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Effective citizen action since 1969.
Ordinance 70608 allows residents in the City of St. Louis to possess up to 8 chickens depending on the size of the of their property. The bill, which was sponsored by Alderwoman Cara Spencer and Alderwoman Christine Ingrassia, was passed by a vote of 22-3 and signed into law by Mayor Lyda Krewson in July 2017. The previous ordinance only allowed up to four animals per city parcel, including dogs, cats, chickens, and rabbits.
More than a year's worth of engaging residents and compiling data by the St. Louis Food Policy Coalition (STLFPC) contributed to the policy change in the city. The STLFPC urban agriculture survey found that residents wanted a minimum spatial requirement for various reasons, including animal welfare, public health and cleanliness, which was incorporated into Board Bill 52.
Below you can find some frequently asked questions about the bill.
Learn more about the ordinance here.
This document was made to ensure public knowledge about the Board Bill No. 52.
Q: What does this bill change?
A: The previous law allowed a maximum of four of the following animals: cats, dogs, chickens, a series of other birds, and one pot-bellied pig. Under the Board Bill 52, residents in any zoning district would be allowed to keep a maximum of eight fowl depending on size of one's yard, in addition to up to four domestic animals (Section 3 Subsection D). Things that won't change in the new bill include the banning of large farm animals or roosters on any residential area.
(Fowl: chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese, pigeons, quail, and pheasants)
Q: Are roosters allowed?
A: No. The previous law and Board Bill 52 states that roosters are prohibited in the City of St. Louis. (Section 3 Subsection A)
Q: Does this change how many cats and dogs I can have?
A: No! The number of chickens one may have does not influence the number of pets allowed. You are still able to have 4 domestic animals.
Q: What are the sanitary conditions required for keeping chickens?
A: The Health Commissioner has the authority to outline set standards and regulations for keeping chickens that include spatial regulations and the maintenance of bugs, smell, allergens, manure, containers, and deceased chickens.
Q: What are the spatial guidelines for keeping chickens or rabbits?
A: The bill sets minimum spatial requirements per chicken (Section 3 Subsection C). Each individual chicken requires four square feet of indoor space, or covered space like a coop, and ten square feet of outdoor enclosure area, an area uncovered like a cage. For example, if a city resident would like to have four chickens, the resident would need to make available a total of sixteen square feet of indoor space and forty square feet of outdoor enclosure area. The spacial requirements were decided based on the guidance of the City of St. Louis Department of Health.
Q: If my neighbor owns chickens, how will it impact my living space or neighborhood?
A: It is not permitted to keep chickens in residential front yards (Section 4 Subsection A). This way, birds will be out of sight for neighbors and passers-by. According to a survey research study in the Land Use Policy Journal, 87% of chicken owners had not received any complaints from their neighbors about their birds.
Q: What about the noise and the smell?
A: Chickens, as long as they are well-maintained and clean, do not smell any more than any other animal. As long as owners follow basic sanitation and maintenance practices, smell should not be a problem. In addition, chickens tend to be fairly quiet animals compared to barking dogs, noisy traffic, and other typical city sounds.
Q: Who do I call if a neighbor is out of compliance?
A: If a citizen notices a neighbor that is out of compliance with the above sanitary or spatial guidelines, you can call the City of St. Louis Department of Health as violations of this code are considered a public nuisance. Their phone number is (314) 612-5100.
Q: What are some of the health concerns that come along with raising chickens and how will they be addressed?
A: Although there have been some health concerns over keeping backyard chickens, ensuring the health of chickens and their owners is simple as long as certain precautions are taken to prevent disease. In order to protect you and your birds from disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend washing hands with soap and water after handling poultry or related materials such as food and water dishes or cages. Disease can also be prevented by wearing gloves when cleaning cages and coops. Owners can prevent disease by keeping living spaces clean for chickens, monitoring for signs of sick birds, and contacting professionals for help if they believe a bird is infected. For more information and resources on disease and recommendations check out this webpage.
Q: Why are this bill and urban agriculture valuable to St. Louis?
A: Backyard chickens can provide a multitude of benefits for residents including fresh eggs, natural fertilizer, and pest control. In addition, increasing urban agriculture puts St. Louis on the map as a leader in developing local food systems by supporting residents in growing and/or raising food for themselves and their community.
Q: Are other cities passing similar policies?
A: Minneapolis, Seattle, Dallas, Portland, Chicago, Detroit, and many more cities have passed similar policies. Even Missouri's own Kansas City and Columbia permit keeping backyard chickens.
Q: What are the basics of keeping chickens?
A: Keeping chickens is a fulfilling practice and involves multiple steps and preparations. This progress begins by doing your research on raising chickens, including choosing what breed of chickens are the best fit for you, deciding if you are going to obtain chicks or adults, finding the best space in your yard for them, and ensuring that this space fits the spacial requirements laid out by the City (see above for more information on spatial requirements). Once you have researched and obtained the proper infrastructure for housing chickens, they require feeding and watering, maintaining coops, managing manure and properly disposing of their waste, which is compostable. For more information on raising chickens visit this link.
MCE works to change the status quo of Missouri's agriculture industry so that our farmland supports a robust, sustainable, secure, and equitable food production system that preserves the environmental integrity of our air, land, and water.
Our current, industrialized agriculture system threatens the quality of our water, soil, and air - all of which MCE has worked to protect for over 47 years - and has adverse impacts on the health of Missouri residents.
There is a massive disconnect between people and food. Our current food system is not feeding our children, supporting our communities, or ensuring the protection of our soil and water resources. Missouri is fortunate to have naturally high quality soils capable of producing an array of fruits and vegetables, yet most of our land is dedicated to growing corn and soy - crops used primarily to produce livestock feed, processed food, and ethanol. Much of the fruits and vegetables found in grocery stores comes from far away places - California, Mexico, Chile, and Canada. Our grocery store shelves are lined with cheap sugar-, salt-, and fat-laden processed foods. Federal policies make Hostess Twinkies(R) cheaper than a bag of carrots. Issues of limited food access and no true consumer choice hit home for many families in urban and rural communities across Missouri and the nation.
It's time to back control of our food supply.Through our Food and Farm Program, MCE works to ensure that all Missourians have access to affordable, healthy food that is produced by local farmers who care for the land and are paid decent wages.
1. A diversified farm economy
2. Conservation of fertile soils and protection of clean water
3. Access to a healthy, secure food supply
Click here to read our press release about the survey results.
Read articles from the St. Louis Post Dispatch and St. Louis Public Radio about the survey results.
Click to Zoom
Alderwoman Marlene Davis is committed to the issues expressed in the survey results above. Davis says,
"In neighborhoods with limited food access, residents must leave their neighborhood to access nutritious food. Many of these same neighborhoods have vacant lots, littering our neighborhoods with overgrown weeds and costing our taxpayers thousands to maintain. We can start to address both of these issues by organizing strategic plans for our communities, empowering residents to take back their vacant lots, put the land into productive use, and provide themselves and their neighbors with a source of healthy food."
We thank her for her commitment to address food access and support food growing activities in the City of St. Louis!
Remember Me


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Denny Hamlin is good and angry about being fined $25,000 by NASCAR for making wht it said were "disparaging remarks" about the new Sprint Cup Gen-6 car on Sunday.
"Ultimately, I'm not okay with it," Hamlin said of the punishment at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. "This is the most upset and angry I've been in a really, really long time about anything … anything that relates to NASCAR. The truth is what the truth is. I don't believe in this. I'm never going to believe in it. As far as I'm concerned, I'm not going to pay the fine. If they suspend me, they suspend me. I don't care at this point."
NASCAR could do just that, which would hurt Hamlin, who drives for Joe Gibbs Racing, in the Sprint Cup standings. Or NASCAR could deduct the money from his next race weekend. Or it could just drop the whole matter and admit it made a mistake. (Not that sports organizations ever do that … ) In a statement on Twitter, Hamlin indicated he would appeal and added that the statement was crafted without public-relations assistance:
"The short of the long of it is I believe I was severely disrespected by NASCAR by getting fined. I believe that the simple fact of us not even having a conversation about this issue before I was hit with a fine has something to say about our relationship. What I said was 1 sentence taken completely out of context. Most drivers will tell you that we constantly have our AND nascars best interest in mind when speaking.
"On the other hand I am a person that worked very hard from the BOTTOM to get where I am today and someone telling me that I can give my 100 percent honest opinion really bothers me. Since being fined in 2010 I have been a lot more careful about what I say to media and I felt this past weekend felt completely in my rights to give a assessment of the question asked. I feel as if today NASCAR lost one of its biggest supporters vocally of where our sport is headed.
"So in the end there are no winners. I said today I would not pay the fine. I stand by that and will go through the process of appealing. Trust me, this is not about the money.. It's much deeper. I will now shift my focus on giving FedEx and my team what they deserve this weekend, a win."
In announcing the fine, NASCAR said the remarks violated Section 12-1 of the rulebook that includes all actions detrimental to stock car racing. Just what did Hamlin say that was so "detrimental?"
"I don't want to be the pessimist, but it did not race as good as our Gen-5 cars," Hamlin said in Phoenix on Sunday. "This is more like what the Generation 5 was at the beginning. The teams hadn't figured out how to get the aero balance right. Right now, you just run single-file and you cannot get around the guy in front of you. You would have placed me in 20th place with 30 [laps] to go, I would have stayed there — I wouldn't have moved up. It's just one of those things where track position is everything."
Shortly after the fine was announced, fans were tweeting support with #StandWithDenny.
And for the record I love the #StandWithDenny . Y'all are awesome
— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) March 8, 2013
Hamlin finished third at Phoenix and is fourth in points. He has never missed the Chase and was concerned about the impact that a suspension could have on his season.
"It's an opinion," Hamlin said in exasperation of his comment. "It's not even a bad one. I have to be careful. I don't want to make things worse than they already are. And this is something that was absolutely nothing, and it got blown into something. It's just going to be worse for them. Let them deal with it."
Follow @CindyBoren on Twitter and on Facebook.

