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I've been reading The Secret Wife of Louis XIV by Veronica Buckley, the new bio of Madame de Maintenon. Then I saw that October 5 is the birthday of Maintenon's great rival, the marquise de Montespan, so she is our Heroine of the Weekend! (You may have noticed I use the word "heroine" a bit loosely--they're not always necessarily women we want to emulate, LOL. Maybe it should be "Interesting Women of the Weekend"...)
Francoise-Athenais de Rochechouart de Mortemart was born October 5, 1641 at the Chateau of Lussac-les Chateaux in the Poitou-Charentes region of France to parents of two of the oldest noble families, Gabriel de Rochechouart, Duke of Mortemart, and Diane de Grandseigne. From them she inherited a noble name, a great deal of wit, beauty, and not a great deal of money. But they had contacts at Court, and she spent her childhood moving with her mother between the family estates and the Court at the Louvre. At 12, she began her formal education at the Convent of St. Marie at Saintes, where her older sisters were also educated. At age 20, she became a maid-of-honor to the King's sister-in-law, Princess Henrietta-Anne (sister of Charles II of England), and later was appointed lady-in-waiting to the King's new Spanish wife Marie-Theresa. She was in position to find her destiny.
In February 1663 at the chapel of the Eglise Saint-Eustache, she married Louis-Henri Pardaillan de Gondrin, marquis de Montespan. (She had previously been engaged to his brother, who was killed in a duel). They had 2 children, a daughter who died in childhood and a son who later became duc d'Antin. The couple lived in a small house near the Louvre, so Athenais could carry out her Courtly duties with the Queen. She was soon very popular at Court, being beautiful (with curly blond hair, large blue eyes, full lips, and a good figure--at least until a love of food and repeated pregnancies set in), as well as witty and cultured (she was known to be especially good at biting mockery and flirtatious conversation), with a love of music, dancing, the arts, and parties. In her duties to the Queen, she was careful to be the last of her ladies to stay with her at night, so as always to be there when the King came to say good-night to his wife. Sneaky, sneaky.
By 1666, this had all paid off, and she was mistress to the King. She neatly replaced his current love, Louise de Valliere, who had just given birth to Louis's son. Athenais herself had 7 children with the King, beginning with a short-lived daughter in March 1669. She hired a friend of hers, Madame Scarron (later known as Madame de Maintenon) to be the childrens' governess--a bad move, it would turn out, but not for many years. In 1673, her 3 living royal children were given the last name de Bourbon and titles. Louis-Auguste became duc du Maine; Louis-Cesar the comte de Vexin; and Louise-Francois was named Mademoiselle de Nantes (she later married the prince de Conde). They seldom saw their mother, and came to consider Maintenon their true parent. By 1674, she was officially separated from Montespan, but she soon got into trouble of another sort with the notorious Affair of the Poisons.
Before 6 judges at the Chatelet, Athenais was accused of conspiring with the "witch" La Voisin to use black magic to maintain the King's love. (She was also accused of taking part in "black masses", complete with blood sacrifices over her nude body). In another accusation, which would seem to cancel out the first, she was said to conspire to poison the King. (For more info on this complex case, you can look here). Nothing was proved against her, and from 1680 onward her part in the case was hushed up by the King, along with Colbert, Louvois, and Maintenon.
There were numerous bust-ups and reconciliations between Athenais and the King, but by 1690 she was no longer in royal favor. She retired to the convent of the Filles de Saint-Joseph in Paris, with a pension of 500,000 francs. Strabgely, after a tumultuous life of sex and parties and mockery of others, she became a generous benefactor to charities and the arts, befriending Corneille, Racine, and La Fontaine among others. She died May 27, 1707 while taking the waters at Bourbon-l'Archambault. Through her descendants she is related to the house of Orleans and the Spanish royal family, among others.
Some good sources on her life are:
Lisa Hilton, Athenais: The Real Queen of France
Antonia Fraser, Love and Louis XIV
Anne Somerset, The Affair of the Poisons


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I present you Eternity Benchmark made by Ben 'Evilmrfrank' Burkart 😀 For those who don't know Ben, he's in the gaming industry since many years and released many awesome custom maps for all UT's. He always was in my top my level designer list 🙂
Eternity Benchmark Ben description : Eternity Benchmark is a high end benchmarking program I put together using a visual prototype I made a few months ago. I am releasing this for free to anyone interested! This benchmark is pretty straight forward, it offers a very large open valley and gives you the ability to fly through the entire area freely. It also includes a simple camera flythrough of the environment. Some may remember this from a video I put out a few months ago, it is mostly the same environment with a few minor changes. This is mostly built for higher end PCs but definitely interested in hearing what kind of performance people with different hardware get on the map.
For comments / feedback, etc you can go at his Epic thread.

subset: commoncrawl


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As if you needed further convincing that the so-called archival documentary footage in alien abduction flick Fourth Kind is falsified - now, a production insider confirms it.
An insider who worked on Fourth Kind tells io9:
I can assure you it is totally fake. The interviews were shot in High Def on a soundstage with actors and then made to look like bad home video. The college logos and video break-up was added by a visual effects team.
According to this same insider, the film ran overbudget in post-production. Fake footage can be pricey!


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TeamAVSC Blog
The Need for Speed in Ski Racing
This article was originally published by Alice Black, AVSC's Alpine Director, in AVSC's Aspen Times Column, Clubhouse Chronicles.
Next week, Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club will host the 32nd annual Wilder Dwight Classic Speed Series. We are thrilled to welcome hundreds of athletes to race super-G and downhill on the Stapleton Training Center on Aspen Highlands in what is the nation's largest speed series.
"Speed" refers to super-G and downhill, the fastest of the alpine ski racing disciplines. While there are more than 30 homologated (certified) downhill trails in the country, very few mountains and clubs host speed events. They take a great deal of preparation, both in terms of safety protocol and snow conditions. It takes an average of 200 man hours to set up safety nets on our race venue and another 50 or so hours in a snowcat to prepare the terrain.
This season, there are six downhill race series in the United States, including the Beaver Creek World Cup. Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club is hosting two of them; one next week and one in April. While both downhill series this year will be held at Aspen Highlands (on Goldenhorn/Thunderbowl), we are lucky to have downhill trails on two other mountains in Aspen: Racer's Edge on Buttermilk and Ruthie's Run on Aspen. This is unique; only two other places in the country have more than one homologated downhill trail: Beaver Creek and Mammoth Mountain in California.
With fewer clubs hosting downhill races, you might wonder why this is something we prioritize at AVSC. It is part of our heritage, both as a town and as a sport. As our head U12 coach, Pat Callahan, explains: "It goes back to the most basic element of ski racing: I'll race you down the mountain."
We believe that, outside of being unbelievably fun for most athletes, skiing speed offers irreplaceable benefits to our athletes' technique and tactics across all disciplines.
Our commitment to the speed disciplines starts early with our athletes; each year (for over 40 years now) during the holidays, AVSC runs a speed camp on Racer's Edge at Buttermilk, where kids as young as 8 learn basic elements of racing speed. We start slow and progress into full-speed, full-length courses where athletes are skiing as fast as they possibly can. During this year's camp, the kids took a collective 2,000-plus runs over four days. They grinned widely in disbelief: "that is the fastest I have ever gone in my entire life!" While it might sound perilous, safety is paramount. We practice a calculated progression in a very controlled environment. On top of that, Racer's Edge is the perfect developmental downhill trail: it has flats, steeps, fall-away turns, jumps, high-speed sections and a compression. Kids can go as fast as they can and still feel comfortable; it is where they can find and learn to handle their max speed comfortably.
Through this process, athletes build confidence and learn how to push boundaries. Beyond the enjoyment, skiing downhill and super-G can improve kids' approach to the "tech" events (slalom and giant slalom). Skiing courses at high speed forces athletes to develop a heightened level of concentration and attention to tactics, which makes it easier to execute with more precision in tech events. It's almost like learning to navigate a race track while driving a school bus, and then jumping in a race car.
Our dedication to downhill has paid off: AVSC's four most recent alumni to qualify for the U.S. Ski Team (Wiley Maple, Alice McKennis, Galena Wardle, Katie Ryan) are or were speed skiers. Wiley and Alice represented the United States at last year's Olympic Games, where Alice was fifth in the women's downhill.
While we are proud of the training opportunities we're providing AVSC athletes, we're also proud of the race opportunities that we're offering to our region. Many decorated World Cup athletes grew up traveling to Aspen to race in the Wilder Dwight Classic; Lindsey Vonn won it early in her career.
None of these opportunities would come to fruition without the support of Aspen Skiing Co., specifically Travis Benson (Buttermilk mountain manager) and Kevin Hagerty (Aspen Highlands mountain manager). Furthermore, thank you to the AVSC donors who make the Stapleton Training Center the world-class venue that it is, to Rocky Mountain Division for awarding us the opportunity to host these races year after year, and of course to our staff at AVSC for working tirelessly to produce safe, fun and challenging races. If you have some time next week, come check out the races!


