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Live Reviews
Norwegian Road Trip, Part 4: Oslo and an Interview with Jan Erik Kongshaug
[Editors Note: From July 6 to July 26, 2010, All About Jazz Managing Editor John Kelman will travel throughout Norway to cover both the Kongsberg Jazz Festival (also participating in Silver City Sounds) and Molde Jazz. He'll also spend a week between the two famous festivals in Oslo, where he'll check out the scene, talk to musicians and labels, and visit the legendary Rainbow Studio for a look around and an interview with engineer Jan Erik Kongshaug, who has participated in hundreds of ECM recordings. He'll publish every second or third day, so be sure to follow him as he goes from the east coast to the west, in search of Norwegian artists known and unknown].
The weather in Oslo can be mercurial: one moment, raining; the next, sunny. But while inclement weather scuttled a chance to travel to Tonsberg for Slottsfjell Festival and another chance to catch Jaga Jazzist, overall there's been little else so bad as to ruin what has been a tremendous trip.
Walking around Oslo, the striking mix of old and new can be found on every street corner. And while Oslo has its fair share of problems endemic to larger citiesdrugs, the homeless, areas where closures have made for some less attractive spots with boarded up shopsoverall it's a gorgeous city, with beauty to be found wherever the eye wanders. It's also a dog-friendly town; Vigeland Sculpture Park has, in fact, a dog park within its 80 acre space, and it's hard to imagine a more beautiful place to bring your dog, meet people and other canine friends.
Walking from Oslo City Centre to Vigeland Sculpture Park
As the week in Oslo approached its end, meets with artists and labels continued to take up considerable (but always pleasurable) time. But before a lunchtime meet with guitarist Stian Westerhus and a mid-afternoon drink with pianist Helge Lien, one of the more compelling reasons to come to Oslo in the first place: a chance to visit Rainbowthe legendary recording studio where so many albums on the German ECM label have been recordedand an opportunity to speak with the studio's owner, Jan Erik Kongshaug, the man who, alongside ECM head/producer Manfred Eicher, helped redefine jazz in the early 1970s.
Chapter Index
- July 16: A Morning at Rainbow Studio with Jan Erik Kongshaug
- July 16: Coffee with Stian Westerhus
- July 16: A Light Meal with Helge Lien
- July 17: Bare Jazz and Onwards to Molde
July 16: A Morning at Rainbow Studio with Jan Erik Kongshaug
Oslo has recording studios located in some of the oddest places. 7etage is literally located on the seventh floor of an old building in the center of Oslo, across the hall from saxophonist Karl Seglem's NORCD office and practice room. Rainbow Studio is one of the last remaining "big" studios in Oslo, inauspiciously located on the east side of the city. It's the second Rainbow, in fact, owner/engineer Jan Erik Kongshaug having moved the original Rainbow of 20 years to its current location six years ago for the most mundane reason: the studio was situated above a bar which, after many years, began to feature live music that would leak through the ceiling into the studio. Despite the contract stipulating no live music, and Kongshaug taking legal action, the problem became protracted, and so he chose to relocate rather than continue fighting.
Jan Erik Kongshaug
For an engineer who has built an international reputation for his almost unparalleled instincts and keen attention to sound and detail, it may come as a surprise to learn that Kongshaug is largely self-taught. "I started playing accordion when I was seven or eight," Kongshaug explains, "because my father was a professional guitarist. We lived in Trondheim, where I was born, but he moved to Sweden, where he was a professional guitarist for many years; he was quite good, actually. He asked me what I wanted to play, and I said, 'Piano,' but we couldn't afford a piano so I got an accordion instead [laughs]. When I went to high school I began playing guitar, when I was fourteen or fifteen."
"Every weekend I was playing at parties in the area where I lived, and when I finished high school I got a job as a guitarist on a cruise ship. So I went around the world; the base was New York, so I was there ten times in one year, and I heard a lot of great stuffit was 1963/64I heard Coltrane live, and Miles' new band [Miles Davis] with Herbie Hancock...it was fantastic, really a great year. And the job onboard wasn't very busy, I played for a lot of American tourists; we had quite a nice time, because we played three hours in the night, and when the boat was at sea, we played, but when we were in the harbor we were off. We were not like the other people on the boatthey had to work shifts. But for us, if we had three days in Tokyo, we had three days off in Tokyo. I really got to see the world at that time."
Rainbow Studio: Main Room
It was a different time to be coming up as a musician in Norway, as its now famous educational system, with world-renowned institutions like the Trondheim Academyresponsible for musicians like saxophonist Hakon Kornstad and trumpeter Arve Henriksendidn't exist. "I got interested in recording because I had a tape recorder with two microphones, and that's how I got started. Then I came back to Trondheim after a year, and I started studying electronics, which I did for two years at a school there. Then I was planning to go into broadcasting, to NRK [Norwegian Public Broadcasting]they had education for sound engineersbut the year when I wanted to go, they couldn't take any more people, and so that's why I went into electronics instead. Then, after two years of electronics I got the job at Arne Bendiksen Studio [where some classic early ECM albums were recorded, such as saxophonist Jan Garbarek's 1970 debut, Afric Pepperbird]. It was because I played guitar; there was a bandleader here who had a lot of TV gigs, and he didn't have a guitar in his band, so he hired me, had me come to Oslo with him. He had a lot of jobs at Bendiksen studio, and he recommended me. I couldn't do anything; but I got the job; I had an electronics background but no engineering education."
Kongshaug is, then, the poster boy for the value of learning on the job. But it was nothing short of serendipity when, three years later, he had a chance meeting with a young Manfred Eicher, who had just started a label called ECM. "Eicher had heard the band [Garbarek, guitarist Terje Rypdal, bassist Arild Andersen and drummer Jon Christensen] and wanted to record them, so he came to Oslo to record this quartet. And they actually recorded this album [Afric Pepperbird] outside Oslo at Henie Onstad Arts Centre [see Norwegian Road Trip, Part 2]; they also had a studio there. Bjørnar Andresen was the engineer, but the room wasn't suited for this band, it was too live; for a classical recording it was nice, but not for a band with drums and electric guitar. So they came to Bendiksen Studio to do it in the evenings, because I had a session in the daytime, and so it was just a coincidence that I met them. Manfred didn't know me, and I didn't know him, but that was the beginning."
Rainbow Studio: Main Control Booth
Kongshaug and Eicher have been working together for forty years, and have recorded hundreds of albums togetherfirst, at Bendiksen, then at Talent Studio, and then at Rainbow. The relationship just seemed to click. "We had the same attitude towards sound, it was very easy. We didn't have to talk; it just worked, and it sounded nice."
Kongshaug and Eicher's relationship has to be one of the longest in jazz, and yet word is that when they are working together, they rarely have to speak; they just seem to know what they want. Even Kongshaug aloneand for all the recordings made for ECM, there are far, far more made at the studio for other labels, and for independent artistsis reputed to be a largely silent presence at sessions; things just get done. Pianist Helge Lienwho has recorded all six of his trio albums at Rainbowcommented, in an interview later the same day, that set-up is very quick at Rainbow. Normally an hours-long process at most studios, Kongshaug gets the sound together in a matter of fifteen minutes, and with minimal fuss or discussion, so that the musicians can start playing almost immediately. It's surely one reason why so much of the music recorded at Rainbow sounds so freshthe artists aren't hanging around for hours while each musician gets his/her sound.
In order to do this, Kongshaug's skills have to be strong; but, more importantly, his ears have to be good. "I think it has to do with growing up listening to and playing a lot of music," Kongshaug says humbly, "it was very easy for me to understand what the musicians meant; I think that's more important than all the technical knowledge."
Rainbow Studio: Main Console
From Bendiksen, Kongshaug then moved to Talent Studio. "I worked at Bendiksen until '74," says Kongshaug, "and then, I think the room was too little and there were plans to build a bigger studio, I met this guy, Arve Sigvaldsen, who had made a lot of money with popular music, and he built Talent. I was not a partner; I was just hired by him. I was there from '74 to '78, and then I was a freelance engineer for five years. I moved back to Trondheim for three years, and I traveled a lot. I did some recording in Talent, and a lot of sessions in New York at Power Station. So when I moved back to Oslo again, and Talent Studio was breaking down into bankruptcy, I had to decide whether or not I should continue traveling all the timebecause there was no other studio in Oslo that could do these kinds of recordings. So that's why I started Rainbow Studio in 1984. We spent twenty years in that location, and then we moved here six years ago. When you have a live Irish band playing on the floor below you, while you're trying to record [pianist] Bobo Stenson...it was impossible, and so that's why we moved here. Then we had to start all over again."
For a studio as busy as Rainbow, it employs surprisingly few people. "We are three people here," says Kongshaug. "Me and another engineerhe's a freelanceand a woman who takes care of all the administration."
With so many legendary ECM recordings under his beltChick Corea and Gary Burton's Crystal Silence (1973), Keith Jarrett's Belonging (1974), Ralph Towner's Solstice (1975), Jan Garbarek/Bobo Stenson Quartet, Dansere (1976)...and that's only a handful, and only in the first years of the label's existencedo any sessions stick out for Kongshaug, as being especially memorable? "The first one must be the first time I worked with Keith [Jarrett], on the solo album Facing You (1972)," Kongshaug answers. "That was very early days and it blew my mind when he played this solo concert, because he recorded the whole album in three or four hours. Also, all the Jan Garbarek groups, different groups with Jan Garbarek, at the time they were just fantastic. And then when Jan and Keith played together on Belonging, and then when we moved to the other studio [Talent] to do My Song (1978). And also the trip to Tokyo with the Belonging quartet [also featuring bassist Palle Danielsson and drummer Jon Christensen], where we recorded Personal Mountains (1989), that's a fantastic record. And then I got to work with all these great guitar playersPat Metheny, Bill Frisell...there's been so many."
