text:
It was warmer here. Or perhaps it was just that it was a different kind of heat than in the Shire. Summers there were mild and warm and snuck up on you like a welcomed afternoon nap. In Dol Amroth, they hit you like the gales rising over the city from the ocean: strong and damp.
One such gale tried to dislodge Cwen's dark-chocolate hair from the confines of the twists and braids she used to tame it from the sub-tropical humidity. The top layer of her overdress caught in the breeze and flew behind her with the wind in a burst of linen and lace. Her pale blue cloak billowed like a sail and the muscles in her legs hardened as she steadied herself. As she peered down the cold slope of the city wall, she wondered if anyone would pull her back from the edge if she lost her balance. Too bad there was no one around.
The hour was so late that it was early. Even the gulls were quiet and the silence was broken only by the waves crashing against the white walls below. Other districts still echoed with late night life. But not here. The stage was empty; the actors were long gone to the taverns to drink away their earnings. Cwen's toes hung over the edge of the wall and she wondered if the wings on her cloak would transform and carry her away if only she would let herself fall.
A piece of parchment fluttered in the grip of her left hand. Dark ink stained it with empty words.
My dearest Biramore,
Dol Amroth is beautiful. It is unlike anything I have ever seen in all my travels. Even the cities of the Elves do not possess the same majesty as this mighty city on the edge of the world. It's different, somehow. Knowing that men built these towering walls and have dwelt here for years and years.
Everything is so white.
She never felt so out of place. The awe and excitement fell away to self-consciousness. The dresses that were so overdone in Bree seemed poor imitations of respectability on the streets that overflowed with opulence. It was good that she had Neilia with her. The child's enthusiasm kept Cwen smiling as they explored the twists and turns of the paved streets.
Neilia fits in well. She makes friends with everyone she meets. She gets that from you, I am certain.
I am slowly getting to know the Wayfarers. I wish you were here to meet them. You'd like them. They remind me so much of the Hielda.
Feygil is tough and practical. She brings Aiethel to mind. I wonder what the woman would think about being compared to a young and feisty male Elf. But I trust her at my back like I trusted him. They share the same eye for strategy in the heat of a fight.
Do you remember Aldoon? I think you only met him once or twice. I still wonder what he was…he aged quicker than most. And what Man had the ability to be so playful even when bound with a knife to his throat? Remember the incident with the Archet guard and the pie? Such a trouble-maker. There's a young lad, Hallem Kemp, that reminds me of Doony. But Aldoon saw things that no one else did. He understood like no one else did. I think Hal does the same.
And Echros. My second-in-command. I don't know Commander Arrowheart's second-in-command very well, but they appear to share that same light-hearted spirit. I think Echros let things bring him down more than Gaelyn does. I won't feign to know enough to draw conclusions based on things that aren't really there, so I can't really say much more on him right now.
She didn't know why she started writing about Hielda Yavanna. She preferred to leave the past in the past. She hadn't thought about her old companions except in passing for years. A white cat scurrying down the alley reminded her of Castius. The right shade of pale blue fabric could be Baralindes turning the corner. Or a flash of green meant Lychee and Loraelyn and Helehuieth in their uniforms. An arrow in a back was Uilys and her betrayal.
All memories she tried to forget.
Just another checkmark to add to the list of failed relationships and broken promises she couldn't leave behind. No matter how hard she tried to leave Bree, it always pulled her back when she least expected it. And now, leagues away from the knolls and the meadows, lost in a world above the rough tavern benches and drunken brawls of the Pony, Bree was all she could think about.
She had fallen asleep with the letter left unfinished. Mere hours later, a dream had shaken her awake. Neilia rested peacefully and the estate of House Colagar was quiet. Her mind raced with what she had seen: broken pottery and torn fabrics, trees burning around a house with a circle for a door. No matter how much she told herself it was just a dream, her hand continued to shake as she lit a single candle and stared at herself in the large mirror standing near the vanity.
The Shire was supposed to be a safe place. The thought of ruin coming to the land brought a chill and then a fever to Cwen. She couldn't bear to sit there in the cold stone walls, so she took up her cloak and ran.
She couldn't remember passing through the guard at the gate. Perhaps she looked distraught enough they didn't think to question her. And then she found herself on the wall behind the Swan Jewel theater staring into the blackness that blocked out the darkened seas below. She could still hear them, though; the roaring waves sang their cadence against the walls and sandy banks and begged her to join them far below.
"I can't do this, Bira," she whispered to the wind as it whipped the loose hair about her face. "I can't. I'm sorry.
"I love you."
Deliberately, she began to tear the letter into strips. She then tore the strips into smaller and smaller bits, releasing tiny pieces into the wind. As they blew about her and out into the open air, she sighed. Piece by piece, her past drifted away on the wind and water and as the last piece took flight, she felt a great weight lifted from her mind.


text:
The jobless rate increased to 6 percent from 5 percent in the previous three months, Statistics New Zealand said in Wellington today.
Rising unemployment will curb consumer spending and adds to signs New Zealand faces a slow climb out of recession over the coming year. Reserve Bank Governor Alan Bollard last week said the economy's recovery will be patchy" and he pledged to keep borrowing costs at a record low until late 2010.
Employment dropped 0.4 percent or about 10,000 jobs in the second quarter, the statistics agency said. Economists expected employers would shed 10,900 workers. Employment shrank 0.9 percent from a year earlier.
Unemployment rose 24,000 from the first quarter to a 10- year high of 138,000.
The jobless rate rose by the most in 20 years to the highest level since the third quarter of 2000, the statistics agency said. Doyle expected a rate of 5.8 percent and forecasts it will reach at least 7 percent within 12 months.
New Zealand companies began responding last year to a global credit crisis and a deepening local recession by cutting investment and closing factories. Business confidence fell to a record low in the first quarter of this year and the proportion of companies likely to fire workers rose to the highest level since 1991.
The rising unemployment rate removes pressure on employers to pay higher wages and eases inflation, justifying Bollard's decision to keep the benchmark official cash rate at a record- low of 2.5 percent.
Wages for non-government workers rose 0.3 percent in the second quarter, the smallest increase in eight years, the statistics agency said this week.
Total actual hours worked slumped 1.9 percent from the first quarter, adding to signs the economy contracted in the three months through June, today's report showed.
Full-time employment fell by 18,000 jobs, or 1.1 percent, in the second quarter after seasonal adjustments.
Part-time employment rose by 6,000 jobs, or 1.3 percent. Statistics New Zealand adjusts the full-time and part-time employment figures separately, which means they may not add up to the total change in employment.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Last November I put a request on Twitter and Facebook to see if anyone fancied slimming their bins in 2012. Amazingly eight people volunteered straight-away and at the end of January, when routines had settled back to normal after the festivities of Christmas, the Rubbish Diet Challenge began, featuring weekly Monday weigh-ins and mini-challenges throughout the course of eight weeks.
Eight households slimming their bins in just eight weeks, all living in different parts of the country, including one in the US, all with different routines, contrasting priorities, variations in local recycling collections and wide-ranging household sizes.
But this was not an experiment or a test of perseverance, with me standing over them all with my beady eye. It was more a realistic timescale, that would give each household the freedom and flexibility to set their own waste reduction goals, and find out the information they needed to reduce their waste in the best way that suited their lifestyle.
For all participants, it involved finding out exactly what they could recycle at the kerbside and further afield in their locality and use the facilities to which they had access. For some it involved buying less or switching to reusable products and for others it also involved having a bash at home composting.
And everyone had a different starting point, including Ness, with her family of five, who had two full wheelie bins each fortnight (often accompanied by side bags), and Jax with her family of 6 (her baby was born in Wk 7), whose rubbish bin was always just a third to half-way full.
However, as others agreed, it didn't matter how little rubbish they thought they were throwing away, times change and services often improve, so each wanted to find out more. And it's great to see that in every household, at least a 50% reduction has been achieved, with some households achieving this in the first four weeks and others achieving much much more since.
While most participants were happily settled with their new slimmer bins, three households decided to take the finale Zero Waste challenge for Week 8 of the Rubbish Diet, with Suffolk's Kate & Terry-anna, and New York's Amy, pushing the limits to see how low they could go.
And my word, did they do brilliantly! Terry-anna's bag of landfill rubbish, pictured above, was only half the height of a sauce bottle and Kate's household only produced just two mug-sized bags. Amy over the States is also pleased with her attempt at the challenge, producing so little rubbish that there's not even enough to fill half a small carrier bag, and weighing no more than 1.4 kilogrammes.
But this challenge is not just about attempting a Zero Waste Week. It's actually the build up to that, which is more important. To quote Tim, who knew that he wouldn't be in a position to attempt a ZW week, "It's the habits I've acquired during the eight-week programme that'll make the difference". And you can see the impact of this in his last blogpost about his experience. Tim had started the challenge with a very full bin.
For many who have participated, even though the guided challenge has finished, their own discoveries towards waste reduction hasn't stopped. Just as Donna, who slimmed her household's waste by 50%, said to me only last week, "It isn't over in 8 weeks - it's just begun!"
I think Ness, who orginally started with two full wheelie bins, would agree with that. As I was leaving her house on Friday, after she'd been interviewed for BBC Radio Suffolk, she asked whether it needed to stop there and made it clear that she wants her Rubbish Diet to continue. Well there is plenty of scope for that as well as having more laughs in the process.
I suppose introducing her to the Recycling Centre for the first time, bringing in a Master Composter to help her compost and poking around her mouldy fruit, have all been interesting ways to strengthen our friendship, And it is unfortunate that she had a poorly dog, who sabotaged any attempts she had to slim that bin right down last week. But moving forward, she is now volunteering to get rid of the second bin, which she no longer has a use for. When she first embarked on the challenge, she was adamant she would keep it as a comfort blanket. So I am quite sure this won't be the last you'll hear of Ness's Rubbish Diet.
But for now, it's time for me to hang up my virtual bin-diving gloves for the Rubbish Diet Challenge 2012 and take the opportunity to thank everyone who has taken part, including all the households that have let me follow their waste-busting adventures, as well as those who have been inspired to join in along the way. Everyone has just been blimmin' brilliant and I'm also grateful to the Mark Murphy Show at BBC Radio Suffolk, which has followed the challenge from the very beginning.
The list below shows the starting points as well as the final week results (please note that this was not a competition and participants were able to chose their own description of monitoring, which suited them best. Also some collections are fortnightly, so for those, the list also includes their latest fortnightly results as well as a separate final week's results). I'm still waiting for some of the final results to come in and these will be updated as soon as they are ready. In the meantime, do try and listen to the great interviews that were broadcast on BBC Radio Suffolk last week, with Kate & Ness.
Kate's interview: http://bbc.in/wROWm9 FF>> 1h42: available until Wednesday
Ness's interview: http://bbc.in/w9BdF7 FF>>2h38s: available until Friday
And again, huge congratulations and thanks to all involved, with results that range from 50% reduction to what I'd reckon is as much as 95%, I think now might be time to roll out the fanfare.
1. Terry-anna.
Household: 2 adults, in Ipswich Borough, Suffolk.
WK1 Weigh-in: 1.5 large bags, filling one third of a wheelie bin (fortnightly): Final fortnight: 1.5 very small bags that are dumpier than an HP sauce bottle. Final Week: a small bag that is only half the height of the sauce bottle.
2. Ness. @NessyThompson
Household: 2 adults & 5 children, a rural village in Mid Suffolk
WK1 Weigh-in: 2 full wheelie bins (fortnightly). Final Fortnight: 1 full bin Final Week: Just 1 bag of normal household waste, plus a rug and plastic from the family dog's unexpected illness.
3. Donna. @Donna_De
Household: 2 adults, in Tower Hamlets in London. www.beatinglimitations.com/blog
WK1 Weigh-in: 1 30L rubbish sack. (weekly). Final Week: 1/2 30 rubbish sack, plus one-off polystyrene packing.
4. Amy. @AmyMarpman
Household: 2 adults in New York City. www.beyondthebluebin.com
WK1 Weigh-in: 2 bin bags - estimated 9kg / 20lbs. (Weekly) Final week: 1.4kg/3lbs
5: Kate. @BusinessPlumber
Household: 2 adults, in a rural village in Mid Suffolk : www.businessplumber.co.uk
WK1 Weigh-in: 1 unusually full wheelie bin - incl Christmas waste. (fortnightly) Final Fortnight: 1 small swing-bin bag: Final Week: 2 very small bags, approximately the height of a coffee mug.
6: Jax. @LiveOtherwise
Household: 2 adults, 3 children & a baby, in Suffolk Coast. http://liveotherwise.co.uk/makingitup/
WK1 Weigh-in: 7 small bin bags - filling one third or half of a wheelie bin (fortnightly). Final Fortnight: Approx 5 small bags worth of rubbish, filling only half the bottom layer of the wheelie bin. Final Week: 2 small bin bags and some bits of polystyrene.
Household: 2 adults, 2 children, Aylesbury Vale, Buckinghamshire
WK 1 Weigh-in: 3 large bin bags, almost filling a whole wheelie bin. (weekly). Final Week: half a bag.
8.Tim @Dotterel
Household: 2 adults, 3 children, Lincolnshire. www.bringingupcharlie.co.uk
WK 1 Weigh-in: 1 full wheelie bin (fortnightly) Final Fortnight: 3 small bags, filling just the first layer of the bin with room to spare. Final Week:. 5 small bags.
Don't forget, just because the Rubbish Diet challenge 2012 is all over, it doesn't mean that you can't have a go in your own time. It can start whenever you like, just visit the online guide to catch up with everything you need to do and follow the weekly ideas. And if you want to join in the conversation on Twitter just use the hashtag #therubbishdiet, or tweet @karencannard. And do keep an eye on the blog over the next weeks, as I will be including an updated list of links and resources that will help you further in your waste-busting ventures.


