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The Holidays are in full swing and before you know it the New Year will be here! I know around this time of the year it's easy to become overwhelmed and believe it or not, the season that is meant to bring you great holiday cheer can turn into a big holiday drag. According to a Forbes(**) 2016 article, Americans were expected to spend over 1 Trillion dollars during the holiday season. Let that sink in…ONE TRILLION DOLLARS!!! I can only imagine how much the number has drastically increased in two years.
What many people don't like to talk about during this time of year is the financial strain the holiday season can really be to the average working class family. In an effort to be more fiscally responsible (because life goes on after the holiday season and bills still need to be paid Jan 1st), I've put together a list of fifteen affordable ways that you can participate in showing your friends and family that you love them without breaking the proverbial bank.
1. Phone Calls – It sounds so simple but when was the last time you actually called someone to check up on them and express to them how much they mean to you? Pick up the phone today and give that uncle, aunt, or cousin a call. They will be so glad you did.
2. Lunch Date – There are plenty of establishments offering daily lunch specials so this can be a fairly reasonable way to treat someone out to lunch and show them some appreciation for being your friend or favorite Auntie.
3. Greeting Cards – I just caught on to the Dollar Store card section and it's the bomb! Super affordable and some cards even cost less than $1. If mailing out cards isn't your thing, you can search online for ways to send personalized e-cards to your friends and family.
4. Home Visit – Call and schedule a visit! Bonus points if you bring a small gift like a bottle of wine or even some delightful candles from my super talented cousins at Marcish Market (www.marcishmarket.com).
5. Potluck – Host a potluck style party. Everyone brings a dish so the burden won't solely rely on one household. What's not to love about food, fellowship and fun?
6. Cookie Exchange – Attend a Christmas cookie exchange party and make goodie bags out of the mounds of sweets you will come home with from the party. I attended one last year and it was so much fun and a great way to learn and try new recipes.
7. Volunteer – Organize a group of family and friends and reach out to a local organization like Metropolitan Ministries to see how you can help out in your community. Volunteering is a great eye opener and a good reminder to be thankful for what you currently have.
8. Prepare-A-Meal – Cook your favorite meal and invite a friend over that may not have any close relatives in town. Who would turn down a home cooked meal?
9. Childcare Services – Offer childcare services to your friends and family who have young children. I don't know anyone who would turn that down!
10. Small Business Support – Does your friend or family member run a small business? Then support them throughout this holiday season! I love supporting my friends over at Jon's Gourmet (www.jonsgourmet.com).
11. Send Flowers – News flash! You don't have to wait until Valentine's Day to send that special someone a bouquet of flowers. Go ahead and surprise them by brightening up their day!
12. Coffee Date – Meet up at your favorite local coffee shop to catch up with friends and family over a cup of tea or coffee.
13. Bake your favorite holiday treats – Pull out your family recipe's that your Grandma passed down to you and share with your friends and family. Who wouldn't love a homemade chest pie, sweet potato pie or fresh made bread!
14. Park Meet Up – Did you know there are plenty of family friendly local parks in your area? If you live in a state like Florida, where we never participate in the Fall or Winter weather, meeting up to do outside activities are still possible. Plan a family meet up date and bring a picnic and some games the whole family can enjoy. It's nice to get outside and be amongst nature.
15. Family Photo Session – Who doesn't have a smartphone these days? With so many cool features like an amazing camera, you don't need to spend a lot of money on family photos. Coordinate your outfits (be creative, think holiday festive) and get a tripod and snap away!
I hope you find this list useful and find ways to celebrate the holiday season without breaking the bank. Comment below with some ideas that you plan on implementing this season. Wishing you love, peace and joy this holiday season from my family to yours!
In Pursuit…


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When you go to the theater and watch a movie you don't see all the people that worked on the scene. You don't see the funny screen scenes or ludicrous outfits worn. You don't see all the programmers working with lines of nonsensical code. You see none of the multitudes of things that had to happen to produce one film. The same goes for many entrepreneurial business ventures. We only see the success and we never see…
Customers Always Know Your Dirty Secret
No matter what you tell yourself, the customer will always know your dirty secret.
Even though they may not be able to place their finger on it always shows up.
The phrase "customers come first". It is no joking matter.
As a customer myself to some personal development and entrepreneurial courses I know when I'm being lied to.
And it is no sixth sense.
When someone makes a promise you want to make sure they keep their promise.
If an advertisement promises "You will Make Six Figure By Doing X,Y,Z" you expect it.
Mind you I like to take it with a grains …Continue Reading: Customers Always Know Your Dirty Secret
The Silent Complaint
Is not uncommon for entrepreneurs to experience depression. No one wants to speak about it.
However, I think it is important to discuss it.
It is often the unspoken statement that we all encounter at one time or another. There are 5 reasons that usually result in entrepreneurs depression. 1. Inferential Comparison: Comparing yourself to competition without acknowledgement that that is their progress NOT yours 2. Overstimulation: Reading books, listening to podcasts, going from goal to goal, feeding your mind…Continue Reading: The Silent Complaint

subset: commoncrawl


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More than a fifth of small business owners offer no employees benefits, says Pure Benefits
Small businesses are suffering a staff brain drain with nearly one in five workers quitting each year for new jobs blaming poor employee benefits, according to research from Pure Benefits.
The study by the company found 18% of staff – around 450,000 a year - have switched in the past five years saying a lack of benefits was a major reason.
Small businesses with fewer than 50 staff employ more than 12.4m across the UK and have total annual turnover of more than £1.2 trillion but struggle to source employee benefits such as life insurance, income protection and private medical insurance for staff, Pure Benefits warns.
Its research found that 63% of small business owners are confused by the employee benefits options on offer and don't know how to find cost-effective solutions for staff. More than a fifth of owners (22%) say they do not offer any benefits.
Stuart Gray, founder and chairman of Pure Benefits, said, "The small business brain drain is a growing issue for small companies with nearly one in five staff leaving every year simply because they are not receiving the benefits the big firms provide
"That is a major brake on the ambitions of small business owners who our research shows are committed to expansion. Around 80% of companies told us they want to grow while 47% say they want to protect their business.
"Well-designed and cost-effective employee benefits are a major driver in enabling businesses to grow and ensure staff feel valued and are more productive as a result."


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Novel Research Lays the Groundwork for New Therapies Against Sepsis
Protective role for SHARPIN, a protein involved in regulating inflammation, according to report in The American Journal of Pathology
Protective role for SHARPIN, a protein involved in regulating inflammation, according to report in The American Journal of Pathology
Philadelphia, PA, April 8, 2016
Sepsis represents a serious complication of infection and is one of the leading causes of death and critical illness worldwide due in part to the lack of effective therapies. A report in The American Journal of Pathology provides evidence from both mouse and human studies that SHARPIN, a protein involved in regulating inflammation, has anti-septic effects. These findings may spur development of novel sepsis treatments.
"Sepsis has been linked to enhanced activity of the enzyme caspase 1 and aberrant expression of pro-inflammatory interleukins 1β and 18. SHARPIN binds to caspase 1 and inhibits its activation. Our study proposes that the caspase 1/SHARPIN interaction may be a key pharmacological target in sepsis and, perhaps, in other inflammatory conditions where SHARPIN is involved," explained Liliana Schaefer, MD, Professor of Pharmacology at the Institut fur Allgemeine Pharmakologie und Toxikologie of the Klinikum der Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main (Germany).
The investigators found that sepsis in mice bred to be deficient in SHARPIN resulted in enhanced levels of interleukins 1β and 18 and active caspase 1, as well as shortened survival. Treatment with a caspase 1 inhibitor reversed these effects by reducing levels of interleukins 1β and 18, decreasing cell death in the spleen, and prolonging survival.
The investigators also reported for the first time that this mechanism may be relevant to human sepsis. "We found a decline in SHARPIN levels in septic patients correlating with enhanced activation of caspase 1 in circulating mononuclear cells and an increase of interleukin1β/18 in the plasma," noted Dr. Schaefer. "Our findings suggest that using pharmacological caspase 1 inhibitors could be beneficial in septic patients with low SHARPIN levels and these therapies may be more efficient than other anti-inflammatory therapies."
Confocal images of human monocytes immunostained with antibodies toward SHARPIN (red) and caspase 1 (green). Notice the dramatic increase in caspase 1 upon stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and ATP, and its co-localization with SHARPIN as visualized by the merged fluorescence (yellow). Nuclei are stained blue with DAPI.
A recent Task Force convened by the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (JAMA 2016;315:801) define sepsis as "a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection." Septic shock comprises a subset of sepsis in which underlying circulatory and cellular metabolism abnormalities are severe enough to substantially increase the risk of death. Symptoms of sepsis include changes in body temperature, rapid heart rate, and rapid breathing. Other indicators are reduced urine output, changes in mental status, breathing difficulty, abdominal pain, and low platelet count.
Notes for editors
"An Essential Role for SHARPIN in the Regulation of Caspase 1 Activity in Sepsis," by Madalina-Viviana Nastase, Jinyang Zeng-Brouwers, Helena Frey, Louise Tzung-Harn Hsieh, Chiara Poluzzi, Janet Beckmann, Nina Schroeder, Josef Pfeilschifter, Jaime Lopez-Mosqueda, Jan Mersmann, Fumiyo Ikeda, Renato V. Iozzo, Ivan Dikic, and Liliana Schaefer (DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajpath.2015.12.026). This article appears online ahead of The American Journal of Pathology, Volume 186, Issue 5 (May 2016) published by Elsevier.
Full text of this study is available to credentialed journalists upon request; contact Eileen Leahy at +1 732-238-3628 or email@example.com. Journalists wishing to interview the authors should contact Ricarda Wessinghage at +49 69 / 6301-6444 or email@example.com.
This research was supported by the German Research Council (SCHA 1082/6-1, SFB 815, project A5 (Liliana Schaefer), A7 (Josef Pfeilschifter), and A17 (Jan Mersmann), SFB 1039, project B2 (Liliana Schaefer), LOEWE program Ub-Net (Liliana Schaefer and Madalina-Viviana Nastase).
About The American Journal of Pathology
The American Journal of Pathology, official journal of the American Society for Investigative Pathology, seeks to publish high-quality, original papers on the cellular and molecular biology of disease. The editors accept manuscripts that advance basic and translational knowledge of the pathogenesis, classification, diagnosis, and mechanisms of disease, without preference for a specific analytic method. High priority is given to studies on human disease and relevant experimental models using cellular, molecular, animal, biological, chemical, and immunological approaches in conjunction with morphology.
The leading global forum for reporting quality original research on cellular and molecular mechanisms of disease, The American Journal of Pathology is the most highly cited journal in Pathology – close to 40,000 cites in 2014 – with an Impact Factor of 4.591 and Eigenfactor of 0.06689 according to the 2014 Journal Citation Reports®, Thomson Reuters, 2015, and an h-index of 217 according to the 2014 SCImago Journal and Country Rank.
About Elsevier
Elsevier is a global information analytics business that helps scientists and clinicians to find new answers, reshape human knowledge, and tackle the most urgent human crises. For 140 years, we have partnered with the research world to curate and verify scientific knowledge. Today, we're committed to bringing that rigor to a new generation of platforms. Elsevier provides digital solutions and tools in the areas of strategic research management, R&D performance, clinical decision support, and professional education; including ScienceDirect, Scopus, SciVal, ClinicalKey and Sherpath. Elsevier publishes over 2,500 digitized journals, including The Lancet and Cell, 39,000 e-book titles and many iconic reference works, including Gray's Anatomy. Elsevier is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. www.elsevier.com
Media contacts
Eileen Leahy
+1 732-238-3628
Dr. Chhavi Chauhan
Scientific Editor
The American Journal of Pathology
+1 301-634-7953