subset: commoncrawl


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Ulric Lane Studio Northbridge
Studio, Sydney North
Rated 5 out of 5 stars 1 review
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From $128 per night {{quote.pricing.message}} Total {{quote.pricing.price | format:'currency':'short'}} for
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Great private studio accommodation on the bottom level of our home with its own private access.
The accommodation comprises three rooms one containing the lounge area with sofa bed the second containing the kitchen and dining area. The third is the bathroom with shower and toilet.
Fully self contained Kitchen and separate bathroom for your exclusive use.
TV with Foxtel
Wifi is available.
Kitchen contains oven, cooktop, microwave, fridge and all utensils required.
The bed is a double sofa bed with mattress topper.
All linen is suppled including towels
I also supply some basic breakfast provisions bread, milk cereal and yoghurt. Tea and coffee are also provided.
Great location in the quiet leafy suburb of Northbridge. There are frequent buses to the centre of Sydney from the end of the road. We have local shops and restaurants only 10 minutes walk away.
Ideal if you are travelling for work.
Please note access to the studio is down the set of steps shown in the pictures. The unit is therefore unsuitable for children and those who have difficulty walking.
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Prices listed based on 2 adults. Property has 1 beds and can sleep a maximum 2 people.
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The EU Ecolabel also known as "the Flower" due to its flower logo denotes products and services with superior environmental performance. Products bearing the label are certified to meet EU-wide environmental criteria, and compliance is independently verified by an approved body.
The EU Ecolabel scheme is voluntary and represents products with class leading environmental performance. It is available for many consumer and commercial product groups and now includes heat pumps. The Ecodan Monobloc PUHZ range of products met this criteria in November 2009.


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Today I have a story about making new friends, starting a new career, and supporting your friends' dreams rather than being a naysayer. It's like several of my friendship advice columns mashed together.
I met Nancy Fink, founder of Spoon Optional, a new company in the Twin Cities selling vegetarian, organic soups, in 2003 when we were both still new(ish) to Minneapolis. We were set up on a "date" by a friend of our husbands' families who figured that two young couples with husbands from the Twin Cities and wives from other Midwest cities would get along well.
The four of us hit it off quickly, but on our third date Bryan and I broke the news that we were expecting our first child. I say "but" because that change in status had the potential to thrust us in different directions. I stopped teaching when Sam was born, filling my days with playdates, baby classes, and endless errands (some of which I invented to get out, I'm sure). Nancy worked full-time in HR. Thankfully, our friendship continued to grow steadily anyway.
The Finks had their first child six months after we had our second. Now in addition to spending time together as families on occassional Friday nights, Sunday brunches, or Saturday nights without the kids, Nancy and I were on the same stay-at-home schedule. We had a weekly playdate with our friend Jorie, and the three of us supported each other with advice ranging from the practical (sleeping, feeding, potty training) to the too-many-to-name deeper issues.
Nancy and Jorie, still enjoying the newness of life with their first babies, were unconditionally encouraging when I talked about starting a writing career. Neither one reminded me of my utter lack of experience, nor did they act like it was "cute" that I wanted to try something potentially far-fetched. They read drafts of my novel and rode the roller coaster with me as I waited to hear from agents. They commiserated with my letdowns and celebrated my successes as I slowly carved out space for myself in the freelance writing world. Not big on using social media, they shared articles for me anyway when I landed pieces on bigger sites.
In the past few years Nancy and I spent a lot of time on long walks brainstorming about which direction she might go as she felt ready to work outside the home again, though not in HR. We talked often about her passion for cooking and nutrition, but she wasn't sure how that would translate into the next step.
Then one day last winter Nancy started experimenting with healthy, portable soups. She'd make enormous batches, and since our kids go to the same school, I was often a lucky recipient of extra containers of roasted tomato basil, butternut squash, and numerous other flavors she was making for her family and just for fun. "You should sell this," she heard from me and from everyone else who ran into Nancy with the extra containers of soup that took up too much room in her freezer. If you saw Nancy last winter, she was always sipping soup on the go.
What has made Spoon Optional so special other than Nancy's drive and talent is how she has included her personal community in her business journey. Several of Nancy's friends got to taste the soups at different points and chime in on name ideas and the look of the labels. As Nancy was putting each piece of Spoon Optional in place, those of us in Nancy's life felt increasingly attached to the project. I don't feel like Spoon Optional is MY baby, but I do see it as something akin to my favorite niece. And I buy about four jars a week because I love the healthy, convenient option of sippable soup, I love Nancy, and I owe her big time after SO MUCH FREE SOUP!
Nancy wrote about her motivation to start a soup business on her own site as well as how she learned to love cooking. On the Spoon Optional site you will also find out about the benefits of sippable soup and of course where you can buy it in the Twin Cities. (It's only available locally for now, but trust me, that won't always be the case.) Follow Spoon Optional on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date about new buying options.
All readers can use the code NINA at checkout on the Spoon Optional site for 15% off your entire order. There are pick up spots in St. Louis Park and Woodbury. Code is good from 12/4 – 12/11
LOCAL READERS! There's still room in the newest session of the writing group I co-run at The Hopkins Center For The Arts. Click below to learn more and to register for the Tuesday morning slot starting in January. (We are full on Thursdays.)
Latest posts by Nina Badzin (see all)
- Do Listen Read: Early December - December 13, 2017
- The Magic of Accountability Partners - December 1, 2017
- NaNoWriMo After 8 Years of Essays and Blog Posts - November 14, 2017
- Why I'm Not Linking to Books From Amazon Anymore - October 27, 2017


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Samsung Galaxy On5 Mobile Phoneaisha | Reviews
28 Feb 2017
Samsung Galaxy On5
Samsung Galaxy On5is a good buy. It has a visually pleasing design. It is a sleek, easy to use mobile phone with useful features. The 5MP rear-facing camera/2MP front-facing camera is of good quality. The pictures and photos come out looking great. This is not a paid endorsement. I've tried this phone and it is good and reasonably priced.
Tags: mobile phone, phone, Samsung


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apartment/1 bedroom/bath tub, WC
1-4 persons, 50 m², quiet room/apartment, WiFi, double bed (1 bed/2 mattrasses)
Daily rate from EUR 70,00per unit (4 persons)More details
farm, farmhouse
Kirchberg in Tirol, Brügglbach 26
DescriptionOur beautiful, old but renovated organic farm is situated in Aschau bei Kirchberg with magnificent views of the Kitzbühel Alps. The very quiet location guarantees relaxation and rest from an otherwise stressful and hectic lifestyle.
Make use of our farm with extended hikes and walks in Kitzbühel's grassy mountains.
The Ki-West gondola station is just 200m away - which takes you directly into the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser - Brixental while the Pengelstein gondola station, giving you access to the Kitzbühel/Kirchberg ski area, is a little further away at 2 km.Read more
Room prices
The room you have chosen is unfortunately unavailable on your chosen dates. You can however continue your inquiry as the landlord may have a suitable solution.
apartment/1 bedroom/bath tub, WC
1-4 persons, 50 m², quiet room/apartment, WiFi, double bed (1 bed/2 mattrasses)
Daily rate from EUR 70,00per unit (4 persons)More details
2-4 persons, as good as new loft apartment, wooden furniture, larch parquet flooring, well equipped
Special facilitiesquiet room/apartment, WiFi, double bed (1 bed/2 mattrasses), separate bedroom/living room, balcony, garden, island kitchen, terrace, satellite TV, bed linen available, CD player, coffeemaker, dishes available, electric stove, garden furniture, kettle, kitchen and table linen, loft/attic apartment, no carpet, oven, pets permitted on request, radio, refrigerator, rustic furniture, shower, toilet, towels available, use of washmachine
double room with shower, WC
1-3 persons, 15 m², quiet room/apartment, WiFi, double bed (1 bed/2 mattrasses)
Daily rate from EUR 30,00per personMore details
Comfortable room with wooden furniture and a timber floor. Shower / WC
Special facilitiesquiet room/apartment, WiFi, double bed (1 bed/2 mattrasses), satellite TV, balcony (in some rooms), garden furniture, kettle, rustic furniture, shower, toilet, towels available
Inclusive: electricity, water, heating
Check-in: from 2.00pm
Check-out: until 10.00am
Kirchberg - direction Aschau - after approx. 4 km pass the Pengelstein I gondola station - after a further 2 km pass the KiWest gondola statioin - then at the bus stop turn right, 150 m up the mountain.Read more
The Brixental valley in the Kitzbühel Alps hosts the largest and best known ski resorts in Austria. The ski area Kitzbühel / Kirchberg as well as the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental welcomes you to an adventure-packed ski holiday in Winter. On offer in Summer are numerous hiking areas in and around Kirchberg in Tirol ranging from the Hohe Salve, the Brechhorn, the Gaisberg and further into the world famous town of Kitzbühel. Every season in the Kitzbühel Alps offers a wide variety of activities from skiing, cycling, hiking, swimming and lots more to make your holiday absolutely enjoyable and without doubt unforgettable.
Facilities / Services
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Experience the huge variety of opportunities on offer in the Kitzbühel Alps region including hiking, skiing and mountain biking. We look forward to your visit to "Haus Hinterkrimbach" and to spoiling you here in Kirchberg in Tirol.
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Hey guys! I'm sad to say that the long weekend is over and everyone is back to work. It was nice hanging out with friends and staying in bed till noon. But there's always next weekend, right?
Denim shorts: Fox; Bag: Six; Necklace: Parfois; Cameo ring: H&M;
Yesterday we went to the mall, had lunch and after that I went to see a friend from uni while my boyfriend watched F1 at home. Boys!
I had a great time with my friend, managed to catch up, since we haven't seen each other since our graduation. We complained about the economy, had some girl talk and ate cake and ice-cream. I should really get back on track with my healthy eating! Starting today I'm meeting people for coffee, not ice-cream!
Lunch at Spaghetti Company. I had a Peas soup, which was served inside the bread, instead of a cup and Chicken fillet with cheese, gnocchi and eggplant. The eggplant was extremely bitter, it was just not good. It's weird because I always get this as a main course when we eat there and this is the first time this has happened. Boyfriend got a Caprese salad, which was nice, but quite small and duck with vegetables, which he absolutely loved! We also ordered some Flat bread with cheese and garlic - yum!
Later we went to help a friend move. She is moving into a private house that used to be a kindergarten, how cool is that! Well, don't imagine a ginormous house, it has a couple of bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen, but it also has a nice porch, two huge fireplaces and a small yard with swings in it. It's just adorable!
Dinner was sushi and a late night movie. We saw The Bourne Legacy and it was okay, but nothing too great. I even fell asleep for a while, haha.
What did you do this weekend?
(Photos: Iva Yaneva)