text:
Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia spent the off-day on the current West Coast trip in his hometown of Vallejo, Calif. and dedicated a basketball court to his late cousin, Demetrius Davis, who passed away in December.
(Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports)
VALLEJO, Calif. — CC Sabathia steered a black Escalade ESV down a grassy hill toward a crowd of 200 awaiting this city's favorite son. Tents covered tables covered with mounds of home-cooked ribs. Teenagers gawked and bounced basketballs. All surrounded a basketball court newly dedicated to the cousin Sabathia idolized.
"This is home," Sabathia said Monday afternoon at North Vallejo Park, where he played as a child. "This is my community."
Sabathia hugged his mother Margie, who lives in Fairfield about 15 miles northwest of the park. He waded through a crowd of about 200, doling out handshakes and hugs, posing for pictures, grinning all the while.
When the Yankees return to the Bay Area, as they will for a three-game set starting Tuesday, Sabathia often holds charity events. Monday served as a melancholy celebration in remembrance of Demetrius Davis, Sabathia's cousin, who died from a heart attack last December. Davis was 45.
In his memory, the PitCCh In Foundation, the charity run by Sabathia and his wife Amber, paid for the renovation of the court. They held a three-on-three basketball tournament, sold T-shirts and food to raise money for a scholarship fund for Davis' four children. Sabathia stood by while Amber MC'd the event. Later that night, they planned to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary.
The event in Vallejo reminded him of the roots he's planted here. Sabathia saw Abe Hobbs, his baseball coach at Vallejo High School, who insisted his former ace "really hasn't changed at all." Sabathia expected as many as 150 friends and family on hand for his start Tuesday night at O.co Coliseum. Margie bought 125 tickets.
He once entertained the idea of pitching here. But Monday, he laughed off the prospect of ever actually playing for one of the Bay Area's two teams (San Francisco is the only one with the financial capability to afford him).
"No," he said. "It would have been crazy. But it always feels good to come back. I just think it might have been too much. Trying to play here, play in Oakland, San Francisco. Maybe when I'm a little older."
He chuckled.
"But it just feels good to be able to come back and not have the pressure of getting tickets, all that stuff, every day. A weekend series is good for me."
Sabathia grew up about a mile away, on Dieninger Street. His aunt still lives in the house. It was here where Sabathia watched Demetrius, himself a talented athlete, with awe. With his own father an intermittent presence, Sabathia viewed Davis like a "big brother," he said.
"We all grew up in that same house," Sabathia said, pointing out toward his old neighborhood. "We played here. I would follow him to this court and watch him play all the time."
Davis played tight end for the University of Nevada. When Sabathia visited him in Reno, Davis carried him on his shoulders into the locker room. Later, he plied Sabathia with jerseys he picked up from the Wolfpack, the Los Angeles Raiders (Davis was Mr. Irrelevant in the 1990 Draft) and NFL Europe's Barcelona Dragons.
"He told (Demetrius) one day," said Gloria Rufus, Davis' mother, "he said, 'That's what I want to do. I want to be a famous ballplayer.' "
Before she cut a ribbon to commemorate the court, Rufus choked back tears as they told stories about her son. Then Amber tossed her husband a basketball for the ceremonial first shot. A few men ringing the court implored him to dunk — an unlikely outcome for a man still owed at least $76 million on his contract through 2016.
Instead, he pulled up from behind the 3-point line. The ball front-rimmed, hit the backboard and rolled in. Sabathia raised his arms and the crowd cheered its approval.
"It feels good to be able to come home and do whatever you can in the community," Sabathia said. "I don't know if I'm a hero. I'm just a kid from Vallejo. And I'm trying to do right."


text:
Another Miranda Birch femdom fantasy has been published. "Rigorous Retraining" is set in a near-future femdom world, where Prime Minister Tessa March, a no-nonsense disciplinarian, has decided that what the country needs is good old-fashioned discipline. Being unemployed and male becomes a crime, punishable by retraining in special centres staffed by cruel sadistic females. Rigorous retraining for anti-social sexists! Give them a short, sharp femdom shock! What could possibly go wrong?! This story is approximately 8,300 words in length. I hope you enjoy it. This is part of the Femdom Future series, so if you enjoy this, don't forget to read the rest!
NB: my books are always available on Amazon and Smashwords; but, due to circumstances beyond my control (censorship), they are only likely to be available on Kobo, Nook (Barnes & Noble), iBooks (Apple) and Tolino.
Here is a comprehensive set of links for this book to the various Amazon Kindle Stores. If your country isn't on the list, use USA (plain vanilla amazon.com).
USA | UK | Germany | France | Spain | Italy | Netherlands | Japan | India | Canada | Brazil | Mexico | Australia
Buy Rigorous Retraining from Smashwords
Buy Rigorous Retraining from Kobo
iBooks (Apple)
Buy Rigorous Retraining from Apple
Nook (Barnes & Noble)
Buy Rigorous Retraining for Nook
Tolino et al
Pick your store from the long list in the catalogue, and search away!


