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Tagged: Aaron Harang
David Wright Ruins Our No-Hit Bid (4/18/2014)
Saturday, April 18, 2014 was a fun day for the Cook Boys. After an adventurous drive northeast (during which I filmed an Instant Classic Video of Kellan), the boys and I arrived in the Upper West Side of Manhattan around 3:00 p.m. We parked at 79th & Riverside, where we found this awesome fire hydrant…
…and then we set out on foot for Central Park. In case you didn't know, that building in the upper right (above) is the "Dakota" where John Lennon lived and was killed outside on the sidewalk.
Our plan was to get to Central Park with lots of time to spare so we could do some playing. But we drive took about 45 minutes longer than planned. We were going to meet up with Zack Hample at his family bookstore, which was across the park from us. So we just walked through the park, actually the boys ran through the park:
We met up with Zack, grabbed some food at a nearby deli, and hopped on the train:
Kellan got that banana at the deli and announced that he wanted to eat it once we got to our seats.
Once we reached Citi Field, we ran into a couple other guys…
… Greg Barasch and Rick Gold, who know their way around a MLB ballpark.
The boys passed the time while we waited on the gates by playing some catch along the 3B side of the stadium…
…and running around between the growing lines of fans:
Once the gates opened, we headed to the RF foul line:
And Kellan declared it to be banana time:
He destroyed that banana!
Nothing was doing on the RF foul line, so we decided to head to CF by the bullpens. Eventually, an unidentifiable Met tossed a ball to Tim:
Thanks, Mets guy!
We had the corner spot right next to the bullpen and it was relatively empty out there. But for some reason, we made the terrible decision to head over to the LF foul line where the Braves were playing catch. Left field was pretty packed. The LF line was packed too. And the Braves were essentially done throwing by the time we arrived.
We headed back to the CF bleachers, which were now fairly full in the first 4-5 rows. We hung back in row 10 or so. And Tim took a picture of me and Kellan, just for kicks:
At one point, Craig Kimbrel walked into the bullpen to use the restroom. He walked by below us and waved and said hi to the kids. So I snapped a picture of his glove when he put it down on a chair below us:
As we hung out during BP, the boys went through my backpack and cleaned out our snack arsenal.
Tim had to take a break from his snacking when an usher-type-guy down in the bullpens decided to toss a baseball up to Tim. It took three throws for the two of them to finally connect…but Tim finally go it.
Thanks, usher-type-guy!
We had a rush of action late in BP. Ervin Santana and tossed a lot of baseballs to people in the front row of the CF seats, but no one had ever gone deeper than the first row. And there were no homeruns hit into the CF seats.
Eventually, things changed thanks to these guys:
First, Alan Butts (above to the left) wandered out to straight away CF. I figured I was the only person out there who knew his name. So, at an opportune time, I shouted out, "Hey, Alan!" He turned around, scanned the seats for the source of the call, and then he tossed a ball right to us.
Then, very, very late in BP. Ervin Santana spotted Kellan sitting up on my shoulders. He tossed a ball high over everyone else right to me. I held back on reaching out for it just in case Tim could catch it. At the last minute, Tim jumped in front of me and caught the ball. It was a great catch by Tim.
Thanks, Ervin!
Ervin had to know that Tim was my son too, it was just the three of us together in the row. But right after Tim caught the ball, I could see him think that Kellan still needed a ball too. So he went and grabbed another ball, called out to me again, and tossed a ball right to my glove.
Thanks, again, Ervin!
Once BP wrapped up, we decided to head upstairs to the area above the Jackie Robinson Rotuna for some dinner. On our way up the switch-back ramps, Tim stopped to pose with the Citi Field on the backside of the stadium (behind LF):
We dined on hot dog (Tim), nachos (me) and a jumbo pretzel with ketchup (Kellan)…
…and the boys kept warm with hot chocolate.
On our long walk back down to the field level, we first stopped (somewhat) behind home plate and had an usher take our picture:
Moments before the game started, we got a random panorama from a bit further down the 3B line:
And here is the first pitch from Jon Neise…
…to Andrelton Simmons. "Ball 1."
Check out what was in the parking lot – cirque du soleil:
We headed to Shea Bridge…
…where it looked a lot like this:
The first inning ended with a 0-0 tie after David Wright…
…struck out swinging.
We spent huge portions of this game below Shea Bridge and behind the bullpens:
Check out what we found down there in the little hidden corner by the elevators:
For much of the game, Tim and I played catch across the length of the picnic area under Shea Bridge:
Late in the game, I saw on facebook that one of my wife's cousins was at the game in the LF upper deck. We headed over there to find him. We never did find him, but we got these panoramas from section 533….
…and section 531:
It was windy and freezing up there!
Hey, guess what. All this while, the Braves were winning 1-0 and Aaron Harang was pitching a no hitter!
If we were going to witness our first ever no hitter, I wanted to be closer to the action for the end of it. We started heading toward the infield. But then Kellan wanted to check out one of the little Mets team shops along the 1B foul concourse. We headed in to find that several Mets fans were taking refuge from the (not all that) cold and watching the game on TV:
Here's some random game action captured on our walk toward the 3B line:
It was the top of the 8th inning when we reached the 3B foul concourse, and Harang still had his no hitter intact. The Braves were still winning 1-0…
That is, they were winning 1-0, until Freddy Freeman went yard in the top of the eighth:
Historically, at least in my experience, the ushers at Citi Field have been insanely strict about checking tickets, even late (or after) the games. We headed over to the aisle leading down to the umpires' tunnel. During our ten minutes or so standing there, I noticed that the usher wasn't checking anyone's tickets. So, eventually, we made a move, and (with no problems) we ended up here:
When we ended up in these seats, we sat down right in the middle of a profanity laced (but good spirited) exchange between a bunch of Mets and Braves fans.
So, heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, the score was 5-0 Braves.
I was excited for Harang's potential no hitter. But check out this photo:
Because Harang had 121 pitches through the first seven innings, the Braves brought in Luis Avilan. We adjusted our hopes to at least getting to witness a combined no hitter.
Well, Avilan retired the first two batters of the inning. Four outs until a no hitter. But that brought up David Wright, and Avilan gave up a clean line drive base knock to LF to spoil our chance at history.
(FYI, that is Wright on first base in the photo above as Avilan pitches to Curtis Granderson, who he would strike out).
For the ninth inning, we made our way down to the second row:
Check out these silly guys:
The Braves scored a sixth and final run in the top of the ninth inning when Justin Upton…
…hit a sacrifice fly.
Jordan Walden retired the Mets in order in the bottom of the ninth to complete the combined 1-hitter.
After the game, Tom Hallion tossed us our final ball of the day, which Tim displayed in this final photo of the night with Zack behind the dugout:
After the game, Zack, Greg, his dad, the boys and I rode the subway together back to Manhattan before splitting up in our own directions.
We had a great day packed with fun and…
…lots of walking. Sadly, I got in the car a mere 127 steps away from my first 20,000 step day. Darn.
|2014 Fan Stats
|Teams (Blue Jays, Mets, Phillies, Marlins, Braves)
|Stadiums (Stade Olympique, Citizens Bank Park, Citi Field)
|Baseballs (Mets 5, Expos 2*, 7 Phillies, 6 Marlins, 2 Mets, 3 Braves, 1 Umpire)* Olympic Stadium Staff
|Commemoratives (2013 WBC 1, Angels 50th 2, Dodger Stadium 50th 1, 2011 All-Star, 2012 All-Star)
|Ice Cream Helmets (Phillies)
Avi and the Cooks Meet The Mariners in Cincinnati (7/5/2013)
For months, we had been looking forward to the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Our Mariners were scheduled to take on the Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. The original plan was that my folks would come out for the series and my wife would join us too. But through a series of plan squashing issues, neither my folks nor Colleen could end up making the trip. My folks were out weeks in advance, but Colleen was going to join us right up until July 3rd. We picked out our hotels and bought our game tickets with her input…but then something more important came up that she had to attend to and had to drop out.
On very short notice, we were happy to have Avi Miller…
…join our traveling roadtrip caravan.
The plan was to see the M's in Cincinnati on July 5-6. We headed to Pittsburgh around 11:00 a.m. on the Fourth. There was a big "Regatta" party-thingy going on in Pittsburgh. We started out by playing some catch in the park:
We cooled off in this big fountain:
We watched a pretty cool BMX show:
For the record, that guy jumping above is traveling from left to right…and Avi wasn't impressed until the very end when the last two bikers did back flips.
Next, we met up with famous Pittsburgh couple, Matt Peaslee and Erin Wozniak, and watched a boat race on the river. This guy captaining the No. 10 boat easily won the race:
Next, it was off to Moe's for dinner:
And then we finished off the night with some fireworks:
The next morning, July 5, 2013, we were off to Cincinnati. Neither Kellan nor Avi had ever been to Great American Ball Park (or Cincinnati in general). While both of them loved the ballpark, Avi contained his enthusiasm while Kellan couldn't even stand still for a quick picture:
Oh, by the way, this game marked Kellan's 50th MLB game and Great American Ball Park his 16th MLB stadium.
The Reds have an extra early BP "tour." You pay some extra cash at the Reds Hall of Fame (which is an awesome Hall of Fame that you should definitely check out), and you get in to BP super-duper early. You also get a pass into the Reds HOF and a cool Ted Kluzinsky statue.
After buying our tickets, the boys posed for some pictures with Reds Mickey Mouse…
…and Reds Statute of Liberty.
Just outside the Reds HOF, we found this excellent statue of Johnny Bench:
(Note: Tim is using a brochure as a catcher's mitt in that picture).
Around 4:21'ish, our BP tour guide took us inside the stadium…
…and told us what would happen once we went out to the field. Essentially, for the first half hour we would be confined to right field. Then the first base line would open up for us (and I think all Reds season tickets holders. At that point, we could stay in RF or we could head down to the Reds dugout in search of autographs. Eventually, the gates would open to the general public and we would be able to go anywhere.
When we headed out to RF, Joe Saunders was throwing a bullpen session:
We watched Saunders while Avi went off to watch BP. After Saunders wrapped up his throwing session, Saunders flipped his warm up ball up to Tim between the narrow gap between the seats and the net over the top of the bullpen.
Thanks, Joe!
For the rest of Reds BP, we hung out here:
You can't tell in that picture, but we were in a little partial row pressed up against the batters' eye. Spots like that are always ideal for us because the natural barrier on one side helps keep Kellan from trying to wander away.
Reds BP was interesting. As far as I could tell, they hit a grand total of two homeruns. I might have missed some…but who knows. I truly only saw two homeruns the entire time. Meanwhile, all of the Reds were wearing BP pullovers and I had no clue who most of them were…
…but then I saw a familiar face, Mariners bullpen catcher Jason Phillips. I hadn't seen him in the bullpen when Saunders was throwing. He must have been hiding in the corner. We exchanged our customary tip of the caps as he walked across the field with Saunders.
Eventually, I recognized two Reds in the outfield. First, I noticed Shin-Soo Choo shagging balls in CF. When Choo made a catch on a sinking liner in CF, I called out an extended "CHOOOOOOOO!" He turned around and fired the ball to me. About thirty second later, he shagged another ball and it tossed it to Tim.
Double thanks, Shin-Soo!
The boys posed with their Choo-Balls and the Great American Ball Park sign for the MyGameBalls.com photo scavenger hunt:
Nearby in RCF, MyGameBalls.com 2013 top ten snagger Rocco Sinisi was toiling away and doing his thing. Rocco is the MyGameBalls.com career leader for Great American Ball Park and a photo with him was good for scavenger hunt bonus points. Although we'd been chatting a bit off and on during BP, we decided to get a photo with Rocco early in BP just in case we forgot to or didn't get a chance to do so later. So here is our first attempt at the Rocco/GABP bonus photo:
Over the past several years, I haven't really followed but have admired Aroldis Chapman from afar. He seems like a good guy and, heck, he throws balls at crazy fast speeds.
Amongst the sea of unrecognizable Reds in the outfield, I eventually noticed that Chapman was hanging out in straightaway right field. When I spotted Chapman way over there in RF, I shouted out a loud, "AROOOOOOLDIS!" This prompted Aroldis to look over and exchange waves with us.
See where Aroldis was:
He was way over there. Carter Capps was "way over there" too – way over across the field from this throwing partner out on the LF. Capps was firing seeds across the field. It was impressive.
A little while later, someone hit a grounder through the infield and into somewhat shallow RF. Aroldis sauntered over and grabbed the ball. I called out his name again (you know, we were buddies after that exchange of waves) and he threw the ball all the way from RF to my glove waiting in CF.
Thanks, Aroldis!
Hey, remember those two BP homeruns I mentioned? Jay Bruce…
…hit one of them right to me and I made the catch on the fly. Thanks to Rocco for identifying Bruce for me later in the day based on that last photo.
See that bat laying on the ground in the photo above to the right? When Reds BP ended, we headed around the RF foul pole and toward home plate. On the way, I took a photo (that photo) of a bat (that bat) sitting on the ground in the Mariners' bullpen. I took the photo for the sole purpose of zooming in on the picture to see whose name was on the bat. So click on that photo and check it out: it was Jay Bruce's bat. That's odd.
As we approached the infield, the Reds grounds crew removed the cage and screens from the field. What was this all about? It was very confusing. It was also a bit of a bummer because this was only our second Mariners game of the season and the Mariners didn't take BP before our first game either.
Anyway, we decided to grab some food for the boys and head over to the third base side…
…where the Mariners' position players were stretching. As I took some photos, Tim munched down a hot dog and Kellan worked away on a big soft pretzel:
Funny side note: Kellan ate part of that pretzel while sitting on my shoulders. When he finished, I had to pick big grains of salt out of my hair for the rest of the afternoon.
The lack of BP was actually kind of cool because the Mariners did a modified version of the old fashioned "taking infield and outfield."
While we were watching our M's, a Reds employee with a camera came over and asked if he could take our picture. "Sure," I responded. After he snapped the pic, I asked why he wanted the picture. "It's for the Mariners," he responded. Later in the day, we found out that the Mariners tweeted the picture to over 130,000 people. Here's the M's tweet, and here's another look at it:
After playing catch with Hisashi Iwakuma, Felix Hernandez signed a bunch of autographs:
Tim got him to sign the Jay Bruce homerun ball.
Thanks, King Felix!
I asked Felix why the M's weren't taking BP. He said they had got into Cincinnati around 2:30 in the morning after playing a road game in Texas the previous night and decided not to take BP.
Following the M's warm ups, we got a better photo with Rocco:
And then we wandered around a bit and got some pictures with the Reds piggy bank…
…and a big bobblehead burger guy.
Before the game, the Reds honored Homer Bailey…
…for throwing a no-hitter against the Giants three days earlier.
Here was our view for most of this game, about three rows from the top of section 402:
In the couple of games Tim and I had previously attended at Great American, we'd sat in RF and lower LF. We once visited the upper deck in LF, but never watched game from up there. I'll tell you though, I loved it. For an "upper deck," it's not very high up there and the view is great. Plus, we had a nice view of Kentucky across the river and a great breeze. As an added bonus, at the back of the upper deck, there are covered seats to either shade you from the sun or keep you dry in the rain. The LF upper deck at Great American Ball Park definitely gets my seal of approval.
The pitching match-up was Aaron Harang vs. Mike Leake. I wasn't a big fan of the match-up. But sometimes a struggling pitcher can pull out a better-than-normal performance when facing his old team. That's what I hoped for from Harang.
We dropped our stuff at our seats and watched the first pitch from Leake to Brad Miller:
And then Kellan and I headed down the stairs on our way to get some ice cream for the boys. As we walked down the upper deck stairs, Miller laced the ball down the RF line and coasted in for an easy triple. A great start for the M's!
As Kellan and I ducked into a men's restroom, Nick Franklin stepped to the plate and blasted a 2-run homer. Kellan and I had no clue this had happened. But when we got back to the ice cream place we saw the score – 2-0 Mariners!
When we got back to the seats…
…, Avi informed us about the Franklin homerun.
Harang pitched a scoreless bottom of the first. Then, Michael "The Condor" Saunders hit a leadoff bomb in the top of the second:
Here's one of the reasons I like Brandon Phillips:
Check out that big smile clearly visible from the top of the upper deck in LCF! That's how I like to see guys playing the game, like my favorite player, Ken Griffey, Jr.
In case you were wondering, here was the Mariners outfield for the day:
Michael Saunders in RF, Dustin Ackley in CF and Rauuuuuul Ibanez in LF.
Here's a funny picture with no backstory, just a bunch of funny guys:
And a couple loving brothers:
Tim and Kellan either spend their time trying to annoy one another or hugging and telling each other how much they love the other. Generally, they act like wonderful loving brothers while at baseball games and reserve their annoying each other for play time at home.
Much to my delight, Harang was, indeed, putting a strong performance together against his old squad:
Multiple times before the game and once during the game, I took the boys here…
…for a little kid fun. That table looks like it is covered in sand, but it is really a mixture of different colored bits of rubber chopped up into little grains. There were digging tools and dinosaur skeletons that the kids could dig up. The two big dinosaurs standing behind the boys in the picture above to the left felt real'ish and they moved around every couple minutes. The one on the right also laid eggs. The boys couldn't get enough of this little dinosaur display.
Before the game started we were hanging out in dinosaur area and another guy wearing Mariners gear asked me if he'd seen us at Pittsburgh. We chatted about it and, indeed, he had seen us in Pittsburgh. His name is Greg. He's a NW Mariners fan transplanted to Detroit. We've kept in touch a bit since running into each other several times this weekend. Good guy, and good Mariners fan.
Last time we were in Cincinnati we failed to get a good picture of the batters' eye boat. So, we got this one:
Back up in section 402, the ballpark looked even better as the sun went down:
Avi agreed, this place is beautiful:
Tim and Kellan both took a bunch of pictures during this game and weekend. Here's Kellan's funniest picture:
I should mention that the Mariners took a 4-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning when Michael Saunders hit a sacrifice fly to LF scoring Kyle Seager.
In the top of the fifth inning, Brad Miller made some Great American Ball Park history when he hit his second triple of the game. In over 800 games, it was the first time that a player had hit two triples in a game at GABP. Pretty cool.
In the bottom of the fifth, Shin-Soo Choo hit an RBI-double to put the Reds on the board.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Reds capped the scoring for the day when Joseph Votto blasted a leadoff homerun to CF. That made the score 4-2 Mariners.
Late in the game, we got split up from Avi for a while. When we connected on the phone, he said he was in a SRO area near home plate with Rocco. We decided we should go over there. Thinking (correctly) that we might not make it back to section 402, we got a picture of Tim at the bottom of 402 on our way out (Kellan didn't want to get off my shoulders to get in the picture):
This was our view in the SRO area:
When we arrived at the SRO area, Avi was nowhere to be found. Ends up, we'd left section 402 to meet up with him and he left the SRO area to meet up with him in section 402.
Eventually, we did all meet up at the SRO area. They make you stand at the top of the stairs. Eventually, we move down the stairs at stood at the corner of the cross aisle. The ushers didn't really do anything about it so we stayed there a bit.
Heading into the bottom of the eight, the Mariner brought in Charlie Furbush who blew away Zack Cozart, Joey…
…Votto, and Brandon Phillips, 1-2-3.
When Rocco came by, he headed down the cross aisle toward the outfield. We all followed him and ended up here for the ninth inning:
Check out that guy's Johnny Bench jersey. That's sweet.
Ollie Perez nailed down a great Mariners Win!
We ended up in near-perfect position for a umpire ball, but didn't get one. But when we moved to the other end of the M's dugout, Jaime Navarro tossed this one to Tim:
Avi, the boys and I pulled up some from row seats…
…for the post-game firework show:
The very first fireworks show of Tim's life was at Great American Ball Park and it was awesome. However, since then, we've seen a fireworks show at Progressive Field, and absolutely nothing stacks up to the Indians' fireworks shows. They are incredible But this was a nice show for the boys. They love all fireworks shows.
After fireworks, we got one more picture with Rocco…
…, one more group shot of us four roadtrippers…
…, some mire image shots with these awesome mosaics…
…, and one with this cool thingy inset on the floor of the concourse behind home plate:
And then we headed off to the team store so Avi could buy a bunch of bobbleheads. In the team store, Tim posed with a huge World Series trophy:
Finally, we walked back to our hotel a few blocks away…
…where Kellan hid under a pillow, both boys acted silly for a while, and then we all called it a night.
Go Mariners!
2013 C&S Fan Stats
|15 Games
|17 Teams – Mariners, Royals, Phillies, Red Sox, Rays, Orioles, Yankees, Dodgers, Reds, Nationals, Marlins, Pirates, Blue Jays, Twins, Tigers, Mets, Brewers
|28 Ice Cream Helmets – Phillies (jumbo) 2, Phillies (normal) 2, Red Sox 2, Yankees 2, Orioles 4, Nationals 2, Pirates 2, Blue Jays 2, Tigers 6, Mets 2, Reds 2
|72 Baseballs – Mariners 8, Royals 4, Phillies 11, Rays 2, Orioles 7, Dodgers 1, Umpires 7, Reds 8, Nationals 1, Marlins 4, Pirates 1, Blue Jays 2, Twins 3, Tigers 1, Mets 3, Yankees 2, Brewers 2, Red Sox 6
|10 Stadiums – Citizens Bank Park 2, Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium, Camden Yards, Nationals Park, PNC Park, Rogers Centre, Comerica Park, Citi Field, Great American Ball Park
|32 Player+ Photos – Oliver Perez, Lucas Luetge, Hisashi Iwakuma, Carter Capps, Daniel Nava, Alex Wilson, Andrew Bailey, Pedro Ciriaco, Mike Carp 2, Koji Uehara, Will Middlebrooks, Joel Hanrahan, Jonny Gomes, Alfredo Aceves, Clayton Mortensen, Rick Anderson, Tom Gorzelanny, Joe Savery, Jonathan Pettibone, Carlos Ruiz, Charlie Manuel, Justin DeFratus, Ryan Howard, Ben Revere, Larry Anderson, Gary "Sarge" Matthews Sr., Kyle Kendrick, Ryne "HOF 2005" Sandberg, Michael Stutes, Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Rowland-Smith
|10 Autograph – Hisashi Iwakuma 2 (English & Japanese), Carter Capps, Ryan Hanigan, Jesus Tiamo, Mike Carp 2, Ryan Rowland-Smith 2, Felix Hernandez