Rainbow Studio, Drum Booth
While adverse circumstances forced Kongshaug to relocate Rainbow (and at no small expense), in the end it was worth it. "The new studio is much better acoustically, because the old studio was much drier," Kongshaug explains, "which was good if you were recording a lot of loud, electric music; with acoustic music, it's good if you have a little bit of the room, even if it's not really live, because then you have to be much bigger. This room is built much better."
And so, with a room that has some air in it, Kongshaug will sometimes mike a guitar, for example, with both a close mike and a more distant one, to get a bit of the room soundonly, of course, if there's not too much other sound happening in the room, as he often chooses to put much of the group in the big room to record with as close to "live" a feel as possible. There is a drum booth and a smaller vocal booth, though the sight lines between them are all good, and the two booths are in a part of the main room where there's a little nook that, sometimes, can be used to set up a small group for even greater intimacy, even if the players are separated by glass.
Drum Booth and Small Nook in Main Room
One of the myths of "the ECM sound" has been that the label and Kongshaug have used some kind of stock reverb setting. Nothing could be further from the truth; while reverb is a characteristic of many ECM recordingspart of the label's pursuit of creating unique soundscapes for its recordingsevery session is different. "I work with a lot of different reverbs to create different 'rooms,' says Kongshaug, "I have all kinds of reverbs, but I don't like the plug-in reverbs; I have the real ones, like the Lexicon 960, the TC, and others. You can create the 'room' you want."
Each musician at Rainbow also has the ability to create his/her own headphone mix, with reverb dialed in as well. But what is recorded to tape (or, now, hard drive) is dryjust the sound of the instrument and, at most, some of the sound of the room, with the more expansive soundscaping done later, during the mix. Because, oftentimes, there are a number of musicians recording in the same room without absolute separation, there can be some "leakage"the sound of one musician's instrument heard a bit on other track(s). This can be a problem if there's a mistake that needs to be fixed afterwards, but since ECM is almost pathological about not doing any later editing or "punching in"preferring to keep the best take, warts and all (not that there are many)this is rarely a problem. "If you have a 'live' room and many musicians," says Kongshaug, "you can also get a nice sound by leakage. But if you have a weak [soft] acoustic bass, and a drummer who plays very loudly, then you have to separate them. Otherwise you have to record the bass direct [a direct line from a bass pickup to the recording console], and that usually sounds terrible. I like the acoustic sound of the bass, and I think it's really nice now that so many young jazz musicians are now using acoustic bass."
Rainbow Studio's Piano
One of the aspects to recording that has made Kongshaug's name has been his attention to piano sound, though he has a surprising opinion as to why he achieves such a rich sound, while so many others do not. "I always get this question," Kongshaug says, 'what kinds of microphones do you use, where do you put them?' I don't think it's that important at all; you have to have a good condenser mikeI usually use a Schoeps or a Neumannbut that's not important. You have to have a good tuner; you have to keep the piano in shape. Every session it's tuned. I have one very good tuner, and one backup; if not, it's not the same instrument. I often get music recorded elsewhere, and every time, everything sounds goodthe saxophone, the drums, the bass; the piano is always shitty."
"I don't understand how piano players can play on these instruments," Kongshaug continues. "I think that people are so used to a piano being out of tune that they don't notice it, and I think that's terrible. They say it's a bad piano sound, and they don't understand that the piano is out of tune. It's not a bad sound, it's an out-of-tune piano. I read a review in a Norwegian jazz magazine recently, and normally they talk about the musicand, of course, that's the most important thingbut sometimes they'll also talk about the sound, and in this case wrote that the piano sound wasn't good. I haven't heard the record but I know what the problem was: the piano was out of tune, because most recordings have out-of-tune pianos [laughs]."
Typical ECM recordings consist of two days recording, one day mixing. How much attention is paid to the piano varies, depending on the music, the touch of the pianist...and the order in which the music is recorded. It's tuned before the session," explains Kongshaug, "but then sometimes people want the piano tuned down to [A]440 , because the normal tuning is [A]442that's the most common for classical and in EuropeI don't know, but maybe it's more common to tune a piano in North America to [A]440. But if you have a Hammond organ that's [A]440, then you have to tune down the piano, and you need to do it twiceone day before, and then on the day."
"But usually it's enough to tune it once," Kongshaug continues, "but if you have recorded for six or seven hours and the piano playing is hard, then sometimes it needs to be tuned again. Sometimes the musicians are playing and they say, at the end of the day, 'Now we're going to do a solo piano ballad.' What?!? [laughs] You should have started with that; the piano is now out of tune!' But I guess most people aren't aware of that; they're used to pianos that are out of tune."
Mixing Panel (left) and Power Supplies (right)
With Kongshaug often hired to mix albums recorded in other studios, is there anything he can do if he receives tapes where the piano is out of tune? "No, it's lost," says Kongshaug. "If it's out of tune it's out of tune. You have to live with it."
The goal is often to have as many musicians as possible in the same room. When guitarist Jacob Young recorded Evening Falls (2004) and Sideway (2008), for example, the quintet was placed in the main room, with Young's amplifier placed in one of the booths. The only time Young was not in the room with his band mates was when he was playing acoustic guitar, which was so quiet that, for the sake of separation, he needed to sit in one of the booths.
As much as Kongshaug records in Rainbow, he is also, sometimes, hired to mix albums recorded elsewhere, and that includes ECM recordings like trumpeter Mathias Eick's forthcoming disc, due out in the fall of 2010. As is the case with most studios, Kongshaug has a large set of studio monitors, but also a smaller, bookshelf-sized set, and it's on this smaller set that he normally does most of his mixing. "I usually use the small speakers," says Kongshaug. "If you have a good balance on the small speakers they'll sound great on the large ones, but not the other way around."
These days, Kongshaug does far more sessions for artists and labels other than ECM. "ECM maybe does ten or fifteen albums a year, but that's only three days at a time," says Kongshaug. "I have to work a lot more than that; it's actually just a small part of what I do."
But is there a difference between the sessions Kongshaug records for ECM and those he does for others? The answer is no, though Eicher does have some personal views that impact how Kongshaug does his job. Kongshaug has, in fact, become a set of ears for the Norwegian scene, often helping artists to make a connection with ECMand other labels like ACT as wellsince Eicher no longer accepts unsolicited demos. "That also happens; when Tord Gustavsen did his first recording, they did it on their own, and then Manfred got a copy. He liked it and they did another session for a few more songs; that's how that started [Changing Places (2003)]. Manfred, he gets hundred of demos a year, and it's impossible for him to listen to them all."
Room to Relax at Rainbow
With all the artists who come through the doors of Rainbow, are there any that Kongshaug feels are particularly special? "There are a lot of great musicians; I've done a lot of great recordings with the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, which has different people every time, and fantastic musicians. There are so many fantastic musicians these days that you have to be very original, you have to be doing something very new, to get yourself heard. There are hundreds of John Coltrane copiers; they're very impressive but not so interesting. The other problem is that some of these players are so great, but some of them experiment and they go over the heads of normal people."
At 66, does Kongshaug see himself moving towards retirement? "I work every day," Kongshaug says, "I have only a few weeks' vacation, but as long as I love it and can do it, I'll continue to work; of course, you don't always know when you'll have to stop. If we didn't have an international reputation we'd have closed years ago; if we only had Norwegian clients, we'd never make it now. It's because we have all these international clients coming in, it also encourages Norwegian artists to record here. I know that most of them want to record here, but it's only those that get the [financial] support that can do it. The price to record now is about the the price as it was in New York in 1980, thirty years ago. $200 was the price when I worked with ECM there, including an assistant engineer; but my salary was not included; you had to pay me extra. Today it's 1,500 Kroner, including me, so it's actually cheaper. But there are very few studios left, in a few years I don't know if there'll be any studios like this; they're closing down all over the world."
July 16: Coffee with Stian Westerhus
Since returning to Norway in 2003, guitarist Stian Westerhus has intentionally placed himself in as many different musical contexts as possible, from the extreme freedom of Crimetime Orchestra to the more rigidly structured Jaga Jazzist. His own projects have been much more focused on free improvisation, albeit of a more high volume kind. His 2010 solo performance at NattJazz, his latest release with Puma (2010's Half Nelson Courtship) and tremendous solo guitar disc, Pitch Black Star Spangled (Rune Grammofon, 2010), all represent an artist whose time has come, as he dispenses with convention to reinvent the sonic potential of his instrument, much as fellow Norwegian, Eivind Aarset has, but with an entirely different sound and focus. He's also been working with trumpeter Nils Petter Molvaer's trio for over a year, which has put him on the roadand on the mapalmost continuously.
Stian Westerhus
"Before I moved to England, when I was 18 or 19, I was just playing in bands, experimental rock stuff, and just trying to figure out what I wanted to do, like you do when you're a teenager," says Westerhus, sitting outside a coffee shop at Vigeland Sculpture Park. "I became interested in improvisation through prog rock, and I always felt I was really lucky with all the people I've known, right up until now, with everybody challenging each other, just really doing a lot of playing and searching, without boundaries. I thought jazz music was free improv, and that's why I wanted to go to a jazz school. Since I didn't get into the jazz academy at Trondheim when I was 18, I just thought 'fuck it, I'll stay in Norway, practice for a year and then go somewhere else.' "
Westerhus relocated to England and went through the jazz program at Middlesex. As is the case with so many of his peers, listening to Westerhus' music may not speak directly of experience or education in the jazz tradition, but it's there nevertheless; deeply imbued beneath an exterior that's equally informed by metal and prog. "I had a guitar teacher named Stuart Hall, he's an amazing guy who never plays live anymore," says Westerhus, "and I studied jazz harmony and theory for three years. It really opens your ears; I really got into [trumpeter] Kenny Wheeler; I think that was the only heavy harmonic jazz stuff that I felt at home with. I didn't grow up with bebop or swing; I grew up with rockall the '70s and '60s stuff; I was a huge Gong fan, I think I have like 20 records; and of course, King Crimson was huge for me, and the progressive jazz stuff like [guitarist] John McLaughlin. I used to sneak out my sister's tape recorder when I was sixI sort of remember it, but my mother tells meand I'd steal this one tape, this compilation for the car that had this Mike Oldfield song, and I'd sit and listen it over and over again."