text:
The LG G6 is now available to buy. It's the latest flagship from South Korea's electrical giant, and we were lucky enough to get our hands on it recently. So let's take a closer look at what we think makes the G6 so special...
The screen on the G6 is the real headline grabber. The quality is fantastic, and even though the Quad HD + Fullvision display measures 5.7-inches, the phone itself isn't too large. In fact, it's smaller than its predecessor, the G5 - despite having a much larger display.
LG is marketing the G6 as being comfortable to hold and easy to use with one hand, and we found that to be true. It's all part of the clever design that minimises the top and bottom bezels, giving you a phone front that's 80% screen.
The 18:9 display ratio is pretty special too. Most phones use the shorter 16:9 ratio, so with the G6, you get to see more. A lot of new movies and shows are shot in the same ratio, so the G6 is sure to be a popular choice for film buffs and anyone who enjoys binging on the latest TV series. A lot of Netflix Originals, for example, are already streaming in the same 18:9 display ratio. We gave Narcos a quick test-screening on the G6, and our favourite gritty drama has never looked better.
The G6 has a dual-lens 13MP camera. The wide-angle lens has the same 125-degree field of vision as the human eye, and it's been paired up with a standard lens with optical image stabilisation. It's capable of some stunning photography, and portrait and landscape pics both look equally sharp.
If you don't want anyone to be left out of your group shots, there's a great 5MP front-facing selfie camera with a wide-angle option - perfect for packing more friends into the frame.
There are lots of different modes and features to explore on the G6. We like the photo roll that shows your most recent snaps along the top of the display, letting you see if you've nailed that perfect shot, or if you need to take another.
There's also an Instagram-friendly Square mode that gives you a selection of shooting options. 'Snap' is a good one - it splits the screen into a viewfinder at the top and your most recent photo at the bottom. It's another handy way of making sure you've got the shot you want.
The G6's Snapdragon 821 processor is paired with a massive 4GB RAM, which gives you more than enough power to keep everything running smoothly. And it runs Google's latest operating system, Android 7.0 Nougat - so you'll be able to enjoy the latest software features including easier multi-tasking and a greater choice of emojis. In terms of storage, there's 32GB on board. It's a decent amount, but if you want to go for even more, you can slot in a memory card and expand it up to 256GB.
At the moment, The LG G6 is one of only a few phones that comes with Google Assistant. This inbuilt virtual helper learns your habits to give you a more personalised experience, and it's a real step forward from Google Now. On the G6, we asked it to "access the Carphone Warehouse YouTube channel" and it launched the YouTube app and found our favourite channel in an instant. It'll also tell jokes and sing for you, if you're in the mood.
Here are a few more things you can ask Google Assistant when you get your LG G6.
The G6 doesn't have the removeable battery that its predecessors did, but that wasn't an issue for us - because the battery size has been increased to a hefty 3,300mAh. During our time we spent with the G6, we found that it could get to the end of a day of heavy usage with a fair bit of power left (usually around 15-20%). If you do run out of juice, the phone's USB Type-C fast charging technology will quickly get you up and running again.
And finally, the G6 is fully dust and water-resistant, with an IP68 rating. That's the highest mobile certification, and it's pretty much becoming the standard for flagship phones. It means that the phone can be immersed in water at depths of up to 1.5m for half an hour.
We were hugely impressed by the G6. It's the best smartphone that LG has ever made, and it's definitely one of the most sophisticated devices around. If you want to make it your next phone, you can order the LG G6 from Carphone Warehouse now. It's available in three colours: white, black and silver.


text:
Loft Conversions
AKB Loft Conversions have been established since 2006 and have always strived to put our customers at the forefront of everything we do. With over 90% of our work load coming from customer recommendations, we can guarantee to meet all your needs and requirements.
People can be known to take their attic room for granted, seeing it as extra, hidden space to hoard and store all their collectables. But here at AKB Loft Conversions, we know the potential that is being wasted.
This type of conversion offers an innovative way to change the look of your house, giving yourself more space with an extra room and increasing the value of your house all without the hassle or expense of having to move!
Your loft conversion can accentuate your home whatever your needs, it can bring you a beautiful, cosy extra bedroom, a sophisticated office or a fun, vibrant playroom for children.
With quality workmanship and a passion for always doing a great job, our conscientious team will be there from the beginning, when we write up a quote and proposal, through to the end when we arrange a visit from the buildings control officer to carry out final checks.
If you live in the Leeds area and are interested in finding out more about our loft conversions or to arrange a free quote, please do not hesitate to get in touch with one of our friendly team today.
Call our team on 0113 209 3158


text:
For lovers of strawberries the Watsonville Strawberry Festival will take place again this year August 5-6. This two day event is fun-filled for the whole family. With carnival rides, live entertainment, strawberry contests, and lots of food – especially local strawberries, there is something to make everybody happy. And, of course, there is historic Watsonville to check out. Incorporated in 1868, Watsonville is located near the central California coast and there is much to see and do and explore in the area. Have fun and enjoy the strawberries! www.powerhiking.com
Archive for the 'trails' Category
LOVE STRAWBERRIES!July 28, 2017
GARLIC FESTIVAL TIME AGAIN!July 26, 2017
We love the GILROY GARLIC FESTIVAL and it is that time of year again. July 28 – 30 are the dates this year and it is coming up. Time to make your plans to visit Gilroy. A once a year event, the GARLIC FESTIVAL features all types of food made with garlic – including ice cream! – cooking demonstrations – with garlic of course, cooking competitions – with garlic of course, live entertainment and fun for the entire family. Not only is Gilroy a scenic place to visit, but you will be able to smell the garlic as you get close. Time for some fun again this year at the GILROY GARLIC FESTIVAL! Visit their website gilroygarlicfestival.com for more information. Enjoy!! www.powerhiking.com
Farmer's MarketJune 30, 2017
Every Thursday the Farmer's Market comes to Tiburon. Fresh veggies and fruit, crafts, food trucks, music, wine, fun for the kids…come and visit on Main Street. It is really fun!
Wow! What a day!May 18, 2017
The sky is blue. The sun is shining. On such a gorgeous San Francisco day it is hard to find a prettier location than Lands End. Located at the westernmost tip of San Francisco, the vistas are amazing. Whether you gaze at the Marin Headlands or back at the Golden Gate Bridge, this is the weather to enjoy such a unique spot. The trail is well groomed and a little over a mile so an easy walk with many view benches along the way. Or just spend some quiet time reflecting on the beauty or watching the ships pass under the mighty Golden Gate. In the mood for culture? Visit the Palace of the Legion of Honor. Beautiful exhibits and a beautiful building. Lands End is a special spot on a sunny day.
San Francisco WaterfrontMarch 17, 2017
Exciting news on the San Francisco waterfront. Pier 29 has received the OK for the development of retail shops and hopefully a recreational area as well. This pier has been vacant and unused for years and is a another step in the revitalization and beautification of the San Francisco waterfront area. There will be shops – most selling homemade San Francisco goods – a wine bar, a coffee roastery, and a craft beer brewery. We are looking forward to a wonderful addition to this exciting and beautiful area.
Run For Chocolate??February 10, 2017
Run For The Chocolate is the Bissinger Chocolate Company annual fun run. It is a run/walk event where you get chocolates during and after the run. The runners/walkers go through the streets of historic St. Louis, starting at the chocolate factory through historic St. Louis and returning along a path that runs along the Mississippi River. Chocolate goody bags, hot cocoa and chocolate medals await at the finish line. It takes place Saturday, February 11. Sounds like a lot of fun and a lot of yummy eating. Burn those calories!
New Carts in Central ParkJanuary 21, 2017
Central Park is beautiful every season of the year and a major destination for tourists visiting New York City. It is also beloved and well used by local New Yorkers. At any time on any day you can see joggers, bicycles, dogs, children playing , people strolling, people sitting and reading, people enjoying the trees and flowers, people picnicking, and people riding in boats or driving little electric boats – just to name of few of the myriad activities Central Park offers.
The Park is always clean thanks to the Central Park Conservancy, whose workers are out daily cleaning and picking up. And now you will see them flying around the park in hot new electric garbage carts. There is a new fleet in Central Park and they are clean, efficient, good for the environment and fun. Look out for them and wave a thank you hi to those who keep Central Park so beautiful for all to enjoy.
LITTLE FREE LIBRARYOctober 29, 2016
What fun is the neighborhood Little Free Library! While on a walk in Venice, California, we came upon two neighborhood library boxes in one block. Small little boxes resembling large mail boxes where you can drop off a favorite book or pick up something new to read. They are everywhere! And not just in Venice. They are so friendly and so inviting and such a "neighborly" idea that every neighborhood should have them. What a great way to share a good book or discover a new author. Keep reading and be neighborly!!
San Francisco TreasureSeptember 26, 2016
What a treasure is San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. On a cloudless sunny day, there is so much to explore: the de Young Museum with its view tower, the Academy of Science with its living roof; the Botanical Garden; the Japanese Tea Garden; the Shakespeare Garden; or just relax on a bench in the park of the Music Pavilion. If you like to walk, follow one of the many paths through amazing trees and greenery. Golden Gate Park is truly a treasure – particularly on a day like today.
FUN DAY ON THE BAYAugust 30, 2016
What fun on the Bay! Sailing surrounded by beautiful scenery! http://www.powerhiking.com


text:
Date(s) - 19/11/2018
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Relaxation Centre of Queensland
- Addictions
- Anxiety
- Confidence
- Empowerment/Personal
- Encouragement
- Exploration/Inner
- Goals/Planning
- Growth/Personal
- Motivation
Presented by: Ian Ratcliffe
Ian has inspired and given hope to numerous people struggling with addictions as well as other people such as parents and partners concerned for those close to them. Participants express deep gratitude for what Ian is able to share with them.
PLEASE NOTE: For people really keen to master their addiction Ian sometimes works one-on-one each day for a week – if you're interested call him on 0401 550 670.
FEE: $20. Book if possible or just come along.
Bookings are closed for this event.


text:
Seriously, who DOESN'T love that gadget-happy orange boy!
I have a way to bring him back, but I just got a starting idea. Whatever else you want to post, it DOES NOT have to relate to this post.
Crash, Coco, and Crunch are practicing a rock song for an upcoming gig, and Crash is in a drum cage, with drums latched on EVERY BAR of the cage. Then, when he needs to do an intense drum solo, he accidentally spins so much that he knocks off EVERY DRUM, EVERY CYMBOL, from the cage, and he even DESTROYS the cage. Crash gets buried under the drums, and then he emerges from the pile of broken instruments. Coco gets mad at his own brother, because the drums she put in there were LIGHT drums. They make a lot of special light effects when Crash hits them, and they're very hard to make (Coco makes them herself, and she needs to take a lot of time to make them). There's then a few explosions that seem to be coming from Coco's lab...and then there's a few monsters in the lab. Crash is left to do some spins, kick slides, and whatever other fighting moves he got that I missed (I only played and completed Crash 1, 2, and 3, as well as CTR, so could anyone tell me how the next games played out?).