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Ken Cooper, Cultural Consultant for Fish, Timber and Wildlife of the Lummi Tribe of Washington state, listens to the "trees as they talk to one another, the songs in the wind, the stories of the pathway that started a long time ago…When I come back I play the song that I hear floating on the wind and play the feeling that I hear coming out of those trees that are pained, that know they're going to be cut down. They do talk. They have a lot to teach us. Anybody who goes in the mountains and sees beauty has a form of healing."
I've been listening to the wind though I'm not yet sufficiently silent to form sense out of the sound. The sound of the breeze among the tree tops captures my attention as sharply as the cawing of crows. I understand neither but I know intuitively that something is being communicated. Somewhere I read that the song of trees has been recorded between 50 and 500 kilohertz, well above the 20 kilohertz limit of human hearing.
There is also a wind song that is audible. In Heaven's Breath, Lyall Watson wrote "Redwoods and cypress tend to build up a dense background of white sound, casuarinas exaggerate shamelessly, amplifying the easiest sea breeze into an incipient gale; but the virtuoso performers are undoubtedly the broad-needled pines." Minute eddies and ripples form to leeward of each pine needle, the turbulence creating a whisper on the wind. All the small sounds gather to form a thunderous chorus in a gale. The Japanese make pilgrimages to listen to the sound of a dry gale in the pine forests. They call it matsukaze, the wind that knows the song of the pines. Matsukaze (literally, wind in the pines) evokes among the Japanese a feeling of exquisite solitude and melancholy.