"So the prog thing has been quite evident from the very beginning," Westerhus continues. "There's a real freedom to it, within the rock genre, that appeals to me. I picked up an old Gentle Giant album The Power and the Glory (Capital, 1975); amazing singers; I still love that stuff."
While in London, Westerhus "tried to be a jazz musician, which didn't really work because if you wanted to make money you had to play function gigs and play standards, which I really hated because it was so polite. So I thought, 'fuck that,' and became an ice climbing instructor; I did a lot of climbing, so I thought, 'I can do that.' I'd never ice-climbed before, but it was easy."
Easy for Westerhus, perhaps; but in some ways his ability to dive, head-first, into the relative unknown was reflective of his approach to music as well. "You really have to work hard in London, when you're young and nobody knows you," says Westerhus. "The reason why I didn't get a lot of gigs was because I did what I wanted to. I really felt like I was searching for something, and I was looking for people to play with, and the problem in London was that nobody had the time to be in a proper band; I wanted to rehearse every fucking day, and everybody's busy just trying to make a living. So I just kept practicing, and after two years I was feeling really sick of it. For a few months I was back in Norway; I was supposed to do a social service thing because I didn't want to go into the military [a mandatory one-year service in the Norwegian army existed until very recently]. I said I was a pacifist, and then it got postponed because of my education, and then they said 'Ok, you've got to come back and do this.' What happens is you get put in some institution, and they give you a small flat, which I thought would be a great way to move back to Norway."
Stian Westerhus at NattJazz 2010
"Then the minute I got back I got this letter that said 'we've reconsidered and we can't afford to have you over here,'" Westerhus continues. "By that time I'd already rented a flat, so I stayed here for a few months; this was in 2002, 2003. I met some musiciansI was back in Trondheimbut then I moved back to London because my girlfriend wanted to go back, and it was really tough times; we didn't have any money, and it's really tough living without any money. So I went back and continued whatever it was that I was doing, but while I was in Trondheim I'd heard of this Master's program, and I thought, 'Ok, if I get into that I'll move back to Norway,' because it was a good opportunity, you could get some funding going, meet a lot of the young musicians, get a practice room, get all these kinds of things going. And I thought, 'If I do that, I'm going to do that and only that,' really try to work on it."
"So I auditioned, and it took ages before I got an answer," Westerhus concludes. "I thought, 'Ok, if I don't get in I'll just quit playing; I'll just move to The Alps and do climbing or something.' It was really good for me; since I was on the verge of quitting anyway, I made a promise to myself that if I got in I'd do everything I could to play with absolutely everybody, and find out if this is something that I could actually do, and it's been absolutely crazy ever since."
In the booklet for NattJazz 2010, Westerhus was given the byline, "The hardest working guitarist in Norway." Whether or not it's empirically trueand the guitarist is both bemused and a little embarrassed by itit sure seems like it, with Westerhus popping up everywhere. At Molde, he'll be playing three timesonce with Puma, once in duet with singer Sidsel Endresen, and once with Molvær's trio. He's joked with Molvær, who is this year's Artist in Residence at Molde, that with three gigs to the trumpeter's five, he should be called "Junior Artist in Residence."
In most places, musicians collect into cliques; once you get into one, it's easy to play with a lot of the same people, but breaking in is very difficult. But the same drive that pushed Westerhus to become an ice climbing instructor has encouraged him to find ways to play with everyone he could meet. He may reject orthodoxy when it comes to music, but Westerhus is nothing if not methodical. "When I moved to Trondheim, I was in a really small house; the Jazz Academy is so small, there are only forty or fifty people there throughout the four years," Westerhus explains. "There are so many young players, and they're all keen to play and they're all searching for something. I just had this idea that if I booked one of the rooms for three hours every day, and just went up to someone every day, who I didn't know, and said, 'Hey, do you wanna play?' I'd at least find something."
"So that's what I didI played with everybody, and just kept playing and playing and playing," Westerhus continues. "I think I just realized that I didn't really know what I wanted to do, and I needed to find somewhere where I was comfortable, and I hadn't really been playing for a few years, so I really wanted to play. And I didn't really know anybody. But from then it's really been about focusing on having bands, working in bands and finding a sound; these things have been more important to me than chasing the fancy gigs."
Westerhus never does anything half-way, and his solo performance at NattJazz was remarkable for a number of things, including the sheer amount of equipment he usedfour amplifiers and enough effects pedals to open a small music shop, spread across a stage that could easily support (and, in fact, did, earlier in the festival) an eight-piece band. But this is no dalliance; Westerhus is intimately familiar with each and every pedal, both individually and how they work in concert with each other; and watching him perform, it's clear that they're an extension of his hands, his feet and his guitar. The same way he doesn't have to think about where his hands fall on the neck of his guitar, Westerhus' knowledge of his effects is equally thorough, comprehensive and instinctive. It brings a whole new meaning to the old saying "you spend a lot of time learning your instrument; then you just forget about it and play."
Westerhus' experience with groups ranges from the kind of freedom where, as was the case in Crimetime Orchestra, a few music sheets are tossed about, a few things figured out in sound check (there's never any formal rehearsal) and then the show starts and where it goes is anyone's guess. With Westerhus' interest in improvisation, it seemed to be a far better fit than his time spent with the more structured music of Jaga Jazzist, whose One-Armed Bandit (Ninja Tune, 2010) is high on the list, along with Westerhus' Pitch Black Star Spangled, as one of the year's best releases so far. "I had some structure with Jaga," says Westerhus, "but I kept tossing the sheets of music. It's so structured that I felt it needed some beef; I think that music needs a few wild cards and some interaction. I'm much better at doing that than at just playing sheets of music. It was great fun and they're really, really nice guys, but it was taking up a lot of time. When we released the album, it was like, 'Ok, when can we tour,' and everybody could do it, except for me."
Stian Westerhus at NattJazz 2010
"I had some gigs penciled in with Nils Petter, and my calendar was just packed with all these small, very different things," Westerhus explains, "but within them there was and is a linearity [laughs] with my solo project, and Puma and Monolithic, that needs to have a continuity to it. I just wasn't prepared to put any of that aside to do the Jaga stuff; that didn't make any sense to me. And so we figured that, perhaps, it was better just to leave it. Also, me and [Jaga's primary composer] Lars [Horntveth] had different views as to how the music should be played; not that we were fighting, but it was more like 'Hey, this was fun, this was great, but you should probably get another guitarist [laughs]. With Jaga I kind of felt like pushing an elephant through a keyhole; when you're there, you're the only one who is playing with any kind of freedom and you don't get a whole lot of interaction, so you really have to force your way through; which is also very interesting, but at the same time it's not what Jaga needs. So it was one of those things where it was agreed that there were no hard feelings, it just didn't work and the schedules didn't really talk together."
Westerhus and Jaga are, indeed, still on very good terms; the guitarist will, in fact, be guesting with the group when they go to Japan later this year. But as intriguing as it is to see these two very different musical forces come together, as they did in 2009 at Molde Jazz, it's clearly not a fit meant to last. Molvær, on the other hand, has turned into the almost perfect vehicle for Westerhus; all the more remarkable for Westerhus' replacing Eivind Aarseta guitarist who, for over a decade, helped shape the trumpeter's music and sound. But Westerhus' replacement was nothing about filling Aarset's shoes; in fact, the guitarist is not all that familiar with Molvær's past recordings featuring Aarset.
"I was depping for a guitarist in Hanne Hukkelberg's band," Westerhus explains. "We were somewhere in Italy, and it was like 30 degrees outside, really hot, I was just standing there being terribly hung over, and Nils Petter phones me and says, 'Hey, it's Nils Petter, how're you doing,' 'Ah, pretty hung over here,' 'Ok, do you want to be in my band,' 'Uh...yes...?' [laughs]. It was one of those weird ones, so we did a few random gigs, and they worked out really nicely, and he was very happy and I was also, so we just stuck with it, and we did a ton of gigs this past autumn. Now I'm doing some gigs every month. It's still changing, that band."
The whole idea was for Westerhus to bring his own approach to sound to the group. "I don't really know the band when Eivind was doing it, and I never saw them live," explains Westerhus, "so it was one of those weird things where I had no real frame of reference. I'd heard the records, of course, but I never saw it live, which is actually quite nice. I think it's a lot more open now, in terms of playing. Also, I don't think I do Nils Petter as many musical favors as Eivind did, because he was a master at creating all these carpets of sound that moved very slowly, and which were probably very comfortable to play on."
"I'm kicking Nils Petter's ass a lot harder," Westerhus continues, "and what he says is that, especially earlierwhen they had a lot of DJs and beats and grooves going onhe could play a bit and then sit back a bit. Now he can't sit back at allhe's just really forced into playing a lot more. And it's so free now; we play tunes but, at the same time, if you see it from the other side, I only have one groove, one key and three chords that I have to do, so I can force Nils Petter into any corner I want, and he can force me into any corner he wants, which is great. You really need to be razor sharp when you go onto the stage, which is fantastic, a really cool thing to do. Especially when you're doing, say, 30 gigs on a tour."