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I feel the same way about Enbrel. After having been on Pred and Methotrexate and those two just not quite cutting it, it is a relief to find a medicine that actually works. I've been on it for 14 months now and have only had a few painful injections (if I do the injection a little too far to the outside of the upper thigh the pain is almost unbearable! Must be a nerve there...) and no serious illnesses to report.
I'm right in the middle of my first respiratory illness that has given me a touch of concern (second respiratory illness overall since starting Enbrel). It is very mild thank goodness but lingering a bit too long. My good luck is in that I already have scheduled my regular Rheumy visit tomorrow at 3:00!
And honestly, my arthritis pain was so severe at one time that it not only has readjusted my idea of what pain actually is, but if I do happen to get lymphoma or some other Enbrel related illness and die 20 years earlier it will have been worth it to be able to "live" during the time I have! I am 37 now, and if I make to to 60 with no pain that will be fine with me if the alternative is to live to 80 with constant unbearable pain!
i hope i can avoid the infection risk with enbrel. any advice on how to do that? i understand the pain thing too. a year ago the pain was so bad i couldn't walk a step, let lone get up a help caring for our infant son. that was hard. that kind of pain makes you crazy in a hurry. i was so depressed back then, i'm glad the new meds are working so far.
Hi Leelou67,
I agree with you 100 percent about taking these drugs and the quality of life they give us. I suffered for several years, refusing to try the new meds because of my fear of side effects. I was taking care of my parents and so afraid that if I got sick I wouldn't be able to care for them. My Dad passed away in December of 2005 and I lost my Mom in June of 2007.
Finally my pain got so bad and the damage to my joints was getting to the point it was difficult to use my hands - so I started out on Enbrel. I had to switch to Humira because I had a really bad injection site reaction on the Enbrel (probably from the preservatives, they said). Anyway - been on Humira since August and it has made my life so much better. Both my parents died at age 86 and both of them had reached the point where there wasn't a lot of quality left to there lives. I miss them both so much but know they are in a better place and have peace knowing I cared for them both till the end. After watching them, there is no way I would even want to live that long. All we have is today and I'm so grateful that today I have very little pain. Thank God for Humira,
on the Enbrel.com website there are links to Enliven. its a resource that might help you answer questions about covering the cost. right now Enbrel has been a miracle for me but i'm on doctor's samples. my insurance is in the process of approving or dening coverage. i hope they cover this. i don't know what i'll do if they don't. the new biological meds are the only thing that helps 98%. good luck and hang in there.


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Aid To Rhythm
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The mud wall of Nursery 1 class of Monsil International School Kado, Abuja, last week collapsed on the pupils during breakfast. A situation that led to the death of 4-year-old David Jacob and left two of his classmates injured.
David sustained injuries in the head and was taken to a public hospital in Gwarinpa where he died.
Director of the FCT Department of Quality and Advanced Education Secretariat, Mr. Ayuba Didam, said the school, owned by one Mr Ogbonna Ubah, had since been closed. He said the school was neither registered nor accredited and has been closed several times by authorities but was reopened by the proprietor illegally.
David's mother, Salamatu Jacob, said "From all indication, the building collapsed directly on his head. He was my first son. They were two. His brother is still alive. David was lovely and very intelligent," she said.
Two other pupils – Gambo Isa and Treasure Felix – survived the incident, a teacher in the school said.


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The International Building Code (IBC) is the most widely adopted building code in the United States. The International Code Council, a membership association dedicated to building safety and fire prevention, develops the IBC and other International Codes.
When referenced in local, state or federal legislation, the International Building Code becomes the minimum requirement for construction. A jurisdiction either uses the code as is or amends it to fit specific needs of the community.
The International Code Council is committed to meeting or exceeding the accessibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Fair Housing Act (FHA). Accessibility requirements are incorporated into the International Codes as the codes are updated, through the International Code development process.
To find out what codes and local amendments are enforced in your area, contact your local building department.


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The multi-award winning hotel boasts first-class comfort in the form of 21 luxury en-suite bedrooms, and there's no better way to end your special day for you and your guests than in one of these beautiful rooms.
The spectacular restaurant can comfortable seat 90 guests, where besoke wedding breakfast menus can be tailored to suit your dietary needs and requirements.
There's an additional private function room which is used to host the evening buffet, or alternatively smaller intimate weddings.
Every aspect of your day can be catered for, with owner Bob Evans tailor making packages to suit every budget.
"On such a big day we endeavour to make your wedding day and celebration special, enjoyable and relaxing," said owner Bob.
"Enjoy your special day with friends and family in the striking surroundings of this late Victorian hotel.
"As we like to say 'we are a truly boutique and unique venue for your wedding reception.'
"Our hotel is perfect place to spend such an important day and for that special touch, you can spend your wedding night in one of our four poster suites.
"We have a wide range of wines for you to choose from to enjoy with your wedding breakfast, champagne for your toast and drinks to carry on the celebrations.
"Additionally, we have a baby grand piano in-situ and can recommend entertainment for the day or accommodate your personal choice.
"Menus start from £45 per person, which includes a bespoke three-course dinner, as well as an evening buffet.
"There is no charge to hire out the hotel, and for weddings that have more than 40 persons attending, the bride and groom get to stay in the bridal suite for free – a cost of just £1,800.
"Make an appointment to come in and have a chat about your special day by calling 01633 264266, we look forward to hearing from you."
The stunning Waterloo Hotel and Bistro is located at 113 Alexandra Road, Newport NP20 2JG. For more information about the Waterloo Bistro and Hotel's wedding packages visit www.thewaterloohotel.co.uk


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Thanks so much to Karl Smith for the interview! Please check more of their music at their myspace.
++ Hi Karl! How are you doing, we are enjoying summer up here, but how is winter in Perth? What's your favourite season of the year?
I'm actually living in Melbourne these days. Been here for some time now but both Laura and myself spent our teenage years over there. Perth winter isn't too bad really… pretty mild. But Melbourne has the most unpleasant weather out of all the cities here so I live for the summer time these days. We moved here because the music and arts scene is so much better than anywhere else even though the weather stinks – though Sydneysiders sometimes beg to differ!
++ Lee Memorial is quite a departure from what you were doing with Sodastream. Was it time to try something new? What was the overall feeling to have a full band?
I did want to do something new. I had had a full year off from playing music. I did a few solo shows here and there but I spent most of my time doing writing, which is what I was studying at the time. After a year though, I started to get quite restless and over that time I had written all the songs for the album, so I figured I would try and put a record together and see where it went.
I liked the idea of having more colours to work with and use some broader strokes. Things in Sodastream were always very subtle and considered. That was the way we worked and I'm proud of the records we made, but I needed to try something different.
It's been great working with this group of people because they all have such different ideas and come from such vastly different backgrounds. I bring the songs to the gang and, though the occasional one stays relatively similar, they are always so much improved by the other voices and ideas.
++ How did the band come together? Who are Lee Memorial and how did you end up finding such great musicians?
I am lucky to be playing with these guys – they're amazing. When I wrote the songs I was hoping to have everyone playing on a record but I wasn't sure if they'd be up for starting an ongoing project. Thankfully when I asked them they all said yes and so it began. I wasn't sure if it was going to be a band thing or not, and whether that would suit the songs or not, but after our first rehearsal it was as though everyone had already played the songs. It gelled really quickly and we work quite intuitively rather than discussing things as we go. Everyone is in a ton of other bands so when we do get to rehearse we just dive in and see what happens. We've all been in bands for a long time and this one has a loose structure which suits where we are at. The songs are bit different each time we play and I like that: the idea that there's no definitive version of a song, just a moment in time.
++ The name Lee Memorial comes from a guesthouse in Kolkatta, India, right? What's the story behind it? Do you think there's any kind of influence of Indian music on your music? Or just perhaps you enjoy indian food as much as I do? If so, what are your favourite Iindian dishes?!
I lived in Bangladesh and India until I was thirteen and Lee Memorial was a ceepy old Victorian era guest house that we used to stay at on our way to boarding school. It was built in memory of the Lee family who died in a landslide around the turn of the century.
It really fed our imagination when as kids we would play on the rickety fire escapes and verandas. The place was straight out of a gothic novel and always felt haunted… When I was thinking about the new project the name kept popping into my head and so that's what we eventually decided on.
I wouldn't say there's too much influence from Indian music, but definitely the food (can't get enough of that) and some of their writers – like Arundahati Roy, Rohinton Mistry and the mighty Rabidranath Tagore.
++ You've put out this year your first album "The Lives of Lee Memorial". For those who don't have a clue on what to expect from this lush album, how would you describe it? would you recommend us your favourite songs from it?
It's always hard to choose favourites, but I am proud of Joseph Skelling and Drifting as they go places lyrically where I haven't been before. It's more of a storytelling album than the kind of confessional songwriting that I focused on with Sodastream. But I was also very happy with the way Mayflower and Berlin turned out once everyone had put their slant on it -they became very different songs.
How would I describe it? That's hard too! Maybe a collection of stories that are a little bit ragged and little bit noisy, but with a still mind and a quiet heart – if that makes any sense at all.
++ The album was released on the Dot Dash label, care to tell me a bit about them?
They're a local label based here in Melbourne, run by a couple of fellas who have been doing their thing for a long time. They do a lot of overseas stuff but also have a great roster of local bands like St Helens, Ned Collette & Wirewalker and Jessica Says. They have been kicking around for ages but are still believers in good music and never push the bands to compromise. In this day and age where its harder and harder to scrape by in music they stand firm to their ideals, which is very rare and inspiring.
++ I'm visiting Berlin in less than two months, you sing about the streets of Berlin on "Berlin" (of course). Why dedicate a song to this city? Any good recommendations there?
To be honest I've never spent too much time in Berlin. I've only been their twice but there is a magic to the city that is quite intoxicating. The song is more from the perspective of a collection of strangers who see it as a way out of their own lives – the idea of a place as a new beginning, rather than a celebration of any specific city.
++ Private Joseph Skelling is a fictional character? This song has very obscure lyrics and a mellow melody, how did you end up writing "Killing is now my everyday"? How did this song shape up, from idea to a proper song?
This song came together very quickly and to be honest I don't have a strong memory of writing it – all the best ones seem to arrive that way. At the time I was studying and was doing a lot of reading about the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and what was going on there amongst the soldiers and the civilians. It got me thinking about the demands we place on the soldiers over there. We send these young people to these anarchic places with little or no experience of what life is like over there, and then we are outraged by what they do when they come unstuck. I'm by no means condoning the brutal acts that some of the soldiers have committed, I was merely trying to understand the succession of events that might lead someone down that path.
++ How do you see the Perth music scene today? I am a big fan of the Perth scene of the late 80s, like Summer Suns, Palisades, Charlotte's Web, do you like any of that?
Yeah. I do. It's a bit before my time but Kim from the Summer Suns put out my first record and we have done many gigs together over the years.
These days, to be honest, I don't see a lot of it being over here in Melbourne. But there are a lot of great bands from the West. There is kind of two streams of bands that come out of there – the more successful but less interesting ones, and the ones that just do their own thing in the isolation. In my opinion the crazies are the ones to look out for. A few of my favourites are Kill Devil Hills, the Tucker B's and The Leap Year.
++ Has Lee Memorial gigged a lot so far? Any particular gigs you have enjoyed the most and why?
We haven't gigged a great deal as yet. With everyone being so busy it can be tough to get us all together but there have been a few highlights. We played a great show up in Sydney with the Red Sun Band and more recently a community Radio benefit with some of the best local bands around – and it is a very exciting time in Melbourne musically. Bands like Dick Diver, St Helens, Beaches and Jessica Says are really doing some interesting things. We're heading home for the first time next month to play a festival out in the salt lakes about 400kms east of Perth. Really looking forward to that.
++ What can we expect in the future from Lee Memorial?
We're looking at making another record soon. I have all the songs written, just need to spend a bit of time with the team nutting out the arrangements and then we'll book some time and bash them out. The second one will be a lot louder I think and have a bit more of everyone on it. The last album was conceived when I was alone in my back shed just jamming away, where as this one will be a combination of all the ideas that have been bouncing around over the last six months or so.
++ Anything else you'd like to add?
Thanks for listening. Nice to know that some folks so far away are hearing the songs.
Lee Memorial – Berlin