subset: commoncrawl


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For people who don't sew (or don't want to), no-sew projects are a dream come true. No-Sew Fabric Decor is the first book that tells how to create real window treatments, chair covers, bed and bath, pillows, and home accessories without sewing a single stitch. Its step-by-step projects make it easy to transform a room armed only with a glue gun, staple gun, fusible web, grommets, Velcro, and other no-sew techniques.
Home decor sewing expert Pamela Hastings has adapted the most popular d¬cor projects to become no-sew. Her 35 original designs include window treatments, seat covers, decorator pillows, lampshades, padded headboard, duvet cover, bed canopy, tablecloths, shower curtains, even an armoire. Each project has been photographed on location, and how-to steps are illustrated with beautiful watercolor drawings.
No-Sew Fabric Decor is a breakthrough book in home decorating because it opens up a new market: people with a home to decorate, but no ability or desire to sew. The no-sew approach has wide appeal. It's perfect for a man or woman decorating a dorm room, first apartment, or vacation home, but it's also a smart way to turn top-end fabrics into elegant soft furnishings. It's for people who don't own a sewing machine, but it's also for sewers attracted to these timesaving ideas. At last, here's a book for all the no-sewers among us!


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Another battle will rage over Wilderness Battlefield on Tuesday, with pens this time, not swords.
The fight is over a proposed 143,000-square-foot Walmart superstore, slated to be built in Orange County, Virginia. Walmart and many residents of the area say the store will bring jobs and tax revenue to an area that already has some retail development.
Walmart's opponents are asking the Arkansas company to go find a site a little farther away from Civil War history to put their new store.
In 1864, 185,000 Union and Confederate troops fought at Wilderness Battlefield. Thirty-five thousand soldiers died, were injured, or went missing after the three day battle. Many historians call the engagement a turning point in the war.
The new Walmart store is slated to open 1 mile from the entrance of the national park entrance to the battleground site.
Some big names in history have mustered up against the retailer. James McPherson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, and noted documentary maker Ken Burns, and Hollywood actor Robert Duvall have all spoken out publicly against the proposed Orange County store. The group Friends of Wilderness Battlefield have also taken a lead role in protesting the store.
In 2009, a local planning commission gave Walmart the green light for the store on this site. Opponents argue that the commission did not properly consider the history of the site, which is why the two sides will meet in court Tuesday.
Plaintiff's attorney Robert D. Rosenbaum said he plans on bringing descendants of Civil War veterans to testify.
Walmart says it was being sensitive to historical concerns when it decided upon the Orange County site. "We believe the board made a careful and thoughtful decision," spokesperson Bill Wertz said, "that balances historic preservation concerns with the need for economic development."
New Walmart stores have a way of attracting opposing voices. This week, a group in Washington protested 4 proposed new stores in the District.


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Anna Maria Stanhope, the Duchess of Bedford, is credited for the creation of the now world-renowned afternoon tea. In the 1800's evening meals were progressively served later and this left the Duchess suffering from a "sinking feeling" each afternoon at about four o'clock. Initially, the Duchess asked her servants to sneak a pot of tea and a few breadstuffs to replenish herself.
Miles of un-spoilt countryside, tea gardens and wild flowers in spring create the setting for Elgin. Let the region work its magic on you, as you explore little known paths and follow tracks into the forest. We have mapped out trails that suit everyone, so you could go on a challenging walk, stroll along woodland lanes or take a route that offers a glimpse of colonial history.
Enjoy a romantic three course Sikkimese dinner prepared and served in the traditional way by our signature Chef who once worked as the personal Chef to the Late King of Sikkim in the Royal Palace Kitchen. The magical setting of the Shangri-La dining room with the wood paneling, chandeliers and lithographs add to its old-world elegance and charm. Your dinner will start with a hot chimney soup and the Tongba (a traditional local millet beer) freshly fermented in front of you with hot water. A reservation can now be made at the Elgin Nor-Khill reception and the meal can be included as part of your meal plan should you desire to stay on the American Plan (Full board) or the Modified American Plan (Half Board) at the Elgin Nor-Khill Gangtok.