"It's amazing to be playing with him, he's such a good trumpeter," Westerhus enthuses. "I also think that it's become a lot clearer; the ideas have become a lot clearer and the whole band has become a lot clearer musically. There's some new stuff and some old stuff, but the old stuff doesn't sound anything like the old stuff. It's funny, because I don't really know which albums the tunes are from, so it's funny when you play a venue packed with old fans and Nils Petter starts playing a tune, and they go 'whaaaaaaaa!' and it's like, 'Ok, it's an old tune, and they didn't clap because I'd stopped playing [laughs].'"
The group is talking about recording, though certainly not before 2011, as the autumn is already packed. Westerhus will be doing a month-long tour with Monolithic, Westerhus' duo with Kenneth Kapstad, and perhaps his most extreme project. Puma, who will play at Molde as part of the Rune Grammofon Label in Residence, is a group that's evolved considerably since its inception, but in an almost reverse way to how most bands function. "We've never discussed anything before we've played; we only talk about the music after the show, which has been really nice." But if his groups don't come in with any preconceptions, how do they differentiate? "It's the players," Westerhus confirms, "but with Puma we've talked a lot about our music after we've played it; analyzing it, listening back to itwe've recorded endless gigsand being in the studio for a lot of time, especially me and [keyboardist] Øystein [Moen]we've done all the editing.
"It's a very strong concept and we have very strong views as to how the music should sound," Westerhus continues. "That's why it's so important to play a lot of gigs, and also to rehearse, if you can do that, though often it's better to just do gigs because it puts you on the spot. Actually, for the first time, we're going to try to play a few tunes from the album [Half Nelson Courtship], because the way the album was built up, it's more melodic than we've ever been. So we thought, 'Maybe we should try that,' and use that as a point of reference, and the reason why we were rehearsing the other night, because we never rehearse. We're playing four or five of the tracks [from the album], and it's working out really well; we were kind of anxious about how it would sound, but we listened back to it [the album] in the rehearsal, and tried to play it, and it sounded really similar, so we thought, "Ok, that's how we sound now.'"
Westerhus is also focusing on solo performance more than ever before; live, he simply empties his head and plays; all the more remarkable, then, that his shows bear an unmistakable arc, a flow that may not be considered in the least, but sounds like it could have been. "I tried walking into a performance once with kind of an idea for a composition in my mind before I walked onstage," Westerhus says, "and it was a disaster. I lost all the flow, my energy level just went down I couldn't listen to the music in the right way. I just decided never to do that again."
July 16: A Light Meal with Helge Lien
The past couple years have been good for pianist Helge Lien. His most recent release, Hello Troll (Ozella, 2008) has received both strong critical acclaim and won a Norwegian Grammy. Performances at the 2009 Punkt Festival in Kristiansand and, more recently, NattJazz 2010 both reveal a trionow together for more than a decadethat is in no danger of losing its edge; instead, if anything, Lien and his trio, with bassist Frode Berg and drummer Knut Aalefjær, continues to find new ways to raise its game. Lien unveiled some new music at NattJazz that is bound for release on the trio's next CD, which may get recorded as early as this fall, with hopes for a 2011 release.
Helge Lien
Lien, still in his mid-thirties, has found a way to marry the American jazz tradition with more distant concerns; a virtuosic player with a quick sense of humor, it becomes clear that not only does he bring a mischievous playfulness to the table, but his trio mates are just as quick to respond in kind, making Helge Lien Trio performances run the gamut from technically impressive to sensitively economic, from light to dark, and everything in between.
Surprisingly, culture and music were not a big part of Lien's upbringing. "My parents were not musicians," Lien says, "none of my close family members were musicians; my mother played accordion in her spare time, but we had this old organ in the house, with the rhythms, and the upper and lower keyboards. So I learned some tunes on itI taught myself, really, just out of interestand I also played in a band with a friend of mine; we also made music, quite early, inspired by The Beatles. I advanced on the organ, got better organs, and then I got synthesizers. My first experience with a piano wasn't 'til I was thirteen or fourteen, there was this English jazz pianist who settled into my town, working as an organ player also, in the church, and he was really interested in young people, so he arranged for concerts with me and some of my friends and other young interested people in the area, and did lots of good things for us. I also had some lessons with him, and this was my first meeting with jazz, actually, and with the acoustic piano."
"I started at this high school when I was around sixteen, which had a special music program," Lien continues. "I started a big band in high school, which was maybe the most important schooling that I'd had to that time. The idea of becoming a musician and the longing to write my own music started then, but I'd actually been composing music back when I was twelve or thirteen. Anyway, I had two years of classical piano there; after that, I started at the State Academy, in Oslo. When I started the State Academy, I had a teacherMisha Alperin, the Russian pianistand he was very focused on creativity and composition."
In North America, music students emerge with a strong command of their instrument and technical knowledge; but the creativity aspect seems somehow lacking. "How do you teach someone to find their own voice," Lien asks. "A very, very normal view on this is that you first have to learn the skillsthe history, the chord changes; and then you can start being a composer. But I think this is wrong. I think the ability to catch an idea, to recognize something that is unique is something that you have to rehearse. You have to rehearse being creative, in a way. I found my way to do it, at the State Academy, was I'd sit down at the piano, and just improvise; I went in there and pretended it was a solo concert, for hours and hours. I recorded it and listened to it afterwards, and then, of course, it was terrible because most of it was just crap; but I was rehearsing, and a few times, here and there, there was something that I liked, and then I could make that into something. But I was not so conscious of it, while I did it. But what I know now is that I was actually rehearsing to be present in the musical producing state. And this is quite unique; you cannot learn it theoretically, you have to make this experience happen all the time and over a long time. And you will use your internal filter to pick out what you like, and this is a good way to find your voice; it provides a very good picture of how your voice can look."
From left: Knut Aaleflær, Helge Lien, Frode Berg Helge Lien Trio, Performing at Punkt 2009
For a young performer, Lien is an oddity in Norway: he is working with a conventional jazz piano trio format; there's no technology to be found; and despite a largely original repertoire, Lien does make reference to his roots very clearly by covering music by Johnny Mercer, Paul Desmond, Wayne Shorter and Billy Strayhorn, amongst others. A jazz trio, then, in the most conventional definition. "My first big influence was Oscar Peterson," says Lien, "and then Keith Jarrett has been very important, of course, and in later years, Bill Evans. But also many, many other musicians, not just pianists; I'm fascinated by drummers, for example. I'm a really big fan of Audun Kleive and Jon Christensen, and (of course) Jack DeJohnette."
"For me, the piano is about making illusions," Lien continues. "So it's really important for me to focus on things that are not obvious for the piano. On breathing, for example; and the length of the notes, and to make vibratothis very, very absurd thing for a piano because, of course, you cannot make vibrato, but it's what makes it interesting...that you can make the illusion of vibrato. All these things that are around and under the piano. That you can make the illusion of a note that sustains for five seconds, like a saxophone note."
Lien met the musicians who would ultimately become Helge Lien Trio while in the State Academy. "Knut, the drummer, he went through the classical department," Lien says, "he was one year older than me. And Frode, the bassist, he was already finished classical bass. But we played together in different settings from time to time, and I just had a kind of feeling for them, and put them together and I recorded our first rehearsal on a minidiscwe just played some standards and some free stuffand I listened to it, and I really liked how we played together. Something just kind of happened; something not so obvious, which I liked very much."
"I think I have more than enough work to do discovering the possibilities of the acoustic," Lien continues. "And, as I said, I'm really fascinated by illusions, and when you use a loop machine, like Bugge Wesseltoft does, it's amazing, he makes really great music with it. But for me, I find it more fascinating to work with the illusion of these things. When you have a loop machine then it's looped and you hear it."
There's an unmistakable advantage to having a group that's been together for ten years; the chemistry is at a profound level, and the trust amongst the players is equally deep. But there is the challenge of keeping things fresh. "I think the whole concept of how we produce music is very much about being fresh and surprising each other with the interplay," says Lien. "Of course, we have to rehearse new music regularly, which we do, of course. I also feel that the other two are developing themselveshow they think and how they play; I often feel surprised by them. Frode is classically educated and has an extensive career with lots of different kinds of music. He can play electric bass, funk and all kinds of techniques, and he can read like hell, so he's kind of a total, all-around musician. At the same time, I like him because he has personality and he has extreme skills on his bass; the sounds and the ideas he uses are completely unique. I think he challenges the normal way to function as a bass in this kind of group, and I like that a great deal. But now he has a steady job, he's hired as a bassist in the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra."
"Knut is also classically educated," Lien continues. "He also plays a lot of different kinds of music, contemporary music as well as pop music, jazz music...anything. He has quite unconventional sound ideas, he plays his drums in a much more classical fashion, with high, short notes; for me, it's just fresh and I think he also has a very unique approach to groove and beat. He uses different kinds of sticks, and puts small bells and other equipment on his drums and plays them. A much wider spectrum for sound than a normal jazz drummer; he knows how to produce sound and how to make variations."
Lien believes in slow evolution rather than rapid evolution. That said, he has plans for the next trio recording that will make it different than Hello Troll. "I would say that the next album may be a bit darker, that's how I see it now. When I make albums I try to visualize a mood as a kind of frame, and I think this time it will be a bit darker, a bit heavier. I'm excited to hear how it comes out. It was great to be able to play some of the music in Bergen [at NattJazz 2010, where Lien was one of four artists commissioned to write new music for the festival]. It's great to be asked to write new music for a festival; I work best under pressure. Lots of great things happen under pressure; when I'm not under pressure unfortunately I get a bit lazy."