text:
Introduction: Inexpensive, Easy to Build, Peristaltic Pump
Why Peristaltic Pumps? Peristaltic pumps are great! They require no priming, they can pump uphill, they can pump viscous liquids or fluids that have 'chunks', require no special materials, and can be cleaned/sanitized very easily. In short, they may be the perfect pump for the home brewer!
Learn more here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peristaltic_pump
How Peristaltic Pumps Work? Peristaltic pumps work by squeezing a tube like you might squeeze a tube of toothpaste - except in this case the tube is a 5-foot-long silicone hose, with as much "toothpaste" as can fit in your bucket. This squeezing action is called 'occlusion'. Usually, you get this squeezing force by pressing the tube against the wall of the housing with a roller. The number of rollers in a pump determines how much fluid gets pumped for each pulse, the more rollers, the more pulses per revolution, the less fluid per pulse. All things being equal you get less fluid per revolution with more rollers, but smoother output. More rollers can also reduce the hose life.
Why build your own? As mentioned previously, peristaltic pumps don't require special materials, but there's a serious dearth of manufacturers building for the home market. You can buy little peri pumps for lab use or giant ones for industrial use, but not much in between. So, if you need to pump some wort around, want to water cool your laptop or just want to make a pump you can take with you and power with a drill, then a peristaltic pump may be the answer.
Ready to have a go? Follow along and get pumped up! (har har)
Here's some info on my setup:
Test 2
A 'tour' of the pump
Step 1: Mise En Plas
Here's my materials list you can probably edit for what you have available:
- 1x 9.5" springform cake pan - I got mine from goodwill, but you can get similar from http://www.webstaurantstore.com/9-1-2-light-tin-sp...
- 4x 2" casters from harbor freight http://www.harborfreight.com/2-inch-x-7-8-eighth-i...
- 5 ft silicone hose from the local home brew shop - it's 1/2"ID, 3/4"OD IIRC
- A block of wood - nothing special, I'm using an offcut from an ikea hack. It's 1 1/2" deep. You could easily use a 2x4 off cut. You may just need to make more cuts. A much larger piece of wood will necessitate a longer bolt, too.
- 2 large (1" or larger) washers and 2 small (1/2" or so) washers. If you have large fender washers, that will work,too. These act as bushings, so don't skip there
- 2 1/4" -20 t-nuts
- 2 1/4" -20 nuts, or 1 nut and one cap nut.
- 1 1/4"x 3" - 20 bolt
- 8 #12x 3/4" wood screws
- Zipties (what project doesn't need a few zip ties
- Hammer
- compass
- drill
- drill bits
- dremel tool or similar with grinding stone and cutting wheel (I really like the reinforced cutting wheels because they are less likely to break apart and poke my eye out)
- 7/16 socket/rachet
- 7/16" wrench
- 7/16" drill driver (if for some reason your 1/4" bolt and nuts have a different head size, you'll need a different size set of drives)
- screwdriver
- tsquare or framing square
- circular saw, chop saw, table saw, hand saw, or laser vision
- Coffee!
Now, let's begin!
Step 2: Cut and Drill Roller Mount
- Begin by laying your block of wood in the cake pan with your casters (rollers).
- Figure out the size your wooden block needs to be to mount all 4 rollers, in my case it was 3 3/16" square
- Measure twice cut once. Use the framing square to mark your cuts, then use the table saw to cut the block of wood to size.
- Use framing square to mark midpoint of your square. This step is important, so measure 3 times. one half of 3 3/16" is 1 19/32" that's a real PITA to find on a rusty framing square. Life goes on.
- Drill a hole in the middle of your square of wood.
- Now drill a bigger hole.
- You may need to drill out the very top and bottom of the hole to accommodate the the t-nuts
- Now insert the t-nuts. The BFH comes in very handy for this operation to help 'seat' the t-nuts. You can also thread in the bolt and nuts on either side, tightening them will help tighten down the t-nuts. The t-nuts are very important to the drive system at this point, so don't half-ass this step.
- Remove the bolt, not doing so makes the next step more difficult.
Step 3: Drill & Mount the Casters
- Take the wood block and decide which side is "up" it doesn't matter which, just go for it, you wild man/woman, you!
- Lay the block face up on a horizontal surface. The floor works just fine. If the block is wobbly because of the T-nut, just place one of those big washers underneath at the center.
- Place each of the casters up against the block, as evenly as possible.
- Now mark the center of the hole with a pencil, drill bit, or center punch. Or all three. Why not? Go wild!
- Once all the holes are marked, drill the holes for the screws. I forgot which drill bit I used, but since the wood screws are #12, it was probably 5/32 or 5/16. Drill the holes at an angle so that the evens are angled up and the odds are angled down. This is easier if you start with a small drill bit and step up to a larger one. The reason for doing this is so that the screws don't hit each other. Alternatively, you could uses a larger caster with more mounting holes and alternate them, couldn't you, big spender!
- Once the holes have been drilled, line up the caster with the holes and screw them down. You did remember to mark which caster went with which side of the block, right? Tighten the screws slowly, going around to each caster until everything is cinched down, you don't want to strip your wood.
- Now that the casters are mounted they should be relatively flush with the bottom of the wooden block.
Step 4: Put Some Holes in Your Housing
- Take out the bottom of the springform pan. It should be round and flat. If either of those statements don't apply to your cake pan, you may need another one.
- Find the center of the cake pan. Using a compass, stick the point on the edge, and use a scribing tool (or drill bit, or pencil, or...) to mark and arc. Now move the point to another point on the circumference of the circle. Make another arc. Repeat twice more. Where the arcs overlap will define where the center is. Now tighten up your arcs by making the compass angle bigger or smaller and repeat. Eventually you'll have a tight # shape that defines the center of the circle. Put your hole there.
- Drill out the center of the cake pan bottom. I like to start with a spring loaded center punch. It's pretty thin metal so be careful drilling as you can get little bits of metal going everywhere.
- Smooth out the hole with some dremel grinding.
Step 5: Mount the Roller Assembly to the Housing
- Start by adding your washers to the bolt that goes through the wooden block. I happened to have 2 that fit one-inside-the-other. If you don't, that's okay. A fender washer should work just as well.
- Insert the bolt through the hole in the cake pan bottom. Make sure you have it going the right way. There is a "top" and "bottom" on cake pan bottoms - who knew?
- Add washers to the underside of the bolt. Again, one inside the other.
- Thread on your nuts. I use two, one to go snug against the washers (not tight, it needs to allow the bolt to spin!), then another snug against it. Then loosen the first nut (the one on the underside of the cake pan bottom), so that it tightens against the top nut. There's a name for this technique, but damned if I remember. If you had a cap nut, this would be a good place to use it for a more finished look, and to allow an easier time driving from the back, since you wouldn't have to worry about overtightening the nuts and locking everything up.
- You now have a roller assembly, huzzah!
Step 6: Cut Some More Holes in Your Housing
- Figure out where you want your holes. I figured I wanted mine at about 10 and 2, like driving. I put the holes on either side of the spring catch mechanism, so the rivets wouldn't hit the tube. Make sure you are avoiding the catch itself as well as the part that slides in/out.
- Draw some rectangles near the bottom of the pan walls, where the rollers will be. I used a drill bit as a scribing tool again. Ensure that your tubing will fit through the holes.
- Cut out your rectangles with a dremel-type tool. Leave one edge attached. This will be how you mount the tubing.
- Bend out the tabs.
- Grind away sharp edges.
- Now insert your hose.
- Zip tie the hose to the tabs.
Step 7: The Marriage
Here's the fun bit... the end!
- Drop the top onto the bottom. Or vice versa, you rebel! The tubing will sit on top of the rollers, but that's ok.
- Cinch down the springform mechanism, ensuring the bottom of the pan is aligned with the groove in the bottom part of the side.
- Turn the pump assembly a few times by hand. The tubing should be pulled down to squished...erm...occluded by the rollers.
Now you can go pump something!Attach that 7/16 driver to your drill, put the drill in forward drive, put the drill on the bolt and give it a few spins. Now put the inflow end of the tube in some liquid to pump, then goose the drill up slowly. You should be pumping!
I hope that has shown you how you too can build a cheap, awesome, peristaltic pump at home! Good luck :)
Step 8: Next Steps?
The next steps are to try some different power sources, like an ac or dc gearmotor.
Try doing some wort pumping, see if hot wort hurts the systems performance.