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After watching the episode on how to use hair screws on Nu Ren Wo Zui Da (see my entry here), I've been playing with my Goody Spin Pins a lot. You can pretty much use it any way you would a normal bobby pin: for hair buns, french twists, up-dos, fancier pigtails, half-up do's, etc.
I absolutely love my spin pins. They hold a lot better than bobby pins and you don't end up with 5000 pins in your head by the time you're finished with your do. The hold is just as sturdy, but it doesn't feel as tight as when you're using bobby pins and hair ties. I have severe eczema on my scalp and sometimes hair ties can feel painful to me after a few hours, but the spin pin actualy feels ok at the end of the day.
After putting up your hair with the spin pin, you can just clip in any hair accessories. Or you can even make your own accessory. Here, I made a bow with a handkerchief I had lying around. Very Lady Gaga.
This is a magazine scan of the June 2010 issue of Popteen. It shows you how to make a handkerchief bow.
You can also attach or loop a piece of ribbon, lace, brooch, necklace or bracelet onto your spin pin before you put it on. Here, I used a necklace. Mine is kinda messy, as I was trying to put it in my hair and take a picture of the back of my head (which is an extremely difficult task) before my baby woke up from her nap.
Another plus with the spin pins is that after you put your hair down from a bun, it creates the most gorgeous waves in your hair. Can't wait for the large hair screws to come into Canada (see here).


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NAI Global is a leading global commercial real estate brokerage firm. NAI Global offices are leaders in their local markets and work in unison to provide clients with exceptional solutions to their commercial real estate needs – both locally and globally. >>
NAI Global offices are leading local firms who have chosen and been chosen in kind, to be part of a cohesive global organization that is actively managed for peak performance. Each office is united around a shared commitment to exceptional service. >>
NAI Global offices are free to act quickly and creatively on your behalf. Local leaders take your business personally and deliver a superior level of service that can't be duplicated elsewhere. That's 375+ offices and a team of over 6,000 professionals around the world, all taking your business personally. >>
Our corporate leadership team aligns with the local offices under a shared strategic vision and plan that focuses on delivery of the highest quality service to our clients. >>
Our key values serve as a compass for our behavior and direct how we conduct our business and manage our relationships. >>
NAI Global offers many opportunities for our clients, partners, and sponsors to participate in our internal and external events and activities. >>
NAI Global and our local offices consistently rank in the top tier among the competition as measured for both local and global execution of commercial real estate service to clients. >>
In-depth local knowledge is a critical component to navigating the dynamic commercial real estate market. This statistical data gathered from our primary, secondary and tertiary markets and their submarkets and micro-markets, combined with the experience of our service professionals, provides you with the insight and resources to make informed business decisions.
Our library of publications varies with input from local offices around the world and includes audio presentations, local spotlights, market reports, white papers and blog articles. Should you wish to subscribe to our publications via email, please send your request to email@example.com.
Our local offices cover economic, property, market and cultural interests, with the aim of informing our clients regarding news that affects commercial real estate values. Local research, along with the input of our regional teams, produces intelligence that conveys historical and future predictions in quarterly reports, annual reviews and customized reports covering market trends, significant transactions, and local economic and demographic data.
NAI Global is a leading global commercial real estate brokerage firm. NAI Global offices are leaders in their local markets and work in unison to provide clients with exceptional solutions to their commercial real estate needs. NAI Global has more than 400 offices strategically located throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia Pacific, with over 7,000 local market professionals, managing in excess of 425 million square feet of property. Annually, NAI Global completes in excess of $20 billion in commercial real estate transactions throughout the world. NAI professionals work together with our global management team to help our clients strategically optimize their real estate assets.
Please use the following contact information :
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Our professionals worldwide have significant expertise in both their areas of specialization and in their local markets. Together, we act and think as a team, strong with one purpose: to achieve our clients' goals.
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Whether your needs are local or global, we look forward to being of service. As a leading global commercial real estate brokerage firm with 400+ offices and over 7,000 professionals worldwide we offer a broad global footprint enhanced by our management infrastructure. Combined with being deeply rooted in each community we serve, we can guide your requirement to completion with the benefit of regional insights and expertise. Where can we help you?
Specialties: Investment, Office
Mauro is responsible for all international business and coordinates the NAI offices in Latin America, Asia and Europe. Mauro is focused on working with NAI's local professionals to win business and develop business from clients with global needs. He is responsible to not only grow business from office to office and from region to region but is also driving the development of the strategy which will grow our global footprint and capabilities. He is available to assist offices to grow, share best practices and more fully and effectively integrate into the NAI system. Mauro has an exceptional background as he has worked for competitors and in an NAI office. For the last 15 years Mauro has been active in corporate services and international investments at NAI and C&W, one of the premier commercial real estate companies in Argentina, and a senior consultant to various private firms and investors active in South America and the Iberian Peninsula. Previously he spearheaded the international expansion efforts of the Insignia Group in both Europe and Latin America. His focus has been consulting and executing real estate transactions for leading corporations and investors in the Americas region, focusing in the Southern Cone.
Prior to joining NAI Global, Mauro served as Director for Corporate Services at NAI Castro Cranwell & Weiss S.A., one of the premier commercial real estate companies in Argentina, and as Director for International Business Development at Insignia Financial Group headquartered in New York City. Mauro's professional career has covered diverse international postings in investment banking, consultancy and management. His experience includes four years with JP Morgan in New York and Buenos Aires, three years with McKinsey & Co. in Spain, Italy and Portugal, and three years as manager of a business unit of oil-giant Repsol-YPF developing retail services throughout most of South America.
Mauro has a Bachelors degree from Harvard College, and an MBA from Columbia Business School. As a son of an Argentine diplomat, he has travelled extensively, has lived and worked in various countries in Europe and the Americas, and speaks five languages fluently.
In the past years Mauro has worked on developing real estate opportunities and services in Latin America. This has included the capture and execution of diverse corporate services and investment accounts in the region, particularly in the Southern Cone, including Cargill, CSFB, ING Group, UBS, American Express, SAP, KPMG, AIG, Western Union, Agfa, JP Morgan Chase, Allianz, Repsol YPF, etc.


