as a basic introduction to digital video editing, as well as digital photography in general. In this course you will work with you own pictures, video clips, and music.
Tuesdays, 12:30-2:30 pm, beginning September 15th.
Digital Photography and Editing – Advanced
During this course, more advanced built-in imaging editing and special effects capabilities using the Edit Mode of Photoshop Elements will be explored. New tools in later versions of Photoshop Elements will be explored. Free or low-cost third party plug-in programs are available that give Photoshop Elements capabilities well beyond those that come with the boxed program. The course will cover the installation and use of some of selected plug-ins. Examples include the use of curves, channels, grain/noise reduction, and other advanced editing and special effects tools. Students will be given a CD containing these plug-in programs as part of the course.
Thursdays, 6:00-8:00 pm, beginning September 17th.
For Registration information for these and other Torrance Adult Education Classes click here.


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Kaylee Foote, 22, of Stratford didn't feel like cooking after a busy day last Wednesday so she pulled into the drive-thru at McDonald's in Stratford.
She ordered a Happy Meal for each of her two daughters: one meal was with a hamburger, the other with chicken McNuggets.
Foote told her children to wait until the family got home before digging into the meals.
When the family sat down to eat, Foote's five-year-old daughter quickly found her meal to be quite an unhappy experience.
"She just bit (into a McNugget) and spit it back out and said 'this is gross,''' said Foote, who recently graduated from the bioscience technology program at Holland College.
"I was mortified because working in the science field I know how bad salmonella can be (salmonella infection is usually caused by eating raw or undercooked meat).''
Foote says roughly half of the chicken nuggets was raw while the other half was cooked.
She immediately called the restaurant about the incident.
The person who took her call merely thanked her for the heads up.
There was no apology, no offer of compensation.
"It was pretty irritating, especially when it is raw chicken,'' she says.
Foote's brother took the raw chicken into the restaurant and spoke with the manager.
The manager reimbursed the family for the cost of the meals.
Fortunately, Foote's daughter did not become ill after chomping into the raw chicken.
Still, Foote would like to know how the raw chicken ended up being served. She would also like to know what the restaurant did after learning of the incident.
In a statement emailed to The Guardian Monday, David McKenna. franchisee for McDonald's restaurants in P.E.I., said food safety is a top priority.
"As a local franchisee, I take matters of this nature very seriously and have very strict policies and procedures in place to ensure my guests receive the highest quality products whenever they visit my restaurants,'' says McKenna.
"I was disappointed to hear of this experience, and as soon as my restaurant team was made aware of the incident, we launched a full investigation. These incidents, while unfortunate, are isolated. In addition to the investigation, I have taken immediate action by reviewing the proper procedures with my team to ensure it will not happen again.''


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| 10.9°C Dublin
Rapper P Diddy says he is "just a phone call away" if Prince William wants him to play at the royal wedding.
The star, currently in the UK promoting his album Last Train To Paris, also said he wanted to have lunch with the Queen.
Diddy, whose real name is Sean Combs, told The Sun: "I'm cool with adding to Prince William's festivities. Whatever I can do to contribute. I'm just a phone call away."
The royal couple will marry at Westminster Abbey on April 29 in a ceremony expected to draw in a huge worldwide audience.
A spokeswoman for the royal family declined to comment, but Diddy is not the first hip-hop star linked to the forthcoming wedding.
Snoop Dogg dedicated his single, Wet, to the prince, amid rumours he was going to be asked to play at his stag night.
The star said on his website: "Wet is the perfect anthem for Prince William or any playa to get the club smokin."
South London rapper Tinie Tempah is also said to be another performer wanted at the stag do for the prince, a self confessed fan of rap and dance music.
PA Media


text: Assuming you have reached a point where hard games are won most of the time....the following is something I have done and I recommend. It is from a SH perspective, but is relevant both ways - just reverse the technique. OKAY..... Let's say I want to play Super 12s I go into squad management in My Rugby - this can be done with a separate roster file if you want OR just change it for good...you may as well - and I go to the strongest teams - the wons you have high stats and can challenge or the ones who have obvious weaknesses or positional problems..... Then you make the required switches and you transfer in NH stars from teams that can't ever beat you / or that you wouldn't ever really play.....Obviously not in a super 12! - Hurricanes: I moved Nonu to wing and put BOD at centre with Tana at 12....I also created a new Ben herring and made him v good. - Blues: Moved Caucau back into team, created a pumped-up McAllister who also does the kicking. - Crusaders - Created Rico Gear and Koonwaiyou on either wings - playmaker stars, scorer stars and tackle breaker stars.....McCaw captain etc..... - Highlanders - Cohen on one wing and a created, pumped up Vidiri on the other.....and a pumped=up star=laden Tuitavake at centre... - Stormers - Pumped up created Chavhanga - 98 pace, 99 acceleration etc...... - Brumbies - got Horgan on one wing and Betsen in the loose forwards to accompany Smith.... - NSW got Greenwood and O'Gara at first-five and a couple of others..... - Chiefs - Created Lauaki, created Sivivatu etc....... I think you get the idea.......great players plugging their weaknesses and improving the realism of teams where possible.........games can be more challenging and fun and surprising as they occasionally pull out some extraordinary tries.... then when you play with at team with created players you can take one - as long as pace not over 92 - and then leave out the others of your 22..... When I play with the Chiefs I use cretaed Sivivatu...but leave Randle out of the team.......I beat Crysaders in final 19-7 anyway.....sweet.


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14K Gold Gemstone Necklace With Blue Onyx & Cubic Zirconia
Product Description
14K gold gemstone necklace with cubic zirconia. Beautifully bezel set cubic zirconia and blue onyx. Handmade necklace. 16" cable chain with 2 x 3 mm and 1 x 4 mm round cubic zirconia, a 1 inch drop to a large 15 X 10 mm hand faceted genuine blue onyx pear shaped gemstone. Safe and secure 14K yellow gold lobster claw lock.
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