Maybe experiment with different materials. Different casters, different pans, etc
Try a more robust "hub" . I'd love to try a nice bit of bent steel, but setup costs are expensive for a one-off
Whatever you guys think - I'd love to hear your suggestions!
Big ups to those who have inspired this work, particularly Bumbler and TheFlyingBeer over at homebrewtalk.com
I wouldn't have thought such things were possible without other netizens blazing a trail and showing their work - Thank you.
my fist impression is one could substitute the silicone hose with an inner-tube from a bike or truck tire. could be made into a hand powered water filter for back wood camping, or wind powered well pump. thanks for sharing this insparation instructable
You can't use the bicycle tube because that one hasn't enough elastic power, no form memory, doesn't get back to circle when uncompressed, and peristaltic pump is all based on this effect: if the walls of the tube don't spread, there is no suction effect.
Ok, how much occlusion is enough occlusion? Will try out other hose materials tomorrow (can't seem to find silicon hose here)...will try posting a video tomorrow
Made one with the regular garden hosepipe, not getting any suction. Any suggestions as to why there wasn't suction? Will appreciate a response
Not sure. Perhaps your hose is not getting enough occlusion? Garden hose is pretty stiff stuff, resistant to the walls collapsing together by design. Care to post a video?
Hey I'm in a process of running my home made hose pump and I have only one problem right now. The hose walks and slips of the rollers. I have longer rollers so I thought even if the hose moves it can only go so far but it ends up on the edge. That's when I get lose of suction. Any one can explain or help?
Can you post a pic? What are you using for rollers? There are a few ways you could mitigate this, depending on your pump design.check out my references, there are a couple of different ways that others have dealt with this problem in their threads.
How about using a "soft" fabric regular garden hose instead of that silicon tubing? Have you tried that? Do you think it works?
looks like this would work well for moving water from a flowing source to wherever you needed it, attach a paddle wheel where the motor would be and put the input hose in the water and there ya go, probably wouldnt get very fast but small scale would work for moving water to a bucket for camping or something
Awesome, I've always loved watching the peristaltic pumps in dialysis machines, I know it sounds quite morbid but I love it changing from faint pink through to deep crimson... But I digress, great ible, would love to try making one
Awesome i cant help but think a pvc pipe pump wouldn't be more efficient if you can find a way to motorize it, but this is cool.
I don't know I don't have any way to measure, though I did put my thumb over the hose and got about 20ft of spray
If you look at commercial peristaltic pumps, most of them are rated at about 28 feet of suction lift. I'm assuming that must be about the physical limit of the pump type. To get PSI from 28 feet of water column, you divide by 2.31 which gives you about 12 PSI.
if you haven't seen this type of pump before, look in the medical field. IV pain killers with a button for dispensing use this idea of pump turns when you press button. also seen in in a platelets donation center on the pheresis machines.
Very nice. For those looking for lower speed pumps, another design to consider I gear pump, but this one is better for particulates. As for pump performance, pumps generally work better close to the source, pushing fluids up, rather at the top, vacuuming them up. Unassisted, a pump won't pull more than about 30 feet, but as long as enough power is available, can push much higher. Above 30 feet, you just end up with a vacuum bubble in the suction line, if the pump has enough power and the line doesn't collapse first.
Great post! This would be good for pumping cooling fluid on the cold end of a Stirling Engine.
Thanks, the tricky part is that the flow isn't smooth, it pulses. That may be a problem for a stirling engine, but you could possibly synch the pulses to the stirling engines cycle to get cold water pulses when you need them.
Thanks, the tricky part is that the flow isn't smooth, it pulses. That may be a problem for a stirling engine, but you could possibly synch the pulses to the stirling engines cycle to get cold water pulses when you need them.
do you think this pump would pump UP 2 feet and ACROSS 40 feet? or would i need a larger version of this one?
It may be easier to pump up 3 feet and down 1 across 40, if you catch my drift. Going up. 4 feet doesn't seem much of a problem. That's about the limit of what I can test at the moment, since I only have 5ft of hose :)
If you went up 4 feet and then declined the 40 feet, gravity would assist in moving the water and the pump would have to do less work.
Horizontal distance usually doesn't affect a pump as much as vertical distance (known as the pump head). So, if you could pump it vertically 4 feet or so, you will be fine. The only problem with pumping it through 40 feet of hose is the resistance offered by the hose, but you can reduce that with a larger hose diameter. So, connect this output to a larger diameter hose (say 1" or so) and that will provide less resistance to pumping it that distance.
I don't think he will have any problem at all with a 4' head. Peristaltic pumps are used extensively in wastewater samplers. I had one pump station where I had to draw a sample up 24 feet with a small sampler pump and it worked fine for months at a time until I needed to replace the working section of tubing. The pump in question, on a ISCO GLS sampler (www.isco.com) sampler was about the same size as yours and used silicon tubing 1/2" ID by 5/8" OD. as its working tubing.
Very nice work. I built a similar peristaltic pump about 35 years ago using a wooden rolling pin cut into three equal sections, and a bicycle inner tube hose clamped to garden hose barbed ends. The case was a chopped off five gallon paint bucket (steel, straight sides). I refiited the lid after reinforcing it with 12 mm plywood, and set it up with a hand crank. Worked great, and would easily pull a 3 meter head of water out of the Hlotse river in Lesotho, where we used it. All that was required was a group of adolescent boys who wanted to make a bit of money, as it would wear you out cranking it.
Also, finding the center of your rotor block is a trivia step on a square rotor - just draw two diagonals from opposing corners. The center is the intersection. On a three roller triangular rotor, just cut it carefully as a 60/60/60 equilateral triangle, then use a tri-squate against each flat face to draw a vertical line bisecting the face with the straight edge on the points. Again, the intersection is your center.l
I am so going to build that in a tiny scale for my tea machine, thanks a lot for the idea!
Howdy, Jack:
This is a great idea! I have a quick question about the construction process:
Could you clarify exactly what kind of hardware is between the wooden hub and the base of the pan? (The orange region in the attached sketch.)
I feel that if I tried to build this myself, I'd end up with a block of wood that's tightly bolted to the base of the pan. How do I ensure that the bolt "axle" spins free of the base of the pan?
Thanks for the advice!
Hey Chris, hopefully this clarifies. From top (where top = bolt head which gets spun by the drill) to bottom the order is:
Block of wood
Big washer
Small washer
Bottom of springform pan
Big washer
Small washer
Nut 1
Nut 1 is made snug, then but 2 is spun down to nut 1, after that nut 1 gets backed off a bit so that it's tight against nut2 but loose against the washers. It's this play between nut 1 and the washers that allows everything to turn .
Thanks, Jack -- that helped a lot! (If I've got things right in the attached sketch, that is.)
going to suggest your pump design to some school-age inventors who need
to find a way to pump water from a rain barrel to the school garden.
Thanks for posting this project!
This version of the pump seems to work pretty well. You could make a HERMS system pretty easy by controlling a pump motor with your Ardrino temperature controller. You would just add a copper coil sitting in very hot water to the line. That might be easier that messing with a pilot light. Gives me ideas. Thanks for sharing!
Great instructable! This may be the most practical type of pump for people to build. The nice thing about a peristaltic pump is they are *totally* scaleable. You can hand turn one with 1/16" tubing at 1/4 revolution per day to deliver maybe 1/10 ml of fluid, or build one of 4" tubing turned at 200 RPM to pump 400 gallons of viscous fluid per minute. They will pump anything from gasoline to toothpaste in viscosity and the process fluid is totally isolated from the atmosphere. (until the tubing wears out!)
I believe that peristaltic pumps are ideal for slow pumping small volumes. Don't try to pump big volumes in short times. Regulate with motor speed and tube diameter.
Nice try though.
You can scale peristaltic pumps *way* up. There is a large ~4" peristaltic pump on the market that does 400 gallons per minute and can pump up to a 27 foot head. (http://www.verderflex.com/peristaltic-industrial-hose-pumps/vf125/