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Review: Ensemble Productions - The Russian Ballet Icons Gala 2017 - London Coliseum
Performance reviewed: Sunday 12 March 2017
Returning to the London Coliseum, Ensemble Productions presents the glamorous annual Russian Ballet Icons Gala. Continuing with the 'In the Steps of the Ballet Russes' theme, the gala, now in its twelfth year, honours the legacy of Russian ballet and in particular commends Sergei Diaghilev's highly influential dance company; Ballet Russes, as well as the Russian ballet school heritage; from which most of the troupe's dancers were trained. Russian ballet's influence on British ballet is marked by the founders of The Royal Ballet and English National Ballet, Ninette de Valois and Alicia Markova, respectively, who both danced with the Ballet Russes. Accompanied by English National Ballet Philharmonic, under the baton of Russian Valery Ovsyanikov, the gala features an international cast from major ballet companies across the globe, performing works by both Russian choreographers and composers.
The evening weaves together 19th century classics with early 20th century works from Diaghilev's Ballet Russes, in addition to those created by Russian-born Western choreographers such as George Balanchine and the Russian-inspired contemporary creations of today. The gala is further injected by an extraordinary appearance of the senior students from St Petersburg's legendary Vaganova Academy; named after the renowned Russian pedagogue Agrippina Vaganova. Founded by Empress Anna in 1738, the Imperial School of Ballet, the name to which it was first known, was soon followed by the opening of another school in 1773, now commonly recognised as The Bolshoi Ballet Academy.
Celebrating the Ballets Russes' repertoire, Mikhailovsky Theatre's Ivan Vasiliev's boasts his muscular form and powerful ballon as the Golden Slave in Scheherazade. Partnered by Bolshoi Ballet's Kristina Kretova as Zobeide; together they display a dramatic interpretation of Mikhail Fokine's one-act ballet to Rimsky-Korsakov's expressive score. Ukrainian dancer Iana Salenko of Staatsballett Berlin, who is also a Guest Artist with The Royal Ballet delivers an alluring performance of The Dying Swan, set to Camille Saint-Saëns's Le Cygne from Le Carnaval des animaux; a ballet forever associated with Ballet Russes' star Anna Pavlova.
Inspired by Vaslav Nijinsky's scandalous 1912 ballet, Bolshoi Ballet's Dmitry Gudanov and the National Ballet of Canada's Svetlana Lunkina come together in Jerome Robbins' modern ballet Afternoon of a Faun set to Debussy's Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune. The focal point of the gala is the rare appearance of Vaganova Academy students in Principal Nikolay Tsiskaridze's The Fairy Doll, a one-act divertissement reimagined from the Legat brothers' original to music by Joseph Bayer.
Royal Ballet's Bostonian Principal Sarah Lamb is partnered by fellow company Principal Steven McRae in Rubies from Jewels; the middle section of George Balanchine's metaphorical gemstone trilogy. 2017 marks fifty years since its first performance in New York, thus disappointing that English National Ballet Philharmonic did not play Stravinsky's Jazz Age piano capriccio, but used a hasty recording instead. Maria Kochetkova of both San Francisco Ballet and American Ballet Theatre is partnered by Tyler Angle of New York City Ballet in Balanchine's contrasting and concluding section Diamonds from Jewels to Tchaikovsky's Third Symphony, thankfully this time performed by the live orchestra.
Bayerisches Staatsballet's husband and wife team Lucia Lacarra and Marlon Dino execute an acrobatic array from an excerpt of co-founder of the Joffrey Ballet's Gerald Arpino's contemporary creation Light Rain; arranged to Douglas Adamz and Russ Gauthier Eastern rhythms. Also in the contemporary genre and set to an edited orchestration of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo dancers Liisa Hämäläinen and Alexis Oliveira are suitably cast in Jean-Christophe Maillot's ultra-modern Lac; most notable in displaying Hämäläinen's fierce energy and attack. Premièred at the Barbican Centre earlier this year, Royal Ballet Principals Zenaida Yanowsky and Edward Watson, along with singers Jennifer Davis and Gyula Nagy perform a passage from Javier De Frutos' new production of Les Enfants Terribles to music by Philip Glass. German choreographer Xenia Wiest's world première and crowd-pleasing Theatrum Vitae is danced by Vienna State Ballet's Liudmila Konovalova and Davide Dato.
The audience are dazzled by a stunning assortment of perfectly placed fouetté turns from Liudmila Konovalova as Odile in the Black Swan pas de deux in Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov's illustrious version of Swan Lake and later by English National Ballet's Artistic Director Tamara Rojo, partnered by fellow Lead Principal Issac Hernandez in Don Quixote grand pas de deux. Here, the vibrant coda section in particular is received with a resounding applause, bringing the gala to a jubilant close.
Sunday 12 March 2017
London Coliseum
St Martin's Lane
Website: www.russianballeticons.com
Naomi Cockshutt is a UK trained ballet teacher (Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies, Royal Academy of Dance) and Master of Science, Media and Communication graduate (Cardiff University), currently working for the Dental Institute at King's College London. Naomi began writing for British Theatre Guide, Londondance.com and Theatre Bubble where she reviews a range of theatre; from classical ballet galas and vocational school performances to musical theatre and contemporary creations.


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Early stage businesses can often benefit from finance from Venture Capital and / or Seed Funding providers.
We have very strong links with providers of finance for early stage businesses whether that be via high net worth individuals / business angels investing with the potential benefit of SEIS /EIS or investment funds managed by professional fund managers.
Our strength in this area has been recognised by lawyers from Square One Law being mandated to advise upon the formation and structuring for the £120m JEREMIE 2 fund. Our contacts and experience mean that we are perfectly positioned to advise investors, fund managers providing venture capital and businesses seeking early stage financing.


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"What do artists do?"
I looked over the sea of hands suddenly shot up from the hundred or so gathered five and six year-olds. Feeling all teachery standing up there at the front of the assembly hall, the choice was mine to make – pick one. Any one. I was pretty sure they all had the same answer. I don't remember which and I picked in the end, but the response was like a punchline
"They paint things"
It's not just small people even. I doubt I'm alone among artists either – that response when people ask what you do, you say 'Artist', they say "what do you paint?".
My standard response is "skirting boards. Occasionally".
There's a general assumption that art is something you put on your wall. At best it's something other people put on gallery walls. And don't get me started on "art in unusual places"… what's THAT supposed to mean?…
The flip side of this of course is that I obviously have walls at home and I like art. So what do artists have on their walls? I clearly don't do wall stuff, and even if I did I doubt I'd have any of my own work at home. It'd be like an accountant having spreadsheets on the wall, or plumbers having their best soldered joints in frames.
I remember going to one artists house and seeing a small Dali on the wall – apparently a swap with Dali himself. I'd love to have one like that. Even just a Dali would be nice…
The other week, quite by chance, I got a signed print by one of my heroes – Storm Thorgerson. Actually I've not really thought of him as a hero until recently. I guess he's probably most known for his iconic album covers for Pink Floyd – that prism for 'Dark Side of the Moon', and the flying pig over Battersea Power Station for 'Animals'.
Back in my youth album cover design was a big thing. Factory Records had Peter Saville,
4AD had (and still have) Vaughan Oliver
and almost everyone else had Rob O'Connor at Stylorouge.
At the time I looked to record covers as where the exciting photography was and what I ultimately wanted to do. Peter Saville was pushing record sleeve design as works of art in their own right – most of the Factory records never featured the name of the band, or even album on the front and created a strong visual identity for the artists. Vaughan Oliver and photographer Nigel Grierson as 23envelope in contrast exerted their very individual style on every band that came on the 4AD label – unifying the label visually while transcending the style and nature of the individual bands (and not without a bit of a marmite split of support from the bands themselves). While many labels still chose to put pictures of the bands and singers on the records, these studios were turning product into a work of art.
The Factory / 4AD aesthetic (and particularly Grierson's photography) was certainly in evidence in my early forays into record sleeves:
That strong visual element within certain streams of music I think shaped my musical tastes. I'm still guilty of judging a book by its cover. There are so many great bits of music and books I'd never have discovered if it weren't for some brilliant photography on the cover.
But long before all that was Storm Thorgerson – the father of album cover art. Beyond every Pink Floyd album, his first studio – Hipgnosis – then subsequently Storm Studios – created some of most striking and downright surreal images of the 60's, 70's and 80's:
All classics in their own right, so I suppose were part of the cannon of music design and consequently part of the collective consciousness of artists working in that arena. Still, by the late 80's, early nineties they all seemed a bit.. well, prog-rock and so dropped out of what I considered to be cool and relevant.
Yet, somehow bits must have stayed put in my psyche and could occasionally be seen subconsciously in bits and pieces, like this shoot for a theatre company where a man wakes up in a subway station at rush-hour:
In the intervening years I've sought to find my own voice and visual path, and finally split from my music industry trajectory when I moved to Cumbria. Being out in the sticks has immersed my work with a whole new world of inspiration and learning together with a whole different culture. The music industry has changed loads too – the downsizing of scale from 12″ vinyl to 6″ CD covers took away some of the visual emphasis. Since then iTunes and digital downloads have removed music from its packaging entirely. Around the same time MTV moved away from non-stop music videos and that great music design industry has largely slipped away.
Storm Thorgerson died in April last year. As with any passing of a great cultural figure there's a period of reflection on that person's achievements and a rediscovery of their forgotten genius. Storm Thorgerson, like Vaughan Oliver and Peter Saville, comes from an era before digital manipulation. Oliver's textural creations were created through a deep understanding of the reprographic processes and print technology to build up layers upon layers of image, graphics and text. Thorgerson on the other hand took a much more direct approach – to create the images for real and photograph them. Thorgerson's images become more than just fantasies – they really happened. A product of immense prop building and researching the best landscape in the world to make it happen.
What I found most fascinating was now I saw another artist creating vastly ambitious temporary installations in vast open landscapes.
Coming at them from completely different places, the themes are so familiar
As a commercial artist there's a lot of output. Thorgerson seemed to publish books of his designs every few years. Sure the quality varies, and if I'm going to be particularly critical, I think a lot of the styling in the more recent work feels very dated and less contemporary – less aware of its time and place.
But then there are still gems.
The cover of 'Only Revolutions' by Biffy Clyro is Thorgerson at his best.
The theme of Revolution has a narrative of struggle and conflict – the figures face each other in a blindfolded dual. Each concealing heir weapon behind their back – a rolling pin and a knife. The resolutions having broken down, the peace table in flames. The huge flags rise in the air catching the wind, their colours reminding us of the French Revolution and Delacroix's Marianne in 'La Liberté'
This is where great album cover art works for me. Here is an image that's more than a pretty design. It has depth and narrative like a Rennaissance painting. As a photograph it has authenticity, yet it has a real mystery and fiction too.
I'm glad I rediscovered Storm Thorgerson's work. It's a shame I came back too it too late and never got to meet him.
There are those influential people you look up to and aspire to become, and there are those that speak to you in a way that deeply affects how you think and work, or you connect with in such a way you follow their every output. Then there are those who you may or may not know about who just happen to think the same way or do things the same way – those are the people you share a path with.And then sometimes when you're walking along your path and by chance you find someone who's already managed to get to where you were heading. Those are your heroes.
I've not gotten round to putting my print up yet. It's all framed and standing on the kitchen table. But that's the kind of thing I put on my wall.