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RRB ALP Recruitment Notification 2018 released on 03rd Feb 2018 through CEN-01/2018. Interested candidates can apply for the RRB Bhopal ALP Recruitment in Online. Aspirants should apply for these Railway Jobs in Bhopal on or before
05th 31st March 2018 only after checking eligibility criteria. In below sections, you will get complete details about 1,679 RRB Bhopal Jobs complete information. You may also visit www.rrbbpl.nic.in for the RRB ALP Notification.
RRB ALP Recruitment 2018 (Bhopal) – indianrailways.gov.in
Every year, Railway Recruitment Board providing a huge number of job opportunities for the unemployed people. Recently, RRB Bhopal Recruitment Board has decided to release a notification to fill Assistant Loco Pilot and Technician vacancies. Candidates who have completed the Matriculation/ ITI from the recognized institution are eligible to apply for these jobs. Here in this article, we are providing information about the number of vacancies for Bhopal RRB Recruitment. As the application form is to be filled in online mode, aspirants must apply at earliest to avoid server issues.
RRB ALP Recruitment 2018 released to fill 1679 Loco Pilot & Technician Gr III Jobs in Bhopal Railway Zone. This is the best opportunity for the candidates who are preparing for the RRB Jobs. As the RRB's belongs to the Central government, there will be huge competition. So, the Job seekers must start their preparation. Deadline to submit the RRB Bhopal ALP Online Application is 05th Extended to 31st March 2018 @ www.rrbbpl.nic.in
1679 RRB BPL Loco Pilot Gr 3 Vacancies
Indian Railways recruits the number of candidates for various departments every year. RRB Western Region hiring the talented candidates for 1679 Railway ALP Loco pilot and Grade III Technician vacancies. The board members of Bhopal Railway Recruitment Board released Centralized Employment Notice (CEN-01/2018) regarding the Loco pilot vacancies. So, stay tuned to our rrbrecruitment.co.in website as we update the latest news regarding Indian Railway Jobs.
<RRC Group D Recruitment 2018>
RRB Bhopal ALP Recruitment 2018-19 @ www.rrbbpl.nic.in
|"1679" RRB Bhopal Jobs (Loco Pilot & Technician)
|Name of Organization
|Railway Recruitment Board
|Post Name
|Asst Loco Pilot & Technicians Grade III
|Number of Vacancies
|Job Category
|Central Government
|Job Location
|Western Railway
|Apply Mode
|Application Last Date
|31st March 2018 (Extended from 05th March 2018.)
|official website
Eligibility Criteria for RRB Bhopal Loco Pilot Jobs 2018
Aspirants who are willing to apply for the RRB Technician Jobs in the Bhopal region must check the eligibility criteria once before applying. In this section, we have provided the eligibility conditions that are issued in the RRB Bhopal ALP Recruitment Notification.
Educational qualification for RRB Technician 2018 Jobs
- Candidates should have completed the Class 10th/ Matriculation along with ITI from recognized Institution/ board.
- Aspirants who have completed three years Diploma course in Electrical/ Electronics/ Mechanical/ Automobile Engineering from Recognised Board or Institution can apply for this Bhopal RRB Vacancies.
Age Limit for RRBBPL Loco Pilot Vacancies
- Applicants age should be between 18 – 28 years.
- Relaxation of age is applicable for reserved candidates as per the RRB rules.
Note: Aspirants should refer the Bhopal Railway Advertisement CEN-01/2018 for more details regarding the Educational Qualifications & Age Limit.
|RRB ALP 2018 Notification
|RRB ALP Apply Online
|RRB ALP Admit Card
|RRB ALP Syllabus
|RRB ALP Previous Papers PDF
|RRB ALP Answer Key
|RRB ALP Cut Off Marks
|RRB ALP Results
Bhopal RRB Technician Gr III Recruitment 2018 – Complete Details
RRB ALP Selection 2018
Bhopal Railway Recruitment Board will filter the talented and dynamic candidates through following selection process.
- Written Exam.
- Personal Interview.(documents verification).
Railway Loco Pilot Salary Structure
- Selected candidates will get a monthly remuneration of Rs. 19,9200/- with a Grade pay of Rs. 1,900/-.
RRB ALP 218 Application Fee
- Rs.500/- for General/ OBC/ Male candidates.
- Rs.250/- for other applicants.
RRB ALP 2018 Important Dates
|Notification released date
|Starting Date for Application Submission
|Deadline for Application Submission
|31.03.2018, 23:59 Hours.
|Application Fee Payment dates
|03.02.2018 to 31.03.2018.
|RRB ALP 2018 Exam Dates
|April & May 2018.
RRB Online Application Process for RRB BPL ALP Jobs
Candidates can check the step by step application process here. So, aspirants should follow the below steps while applying for the RRB BPL Recruitment. Along with the application process, we also provided the link for Online Application of RRB Bhopal ALP Recruitment.
- Visit the official website of RRB Bhopal, i.e., www.rrbbpl.nic.in
- Check for ALP Loco Pilot & Gr III Notification.
- Read all instructions & conditions.
- Fill the details without any mistakes.
- Scan & Upload the recent photograph and signature in the given format along with specified documents.
- Check all details once before submitting.
- Finally, take a printout for future reference.
RRB Loco Pilot Online application form
Download the RRB Bhopal ALP Technician Notification – CEN-01/2018 PDF
CEN-01/2018 – RRB Bhopal ALP Official Notification PDF
RRB BPL Previous Papers & RRB ALP Syllabus 2018
RRB BPL Syllabus & Exam Pattern 2018


text: My interest in photography began quite by accident. When on vacation in St. Maarten, I borrowed my wife's camera to take a few photographs. I thought that one of them was quite good (Years later I realized how mediocre it was). When we arrived home I purchased a camera and began to photograph the Chicago area and enrolled in classes on camera technique and, most importantly, on the principles of good composition. I discovered an ability I didn't realize I had and photography evolved into a passionate and all-consuming hobby.


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A local family relocates to a stunner of a house in Tiburon.
By Marybeth Bizjak
Photography: David Duncan Livingston
Interior Design: Ann Lowengart Interiors
Architect: Holscher Architecture
Contractor: Sausalito Construction Inc.
IN 2014, DESIGNER ANN LOWENGART got a call from a Granite Bay couple who'd just bought a house in Tiburon and needed to have it furnished—stat. "The wife is incredibly glamorous—she's an ex-fashion model," says Lowengart. "The husband loves the outdoors." Lowengart's job: to bring glamour and nature together in one fabulous home.
The husband had one request: He'd fallen in love with the enormous tree-limb chandelier hanging in Sacramento International Airport's Terminal B and wanted one just like it. "If you can get this for my house," he told Lowengart, "you'll be my hero." Challenge accepted. The San Anselmo-based designer called the chandelier artist, Donald Lipski, and discovered it would be prohibitively expensive to have one custom made. Eventually, she tracked down the manufacturer of the original and learned that a second, smaller version existed and was on loan to a museum in Oregon. Made of carbon substrate and resin, with LED lights and Swarovski crystals, the fixture was massive: 9 feet long and 5 feet high. As it turned out, it was a perfect fit for the couple's living room. Lowengart had already selected the room's furnishings when she found the chandelier. "It's a very special piece," she says. "It really makes the room."
The cool, monochromatic living room is a study in gray, with a hand-tufted sofa in gray silk velvet and a custom gray rug. The wall behind the sofa is covered in Trove photographic wallpaper, depicting ghostly gray trees. "Gray is the through line throughout the house," Lowengart explains.
The 4,400-square-foot Hamptons-style house has four bedrooms, six baths and drop-dead views of Angel Island and San Francisco. Despite its traditional architecture, the house feels fresh and modern. "You can make a traditional house feel very modern without having to gut it, just with furnishings," says Lowengart. She used a Jonathan Adler table in the breakfast room and a custom live-edge walnut table from Urban Hardwoods in the dining room.
For the family's two young girls, the wife wanted a bedroom that was pink and girly. While staying at a hotel, she found a stylish marbleized wallpaper that she liked. Lowengart sourced it for the room in hot pink with gold metallic veining. "It feels modern, updated, hip and fun," says Lowengart. The boy's bedroom has a more organic feel, with a headboard wall of reclaimed wood from Stikwood (a Sacramento company).
In the media room, Lowengart aimed to show the owners' personalities. So she took a photo from their Christmas card shoot and blew it up to cover an entire wall. The sepia-toned mural, showing the three kids from behind running on a beach, "is timeless," says Lowengart. "It will never feel dated."
The family moved into the house in 2015, leaving Granite Bay to be nearer to the husband's business in San Francisco. But the project's Sacramento roots are strong: Lowengart herself grew up on Sacramento's Crocker Road. She hasn't yet done any design work in Sacramento (aside from her mom's house). But, she says, "I'd love to."
The master bedroom features a polished stainless steel four-poster bed and mirrored nightstands. For the media room, Lowengart blew up a family photo to create a wall-sized mural.


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I am inspired by the natural world around us. Growing up in the Swedish forest made a deep impact on me. An impact that I carry with me as an artist and art teacher.
Besides nature, I am inspired by different cultures from around the world. The shortest way to learn more about oneself, is by acquainting oneself with people from other walks of life.
My five-month journey through Japan (including a 1200 km pilgrimage on foot around the island of Shikoku) in 2014 has been a major source of inspiration. I allow for these impressions to speak through some of my work.
- BA Art Education – ArtEZ, Arnhem (2012-2018)
- BSc Cultural Anthropology – University of Amsterdam (2007-2012)
- Ceramics – Arts & Crafts school Capellagården, Sweden (2006-2007
Art teaching
- Art teacher at ARTIS-Ateliers, Amsterdam (2017-present)
- Museum Educator at Hermitage, Amsterdam (2018-present)
- Art projects at schools (Alphons Laudy, Prof. Dr. Gunningschool
- Bi-annual bird magazine De Scharrelaar (April 2019)
- Huisartsenpraktijk in Doorwerth (2016-2018)
- Final examinations at ArtEZ (2017)
- University of Applied Sciences HAN, Nijmegen (2018)
- National prize for promising new initiatives for designing a series of art lessons, awarded by Mediacultuur in the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam (2015)