text:
March 17, 2014
Eric M. Conti, Ph.D
Superintendent of Schools
Dear Parents and Guardians,
I am writing today to make you aware of some proposed changes in the way your child will be assessed on his or her academic content knowledge and skills. Our district, along with every other district in Massachusetts, has been implementing new academic standards across all subject areas - the Common Core Standards. These new standards are part of our district's education plan to help your child excel and be fully prepared for success beyond our doors.
These new academic goals will help ensure that all students are prepared to succeed— whether success is moving to the next grade in school or graduating to college, career training, or the workplace. These standards challenge our students to develop a deeper understanding of subject matter, learn how to think critically, and apply what they are learning to the real world.
A shift to new, higher standards means that the statewide testing program must shift as well. This spring, students across our district will be "field testing" a new test called The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC, in English language arts and mathematics. The purpose of the field test is to determine whether the PARCC test questions are fair and are measuring what they are intended to measure. While mandatory, the PARCC field test scores will not count and students taking the field test will not receive information about how they performed on the test questions. The field test will; however, provide students with a new, computer-based testing experience—one that they are likely to encounter again in the near future. The PARCC Field Test is given in the same grades as MCAS in English language arts and mathematics. This schedule also means that students will not take the MCAS except in science in grades 5, 8, and high school. High School students will still need to take their MCAS tests to earn a diploma and qualify for the Adams' Scholarships.
If your child has MCAS test accommodations listed in his or her IEP or 504 plan, then he or she is entitled to take the field test with those same accommodations. Since students will be taking PARCC field tests online, many of the accommodation(s); however, will be different on a computer. A part of the field test is for the district to learn how MCAS accommodations will be adapted to the PARCC environment. We will be conducting focus groups with students and teachers after the test to learn whether the computer-based accommodations were effective. If your child participates in the MCAS alternate assessment (MCAS-Alt), he or she will not participate in the PARCC field test.
I am committed to keeping you informed about these new tests. We will be updating information regularly on my blog - www.ericconti.wordpress.com and on the Burlington created blog - www.massparcctrial.org. We are having a PARCC parent night on Tuesday, March 18th at 7:00 PM in the Marshall Simonds Middle School Library. We will have opportunities for you to attempt some practice questions on the computer and to ask about the PARCC test.
Eric M. Conti, Ph.D.


text:
things I wrote about some time ago when I was...,
experimenting with a Writing Technique that
I learned from Ray Bradbury.
(you can read all about it on
the Short Stories (in developement) page.)
(Btw. you might also like
to have a look at:
This Inspiring Video where you
can see how writer Ray Bradbury (besides his
swimming pool) talked about his writing.)
'This is something
you might like...,'
Making It
More Relaxing:
Maybe even
Work & Play On the Beach...,
Since - as a 'Rock Star Writer' - you might not alway's
want to sit behind a desk, sometimes it's just more relaxing to
do some writing sitting on a comfortable couch. (or near
a swimming pool for example like in
This Inspiring Video
as you could read about previously.)
To be able to support the Laptop (or Tablet) you can
simply put a pillow on your lap with on top of it
a dinner tray put up side down to be able to serve
as a 45 degree Angle to 'Hang' your Laptop.
Making it into a comfortable way of typing while being able
to sit on the couch with your feet on the edge of
your Salon Table.
O.K. that's basically it, a Laptop Lifestyle example
Feel free to share any of your own examples,
by writing Comments & Replies.
Laptop (Tablet- or Mobile) Lifestyle.
You can also Just buy things like
Laptop Stands
and things like that...,
With Using
The Right Tools
You can make it Happen!
Making It
More Effective:
You can read more about this
Great Lifestyle and discover more about
how you can Work that you can decide for
yourself When & Where you Work,
and also - How - you can
Work Effectively in a post
The Laptop Lifestyle
To Write - Your - Comments, simply click the Comments-Link here below:
With the - One Click - Bookmarker
On the Left You Can Easily Bookmark This Blog,
So You Can Frequently Check Out This Blog
For - Crispy Fresh - New Blogposts
Or to check out the...,
Other Related Posts
That You Sure Will Like, When You Enjoyed
Reading This Post:
Start Your Own - Writing Business - by Becomming a Blogger
Writing Articles to Build your Brand
Greeting Card Writing and Cartoons
Blogging For Your Business
How to Write a Book Review for your Blog
Conversational Writing on Blogs
Dynamic Writing
Other Interesting Links:
Great Links
Upcoming Events


text: Retirement – Now on Guam vs. Philippines July 4, 2019July 29, 2019 Living in the Pacific Now Sharing Our Retirement Locations We moved to the Philippines 6 years ago to the day (Jul 3, 2013). And because my wife still possessed a Green Card (permanent) at that time, it was necessary to make regular trips back to U.S. soil every year to protect her immigration status. In 2016, she was finally […] Read More


text:
Holiday Movie Madness: Nut Job 2 – Nutty by Nature
Refreshments provided by the library.
Movies will be shown inside the library.
Bring your pillow to be comfortable on the floor.
Parents! You are responsible to judge the suitability of these movies for your child!
Showing: December 27th at 1 p.m.
PG Run time: 92 minutes
Surly the squirrel and his animal friends find out that the corrupt mayor of Oakton plans to bulldoze their beloved Liberty Park to make way for an amusement park. Hoping to save the place they call home, Surly, Andie, Buddy and the rest of the gang join forces with Mr. Feng, a seemingly cute and innocent mouse who happens to be a fierce master of kung fu.