text:
ALT. PROCESSES IIApril 16, 2017
Mordançage / Lithium Prints
"It always seems impossible until it's done."
N. Mandela
Mordançage / Lithium Prints
"It always seems impossible until it's done."
N. Mandela
G L A / L D N / @ Free Range Shows
"Full, saturated colours have an emotional significance I want to avoid."
L. Freud
"The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways. The point, however, is to change it."
K. Marx
"From the lightning in the sky
As it passed me flying by,
From the thunder and the storm,
And the cloud that took the form
(When the rest of Heaven was blue)
Of a demon in my view"
E. A. Poe
; mixture of Lithium, Bromoil & Mordançage photographic processes.
"We are an impossibility in an impossible universe."
R. Bradbury
"Photography is a way of saying I've been here, you've been here - we live in hope"
D. Stock
"There's a crack in everything.
That's how the light gets in."
L. Cohen
"Inside your mind when the weather is gray
I believe the sun still rises here but when it falls
There is something to be said for the calm at night
When the stars up above are so cold and bright"
R. Adams
"Narcissism and self-deception are survival mechanisms without which many of us might just jump off a bridge."
Todd Solondz


text:
(Photo credit: Abbotsford Heat)
Another BCHL broadcast position became open Monday when the Abbotsford Heat announce that Brandon Astle joined the team as Play-by-Play Broadcaster and Media Relations Coordinator for the upcoming season. As a result, Astle leaves the broadcast booth at the Langley Events Centre and with the Langley Rivermen.
The Rivermen are the sixth BCHL team to have a new voice in the booth for 2013-14, joining Trail, Cowichan Valley, Vernon, Salmon Arm and Surrey. Of the six, only the Silverbacks have announced who is calling their games this year as Chris Wahl made the move from Trail to Salmon Arm.
With just 25 days to go before the BCHL Showcase in Chilliwack, I'd expect the five teams to make announcements pretty quickly.
Here's the release from the Heat:
The Abbotsford Heat announced today that Brandon Astle has been named Play-by-Play Broadcaster and Media Relations Coordinator for the 2013-14 American Hockey League (AHL) season.
Astle joins the Heat after five seasons with Langley Chiefs/Rivermen of the BC Junior Hockey League (BCHL), where he broadcasted more than 300 games at the BCHL level. Brandon also served as play-by-play broadcaster for the World Junior A Challenge Tournament in 2011.
Heat President Ryan Walter said: "We are excited to have Brandon as a part of our team. He has great knowledge of hockey in British Columbia and will bring a new energy to our broadcasts this season. We look forward to hearing him call Heat games this year."
"Being the voice of a professional hockey team has been a dream of mine since I was young and I cannot wait for my first broadcast," said Astle. "My goal is to keep Heat fans in the Fraser Valley and surrounding areas actively engaged by delivering the latest team news in an energetic manner. I look forward to be working closely with Mr. Walter, Coach Ward, and the rest of the organization as the Heat continue to become a strong community entity. I would like to thank the Rivermen, Chiefs, BCHL, and the passionate fans of Langley for their fantastic support over the years."
The Heat will announce their home station for radio broadcasts in the coming weeks. Last season, Heat games were broadcast online on teamradio.ca.


text:
Rescuers recovered the bodies of three Bangladeshi workers, who were trapped under a beam that collapsed at a construction site in Petaling Jaya of Malaysia yesterday.
The victims are Mohammad Elahi Hossain, 27, son of Abdus Sattar, and Mohammad Alauddin Mallik, 34, son of Mohammad Shahadat Mollik, from Ishwardi in Pabna while Mohammad Faruk Khan, 38, son of Mohammad Hashem Khan, from Sirajdikhan in Munshiganj.
The migrants were working legally as construction workers for Malaysian Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRT Corp) from May this year, Musharrat Jebin, second secretary (labour) at Bangladesh high commission, confirmed The Daily Star by phone today.
The bodies of Alauddin and Faruk were recovered yesterday afternoon while that of Elahi was retrieved early Tuesday, according to a statement released by (MRT Corp).
The bodies were sent to Sungai Buloh Hospital near Kuala Lumpur for post-mortem and those will be sent back home by Wednesday or Thursday, the high commission official said.
The incident occurred at former Rubber Research Institute site around 8:30pm (local time) while construction of the parapet was being carried out on the elevated guideway, according to a statement released by Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRT Corp).
"A span of the guideway had dislodged from its piers and fallen on the ground below. The span, which was made up of 14 units of segmented box girders, was 38m in length and weighed 300 tonnes."
A team of Fire and Rescue Department retrieved the bodies between 2:34 am and 1:35pm (local time) today, FRD Assistant Director of Operations Mohd Sani Harul said.
The bodies were taken to the Sungai Buloh Hospital for post-mortem.
Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had expressed shock over the incident in his Twitter page and called for an immediate investigation.
"Shocked and saddened to hear about the MRT site accident. A full investigation must be carried out immediately to ensure this never happens again," Najib tweeted.
Chief Executive Officer of MRT Corp Azhar Abdul Hamid, who was at the site, expressed deep regret over the incident.
MRT Corp CEO Datuk Abdul Hamid has resigned over the deadly accident.
"As of tomorrow, I am no longer the CEO," he told a press conference at the site on Tuesday.
Contacted, Expatriates' Welfare Secretary of Bangladesh Khondakar Showkat Hossain told The Daily Star in the morning that he knew nothing about the incident. "We are trying to collect the information," he added.
MRT Corp, in its statement, said no members of the public were involved in the incident as there was no access to the site and investigations have commenced to determine the cause of the incident.
"All work along Package V1 where the incident occurred has been suspended until further notice. The work package contractor for Package V1 is Syarikat Muhibbah Perniagaan dan Pembinaan Sdn Bhd," it said.
The High Commission Official Jebin said the Bangladeshis' employing company had assured of providing all financial support to send back the bodies and to give compensations to their families.


text:
The Annual Hydralisk Derby was a terran hunting competition that took place in the wastelands of Mar Sara after it was recolonized in 2502. It involved hunting feral hydralisks believed to have arrived after the protoss purification of Mar Sara.[1] The second one was held shortly before the Second Great War.[2][3]
In the original artwork for the Annual Hydralisk Derby, Tychus Findlay could be seen in the background, but was replaced by a regular marine in the final art. The hydralisk derby's number was also changed from the fourth annual to the second to match with Mar Sara's recolonization.
- ↑ Blizzard Entertainment. 2010-07-24. Koprulu Sector Systems: Mar Sara. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2010-07-24.
- ↑ Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. (Activision Blizzard). Joeyray's Bar trophies (in English). 2010.
- ↑ Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Conversations after The Outlaws (in English). 2010


text:
Woke up after 6.5 hours of sleep. Had the cup of green tea that my husband made me.
Woke my daughter and got her ready for school.
Breakfast: Yogurt, banana, shredded coconut and cinnamon. We were almost out of yogurt, so I only had a half portion.
My husband dropped me and my daughter off at school. I walked home from school.
Snack: Apricots.
Walked to school to bring my daughter home for lunch
Lunch: Chili made from yesterdays Bolognese sauce and zucchini with some kidney beans, chili powder and jalapeno hot sauce.
Took the car to school and then we did some weekly groceries.
Walked back to school to bring my daughter home.
Took her to her swimming lesson.
Snack: Grilled cheese sandwich with brie cheese and a cup of tea.
Dinner: Carrot and pumpkin soup (garlic, carrots, pumpkin, vegetable stock) served with some yogurt.
Walked to school for an information evening.
When I got home I had some tea with my husband and just before bed I had a glass of yogurt.


text:
Magazine article Times Higher Education
Safe Space: Gay Neighborhood History and the Politics of Violence: Books
Article excerpt
Safe Space: Gay Neighborhood History and the Politics of Violence. By Christina B. Hanhardt. Duke University Press. 360pp, Pounds 71.00 and Pounds 16.99. ISBN 9780822354574 and 4703. Published 25 October 2013
Introducing students to the extensive struggles for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights and equalities in Western societies usually involves a thorough overview of the 1969 Stonewall riots, the precursor to contemporary Gay Pride parades. To a generation that believes gays and lesbians only collect en masse to dance on floats adorned in rainbow flags while in drag or pristine white underpants, the concept of gays rioting never fails to raise an eyebrow or two.
More than four decades later, gay rights are still topical, although they are now usually gained through political processes. While the UK's first same-sex marriage will take place in 2014, in the US such changes have often been the result of legal battles over individual states' positions on homosexuality. Therefore, when Maryland extended marriage rights to same-sex couples earlier this year on the basis of a popular not electoral vote, this was a watershed moment in social progress and equality.
In this vein, it is fitting that Maryland is also home to Christina Hanhardt, author of Safe Space: Gay Neighborhood History and the Politics of Violence. The book's extensive coverage of LGBT activism in the latter half of the 20th century illustrates how contemporary socio-legal gains were made possible by resistance-fuelled, political organising. What began as a gay backlash to victimisation soon became a platform for resistance to state violence.
Hanhardt analyses how US crime policies to clamp down on "deviants" and "undesirables" had an impact on specific neighbourhoods, particularly in New York City and San Francisco. Urban development became a prevailing crime-control mechanism in inner-city areas, with spaces rendered "safe" by designated area patrols. Whereas this once meant the state protecting (heterosexual) society from "undesirables" such as gay communities, the gradual shifts towards gentrification led to similar processes creating class and race hierarchies within minority groups. …


text:
As a photographer, I get to work with some of the most beautiful, talented people in NY/NJ area. Arasy is just one of them. I remember when I was looking to do some body/face painting years ago my husband's friend gave me her name. She walked through the door with her suitcase of make-up. We hit it off right away and I worked with her many times over the years. Other than doing a maternity shoot with her and her husband, yesterday was the first time she was both make-up artist and model for my underwater project. Ara has walked many fashion runways and had even done an underwater shoot in Indonesia so I knew she'd be perfect. I was not disappointed.
Coral ribbon 3 pc gown designed and created by Janel Carlton
Chiffon 3 pc gown designed and created by Janel Carlton
I still am editing images and doing minor color adjustments but Ara will definitely be included in the next underwater photo book that I will be creating.
If you'd like to preview or purchase my first book, click on the link … just add water
Mary Durante Youtt


text:
Vivia Grant couldn't be happier. She has her dream job and is about to marry her dream man. Does it really matter that she's led him to believe she's a virgin? After all, being in love makes every experience feel like the first time anyway! But an unexpected encounter with an ex-lover is about to expose her embarrassing lie…
When Vivia's fiancé discovers the truth, he ends their engagement—via text—and uses his connections to get her fired. Unemployed and heartbroken, Vivia begins planning her new future—as a homeless spinster. But her best friend has a better idea. They'll skip the Ben & Jerry's binge and go on Vivia's honeymoon instead. Two weeks cycling through Provence and Tuscany, with Luc de Caumont, a sexy French bike guide. Too bad Vivia's not a big fan of biking. And she's abysmal at languages. Will she fib her way through the adventure, or finally learn to love herself—and Luc—flaws and all?
The one you sold to fool the world
You lost your self-esteem along the way
FAKING IT is pure escapism. Brown delivers laugh out loud comedy along with heartwarming moments, making it the perfect beach read. Although FAKING IT follows a predictable path, it is a path worth taking in celebrating our own self worth. I particularly enjoyed Brown's vivid description of Provence and Tuscany. I could hear the accents, I could smell the delicacies, and I could feel the cobblestones of these romantic cities.
Recommended read for fans of contemporary romance, European culture, and humorous adventure.
I received a print copy from Kensington at the RWA Annual Conference in New York City.
I am giving away my copy of FAKING IT, plus a book choice from my convention stash, to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,
|Coming September 29, 2015


text:
Honey Lemon Roasted Chicken
I don't know why the High Holidays always sneak up on me. This year, when Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year) rolled around, I found myself a bit unprepared yet again. The beginning of school has been a bit more hectic than anticipated and we've done a little travelling. So about a week before, I realized that we… Read More Honey Lemon Roasted Chicken


text:
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We will do all of the "heavy lifting" in helping you market and advertise your Android application, shooting you up the best sellers list by making sure that it remains as visible as everything else – and easily captures the attention of your target market.
Chose one of our package today to get started with your Google Play promotions!