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text:
Le Fils a Jo
For over one hundred years the Canavaro family has been devoted to rugby. Like everyone in the family, Jo Canavaro believes that rugby is a way for him to express his strength and virility. Thus, he can`t understand why his own 13 year-old son, Tom, isn`t crazy about rugby. Even worse, Tom is better at mathematics than he is on the field. After too many disappointments, Tom decides to give up rugby and to abandon his dream of joining the famous All Blacks. At the same time, his father decides to rebuild their village team in order to restore his family's honour. He will do everything he can to convince his son to play in the team.
1hr 35mins long
PG Contains low level offensive language.
Vincent Moscato
Olivier Marchal
Gerard Lanvin


text:
Casualties in the Trenches
The precise number of people killed during the First World War is difficult to measure. Estimates vary from 8.5 to 12.0 million but with the collapse of government bureaucracies in Russia, Germany, Austria-Hungary and Turkey accurate measurement becomes impossible.
Another problem involves the way death was defined. Most governments only published figures for men who were killed during military action. Soldiers who died slowly from their wounds, gas poisoning or disease, did not always appear in the statistics published after the war.
Most soldiers were killed during major offensives. Over 21,300 were killed on the first day of the Somme and over 50 per sent of those who took part in the attack were wounded. Other major offences such as those at Loos and Passchendaele resulted in large numbers being killed.
Being in front-line trenches was also extremely dangerous. Almost every day some enemy artillery shells would fall on the trenches. One study suggested that one-third of all casualties on the Western Front were killed or wounded while in the trenches.
There is considerable dispute about the number of civilian deaths during the First World War. Bomb victims, merchant seamen and passengers on torpedoed ships were recorded. However, the number of civilians killed by disease or war deprivation are not usually included. For example, it is believed that about 500,000 German civilians died as a result of food shortages. Other countries that suffered high civilian deaths include Russia (2 million), Serbia (650,000) and Rumania (500,000). Considering the state of deprivation at the time, some commentators believe that the estimated 70 million people that died during the influenza pandemic should also be recorded as war deaths.
Primary Sources
(1) Stuart Cloete, A Victorian Son (1972)
As you lifted a body by its arms and legs, they detached themselves from the torso, and this was not the worst thing. Each body was covered inches deep with a black fur of flies, which flew up into your face, into your mouth, eyes and nostrils as you approached. The bodies crawled with maggots. The bodies had the consistency of Camembert cheese.
(2) Letter from Roland Leighton to Vera Brittain (August, 1915)
Among this chaos of twisted iron and splintered timber and shapeless earth are the fleshless, blackened bones of simple men who poured out their red, sweet wine of youth unknowing, for nothing more tangible than Honour or their Country's Glory or another's Lust of Power. Let him who thinks that war is a glorious golden thing, who loves to roll forth stirring words of exhortation, invoking Honour and Praise and Valour and Love of Country. Let him look at a little pile of sodden grey rags that cover half a skull and a shine bone and what might have been its ribs, or at this skeleton lying on its side, resting half-crouching as it fell, supported on one arm, perfect but that it is headless, and with the tattered clothing still draped around it; and let him realise how grand and glorious a thing it is to have distilled all Youth and Joy and Life into a foetid heap of hideous putrescence.
(3) George Mallory, letter to his wife, Ruth Mallory (15th August, 1916)
I don't object to corpses so long as they are fresh - I soon found that I could reason thus with them. Between you and me is all the difference between life and death. But this is an accepted fact that men are killed and I have no more to learn about that from you, and the difference is no greater than that because your jaw hangs and your flesh changes colour or blood oozes from your wounds. With the wounded it is
different. It always distresses me to see them.
(4) Charles Chaplin, My Autobiography (1964)
At the beginning of the First World War, popular opinion was that it would not last more than four months, that the science of modern warfare would take such a ghastly toll of human life that mankind would demand cessation of such barbarism. But we were mistaken. We were caught in an avalanche of mad destruction and brutal slaughter that went on for four years to the bewilderment of humanity. We had started a hemorrhage of world proportion, and we could not stop it.
Sir Philip Sassoon had been official secretary to Lloyd George during the war. He had a seat in Parliament representing Brighton and Hove, and asked if I would accompany him to a hospital in Brighton to visit the incurable spastic cases who had been wounded during the war. It was terribly sad to look into those young faces and to see the lost hope there. One man was so paralyzed that he painted with a brush in his mouth, the only part of his body he could use. Another had fists so clenched that he had to be given an anesthetic in order to cut his finger-nails to prevent them from growing into the palms of his hands. Some patients were in such a terrible state that I was not allowed to see them.
(5) A.A. Milne, It's Too Late Now: The Autobiography of a Writer (1939)
Ernest Pusch wore an under-garment of chain mail... such as had been worn in the Middle Ages to guard against unfriendly daggers, and was now sold to over-loving mothers as likely to turn a bayonet-thrust or keep off a stray fragment of shell; as I suppose, it might have done.... Anyway it didn't matter; for on the evening when we first came within reach of the battle-zone, just as he was settling down to his tea, a shell came over and blew him to pieces.
(6) Basil Rathbone, In and Out of Character (1956)
We retired late, full of good food and Scotch whiskey. We shared my bed and were soon sound asleep. It was still dark when I awakened from a nightmare. I had just seen John killed. I lit the candle beside my bed and held it to my brother's face - for some moments I could not persuade myself that he was not indeed dead. At last I heard his regular gentle breathing. I kissed him and blew out the candle and lay back on my pillow again. But further sleep was impossible. A tremulous premonition haunted me - a premonition which even the dawn failed to dispel. (John Rathbone was killed in the trenches a few days later.)
(7) William Orpen, letter to Grace Orpen (15th April 1917)
I cannot describe the impression I have formed from what I have already seen - that such a machine has been going on in over 2 years and growing bigger everyday is past comprehension, it makes one look on human beings as a different breed than one had ever imagined them before, the nobility and self sacrifice are beyond understanding. The whole thing is fine noble and bold.
Of course there is the other side, today when I had finished work, I went over some country that was really terrible, it was fought over last about 3 weeks ago, everything is left practically as it was, they have now started to bury the dead in some parts of it Germans and English mixed, this consists of throwing some mud over the bodies as they lie, they don't even worry to cover them altogether arms and feet showing in lots of cases.
The whole country is obliterated. In miles and miles nothing left at all except shell holes full of water you pick your way between them or jump at times, miles and miles of shell holes bodies rifles steel helmets gas helmets and all kinds of battered clothes, German and English, dud shells and wire, all and everything white with mud, and one feels the horrors the water in the shell holes is covering - and not a living soul anywhere near, a truly terrible peace in the new and terribly modern desert - it was a relief to get back to the road and people.
The roads behind the line are wonderful one moving mass of men, horses, mules, ammunition, guns food, fodder, pontoons and every imaginable kind of war material all struggling in one steady stream up these battered thoroughfares, all white with mud halting and struggling on again at regular intervals it is a wonderful sight full of grim determination.


text:
You'll find a number of budget hotels in Oranjestad along the water, in the downtown area, and within easy reach of the beaches. Affordable hotels near the downtown area include the Wonders Boutique Hotel, a 3-star property, and the Aruba Blue Village resort, an inexpensive resort hotel located on Cunucu Abao about two miles away. When traveling during off-peak season, you may be able secure low rates at chain properties such as the Radisson Aruba Resort Casino & Spa Palm Beach, and at the Divi Aurba Phoenix Beach Resort.
When flying in to Reina Beatrix Airport, consider staying at a hotel or resort located within a couple of miles of the main terminal. Smaller, boutique properties such as the Andicuri Inn and the Littledavid Guesthouse are located within a few miles of the airport and offer basic amenities in a cozier environment. Stay at the Solar Villa or the Wonders Boutique Hotel for a more intimate atmosphere and laid-back setting.
The best time to visit Oranjestad on a budget is in early December, right before high season during the holidays. You can find hotel rates ranging from $110+ USD for budget hotels and $300+ USD for luxury hotels and resorts on Friday and Saturday nights. Traveling in the middle of the week during low season can also help to save on the cost of accommodations. Avoid carnival season in February and Easter in April if you want to save money.
© 2019 Hipmunk® and Concur® Hipmunk® are trademarks of Hipmunk, Inc. and Concur Technologies, Inc.