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Pat Blythe: For The Love Of The Guitar
Tuesdays are "writing day"…..supposedly. Then all hell breaks loose. Why can't it be on Monday, or even Wednesday AFTER I've filed my column? Deep breath…..inhale. It's the exhale I sometimes forget. Okay, crank up the music. Ah, there's nothing a little two-step around the kitchen floor that won't cure whatever ails ya. ….and breathe….. Way behind on photo reviews and albums, so much to do, so little time. …and now for the column, something a little different.
I'm part of an event happening this Sunday, July 24th, For The Love of the Guitar, that celebrates an instrument that has given us centuries of pleasure. Doing some research inspired me to make today's column all about the guitar. To find out more about the event you can check it out here https://www.facebook.com/events/254762328237165/ My musical adventures and celebrations will return next week. Bear with me as I deviate from the apparent 'norm'.
Gretsch guitar courtesy of Sam Taylor
As most of you know I spend a great deal of time shooting (as in photographing) bands, singers and various entertainers in all sorts (and I do mean "all sorts") of venues around the GTA and her outer-reaches. Live is what I shoot and it's definitely the most enjoyable. I get to hear some great music and do a little cha-cha-cha if the chance presents itself. I'm constantly challenged by the performances and the performers, trying to catch a moment, a glance, a smile or a feeling. Watching, waiting, looking at everything, including the other photographers. But it's all about what's happening on stage, all facets of the show, that captures my attention. The facial contortions (known as guitar face), expressions and body language are fabulous and when I when I see them for the first time in black and white, many of them are startling, some are mind-blowing, some surprising but most are just frigging amazing! You can almost experience the intensity, the profound passion, the love, the unmitigated joy but especially the oneness the musician has with his or her instrument. It's a special kind of bond that is close to indescribable. The execution of the perfect riff, sound, solo….Of all the instruments that seem to evoke the strongest emotion for the instrumentalist, the guitar is star.
Get your guitar face on….
Michael Zweig – The Carpet Frogs
June Millington – Fanny
Jeff Jones – The Carpet Frogs
Rob Robbins – Moxy
Sam Taylor
Suzi Quatro
Julian Taylor
Matty Lazy (The Lazys)
Lee-La Baum – The Damn Truth
Paul James
The camera manages to catch various angles of the instrument as it's being played. Most guitar players bring a selection of guitars with them to each performance….at minimum two different guitars, three if an acoustic is involved. My "thing" is to capture the guitar itself in action. I can pretty much tell with certainty which one is the favoured guitar. She (yes she) is caressed, stroked and strummed with varying degrees of tenderness and forcefulness, just like making love to a woman. She's then placed very carefully back on the rack or in her case where she waits patiently for her man to love her again. All guitars are "shes" and as I focus more and more on this instrument, I can see why. Did it really all start with Lucille?
All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You – Heart
So, a little history lesson….
An instrument that has been around for about 4000 years….from the Egyptians to the Moors to the Spaniards, acoustic to electric, from Memphis Minnie (one of the first blues guitarists to go electric) to Jimi Hendrix, the guitar has a history like no other instrument. Bent, broken, smashed, set on fire, slept with, made love to, the guitar has survived for centuries. Stroked, plucked, picked and strummed, in the hands of a skilled player, the guitar produces sounds that aren't possible on any other music-making device. Mellow to raucous, a single instrument that can be made to weep, growl, scream, squeal, sigh, whisper, and yes….even sing. The voice of jazz, pop, Latin, blues, rock, calypso….every genre imaginable, it's the instrument of choice for many young, budding musicians today and the favoured writing partner of many songwriters.
Sounds of the guitar
The ancient Sanskrit word for "string" is "tar". Many stringed folk instruments that exist today in Central Asia, unchanged for centuries, bear names ending in "tar", with a prefix indicating the number of strings. The four-stringed Persian chartar (direct translation means "four strings") arrived in Spain where it acquired a pair of unison-tuned strings and became known as the quitarra or chitarra. The word guitar is derived from the Old Persian chartar. Enter the Italians and the five-course guitarra battente. (If you got this far that means your eyes are not quite glazing over yet) Gradually replacing the four-stringed instrument, the standard tuning settled at A, D, G, B E which are the top five strings of the modern guitar. Beginning with eight frets free of the body, the guitar evolved, increasing to 10 and then 12 frets . The sixth string was added to the guitarra battente, again by the Italians, and everyone followed suit. The transition was a fairly simple task. Modifications were to replace or rework the nut and bridge and plug four of the tuning peg holes. So to all my Italian guitar-playing friends (and there are soooo many of you)….. stand proud! The country is more than Sophia Loren, pasta and Vespas. You gave us Jimi, Brian, Jimmy, Johnny, Richard, B.B., Keith, Eric, Stevie, Eddie, Prince, Slash….the list is virtually endless.
Top 10 Male Guitarists of All Time
Antonio Torres, a Spanish guitar maker gave us the modern "classical" guitar that is essentially unchanged to this day. Increasing the body size, altering its proportions and introducing the "fan" top bracing pattern, the design radically improved the volume, tone and projection of the instrument. Then came the German immigrants to the U.S. with X-braced tops. When steel strings first appeared around 1900, the beefed-up X-brace could handle the tension (unlike Torres's design) and it rapidly became the industry standard for the flat-top steel string guitar.
Moorish Dance – Liona Boyd
Enter Orville Gibson who married the steel-string guitar with a body constructed more like a cello (the bridge exerts no torque on the top, only pressure straight down), allowing the top to vibrate more freely, subsequently producing more volume. The 1920's saw the entry of the "jazz" guitar with f-holes, floating bridge and cello-type tailpiece. Pickups were added to Hawaiian and jazz guitars in the late 1920s and the electric guitar was born. The first patent for the electric guitar was awarded to George Beauchamp for a guitar he made with partner Adolph Rickenbacker in 1931.Gibson introduced the ES150 model in 1936 and the electric guitar took off, its success glaringly evident 80 years later. Add a little amplification (turning it up to eleven) and they could do away with the soundbox. There is still controversy all these year later as to who constructed the very first solid-body guitar — Les Paul, Leo Fender, Paul Bigsby or O.W. Appleton. Whatever you chose to believe, the solid-body electric guitar is here to stay.
Little Wing – Stevie Rae Vaughan
An instrument that has long been associated (and somewhat commandeered) by the male gender, there are just as many women who have mastered the four, six or twelve strings. Loretta Lynn, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Suzi Quatro (bass), Joan Jett, June Millington (first all female rock group Fanny), Memphis Minnie, Nancy Wilson, Bonnie Raitt…. this list too is endless. Rock and roll in particular became a boys club and women weren't much welcome except as vocalists or groupies. A female guitar player….phfft! Women weren't meant, or was it made, to play those oh so lovely Les Pauls, or Gibsons, Rickenbackers or Fenders…. They're still not taken seriously in the rock arena, even now in the 21st century. Even I don't think of a woman if someone asks me who my favourite guitarist is. That needs to change!
Top 10 Female Guitarists of All Time
This Train – Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Although my fav is the bass guitar and drums, the six-string, hard-bodied guitar has always fascinated me. Sometimes annoyingly loud and screechy, it is also a beautiful instrument that has given us so many years of inestimable pleasure. We wouldn't have the music we enjoy today without it. So I will sit patiently through those too long guitar solos and wait for the good bits of which there are many. This is one of them.
Orchid – Black Sabbath
Any questions? There's a test on Sunday night, July 24 where we are gathering to celebrate this incredible instrument. Oh…and there's a birthday too!
All photographs by Pat Blythe, A Girl With A Camera "The PictureTaker" except Suzi Quatro and the sleeping kitty
Paul Guy, Wikipedia, YouTube, Facebook
Pat's column appears every Wednesday.
Contact us at: firstname.lastname@example.com
In "real" life Pat Blythe has spent the past 32 years as a consultant and design specialist in the telecommunications industry. After an extended absence Pat is now heading back to the GTA clubs, immersing herself in the local music scene, tasting what's on offer, talking to people and writing once again — sharing her passions and her deep love of music. Together for 34 years, Pat also workedalongside her late husband Christopher Blythe, The PictureTaker©, who shot much of the local talent (think Goddo, Frank Soda and the Imps, Plateau, Buzzsaw, Hellfield….) as well as national and international acts, Currently making her way through 40 years of Chris's archives, Pat is currently compiling a photographic history of the local GTA music scene from 1975 to 1985. It continues to be a work in progress. Oh…..and she LOVES to dance!


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Six Word Saturday:
They say it's an 'Adelaide thing'.
I'm still back in my hometown, Adelaide, visiting family and friends. It has been lovely spending time with everyone and pretty special to babysit my little nieces. Whenever I've been out and about with my mother or sister they invariably see someone that they know, this is what is known as an 'Adelaide thing'. Adelaide is a relatively small city and somehow the chances of seeing someone you know whilst out and about are remarkably high, I'm not sure why this is but it's kinda fun.
Happy Saturday everyone!


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The Texas Rangers (35-61) will try to avoid the sweep against the Detroit Tigers (46-51) as they conclude their four-game series Thursday at Comerica Park. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. ET. Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's lines around the Rangers vs. Tigers odds with MLB picks and predictions.
RHP Mike Foltynewicz is the projected starting pitcher for the Rangers. He is 2-9 with a 5.91 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 6.4 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 in 102 IP over 19 starts.
Foltynewicz got destroyed in his last start when he served up 10 ER and 4 homers in 1 2/3 IP against the Toronto Blue Jays Sunday. That bumped his road ERA up to 8.10 in eight starts this season with 15 home runs allowed in 40 IP (3.4 HR/9).
LHP Tyler Alexander is the projected starting pitcher for the Tigers. He is 1-1 with a 4.40 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 7.7 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 43 IP over three starts and 24 relief appearances.
Alexander tossed a season-high 3 1/3 IP in his last outing while surrendering 2 ER with just 1 strikeout. He has just a 5/4 K/BB across 10 2/3 IP in his last six appearances but has allowed just 3 ER thanks to a .188 BABIP.
MLB betting offers/promotions
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Rangers at Tigers odds, lines, picks and prediction
MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 8:40 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Rangers +115 (bet $100 to win $115) | Tigers -140 (bet $140 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Rangers +1.5 (-160) | Tigers -1.5 (+135)
- Over/Under: 9 (O: -120 | U: +100)
Rangers 7, Tigers 5
Money line (ML)
The Rangers come into the game on an eight-game losing skid and their 13-36 road record is 3rd worst in all of baseball.
However, they'll be facing a starter with weak skills who isn't likely to work deep into the game and he'll be followed by a bullpen corps that is sporting the 4th highest ERA in the league.
Look for the RANGERS (+115) to come away with the win.
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Run line/Against the spread (ATS)
Either pitcher could get blown up in this one and there's a good chance that it doesn't end up being a one-run game when all is said and done. Laying -1.5 runs on either side makes sense, but a small play on the ALTERNATE RUN LINE of RANGERS -1.5 (+180) is the call here.
Over/Under (O/U)
The Rangers have struggled against lefties for most of the season, but the Over is 8-3 in their last 11 against a left-handed starter. Furthermore, Alexander isn't a good lefty and he isn't going to be in the game for long.
On the other side, Foltynewicz is coming off a brutal outing and hasn't been effective on the road all year. Neither starting pitcher is likely to have a great deal of success so OVER 9 (-120) is the best play on the board in this game.
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As published by Direct Marketing News
As published by Direct Marketing News
Everyone hailed the Nook as smart business. Now, thanks to the very same company that powers the Nook, it's going the way of disco -- fun while it lasted, but an impractical long term way to groove.
The hype around Google's new Nexus 7 tablet is mostly surrounding its threat to Amazon, and while there may be merit there, the striking first casualty is Barnes & Noble. With brick and mortar bookstores and physical reading of books declining in favor of e-readers, Barnes & Noble announced plans earlier this year to this one from Peter Svenson of the Huffington Post, I am convinced that the Nexus 7 will provide me a far better experience than my Nook or a continued relationship with Barnes & Noble would. Here are my top 3 reasons as follows:
3 Most Common Communication Failures Preventing Loyalty Program Success You have heard this from your significant other. It's the different between the playoffs and the title, a good education, and a raise. Yet marketers somehow forget it. I am speaking of course, about proper communications. They are the centerpiece of your personal relationships, and the vortex of any good loyalty program. And no matter how good you think you are at it, there is always room for improvement.
In a recent post, I delved into gamification of loyalty and in the midst of illustrating how real-time, location based, rewards platforms are often better suited than traditional loyalty programs, I only gave proper communications passing reference- even though effective communications is and will always be the driving subtext of any loyalty program.
A company with expertise in cross-channel offer optimization, loyalty, database marketing and advanced analytics
It's not easy being a consumer-facing brand these days. After years building a company based on one consumer pathway, the mobile, app, email, social, geo-located, connected TV, real-time bargain hungry consumer is now touching brands in more ways and with more diverse behavior patterns than any company can keep up with. That's 100 years of organizational design shot to hell.
We all know over the last several years, a growing need for cutting corners – and coupons – has paved the way for sites like Groupon, LivingSocial and others to offer attractive discounts to consumers and – as their salespeople pitch it – equally attractive perks to participating businesses. It's changed consumer behaviors, disrupted business models on the local level and it's made a few people very wealthy.
With all the new entrants and a different playing field, loyalty marketers are not ruing as they did in the good old days when they had the consumer gaming dynamic all to themselves. Quite the contrary -- there is palpable excitement surrounding what the growing shift in consumer behavior means for their programs. Armed with a seemingly endless choice of game mechanics, technology platforms and social networks to enable new programs and a new set of consumer experiences, the loyalty sector is now more relevant than ever.
I spent most everyday in conversations with CMOs, loyalty program director, CIOs and executives across a variety of industries- and while many are still struggling to catch up with, and better leverage, the new behaviors of social media and the real-time web, almost none have a mobile strategy worth bragging about. Why is this?
A shiver went down my spine this morning as I read the post "Facebook to Credit Newbies, Buy $1 get $4 free" on AllFacebook.com. Apparently, developers claim that Credits haven't been reeling in enough paying users, so Facebook has come up with this promotion in an attempt to expand its base.