July 17: Bare Jazz and Onwards to Molde
With the week in Oslo drawing to a close, time simply had to be made to walk into the city center to visit Bare Jazz. At a time when CD stores of any kind are dying out, it's incredible not to just see a CD store in Oslo that's thriving, but one that's both busy and exclusively a jazz store. Bare Jazz has been around for fifteen years, owned by Bodil Niska and her husband. Niska is a saxophonist with a number of CDs out under her own name, including Night Time (Bare Jazz, 2008), Blue (Self Produced, 2004) and First Song (Self Produced, 2000), as well as one album with the all-woman trio Girl Talk, Talk Jazz (Hot Club, 1996).
She's as knowledgeable as might be expected from someone with experience on both sides of the music biz table. Show her one CD and she's got a dozen more suggestions; and it's that knowledge and energy, shared by of herself and her staff, that helps give Bare Jazz an energy that's palpable upon setting foot into the store.
Of course, Bare Jazz is more than just a jazz CD/Vinyl store; the courtyard that acts as the long entrance to the shop is also an outdoor café, and passing by it numerous times throughout the week in Oslo, it always seems to be bustling. There's also an indoor café on the second floor of the building, and if the vibe that permeates the store and indoor/outdoor cafés is as constant as it has been throughout the week, then there's hope for jazz yet.
Courtyard Café Outside Bare Jazz
Inside the store, its organization makes great use of a relatively small space, with small laminate cards with the front and back of each CD taking the place of actual jewel cases and digipaks, meaning that the store can pack a lot more display items into the space of just a few CDs. Like what you see? Bring the card to the counter for a chance to have a listen before you buy, on one of the two listening stations on top of an old upright piano that acts as a table beside the cash counter. The latest releases can be found on panels behind the cash register and to the right; opposite the cash register is a glass box containing all kinds of books, boxes sets and DVDs; and with a wrap-around section making no discrimination of jazz style, Bare Jazz does break out Norwegian artists into a separate area, as they do vinyl and sales items. There's also a separate display for the entire Winter&Winter catalog, including its remaster/reissue series of the old JMT catalog.
Inside Bare Jazz
The prices are a little steep199 NOK (about $32 USD) for a regularly priced title; 149 NOK ($24 USD) for a "budget" priced CD. That includes, of course, Norway's 25% sales tax, and while some stores have the ability to refund the VAT (value added tax) if you prove yourself a visitor, most small stores do not, and Bare Jazz is, sadly, no exception. Still, it's worth the extra money to go to a jazz store that is so vibrant and alive; a place that proves jazz may be marginalized in many places, but in Oslo, there's a clear demand for the musicand, furthermore, an actual community.
Coming Up: Crossing the Mountains to Molde; First coverage of Molde Jazz 2010.
Visit Rainbow Studio, Stian Westerhus, Helge Lien and Bare Jazz on the web.
Photo Credits
Page 2: Stian Westerhus at NattJazz 2010: Luca Vitali
All Other Photos: John Kelman
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7


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A-Z Index
Public Safety
Department of Public Safety - Justice and Community Grants Program
Public Safety, Department of
The Justice and Community Grants unit of OJP serves as a catalyst for statewide approaches to reducing and preventing crime, violence and drug abuse through identifying causes, recommending policies and coordinating statewide and community strategies. We assist state and local governments, public and nonprofit agencies, community organizations and the legislature. We promote healthy communities by bringing together diverse groups, facilitating the exchange of ideas and by providing funds to test promising initiatives.
Department of Public Safety - Crime Victim Grants Program
Public Safety, Department of
The Office of Justice Programs, Crime Victim Grants Unit (CVGU), distributes approximately $32 million in state and federal funds to nearly 150 agencies throughout Minnesota to provide direct advocacy services to victims of crime. Depending on the type of program services an agency is funded to provide, services may include crisis intervention, advocacy, group support, legal advocacy, transportation, shelter, accompaniment to appointments or court, assistance in seeking financial assistance or civil protection orders, and information and referral to other resources.
Department of Public Safety - Grants
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Various grant programs can be found throughout the Department of Public Safety website.
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The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) administers 17 state and federal grant programs. In fiscal year 2009 alone, HSEM awarded grants totaling approximately $81.5 million to more than 300 local governments and other entities. More than 80 percent of the grant monies received by HSEM will be passed through to local governments. The majority of the federal grant monies awarded by HSEM is obtained from the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The division also receives and administers federal grants from the Department of Commerce and the Department of Transportation. The links on the left provide some brief descriptions and important links for the programs.
Office of Traffic Safety - Grants
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The Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) Enforcement grant program provides federal funds to law enforcement agencies to conduct enhanced traffic enforcement. A Request for Proposal (RFP) from law enforcement agencies will be posted to the Web site in Spring 2014 for the next grant cycle. In addition to the State Patrol, 55 law enforcement grants involving 277 agencies have been awarded for 2013.


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›You are hereHome›Destinations›Europe›Croatia›Balkan Adventure›Balkan Adventure Itinerary
Balkan Adventure Itinerary
Travel across historic Eastern Europe from Hungary to Croatia. Visit cultural sights and cities in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
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Days 1-2 Budapest
Arrive in Budapest, Hungary's intoxicating capital, on the banks of the Danube River. Admire intricate carvings on resplendent buildings, cross the iconic Chain Bridge to explore the Castle District or perhaps see the city from its best angle on a boat cruise. In free time, uncover national history on a visit to Heroes' Square, head to the Szechenyi Baths for a soak in the healing waters or simply meander through winding streets snacking on local delicacies.
ACCOM: Hotel - 2
Days 3-4 Osijek
Cross the border into Croatia and travel to Osijek. Navigate the hallways of grand buildings, stroll along the banks of the Drava River or pick up the true flavours of this destination at a local cafe. Choose to travel to the small town of Dakovo, with its enchanting neo-Romanesque cathedral and Lipizzaner horses, or visit Vukovar, a town that symbolises the devastation of the recent war.
ACCOM: Guesthouse - 2
Day 5 Novi Sad
Experience how Novi Sad, with its fascinating blend of traditional culture and Austro-Hungarian architecture, is one of the most enthralling cities in Serbia. Call into a family-run vineyard and a unique honey museum while relishing the scenic environs of Sremski Karlovci.
ACCOM: Hotel - 1
Days 6-7 Belgrade
Soak up the history of Belgrade city, one of the oldest in Europe, and experience a mix of progressive flamboyance and conservative customs. Visit the confluence of two major rivers, the Sava and the Danube, to see why Belgrade is such an important link between Eastern and Western Europe. Mosey through the Bohemian quarter or explore city boulevards where Orthodox churches vie for space next to fashionable nightclubs.
ACCOM: Hostel - 2
Days 8-10 Sarajevo/Mostar
Travel through serene countryside to Sarajevo, the lively capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina. In the evening, be sure to visit Bascarsija, the main street of Sarajevo, to find the best bosanski cevapi - grilled minced meat mixed with mild spices. Perhaps enjoy a day trip from Sarajevo to Mostar to see a town that was reduced to rubble during the Yugoslav wars and has since been rebuilt, becoming an important symbol of the new Balkans.
ACCOM: Pension - 3
Day 11 Ostrog Monastery
Follow pilgrims up the rocky mountain path to Ostrog, a 17th-century monastery in the mountains of Montenegro. Hike to the upper monastery where relics of the founder, Saint Vasilije, are kept then head down to the lower monastery to spend the night in humble konaks.
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Days 12-13 Kotor
Get delightfully lost in the crooked alleyways of Kotor. Climb the hills behind the city to discover the ruined castle of the former ruler. In free time, enjoy a cruise on the Kotor Fjord or consider a day trip to Budva, a popular coastal town nearby.
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Days 14-15 Dubrovnik
Travel to Dubrovnik in Croatia and take a walk along the city walls for views of the Adriatic Sea. Perhaps climb Mt Srd for an aerial perspective or toast the end of the Balkan Adventure over dinner.
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August 11, 2008
Scholarships.com Staff
The Scholarship of the Week for this week is the Fleet Reserve Assocation Americanism Essay Contest, a scholarship essay contest for students in high school and junior high. Contestants need to write a scholarship-worthy essay of 350 words or less on the theme "what the United States flag stands for." Applicants should submit their completed scholarship application packet to their nearest FRA branch, which does not necessarily need to be in their home state. Essays are first judged at the local level, with winners progressing to regional and national finals.Prize:
The Grand National Prize is $15,000 U.S. Savings Bond, with $5,000, $3,000 and $2,000 Savings Bonds awarded to the first, second and third place winners in each grade category. Certificates and other prizes are awarded at the branch and regional levels, as well.
All students entering grades 7-12 in the fall, as well as home schooled students at an equivalent grade level, are eligible for this scholarship.
Entries must be postmarked by December 1, 2008.
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August 8, 2008
Earlier this week, Massachusetts Governor Deval L. Patrick asked his state's wealthiest universities (such as Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) to help bail out the Massachusetts Education Financing Authority (MEFA), which announced last week that it would not be able to provide loans to over 40,000 students this fall. However, as an article published today in The Chronicle of Higher Education explains, many parties regard this request as well-intentioned but highly problematic, mainly due to recent lawsuits and legislation regarding potential conflicts of interest in relationships between colleges and student loan providers. The Massachusetts state treasurer, who vetoed the governor's request to invest money in MEFA, stated that bailing out MEFA was not a good investment and could set a dangerous precedent for use of state funds. While several colleges said they would consider investing in MEFA to help them provide enough loans to be able to receive assistance from the federal government, none have yet said yes, and many express concerns about what people will think of their relationship with the lending agency once the economy recovers. When viewed in light of last year's preferred lender list scandal, such hesitation is understandable.