text:
We report the first observation of accelerating parabolic beams. These accelerating parabolic beams are similar to the Airy beams because they exhibit the unusual ability to remain diffraction-free while having a quadratic transverse shift during propagation. The amplitude and phase masks required to generate these beams are encoded onto a single liquid crystal display. Experimental results agree well with theory.
©2008 Optical Society of AmericaFull Article | PDF Article
OSA Recommended Articles
Miguel A. Bandres
Opt. Lett. 33(15) 1678-1680 (2008)
Jeffrey A. Davis, Mark J. Mitry, Miguel A. Bandres, Isaac Ruiz, Kevin P. McAuley, and Don M. Cottrell
Appl. Opt. 48(17) 3170-3176 (2009)
Zhijun Ren, Qiong Wu, Yile Shi, Chen Chen, Jiangmiao Wu, and Hui Wang
Opt. Express 22(12) 15154-15164 (2014)


text:
Sartain's Awesome Shoppe
Tool Box - Rustic Old School Goodness - Vintage Tool Box - *2-Toned Dark Grey Shown
Sale price
$ 70.00
Regular price
$ 0.00
Nothing says old school and manly like this rustic toolbox. From bachelor pad decor, to a functional "go-to tools" pick up and go tool box, this piece will stand out. The best news is, it will only look better with age use.
This is actually a shop favorite for us Sartain's, we have several sitting around packed with everything we need.
Available in every finish you see on the shop site, they make great organizers and are fully customizable with initials, logo's, monograms - pretty ,much anything you can think of. Contact us here at the shop and we can get started from there.
Dimensions: 23.5" Long / 12" High / 9.25" Wide
*tools not included :)


text:
Sometimes I wonder if the first person to swallow a sword was actually just trying to kill himself...because he didn't have any talents.
Thursday, July 20, 2017
P Vision
So, I was standing at the urinal. This guy walks up and stands at the urinal next to me. Now, just know that I didn't look at his junk. However, my peripheral vision was really on point. So, I unintentionally got a glimpse. And all I wanted to say to the guy was, "Good for you." But, uhh...so yeah, I did. I did it, I said, "Good for you." And he was like, "Fuck did you just say?" That's right. Mmm hmm. He left out the "what" and "the" and jumped straight to "fuck". So, I thought to myself, "Good question. What did I just say?" And then I was like, "Oh yeah. I said, good for you." He was like, "Are you trying to get your ass kicked?" It was then that I realized, maybe, just maybe I left the oven on, and also, that I might have pissed this guy off. Then, right off the cuff, I made a joke in my head which was, "Ain't nothing like getting pissed off at a urinal." And I laughed. The guy was like, "That's a dumb joke." You see, he heard me, because I accidentally said it out loud. I scrambled to think of a way to save myself. Then, I remembered I saw a ring on his finger and I said, "I think we're having a classic misunderstanding. I noticed your wedding ring. And that's why I said, "Good for you." It's not easy finding "the one". You're a lucky guy. That's all." And he said, "I'm not married...That's actually my cock ring." I said, "Oh...well, so it is. I'm going to blame that on my peripheral vision. Do you know any good optometrists?"
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text:
Item Description: Letter, 19 February 1864, from Phoebe Yates Pember, a nurse at Chimborazo Hospital originally from Savannah, Georgia. In it, she describes life in the hospital and in Baltimore, sentiment about the war, and economic problems. Phoebe would survive the war and travel much of Europe, dying in 1913.
Item Citation: Folder 1 of the Phoebe Yates Pember Collection #02232-z, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Item Transcription:
Chimborazo Hosp. 19th Feb 1864
Dearest Lin,
You were so good answering my letter so soon that I cannot help replying immediately to yours received yesterday without however having anything very special to say. I hope that I may be bale to hold my pen, for the thermometer is only ten degrees below zero, the river hard frozen, and my early walk from Franklin St. over that bridge (not of Sighs) of [?] is anything but thawing. My hands feel stiff even now as for being either useful or ornamental this space I give up the attempt, it is even hard to keep clean, see the water being ice.
I saw Lucy and the baby both very pretty, though the style of bringing up already would make your hair stand on end. It has half a dozen regular nurses and any number of irregular ones. I flatter myself that I rescued it from suffocation from the warmth and height of the blankets and other comfortable things one mild evening. It is very pretty and has a very healthy way of crying. I have seen Major Alexander very often lately in the subject of a pair of cavalry tents, having a new pet in the Maryland cavalry who has none. He is only eighteen but unfortunately requires as much leather as thirty would. You see I can afford to be generous now as I am the healthy profession of three thousand a year, Dr. McCaw having announced that important fact to me yesterday. Are you not happy to hear that my country thus requires my important services.
We are rather hard up at the Hospital, as the $1.25 cents barely feeds the men. Congress had doubled the allowance but the law does not take effect for a month. In the meantime we do our best to prevent dissatisfaction. We are now a Maryland hospital at my particular request. The Virginians are not kind in feeling and act, to their sister state ([?] the Georgians to S. Ca.) and so my [?] of equity and justice was [arinsed?] and I have taken them all. I suppose I must not say to my cousin under my protecting win. For the first time I feel the sweets of gratitude, and Mr. Henry Lansfeld of Baltimore who came to negotiate the exchange of Gen. Trumble for White, told me that my name was a household word in Baltimore, which is very agreeable.
I pass the house every morning, sometimes see Peter and the Generals house, which looks very well, and one day Mr. Baylor and I (who has joined company to walk out in morning) drove Thaddeus all the way home from a security? very near the Market. He saw him safely home before he left him. Lt Col and Mrs. Herens I do not see much, they were very kind in professions and offers, but to speak plainly as I always do to you, there is more talk than anything else. Her transactions are too clever for me and I am not quite up to her management. Mr. Crewshaw I have seen getting into his buggy in [?] and very lame from severe rheumatism and there is no Church Hill news at all. When the Yankee prisoners escaped there was a guard placed around the Van Lev's house and grounds. The Confederate government here to debate minded to search the premises.
In spite of all your disbelief Mrs. Skinner is as good as gold, which is very good in these days, and the house is more like a home than any I could have found. If through [wrong?] judgement or any other reason she charged me too much she certainly makes up for it in other ways, and I make over to her as much again as I pay to equalize matters. I could not be more pleasantly situated. Sallie Lauten's house is about three squares from Mrs. Skinner's, the first long the corner of 8th and Marshall, the latter of 6th and Franklin, so that she is quite accessible. I took her a package of marrow, prepared in a cake to send you; it was not as much as I would have liked to collect, but being Lent, Stephen finds that is does not comport with his Christianity to eat anything but Hospital cornbread and marrow. By the by he is getting more pains and meaness and religion seem in his case to go hand in hand. He says he has grew up tobcco to be enabled to save what he spent in that article to give to the widows and orphans. I don't know what they get but I do know that he loves black mail upon every man he comes across for smoking and chewing purposes, and there has been a general improvement in this hospital , every man by his own account having "no tobacco". Between the necessity of doing his duty and his fear of his superior officers he is generally in a pitiable state. I have an idea that he will remain in a state proper to central a hospital three months longer, but no wonder that when the stomach is kept so heavy the hair gets light. He is the smallest of [?]
Of the gaity I am not complaint to write having here a part in only one of the entertainments and then feeling out of place, so much so that I retired for the season If Spartan austerity is to run our independence, we are a lost nation. I do not like the signs and fear the uniting on the wall might in time come to us. Now the community are also on their as yet mischevious finance bill. Her two days we have been unable to purchase anything; no one understanding the technicalities and fearful under the circumstances of losing some advantage. Even when willing to see the difficulty of change presents itself, small bills long at a premium. I read the hill, commencing carefully, feeling the responsibility clenching in me as the holder of five one hundred dollar bills and before I get to the second clause I gave up as quietly as Martin Scott can, and "came down".
Can I get a piece of black and white plaid gingham in Savannah. If I can at seven or eight dollars a yard like your boy the whole piece for me, and write me to that effect. I want the plant equal, it washes so well, and cannot get any in Richmond. Perhaps they have it in the wholesale store there, as they are apt to buy that description of goods for the southern market. I have not received any straw that was promised but will make another effort. I did try a couple of months after you left, and then gave it up, but will stir Dr. Van on the subject.
My best love to the general and remembrance to Mrs. Puler and the girls_ Most affectionately yours P. Y. P.


text: Call or email me now if you are interested in joining us on Tuesday evenings at 5:30 pm. You can also register online. We being Dewdrops on March 30. That will run for 8 weeks. I have been asked to follow it with a 5 week session of Sign & Sing. Check out our Kindermusik home page for more info about all of our classes.