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Instructor: Jan Georg Glöckner
Few so called "old media" integrate so well in our digital life like radio does. With the access to the vastness of the world wide web, where one can listen to almost every song of the world and have nearly every piece of information at ones fingertips there is the need for a curation instance. Radio can offer this instance, but what else has radio to offer? The evolution of radio is still ongoing. To where can we develop our formats? What is radioart about?
The participants of the workshop will develop a new format for broadcast, will deliver the content and produce the show. Broadcast will happen on the webstream of Bauhaus.fm other relay stations to be announced.


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Hello Golden Hill Families,
I'm Erin Roberts, vocal and theatre performer and instructor in my 15th year of teaching students ages K-12. Music and theatre have captured my heart and imagination since my earliest memories, and I have channeled that enthusiasm for song, scene and dance into a career in performance, directing and teaching with San Diego Unified School District, Cajon Valley School District, La Mesa-Spring Valley School District, and a variety of private and community organizations.
What I love most about arts education is the opportunity to help students discover who they are as a person through music and theatre. The process of finding one's voice, experimenting with one's talents, and trying out new skills brings lifelong benefits to my students. I love watching students gain confidence, creativity, and social-emotional awareness through my classes, as well as the technical skills needed to succeed in the real world of the performing arts.
I'm proud to say that many of my students have gone on to participate in choirs or youth symphony ensembles, theatre companies all over San Diego, arts magnets schools, and University level music and theatre programs.


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The Tideflex Series 37 In-Line Duckbill Check Valve is a simple, reliable, cost-effective solution for backflow prevention. The revolutionary design of the 37 is similar to the Series 35, but the Series 37 "bill" does not flare and is designed to be inserted into the downstream pipe and fastened between two mating flanges, eliminating the need for a valve body. Since most of the valve is inserted into the downstream pipe the face-to-face dimension of the 37 is just the flange thickness making it ideal for applications with space limitations. In order to fit down inside the pipe, the bill cannot flare and therefore the headloss of the 37 is higher than other styles of Tideflex. The 37 in not only installed in piping systems but is used extensively in concrete manholes and structures where the valve is inserted into the effluent pipe and the flange is anchored to the concrete wall with a retaining ring.
The 37 flange size drilling conforms to ANSI Class 125/150# and is also available with DIN drillings and other standard or customized drilling patterns. The Series 37 Duckbill Check Valves are not supplied with retaining rings, as they are typically installed between pipe flanges, but retaining rings can be supplied for applications that require it.
The Tideflex Duckbill Check Valve is a revolutionary design for backflow prevention. Tideflex Valves are a one-piece rubber matrix of numerous natural and synthetic elastomers and ply reinforcement, similar in construction to a truck tire. Tideflex are cost-effective because they do not need periodic maintenance or repair to keep them operational and they have a 30 year operational life span. Tideflex operate using line pressure and backpressure to open and close so no outside energy source is required. The valve has an extremely low cracking pressure so the valve self-draining which eliminates standing water and maximizes storage volume in the upstream pipe. Tideflex Valves have low headloss, they do not rust or corrode and are not affected by UV so performance and reliability is constant thru the life of the valve. The flexibility of the Tideflex allows the valve to compress around trapped solids providing a much better seal than flap gates, as confirmed by the USEPA. With the development of the patented curved bill, sealing capabilities are even further improved because the curve bill is more flexible than the rest of the valve and therefore compress more around solids.
For higher backpressure ratings or to lower headloss while maintaining backpressure ratings, the Saddle Support Technology (SST) can be used in conjunction with the Series 37.


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|Bottling It (A Wayfair Witches' Cozy Mystery #1)
Cozy Mystery by A.A. Albright
Save $0.99
|All over Dublin, humans are murdering witches. When asked why, all they'll say is, 'I dunno why I done it.' But Wanda thinks she does know why they've done it – and hopefully she'll receive her power in time to help her coven discover the truth.
|Building Celebration House
Romance by Annette Drake
Save $3.00
|Carrie Hansen is determined to realize her dream of restoring an antebellum mansion and opening it to the public as an event venue – a place for people to celebrate the best days of their lives. Now if only she can convince the ghosts who inhabit the house to stop scaring away her paying guests.
|Fires of Hell
Steampunk Science Fiction by Maureen L. Mills
Save $4.00
|Airships, corsets, and murder! When her captain is murdered, airship engineer and rogue pyromancer Amelia Everley must save her annoying new employer, Josiah, from sabotage that could destroy her airship, her tentative friendship with Josiah, and her freedom.
|The Zodiac Killer
Crime Thriller by WL Knightly
Save $0.99
|Detective Darek Blake thought the secrets of his past were long buried, but when a young girl is murdered in a familiar way, finding the killer will not only bring back memories he's repressed, but give him a golden opportunity to impress the FBI.
Young Adult/Teen Adventure by Holly Hook
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|Elaine has spent her sixteen years proving that she's nothing like her murderous father–but no one will let her forget her dark family history. So when her best friend Talia goes missing, Elaine takes the search and rescue into her own hands.
|The Sexy Librarian
Erotic Romance by Nicolette Dane
Save $2.99
|When 24-year-old Amelia finds out that her favorite author bequeathed a previously unreleased novella to her local university library, she wastes no time in going to read it. She never expected, however, that this bookish excursion would introduce her to the most beautiful librarian she'd ever laid eyes on.
|Daily Underdog
|Needle Ash Book 1: Knives of Darkness
Fantasy by David V. Stewart
Save $0.99
|Michael Harthino, warrior prince of Artalland, finds himself stripped of power and disgraced after risking everything to save his men in battle. Reeling from his loss and with the unwelcome aid of Sharona, an enigmatic mage who was also stripped of her military commission, Michael begins to discover the threads of betrayal in his father's inner circle and sets about to cut them.
|New Release
|Black Annis: Demon Slayer
Horror / Dark Fantasy by Aubrey Law
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|Betrayed by her only friend and badly wounded, Annis continues her quest for revenge on her demon enemies and their dangerous allies. Can she survive the deadly streets of Los Angeles alone?
|New Release
|Foul Trade
Historical Mystery by BK Duncan
|Free with
or $0.99
|It is March 1920. May Keaps, the Poplar Coroner's Officer, has never failed to provide a jury with sufficient evidence to arrive at a just verdict. The poverty, drunken fights between visiting sailors, drug trafficking, and criminal gangs, haunting the shadows of the busiest docks in the world, mean that the Coroner sees more than its fair share of sudden and unnatural deaths.
|New Release
|Deliberate Chaos
Action/Adventure / Thriller by Nate Castle
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|If you accidentally caused a death in the most indirect way imaginable, would you turn yourself in or cover your tracks? At what point would you begin misusing resources at work for personal gain, knowing that you could end up behind bars or worse? These are the questions Corben must answer.


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So much news in just the past week: WebDAM joins Shutterstock, Vizify joins Yahoo, new features come to Evoq Social, an e-commerce package comes to Silverpop and Citrix opens up video for remote support.
Shutterstock Buys WebDAM
Big news in the digital asset management world: stock image service Shutterstock has purchased DAM provider WebDAM. Deal terms were not announced.
The acquisition is intended to support Shutterstock's business with large enterprises, which make up a large portion of WebDAM's customers, including Intel, Salesforce and GE.
The San Mateo, California-based WebDAM will continue to be led by its co-founders, Jody Vandergriff and Steve Rabkin. It will remain a separate brand.
Your Graphical Life Comes to Yahoo
Yahoo continued its buying spree this week. Vizify, a social media data startup, announced Wednesday that it had been acquired by the technology giant. No details of the deal were made public.
Vizify says its technology helps make "the information that we all consume and create every day into something more beautiful and personal" by creating a more visual representation. A user's biographical information can be presented as a Graphical Bio. Twitter sent images and breakdowns of social data – like the times you tweeted – can be presented as a Twitter video, and information, such as "my obsessions," can be shown as illustrated Cards.
Vizify, founded in 2011, said it will be sunsetting its service for existing "bioholders" and will not be accepting new signups.
New Features for Evoq Social
Speaking of social, DNN has released a new version of its Evoq Social online community solution.
New features include enhanced group capabilities. Group Spaces provides new tools for group managers to invite members to join or to discover new groups. The new Group Directory enables searching, tagging and moderation functions that have existed in the general Evoq Social, and are now integrated with the application's game mechanics engine.
Other revisions include streamlined community management and blog authoring and the ability for unauthenticated users to easily post a comment.
The new Evoq Social Group Directory
An E-Commerce Solution from Silverpop
Marketing automation provider Silverpop has released a packaged solution for e-commerce, the first in a series of industry-specific offerings.
Learning Opportunities
Purchase Insights offers info about the impact on revenue and orders from email and multi-touch campaigns. With Engagement Insights, the platform's scoring functionality is used to measure such customer lifecycle metrics as engagement levels, how likely engaged customers are to make a purchase, and lifetime value.
An E-Commerce Connector, offered through a partnership with retention automation platform Windsor Circle, provides integration between Silverpop and a variety of e-commerce platforms, including Shopify and ChannelAdvisor. Additionally, E-Commerce Campaigns now provide turnkey campaigns that include loyalty and win-back messaging templates.
E-commerce Engagement Insights, from Silverpop
Citrix Launches Video for Remote Support
Remote support can be a great thing, when it helps. But sometimes conversation or screen sharing is not enough.
To help resolve this dilemma, Citrix has launched its SeeIt video communications for GoToAssist IT Support.
End users can set up a one-way video stream from their Android phone, and then continue to talk to tech support while they're showing what the problem is. In a demonstration video, Citrix shows the feature being employed through a user's smartphone as he attempts to set up a router. The company touts such use cases as self-fixing a cable TV problem or dealing with a minor auto issue.
A year ago, Amazon introduced a similar service called MayDay through Kindle Fire. Citrix notes that its SeeIt service is designed for any industry or Android device.