text:
ForGIVEness is a choice and command
When the Lord says that we will only be forgiven as we forgive others, once again he is looking out for our best interest. Have you ever wondered what life would be like without forgiveness? The truth is the Law of Moses was given to offer people a guide so they could have the best life possible.
If you think back when you were a child and your parents told you not to do something, you can see now that it was because the loved you and were trying to protect you. I will never forget putting my Mom's card keys in the electric socket when I was about 3 years old. Needless to say, I remember it vividly.
Thankfully, she had a wooden key ring (it was the 70's) which probably saved me from having some major damage. Of course, that's debatable. I just remember a powerful shock and followed by tears and crying. My mom ran to my aid promptly reminding me of why she told me not to do go driving in the wall.
Think about rules and guidelines. Often they are for our own good; however it is our human tendency to push the envelope and go our own way. God's directive to forgive others is also because he loves us. Forgiveness is not a feeling . Forgiveness is a choice. You may ask yourself, "How can I possibly forgive this person after what they did to me?" The truth is that without understanding Christ's ultimate sacrifice and love for us, it is hard to ever imagine the possibility of forgiving the unforgivable. I am so grateful to have a God that loves me regardless of my short comings. We all fall short of the glory of God. A God that sees me as his creation and one that is continually striving to grow and mature.
We are foolish to think that we can wade through the challenges of life without the covering of the Holy Spirit. When we trust in Christ we can do things that at one time seemed impossible. It is through Christ's love that we can forgive those that have hurt us. This does not mean we have to continue to have a relationship with this person, it just means that we are no longer a prisoner as a result of what has happened.
Forgiveness is the key to freedom. We must remember that freedom has not and has never been free. Let's not take this gift for granted.
Grace and peace to you!
Published in the St. Claire News-Aegis, Thursday, October 2, 2014 [Download]
Be you, and be willing
Have you thought about the trials in your life as the pressure that God is using to mold you into a precious metal? Like fine jewelry or precious pottery, our life is our story, our journey to wholeness. Our unique perspective can only been shared through our experience and allows us to relate to others as they are walking a similar path.
Did you know that God is molding you? As believers we have various natural and spiritual gifts, but God can use our past to help others that may be facing the same life challenges. It is during the times of struggle that we often seek God. Think about how you approach your relationship with God when things seem in control. We think we have it covered, that we don't really need to seek God because obviously we are taking care of business. Are we really?
The truth is that when we find ourselves in the valley of life, God is pruning us. He is shaping us into the Christians that can be his hands and feet here on earth. When we seek him with all our heart, mind and soul, he will never fail you.
The Bible tells us that we should not lean on our own understanding, but acknowledge the Lord in all our ways and he will direct our path. There is such a comfort in knowing that if you put God first, he will direct your steps.
Are you willing to trust God with your life? He knew you before you were born. In fact, you were born for such a time as this. He is waiting for you to just seek him and trust that his love is unfailing. God is love. What are you waiting for?
All that is required is your ability to BE YOU and to BE WILLING. Be the you that God created you to be! Shine your light in the world for the Kingdom. The body of Christ needs you.
Grace & Peace to You!
Published in the St. Claire News-Aegis, Thursday, October 9, 2014 [Download]
Just because we can doesn't mean we should
Today I was faced with making a decision to attend an out of town conference early next week.
The truth is that while part of me wanted to attend, the recent travel and stress surrounding my mom's unexpected passing has taken a toll on my system. There were so many things that seemed to lead me to ignore what my body was saying and go regardless to seek God; however, I really had to ask God what I needed to do.
After I truly considered all the logical reasons why I should go, I had to get quiet to listen to what the Holy Spirit was telling me.
You see, in my logical mind I began to think about the opportunities to connect with other ministers in the southeast. I began to reason with myself in light of recent gestures offered (of which I am very grateful) that even made this decision seem more difficult.
The lie is that if I didn't make the trip I would miss my opportunity to connect with God. The lie is that if I don't make this conference I will miss the chance to meet others at a future event or different means. The truth is that sometimes even though something may be available for us to do it doesn't mean that we should.
While asking God for direction and wrestling with the questions, that small still voice reminded me that I don't have to go somewhere special to meet up with God. In fact, God is always with me, always accessible, moment by moment.
Once that decision was made peace returned, and my migraine slowly began to dissipate. I know I must remain in the rest of God so that I can be healthy and whole to do what I have been called to do. Being busy is not always being fruitful. If you recall, we are told in Psalms 46:10, we are called to be still.
What do you need to decline so you can truly focus on what is important in life? What are you doing that is not adding to
your life?
Ask God and listen for the answer. It may not be what you want to hear, but it is certainly what you need to hear. The decision is up to you to listen.
Grace and peace to you!
Published in the St. Claire News-Aegis, Thursday, October 16, 2014 [Download]
As the tree sheds its leaves, what lessons can we learn?
Have you ever wondered why you are here at this specific time in history?
I have been asking the Lord for years to show me my purpose. It wasn't until recently that I found my passion for writing and encouraging others something that could be my purpose.
The ultimate joy for me is to help others get "unstuck" and move forward towards the abundant life awaiting them in Christ Jesus.
God uses all of us regardless of our age. From the very old to the very young, everyone we meet offers us a chance to learn and experience lessons in life.
Often we encounter people in our life that serve as sandpaper people. Dictionary.com states that sandpaper is a heavy paper coated on one side with sand or other abrasive material and used for smoothing surfaces.
It is easy to question why these experiences are necessary; however it is in the sandpaper moments in life that we grow closer to God.
The real goal is to learn from these moments and remember that no matter how good or difficult life is God's promises never change. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. God will never forsake you.
What are you doing that's not working? Perhaps what has worked in the past is now just a habit that no longer serves you.
What do you need to remove or add to your list of priorities? Where is your relationship with God on that list?
When Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, God still called out to Adam.
He is asking you the same question, "Where are you?" He still desires a relationship with you. If you know your best life can start today, why would you wait?
Rekindle that relationship with the Lord and learn what it is like to live in the Tree of Life.
Your life is like a garden. With proper pruning, you are sure to create a bouquet of flowers throughout your journey.
Published in the St. Claire News-Aegis, Thursday, October 23, 2014 [Download]
Are you sitting in your valley? It's time to get up
We are in times of change and uncertainty.
In fact, the only thing we can count on is that things will change. The way we respond to our current situation will set the course for our future.
Perhaps life has thrown you for a loop. Whoever said life is fair? Jesus certainly
Often, I think life is made up of moments in time to test our resolve, polish us and make us stronger. When things get tough, our true nature is called forth. Are you going to stand up and walk through your valley, or are you going to sit there, have a pity party and be buried in a mudslide?
Decide today that you are going to walk through this valley period.
Remember all you need is one step at a time. Don't let your end goal overwhelm you to the point of inaction.
Often we get caught up in the symptoms and ignore the root. If you feel stuck and you don't know where to start, you might consider working with a coach.
Someone to work with you to keep you on task and remain focused. Many of us miss our window of opportunity while choosing to sit in the valleys of life waiting for things to change.
The Bible says that God will be with us during the good times and bad. However, we must have the faith to know that as we walk through the valley, He has a plan for us. We may not see it today or years to come, but in time you will be grateful for the amazing work that is doing in and through you. You must understand that there are times in life when we all need help. Seeking help is a standing in the courage to believe for something better. Isn't that what God wants for us all?
Why don't you decide to make things change in your world today? Stop thinking about what you can't do and focus on what you can do. In the end, you are the only person that can help you.
Published in the St. Claire News-Aegis, Thursday, October 30, 2014 [Download]
Are you speaking life or death?
Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me.
Wow, this saying we learn as children is so far from the truth. Perhaps it is true in the physical sense; however, our spirit and soul can remain wounded by the pain inflicted by these so-called harmless words.
We can live our life under these negative words for years, never really understanding it is our belief in these words that can bring life or death.
Jesus came to show us unconditional love – love that we could never earn. Often people say things without thinking
about the implications of their actions. When we have love in our heart, it will overflow into our thinking and manifest in the way we treat others.
When we receive the ultimate gift from God, his truth will begin the great work in you. You will begin to see yourself and others as Christ sees them.
What do you say to yourself? Do you feel that you are not worthy? Are you trying to be perfect? Although you should try to be your best, we will never be perfect in the eyes of the Lord.
The great news is that God knows that. He is well aware we are human and fall short of the glory – no matter how good we area.
How do you think God feels when you are putting down his creation? Stop picking yourself apart. Begin to focus on your gifts and not your shortcomings.
There is no one else like you or that has your unique gifts and abilities. Embrace your talents and begin to use them to be God's hand and feet on earth.
Remember the words you say to others and to yourself can either bring life or death.
Published in the St. Claire News-Aegis, Thursday, November 13, 2014 [Download]
At a time such as this, believe big and stand up
This fall on Monday evenings, I am involved in a ladies Bible study group.
We are enjoying the friendship and connection so much we decided to create a Chick Night. Our thought was to have a more social time where we could fellowship and just have fun being girls.
Tonight we gathered for our first Chick Night to have dinner and a movie. Much to my delight, we watched One Night with the King. Although I had seen it before, tonight I saw it through new eyes.
What was Esther's ( born Hadassah ) purpose ? As she walked out her journey obeying the protocol of the time, she also found the courage to believe much and stand up when it mattered most.
During the movie, she is told that although she may perish, perhaps God's divine design gave her position and influence with the King for such a time as this.
What circumstance can you recall during your life where you had the opportunity to make a difference? Maybe you were not called to stop the annihilation of a people, but maybe you were called to be an answer to someone else's prayer.
Your unique gifts and abilities will always be used if you are willing to believe big and stand up. No one said it would be easy.
Faith is the belief in things unseen. When you know, that you know, that you know the truth, nothing can stop you from taking action.
Published in the St. Claire News-Aegis, Thursday, November 20, 2014 [Download]