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text:
The girl who nearly ran over a cliff in the army
A review of 'The People of Forever Are Not Afraid,' the debut novel of Shani Boianjiu, a 25-year-old Harvard grad from northern Israel
"A true war story is never moral," Tim O'Brien wrote in his semi-fictional Vietnam classic, "The Things They Carried." "It does not instruct, nor encourage virtue, nor suggest models of proper human behavior."
O'Brien's words could easily serve as an epigraph to Shani Boianjiu's blistering debut novel, "The People of Forever Are Not Afraid," or as a warning label affixed to its jacket. A true war story, wrote O'Brien, does not "restrain men from doing the things men have always done." In "The People of Forever Are Not Afraid," Boianjiu asks what happens when the people doing the things men have always done are not men at all, but rather 18-year-old girls.
In this case, those girls are Yael, Avishag, and Lea, about to graduate from their small high school in a dusty development town on the northern border and — by law, as well as by rite of passage — join the Israeli Defense Forces. It is 2005 and they don't yet know that the status quo with their neighbor Lebanon will soon devolve into war.
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These aren't the eager-eyed, ideology-driven female soldiers of early Zionist lore, singing pioneer songs while standing guard late into the night. These are girls who watch "Sex and the City" reruns, know every episode of "Dawson's Creek" by memory, and wear knockoff Prada sunglasses. With their petty jealousies and body image problems, Boianjiu knows these girls well — perhaps because she was so recently one of them herself. Boianjiu completed her requisite two years of army service in 2007, before enrolling as a student at Harvard, where she wrote some of the book's early chapters.
Given that so much of her character's cultural frame of reference is American, it is fitting that Boianjiu wrote this book in English, a language over which she displays a blunt-edged mastery. Although she referred to this choice as an "accident" in an interview with The New York Times' Art Beats blog, she also acknowledged that doing so "forced me to think carefully about every word I used." Like her characters, Boianjiu's voice is confident and awkward at the same time, bearing traces of the cadence of her mother tongue.
One of the book's central themes is the rift between the characters' lives as Ordinary Teenage Girls and the demands placed on them by virtue of a collective identity they did not choose. Indeed, Boianjiu's protagonists don't question the fact of their conscription and initially try to succeed in the tasks set before them. But the pressures of military service quickly push them to their breaking points.
In an early scene, Avishag and her fellow conscripts are called one by one into a tent filled with teargas, where their commanders ask them the following questions, first with, then without, their gas masks:
"Do you love the army?"
"Do you love the country?"
"Who do you love more, your mother or father?"
"Are you afraid to die?"
The goal of the exercise, Avishag understands, is "to train you not to panic." Indeed, she is able to answer all of these questions and more, until finally the poisonous gas overcomes her and she runs out of the tent, tasting blood and gasping for air.
"I run and I run, until arms catch me midair… when I can finally see again, through the water in my eyes, I see where I was heading: the cliff. It was my commander's arms that grabbed me."
In a way, this scene sets the tone for the whole book: These girls just want to do their service and get it over with, but they can't — at least not with their identities and humanity intact.
As Boianjiu writes, the biggest threat to girls in the military is not physical, but spiritual and psychological:
"If you are a boy and you go into the army, one thing that can happen is that you can die. The other thing that can happen is that you can live. If you are a girl and you go into the army you probably won't die. You might send reservists to die in a war. You might suppress demonstrations at checkpoints. But you probably won't die."
Indeed, as the stories accumulate, it becomes disturbingly clear that the threats Boianjiu's protagonists face are in some ways more insidious than those facing their male counterparts — a threat not to their lives, but to their most basic sense of themselves and to the women they hope to become. These are Avishag's words to her commanding officer as he allows yet another truck crammed with trafficked young Eastern European women to cross the border into Israel: "'I won't let you do this to me,' Avishag said, and she grabbed Nadav by the arm. 'You don't know who I am. I am nothing like this.'"
It's been widely noted that Boianjiu's first book is not exactly a novel, despite calling itself one. It is rather a collection of loosely linked stories, some far more developed than others. In the best of them, Boianjiu writes not only from the perspective of one of her three protagonists, but gets inside the skins of the people they encounter.
In the story "Checkpoint," Lea imagines the marriage and home life of Fadi, a Palestinian man trying to cross into Israel from the West Bank for day work. In "People That Don't Exist," the points of view alternate between Avishag and the Sudanese girl who hurls herself onto a barbed-wire fence while she stands guard. And in the book's most complex and layered story, we witness not only Avishag's defiance of military authority but also those of the Egyptian soldiers who are watching her from their own guard tower across the border. It is a testament to Boianjiu's skill as a writer that these renderings never feel precious or sentimental.
In her interview with The New York Times, Boianjiu listed "The Things They Carried" as an inspiration for her work. This is evident not only in the fact that she shares with O'Brien the task of writing about unpopular military operations, but in the economy and directness of her prose.
"It wasn't right," a character reflects in "1.5 Bedrooms in Tel Aviv," the bleakest story in a book full of bleak stories. "It had never been right, this whole seventy-year-long war. He had never realized that before now."
But while O'Brien published his episodic masterpiece in his early forties, two decades after he stopped being a soldier, at 25, Boianjiu's military service is still fresh. Her age alone has conferred upon her semi-celebrity status, followed by the predictable backlash.
"There is a chance that the most talked-about author of the year will be Shani Boianjiu," Maya Sela recently wrote in Haaretz, "even if we're not talking about her for literary reasons."
Of course, it's not every day that a girl from the northern town of Kfar Vradim with a population of some 5,000 people follows her army service with a degree from Harvard, an international book deal and interviews with The New York Times. And yet, Boianjiu is a writer who should be talked about for literary reasons, not the least of which is that her stories refuse to submit to moral clichés.
"If a story seems moral," O'Brien admonishes in "The Things They Carried," "do not believe it." Indeed, by the time I finished "The People of Forever Are Not Afraid," I had long since given up on discovering a moral within its pages. And at some point, I also had to abandon any hope of finding out how things turn out for Yael, Avishag, and Lea. There are no tidy endings here, nor are we offered the palliative of distinct character arcs. When I closed the final page, there was only a lingering sense of sadness and unease, which is probably as it should be.
Click here for an exclusive excerpt from "The People of Forever Are Not Afraid" in The Times of Israel's Book of The Times corner.
The Times of Israel covers one of the most complicated, and contentious, parts of the world. Determined to keep readers fully informed and enable them to form and flesh out their own opinions, The Times of Israel has gradually established itself as the leading source of independent and fair-minded journalism on Israel, the region and the Jewish world.
We've achieved this by investing ever-greater resources in our journalism while keeping all of the content on our site free.
Unlike many other news sites, we have not put up a paywall. But we would like to invite readers who can afford to do so, and for whom The Times of Israel has become important, to help support our journalism by joining The Times of Israel Community. Join now and for as little as $6 a month you can both help ensure our ongoing investment in quality journalism, and enjoy special status and benefits as a Times of Israel Community member.


text:
The process of preparing taxes can be a tiring and time-consuming one and this is the main reason why many people resort to professional assistance. Instead of spending hours dealing with your taxes, you can leave this task in the hands of a specialist and take a burden of your shoulders. Because there are so many tax preparers on the market, it can be rather difficult to make a decision. When it comes to tax preparation Tucson Arizona, there are few things you should keep in mind before choosing a tax preparer or another. A few tips might help you make your final decision.
Probably the most important detail to pay attention to is experience. Because the financial laws are undergoing constant changes, you need to work with a person that has a thorough financial understanding. When hiring an experienced specialist, you will be certain that the services received are adequate ones. An experienced tax prepare will know exactly how to take care of your taxes by the book and will have the financial knowledge necessary. Check out this aspect before hiring a particular preparer.
Certified specialist
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Many people choose to prepare their taxes themselves because they are not willing to pay someone to do it. Even though hiring a financial expert requires spending some extra money, it will certainly be worth it. The usual fees of tax preparation are not that high, so you will be able to afford hiring a specialist. Research the topic beforehand and find out which the normal asking price is. This way, you will avoid being overcharged. You can easily find affordable tax preparation services just by searching online.
If you have still not decided if a certain tax preparer is a suitable choice, you can ask for references. Knowing that other people were satisfied with the services received will give a feeling of confidence and will make your decision easier. Check the company's website and see if you can find any detail concerning this aspect, if not, you can simply ask for references. Make sure you keep all of these details in mind to be certain that you are receiving the best services for your money. Leave your taxes in the hands of a professional and avoid any stress or worries whatsoever. A reliable and trust-worthy company that specializes in tax preparation, such as The Affordable Tax Man, will handle every detail necessary to prepare your taxes in a professional way. After you have everything figured out, you can start searching for the right tax preparer.


text:
Gloucester 2022
More information about the 2022 festival coming soon
Last Gloucester festival: 26 July - 3 August 2019
Download the Preview Flyer here
Welcome from the Artistic Director
Themes and anniversaries aren't necessarily the best influences on successful programmes, but I couldn't ignore the 150th anniversary of the death of Hector Berlioz, the most strikingly original musical figure of the first half of the 19th century. We honour his memory on the opening night with La damnation de Faust: an overwhelming work which is part cantata, part opera, and part orchestral fantasy, featuring a stellar cast of soloists. We also feature Berlioz's dynamic overture Le Carnival Romain, and his orchestral song cycle Les Nuits d'été.
We're offering a cornucopia of wonderful choral-orchestral classics: Vaughan Williams' A Sea Symphony, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Rachmaninov's All-Night Vigil (from Ex Cathedra), Karl Jenkins' The Armed Man (Festival Youth Choir) and the UK concert premiere of Mendelssohn's arrangement of Handel's Israel in Egypt. Where else could you find all these works in a single festival, except at Three Choirs? We're thrilled to have the Philharmonia Orchestra as our resident orchestra again; but also to have a visit from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, who give a centenary performance of Elgar's Cello Concerto, and a revival of John Joubert's 2010 Festival commission An English Requiem.
2019 sees the 60th birthday of another of our greatest living composers, Sir James Macmillan, whose music is at the forefront of modern trends, yet still accessible to all listeners. The Three Cathedral Choirs will be broadcasting an Evensong of his music, and John Scott Whiteley will premiere Macmillan's latest organ work. Another noteworthy commission is Bob Chilcott's Christmas Oratorio, which will be performed by the Three Cathedral Choirs, paired in the concert with Britten's matchlessly beautiful Ceremony of Carols.
With chamber music, song recitals, community music events, late night entertainment of many kinds, and good weather, we can guarantee that the Gloucester festival of 2019 will be an exciting week, with something for everybody!
Adrian Partington
Artistic Director