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Clayoquot Summer People's History Dossier
With a litany of environmental-related events in Blog Action Day, Tck Tck Tck, 350, Bridge to A Cool Planet – i've rustled up an overview of my recent climate change, activist-oriented media project.
Listeners to "Choogle On with Uncle Weed" podcast have noticed the special series called Rainforest Dispatches. Consider subscribing by RSS Feed, iTunes, Email (gratis).
Here's the blurb:
"A series of explorations and soliloquies from the Clayoquot Sound area on the west coast of Vancouver Island during a summertime water outage in the midst of a temperate rainforest. While figuring out what happened, Uncle Weed recollects the tense logging blockades in early 1990s and compares current conditions through lens of deep ecology and sustainable development practices."
Part of my aim in this project is to gather a record of the events written and created by people camped amongst the stumps taking snapshots, writing in diaries, sharing recollections and collecting ephemera related to the blockades.
If this protest happened these days, Flickr, YouTube and Twitter would be rife with commentary, evidence and documentation but as i've found, most all materials found on the web are digitized by diligent documenters well after the event and i feel many historical treasures are trapped in show boxes, attics, aging memories and degrading film.
Collecting Clayoquot:
What i seek from you and others …
Recorded Recollections – Audio recording of your personal reflections from the blockades or from whereever you were. How did you get there? Why did you go? How did you keep you spirits up? How has participation influenced your life? Please record on any digital audio device (computers or iPhones work great) and email to choogleon (at) uncleweed (dot) net. Have old cassettes or other media? Please let me know.
Clayoquot Summer Photos – Snapshots from the Peace Camp and blockade lines, plus campouts on Long Beach, coffee breaks in Tofino, hitch-hike rides to the camp … Stick them on Flickr and tag ClayoquotSummer or email to choogleon (at) uncleweed (dot) net. Please CC license.
News Articles, Flyers, Signs -Did you keep a scrapbook of article, signs, posters or other miscellanea? Stick them on Flickr and tag ClayoquotSummer or email to choogleon (at) uncleweed (dot) net. Please CC license.
Clayoquot Mass Trails booklet – I've seen scans of a book made profiling everyone arrested and including some diaries from prison – do you have a digital copy or one i can digitize?
Impact of Arrest – For those 800+ who were arrested and sentenced in the mass trial, how has the arrest affected your life? Any problems with travel? How did you survive financially during the trail and sentence? What did you do during your 3 month house arrest? How did the arrest influence your life's work? Positive or negative remarks welcome.
Any content i receive will find a place in my historical dossier via podcasts, photo galleries or artwork to be named later.
Clayoquot Resources (so far):
Many links are outdated and pointing to changed archives. Much of the evidence comes from mainstream media with their sound-bite-sized and often sensationalized segments. While interesting, this does not capture the significance of the event to generations of eco-advocates who really brought many points of view.
See the articles and resources i've assembled at: Clayoquot tag on Delicious social bookmarks
I've found EF!-ers's talking about the soft approach against logging by the PeaceCampers and other celebrating and studying the non-violence and consensus building found in the cooperative community environment. Other discourse focuses on the way the big corporations dealt with the protests and other chronicle the court cases. Plus a few articles about the Clayoquot Summer legacy (mostly from the 10 year anniversary).
A few highlights:
Clayoquot Sound—A Summer of Protest by Luke Moore
Reading the injunction at Clayoquot Sound protest. Photo: Luke Moore.
Over the past summer, the Kennedy River Bridge entrance to logging operations on Clayoquot Sound became the site of one of the largest civil disobedience campaigns in Canadian history.
The protest followed the B.C. government's decision on April 13 to allow MacMillan Bloedel to proceed with a harvesting plan that will see the eventual cutting of another 51 percent of the area's old-growth forest. The B.C. government, perhaps coincidentally, is the largest single shareholder in MacBlo. Twenty-three percent of the forest has already been harvested.
Although industry refers to logging as "general integrated management," and there is a lot of rhetoric about improved forestry practices, large scale forest management remains environmentally unsound. If there is any improvement, it is that the future clearcuts will be smaller. Since the government decision, a brand-new 125 hectare clearcut graces the side of a mountain visible from the Kennedy River Bridge.
The forest around Clayoquot Sound is one of the largest remaining stands of old-growth forest in North America. This is an irreplaceable cradle of rainforest biodiversity, and it can only be saved if the government will reverse its decision.
Peace camp established
To press for that reversal, a peace camp was set up by the Friends of Clayoquot Sound (FOCS), a Tofino-based environmental group which has fought for the protection of the forests for fourteen years. The camp served as a base for protesters, who blockaded the Kennedy River Bridge until the camp was closed down Oct. 4.
More Clayoquot Sound—A Summer of Protest
Blockades and Civil Disobedience (1993 – 1995), Whole Systems Engagement by Ann Svendsen & Myriam Laberge from Collective Wisdom Initiative
In the summer of 1993, the battle in Clayoquot Sound escalated. Environmental groups organized a Clayoquot Sound Peace Camp, which attracted protesters from throughout North America and Europe. At least 9,000 people participated in demonstrations against clear-cut logging. More than 800 people were arrested in the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history when protesters massed to block logging roads and climbed trees to protect them from cutting. Suddenly, Clayoquot Sound was in the headlines around the world.
In October 1993, the government responded by initiating the Scientific Panel for Sustainable Forest Practices in Clayoquot Sound, an independent panel of First Nations and scientific experts. The Panel's mandate was to develop world-class standards for sustainable forest management by combining traditional and scientific knowledge. Two years later, the Panel's report recommended that clear cutting be replaced by variable retention forestry, an approach that would leave some trees standing in each area to protect the health of the forest ecosystem.
At the same time that the panel was developing its recommendations, the provincial government was engaged in negotiations with the First Nations to resolve their land claims. A joint resource management process was established with the First Nations of Clayoquot. Even as these initiatives were moving forward, however, environmentalists were escalating their campaigns against clear-cut logging in the rest of the province.
Clayoquot Sound: Not Out Of The Woods Yet! By Valerie Langer Common Ground
The ten year anniversary of the largest civil disobedience in Canadian history is approaching. During the summer of 1993 over 850 people were arrested and 12,000 people demonstrated in opposition to logging in the ancient forests of Clayoquot Sound.
The magnificent forests and the strength of the non-violent protests captured the imagination of the public and the media. Canadians, Americans and Europeans flocked to the Peacecamp, and every morning before dawn they caravanned down a dusty logging road to the demonstration site. When logging trucks arrived at the Kennedy River Bridge, the international media turned on their camera lights and brought the stand off to TV sets and radios all around the world.
Friends of Clayoquot Sound (FOCS) was there to facilitate people bringing their consciousness into action. A few years of action experience had trained us how to leverage that presence into the international forum. After the mass trials of the 850 arrestees Common Ground published an "Honour Roll" of those courageous souls who put their liberty on the line for the ancient forests of Clayoquot Sound.
Today art pieces featuring the protests hang on the walls of the Vancouver Art Gallery, and the BC Museum designates 'Clayoquot '93' as one of the most significant events in BC's history. Clayoquot was a fire in the belly, a symbol of our rage against environmental destruction and a cathartic outlet to do something about it.
The Summer of '93 – The Struggle for Clayoquot Sound by Aldo de Moor of Tilburg, The Netherlands, collection of snapshots from August 1993 on Wikicommons
Wilderness & Resistance – Bears, Blockades & Burning Bridges By an Expatriated Biocentric Turtle Island Earth First!er in "Do or Die" Vol. 6
The Friends of Clayoquot Sound (FOCS) started as a radical group of various and sundry American draft-dodger hippies, traditional Nuu-Chah-Nuulth natives, tree spikers, and other dissident voices against the clearcut logging of the largest remaining lowland coastal temperate rainforest (280,000 ha.) [located on BC's Vancouver Island]. In fact, one of the former directors of FOCS started the Society for the Protection of Intact Kinetic Ecosystems (SPIKE), which openly advocated spiking and claimed to have put nails into 20,000 trees.
Another director was convicted of burning a bridge to a logging site. Yet, by the summer of 1993, the campaign to save Clayoquot had evolved into one of massive civil disobedience; all summer long, every single day, one of the main logging roads was blockaded by crowds varying from perhaps 5,000 on the first day when the band Midnight Oil played, to just a handful of folks. Over 1,000 people were arrested that summer for criminal contempt of court by defying a court injunction to stay off the road. An extraordinary diversity of people came out and got involved: from raging grannies to loggers, peaceheads to saboteurs (more on that in a moment), New Agers to Anglican clerics, people came from all walks to take part. Hell, even a dozen Basques showed up who spoke no English but said in Spanish, "clearcutting kills men and the beasts." Unfortunately, the campaign was to a certain extent controlled by the "peace nazis," who were afflicted with a bad case of tunnel vision. Even though there were often hundreds of people around, the only form of protest allowed by FOCS was the stand-in-the-road-while-they-read-you-the-injunction-and-then-cart-you-off demonstration; consequently, there were only a few days all year that the logging was actually stopped. Usually, it was only a matter of a few minutes for the police to remove the demonstrators and then the trucks rolled on by.
Earth First! was definitely not welcome at that point, nor were tree-sitters, or lock-ons, or elves. Even though many FOCS activists are EF!ers, that summer saw a definite change of tactics in Clayoquot, one which perhaps foreshadowed the FoE/EF! conflict here. Many years of hard work by FOCS, and help from international groups like EF!, Greenpeace, and Rainforest Action Network among others, has resulted in the main logging company (Macmillan Bloedel) pulling out of Clayoquot, and the other company has had its cut reduced by 45%.
In a sense, Clayoquot has been saved and should be considered a victory. On the other hand, the government and timber industry are using the tiny area of Clayoquot as a smokescreen to cover up the fact that they are clearcutting the rest of the province.
University of Victoria's "A Political Space" Clayoquot Project
Clayoquot Info from "Friends of Clayoquot Sound":
Map of Intact Clayoquot Valleys
Vancouver Island Old Growth 1860
Vancouver Island Old Growth 2004
1992 Blockade at Clayoquot Arm Bridge of Kennedy Lake, 65 arrested, protesting MacMillan Bloedel's logging at edge of intact Clayoquot River valley.
1993 International campaign takes off with ad in New York Times and FOCS trip to Europe. FOCS and allied environment groups call for boycott of MacMillan Bloedel and other companies. Largest peaceful civil disobedience in Canadian history is sparked by BC government's decision to log 74% of Clayoquot Sound's ancient forest. FOCS opens Peace Camp at "Black Hole". Daily blockades and arrests begin at Kennedy River Bridge. 856 arrested and 12,000 participate during "Clayoquot Summer 93″.
1996 FOCS and Greenpeace takeover of Rankin Cove logging camp leads to First Nations-brokered truce between MacMillan Bloedel and environmentalists. Negotiations begin regarding protecting large intact (pristine) valleys in Clayoquot Sound from logging.
1997 FOCS begins a fish farm campaign aimed at reforming open net-cage salmon aquaculture in Clayoquot Sound and BC.
1999 FOCS helps to negotiate Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between 4 environment groups and Iisaak Forest Resources, the First Nations/MacMillan Bloedel joint venture logging company that replaced MacBlo. MOU commits Iisaak to protecting large pristine areas in its portion of Clayoquot Sound, while enviro groups agree to help market Iisaak's wood. FOCS does not sign MOU in order to maintain its independent watchdog position.
- Scientific Panel
- Biosphere Reserve
- Clayoquot Green Economic Opportunities Project Vol 1 (1.3 MB PDF)
- Clayoquot Green Economic Opportunities Project Vol 2 (3.7 MB PDF)
- About Clayoquot Sound from FOCS
What Is Clayoquot Sound?
Clayoquot Sound is a magnificent, biologically rich, mostly wilderness area on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It encompasses 350,000 hectares of land and ocean.
A view of Clayoquot Sound – Photo by Diego A. Garcia
The land portion of Clayoquot Sound is 265,000 hectares (2,650 square kilometers or 1,000 square miles), comprising about 8% of Vancouver Island. It is covered with ancient temperate rainforest, a globally rare forest type. The remaining 85,000 hectares of Clayoquot Sound consist of ocean — narrow inlets of the Pacific Ocean, into which empty rivers and lakes.
Clayoquot Sound occupies a straight-line distance along the coast of 90 kilometers, between Barkley and Nootka Sounds. It reaches a maximum of 35 kilometres inland, up to the crest of snow-capped mountains. These mountains are part of the central spine of Vancouver Island and form the headwaters of the rivers that drain Clayoquot Sound.
The "Sound" portion of the region's name indicates an indented section of coastline, with numerous inlets and islands. "Clayoquot" — pronounced Klak-wot — comes from Tla-o-qui-aht, the name of one of the First Nations tribes who live here.
There are 5 communities in Clayoquot Sound: the town of Tofino and 4 First Nations reserves inhabited by Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations tribes. The total population of these 5 communities is about 3,000 (in 2005).
Two well-known parks lie in Clayoquot Sound: the Long Beach Unit of Pacific Rim National Park, and the southern portion of Strathcona Provincial Park. These and other parks protect one-third of Clayoquot's land area and less than one-quarter of its productive ancient forest.
Industrial activities such as logging and fish farming have occurred and continue to occur across the landscape and ocean waters of Clayoquot Sound, but most of the Sound is still wilderness — intact forest and wild ocean. The spectacular scenery attracts about one million tourists to Clayoquot each year.