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Update – When we first wrote this post in June, 2015, the affordable price-tag for 3 GB RAM phones was capped at $300 which has dropped to $150 now. This shows how fast paced the mobility world is!
"Cheap & Best" 3 GB RAM Android phones
First introduced in 2013, 3 GB RAM was considered a premium specification found in high-end Android phones until first half of 2015. But the scenario has changed now with more and more flagship droids boasting of 4 gigs of RAM. This has pushed the 3 GB RAM specification to the mid-range segment. As you know, more RAM in a phone means faster performance and smooth multi-tasking (no or negligible lag when multiple apps are open at a time, smooth lag free gaming experience etc). So the more RAM your device has the better it is. But as is the case with all premium things, a single extra gig of RAM makes the phone very expensive. All the flagship 3 GB RAM phones of big-brands cost over $400 which is out of the budget for most consumers. Fortunately many second tier companies have come up with their ultra-affordable phones with 3 GB RAM over the past few months. A low price tag does not mean that such phones are sub-standard in quality and do not match to their big counterparts. In fact most of these are amazing phones with an impressive feature set. So if you want to buy a fast, 3 GB RAM phone without burning a big hole in your pocket then this post is for you. We are listing here the best affordable (under $150/Rs.10,000) 3 GB RAM phones currently available in the market –
1. Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus (3 GB RAM variant)
Price – $126 (Rs.8,499 in India)
Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus is currently one of the best 3 GB RAM phone in this price segment. It has everything expected from a premium mid-range Android phone of 2016. The only negative with K5 Plus is the absence of a finger print scanner. Here is a snapshot of it's specs –
1.5 GHz Octa-core, Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 CPU
16 GB internal memory (expandable – upto 128 GB microSd card support)
5 inches, Full HD (1080 x 1920 pixels resolution, 441ppi) IPS display
13 Megapixels, auto-focus main camera with 5-element lens, F2.2 aperture, LED flash
5 MP front camera
Android 5.1 Lollipop with Lean Vibe UI
2750mAh battery, dual SIM (4G + 4G), full Aluminum alloy metallic body, stereo Dolby ATMOS speakers, TheaterMax technology for AntVR headsets
2. Xiaomi Redmi 3S Prime
Price – $134 (Rs.8,999 in India)
Xiaomi sneaked into this list with their latest mid-range droid – the Redmi 3S Prime. Design-wise Redmi 3S completely mimics the big-brother Redmi Note 3 – same metallic uni-body body and finger print sensor. However the size and specs-sheet does not match so closely –
1.4 GHz Octa-core, 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 CPU
32 GB internal memory (expandable – upto128 GB microSd card support)
5 inches, HD (1280 x 720 pixels resolution) IPS display
13 Megapixels, PDAF main camera with 5-element lens, f/2.0 aperture, LED flash
5 MP front camera
Android 6.0.1 MM with MIUI 7, Li-Po 4100mAh battery, dual SIM, finger print sensor
3. Coolpad Note 3 and Coolpad Note 3 Plus
Price – Rs.8,499 ($126 approx.) and Rs.8,999 ($134) respectively in India
Coolpad Note 3 is one of the most affordable 3 GB RAM Android phablet currently available in the market. Besides it is also the cheapest phone having a finger print sensor. The combo of these two specs makes it a killer device at this price. Other specs of Coolpad Note 3 are –
Octa-core, 64-bit MediaTek CPU (MTK6753 with 8 Cortex-A53 cores), Mali-T720 GPU
16 GB internal memory (expandable – upto 64 GB microSd card support)
5.5 inches, HD (1280 x 720 pixels resolution) IPS display, edge-to-edge (almost) bezel-less design. Note that Coolpad Note 3 Plus has full HD (1080 x 1920 pixels) display – the only difference between the two.
13 Megapixels, autofocus main camera with 5-element lens, F2.0 aperture, LED flash
5 MP front camera
Android 5.1 Lollipop with Cool UI 6.0
Coolpad Note 3 Plus has a full HD display instead of a mediocre HD screen in Coolpad Note 3.
4. Coolpad Note 3 Lite
Price – $105 (Rs.6,999 in India)
As the name denotes, it is the trimmed-down avatar of Coolpad Note 3. It has 5 inches screen and a little less powerful processor than its big brother. However it does retain two high-end specs – 3 GB RAM and finger print sensor, of Coolpad Note 3. More details about Coolpad Note 3 Lite are here.
5. Intex Cloud Crystal
Price – $97 (Rs.6,489 in India at Amazon)
With this price tag, Intex Cloud Crystal has snatched the cheapest 3GB RAM phone title from Coolpad Note 3 Lite. It also happens to be the cheapest dual-SIM 4G supporting phone. Specs-wise it is a mid-range droid – 5 inches 2.5D curved glass HD display, 1 GHz Quadcore Cortex-A53 processor, 3 GB RAM, 16 GB internal memory (upto 32 GB memory card support), 8 MP primary and 2 MP front camera, Android 5.1 Lollipop OS, 2200mAh Li-Po battery, dual SIM (4G + 4G).
6. Xolo Black 1X
Price – $119 (Rs.8000 in India)
It is the first Xolo phone with 3 GB of RAM. While Coolpad Note 3 is a big, fat device, Black 1X boasts of a sleek and light design with 5 inches Full HD display and weighing just 125 grams. Other specs of Xolo Black 1X are –
1.3 GHz, 64-bit octa-core processor, Mali-T720 MP3 GPU
32 GB internal memory
5 inches full HD (1080 x 1920 pixels, 441ppi) IPS display, toughened with scratch-resistantDragon-trail glass
13 MP rear camera with PDAF for fast and precise auto-focus
5 MP front camera with flash
Xolo HIVE Atlas UI (with many innovative features) based on Android 5.1 Lollipop
2400mAh non-removable battery with Quick Charge technology
Dual SIM (4G LTE support)
7. InFocus Bingo 50
Price – $112 (Rs.7,499 in India)
InFocus Bingo 50 is an entry level Android phone with 3 GB RAM. InFocus is a US based company known for producing high quality phones. Their device quality is better than cheap Chinese rip-offs and local Indian companies. Other specs of Bingo 50 are – 1.3 GHz, quad-core MTK6735 CPU, 16 GB internal memory (expandable upto 64 GB), 5 inches HD display, Gorilla Glass 3 protection, 8 MP main and 8 MP front camera with flash, Android 6.0 MM, 4G dual SIM support, 2500mAh battery. It is available in India exclusively via Snapdeal online store. More details here.
8. LeEco Le 1s
Price – $150 (Rs.9,999)
LeEco (formerly LeTv) is a relatively new entry into smart phone arena from China. Le 1S is their first phone recently launched in India. Going by CPU, it is the most powerful phone of this list (and still very affordable) –
2.2 GHz Octa-core, 64-bit Helio X10 CPU
32 GB internal memory (non-expandable)
5.5 inches, Full HD (1080 x 1920 pixels resolution) IPS display
13 Megapixels, PDAF main camera with LED flash
5 MP front camera
Android 6.0 MM, 3000mAh battery, premium sleek design (full metal unibody), dual SIM (4G support), USB Type-C port with Ultra fast charging
LeEco has also launched an India specific variant of Le 1s called Le 1s Eco. Bizarre name aside it has exactly the same specs as the original Le 1s, but is made in India. Besides it has multiple Indian languages support and LeEco is offering one year subscription of LeEco Membership (worth Rs.4,900) free as the launch offer on May 12. LeEco Le 1s Eco went on it's first flash sale on May 12, 2016 at Flipkart in India at a introductory price of Rs.9,999 ($150 approx.).
9. Micromax Canvas 5
Price – $150 (Rs.9,999)
Micromax was quick to enter the race of "affordable 3 GB RAM phone" with their newly launched Canvas 5. At this price Canvas 5 has an impressive specs sheet –
Octa-core, 64-bit MediaTek CPU (MTK6753 with 8 Cortex-A53 cores), Mali-T720 GPU
16 GB internal memory (expandable – upto 64 GB microSd card support)
5.2 inches, Full HD (1080 x 1920 pixels resolution) IPS 2.5D arc-glass display, Gorilla Glass 3 protection
13 Megapixels, autofocus main camera with LED flash
5 MP front camera with LED flash
Android 5.1 Lollipop, 2900mAh battery, stylish design (metallic frame and leather finish back cover), dual SIM (4G support)
10. Intex Cloud Swift 4G
Price – $110 (Rs.7399)
It is Intex' cheapest 3 GB RAM phone with other specs not as good as Xolo Black 1X or Coolpad Note 3.
1.3 GHz, quad-core MT6735A processor
16 GB internal memory, upto 128 GB memory card support
5 inches HD (720 x 1280 pixels, 320ppi) IPS display, toughened with scratch-resistant Dragon-trail glass
8 MP rear camera
5 MP front camera
Android 5.1 Lollipop
2500mAh Li-Po battery
Dual SIM (4G LTE support)
Intex Aqua Ace is another 3 GB RAM phone with a little improved specs sheet than Intex Cloud Swift 4G – Super AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass 3 protection on front and back panel, 13 MP main camera. It is available for about Rs.9000 ($135 approx.) in India.
Besides above ten, you may also consider following premium phones at a little extra cost –
Asus Zenfone 2 (4GB RAM variant)
Price – starting from Rs.13000-16000 ($190-230 approx.) in India
Although not a member of this category because it does not have 3 GB of RAM – actually 1 GB more. Still a strong contender to sneak in just because of its price and specs. It was the first ever phone to introduce 4 GB of RAM to smartphones and is still very affordable. However it is currently available in selected markets and countries only. In India it is available online only via Flipkart, Amazon etc. There are several variants of Zenfone 2 (variable depending upon the processor, RAM and internal memory); here is the specs-sheet of Zenfone 2 4GB RAM variant (ZE551ML)
1.8 GHz/2.3 GHz quad-core Intel Atom processor
16/32 GB internal memory, expandable with upto 64GB microSD card
5.5 inches, Full HD (1080 x 1920 pixels resolution) IPS display, Gorilla Glass 3 protection
13 Megapixels, autofocus main camera with dual-tone dual LED flash
5 MP front camera
Android 5.0 Lollipop, 3000 mAh battery, stylish design just like LG G3, dual SIM (4G support), NFC, FM Radio
That's it! What do you think about this compilation? Suggestions are welcome and do tell us what's your pick out of these?