However, while both sides of this issue have adopted positions based on sound principles and the belief in doing what will ultimately be best for students, thousands of students are still left in a lurch when it comes to finding money for college. With the new Higher Education Act still sitting on President Bush's desk, and the school year fast approaching, many families, and not just ones in Massachusetts, may be struggling to find ways to pay for school. It's never too late to start applying for financial aid, though! Students who haven't yet done so should complete a FAFSA on the Web, which could potentially qualify you for federal grant programs. Once you've received your financial aid award letter, be sure to talk to your school's financial aid office, especially if you plan on receiving loans. Finally, students of all ages should also check out our free scholarship search, as there are scholarships being awarded year-round, and scholarship awards can be one of the best means of funding your education.
August 7, 2008
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July 31, 2008
More students than ever are attending college. The economy's in a slump. Gas prices are through the roof. Rent keeps going up, especially in college towns. Everything is getting more expensive, including food. What does all this add up to? Housing shortages on college campuses, according to a recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education. As many students opt to live in the dorms, as a way to save money in college by avoiding the cost of rent, gas, and food, as well as the time involved in getting to campus, many schools are running out of places to put all their students. For some students, this problem has been familiar for years--for example, during my sophomore year of college, my university wound up renting, and later purchasing, a hotel near campus to house some of their incoming freshmen--but for others, this phenomenon is new and surprising.
Many families are displeased at the thought of paying that daunting housing bill for their students to still be living off-campus and having to commute a mile or more to get to class. But placing students in a hotel or an apartment off-campus isn't the only makeshift housing solution being implemented by universities this fall. Other students will wind up in converted lounges, triple-occupancy dorm rooms, former office space, or recently reopened buildings. Still some undergraduate students, like 725 University of Missouri attendees, may wind up paying on-campus rates for swanky apartments with full kitchens and plasma TVs thanks to the housing shortage on campus.
While many of these housing arrangements can be just as good as or even be better than traditional dorm space at some institutions, students should be aware of the potential for on-campus housing crunches at their schools. Incoming high school seniors who are starting the college search should decide early whether they want to live on campus in 2009, should be sure to ask questions about housing on their campus visits, and should apply for housing at the earliest possible date. Students currently living on-campus should also be proactive in procuring living arrangements for future semesters. Familiarize yourself with your university's housing policies and housing situation, and be sure you're taking all steps necessary to get the best on-campus housing possible.
July 30, 2008
The new version of the Higher Education Act (HEA) is at last moving to the floors of the House and Senate for a vote. After seven years of waiting and debating, Congressional reauthorization of the HEA could finally happen in the next week, setting the stage for a number of changes in federal student financial aid for college students.
Among other things, the reauthorized HEA would:
Many other changes appear in the 1,158 pages of the bill, which has been a long time coming. The Higher Education Act is supposed to be reauthorized every 5 years, but it has been 10 years since the previous version passed. The new HEA should help financial aid programs adapt to the present situation students face, and should help students better assess and plan for the costs of a college education.
July 29, 2008
Brazos Higher Education Service Corporation, Inc., the fourth largest holder of guaranteed student loans and the largest nonprofit loan provider, will not be able to issue new student loans to college students this fall. The company had initially announced in March that it would suspend providing Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) student loans, but after emergency legislation passed this summer to help FFELP lenders, it looked like Brazos may be able to stay in the game. However, they recently issued a news release stating they would not be able to provide new loans to students this fall, citing the short amount of time between the passage of the Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act and fall semester loan disbursement dates. "We have simply run out of time to secure financing to disburse loans as soon as they are needed," said Brazos CEO Murray Watson.
In another blow to many families' pocketbooks, the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA), the state's nonprofit student loan agency, also announced that it would be forced to suspend its student loan services in the fall. With continued uncertainty in the availability of FFELP Stafford Loans and private student loans, now more than ever students are encouraged to keep in touch with their financial aid offices, and also to explore alternate ways to find money for college. Many universities and state governments are continuing to look at adding new grant programs, with North Dakota being the latest to introduce legislation to provide a new $2000 state grant to its residents attending college in-state.
In addition to grants, scholarships remain excellent resources to pay for school. Students can conduct a free college scholarship search on Scholarships.com to find out instantly which scholarship opportunities may be open to them.
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AUSTIN -- Saturday Dec. 15 volunteers from across the state will join in a national tribute to honor fallen veterans. It's called Wreaths Across America.
National pride was on full display on the south steps of the State Capitol Monday. There was an honor guard, members of the Patriot Guard Riders were there too, along with a kids choir decked out in red white and blue. All were there to kickoff Saturday's Wreaths Across America event.
"We want these holiday wreaths to symbolize our honor to those who have served and to those who are serving in the Armed Forces of our great nation," said David Massey, with the Texas Funeral Directors Association.
Wreaths Across America got started 20 years ago with just a few wreaths placed on some aging gravesites at Arlington National Cemetery. It's now grown to include nearly 300,000 wreaths in more than 500 cemeteries in the United States and beyond.
"I spent two tours of duty in Vietnam flying combat search and rescue," said Mike Lambert with the Patriot Guard Riders of Texas. "Standing up for these veterans means a lot for me."
Monday a single wreath was carried from the south steps of the Capitol to the northeast side and the memorial for disabled veterans. The Funeral Directors Association of Texas is in charge of gathering and providing the wreaths for all six national cemeteries in Texas.
"It's just a very, very small thing that we do here," said Steve Martin, the state coordinator for Wreaths Across America. "We honor these men and women who have spent their time, their blood and their sweat and their lives to protect us and give us the right to do the things that we do here."
Some veterans KVUE spoke to welled up with emotion at the thought of other veterans who will be remembered this Saturday.
"December 15th across the United States, they will have volunteers pick these wreaths up and put them out on the graves of fallen heroes," said U.S. Army Veteran Jerry Rainey. "I think that's just something. That's the best thing we can do."
For more information on Wreaths Across America, click here.


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Detroit Lakes, Minn., golfers Sydney Busker and Emma Thompson look on as teammates Kate Smith and Natalie Roth talk about their final putts on the 18th green of the Minnesota class 2A State Golf Meet at the Ridges at Sand Creek in Jordan Wednesday. Smith and Roth both missed their final putts and ended up tied for the class 2A state championship. Brian Basham/DL Newspapers
Read the article: Detroit Lakes defends its Class 2A state girls golf title


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As of Wednesday, December 5, 2012
© Copyright 2014 Albany Herald
ALBANY, Ga. — A morning crash on a busy Albany street forced police to redirect traffic for more than an hour Wednesday.
Around 8 a.m., police responded to the northbound lanes of Westover Boulevard between Old Jim Davis Road and West Gordon Avenue after receiving a report of what was initially described as a three-vehicle crash involving two tractor-trailer trucks and a small silver car.
MOBILE USERS: Click here to view the video.
Upon arrival, police found a two-vehicle crash involving a commercial dump truck and a silver-colored 2001 Chevy Malibu. The car sustained significant front-end damage.
A large amount of hydraulic fluid, which had been spilled during the crash, covered a portion of the roadway, prompting police to redirect traffic along Old Jim Davis Road and city engineering to erect temporary barricades as heavy equipment and dump trucks were brought in to pour sand over the oil.
APD spokeswoman Phyllis Banks said Wednesday that the inside lane on the northbound side of Westover likely could be closed for up to 48 hours as crews work to clean up the spill.
According to Banks, the driver of the Malibu, 23-year-old Robert Gillion, was traveling north on Westover when he left the roadway. When he attempted to correct his driving, he hit the dump truck and punctured the hydraulic tank on the vehicle.
There were no significant injuries, Banks said.
CranqueBrulee 1 year, 4 months ago
Check for texting while driving.
jglass 1 year, 4 months ago
Yep texting or talking on that cell phone. Good thing it didn't cost a life!!
Jacob 1 year, 4 months ago
Where in the article, did you two clowns see that someone was texting?
tywebb 1 year, 4 months ago
they didn't see that.....they were just suggesting that the authorities check that angle. Relax! were you the one driving or something? sheesh
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Dos Caminos Meatpacking District
Manhattan – Meatpacking District
Dos Caminos Meatpacking District
675 Hudson St. (14/Hudson)
Manhattan, NY 10011
- price: $$$
- phone: 212-699-2400 | fax: 212-699-2401
- website: www.doscaminos.com
- twitter: @doscaminos
- Visit this member's Facebook page
- get directions
The fourth NYC outpost of this mod-Mexican mini-empire boasts a chic Meatpacking District address (in the prominent space formerly occupied by Vento Trattoria). Like its sister restaurants, you can count on Dos Caminos Meatpacking for mouthwatering guacamole—made tableside, of course—inventive cocktails (such as a prickly pear cactus margarita), more than 100 types of tequila and contemporary takes on traditional Mexican delicacies, including tequila-cured salmon ceviche and braised short rib and tamarind tacos. Unique to this branch, however, is the kitchen's wood-fired oven, which accounts for smokier subtleties in many dishes.
- additional info:
- Accessibility Info
- Bar/Lounge
- Good for Groups
- Outdoor Seating
- Reservations Accepted
- Restaurant
- Singles Scene


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Easter Egg Topiary
This topiary is fun and easy to make, and sure to become an Easter favorite, year after year.