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Although I was born in Bombay, now renamed Mumbai, the city was never my home. I grew up in small towns along India's west coast. But it was home to my grandmothers, uncles and aunts, and my parents would take us to India's Big Apple for holidays.
As a young girl, I would walk past a rain-washed salmon-colored cottage, past the culvert, and past a field where cows grazed on over-grazed grass, and buffaloes stared with big vacant eyes, unperturbed by flies or children running around. Left-over rain water lay in puddles, riddled with mosquito larvae hatching beneath the surface. Occasionally, the government would spray a film of kerosene oil to kill them and prevent malaria outbreaks, but during the monsoons, the mosquitoes won the battle.
Now, when I visit India, nothing is familiar. The stone culvert has been ground down to dust, the streets widened and tarred, the houses, cottages, gardens and trees gone. Instead, tall ten-storied buildings with iron-rimmed balconies, symmetrically spaced and stacked, reach up to the sky. Gardens have been reduced to strips of land with a few coconut trees, flowers and potted plants, bordered with cement bricks. Barking dogs have replaced the silence of napping buffaloes and lolling cows.
But a little ways down the road, there is one thing that doesn't change—my visit to my mochi, who still mends shoes and sandals by hand, and unapologetically tells his customers to come tomorrow because he will not hurry, not if they want good work, and if they don't, they should go elsewhere.
I start down Almeida Road where I expect him to be, but he isn't there. So I walk a little further down the road scanning the pavements on either side, and there he is — in his new digs! It's a thin plywood board contraption, water proofed with discarded rain coats, strips of gum boot mackintosh, a black umbrella minus the handle, and irregular patches of water proof pliable plastic. It's very colorful. And there he sits in a space so low that he must bend to enter it, and when he crouches down and crosses his legs to align the soles of his feet, his head almost touches the ceiling. His feet are like a podium for his customer's shoes; sometimes they are a clamp as he wields a large needle through the leather—-stitch by stitch, as if he has all the time in the world.
"Namaste," I say, delighted to have found him. "How are you? Do you remember me?"
He nods, joins his hands, smiles a tooth less smile, his deep eyes filled with kindness. But of course, he doesn't remember. How could he? My hair is short and curly, my face more lined; a few hundred people walk past him everyday. And it has been three years since I came "home."
"May I take your photo?" I ask him.
He shakes his head, yes, with pure delight. "Can you wait a little?"
"Of course."
He almost bumps his head against the ceiling as he emerges, and reaches on a tree branch behind him for a blue cotton shirt to cover the vest he wears while working. He uses his palms as if they were an iron, and presses down, on his shirt, over and over, then adjusts his collar, and shakes his head side-to-side to indicate he's ready.
I take several pictures and show them to him on the LCD display. He smiles, pleased with what he sees. And that seems to trigger a memory, because I've taken his picture numerous times—-essentially every time I go home.
"Ah, you don't live here," he says. "Where did you go so long?"
I wave my hand toward the sky. "Bahut dhoor," I say. "Far away."
"Me, too," he says. " Bahut dhoor."
"Really? Where?" I asked, happy that he could afford to close shop and travel somewhere, perhaps to see the Taj Mahal. It is after all, one of the seven wonders of the world in his (our) country.
He points up the road. "Oodhur," he says, "There!"
I look to where he points.
"So many years, my shop was there," he says. "Under a mango tree. Then, they cut down the mango tree. So, now I'm here."
I feel my eyes filling up with tears. He had travelled far away too, and set down new roots, like I had done when I came to America.


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Rusty metal fence in NC
Rusty metal fence in NC
This gallery contains 2 photos.
So here is where that mulberry went that we cut from the downed tree. Barry Rosenthal came in to build a couple frames for his photos with my dad and me. The bottle print went in the mulberry fram with … Continue reading
Beautiful mailbox in Herborn, Germany. Probably one of my favorite pics of the trip. What a wonderful town too. It was so gray out that the pics didn't turn out very well, but I like this one. Back home now, up for almost 24 hours trying to beat jet lag.
Up early. Jet lag in small town in Germany.
Japanese maple on a spring evening.