text:
Dear CIF Users,
We are now entering a new phase by definitely switching to the new booking system.
As a result, you will now have to authentify yourself on the corresponding booking page itself using your UNIL credentials, and only there (no more login on the website itself).
We remind you that this will work only for users already having a UNIL account, and have been using the CIF platform within the last year.
New users or those who haven't used the platform in more that a year will have to wait a little until our new registration process has been completed.
The CIF Staff
Shortened version:
- Use your UNIL account to book system with the new reservation sites from August the 8th and on.
- Use your UNIL account to log on CIF machines
- Use your UNIL account to log on the ATHENA file server. Your data is now located in a folder under \\ATHENA\UserData\YourUNILAccount
- The CIF domain will cease to exist at August the 10th.
- To be able to use the services mentioned above, you'll need to register your UNIL account to the CIF. This procedure is not yet possible, so we ask you to wait.
Dear CIF
Some of you
have probably already heard that the CIF is undergoing a major IT change by
migrating all its infrastructure from a separate domain to join the UNIL's new
unique domain, AD. Here are the details of what will happen and how:
What is the point of this domain MIGRATION?
There are
many benefits, for both users and the CIF staff:
For Users
only one account to manage (passwords, expiration, …)
able to log on our servers and devices with your UNIL account
devices with you UNIL account
able to easily transfer data across both UNIL's and CIF's storage solutions
For the CIF platform
management of the CIF services
management outsourced to UNIL's services
hardware/os to maintain (servers and domain
user registration process
There are
also benefits for the UNIL's IT with a domain much easier to maintain and much
more robust and secure.
So how will this migration process impact your
daily work at the CIF?
As soon as
the CIF domain will be demoted, you won't be able to use any of the services
linked to your CIF account: bookings on the website, access to the ATHENA file
server, login on computers attached to the microscopes.
In place
for all these services or an equivalent, you will have to use your UNIL
*** Attention please: New registrations are not yet
possible at this time. We will keep you informed whenever we are ready to
accept new users. ***
For current CIF users
You have
nothing to do: either you already have a UNIL account, or a new one has been
created just for you. In this case you should have received by regular mail
your credentials and the procedure on how to activate your account.
Your account
has also already been added in the CIF users group, granting you access to the
servers, the microscopes, and the new booking system.
For new users: What If you already have a
UNIL account?
If you
weren't a CIF user within the past year, you will have to ask your local CIF
manager to register your account at the CIF.
For new users: What if you don't have a UNIL
account yet (CHUV or external users)?
If you
haven't any account yet, you will have to ask the creation of your account
using the following form:
this form
is also available on this page:
Once your
demand has been processed, you will get your new credentials sent via regular
mail to the address you have indicated. You will then be able to activate your
UNIL account following the instructions mentioned in the same mail.
You will
then have to ask your local CIF manager to register your account at the CIF.
It's important to note that every question
related to your account (password, expiration, rights, etc…) will now be
handled by UNIL's IT department. If you experience some issues, please contact
the hotline.
bookings until the 7Th of August, you should still use your old CIF
account to log on the website itself, and access the regular booking system of
your platform. You won't be able to place new reservation after this date.
1. Login on the web site (valid until the 8th of August)
2. Select one of the Old booking sites
3. Proceed as usual.
For current users
If you log
on any computer using your AD account, you should in principle have access to
the ATHENA file server by the usual means (using windows explorer for
Your new
home account has been already created, along with all your data if you already
had some.
If you want
to use the web interface, or mount your folder as a network drive, simply use
you UNIL credentials (no need to specify CIF\ or AD\).
For new users
registering to the CIF you will receive a conformation email, along with a
description on how to access our servers
In short:
From now on, log on CIF machines using your UNIL account, and go to \\ATHENA\UserData\ to locate your new folder.
previous CIF users, your old CIF accounts have been mapped to your new ones
(matching has been done manually), so nothing to worry about. For example,
CIF\JohnDoe123 (CIF account) and AD\JohnDoe456 (UNIL account) will be
recognized as the same user by the billing system.
New users
will have to fill a form to specify which group or organization they belong to,
and how they want to be billed. This form is part of the CIF registration
process, and as such, is not yet available at the present time.
The end of the CIF Domain
We have
scheduled a complete
CIF domain shutdown the 10th of August. After this date,
the CIF domain will no longer exist.
what if I still have questions ?
Please send an email to
The ATHENA file server will be shut down and unreachable on Friday, June the 10th, the whole day.
If you plan to use the CIF resources this particular day, please make sure you bring your own storage solution (USB hard drive, flashdrive, etc..) or that you have access to another network location. Do not store your files locally.
We apologize for the inconvenience,
The CIF Staff.
Dear CIF users,
Please find below the program of the nex CIF workshops.
Limited places available, so make sure to register to Jean-Yves Chattons at
Lectures will be given in english, and the students of the doctoral schools (neuroscience, FBM, etc.) can validate their participation to a workshop as one seminar for their credits.
The CIF Staff
Many CIF users have trouble dealing with the CZI files endoded with JPEG XR from the slide scannner. Here's a wrkflow you can use for your images:
Carl Zeiss offers a free software to handle CZI files acquired using the Zeiss Axioscan Z1 slide scanner.
It comes as a zipped folder. Just unpack it and use the "CZItoTIFFBatchConverter.exe" program.
Please read carefully the PDF manual included to understand how it works
Tested and working on Windows 7 X64 with default options. You can open the BigTIFF files in Photoshop, make your adjustements, and export them in whatever format you'd like from there.
You can download it below or in the downloads section, as a registered user.


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BlogPress SEO plugin for WordPress Could Be Bad SEO
According to the folks at Yoast and Mtekk, the WordPress plugin does have some features...in fact, it has features that you don't want, including back doors that allow WordPress authors to bypass the login screen, and get into the admin area of your blog.
Matt Cutts, head of the web spam team at Google, even put out a warning via Twitter. Thus far the plug-in isn't listed in the WP plugins repository, which shows that the WordPress folks are on the ball.
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This Spring/Summer, Soie brings you lingerie in a beautiful breeze of colours, patterns and shapes. ..
Hailey Baldwin appeared in a shoot this week in an array of lingerie and nightwear looking super sexy. The model ..
Megan fox has posed for her raunchiest photoshoot yet by stripping off to model sexy lingerie for the underwear ..
Kendall Jenner is sure to steal a few looks and hearts as she strips down to her skivvies in her latest ..
A setting that is replete with history, heritage and bygone era, that spelled royal elegance and oozed ..
Celestial stunner Kimberley garner looks heaven-sent as she dons angel wings by the poolside. The former made ..
Embrace a trend that's so transeasonal. Soie has brought to you pixelated printed bras which are so beautiful ..
Rocket Internet, the German internet venture builder, may have made certain miscalculations while doing ..
Tackle your villains with the ultimate Batman nightwear collection launched by Soie. Every comic fan should ..
In a very short time Lyra has turned out to be most desirable and sought after women's wear brand in the country. ..
Online fashion brand FabAlley has raised $2 million in a Series A round of funding from India Quotient, existing ..
As an insight to consumer behaviour, many believe that buying and wearing expensive apparel, including lingerie ..
Smelly socks, socks with an ankle hole or thumb hole, socks with bad quality elastics etc have been a common ..
The Success and Styling behind Suman Nathwani "Any woman who loves to sleep in her second ..


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art event in the most famous
shopping mall of the Netherlands
20 June–22 September 2013
|Opening hours:
|12-18 uur
|10-18 uur
|10-18 uur
|10-21 uur
|10-18 uur
|10-18 uur
|12-18 uur
Do it yourself
After seeing all the artworks, you can get to work yourself in our Studio. The Studio – a concept of the Centraal Museum – stands on the Jaarbeursplein and is intended for young and old alike. Inside there are tables with all kinds of materials for you to work with. Try to capture your idea about Hoog Catharijne in a Catharijne peepbox (a sort of show-box) or in a pinhole photograph. A pinhole photograph is a photo made with a camera that has no lens. A long exposure time is needed and this gives the photographs a great deal of depth and an alienating effect. Participation in both these activities is free. To make a pinhole camera you must be at least 14 years old. You can see an example of a pinhole photograph below.
Families visiting Call of the Mall can collect a special shopping bag from The Studio or the information desk. This contains a variety of objects with which Hoog Catharijne can be viewed and investigated more thoroughly, such as a special magnifying glass. The shopping bag costs 5 euro and is for children between 5 and 12 years of age.
Call of the Mall also offers various guided tours. Click here for the programme.
The Studio is a concept of the Centraal Museum and is organized in collaboration with the museum.


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Family shoots are truly awesome. I love spending time with you and your gang. These shoots are super relaxed and fun. Being able to look at an image and hear your child's laughter, see the love in their eyes, the interaction, that moment frozen in time is what its all about. I believe a home is not a home without the decoration of family photographs hung on the wall.
After all, family is where life begins and love never ends.
All family shoots are held at 10:30am on a day that suits you. These shoots can be held at a location of your choice within Surrey. I can come to your home, meet at your local park, favourite place to take a stroll, or you can take a trip to my private small holding. I welcome you to dress in comfy clothing that compliments each other and your chosen location. Never worry about feeling nervous in front of my camera, I guarantee you will feel at ease and I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve to get your little ones laughing, and participating in the shoot. Shoot fee is £350, please allow 1-2 hours for the shoot.
When it comes to family photography I believe in giving back quality over quantity. On average you will receive between 50-60 images in full resolution, highly edited and presented on a private online gallery with digital download. Collections are dispatched within 2 weeks of shoot day.