text:
Being a part of the music industry in any form is always difficult. The business itself is extremely cutthroat and at most times can be more than unforgiving. Although the industry is nowhere near what it used to be, being able to have a clear understanding of all the aspects from the front end, as well as the back end, is beneficial for all parties involved. Putting the musician aside, the manager of an artist/artists acts as the head honcho. Ultimately, the manager is the guy/girl that makes sure everything about the artist and the business side of the artist is fully intact. Jonathan Wigfall, South Jersey native and Syracuse University grad, has been a part of the music industry for a long time but started managing about 5-6 years ago. Although he and his team faced multiple challenges during their come up, every bit of the journey has been worth it because his artist, Mir Fontane, continues to shine and capture hearts and ears all over the country.
Getting ready to embark on a brand new tour as well as a secured slot in the upcoming Made in America Festival, Jonathan has shown what hard work, patience, dedication, and persistence can take you when you put your all into your passion. He and his team have done exceptionally well by Mir and the strategic work is paying off.
I had the chance to speak with Jon about his music industry inspirations, why he decided to get into management and what he saw in Mir Fontane as an artist, the upcoming More Macaroni Tour, Made in America Festival, tips for the aspiring music manager and more in our full interview below.
1 – How did you get into the music industry?
At first, I started off as a rapper myself. This was in like late high school and I only got into rap cause I needed a form of expression. I had got jumped, I didn't really have anybody in my corner. A lot of my friends abandoned me because of the people involved in the situation and it was kind of crazy. I really loved music and I had all of this pinned up aggression so I needed a way to express myself. I had went on to college and I started making a transition into journalism cause I liked writing at the time. I do some blogging now. I then made a transition from rapping and being a journalist to public relations. When I made that switch I realized that I wanted to be behind the scenes a little more. I told my story in rap within like a year. I put out some music and everyone that I personally felt needed to hear it heard it. I was just ready to try something else. Now, I'm in public relations about to go into my sophomore year of college and I come back home that summer after my freshman year and I started thinking to myself maybe I can be a manager. Although I said that to myself I had to also figure out who can I manage. In about 2012, Mir really stood out in like the South Jersey and Philadelphia areas. I felt like I wanted to work with someone from my hometown cause we really didn't have much representation in anything. I reached out to him but he was hesitant because I wasn't really in Camden cause I was in Syracuse and I use to rap and I was making these different things happen. But, we had a few good talks and then the rest is history.
2 – What inspired you to be a part of the music industry?
I think at that time I was inspired by a variety of people. I was inspired by people like Kid Cudi as well as a lot of YouTube guys. I started seeing a lot of guys bubble on YouTube who was just grinding and figuring it out, you know. People Like DYME-A-DUZIN. These type of people were really going hard on YouTube and creating a name for themselves. A lot of these people were obviously out here making music as well but it was also that work ethic and that "I'm doing this all by myself" mentality. DYME-A-DUZIN is an example, Timothy DeLaGhetto is another. People like that inspired me because it seemed as if it was a one-man show.
3 – In your opinion, what are some of the pros and cons of working behind the music scenes as opposed to being the musician?
Well, I think this depends on the person. For me, it's not really getting the credit which leaves a big question mark over things that you may have done or didn't do. So, I think the one con is often times you just may not get your credit. Sometimes people just aren't aware of the involvement that you actually have in a project. That can even apply to things on the public relations side. I think that's the con. Perhaps the only con I can think about. The pro for me, I didn't really want the spotlight. I didn't get in this to be in the spotlight. Granted I'm about to be 25 but it's just about having that self-awareness. It's just an understanding that I had to figure out by basically saying that I'm not tripping. There's money to be made on either side and perhaps even more money playing the behind the scenes role. My thing is I like to help others. This business can be very stressful but being behind the scenes is less pressure at times.
4 – How exactly does being a music manager work? In other words, what are your specific duties when it comes to managing an artist?
I think communication is always number one. I'm also a digital marketing consultant for a lot of artists outside of Mir. So for me, it's always communication. I think that's the main thing. But it can also vary. It's everything from the business to, often times, the personal. And it also depends on where the artist it career wise. To put things into perspective, I had a meeting with an artist that I'm considering managing and he's been a recording artist for about three to four years. We talked about getting an LLC. He wanted to figure out a way to actually monetize his music. Often times, it's me trying to figure out what makes the most sense financially. How we could make more money and lower our spending. and that right there is a very small part of it. It's also being able to help out with their social media. For Mir, he has an assistant that fills when needed but it's really helping the artist in all aspects – finances, social media, acting as a liaison for him and our stakeholders, public relations, and so forth. I'm the day to day manager which means I am constantly focused on scheduling and making things as organized as possible but also making sure our team knows what's going on.
5 – What did you see in Mir as an artist and what do you think he saw in you as a manager?
At the time when we linked up, he was rapping his ass off. He had a certain hunger in his voice, a certain pain that I think he still has this day. His talent was just so undeniable. He really stood out and he was dropping some crazy freestyles. I constantly saw that pain and hunger and also saw someone creating that narrative for Camden that no one has ever done before. And this was six years ago. It was really a no-brainer for me. For Mir, I think he saw I was from Camden so I wasn't a stranger, I did have some things going on because I did have some music industry knowledge, I had the connections, I was trying to make the best of myself by going to college – we both looked at each other and knew neither one of us were where we wanted to be but at the end of the day we belong here. We both knew we could make some crazy things happen within five years. We knew we were both hungry, both of us have some talent and this could be a great situation if we continue to apply ourselves.
6 – At one point did you realize you Mir was getting the recognition he deserves as an artist? When was that breakout point?
It definitely wasn't an overnight thing. Things really didn't start kicking off until I graduated because what I realized is that Mir really needed someone that was hands on. Between 2012 and 2015, a lot of the friends that he had in his corner that I was trying to help because I wanted them to help him advance in his career, they disappeared. They felt like things weren't happening fast enough. Once I graduated, I began to learn the business more, I engulfed myself in the Philadelphia scene and I could really feel the energy in the area because at that time we really didn't have anybody. Me being four hours away really began to hinder the process but once I came back we just started really grinding. Things really started to pop off and to be honest with you, he kind of marked the beginning of his career when he dropped a song called "Wanni Wag" which was a song about Dejuan Wagner who dropped 100 points in a basketball game and then went on to play for Cleveland Cavaliers. He's kind of like a local hero. The song is with a guy name Ish Williams. They performed that song everywhere and the crowd would go crazy. It was honestly one of the first regional hits. We would throw shows and the momentum was always crazy. It opened up a lot of doors which lead to the remix with Mike Zombie. We really started to connect south Jersey in a way that it hadn't been in a way before. By like 2016 and 2017, I started to connect a lot of these dots but that was definitely a time that things started to pop off for Mir. That 2016 run with "Wanni Wag" and then "Down by the River" which charted on the U.S. and Global Spotify out of nowhere was crazy. Labels began to reach out and that year pretty much helped lay the foundation down for where we are now.
7 – Are there any particular struggles that you've faced as a manager, in particular helping Mir Fontane with his career?
Yeah, definitely. Early on we were just brainstorming on how we can bring this a bit further. I think the main struggles for us were financial things. Us trying to find out how we can be entrepreneurs, make some bread and really invest that back into what we're doing. Obviously, it takes money to make money, right? Especially in the music business. It took us awhile early on. We all knew Mir was really talented and when people hear him they love him but the hardest task was getting people to hear him. We were really trying to navigate the industry and making this transition of entertainment vs. talent and really just trying to get in where we fit in. To add on to that, we had to figure out how to tell a story about a boy coming from a place that people have heard of but really haven't. We were able to leverage the Philly music scene and platforms to help make him bigger artist but we never branded him as Philly act. We made sure it was always Camden and South Jersey. That was a battle itself but it was a pro because once he started creating traction, South Jersey and New Jersey as w whole got behind him because this area really hadn't had anyone.
8 – What was going through your mind the moment you and Mir secured yourselves for the Made In America bill?
You know what, Veli who is Mir's road manager, set it up as a goal for us maybe about three months ago. We really try to attack the goals that we set but we knew we had to do certain things. We knew we had to develop a stronger relationship with Live Nation. They're obviously a strong influence as far as the Philly music scene. Veli, who acts as both Mir's road manager as well as having a long history of booking acts himself and just being on that side of the game as well, we made it our strong effort to establish a better relationship with Live Nation. We not only wanted to show them that people are watching us but we can continuously outdo ourselves. We've had Mir on tour but I think the big thing that led to Made in America was the sold-out show Mir did at The Foundry which was roughly 450-500 people in Philadelphia. I think that was May 4th. The show was on a Friday, the Made in America offer came in that following Monday. We knew that we had to sell that show out. We knew that it had to be impressive and we had to do something different. and we did for lack of a better word.
9 – How does it feel as a manager to know you've had something to do with helping your artist secure a slot on the same bill as Nicki Minaj, Post Malone, Meek Mill, Miguel, 6lack, and others.
It's a great feeling, man. This is the type of opportunity that we've always wanted. We've been looking at different Made in America flyers every year and we always felt like we should've been on it but everything happens for a reason. I feel like Mir is going to have a great career because one, things have never been handed and two, it's such a gradual piece of work that he's building. It's constantly going up because it's happening with time and I feel like it's supposed to. I think there's a time in 2016 things just started to pop off and we were all so hype. We had Sway in the Morning and Vibe Magazine coming along for a premiere for one of his more popular songs which was "Space Jam." Then, entering into 2017 us getting into a situation with 300, Mir was kind of numb. I believe he became numb to his accomplishments and good things happening. A lot of it was coming fast and we couldn't really live in the moment. We had to keep pushing forward so we kind of got numb to certain things. But then you fast forward to now and we land something we Made in America, that's like wow. It's really hard to be numb to that. You really have to enjoy and celebrate accomplishments like those because it's one of the biggest platforms that an artist can have.
10 – Talk a little bit about the upcoming More Macaroni Tour?
We had to set up our own tour honestly. We just grind it out and make sure we can keep him on the road as much as possible every year. We're just making sure that we're constantly attacking his top cities and trying to be as tangible as possible because that's what it takes.
11 – What tips and advice do you have for upcoming aspiring music managers in the world? What do you want them to learn from this interview?
You're not going to learn everything within a few months or even a year. I would say remain persistent, especially as a new manager. There are so many things that you need to figure out as far as what you can offer. What type of artist do you have? I think you just have to remain persistent because there's going to be a lot of forces that are against you and a lot of hurdles you're going to have and based off that, it's going to be really easy to feel down. It's going to feel like a constant uphill battle. But, I think just remaining persistent and surrounding yourself with the right team of people to help you make the best decisions is important. Also, setting goals and successfully and aggressively attaining them. I think that's really the key. I think a lot of times managers waste a lot of time focusing on the wrong platforms for their artist or whatever the case may be and they're not aggressively aiming for the right thing. We honestly didn't have a long list of goals for 2018. We were just like "Yo, we need to make him a bigger artist." Made in America was on that very short list. We just went and tried to figure out how we could make it happen. If the goal was to establish a better relationship with XYZ, we would sit and make phone calls and figure out whatever the next step was to make things happen.
12 – What's next for you for the second half of 2018? Secondly, aside from the big MIA performance in September, what else can we expect from Mir Fontane for the second half of 2018?
I'm really trying to elevate my own brand. I have the Liajon LLC which is the digital marketing but I really want to take it a step further and create my own content. Definitely be on the lookout for that. I'll be creating a lot of more content for this year. Mir has some really dope records in the tuck and we're in talks with some labels. You can really just expect some more fire in the future. We've been in the studio with a lot of different artists including Fetty Wap. It's really an exciting time if you're a Mir Fontane fan.


text:
Tango & Cash
The Battle of Austerlitz
Once a Thief
Ten Seconds to Hell
Oklahoma Crude
Kill a Dragon
Monte Walsh
Las Vegas 500 Milliones
I Died a Thousand Times
The Silver Chalice
All Jack Palance photos
All Jack Palance films
Movies.com, the ultimate source for everything movies, is your destination for new movie trailers, reviews, photos, times, tickets + more! Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at Movies.com.
Copyright © 2020 FANDANGO MOVIES.