text:
No one's fond of cold ears and we're all pretty averse to icy wind blowing down their canals. So, here is a hat designed to protect these most vital appendages.
And you know that swathe at the back of your head that gets ignored by both hat and scarf? This hat covers that too! These are important practical issues but certainly not excuses to be uncute. In fact, these concerns for warmth and comfort may have inspired our sassiest hat yet!
For toastiness and style I turned to Purl Soho's Super Soft Merino. This is one yarn you'll welcome right up against your ears. Itch-free and wonderfully sumptuous, it also happens to make the best pom poms ever. So don't leave the top of your Cozy Ear Flap Hat out in the cold!
Make your ears happy! -Whitney
UPDATE: New Sizes
We've added new sizes! Now the Cozy Ear Flap is sized for everyone from little babies to big papas! -Whitney
- HAT ONLY: 1 (1, 1, 2, 2) skein(s) of Purl Soho's Super Soft Merino, 100% merino wool. These colors, from the left, are Heirloom White, Oyster Gray and Yellow Yellow.
- HAT AND DIFFERENT COLOR POM POM: 1 (1, 1, 2, 2) skein(s) for the hat; and 1 skein for either size pom pom.
- HAT AND SAME COLOR BIG POM POM: 2 skeins for any size hat with a big pom pom in the same color as the hat.
- HAT AND SAME COLOR SMALL POM POM: 1 (1, 2, 2, 2) skein(s) for a hat with a small pom pom in the same color as the hat.
- US #11, 16-inch circular needles
- A set of US #11 double pointed needles
- A stitch holder (optional)
- A Size I (5.5 mm) crochet hook
- A pom pom maker, either Clover's Pom Pom Maker- Large or Susan Bates' Pom Pom Maker
3 stitches = 1 inch in stockinette stitch
Baby (Child's Small, Child's Large/Woman's Small, Woman's Large/Man's Small, Man's Large)
- 14 (16, 18, 20, 22) inches in circumference. The hat is meant to fit snugly.
Pick up the yarn between the last stitch you knit and the one you're about to knit just as you would for a regular make 1 right, bringing the needle from back to front.
Then purl into the front of the stitch.
Pick up the yarn between the last stitch you knit and the one you're about to knit just as you would for a regular make 1 left, bringing the needle from front to back.
Then purl into the back of the stitch.
(The photos in this pattern show the Child's Large/Woman's Small size.)
Left Ear Flap
With the circular needles, cast on 3 (5, 5, 5, 7) stitches.
Row 1 (right side): K1 (2, 2, 2, 3), make 1 right (m1r), k1, make 1 left (m1l), k1 (2, 2, 2, 3). [5 (7, 7, 7, 9) stitches]
Row 2 (wrong side): Purl.
Row 3: K2 (3, 3, 3, 4), m1r, k1, m1l, k2 (3, 3, 3, 4). [7 (9, 9, 9, 11) stitches]
Row 4: Purl.
Row 5: K3 (4, 4, 4, 5), m1r, k1, m1l, k3 (4, 4, 4, 5). [9 (11, 11, 11, 13) stitches]
Row 6: Purl.
Row 7: K1, m1r, knit to end of row. [10 (12, 12, 12, 14) stitches]
Row 8: Purl to last stitch, make 1 left purlwise (see Pattern Notes), p1. [11 (13, 13, 13, 15) stitches]
Sizes Child's Large/Woman's Small, Woman's Large/Man's Small, and Man's Large Only
Rows 9 and 10: Repeat Rows 7 and 8. [— (—, 15, 15, 17) stitches]
Sizes Woman's Large/Man's Small and Man's Large Only
Rows 11 and 12: Repeat Rows 7 and 8. [— (—, —, 17, 19) stitches]
All Sizes
Cut the yarn and put the Left Ear Flap on a stitch holder (or scrap yarn).
Right Ear Flap
With the circular needle, cast on 3 (5, 5, 5, 7) stitches.
Repeat Rows 1-5 of Left Ear Flap. [9 (11, 11, 11, 13) stitches]
Row 6: P1, make 1 right purlwise (see Pattern Notes), purl to end of row. [10 (12, 12, 12, 14) stitches]
Row 7: Knit to last stitch, m1l, k1. [11 (13, 13, 13, 15) stitches]
Sizes Child's Large/Woman's Small, Woman's Large/Man's Small, and Man's Large Only
Rows 8 and 9: Repeat Rows 6 and 7. [— (—, 15, 15, 17) stitches]
Sizes Woman's Large/Man's Small and Man's Large Only
Rows 10 and 11: Repeat Rows 6 and 7. [— (—, —, 17, 19) stitches]
All Sizes
Next Row: With the purl side facing you, use a Cable Cast On to cast on 7 (7, 9, 9, 11) stitches.
With the purlside still facing you, purl to the end of the row. [18 (20, 24, 26, 30) stitches]
Joining the Ear Flaps
Knit the 18 (20, 24, 26, 30) stitches of the Right Ear Flap.
Then, making sure the knit side of both pieces are facing you, knit the first stitch of the Left Ear Flap to join the pieces.
Knit to the end of the Left Ear Flap. [29 (33, 39, 43, 49) stitches]
The Nape
Row 1: Purl.
Row 2: K1, ssk, knit to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1. (2 stitches decreased)
Rows 3 and 4: Repeat Rows 1 and 2. [25 (29, 35, 39, 45) stitches]
Turn the work so the purl side is facing you, and use a Cable Cast On to cast on 17 (19, 19, 21, 21) stitches..
Joining Into Round
Turn the work so the knit side is facing you and, being careful to not twist the stitches, place a marker and join for working in the round. [42 (48, 54, 60, 66) stitches]
Knit until piece measures 4 1/4 (4 1/4, 4 1/4, 4 1/2, 4 1/2) inches from the last cable cast on edge. On the final round, place a marker after every 7 (8, 9, 10, 11) stitches. (5 additional markers placed)
The Crown
Note: Change to double pointed needles when you have too few stitches to fit on the circular needle.
Decrease Round: *Knit to 2 stitches before marker, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (6 stitches decreased)
Knit 1 round.
Repeat last two rounds 2 (3, 4, 5, 6) more times. [24 stitches]
Repeat Decrease Round every round 3 times. [6 stitches]
Cut the yarn and thread it through the 6 remaining stitches.
Weave in the ends.
Crochet Edge
Make a single crochet edge around the entire hat. Orient the hat so it is upside down and the back of the hat is facing you, start anywhere with a chain 1.
Make one single crochet for every stitch or row around the whole hat. Slip stitch into the beginning chain, cut the yarn and pull it through the remaining stitch.
Pom Pom
For the smaller size pom pom use either the 2 1/2-inch template from the Clover pom pom maker or the green one from the Susan Bates kit. And for the larger pom pom, use either the 3 3/8-inch Clover template or the yellow Susan Bates one. (If you need help with your Susan Bates Pom Pom Maker, check out our Pom Pom Tutorial right here!)
Bring the tails of the pom pom into the inside center top of the hat. Tie a knot and weave in the ends.
Weave in any remaining ends and you're done!


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Dreams, Waking Thoughts, and Incidents
Descrição da editora
June 19th, 1780.—Shall I tell you my dreams?—To give an account of my time is doing, I assure you, but little better. Never did there exist a more ideal being. A frequent mist hovers before my eyes, and, through its medium, I see objects so faint and hazy, that both their colours and forms are apt to delude me. This is a rare confession, say the wise, for a traveller to make: pretty accounts will such a one give of outlandish countries: his correspondents must reap great benefit, no doubt, from such purblind observations. But stop, my good friends; patience a moment!—I really have not the vanity of pretending to make a single remark, during the whole of my journey: if — be contented with my visionary way of gazing, I am perfectly pleased; and shall write away as freely as Mr. A., Mr. B., Mr. C., and a million others whose letters are the admiration of the politest circles.
All through Kent did I doze as usual; now and then I opened my eyes to take in an idea or two of the green, woody country through which I was passing; then closed them again; transported myself back to my native hills; thought I led a choir of those I loved best through their shades; and was happy in the arms of illusion. The sun set before I recovered my senses enough to discover plainly the variegated slopes near Canterbury, waving with slender birch-trees, and gilt with a profusion of broom. I thought myself still in my beloved solitude, but missed the companions of my slumbers. Where are they?—Behind yon blue hills, perhaps, or t'other side of that thick forest. My fancy was travelling after these deserters, till we reached the town; vile enough o' conscience, and fit only to be passed in one's sleep. The moment after I got out of the carriage, brought me to the cathedral; an old haunt of mine. I had always venerated its lofty pillars, dim aisles, and mysterious arches. Last night they were more solemn than ever, and echoed no other sound than my steps. I strayed about the choir and chapels, till they grew so dark and dismal, that I was half inclined to be frightened; looked over my shoulder; thought of spectres that have an awkward trick of syllabling men's names in dreary places; and fancied a sepulchral voice exclaiming: "Worship my toe at Ghent; my ribs at Florence; my skull at Bologna, Sienna, and Rome. Beware how you neglect this order; for my bones, as well as my spirit, have the miraculous property of being here, there, and everywhere." These injunctions, you may suppose, were received in a becoming manner, and noted all down in my pocket-book by inspiration (for I could not see), and hurrying into the open air, I was whirled away in the dark to Margate. Don't ask what were my dreams thither:—nothing but horrors, deep-vaulted tombs, and pale, though lovely figures, extended upon them; shrill blasts that sung in my ears, and filled me with sadness, and the recollection of happy hours, fleeting away, perhaps for ever! I was not sorry, when the bustle of our coming-in dispelled these phantoms. The change, however, in point of scenery was not calculated to dissipate my gloom; for the first object in this world that presented itself, was a vast expanse of sea, just visible by the gleamings of the moon, bathed in watery clouds; a chill air ruffled the waves. I went to shiver a few melancholy moments on the shore. How often did I try to wish away the reality of my separation from those I love, and attempt to persuade myself it was but a dream!