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|You are in: Programmes: Breakfast
Tuesday, 25 February, 2003, 11:34 GMT
Breakfast in Malawi
This week on Breakfast, we're showing a special series of reports from Malawi by the actress Claire Sweeney.
She's been there to witness at first hand the work of the Disasters Emergency Committee - which co-ordinates Britain's leading aid charities - in tackling the growing famine and Aids crisis in Southern Africa.
And, to begin the series, we invited Claire and the DEC's Brendan Gormley into our studios for a special live interactive forum.
Claire Sweeney spent a week touring villages and projects designed to help sufferers.
Although $16 million has been raised since appeals for urgent food aid to the region last year, she stressed that more still had to be done.
The money's made a difference but there's still a long way to go.
Claire, who lost a close friend to Aids two years ago, and is patron of an Aids charity, said:
All people are talking about is starvation and hunger.
But the prime factor is Aids. People are too ill to work. That's what's
causing the problem.
Among the heart-breaking scenes she saw on the Save the Children trip were entire families living with the disease and children bloated through malnutrition.
Yet despite the bleak picture, Miss Sweeney said there was still grounds for optimism - educational programmes have been set up and with the people's pride, strength and spirit, they could turn the corner.
Internet links:
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
|E-mail this story to a friend
Links to more Breakfast stories
To BBC Sport>> | To BBC Weather>> | To BBC World Service>>
© MMIII | News Sources | Privacy


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Time for a major catch up! I look every day at the ten or so blogs I like and get a tiny bit irritated when they don't have some miraculous, exciting, encouraging, inspiring or fun post. And yet, I don't take the time and effort to write miraculous, exciting, encouraging, inspiring, fun posts myself. It's often because I don't feel like I should write unless I'm OK in the "eat" department. I'm so far behind that I'm going to do a recap.
I hesitate to talk about weight. It's been, like, four years, [is it four, Tracy?] that I've been trying to be motivated to eat healthy and to exercise post my Weight Watchers 36 pound loss. I just want to be healthy. I don't want to run a marathon or sport bulky triceps. I don't want to weigh less that 140. I don't want to constantly worry about it, either. I just want to wear a size ten, a medium, and feel good about myself. I don't want water in my ankles every single night. I don't want to have diabetes. I don't want to obsess [gee, ya think?] I started 'dieting' in January and ended up gaining about ten pounds. I then started HCG and ended up losing, then gaining. Then about three weeks ago — when Mikelle started exercising and I saw immediate results — I started walking at the school for 15 minutes each day. I was in the PAC and worked the stairs [rather, they worked me!] I started feeling better pretty dang fast. That motivated me to eat better. That motivated me to grocery shop better. That just totally motivated me to be better!
So, hopefully, without jinxing myself I'll just say that I was waaaay up, about 157 and now I'm 150. I've still got my goal set on 140 because at that weight all the charts at least say I'm not obese! Hate that word!!! And I'm fitting back into those same pants I had my eye on four years ago. So that's progress, Yes?
Speaking of recapping . . . Here's what I've done lately.
Easton had his first sleep over. We both slept on the couch in a pile of camping blankets.
Met up with Tracy and friends at Old Spaghetti Factory. I drove Mikelle to SLC for a new do from Famous Sabrina. I watched kids while she beautified. We shopped a little and ate a lot!
Went to Oaklyn's blessing in Logan. This would have been a darling picture but I left my camera in the car and it was extremely foggy. It worked fine later when it didn't matter as much!
There, I'm all caught up. Oh wait. There is more. I've obsessed to the point of physical sickness over the uproar in our district right now. I've talked to both Tracy and Mikelle about it on a daily basis and tried hard to not talk about it on here or facebook. Just know that it is escalating and getting scary! [I'm so proud I haven't eaten myself silly over the whole thing. In fact, the walking and exercising has helped calm my nerves a bit.]


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2017 Program
Back to All Events
Earlier Event: August 5Celebrating the Life of Han Suyin (100th birthday-- 1916/7 to 2012)
Later Event: August 5Multiculturalism As Modeled In Fashion — The Hakka Edge
Use the form on the right to contact us.
You can edit the text in this area, and change where the contact form on the right submits to, by entering edit mode using the modes on the bottom right.
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You can set your address, phone number, email and site description in the settings tab.
Link to read me page with more information.


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The 7th Cooperative Principle is Concern for Community. One of the ways that we demonstrate our commitment to Orcas Island is by investing in causes that are in alignment with our mission and values. We are continuously exploring new ways to give value back to our community and we welcome feedback and ideas from our members as we continue to grow. Below you will find information about our current programs:
Donation and Sponsorship Requests
To apply for product donation or sponsorship for a specific organization or event, please visit our Donation/Sponsorship Request Page.
Sustainable FARM Fund
The Sustainable Food, Agriculture, Relationships and Markets Fund is a grant program that was started in 2015 as a way of giving more direct support to Orcas Island Farmers. Each year the Co-op invites our growers to apply to receive funds to further develop local agriculture. For more information or apply for a FARM Fund grant, please visit the FARM Fund Page.
Co-op Coins for Community
Little contributions can add up! When you bring your own bag to the Co-op you can receive a wooden coin from our cashiers. Use that wooden coin to choose from one of the three community causes. Currently you can donate your coin towards Orcas Community Participatory Agriculture, our FARM Fund or our monthly rotating 3% Thursday recipient. As of August 2017 our Owners and shoppers have saved over 15,800 bags and raised over $800 for community organizations one nickel at a time!
Community Hero Program (formerly 3% Thursday)
The Orcas Food Co-op's Community Hero Program serves as an umbrella for "3% Thursdays," "Register Round Up" and "Coins for Community." Selected organizations will be the recipient of funds gathered through the following:
- 3% Thursday: 3% of the gross receipts on the third Thursday of the month.
- Register Round Up: Shoppers have the opportunity to round up their purchases throughout the entire month.
- Coins for Community: Wooden coins donated when customers bring their own bag.
Organizations are selected for their service to the community in the following areas: local community service organizations, organic food, healthy food for children or seniors, environmentally friendly and sustainable agricultural practices, human rights, environmental preservation and groups with similar missions and values.
We are currently accepting applications. Click here to learn more!


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03 March 2015
WALL ART - jo chambers
I had a wonderful chance recently to work with artist Jo Chambers of Studio Legohead. Jo created portraits of my two cats for me - which you can see in these snaps hanging on my wall. Oxford based Jo has an Etsy shop where she offers custom pet portraits as well as cards and prints. Her latest card range is called Dolled Up Dogs featuring canines with pink cheeks, occasional eyeshadow and various fancy attire! Also new is a bright, abstract and colourful floral collection. You can find Jo online at Etsy here.
Posted by bowie style at 7:59 am
3 comments:
- Emma Schonenberg said...
I just HAD to have Jo design portraits for my girls... She is one TALENTED girl!
- 5:55 pm
- Victoria Johnson said...
Wow!!! Jo!! That all looks so fabulous!!! xxx
- 8:31 am
- Vivayne said...
Jo, you know I love your work! Great job. Great feature Print and Pattern!
- 4:09 pm
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Anna Lidström
The award-winning designer and stylist Anna Lidstrom graduated in 2011 from the Master of Fine Arts program, with specialisation in Fashion Design at the Swedish School of Textiles. Since her graduation she has been engaged in various design research projects dealing with various aspects of sustainability in different fields of design. One of these is the Re:Textile research program at the Swedish school of Textiles where Anna have been responsible, and the artistic leader for the focus area Re:Design over the past 2 years. Since graduating from the MA program Anna has also been supervising Degree works and Specialisation projects in the fashion design bachelor program. Anna have also been giving lectures about design critics and styling.
Parallel to the research work Anna Lidstrom has also successfully developed her own company – Another Studio, through which she has been working as a designer and stylist for major brands including Gina Tricot, Ikea, Louis Vuitton, Vivienne Westwood, Din Sko, Materia, Myrorna and others. Anna Lidstroms own artistic work has been exhibited in Beijing, Taiwan and Tokyo.
Anna Lidstrom also runs the blog - anotherblog.se and the Instagram account @anotherblog.se and @retextile


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"Sweet little Alice Van is as daredevilish a rider as ever came out of the Wild West," LIFE informed its readers in the August 18, 1940, issue of the magazine. "Aboard a savage steer or proudly flaying a bucking bronco she has been the darling of hundreds of U.S. rodeos."
But in late July of that year,at Tijuana's Agua Caliente racetrack, Van "achieved new fame. Wearing borrowed silks and a pair of borrowed jockey pants (two sizes too large), she mounted a cheap claiming horse named Drum Music and rode him to victory by a nose in a revival of Agua Caliente's famous Powder Puff Derby. Behind her as also-rans struggled six other girl jockeys on six other old nags."
Today, at least some of the language used in that brief little feature in LIFE would be utter gibberish to the ears of the vast majority of readers. Silks? What silks? And what on earth is a "cheap claiming horse," anyway? But in 1940, when thoroughbred horse racing was still an incredibly popular sport in the U.S., it's a safe bet that many, and perhaps even most, of the magazine's readers would know exactly what those seemingly arcane phrases meant.
Here, on the 70th anniversary of the March, 1942 founding of the venerable Thoroughbred Racing Associations, LIFE.com offers a lighthearted look at racing back in the day, through the lens of a single race, the "Powder Puff Derby," and half-a-dozen women jockeys, on a scorching summer afternoon at a track in Baja California, Mexico.
Oh, and by the way: "Silks" are the racing outfits worn by jockeys, featuring colors and patterns associated with a horse's stable or owners; a "claiming horse" is a horse that can be bought or "claimed" until shortly before a race.
Liz Ronk, who edited this gallery, is the Photo Editor for LIFE.com. Follow her on Twitter @lizabethronk.