text:
Shahrizar Roslan – CEO
Shahrizar Roslan often just called Shah runs Kaigan Games, a leading indie game studio in Malaysia and South East Asia. Born in the sleepy town of Sungai Petani he attended Universiti Teknologi Malaysia for his undergraduate studies, but dropped out of his Masters research and worked in the Human Capital Development industry for a couple of years. He found his true passion in Game Development where one fateful weekend he and his brother Azmi sat down and made their first game. They have been at it for the past 6 years, with over 20 games made for clients from around the world. Shah has been the Artist, Animator, and Game Designer for a number of games. Currently, he plays the role of Producer in Kaigan. He names Planescape Torment, Half Life 2, Dungeon Keeper 2 and Alpha Centauri as his all time favourite games.
Jeremy Ooi – Game Designer
Jeremy has been making games professionally and personally for the past 5 years. He was involved in Malaysia's very first PC point and click game "Hoodwink" and has since worked on several games and gamification projects. He also freelances as a game journalist, having written for Haogamers, Pocket Gamer and cilisos.my. Besides working with games, he is also quite active in the theatre industry since his youth, where he sometimes direct and produce his own indie shows. Occasionally, you might spot him at local game shops playing Magic the Gathering casually or competitively.
Shahazmi Roslan – Lead Developer
Shahazmi Roslan is the lead developer for Kaigan Games. His interest in game development started much younger when he stumbled upon the map editor for StarCraft. Though simple and limited, it thought him the basics of scripting and game design. He finds the ability to create and craft experiences to be his true calling, which eventually led him into game programming and create his own games with his brother, Rizar. Despite graduating with an Accounting degree, he developed and published over 20 casual mobile games. Now, he works on more ambitious story-driven games. His all time favourite games are Homeworld, Baldur's Gate II, Hitman and the Diablo series.
Suhana Sulaiman – Operations Manager
Suhana Sulaiman currently occupies the position of operations head at Kaigan Games and she had since discovered that working in a multicultural and challenging environment was actually easier than she thought. Since then, her new diverse sets of skills had always improved. She studied BSc Health Physics at University Teknology Malaysia (UTM), MSc Business Administration (MBA) majoring in International Business at University Putra (Malaysia) and proceeded to work in a fast, upscale environment, assuring client delight by offering innovative solutions and focusing on critical details while maintaining an abroad perspective. She is in charge of managing the human resource and finance at Kaigan games. She has a highly proactive, result-oriented and analytical skillset.
Lee Ying Foo – Junior Game Artist
Lee Ying Foo is the all-around game artist for Kaigan Games. An art graduate from KDU, Malaysia's game development programme, she is proficient in a wide variety of tools including Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, 3Ds Max, 3d coat, and Quixel. She believes that working in a diverse and evolving industry, you need to be adaptable by mastering the tools you know and learning the ones you don't know. Art productivity is driven by visual inspiration, so being saturated in references and material that inspires is what keeps her going. Games that are hugely inspirational to her are Bioshock, Dishonored, Oxenfree, Transistor and Borderlands 2.
Arief Budi Prasetyo – Junior Full Stack Developer
Arief Budi Prasetyo is a junior full stack and the newest member at Kaigan Games. Hailing from the mystical lands of Central Java, Indonesia; he studied at Ahmad Dahlan University majoring in Informatics Technology. Being the only permanent off-site team member, he has become the "IRIS" of our Slack chat. Always watching, always listening. A big fan of Japanese anime, he lists Sword Art Online, Seto No Hanayome, Zetsuen No Tempest and Tokyo Ravens as his personal favorites. He spends the rest of his free time playing World of Tanks, Tropico, Dota 2 and Osu.
Alex Lee – Junior Game Programmer
Alex is the latest newcomer to Kaigan Games and the games industry in general. As such, he is eager to help to the best of his ability all the while learning something new every step of the way. With the game development skills acquired during his studies at Limkokwing University as well as from previous works, Alex was assigned the position of Junior Game Programmer in Kaigan Games. Apart from creating games, Alex enjoys playing and experiencing a multitude of games from This War of Mine to Dota 2. Whereas games he could not play personally, he would watch them over on YouTube.
Priya Kulasagaran – Writer
Priya Kulasagaran writes stories to make sense of the world and the human condition. A recovering journalist, and occasional screenwriter, she has jumped into games development to see how far interactive narrative can be pushed. She spends too much time at punk gigs and on Reddit.


text:
At her blog Holy Experience, Ann Voskamp shares touching thoughts and photos from her walk through a shanty town in Guatemala in her essay the one word that fixes a broken heart, this broken world. It's worth the read …
September 15, 2010
Theirs is the kingdom of heaven
Leave a Comment »
No comments yet.
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI


text:
Ever since my trip to America, I have been so obsessed with eating buttermilk biscuits, I have tried various recipes but this was the one that worked for me and it was so easy to make.
Buttermilk biscuits are kind of like what us Aussies call a buttermilk scone but they do have their differences, buttermilk scones for example often require sugar and self raising flour, whereas buttermilk biscuits contain no sugar and require the use of plain flour and baking powder. I do feel like buttermilk biscuits taste lighter than buttermilk scones.
This recipe that I found for buttermilk biscuits was so simple to make and unlike most recipes, it did not require vegetable shortening. I also didn't find the kneading process complicated, because I hate kneading scone dough.
The buttermilk biscuits only took 13 minutes to bake in the oven and they looked so deliciously fresh out of the oven.
The buttermilk biscuits tasted lighter than buttermilk scones, they were also very fluffy too. I broke tradition and instead of spreading jam and cream on my buttermilk scone, I spread it with my favourite supermarket butter Mainland Organic Butter .
I am so pleased that I was able to successfully make my own buttermilk biscuits, it was definitely one of my baking goals.
Buttermilk biscuits recipe*
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup canola oil
2 cups of plain flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3 teaspoons of baking powder
Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. In a small bowl mix the buttermilk and canola oil. In a larger bowl sift the plain flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the buttermilk/oil mixture to the dry ingredients until combined. Shape into a ball, place on floured surface and knead 4-5 times. Roll out the dough flat with a floured rolling pin, with a cookie cutter, cut out the biscuits. Place them 3 centimetres apart on a baking sheet. Bake on the centre rack in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until light brown.
*recipe by Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods.


text:
Amanda Rosewater is the mayor of the Township of Defiance. She does her best to maintain peace and equally represent all races in the town. She previously worked as a cleaning lady for the mayor's office, but former mayor Nicolette Riordon was so taken by Amanda that when she retired, she appointed the young woman as the new mayor.
Amanda was born in 2011 in New York City. Her parents died during the Pale Wars, so she took her little sister Kenya and headed for Defiance to find safety.
here is more about Julia Benz in german and english
…more here


text:
Disney's Elena of Avalor Adventure Princess Doll by Hasbro, Multicolor
Browse all deals at Kohl's
See more in Dolls & Doll Houses
See more from Hasbro
* This offer may contain time-sensitive information and offers. Please check with Kohl's to confirm actual price & availability.
- Be the first to comment!
2430 Berryhill Road
Montgomery, AL 36117


text:
Cooking with the Koogs – Spaghetti Pieby kelly
I tried another recipe out of the "Beyond Macaroni and Cheese" cookbook this weekend. It's pretty good!
Here's how to make Spaghetti Pie (I doubled this when I made it):
4 oz spaghetti
1 T. butter (or margerine)
1 egg, beaten
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t. fennel seed
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 c. lowfat cottage cheese
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Cook pasta; drain. Return to pan; stir butter into pasta until melted.
3. Stir egg and parmesan cheese into pasta.
4. Press spaghetti onto bottom and sides of 9″ pie plate, forming a "crust" .
5. Cook beef, onion, green pepper, garlic, and fennel seed in pan until onion is tender and meat is no longer pink; drain fat. (I used my Mandolin Slicer to chop the veggies; it saves time .
6. Stir in tomato sauce and oregano; heat through.
7. Spread cottage cheese on bottom and up side of spaghetti "crust" . Spread meat mixture over cottage cheese; sprinkle mozzarella cheese over meat mixture. Bake uncovered 20 – 25 minutes . Let stand 5 minutes and cut into wedges to serve. Serves 6.
And Voila!


text:
If you check out our website frequently, you'll have noticed that we've been trying to get it updated for a long time now. Suffice it to say that our website building experience has not been what we hoped. And regardless of what those "website" websites say, they just do NOT have what it takes to host our site. We're not even that hard! But I guess that if you don't fit their specific mold, you're out of luck.
The somewhat good news is that we've started building our new site in Word Press. And hope to have it rolled out soon with a lot a good features that are actually useful to you. So stick with us.
Our new website will do a lot of things that our old one could not. Read through the items below to learn a bit more about how we are continuing to grow to support you.
One thing that isn't new: we still do not play that fake "sale today only" game. We know prints can be expensive. That's why we started Oberon in the first place - we didn't want to pay those prices either. But we want you to know that the prices you see today aren't going to suddenly go away because you didn't order today. Nobody really has 80% off sales every day and stays in business. But if they just admit the 80% off price is their everyday price, you might not buy today. And that's OK with us. We'd rather you buy when you are ready to buy. And the funny thing is that even with their 80% off sales, our prices are still often better!
You've always been able to send files to us, but now you'll actually be able place your entire order on-line. You don't have to, of course. You can always call us and chat. We love that! But if you want, you'll be able to place most simple straight-forward orders on line.
While Oberon Printing began by providing great service to students, artists and everyday folks, we have picked up quite a loyal following of industry professions. Interior designers, gallery currators, and photographers enjoy wholesale pricing. And soon they will be able to manage their account on-line. Automated capture of ST-3 information will help to eliminate issues with Sales and Use Tax for resellers. And the Oberon Market is coming back to boot!
We started our business based on Canvas Prints. And canvas still makes up 75% of what we do today. We proudly still offer our Standard and Gallery wrapped canvas prints at affordable prices. We of course offer unwrapped prints as well to those who are looking to frame or stretch their own. Our Oberon Satin finish is our most popular, but we also offer our Oberon Matte finish. And for those looking for the best quality, our Exhibition Canvases offer the best color reproduction out there.
Wait, what? You didn't know there were different levels of quality? The other guys don't offer that? Well, I can understand why they don't. The discount canvas business really is a "one size fits all" approach. You upload your image to them, they have a software bot that groups them all together with everyone elses. And they print them out with everyone elses print completely ignoring the details that might take your image from OK to Fantastic! But we think a "once in a life-time" portrait is more valuable than a basic canvas print of some random selfie. We think you probably do to. That's why we offer different levels of canvas quality - at different price points - all with the same level of customer service quality. You get to pick and choose. Yeah, it's not as fast as "snap and upload." But it is a lot more satisfying at the end of the day.