Designed by Michaels® Design Team
Material List
- Styrofoam Cone, 3-inch x 8-inch
- Spring Excelsior
- Floral Pins
- Bagged Egg Set
- Glue Gun & Glue Sticks
- Wood Dowel
- Picket Basket
- Floral Foam
- Mini Eggs (8-count)
- Raffia
- Easter Bunny Ornament
Project Instructions
Step: 1
Cover cone with excelsior securing with floral pins.
Step: 2
Glue eggs to cone as shown.
Step: 3
Cut dowel to desired length, insert one end into center bottom of cone, secure with glue.
Step: 4
Fill container with floral foam, secure with glue, fill with excelsior to cover foam.
Step: 5
Insert other end of dowel into foam to form topiary, secure with glue.
Step: 6
Embellish container with small and large eggs as shown, secure with glue.
Step: 7
Tie bow with raffia as shown, secure to dowel with glue.
Step: 8
Glue bunny ornament to top of topiary as shown.
Use photo as a guide and follow manufacturer's instructions for all products used.
Use a variation of egg sizes to add character to your topiary.


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Come get help with setting up email accounts, word processing and other basic computer related tasks.
Ask questions and learn the basics of using a computer!
Upcoming Events
- Drop in computer help!
- Wednesday, April 30, 2014Golden Gate Valley, Golden Gate General Floor Area
- Computer Help for Adults/Seniors
- Sunday, May 4, 2014Portola, Portola General Floor Area
- Drop in computer help!
- Wednesday, May 7, 2014Golden Gate Valley, Golden Gate General Floor Area
Upcoming Classes
- iPad : talk & demo (instruction in Mandarin)
- Friday, April 25, 2014Main Library, Latino/Hispanic B
- Teen Computer Corps
- Sunday, April 27, 2014Ortega, Ortega Meeting Room
- Basic Computer Skills & Internet Help
- Tuesday, April 29, 2014Main Library, Computer Training Ctr.


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Committee recommends consolidation for schools9:47 am | October 23, 2012
The future of the Carter County School System could include just one high school, three middle schools and five elementary schools, following the completion of a 13-month-long study by the Long Range Facilities Planning Team.
Committee members have completed their report and approved their recommendations on Monday during a lunch meeting. The plan includes one centrally located high school to house 9th through 12th graders, three middle schools to house 6th through 8th graders and five elementary schools to house kindergarten through 5th graders.
Dr. Kevin Ward, the school system's interim director, said he was pleased with the work accomplished by the committee, which has met for the last 13 months. The committee has gathered and collected a large amount of data regarding the county's population, each school and the costs associated with all of the schools.
Jerry McMahan, a school board member, has facilitated the committee over the last 13 months. McMahan said that with the committee's final approval, the recommendations and report will next be presented to the school board. If the school board approves the report, it will then be presented to the county commission.


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1:43 pm
Fri February 17, 2012
Mapping Street Closures for the LiveStrong Marathon
By Wells Dunbar
The LiveStrong Austin Marathon gets underway this Sunday, and the race means several street closures in the urban core.
The earliest of the closures -- the red lines marked in the map above, which you can also view and download online -- affect Congress Avenue and several side-streets between 11th and 5th street. Those closures begin Saturday, Feb. 18, at 4 a.m, and will extend until 6.p.m on Sunday.
If you plan on traveling downtown this weekend, you would do well to avoid the area around Congress Avenue completely, along with the position of the Texas Capitol complex immediately north of the building.
You can learn about the closures on the City of Austin website.


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I got like 50 kids
Parenting and parents.
What are yours like?
Where do you think they went right or wrong with raising you?
What will you do differently with your own children? That is assuming your parents haven't put you off on the idea of having your own children.
What do you think every parent needs to know to be a good parent?
What do you think every parent does wrong with their kids?
That's a lot of goats.
There is allways this intimidation factor to parenting that everyone seems to think you need. You could get way better results with teaching them to respect you by respecting your child but that rarely happens.
The only way to parent is to make your child read books all the time and work in the rain. That's what mine do, and just look how I turned out.
My dad is really old, and it's cool, funny, and sort of scary all at the same time. It' cool because he has such interesting stories to tell. He remembers the Kennedy assassination and was drafted to go to Vietnam (and thankfully never did). It's funny because he'll go on these ridiculous rants on how everything sucks now and that if today's products were sold back in his youth, they'd never have made it because of the shitty quality. It's annoying because he isn't exactly in the best health (the reason he never did go to Vietnam is that he's had horrible Kidney stones throughout his life, and these have only gotten worse as he's aged) and I'm afraid he's going to die before I get much older (relatively speaking).
Mine are the most laid back people I know. Plus my dad is really good at teaching anything(my mom not so much, but she knows other stuff.
They've taught me a good work ethic, although sometimes I need reasons to do things.
I'm a bit more of a physical person then my parents so I'll probably show my kids what I mean.
I think parents need to remember how they felt when they were children, because most adults penalize children for doing things that they did but not explain why not too.
Every parent will definitely not teach them something right at first because every child sees things and learns things in a different way.
My Story Thread
If you took the time to read this, you can just call me Al, or Stan.
grr i hate my internet.
okay this is what i typed out just before:
my parents are alright and have taught me good values, but the place a huge amount of pressure on me and my older brother to get good grades. passing is not good enough for them, we have to earn at least an A or higher.
when we don't live up to these expectations, they become dissapoiunted when we might not have scored the grade for as simple a reason as not having enough time.
for when i become a parent :
one thing i really hate the almost everyone seems to do, not just parents, is to yell at you, apologize for yelling, and then proceed to tell you off for whatever you wher doing that made them yell at you. it's hypocritical and insincere, and makes it sound like they did nothing wrong when they shouldn't yell in the first place. you always apologize last if you want them to believe you are actually sorry.
tough love is somethingelse i don't believe in, as it instigates behaviour of not telling anyone when something is wrong, which could be potentially life threatning.
last: always keep your promisies. always. my dad has trouble with this one.
How the fuck do you earn higher than an A. Seriously I made a final numerical score of 106% in Geology last year and still only got an A.
A+ is technically higher than an A.
But honestly uncompromising grade requirements are horseshit. Some people just aren't book smart. If my kids weren't good at math, but excelled in English, I'd be fine with them getting a C+ in Algebra.


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Tulsa >Food & Dining > Thai Village
8102 S Lewis Ave # E, Tulsa, OK | Directions 7413736.045966 -95.958299
Excellent Thai Food – We just ate at the Thai Village on the corner of 81st and Lewis. What a wonderful treat! I've been to every Thai place in Tulsa, but this one offered some of the best curry dishes I had ever tried anywhere else. I'll be honest with you: the decor was left to be desired. It was clean and nice, but reminded me of a Sports Bar with big screen TV's all around the room. Nevertheless, the food completely made up for anything. Plus, it was not overpriced like Lana Thai. I WILL be back to try some more items from their very appealing menu!
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U.S. WNT Trains in Connecticut in Advance of Saturday's Match vs. Norway
Jul 9, 2007
USA vs. Norway
East Hartford, Conn.
Monday, July 9, 2007
U.S. WOMEN ARRIVE IN CONNECTICUT IN PREPARATION FOR MATCH AGAINST NORWAY ON JULY 14: The U.S. Women's National Team arrived in Connecticut last Friday (July 6) in preparation for a full week of training in advance of the match against Norway on Saturday, July 14, at Rentschler Field in East Hartford. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. ET live on ESPN2 and fans can also follow on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker. This will be the second-ever match for the U.S. women at Rentschler Field, home to the University of Connecticut football team. The USA's first match at the 40,000-seat stadium, which opened in the summer of 2003, was the final match before the 2004 Olympics, a 3-1 win over China on goals from Aly Wagner, Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach. The U.S. team trained on Saturday, Sunday and Monday in hot and humid, but not unbearable weather at the Farmington Sports Arena complex.
USA GOING FOR THIRD WIN ON SEND-OFF SERIES: The Norway match marks the third game of the six-game 2007 Send-Off Series, with the USA defeating China and Brazil, both by 2-0 scores in the first two matches. This will be the USA's last appearance on the East Coast before the Women's World Cup, with the three remaining games in California and the Midwest. After Norway, matches against Japan (July 28 in San Jose), New Zealand (Aug. 12 in Chicago) and Finland (Aug. 25 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.) await the world's top-ranked team. The USA will leave for China and the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup, being held Sept. 10-30, two days after the send-off series finale. In the USA's most recent match against Brazil on July 23 at Giants Stadium in New Jersey, the USA got a spectacular free-kick from Kristine Lilly less than a minute into the game and a classic Abby Wambach header to account for the scoring. The USA heads into this weekend's match having not allowed a goal in 220 minutes since giving up a score in the 50th minute against Canada on May 12.
2007 Women's National Team Send-Off Series
Date Opponent Venue (City) Kickoff / TV
June 16 China Cleveland Browns Stadium (Cleveland, Ohio) 2-0 W
June 23 Brazil Giants Stadium (East Rutherford, N.J.) 2-0 W
July 14 Norway Rentschler Field (East Hartford, Conn.) 6 p.m. ET ESPN2
July 28 Japan Spartan Stadium (San Jose, Calif.) 7 p.m. PT ussoccer.com MatchACCESS
Aug. 12 New Zealand Soldier Field (Chicago, Ill.) 12 p.m. CT ESPN2
Aug. 25 Finland The Home Depot Center (Carson, Calif.) 6:30 p.m. PT ESPN2
FIVE OF SIX SEND-OFF SERIES OPPONENTS HEADED TO CHINA: The USA has an excellent schedule of preparation matches heading into the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup as five of the six opponents during the Send-Off Series will be headed to China. Only Finland missed out on the tournament, and that just barely, losing 1-0 to Denmark on the final day of qualification games. A tie would have sent Finland to its first Women's World Cup. Since the end of the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, the USA is 35-2-10 against teams participating in the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup, losing in regulation time only to Sweden and Denmark.