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We knew that sooner or later someone in either India or China would begin making the bottles. It was just a question of time.
From what we know origins of Vanishing Bottles come probably from the turn of the 20th century when craftmen were making shells that would be passed as a real bottle. I think Devant had a trick that involved this principle. The latex bottle was originated by Charles Weller, and he sold them in the from the 1950s through the 70s. As you know latex is a very rubbery and flexible material. The advantage of these bottles were that you could make the bottle either magically appear or vanish. The disadvantage was that because latex is porous, it is solid and does not look like glass. Another disadvantage of latex is that it decomposes with time, and a latex product only lasts a few years before it becomes brittle and crumbles.
In the 1960s Norm started experimenting with a coating for the latex, in order to make a bottle look like glass. He found a coating, and for a while he put out a latex Schlitz bottle. The coating was like a very shiny varnish that made his bottles look like they were made out of glass.
Norm temporarily sold the business in the late 60s due to his performing career, and bought it back in the mid 80s. It was at that time that he worked in trying to find a material that had enough transparency to look like a bottle. This material was vinyl. Since then Nielsen Magic has been manufacturing vinyl bottles. The advantage of vinyl is that it has a good degree of transparency, the bottles do have a glass-like finish and the material lasts indefinitely. The disadvantage is that they do not have the "appearing" qualities of latex because it takes longer for the material to recover its shape.
In my opinion, the Indian Bottle is a copy because they didn't even make an effort to offer any improvement on the item. They even copied the old color of our Champagne Bottles, and did not bother to fold the top edge of the bottle to round up the mouth.
The Champagne Bottles we are making now have a different color. Per multiple requests we changed the color to a very dark and deep green color - similar to that of a Dom Perignon color. That was a good move, as we have been unable to keep them in stock for long periods of time.
As far as our thoughts are concerned, all we can say is that we will just continue to do our own thing and offer the best quality product we can offer to the magic market. Customers will have to make a choice of which product they want to buy, and it is their support what will determine who will stay in or out of business. It is quite difficult to regulate the magic market.
This is a very small market, and it is costly to have any legal procedures (if they are any) for any infringements. I have always wondered what makes a magic trick original...Is it the effect, or the method? The audience only sees one effect, yet there can me so many methods to accomplish the desired result. Magicians come up with very clever and novel methods to accomplish a certain effect. From a layman's standpoint, it is still the same trick.
- Lupe, Nielsen Magic


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Dr Chris Masterjohn is a nutritional researcher I always enjoy reading or listening to. He is very knowledgeable and seemingly unbiased. The other day I was listening to his theories on Cholesterol in an interview with Dr Mercola. He was talking about the greater predictive power of LDL particle size over just simple LDL counts that we get from our GP's. The idea being that small dense LDL particles are bad and cause greater arterial damage than the large fluffy type we should all aspire to have. The smaller type are more easily lodged in the artery wall where they become oxidised and contribute to the formation of plaque. Dr Masterjohn then went on to discuss his theory of what causes small dense particles. His theory is that the longer LDL stays circulating in the blood stream the smaller they get. If they are not disposed of by the liver making way for new large LDL particles they will progressively get smaller and of course the longer they stay in the blood stream the more prone they are to oxidisation. He did not go on to mention this but here is where I think sugar plays its part. If the liver is clapped out dealing with sugar overload then it will be less able to dispose of the LDL cholesterol. Dr Senner actually puts forward that glucose adheres itself to LDL molecules and this also inhibits removal from the blood stream. This could be another link between sugar and heart disease and further debunking of the simple Cholesterol hypothesis.
Monthly Archives: August 2015
Kyolic Garlic
In the world of heart health supplements and diet there is often conflicting reports. For example a few years ago trials showed that coffee was bad for the heart whilst more recent research is showing that it has heart benefits if 3 or 4 cups per day are not exceeded. When conflict like this arises I tend to sit out and stick to alternatives that have fewer differences of opinion. In this case I drink Green Tea which seems to have little or no critics.
So what other supplements should we consider that have pretty good track records in terms of number of studies and lack of opposition. Fish Oil or one of the many alternatives such as Krill Oil and Calamari Oil would be one. The other choice would be Garlic and in particular Aged Garlic. My partner has had very good results lowering her blood pressure with the use of Kyolic Aged Garlic and a daily Multi Vitamin B complex tablet.
When it comes to properly designed studies the following two links give a good illustration of how Aged Garlic has been shown to stabalize and stop the growth of arterial plaque and in some cases reverse it.
The doctor who headed the trial gives a presentation here
TG/HDL Ratio
I have banged on about how alternative lipid readings are better predictors of potential heart disease but alas these tests are not free on the UK NH service. Does this mean the free tests we can get are useless?. Well if you simply check your cholesterol levels and your LDL levels then probably yes, because as I have stated before around 50% of heart attack victims have 'good' levels of LDL. There is one predictive ratio however that you can glean from this data and that is the TG/HDL ratio. You can also get your C reactive Protein figures via the NHS too although you have to request these as part of your test.
This link gives a very good account of the TG/HDL ratio amongst other useful information. This passage is quoted from it
"The importance of the TG/HDL ratio can be seen from the recently published results of the ongoing Copenhagen Male Study, which studied the effect this ratio has on the long-term development of heart disease. The researchers tracked healthy patients who had either a low TG/HDL ratio (less than 1.7) or a high TG/HDL ratio (greater than 6). They were amazed to find that the patients with the low TG/HDL ratio who smoked, didn't exercise, had hypertension, and had elevated levels of LDL cholesterol had a much lower risk of developing heart disease than those who had a far better lifestyle but a higher TG/HDL ratio. This indicated that lowering your TG/HDL ratio may have a far greater impact on whether you develop heart disease than adopting a better lifestyle. Does this mean you should smoke, stay sedentary, and not worry about your blood pressure or cholesterol levels? Not at all, but it does indicate that you need to significantly focus your efforts to lower your TG/HDL ratio if your goal is to reduce heart disease."


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Hey Guys!
Everyone has
been talking
about our
reception! You
were great!
Positive Spin Music
Mobile Disc Jockey Company
Jason Franc
is the youngest member of the
Positive Spin Music
DJing in the year 2000, and loves to see a
dance floor come alive from the music he is
playing. Choosing the right song at the right
moment is just one of the many things he is
great at.
Terry Martin
has been a Disc Jockey for
more than twenty years! If he is playing old
rock and roll or, mixing modern Techno, Terry
has enough experience to make sure
everyone has a great time.
Here is a little more about us!
Being able to "read" a room!
That is what
makes a great DJ. All of our entertainers can
do that. Reading a room is as easy as
reading a "Pat The Bunny" book for us here at
Positive Spin Music!
See for yourself what
sets us apart from other DJs! And do not
We Love Requests!
Omar &


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I have a debilitating mental illness that is called Generalized Anxiety Disorder. This is fairly typical for someone who has Aspergers and also fairly typical for someone who has experienced trauma. While I would not claim that my life has been more traumatic than other peoples our trauma is an experience that comes in many colors. Being bullied in school, losing my brother as a young adult and a failed marriage all contributed to the anxiety condition that was probably laying dormant ever since I was born because of the way my brain is hardwired for anxiety as someone with autism. I lived unmedicated for way too long and because of that my anxiety got worse and worse. I believe my vertigo spells are a direct result of my anxiety, last January I started to take a drug for my issues and the results are night and day.
I consider myself neither an optimist nor a pessimist but a realist. I am more interested in how things are rather than how they might be or how I hope the can be. With that in mind the drug I take is not a cure. If I stopped taking it tomorrow first I would have to deal with withdrawal effects as the amount of serotonin my brain is used to changed. Once those passed my anxiety levels would most likely return to the levels they were at before I began medication. Drugs are not a cure they are a mask, a band-aid, they are meant to cover symptoms while you heal, physically mentally and psychologically. This is neither good or bad it's just how it is. But it's also where I need to be
Everyday when I wake up I am tired, too tired, this is a direct effect of the Lexapro in my system. increased serotonin can make you feel lethargic so getting up is a chore. To offset this I make sure that I have plenty of time to wake in the morning, get my breakfast ate and head off to work. Some days are harder than others because sometimes getting to sleep is tough, this is also do to the serotonin in my system. At night the chemicals in my head and the chemicals in the medicine do a little dance and that can make things a little strange. I'll have slight eye image issues, weirdness that is hard to describe but it's almost like slight hallucinations. My body temperature will also be a bit funky but it all regulates after awhile. This doesn't happen every night or every week but every now and then I'll have this happen. Once it passes I am able to go back to sleep.
Having said all of that, with all of it's small quirks and such being on an SSRI is totally worth it. I don't have panic attacks anymore, I will occasionally get small bouts of dizziness but no longer so bad that I think I am going to pass out. My temper is better, not perfect but better. I am more present in life, more in tune with what is going on around me and not stuck in my own cycle of thoughts all of the time. I've been more emotionally available to Corrie, more willing to take risks, good risks. I can get through an entire day without thinking the whole world is going to fall apart at the seams. Sure I have a few annoying side effects but compared to the living hell I was going through with GAD with OCD.
Next week I'll continue on this thread, from my unique Christian Misfit perspective, If Jesus is enough, and he has healed me why do I need to take medicine to combat anxiety. I am looking forward to it.