text:
Do you need a lawyer or attorney? Regardless of your reasons, you must understand that lawyers are expensive and legal matters are frustrating. Thankfully, by utilizing the great tips provided below, it is possible to hire a great lawyer without spending a small fortune. Read on and learn.
Review a lawyer's history before hiring them. Licensing doesn't mean they're good at what they do. Be certain to know the lawyer's record, so you can feel better about his ability to work well.
Real Estate
If you have to deal with a real estate matter like buying or selling a home or a dispute about property you own or previously owned, get a good real estate lawyer on your side. This will help ensure that you get a favorable ruling each and every time.
Ask every lawyer you interview many questions. During your first meeting, the attorney should answer any question you may have, whether the question is big or small. A good lawyer will work to establish rapport and communicate concerns and options regarding your case. If something doesn't feel right, go with your gut and move on to find someone more suitable.
Your case might suffer if the workload of your lawyer is too heavy. Talk to them about their schedule. Lawyers are generally honest about whether they have time to properly try your case.
Be realistic and understand that there is only so much that a lawyer can do for you. Any lawyer that promises you a winning outcome should be avoided. Nothing is guaranteed in law; if a lawyer says he never loses, don't believe him.
If a lawyer guarantees victory, leave. An honest lawyer knows that anything can happen. You need to consider this a red flag during the process of searching for a lawyer.
It is also a good idea to have your general lawyer refer you to another lawyer who is an expert in your case. Your lawyer can help you regarding this more than you might know. You are likely to get the best advice from a lawyer that is interested in helping you out.
There are many different kinds of legal issues, so it is vital that you choose one that fits your unique situation. Apply what you've just learned, and you'll make a great choice. This is a choice you must make with the proper research.


text:
What's Required
To wire up the caller ID unit you require the following cables and components (this guide assumes that you are using a 2 port caller ID and have 2 incoming phone lines):
1 x 2 Port Whozz Calling? POS Caller ID Unit
1 x Network Switch
2 x Network Cables**
2 x RJ11/12 Phone Splitters
6 x Phone Cables**
**The length of these cables will depend on how far away one component is from the other. The diagram below should be followed as a point of reference as to how long these cables should be.
Connecting the Cabling
- Plug two (2) of the phone cables into the incoming phone points on the wall.
- Plug each of these phone cables into the end of the phone splitter that only has one (1) jack.
- Plug one (1) of the phone cables going from the other end of the phone splitter into the caller ID unit. Do this for the other splitter as well (ports will be labeled line 1 & 2)
- Use the remaining two (2) phone cables to now connect the phones to the splitters.
- Connect a network cable from the LAN port on the back of the caller ID unit into the network switch.
- Make sure there is a network cable leading from the network switch to the OrderMate server (this should have been done during installation of the system).
Please see the diagram below for further information:
Configuring the caller ID unit
Follow this link for the guide on Configuring a caller ID unit in OfficeMate.


text:
June 5, 2013
The Grove at Grand Bay preconstruction condominium, slated to break ground June 5th, is one of the most anticipated projects in Miami. The development is drawing a tremendous response from the market due to its prime location, high-luxury amenities, and stunning architectural design by acclaimed Danish architect Bjarke Ingels.
The Grove at Grand Bay is a pair of 20-story twisting, sparkling towers made of glass and steel that provide the tenants of all 98 residences with unique floor plans and gorgeous views of Coconut Grove's lush landscapes and bayfront views. The innovative design was inspired to complement and enhance the Grove's natural beauty and historic importance, ensuring a dazzling experience to tenants seeking the luxuries of a privileged lifestyle.
Tenant's lives will be enriched by what is considered to be the world's most highly evolved condos in The Grove at Grand Bay. The residences will include conveniences such as 12' high ceilings, huge terraces that include electric summer kitchens, and private elevators. Additional amenities for the building consist of a rooftop pool, an on-site chef, private and exclusive butler services, a state-of-the-art gym and pet spa.
Coconut Grove is Miami's oldest modern neighborhood and flaunts a rich, tropical ambience that is relaxed during the day and sizzling at night. Two large open-air malls, CocoWalk and the Streets of Mayfair, provide an abundant source of fashion boutiques, cafes, restaurants, and entertainment within walking distance of local residents. It is also a culturally rich and inspiring neighborhood with year-round events such as the Coconut Grove Arts Festival, the King Mango Strut, the Great Taste of the Grove Food & Wine Festival, and the Goombay Festival. The eastern border of Coconut Grove is Biscayne Bay, which lends itself to a boating community that features a sailing club, yacht club, and marina.
To learn more about this and other Miami Properties, contact Metro 1 Properties at 305-571-9991.


text:
Get quotes fast. Use our booking enquiry form to check availability and costs.
We have the following themed castles available Pepa Pig, Disney Frozen, Marvel super hero, Under the sea, Party time, Minions and more. We have adult and children packages of sumo suits. We also have Marvel super hero sumo suits for adults. We have various garden games including Jenga, Medieval Stocks, Sack racing, Space hoppers, Connect 4 to name but a few. Please feel free to get in touch using the form below to discuss your part or fete needs.
You can contact Abbotts Bouncy Castles direct by completing the
form below and clicking the 'Send' button.
If you choose to request multiple quotes, our enquiry form will
remember your details, saving you the effort of re-typing the same
message multiple times!
Please include as much detail as possible - it'll save time and
help ensure you receive a quick reply.
Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This feedback form is for legitimate booking enquiries only. Our terms and conditions expressly prohibit the use of this system for any other activity.
These details were last reviewed by Abbotts Bouncy Castles, SOUTH OCKENDON on 30/03/2015. NOTE: This account appears dormant. It is scheduled for deletion on or just after 31/03/2015.
Page viewed 8521 times.
Looking for a Bouncy Castle Hire?
To view all Bouncy Castle and Sumo Suit Hire services in a chosen region, select from the list below or click on the
map of the UK.


text:
Posts tagged 'HMI'
Invensys Simplifies SCADA with Wonderware System Platform 4.0
Invensys Operations Management announced the release of its Wonderware® System Platform 4.0 software, which delivers new information services, new device connectivity functions, tiered historian capabilities and improved Web visualization. These enhancements enable plant operators to manage and control equipment and processes more effectively. In addition, information systems personnel can more easily integrate and make use of real-time manufacturing information, and users can be updated continuously on the company's overall operations performance.
Wonderware System Platform's new tiered historian capabilities simplify data time-stamping, information aggregation, retrieval and reporting, and improve information security and disaster recovery across distributed operations. The platform historian is also available as a standalone offering, Wonderware Historian 10.0.
The Information Server 4.0 component of the platform now provides the rich experience and performance of real-time ArchestrA graphics for Web visualization for more functional and effective KPI reports and HMI graphics. Using the company's open platform, customers' graphical configuration efforts can be reused easily and managed across their manufacturing enterprises, both as Wonderware InTouch® HMI graphics and inside their Web applications.
"The Wonderware System Platform 4.0 software provides a single, scalable and open platform for SCADA, HMI, MES and EMI software, addressing the business and functional needs of industrial automation, operations and information personnel," said Steve Garbrecht, director of product marketing at Invensys Operations Management. "Its plant model-based, integrated configuration environment provides a logical representation of the physical processes being controlled and supervised, enabling rapid configuration and deployment of component object-based industrial applications. This software platform solution allows our engineering teams, along with our ecosystem partners and customers, to accelerate flexible innovations that are aimed at achieving operations excellence."
Software Toolbox Integrated with AFCON Pulse SCADA/HMI
Software Toolbox announced that its Symbol Factory.NET and Industrial Gadgets.NET graphics technologies have been integrated with a new Pulse SCADA/HMI software application from AFCON Software and Electronics Ltd., enabling engineers to select animated images from a library of more than 3,600 industrial and manufacturing objects to create custom control panels.
"Because Pulse is based on the Microsoft .NET framework, Industrial Gadgets.NET and Symbol Factory.NET from Software Toolbox are natural complements to Pulse," said Orly Inbar, marketing director at AFCON. "AFCON customers have confirmed that the availability of Industrial Gadgets.NET objects significantly reduces engineering time, while providing strikingly realistic and state-of-the-art visualizations of real-life equipment. Engineers from Software Toolbox worked closely with the AFCON development team in making a smooth integration of their tools with Pulse."
With AFCON's Pulse software, application engineers can work within a unified SCADA/HMI environment that now combines the powerful .NET graphics tools from Software Toolbox. Symbol Factory.NET allows engineers to use the built-in object browser to pick from a wide range of animated objects to create custom screens that address their specific operations responsibilities. The addition of the Industrial Gadgets.NET application enables users to select from analog and digital controls to create realistic industrial control user interfaces to view input and data controls.
"The Software Toolbox object-oriented graphics components will enable engineers to rapidly build solutions for specific manufacturing and infrastructure requirements," said John Weber, president of Software Toolbox. "Symbol Factory.NET and Industrial Gadgets.NET capabilities will enhance an operator's ability to customize each process screen. Engineers can now spend less time creating and modifying HMI applications."
Software Toolbox Releases TOP Server Version 5.2
Software Toolbox® has released TOP Server Version 5.2 to its client base and channel partners. TOP Server, powered by Kepware, is Software Toolbox's OPC and native HMI device connectivity software application. The new release delivers enhancements offering users the latest choices in OPC technology and new alarm and event generation capabilities for data collected in TOP Server.
"The release of the OPC UA interfaces in TOP Server delivers on our commitment to protect our client's investment in OPC technology and demonstrates the value of an ongoing relationship with Software Toolbox," said John Weber, president of Software Toolbox. "The OPC A&E condition-monitoring plug-in option gives users another way to get value from data they are collecting using TOP Server. Many HMI/SCADA packages offer an OPC A&E client interface in their alarm management systems and now our clients have a way to deliver alarms and events messages directly to the systems from TOP Server."
New features in version 5.2 include:
- OPC UA Server & Client Interfaces – OPC UA, the latest generation of OPC interfaces, offers Web-based services, is firewall friendly and provides secure messaging to other OPC UA applications without using DCOM. TOP Server delivers an OPC UA server interface and optional OPC UA client interface, which empowers users to use TOP Server as a standards-based tunneling solution.
- Expanded OPC-A&E Server Interface – Using the new OPC A&E condition-monitoring plug-in, users can specify conditions on tags read from devices using any of TOP Server's hundreds of drivers and generate alarm and event messages using the OPC A&E standard.
- Driver Updates – Expands the functionality of the ControlLogix Ethernet, Mettler Toledo, Idec and Modbus Ethernet drivers, and adds a new C# sample application for the Custom Interface Driver.
TOP Server 5.2 will be available for download or as an upgrade for users on active support and maintenance contracts on Feb. 11, 2010 at www.toolboxopc.com.
Invensys Announces 'Powered by Wonderware' Program
Invensys Operations Management, provider of technology and software to the process and manufacturing industries, announced a newPowered By Wonderware® program that delivers its Wonderware InTouch® human-machine interface (HMI) software in a Compact Edition form factor for Windows CE devices. The program was created in partnership with Advantech Corp., Arista Corp., Axiomtek, B&R Industrial Automation, Beckhoff Automation, Beijer Electronics, Kontron and VIPA. Powered By Wonderware certified devices are now available from these vendors, with pre-installed images ready for use out of the box.
"The Powered by Wonderware program, in conjunction with our partners, means that our customers can now order their HMI hardware with runtime software pre-installed, directly from their vendor of choice," said Keith Jones, marketing program manager, Wonderware HMI/SCADA products. "This offers a certified combination of InTouch Compact Edition software and vendor hardware, tested by Wonderware and ready to use out of the box. Customers will appreciate the time they will save with the pre-installed software, as well as have confidence that their industrial computer panel is ready to run. In addition, InTouch Compact Edition software has never been more affordable, with users able to select the license size they need and take advantage of exciting new bundled pricing."
By partnering with many of the world's top HMI hardware brands, Invensys now offers clients the most cost-efficient version of Wonderware InTouch HMI software on a vast amount of hardware styles and ratings.
"Wonderware customers are assured that InTouch Compact Edition software is certified to function properly on all certified hardware and that, together with our partners, we will support the complete solution in every corner of the globe," said Dan Fitzpatrick, global embedded program manager, Invensys Operations Management.
Powered By Wonderware is an ongoing open program, with Invensys planning to announce additional members in the coming months.