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Six years after the release of FaceFilter Studio 2, Reallusion has once again delivered another pinnacle in beauty enhancement - FaceFilter3. This new, must-have version provides you with the ultimate solution to photo beauty, bringing you perfect skin with natural looks, and a professional make-up system that satisfies all your needs. Moreover, FaceFilter3 allows you to adjust facial expressions, and even reshaping your facial contours. You may even apply filters and image effects to level up the quality.
FaceFilter3 is designed to cater to any daily photo beautifying need. From the hottest fashion, to any party look, to everyday nude make-up for both man and woman, healthy and tanned look, or anti-aging and face slimming, you can always find the right scenario-based template in the content library. Furthermore, the dock-able user interface and control center make your photo beatification retouching faster and simpler.
Naturally evening out your skin is not difficult anymore! The Skin De-oil feature provides a sheer foundation by toning down the shine; the Skin Care function acts as a touch of concealer by smoothening blemishes, while the Skin Texture option gives back the skin a natural look. Retouch for better contours with specially-designed areas, with highlights and shadows that easily help you create model-like contours.
|The Skin Texture option applies healthy pores and provides a non-plastic look after the Skin Smooth process.
FaceFilter3 has a complete make-up system based on professional cosmetic theories. Simply retouch your photos to make you look better in any event. With more than 20 layers of make-up in each template, you can quickly choose any style you like. From thick, thin, arched, to straight, you can always design the best brows for your face shape with eyeliners that fit your eyes. Apply eye shadows from metallic, satin, matte and more to bring out your eyes, or add a shimmery eye effect to create luminizing eyelid sheen with different size, length, and styles of lashes. Add blush to bring the bloom of youth to your face, or change lipstick and iris color to match your make-up while whitening your teeth with a fine touch. Additionally, you may manually define the area of any make-up to apply true-to-life finishes.
FaceFilter3's muscle-based photo morphing technology helps you reshape without going under the knife! Not only can you change your expression from happy to sad, or cute to angry but you may also micro reshape your face to have bigger eyes, a slimmer face, or puffy cheeks by simply applying templates or customizing your own. Adjusting your facial features no longer comes with pain or high costs!
Apply any photo effect template you like and give your photos the charm they deserve! With FaceFilter3, you no longer need a professional camera to level up your images. Just define the focus area, and you are ready to create DSLR-like photos in a snap. With the lens filter you can add a Bokeh effect, color balance, or even design your own LOMO style!
We all want to stay young and good-looking; however not all our pictures look perfect. But thanks to FaceFilter3, which provides various scenario-based beauty solutions, now we can retouch our photos and look the way we want!
|Want to look young forever?
|Want to look tanned and sporty?
See how we did it!
From now until the official launch date, any purchase of FaceFilter Studio 2 will be eligible for a free copy of FaceFilter3 PRO for Windows or Mac (list price $79.99). This exclusive offer is only available through the Reallusion Online Store.
*A free copy of FaceFilter3 PRO (Windows or Mac) will be delivered via email. Please refer to the order email for more information.
|Important Notice:


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Start-rite Turmoil is a fashionable girls black Leather & Suede Girls Zip-up Boots boot with buckle detail. Easy to put up with his zip-up. With 220 years of experience and expertise, Start-rite are dedicated to creating quality, durable, stylish-fitted footwear designed especially for children of all ages.
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Boni Bertie, leather boots.
Start Rite Aqua Fur
Boni Ange - childrens boots - girls boots - boys boots
Boni Abey – girls winter boots
Boni Aponi – girls nubuck leather boots
Boni Zita - baby girl boots
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Boni Houston - Girls' lether boots
Boni Cristobal – wool lined Girls' boots
Boni Houston - Babys' lether boots
Boni Clovis – fur lined baby boots
Start Rite Turmoil, Girls Zip-up Boots


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Listen to Im On It , the latest track from Roscoe Dash, featuring Hoven X. The cut dropped on Sunday, March 4th, 2012. Roscoe Dash's future brightens with every new release, and Im On It certainly isn't an exception. It's a fitting addition to a solid catalogue that Roscoe Dash has been developing since stepping foot in the game. We're excited to hear more.
Check out Roscoe Dash on Like Diz (Prod by Boi-1da), featuring 2 Chainz. If you're down, make sure to visit Roscoe Dash's profile page for the newest info, news, songs, and mixtapes. Follow Roscoe Dash on Facebook and Twitter, if you aren't already.
What do you think of the features on this track? What do y'all think of this joint?


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In case the Westwood Neighborhood Council hasn't realized, students represent a major stakeholding group in Westwood. But, instead of encouraging their involvement in the neighborhood, the council is trying to exclude them from the decision-making process.
At the Nov. 9 meeting, the council voted 8-7 to increase council members' terms from two years to four years. However, the council needs to reconsider its decision and stick firmly to the two-year terms because a four-year term is a move against students.
The city's Department of Neighborhood Empowerment will have to approve the change before it goes into effect, but four-year terms are the norm in many neighborhood councils, such as Bel Air's and Beverly Crest's, so there is nothing to suggest the department will veto the change.
According to Sandy Brown, the council's vice president, longer term periods are necessary for the council to have more clout at the Los Angeles City Council. Council members in support of the change also argue that extending term limits will reduce election costs, and that the extra money can be redirected to neighborhood service grants – ultimately benefiting Westwood and the council.
These are understandable concerns, but the term change will make it much more difficult for students to have a voice in the council. Four years is an eternity in the life of a college student, and the change will prioritize the interests of homeowners and long-term residents who could feasibly stay in Westwood for the entire term. As a result, students elected to the council will likely resign in middle of their term, as they may graduate before it ends, which has already happened before. And in the case of a vacancy, the council directly appoints new members without any voter input.
On the other hand, the current two-year terms give more room for students to engage in the council – which is essential to the neighborhood's function. As such, the council ought to reconsider its decision and place the interests of the Westwood community above the desire for political convenience. After all, it's not a neighborhood council if half the neighborhood can't get involved.
First-year students could theoretically serve the entire four-year term on the council throughout their college careers if they applied as incoming freshmen. However, few incoming UCLA students really understand the role of the council and how its decisions can affect students' Westwood community members' lives.
Third- and fourth-year students, who have had a significantly greater exposure to the Westwood community, are more likely to take part in the council – something the council members themselves acknowledge. Yet the term change ultimately discourages these upperclassmen from running for the council, since they would not be able to serve the full term unless they decide to live in Westwood after graduation.
While students' residence in the neighborhood may be more temporary than others', shutting them out goes against the principles the Westwood Neighborhood Council was founded on: giving members of the community a voice.
As such, two-year terms are the way to go. Four years is asking for too much.


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Run by husband and wife team, Maurice and Nanette Chaplais, this foodie hub is the go-to place for small treats, big treats (they do amazing hampers), cheese, fresh bread and pastries. Maurice has selected the very best goods to fill the shelves, not everything is local, but it is mighty fine.
It is thanks to some spare space upstairs, they've been able to put in some tables and chairs for those who fancy taking the weight off their feet. But don't worry if you've only got time for a flying visit, as most of their food (and drinks) can be made to-go, so you needn't miss out.
The bread, the fillings, the pastries, the pork pies, the sausage rolls, the pesto, the soup, the cake, the sweet treats - absolutely everything here is homemade. You see, Maurice travels the world as an artisan bakery consultant, so he certainly knows his stuff and the proof really is in the pudding.
We popped in at lunch time, and as soon as Kingsley saw they do a homemade burger, he set his heart on that. I called him a greedy pig and then chose the equally large and fully-loaded coronation chicken and mango chutney baguette. They have a huge range of sarnies and baguettes, all freshly made to order.
We took a seat and as our plates were put down in front of us, they received top marks for portion size. The burger was tucked inside one of Maurice's homemade baps (which are simply stunning) along with all the trimmings: bacon, cheese, pickles, lettuce, onions, tomato, mayo and ketchup. And my baguette was absolutely brimming full with delicious (and homemade of course) coronation chicken and salad.
We had an extremely highbrow conversation with Maurice about burgers and the fact that if they are messy to eat, then that usually means they are tasty. Don't you just hate it when someone takes a knife and fork to a burger?! Hold it tight, get stuck in, get your chops round it and get messy – hands and face! Between us both, we used every napkin in sight, so if indeed our theory is correct, well then Maison Chaplais scores very highly yet again.
We had already spied some amazing individual key lime pies, so we knew coffee and a cake to round off lunch was on the cards. We went downstairs for another gander and chose a Sticky Bun (very aptly named) to go with the key lime pie, a cappuccino and a white hot chocolate. I have a thing for white hot chocolate at the moment, along with mint tea and a craving for a glass of white wine (which I cannot satisfy right now due to growing a baby).
The sticky bun is basically a rich brioche rolled with a cinnamon and butterscotch filling and topped with toasted pecans. I took a forkful and immediately shut my eyes to enjoy the moment. Kingsley asked me a question, but I just ignored him so I could continue in my own little heavenly world for a few more seconds. I told him afterwards that if my eyes are closed at the same time as eating something, it is not a good time to speak to me!
We both alternated between the rich and gooey sticky bun and the key lime pie for something 'a little lighter'. Anything is light compared to one of those buns, believe you me! But onto the pies, well everything from the pastry case, to the lime mousse to the delicately soft meringue peaks was just perfect.
I don't know if Maison Chaplais is well known or not or whether it's a well-kept secret of the locals, but let me tell you, this place is most definitely worth a walk, a car-ride or a bus journey to. If you're popping in for fresh bread, morning pastries and a fresh orange juice or to sit in and enjoy a breakfast bap or lunch, this place is bound to make your tummy smile. Just be sure to arrive hungry and have plenty of napkins to hand to enjoy the food in the manner in which it was meant.
Now please, don't tell me you eat your burger with a knife and fork?!