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JGB News
Wikidot is dying. This site has moved to http://fancyclopedia.org
A scholarly J. G. Ballard newsletter edited by David Pringle ending in 1996. It was a renaming of News From the Sun.
|This is a fanzine page. Please extend it by adding information about when and by whom it was published, how many issues it has had, (including adding a partial or complete checklist), its contents (including perhaps a ToC listing), its size and repro method, regular columnists, its impact on fandom, or by adding scans or links to scans.
Wikidot is dying. This site has moved to http://fancyclopedia.org
page revision: 1, last edited: 26 Feb 2013 17:20


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A recent breath-taking video of two alien-looking sea creatures can dazzle almost any viewer. The clip is from Ocean Exploration Trust led by Dr Robert Ballard and shows a vampire squid and a jellyfish that resembles a starburst firework pattern in the night sky.
In a statement to IBTimes UK, the research team said it took pictures of the jellyfish at a depth of 4,019ft in the ocean during one of its deep sea explorations at the East of Socorro Island off the Revillagigedo Archipelago.
Fact box
The Revillagigedo Archipelago is made up of four islands of volcanic origin including Socorro, Clarion, San Benedicto, and Roca Partida. Known as the Mexican biosphere reserve, the area is home to the largest aggregation of sharks and manta rays and thousands of other oceanic species. Also known as the Revillagigedo National Park, the area is spread across 148,000sq km and is the largest fully protected marine reserve in North America.
The Revillagigedo Archipelago island chain is located about 400km (300 miles) off Baja California, Mexico.
While describing the creature's dazzling appearance, Nautilus Live said the jellyfish's radial canals that move nutrients through its belly form a starburst pattern and splash bright yellow and pink lights beneath the sea while reflecting the lights of the ROV Hercules (Remotely Operated Vehicle).
In the absence of light, the gelatinous beauty drifts unseen in the dark. According to the group, the Halitrephes jelly has previously been described in 1909 and floats through much of the deeper reaches of the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
Just like the firework jellyfish, the vampire squid was spotted at a depth of 1,290m (4,232ft) off the Socorro Island. Scientifically known as vampyroteuthis infernalis, the creature is neither a squid nor an octopus and belongs to the order of Vampyromorphida.
"This fierce-sounding cephalopod is actually a scavenger, reeling in specks of marine snow using two retractable filaments sent out from the middle of its umbrella-like web of arms," said the ocean exploration group in its paper, narrating the predatory mollusc's hunting habits.
"Pulling filaments through mucus-covered suckers, the vampire squid transfers these mucusy globs of detritus and decaying material to its mouth. During our encounter, the vampire squid also flipped its webbed arms open into a 'pineapple posture,' a move that instantly makes it less visible in the water column," it added.
The close encounter was captured by ROV Hercules's HD camera and a low light camera for bioluminescence designed by Dr Brennan Phillips at University of Rhode Island's Graduate School of Oceanography and David Gruber at the City College of New York/Baruch College.


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Frog Totem
Frog Totem
Frogs symbolize strength, adaptability, and creativity. People with frog totems are creative thinkers who can adapt well to any environment. Frogs have strong legs that allow them to hop and navigate the land with ease, however they are born in water and tend to live both on land and in the water.
In Japanese culture, frogs are believed to bring good fortune. They tend to show up around well-rounded and adventurous people who are both practical, yet creative – the right combination for success.
Personal Reflection…
Frogs appear to teach us about being adaptable to our environment. Frog people are often creative and expressive usually through voice talent or music.
In the wild, frogs use their "voice" and their distinct calls to attract mates. Frog comes to tell you to pursue your dreams and establish your "voice" – but to do so in a down-to-earth practical manner. Look before you leap can be the message of frog.
Frog Dream Symbolism
Frogs in dreams are said to be a general omen of good luck and rewards for long-standing efforts and persistence.
Interesting Facts About Frogs
There are many different species of frogs, too many to cover individually here, however many frogs share common interesting characteristics, for instance, many species sleep with their eyes open. The quick video below shares some other interesting frog facts.


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A dark tale of psychological torture and defiance, CAPTIVE pushes the limits of intensity and suspense.
Sarah (Mz Berlin) thought she was right on time for a job interview. But from the moment the door slams, she enters a world of bondage, torment and a terrifying interrogation for which she has no answers.
Includes: Lingerie Fetish, Heavy Chain and Shackle Bondage, Extreme Water Tortures
Written and Directed by: John Fitzgerald
© 2001 - 2020 GwenMedia. All rights reserved.
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Speculation linking Steve McClaren with the manager's job at Dutch club FC Twente has heightened after his agent admitted it is "an option" for the former England coach.
McClaren, out of work since he left the England job in November following the failure to qualify for Euro 2008, was in Holland on Sunday to see the club qualify for the Champions League with a victory over Ajax in the Eredivisie play-offs.
With FC Twente coach Fred Rutten set to leave the club and take up the reins at German side Schalke in the summer, McClaren is believed to be the favoured replacement and his agent, Colin Gordon, confirmed that a managerial spell in Holland is a possibility for his client.
"It's an option - they are a club in the Champions League and he has experience of managing at the top level," Gordon said. "Taking a position abroad is certainly a possibility for Steve.
"Steve is a top manager so he will be linked with any jobs which are vacant," Gordon said. "He was just over in Holland watching some football and obviously there is a lot of speculation flying about at the moment.
"I'm sure he'll be linked with the Getafe job as well now with their manager [Michael Laudrup] is set to leave and there are a couple of jobs in Denmark so no doubt his name will be linked with them as well."
FC Twente are also interested in the departing Ajax coach Adrie Koster and played down the significance of McClaren's attendance over the weekend.
A spokesman for the club said: "Steve McClaren was in the stadium because he wanted to watch a good game of football in Holland. We have not decided on a new coach yet. We have just qualified for the Champions League and it will be decided in time."
Since leaving his post as England coach, McClaren has been analysing coaching methods abroad and also made a pledge to learn Spanish.
He spent time with PSV Eindhoven to gain an insight into Dutch football and also visited Barcelona and Espanyol to further his coaching education.
He recently said: "I spoke a lot to Sir Bobby Robson whilst I was England manager and it was very interesting talking about his career after England. He spoke about how he felt it benefited him by moving abroad, widening his horizons and continuing his education as a coach.
"That's one of the reasons why I have been visiting these countries and looking abroad and it is something that if an opportunity arose and it was the right opportunity and the right challenge then I would not rule that out."


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The Hangover Review
Posted on 07. Jun, 2009 by Greg in Half-Assed Posts, movie reviews
It seems that lately, all I've been doing is doing movie reviews. I'll have to change that soon. But, not today.
Last night I went out to see the movie, "The Hangover". It's about 4 guys who go to Vegas for an all night bachelor party. They wake up in their trashed hotel. Their friend who's getting married is missing. None of them can remember anything. So, they have to piece together clues to figure out what they did and where their friend is. They find clues like a tiger in their bathroom and a baby in a closet.
It's basically a drunken mystery. There's approximately 99 WTF? moments in this movie. I really liked this movie. I would say say its definitely going to be the condender for comedy movie of the summer. Anyway, check it out. If you like Old School, or basically any drunken comedy you'll like this one.
May 26, 2011
[…] and laugh at the same time. Oh, and be prepared for a couple of surprises. If you loved the first Hangover, you're going to like this one. I recommend […]


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Last weekend I was all geared up for a wriggle round the garden and looking forward to a fair bit of pottering and pruning. However, the weather had other plans. A glance out of the window told me that rain was back with a vengeance.
No matter though… earlier in the week, the other half had returned home brandishing gifts for me. Not flowers or chocolates – even better than that… an assortment of chilli seeds. Seeing that any outdoor jobs were well and truly scuppered, I trotted off down to the greenhouse for a planting session instead.
As well as the chilli seeds, I also sowed some peppers, courgettes, tomatoes and cucumbers. I've also sown a couple of trays of flowers to pad out the borders later in the year: larkspur, petunias and nicotiana.
In between the rain, there were a couple of sunny spells and it was amazing to see the temperature soar in the greenhouse from 14 to 25 degrees in just a matter of minutes. It will soon be time to remove the bubble wrap that's insulating it, but I think I'll wait until the end of April when the risk of frost should be much less.
There is further evidence (although sometimes it doesn't feel like it) that the days are indeed getting longer. Mildred and Maud have finally got their act into gear, and for the first time this year we collected an egg from each of our chickens. True, they were a bit of an odd shape, but still they signify the start of the laying season. It'll be cakes and quiche all round before you know it…
After the marathon planting session, the greenhouse bench is now chock a block with potential offerings, and I'm now spilling over onto the floor space. The leeks and onions are slowly but surely showing their heads, and the broad beans are positively bursting through the soil, looking healthy and strong.
Beans in toilet roll tubes
I'll wait until the beans are a nice manageable size, and indeed the soil outside dries out a bit before planting them into the vegetable plot. The spot I have earmarked for them is a relatively high bit of the garden, so should drain off and warm up over the next couple of weeks or so.
However, the middle part of the veg plot is currently still under water. Sitting on clay and having continual wet weather does not a good combination make. As we lost so many plants last year due to boggy soil, this year we have decided to install raised beds.
The other half has been rootling round on the t'interweb for some likely materials, and will be ordering some packs of pre-treated timber gravel boards very shortly. When they arrive, we'll be after a long enough dry spell to construct them.
The Hinckley Times 21 March 2013


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Less questions, more lime.Well is it New Phallend or New Phalland? Make up your mind, sir!
DevoutlyApathetic wrote: »
TehSpectre wrote: »I haven't played in a while.
!Sign up
No, Day 5. He's always evil if he lives past Day Four.The Lord of Hats wrote: »All you have to do is vote TehSpectre out on day 4. As long as you do that, there should be no problem.
That better Spectral?
Edit: And don't worry Burnothy, I will help you out. Just let me know what your role PM says and I'll tell you what to do.
SpectralSpork wrote: »
SpectralSpork wrote: »
Kime anyone?
I don't hear any objections.


text:
Last week I was perusing some interesting posts on GrowthHackers.com. I came across a post about Hubspot. This topic has been on my mind lately because we've been discussing ways to integrate Hubspot with our system, xTupleCommerce, and the article stood out to me because it asked "What do you recommend as a replacement to Hubspot?"
As I read the writer's question, I noticed that the first response with the highest number of up votes was from the CTO and founder of Hubspot, Dharmesh Shah.
Now, let's stop for a minute and think about what 99% of founders would do in this situation. Most would explain their product in a way that would reengage the user. Some would defend their product and suggest that the user may simply need more training. Others may even suggest a quick call with their tech team to help the user be more successful with the product.
But that's not at all what Dharmesh did.
Instead, he offered a solid answer to the question never once pulling the customer back into Hubspot.
This kind of open, honest, straight-forward "realism" is what makes a great leader in today's business environment. Understanding that your product isn't the best fit for every user and understanding your competition well enough to offer it as a solution in some cases shows confidence and integrity. In fact, if we think about this even deeper, this is the perfect execution of today's marketing strategy. It's honesty, empathy and understanding. In this instance Dharmesh is stepping outside of his role as founder and CTO and simply answering a fellow business person's question the best that he can. It's content marketing at it's best.
Suddenly, because of this honest response, Hubspot moved up a few steps in my book.