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Meet Miles, Daisy, Phillip, and Logan. They are the four lucky twelve-year-olds chosen to compete in a contest of sugary goodness. At the end of a large factory tour, all candidates have to submit a brand new confection they invented themselves and the winning selection will be mass-produced for the whole world to enjoy! Logan has a leg up, being the head Candymakers son. But even though he can tell when the honeybees in the Life is Sweet factory are happy or depressed, he is not quite sure he wants to take over his Dad's business. And there's something a little bitter tasting about the other three kids, too. One thing's for sure, this contest if going to be a whirlwind ride!
Kids will be quick to compare this book to the Johnny Depp re-make of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but that may work in this book's favor. Most importantly, it will get them to pick the book up and start reading, diving into the mouth-watering concoctions of the Life is Sweet factory. From there, it doesn't take long for Wendy Mass to branch out and make this story completely her own. I thought some aspects seemed a little far-fetched (especially when it comes to Daisy's backstory) but middle grade readers will eat up the fantasy. Not to mention all of the whimsical junk food possibilities! Mass made a good choice in deciding to switch between the character's voices, as it was what really kept the book moving along. Staying on any one kid for too long began to get stale. Plus, the mystery grew exponentially each time the read learns what someone else was doing at the same moment as another. A clever and cute book! Also a good one for parents to read out loud to younger kids before bed at night.
Overall Rating: 3 Stars
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Due to COVID Virus
Wales and Northumbria
September 8-18, 2020
Northumberland, also known as the Kingdom of Northumbria, is "England's Border Country," a land of history and heritage set amidst some of the loveliest scenery in Britain. And Yorkshire is known to be a region with a breathtaking countryside, a stunning coastline and amazing history around every corner.
Celtic myth, legend and fantasy have been characteristic of Welsh culture and identity down through the centuries. Many believe Wales was the birthplace of Merlin (the legendary magician to King Arthur) and some scholars agree that the ancient Celtic King held his round table in Wales. You can clearly feel the past surround you, and are transported to another time, perhaps wandering among castle ruins in a sunny meadow or standing totally speechless overlooking the mountains of Snowdonia…
And if you happen to fancy castles, Wales has more castles per square mile than any other country in the British Isles…
Welcome to another Celtic Journeys spiritual adventure to Wales and Northumbria!
Sept 8: United Flight from Newark (EWR) to Edinburgh leaving in the evening.
Sept 9: Arrive early Edinburgh International Airport. After collection our luggage we'll be greeted by our coach driver and head directly for Holy Island, driving high along a scenic coastal route above the North Sea.
1st Overnight Holy Island
Sept 10: Lindisfarne, or Holy Island, is a tidal island, accessible by car and coach at low tide. But when the tides come in, this tiny island is transformed, enfolded in stillness. Steeped in history going back as far as the Saxon period, many well-known saints were associated with Lindisfarne, the island almost taking on an aura of its own (Aidan, Cuthbert, King Oswald, the Lindisfarne Gospels!). Lindisfarne is internationally famous both for its medieval religious heritage and also its picturesque 16th century castle. Many visitors are also attracted by the peace and tranquility which pervades this very special island. It is often described as "a truly magical place."
2nd Overnight Holy Island
Sept 11: Having the tides with us, we must leave this storybook island this morning. But we should be refreshed and ready to continue on our journey… It is often said that Durham Cathedral is 'one of the great architectural experiences of Europe". This magnificent cathedral was built as a place of worship, specifically to house the shrine of the North's best-loved saint, Cuthbert. Begun in 1093 and largely completed within 40 years, it is the only cathedral in England to retain almost all of its Norman craftsmanship, and one of few to preserve the unity and integrity of its original design. It is absolutely awesome.
Overnight Durham
Sept 12: A slight diversion today will take us to Whitby Abbey, founded in the seventh century on cliffs overlooking the North Sea. Its haunting presence can still be seen from the water, a testament to the Golden Age of Northumbria. Whitby is steeped in history, and known for its famous Abbess, Hilda. She hosted the Council of Whitby in the year 664. Then as we turn inland toward Wales, we shall spend some time in the charming medieval city of York. Its magnificent 13th-century Gothic cathedral York Minster will certainly stay in your memory, with its medieval stained glass windows and 2 functioning bell towers. We hope to attend choral evensong for a lovely finish to the day…
Overnight York
Sept 13: Today we're off toward Wales! Once we are on the road, we will stop in Chester, a medieval walled city like York. Chester is a truly magical blend of the ancient and the traditional, and its Cathedral has a rich and fascinating heritage, so you might like to spend some quiet reflective time there. Yet again, there's always the option of doing some shopping! Then on to the town of Holywell and St. Winifred's sacred shrine. The holy well of St Winifred is an important center of medieval pilgrimage still venerated today. And finally Snowdonia, named Eryri (the place of eagles) in Welsh. It has been said that Snowdonia is the soul of Wales…
1st Overnight Snowdonia
Sept 14: Today we first visit Conwy, another medieval walled town, and Conwy Castle. You will never forget the first glimpse of this magnificent castle! You will truly get the feeling of stepping back in time to the 16th century when you enter this charming town. And the Isle of Anglesey, an island steeped in history from Neolithic times to the present day, awaits us. We shall visit Beaumaris Castle while there. Begun in 1295 by King Edward I, Beaumaris is possibly the most sophisticated example of medieval architecture in Britain, and for some, it is the most beautiful castle in all of Wales. Then out to Penmons Priory, a very tranquil spot on the eastern tip of Anglesey, the site of a monastery dating back to St Seiriol (6th c). A holy well on the grounds is believed to have its origins in this period.
2nd Overnight Snowdonia
Sept 15: Leaving the mountains behind, this morning we will be driving along the Pembrokeshire coast, overlooking the sea. Then turning inland, we shall drive toward Nevern and the Pentre Ifan Dolmen, one of the most impressive Neolithic cromlechs in the United Kingdom. Nevern is a tiny village tucked away in the valley of the River Nyfer. But it is known for St Brynach's Church and its 13 foot high elaborately designed Great Celtic cross, perhaps the finest in Wales. The site of this sweet church is one of the earliest Christian places of worship and pilgrimage in the country, founded by St Brynach in the 6th century. It is also known for its ancient bleeding yew, still remaining a mystery to scientists. And in the wooded area nearby, hidden from the passerby, are the haunting memories from times before, the footprints of the thousands of pilgrims walking from St Winifred's Shrine to St Davids.
1st Overnight St Davids
Sept 16: The medieval Kingdom of Dyfed is just another name for St Davids Peninsula. While here we will find the time to linger in and around St Davids Cathedral and the charming village of St Davids. Perhaps as the day wanes we will have the opportunity to be present at Choral Evensong at St Davids. St Davids Cathedral has been the dominant presence in this area since the 12th century. St Davids was a popular pilgrimage destination throughout the Middle Ages and indeed remains so to this day attracting thousands of visitors every year. Adjacent to the cathedral stand the magnificent ruins of the medieval Bishops Palace. Nearby (within walking distance) we can visit St Non's Holy Well and St. Non's Chapel, a tiny jewel of a church overlooking St Bride's Bay.
2nd Overnight St Davids
Sept 17: Cardiff has blossomed into one of the most inviting cities of Britain and known as one of the major scenic beauty spots of South Wales. Having left St. David's behind, this our last morning we we shall head for Cardiff. This lovely city can boast of its charming arcades, castle, with of course it's well known architecturally beautiful National Museum. And after spending the day here in and around the city, we shall be on our way to our last destination, a lovely quiet setting in the country with landscaped gardens.
Overnight near Heathrow Airport
Sept 18: United flight leaving Heathrow around noon, arriving around 3pm Newark (EWR).
We hope you can join us for our Celtic Journeys to Wales and Northumbria. You won't regret it!
God Bless…
COST OF TRIP: $2690 including airfare (shared occupancy)
For additional information click here
For registration click here
Contact us click here
Look for us on Facebook! Click here


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Acupuncture, Mini Retreat Spring Detox Led By Dr. Truncali, D.C, L.a.C, Monroeville
by Counseling and Wellness Center of PittsburghMarch 1, 2018 acupuncture, acupuncture monroeville, community outreach, counseling, Emotional Health, integrative health, integrative medicine, traditional chinese medicine, wellness0 comments
Acupuncture, Mini Retreat Spring Detox Led By Dr. Truncali, D.C, L.a.C
March 20th
2539 Monroeville PA, 15146
Transitioning from winter to spring is a challenge for our bodies and a time to do some spring cleaning for our physical, and emotional selves. This is a group acupuncture session focused on cleansing and cleaning, boosting immunity, and calming the spirit as we let go of winter and move toward spring's light, warmth, hope, and growth. Dr. Truncali, D.C, L.a.C, our centers new licensed acupuncturist, will be leading the workshop sharing practical tips to cleanse and care for yourself using his knowledge of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Holistic Health to reinforce our bodies ability to be healthy and strong as we come into the new spring season. If you have always wanted to try acupuncture this is your chance to do so at a special community rate. You will also be welcome to enjoy complimentary snacks from our "Brain Bar" and sip some "Be Well" herbal tea.
Call us at 412-856-WELL with questions!
Share this event on Facebook and Twitter We hope you can make it!Learn More
Holiday Giving FOOD DRIVE
by Counseling and Wellness Center of PittsburghNovember 4, 2016 community outreach, counseling, mindfulness, therapist, therapists, therapy, wellness0 comments
Holiday Giving and Food Drive
We at CWCPGH are committed to giving back to the community, we pledge to partner with one charitable organization each year to give back to our community. As we all know, the holidays are time of feasting, togetherness, and giving. Most of the people that we are lucky enough to encounter have more than enough to eat and enjoy this holiday season but that isn't the case for all the families, couples, and children in our city. Our team of therapists is calling upon our patrons and our cyber friends to start a giving chain. This year, we have partnered with Community Human Services Food Pantry, Community Human Services offers food, housing, and social services to those in need, to learn more about them follow the link http://www.chscorp.org/.
CHS is in need of the following items;
Toiletries such as tooth brushes, tooth paste, shampoo etc
Peanut Butter
Canned Meat
We have a drop box located in our lobby starting November, 7, 2016. Please deposit all non-perishable food items there, if you have an item but are unable to drop off please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com will have the donation items picked up for your convenience. We at The Counseling and Wellness Center of Pittsburgh take our community outreach initiatives seriously so we have decided to match each donation that we receive on a one to one basis, meaning that for each food or toiletry item that we receive we will donate one more to CHS. Let's see how many people we can help to enjoy good tidings and feasting this holiday season. Thank you so much for your participation and a Very Happy Holiday Wish to All of You!
Warmest Wishes,
The Counseling and Wellness Center of Pittsburgh Therapy Team
830 Western Avenue Pittsburgh Pa 15233
Learn More


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I'm taking a badly-needed technology break! To keep you entertained without my daily nonsense, I'm posting the complete stories of Jane Storegoer, a character who sprang to being during the #AtoZChallenge in 2016. During my break, I'll post the installments daily. Can't wait? Catch the rest of the posts here. They start from the bottom. Hope you enjoy!
I ate some ice cream before I wrote this installment. You know. For inspiration and, uh, research.
Something Linda said stayed firm in Jane's mind. Drain pan, thought Jane. Drain pan. A way out. And far off in the distance, she could see it, an indentation in the ice wall. She was getting out of here.
With a rhythmic rumble, the ground shook. "What now?" said Jane, her eyes on the path ahead, the path, she was sure lead to a freezer drain.
And her freedom.
Iris shook her blobby head. "Meatniks," she said. "Damn Meatniks."
"Niks," said Linda, "And you want to stay clear. Come along children," she said to the twins, hopping back in the direction that they came. The twins laughed.
"Let's race!" they said, waddling from stick to stick, getting some distance ahead of Linda. Linda stopped, and tracing a bare spot in the snow with its stick, turned back.
"If you had any sense, you'd do the same." And then they were gone, the twins giggles growing fainter.
"Linda's not wrong," Iris said. "And not to pile on or anything, but things don't look so great in the other direction either."
While the solid beat of the coming Meatniks grew heavier, there was a definite squelching coming from the direction they had been. Jane couldn't bear to look, and yet she couldn't stop herself.
Yep. There they were. The Tofuratti.
"You know, there was a time when you splatted a piece of tofu and it stayed splatted," said Iris. "But these days, with all the additives…you wouldn't believe what they call 'organic.'"
"You're being awfully quiet, Barry. Nothing to say right now?" Barry swiveled on its cone, front and back and front again.
"Not really," said Barry.
"Want to maybe zap me out of here?" Jane said. She could now see the gleam of the plastic packaging surrounding the Meatniks. They looked pretty solid. And mean.
From the other way, the Tofuratti bounced onward, scarred and lumpy and scrambled in parts. No question about it. They were trapped.
Like my political side? Read my opinion pieces here.
Check out my full-length novels:
Aunty Ida's Full-Service Mental Institution (by Invitation Only)
Aunty Ida's Holey Amazing Sleeping Preparation (Not Doctor Recommended)
The Great Paradox and the Innies and Outies of Time Management.
And download Better Living Through GRAVY and Other Oddities, it's free!