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We want to introduce you to the identity, ministry, and resources of Woodstream Church. It is our hope that you would not only visit us, but experience what God is doing in and through us to glorify Himself.
What Type of Church is Woodstream?
Woodstream Church is an independent, fundamental, Baptist Church.
Key Point: It is a Pastor-led church, in which the Pastor serves as an under-shepherd and overseer. The Fellowship of Deacons and Stewards assist the Pastor in ministries of shepherding and stewardship.
Independent – Self-governing church.
We are not affiliated with any conventions (e.g., National Baptist Convention or the Southern Baptist Convention).
Fundamental – Basics of the Bible.
Jesus Christ was virgin Born; was crucified and died, was buried, and rose from the grave in bodily form.
And Jesus Christ is coming again.
The Bible is Inspired – divine influence; God-breathed
The Bible is Infallible – dependable; incapable of failing
The Bible is Inerrant – no errors
The Bible is Immutable – unchanging; unchangeable
Baptist – Immersion in water after salvation.
We are not a branch of a mother church, nor dependent on any other church.


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[blockquote right="pull-left"]
[/blockquote]The world's youngest nation's biggest telecom company MTN South Sudan, is cutting several jobs and also terminating it's planned expansion projects. These job cuts were due to the looming economic crisis, it said on Tuesday that was caused when the south Sudanese govt devalued it's currency. This includes over 14 experts some of whom where Ugandans.
MTN South Sudan had scrapped plans to put up 40 new cellular transmission towers and 100 third generation (3G) transmission sites, he said.According to the routers, the world's newest nation plunged into civil war in late 2013 when a political crisis provoked fighting between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and rebels allied with his former deputy, Riek Machar.
The firm, a unit of South Africa's MTN, is the latest among foreign firms to reduce operations after a currency devaluation, spiralling inflation and lower revenue from oil on a drop in production and weak global crude prices. The company said that subscriber numbers had dropped by 10 percent since October last year, and the company was expecting more losses this year.


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Berlin's First PTX Date – Pop, Petting, no Puerling
double review of PTX's Berlin show (November 14th, 2013) by Patrick Oliver and Indra Tedjasukmana
Don't believe the hype, some say. But can one really speak of a "hype" watching Pentatonix' blitz career? Winners of NBC's The Sing-off 2011, YouTube sensation, entering Billboard Top10 without a record deal, a sold-out European premiere with a whirlwind tour visiting most European capitals. Any way you look at this group of early twenty-somethings, they have finally reached what many in a cappella kept talking and talking about: They've gone totally mainstream. All kind of kids, many of whom have never heard the term a cappella before "Pitch Perfect", are now sharing their PTX love via the TV of the PTX generation: YouTube.
As a matter of fact, the German vocal music aficionados (No, I'm not calling them the "A Cappella Police") went to see Pentatonix when they did their first ever show in Germany's capital, Berlin. The venue, Passionskirche, a church used for concerts on a regular basis was a quite unusual place for both the teenaged audience and for the five US singers. And reading the Patrick Oliver's (singer with vocal groups Musix, ONAIR, Hartmuth & die Hitmaschine) and Indra Tedjasukmana's (singer and beatboxer with Sonic Suite and the first student in Germany to write his doctoral thesis on the topic of a cappella) reports, that venue and the surprisingly low-profile sound and lighting system played a big role in this first encounter of the US pop newcomers and the German a cappella intelligentsia. Enjoy the read!
MY BERLIN DATE WITH PENTATONIX (by Patrick Oliver)
It could have been so great! Hard to imagine, this smile I would be wearing today while strolling down the streets of Berlin, if only this concert had taken place in Columbiahalle, at Postbahnhof or maybe even at Admiralspalast. Regarding the fact, that the November 14th show was sold out after only two weeks, a significantly larger venue would have been filled nicely, too. Well, at least they could have equipped Passionskirche (the church where the concert eventually took place) with a decent sound system. And if the group had been taken care of by an experienced sound engineer, I would be such a happy guy today. And I would have climaxed a bunch of times, if they hadn't only covered Pentatonix with cold, white light but a tasteful lighting concept.
They didn't. And so I sat on the brink of my chair wondering what to think of all this. It all began quite impressively: Long before the doors opened, an large number of waiting fans queued in front of the church. Something I've never seen at an a cappella concert before. And how young these people were! Lots of (really good-looking) people, who probably didn't take any particular interest in a cappella music: they just were so much into Pentatonix – the boy/girl group phenomenon. "If I had known that this will be like at a Robbie Williams show, I would have come earlier", someone said while waiting.
The concert started with a delay of fifteen minutes, but then it took off like a rocket! The five singers entered the stage accompanied by Michael Jackson-style ovations. For two minutes they just stood there enjoying the cheers. The moment they started their first song, one thing became clear quickly: You could hardly hear the singers as soon as the crowd went wild.
However, they were doing a great job! They were fully present right from the first moment and dove deep down into the music. They lived and loved every little note, every breath, celebrate every musical change. Despite of the difficult environment, it became very clear that five exceptionally gifted artists created something very special here. And they were so aware of it and gave it their all.
Avi demonstrated overtone singing combined with soul phrasing, Kevin played the cello and beatboxes at the same time – which he shouldn't have done, as the beatbox sounded terribly. But not even the worst of all sound engineers would have been able to destroy the cello performance: Crazy double stops and innovative blues riffs would have been worth the ticket price of that night.
Mitch never hesitated to conquer the vocal stratosphere and get his spontaneous applause. Scott shone with his charismatic voice and his intense glare. And Kirstie? She had her great moments, but generally she made a rather insecure impression, sometimes even in a bad temper. If she was unnerved by the acoustics, I could feel for her. On certain days, this can truly spoil your day, no matter how much the audience celebrates. Anyway, the way the five filled even the smallest melodic lines with love and passion was so inspiring. They love every single song they do, they just don't do "that song we just have to do for the crowd."
Let's sum it up like that: Everything that happened before the microphone was world class. What followed was a sad chain of errors. The bass lacked exactly that range that one needs for defined bass notes and a proper bass drum. There was nothing but a sub bass mish-mash. The show ended after 90 minutes without intermission and they were gone like true stars.
I stayed behind with a certain dissatisfaction. It could have been great sex. But all I got was petting. I was told there might be the chance of another date next year. I'm going to come – hopefully.
POP, NOT PUERLING (by Indra Tedjasukmana)
Pentatonix are one of the most discussed groups at the moment, amongst pop music listeners and fans as well as amongst vocal groups and a cappella singers. There seem to be the ones who like them, support them, welcome the fact that an all-vocal group is joining the ranks of mainstream pop stars. And there also seems to be the other half that critizices PTX for selling their looks, images, that they dress as Wizard of Oz characters, Daft Punk robots and do lots of covers.
NOW: I won´t go into this discussion here! This is a concert review.
I saw PTX's show at "Passionskirche", a church in Berlin a few days ago. The church was jampacked, fans were screaming, holding up self-made fan posters etc.
When PTX walked on stage the audience greeted them loudly and with lots of applause. So much and so long that they had to wait until they could start. The concert itself was – in a nutshell – highly energetic. Lots of covers (that they are known for also directly relating to their YouTube videos) and some originals. The sound actually was an issue, as the church turned out to be a difficult place for that kind of bass and beatbox based sound. Oftentimes harmonies and chords were overshadowed by rumbling bass frequencies. PTX was pretty tight in terms of staging, energy, timing and when they were singing "Run to you", a ballad completely without microphones in the church, one could hear that they are highly trained vocalists and that they do understand blending and the tradition of group like Singers Unlimited, The Real Group et al.
Pop music and YouTube fans got exactly what they wanted: a groovy, loud concert, the characters of the 5 being played out nicely. A cappella fans who were looking for harmony, understanding of the middle voices and blending were probably not excatly happy and I understand their frustration in terms of sound in that church. Others who might have been expecting something totally new and unheard of were probably be disappointed. PTX is a pop group. Fresh. Solid.Groovy. Very skilled. They are not Take 6 or Gene Puerling in a harmonic sense nor do they intend to be. PTX is one of the first groups alongside Naturally 7 and The Exchange to really break into the international pop music business.
Fulfillment or disappointment have a lot to do with what you expect. It is not exactly a secret that PTX is a group that is internationally marketable, they have a clear image and are strongly working through their personalities.
Those who were disappointed by the concert and have expressed this by tweeting or facebooking exactly this are certainly entitled to have their opinion. Maybe it is a good thing though to check what those expectations were. The only thing I found problematic was the sound. Other than that it was a cool pop concert with "Run to you" as a silent moment in which the level of musicality that this group does have was nicely displayed. Deke Sharon once said "Haters gonna hate". Lovers gonna love. And PTX is going to be on the rise if they continue like that.
Thanks Indra and Patrick for your Berlin report. Now everybody, it's your time to comment on their articles. Doesn't matter if you were there or not – what is your impression of Pentatonix? Why do you think they have become so popular in less than two years? And do you think there will be more all-vocal groups breaking into the mainstream?


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Program: Campus
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New Career Direction
Name: Asad
Location: Saudi Arabia
Occupation: IT Consultant
Asad was looking for a new career direction after feeling like he had come to a dead end in his current area of expertise. We worked on broadening his viewpoint on his potential and what is possible. Then we came up with steps to move towards what he really wanted. Here's what he said…
"Annabelle is highly creative with strong analytical skills. Even after the first session she knows your personality more than you which makes her unique. She always comes up with Magical solutions. After adopting her coaching recommendations your career will be flying in no time.
She is a very kind person who always wants to help others."
Do you want to powerfully move towards your true career direction? Find your higher purpose in life? Contact Kitegirl about One to One Coaching.
Learn more about Coaching with Kitegirl through this mini-video tour.


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Peace Resources
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A Little Peace - From National GeographicA riveting visual message! Image after image shows people around the world making peace in their own way. Minimal text. Photos keyed to world map. Endnotes detail how each image relates to peace. A must! Hardcover, 32 pages. Learn More
365 Manners Kids Should Know - Games, Activities and Other Fun Ways to Help Children and Teens Learn EtiquetteThis superb reference covers just about everything a child, teen (or adult) needs to know to navigate the modern world with grace and courtesy. Paperback, 322 pages. Learn More
Good People EverywhereThis sweet and gentle book celebrates the good work of all kinds of people. Through lovely language and luminous illustrations, this book encourages children to think about all the ways we can support each other. Hardcover, 32 pages. Learn More
The Peace Stick"This branch is a gift from the tree… Today, we will make a talking stick from it and use it to talk and listen respectfully." Inspired by a Native American legend this lovely story uses elegant, poetic language and luminous illustrations. Paperback, 40 pages. Learn More
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