RYAN NAMES 18 PLAYERS FOR NORWAY MATCH: U.S. Women's National Team captain Kristine Lilly, who grew up in Wilton, Conn., heads the 18-player U.S. roster as returns to her home state for the fourth time in her international career that has spanned more than 20 years and a world record 327 games. U.S. Soccer will honor "The Queen of Caps" before the match for her remarkable achievements as well as being the only soccer player ever to reach 300 games played for their country. Tickets starting at $19 are on sale online at ussoccer.com, at all Hartford area Ticketmaster outlets (including Macy's and FYE), and by phone at 860-525-4500. Tickets are also available at the Hartford Civic Center box office. Groups of 20 or more can purchase tickets at reduced prices by calling U.S. Soccer at 312-528-1290 or obtaining a group order form at ussoccer.com. This will be the USA's sixth-ever game in Connecticut. The USA has previously won three games in Connecticut and lost two, both to Norway, in 1991 and 1992.
U.S. Women's National Team Roster:
GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Briana Scurry (Dayton, Minn.) 18-Hope Solo (Richland, Wash.);
DEFENDERS (6): 2-Marian Dalmy (Lakewood, Colo.), 8-Tina Ellertson (Vancouver, Wash.), 14-Stephanie Lopez (Elk Grove, Calif.), 15-Kate Markgraf (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), 3-Christie Rampone (Point Pleasant, N.J.), 4-Cat Whitehill (Birmingham, Ala.);
MIDFIELDERS (6): 7-Shannon Boxx (Redondo Beach, Calif.), 17-Lori Chalupny (St. Louis, Mo.), 16-Angela Hucles (Virginia Beach, Va.), 19-Marci Jobson (St. Charles, Ill.), 11-Carli Lloyd (Delran, N.J.), 12-Leslie Osborne (Brookfield, Wis.);
FORWARDS (4): 6-Natasha Kai (Kahuku, Hawaii), 13-Kristine Lilly (Wilton, Conn.), N.J.), 5-Lindsay Tarpley (Kalamazoo, Mich.), 20-Abby Wambach (Rochester, N.Y.).
WAMBACH ON THE BRINK OF HISTORY: U.S. forward Abby Wambach currently has 74 career goals and is just one score away from tying, and two away from passing, the retired Cindy Parlow for fifth on the all-time list, joining U.S. legends Mia Hamm (158), Kristine Lilly (123), Michelle Akers (105) and Tiffeny Milbrett (100) in the top-five on the USA's all-time scoring chart.
O'REILLY & WAGNER STILL SIDELINED: The U.S. team will be without forward Heather O'Reilly and midfielder Aly Wagner for the Norway match as both players continue to heal completely from minor injuries. O'Reilly injured her shoulder against Brazil on June 23 while Wagner is recovering from a groin strain suffered several weeks ago. Both should be fit and ready for selection for the USA's next match against Japan on July 28 at Spartan Stadium in San Jose, Calif.
LOPEZ STEPPING UP: Stephanie Lopez, a University of Portland star out of Elk Gove, Calif. (basically Sacramento), is the youngest of the U.S. defenders (21) and the third-least capped player on the roster (20 games), but her experience for the USA spans two youth World Championships and a first cap in 2005 at the Algarve Cup. She may be called on to play a major role in the Women's World Cup at outside back. Stay on your couch at halftime the USA's match against Norway this weekend on ESPN2 to see a feature on Lopez, her family, and her unique upbringing, giving some insight as to why she is known as a great teammate.
Stat of Note
If Hope Solo starts against Norway on Saturday, it will be her 45th cap, tying her with Siri Mullinix for second place on the all-time caps list for U.S. goalkeepers.
News Apr 14, 2014


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Looking for a position as Manager in Petroleum Retail Operations - Presently working as Area Manager for 8 sitesAudio version
Posted / Last update: 20-01-2012
Region: United Kingdom
Employment mode: Full-Time
Job Role: Area Manager, Retail Information Systems
- 13 Years in Retail Sector
- 05 Years in IT/IS Operations
- M.Sc. Information Systems from University of Chester UK in 2010
- M.Sc. Computer Sciences from Maharishi Univ. Iowa USA 2001-2002
- B.Sc. Mathematics from University of Peshawar Pakistan in 1990
Major job roles:
- Advisor to Company Chairman
- Staff, rota Management (100 plus staff – 8 Managers)
- Wet /Dry Stock Management
- Store Merchandizing
- Planning Promotions
- Budgeting, Forecasting & Planning
- ICT Operations (EPOS, Hardware, Software, Networks)
- Management of Information Systems
- Development of policies & procedures
- Managing Daily Sales Operation of 8 sites
- Dealing with various legal matters (contracts, insurances, HR, licenses etc.)
- Generation of various reports for Company Chairman & Director
Work Experience:
- Have been working with A&F group for the last 10 years, started my career as Cashier in 2002 and achieved the position of Area Manager in 2010 by gaining experience on all possible position of the company.
- Worked as Asst. Manager in Global Marketing Limited Islamabad, Pakistan for 3 years (1995-1998) – I was responsible for inventory control & EPOS operations
- Worked as Systems Engineer with Citi Bank, Islamabad Pakistan on 2 years contract (1998-2001)
References and further information are available on request.
Contact address:
Afzaal Awan
United Kingdom
Afzaal Awan
United Kingdom
For more information please send a direct message with the form below. Your data will be treated confidentially.


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Sait 57507 Belt Sander Sanding Belt
Sait 57507 3" x 24" 120 Grit Belt Sander Sanding Belt
- Sold individually
- Essential for a multitude of abrasive applications, including general purpose sanding, grinding, and finishing
- Can be mounted in either direction, thanks to the bi-directional splice
- Grit: 120
- Pkg Qty: 1
- See our Sait 3" x 24" Sanding Belt "ALL"
Sait only uses premium materials when making their abrasives and it's this philosophy that keeps them ahead of the competition. Their 3" x 24" sanding belts have a bi-directional splice, which allows it to be mounted in either direction. If you are serious about your work and want professional results every time, then a few Sait Sanding Belts should be on your wish list.
United Abrasives\SAIT Company Overview
United Abrasives, Inc. warrants that all industrial products it manufactures will be as represented in its catalog and will be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use for which the product was intended if, but only if, it has been properly stored and used. Our obligation under this Warranty shall be limited to either the exchange of any product proven to be defective under normal use or to refund the purchase price thereof, at our option, within six months from the date of purchase by the original purchaser. The term original purchaser, as used in this Warranty, shall be deemed to mean that person or company to whom the product was originally sold. This remedy is purchaser's exclusive remedy against United Abrasives, Inc. for any damages to either person or property caused by any defect or other failure in the product. Said refund or exchange shall constitute a fulfillment of any and all liabilities of United Abrasives, Inc. with respect to the quality of the product sold by it. All products listed in this catalog must be used in accordance with the safety regulations set by OSHA, by the directive described by the American National Safety Institute B7.1 ("Safety Requirements for the Use, Care and Protection of Abrasive Wheels") and by the American Brush Manufacturers Association. The user of any United Abrasives, Inc. product should be thoroughly familiar with the above safety rules and regulations before use of the product.
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In Wicca and related forms of Paganism, the candle is frequently used on the altar to represent the presence of the God and Goddess, and in the four corners of a ritual circle to represent the presence of the four classical elements: Fire, Earth, Air, and Water. When used in this manner, lighting and extinguishing the candle marks the opening and closing of the ritual. The candle is also frequently used for magical meditative purposes. Altar candles are traditionally thick tall candles or long tapers which are available in many colors. In Wicca, the candles that are used come in a variety of colors, depending on the nature of the ritual or custom at hand. Some Wiccans may use red, green, blue, yellow and white or purple candles to represent the elements. Using candles in magic based on Wiccan beliefs is known as "sympathetic magick" in that it is believed the candle represents the outcome the person is wanting. It is a "like attracts like" form of magical practice. For example, if a person is looking for a job or needs extra income a green candle (the color of American dollars) would be used. For romance, a red candle would be used (red is a universal color of love and hearts). There is an additional belief that the smoke from the candles will take the prayer requests, desires, or wishes up to the gods.
Shipping on this item is normally 7 - 21 days from payment
If Faulty
7 Days: If Returned


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Senate Democrats name 10 new committee chairs
Sen. John Fonfara, D-Hartford, will take over the co-chairmanship of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee in January, one of 10 committee leadership changes announced Monday by the state Senate Democratic majority.
The joint House-Senate committees on Aging, Banks, Children, Energy, Finance, Government Administration and Elections, Housing, Human Services, Labor, and Regulations Review all will have new co-chairs.
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Fly Away for Mother's Day! 7 Last-minute Travel Deals for Your Special Lady
The weather is fine, your schedule has cleared up and you're thinking about treating mom to a travel this Mother's Day. Well, my friends you are in luck! There are plenty of fabulous travel deals, discounts and packages that have been released for those looking for a last-minute Mother's Day getaway. When it comes down to gifts and surprises, travel really can't be beat. It's the ultimate gift and one that just keeps on giving. There's nothing like remembering that Mother's Day scuba diving, or taking in an exotic sunset. You'll have an amazing time, plus these resorts and hotels look absolutely gorgeous! Click through for 7 last-minute Mother's Day travel deals! -By Nadia Carriere
The 25 worst Mother's Day gifts - ever
The 25 most luxurious hotel pools on the planet
10 hilariously awkward Mother's Day photos