text:
Nativity Manger - Vinyl and Floater Only - This comes in 3 sizes (these are the measurements on the ornament package) Small (2.63 inches), Medium (3.25 inches), and Large (4.0 inches).
Each order comes with 1 vinyl design of the manger and 1 plastic floater for inside the ornament.
To Add A Name
All floating Ornament Designs
All regular Ornament Designs
Please view the information about Floating Ornaments if this is new to you. This is a fun and easy way to customize ornaments.
Floating ornaments provide not only the vinyl design but a plastic floater that is used inside the ornament to give it a 3-dimential look. (It is way easier to apply the vinyl to the floater than the ornament so this makes this project so much more fun for those who have felt this project was too difficult for them.)
Sample is shown on a small ornament with the manger in black vinyl placed on the floater. Craft shavings were used for decoration.
Send to a friend
Kit - Rustic American Flag - Wood and Vinyl$4.00-$36.00
A Mother's Love Never Ages - Vinyl Only$5.00-$9.00
Freedom Begins With Choices - Vinyl Only$5.00-$9.00
A Child's Hand - Vinyl Only$3.50-$7.00
America Land of the Free with Overlay - Vinyl Only$12.00


text:
If you look at a glowing light bulb through the glass, and then a glass of water, you will notice that the light differently passes through different substances. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University published the results of the joint work, which showed what happens if you create a material that combines the properties of a liquid and glass. It was found that the glass particles diffusely suspended in water and heated by means of light scatter electrode thousand times better than individually. This discovery is not yet any practical value, but may in the future form the basis for a fundamentally new ways to create holographic displays.
As stated in the press release of the Institute, a mixture of solids and liquids in the slurry can refract light in different directions at the same time. Now imagine that you can create a solid substance with a similar structure, which is heated by means of electrodes to the desired temperature depending on the usage scenario. For example, a set of electrodes in the lens front bed temperature changes, which scatters the light beam and the rear chamber electrodes responsible for creating a sense of depth and background. Thus, before the user's eyes appear three-dimensional image, invisible to outsiders.
It should be borne in mind that the MIT officials are in no hurry to implement a new discovery in the practical field, and the technology is largely based on theoretical calculations. Therefore, until the advent of the personal holographic glasses and this 3D-TV in the family living room can take a lot of time.


text:
Anime Right News (ARN) —Moscow have confirmed the highly anticipated meeting between US president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin has been arranged for July 16th in Helsinki, Finland. Top of the agenda for the highly controversial summit will likely be Syria. Trump and Putin will both be eager to strike a deal that will allow troops to be pulled out of the region, and how to proceed with the last remaining pocket of ISIS occupied territory.
The summit has caused a great deal of anxiety for NATO members, not least Teresa May and the UK establishment who harbour a great deal of hostility for Putin and Russia. Trump is scheduled for a meeting with NATO in the UK just a few days prior to summit in Finland, but Trump has previously described NATO as a worse deal than NAFTA for the US. Also at the G7 conference Trump recognised Crimea as being Russian, as a result of the lawful referendum supporting Russian union. And most people there speak Russian.
Another topic on the agenda will be the readmission of Russia back into what will be the G8, again a topic that is likely to enrage UK Prime Minister Teresa May and confirmed lolcow fake news outlet CNN. Russia left the G8 after the Soros backed Ukrainian revolution in 2014, and the subsequent referendum in Crimea.
Trump is also considering pulling all armed forces out of Germany after the US president critisized their NATO allies for their meager contribution to NATO's defence spending. This is ahead of the NATO meeting in the UK a few days before the Putin summit. We can expect Trump to attend with pockets laden with starburst.
The announcement of the summit has led to the expected hysterical meltdown from the blue checkmark lolcows on twitter and the liberal media, as the Russia collusion case collapses.


text:
Fashion Torque: a discussion about fashion journalism
Posted March 15th, 2011 by Sharon Green in journalism careers
I finally managed to get to a Fashion Torque event last week for the first time. I was waiting for a topic of interest to come up and thought fashion journalism was quite possibly the best combination of two interests I am equally passionate about.
Held at the back room of Globe Café in Prahran, the event presented an intimate discussion centred on the topic of fashion journalism hosted by fashion designer Jenny Bannister and stylist Philip Boon. The event also attracted two guest panelists – both fashion journalists working in Melbourne. The Herald Sun's Fashion Editor Anna Byrne and Style Melbourne's Sarah Willcocks were both there to tell us about their journey through a career in fashion journalism.
Anna Byrne began her journalism career by studying a professional writing and editing degree at Deakin University. When she completed her studies, she decided to take a year off to travel and freelance and found herself writing for mylusciouslife.com which launched her into the world of fashion writing. After completing a month-long internship at the Herald Sun, Anna kept in touch with contacts at the paper for months before a role came up that gave her the opportunity to do journalism full time. She also did a stint of volunteering backstage at fashion week to add to her fashion credibility.
Sarah Willcocks encountered a rather different experience prior to entering fashion journalism. She studied a media degree at La Trobe University before writing for The Scene, an online lifestyle publication. About two years ago she started Style Melbourne, her very own online magazine focusing on Melbourne fashion and designers. She notes that while it's great to follow fashion coverage from Milan, Paris and New York, she felt there was nothing highlighting the talent and emerging designers in her own city. "Style Melbourne fills a niche,†she said. Sarah's writing career has also leaned towards a lot of copywriting because, she admits, this is an area that tends to pay. "A lot of online start ups can't pay,†she noted.
In terms of breaking into the industry and building name for yourself, both Anna and Sarah note that networking has been vital in driving their career. Sarah said she was invited to fashion week where she sat next to an editor who later hired her writing services, while Anna mentioned the importance of connecting with readers and industry insiders via social networks as a way to keep in touch.
Anna suggests that those wanting to break into fashion journalism should start by simply attending events where you can network, meet people within the industry and gather business cards. "Fashion is not just about the writing, it's about doing the hard work and socialising. So little of my time is actually spent writing the story,†she adds.
What about the big question about working for free that plagues so many breaking into what is a competitive industry, especially nowadays where anyone can publish on the internet? Anna suggests getting the unpaid work out of the way as early into your career as possible, such as when you are still completing your studies. But there does come a time when doing unpaid work must stop, notes Sarah: "When people are approaching you to work for them for free… that's where you draw the line.â€
Both girls work quite differently even though they are essentially doing a similar job; Anna works within the constraints of limited newspaper space and catering to a mass commercial audience across a specific demographic while Sarah caters to a niche group of online readers who are often time-poor. Sarah also oversees more aspects of the role as editor of Style Melbourne and is responsible for everything from story selection to the writing, editing and proofing of content as well as ensuring her SEO is up to scratch to guarantee her website returns results that rank high on Google.
Of course, there's also the question around main stream media and blogging that entered the conversation – something that is becoming more prevalent among fashion circles. Anna believes readers and advertisers will always need main stream media and that there will always be a need for printed publications because they are tactile and readers love looking at glossy fashion pages. Sarah notes that there is a lot of talk surrounding how fashion blogging has become a threat to traditional forms of fashion media but says that both can co-exist independently because they are two separate products. Sarah notes that while there are fashion bloggers (like former newspaper journalist Patty Huntington) offering new and valuable information directly from the industry, there are very few bloggers offering "top notch, investigative and original content.â€
While the discussion wasn't ground-breaking, it did offer an insight into an aspect of the fashion industry. As a journalist myself, who has done a fair share of fashion reporting, I was hoping to discover something a little more innovative about the workings of the industry or how to secure your first break in the industry.  The discussion did however, offer those new to the industry an idea about what to expect, the nature of the job and some challenges encountered along the way.
Fashion Torque is held every Thursday evening at Globe Café in Prahran. Details, visit: www.facebook.com/FashionTorqueShow or http://twitter.com/fashiontorque
Images thanks to Business Chic