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Here is a photo of the original picture disc by Thomas Mann Bayne for Joseph Plateau's Phenakistiscope and my 'Winged tribute' piece finished. The original picture disk is a part of the Werner Nekes collection which has all sorts of early illusion and animation pieces. The The images of the phenakistiscopes (picture disks) are located under 'Gallery' and then 'Photos of the collection'.
I have yet to do some spinning experiments to see if I need to make any modifications to achieve the animation effect but am hoping it will work. I have tracked down an internet animation of the original wheel. If you scroll down to the thrid image on the left and click on the bottom right wheel you can see the rats running out of the central holes, across the disk and over the edge.


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The golden age of cocktails and mingling is coming back in a big way. And the hottest spot on the block isn't on a side street, it's down the hallway. The home bar is experiencing a renaissance and that means that curious cocktail aficionados are learning how to stock a home bar properly. Here are the secret tools you'll need to master mixology in your own home.
A Vintage Worth Savoring
In addition to liquors and liqueurs, wine is an extremely popular choice for at-home imbibers. In addition to it being a perfect drink by itself or paired with a meal, the ways to unlock its tasting notes are nearly limitless. If you love the experience of flavors playing across the palate and picking out the subtle differences between years and bottling regions, you're in very good company. Here are a few popular and innovative home bar essentials that will make the most out of every drop of vino:
Ice Cold Drinks…Hold the Ice
THAT! Inventions' Double-Walled Chilling Glass ensures that every sip of your favorite wine is refreshingly icy cold thanks to a freezable core. Simply place the glass in the freezer prior to uncorking and put it to good use once the wine starts flowing. A removable cork sleeve keeps your hand comfortable while insulating the delightfully chilly glass inside.
Nothing But Pure Wine
PureWine's Wave Wine Bottle Filter does for your favorite bottle of wine what water pitcher filters do for H2O: make a good thing even better. An innovative combination of BPA-free, food-safe fabric and beads remove harmful sulfates and histamines that make the during- and after-effects of wine linger after the glass is empty. The taste—and alcohol content—remain the same, which makes this clever device truly revolutionary for wine fans.
Keep Your Wine Chilled for Hours
Vinglace's Stainless Steel Wine Insulator takes the same insulating, chilling design that is typically applied to upscale wine glasses and carafes and applies it to the entire bottle. This elegant solution allows a host to pour glass after glass of delightfully chilled wine without a drippy ice bucket or specialty drink glasses.
Save the Wine
Savino's Wine Saver Carafe delivers a smart solution to that leftover wine that would otherwise "turn" in the refrigerator. A beautiful, slender carafe holds the wine while a glass "float" allows free pouring that minimizes oxygen contact automatically. Part solution, part art, it's a must for frequent wine drinkers.
A Centerpiece Carafe
Blenko Glass Company's Wine Carafe Vase is a cheeky, stylish nod to the classic wine carafe. Ideal for accessorizing around the bar or in the center of a dining room table, it takes wine-steeped ambiance to the next level. It's even complete with a wide mouth for voluminous seasonal floral displays.
Shaken, Sipped, and Stirred
The heart of any well-stocked assortment of home bar essentials, the tools for exceptional DIY cocktails are as much about the display and flourish as they are about convenient crafting. These intriguing home bar tools are made to appeal to beginners and seasoned mixologists alike. They offer premium materials and designs as intoxicating as the spirits they enhance.
Hit the Mat
Talisman Designs' Multi-Use Cocktail Barmat really does, in fact, do it all. While you'll still need to slice garnishes, add salt and sugar rims, and dry freshly-cleaned glasses, you'll have the perfect space to do so in an easy-to-clean, durable mat. Recessed areas for rim seasoning, pouring, and more make this thoughtful design, like a cocktail, far more than the sum of its parts.
Flavor on Ice
Herb & Lou's Infused Cocktail Ice Cubes add an unexpected and flavorful element to classic cocktails. One of the better ideas in innovative garnishes, these special cubes simply need to be frozen and popped into a cocktail to infuse it, tea-like, with select flavor notes, herbs, fruit, and more. Elevating your pours from a familiar bottle of spirits to top-shelf status has never been easier.
A Helping Hand
Quench Home Bartending Unitool brings the handy design of a Swiss Army knife to the needs of the home bar. With ten swing-out tools, a bartender has everything they need at their fingertips. There's a traditional knife, channel knife, stirrer, zesting tool, reamer, muddler, jigger measurement tool, bottle opener, strainer, and corkscrew. Whether it's a bottle of fine wine, a stubborn piece of citrus, or a favorite brewski, this tool handles it all.
A Piece of Home for the Home Bar
CHART Metalworks' Bar Cutting Board adds a little touch of home to any bartender's setup. This sturdy, wooden board adds a modern element to a classic heavy design with a customizable medallion. Inside the medallion, a map point of choice displays any location. Maybe it's a hometown, a favorite vacation spot, or a special place where they first met a loved one. Smooth natural wood meets iconic cartography in this must-have bar accessory.
Bring Back the Classics
Sertodo Copper Barman's Set proves that an iconic classic can still be improved upon. A trio of tools are crafted in pure hammered copper: shaker, jigger measuring tool, and matching tray. The bright rosy hue will naturally patina with time and usage but can always be restored to its original glow with a food-safe polishing cleanser.
Raising a Glass to Raising the Bar
Your choice of dishware and glassware can be as important as the spirits poured into them. Don't settle for the same tired set of glasses that barely survived the move from your dorm a decade ago. Refresh your under-bar stash with some of these attractive, modern options for hosting guests and pouring drinks.
Straws as Strong as Your Drinks
Strawesome's Bent Glass Straws are a perfect example of how eco-friendly and eco-chic play well together among home bar essentials. Not only are these smooth, colorful borosilicate glass eye-catching in a cocktail, they're also easy to clean. Preserve the flavor nuances in mixed drinks by eliminating plastic and paper materials altogether.
Read the Drink Menu
Dishique's Anatomy Bar Coaster Set gives your guests something intriguing to read while you're mixing, measuring, and pouring their beverage. Each contains a slice of the history of popular adult beverages. The substantial sandstone coasters not only protect the bartop with cork, but they also absorb excess moisture to prevent rings on wooden tables and glass.
Light Up Your Drink
Glo Drinks' Light Up Drink Cubes add a spectacular light show to any beverage and automatically turn off with the last sip. Bright LED lights are activated when the plastic cubes are placed in a drink. No switches or buttons are necessary. Batteries are included and permanently sealed into each cube, offering up to eight hours of use.
Ceramic Magic
Magisso's Bottle Cooler just needs a quick soak in cold water to offer lasting, condensation-free cooling power for a bottle of wine or liquor. The dark surface also acts as a convenient chalkboard, allowing you to personalize your bar or party with a special message, note, or invitation to your guests to pour a glass of their favorite.
Sense the Spirits
The Artisan's NEAT Glass gives fans of fine spirits the perfect opportunity to enjoy each note and savor the flavor of each sip. A divergent rim works in harmony with the human nose, enhancing the aroma of the beverage inside and amping the flavors. This glass is designed to be used with spirits served neat, hence the clever double-entendre name.
Barware Built to Last
BarLuxe's Unbreakable Drinkware knows the only thing more tragic than a spilled drink is a broken glass in the process. These crystal-clear Eastman Tritan copolyester glasses are built to take the "tumble" out of "tumbler" and withstand every bump, tap, or enthusiastic "cheers" gesture without breaking a sweat.
Pour a Perfect Pint
Sempli's Birra Tasting Set allows beer fans to enjoy their favorite craft and classic brews like never before. Each glass is perfectly shaped to enhance the flavor notes of a specific beers like IPAs and Pilsners. When your tastes graduate beyond drinking directly from the bottle, these clever glasses will unlock new flavors and experiences in favorite beers from around the world.
No matter what you're pouring, mixing, sampling, or stirring these innovative home bar essentials will help you take your home bar to the next level. Dazzle your guests and make your mixology skills the life of any party. Whether you're having an intimate gathering with friends or holiday bashes that will become legendary throughout the year.


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Arsenal come from behind to beat Leicester City 3-1
Pierre Emerick Aubameyang had a brace here as Arsenal recovered from an own goal to beat Leicester City 31 and take possession of fourth place in the Premier League
London: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had a brace here as Arsenal recovered from an own goal to beat Leicester City 3-1 and take possession of fourth place in the Premier League.
The Gunners have now won 10 straight matches in all competitions for the first time since 2007. Coach Unai Emery's men last lost on August 18, in a London derby against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Tied on points with 21 from nine matches, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are third, fourth and fifth in the table based on goal difference.
Leicester were the better side in the first half on Monday and the match well have turned out differently if the referee hadn't failed to award the visitors for a clear hand ball in the 17th minute by Arsenal's Rob Holding, who was already on a yellow card.
The crowd at London's Emirates Stadium held their collective breath as Leicester protested the non-call but the official was unmoved.
The Foxes took a 1-0 lead in the 31st minute as a shot by Ben Chilwell deflected off Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin and ended up behind goalkeeper Bernd Leno.
Arsenal pulled level with a goal in the final minute before the break from new captain Mesut Özil after a give-and-go with Bellerin.
The hosts seized the initiative in the second half, yet Leicester would have reclaimed the lead if Wilfred Ndidi's thundering header off a corner in the 58th minute hadn't bounced off the cross-bar.
That turned out to be the visitors' last gasp of the night.
In the 63rd minute, Özil got the ball to Bellerin and the defender served up a cross for sub Aubameyang to make it 2-1 for the Gunners just three minutes after coming on.