text:
Review – Sanctuary, "The Year The Sun Died"
October 27, 2014
Sanctuary, "The Year the Sun Died"
I first got into Sanctuary thanks to Headbanger's Ball when "Future Tense" was making the rounds and managed to find both "Refuge Denied" and "Into the Mirror Black" at a local record store. From there, we got Sanctuary's demise, Nevermore's rise, Nevermore's demise and Sanctuary's rise. There's a lot in between, there, and that's oversimplifying a bit, but for our purposes, it will suffice. Here's the thing — there have been two constants in this whole timeline: Warrel Dane and Jim Shephard. With that in mind, I feel the need to address something before we even get into the new album from Sanctuary, and it's the elephant in the room.
No. This does not sound like a Nevermore album. Well, OK, it sounds a bit like a Nevermore album. There are two songs in particular that sound like they could have come from the "Obsidian Conspiracy" sessions, just as there are a couple that sound like they could have come from the "Praises to the War Machine" sessions, just like there are a couple that sound like they could have come from the next sessions following "Into the Mirror Black." Think of it this way: it's analogous to the Mercyful Fate/King Diamond duality. Same singer, marginally different vocal deliveries (mainly falcetto), slightly different topics, different band.
So, that said, I approached this album as someone who was looking forward to hearing what these fellas could come up with after a long time apart with growth and maturity on all sides coming together. I expected a solid album. I was not disappointed.
Also, of importance to me — the album recording and release was pushed back a couple of times. The part of me that was grumpy at the delays is also the part of me that is glad they did. I'm pretty sure that the album only benefitted from the delays because, as a whole, it sounds tight, polished, well thought out and cohesive — something I wished for with "The Obsidian Conspiracy," which, to me, did not, in a number of ways. So, with that in mind, let's address the album.
My first, overall impressions start with the mix. It's excellent. The guitars are placed very well. The drum tone is stellar. The bass is a velvet thunder. Warrel's voice is spot on and sounding the best he's sounded in years, you might even say reinvigorated. The mix feels roomy with great tone and balance. A super-sized hug to everyone involved in the production for not falling into the "loudness war" garbage, rather giving us a well-mixed, tonally balanced, roomy and sonically pleasing album. What compression is used, is used well and there's no clipping or brickwalling which, really and eternally, makes me happy. Thank you, again, Zeuss, and anyone else who insisted on music being listenable.
There isn't a weak track on the album. From the onset of "Arise and Purify," to the final notes of "The Year the Sun Died," you're given well-crafted, well-played metal that is all you would want from Sanctuary. "Arise and Purify" is just immense and the delayed guitar section is hypnotizing. A perfect opener to the album, it also delivers your first taste of how they were going to address the "Sanctuary Scream" with an older Warrel — and it really worked. "Let the Serpent Follow Me" continues the momentum and chugs and weaves through a fun wah-soaked riff. The 'breakdown riff' reminds me a lot of Arch Enemy and definitely conjures images of churning pit.
I'll be honest — the first time I heard "Exitium (Anthem of the Living)," I wasn't sold. I don't know why, it just didn't jive with me for some reason. I have gone 180 degrees and love this
song, deeply. I don't know if it's because it sounds like Depeche Mode gone evil, or if the guitars just feel perfect, or if I'm just a sucker for the off-kilter-meets-all-out-thrash feel.
I don't even mind the talking… something that I usually just kind of ignore. Again, this went from a song I wasn't sure about to one of my favorites on the album.
"Question Existence Fading" is a track that could have been written back in '89 and brought to today's feel. The bridge is fantastic and reminds me a little of "Little Boy" (Metal Church) — and that's most certainly a good thing as Warrel's voice is harmonized perfect on the descent, this is definitely a solid track and works well as a transition right to "Low," which has a "Praises" feel to it, sauntering, carefully, with the acoustic guitars interplaying with the electrics. Definitely some early 90s feel to it, and a very well thought out song — good transitions and movement.
"Frozen" grinds forth a churning riff with a vocal line bludgeoning along dropping a sumptuous chorus that turns right around and zooms into a fun solo run that make this feel like an excellent nostalgia piece for Sanctuary fans wanting a logical follow up "ITMB." Look no further.
"One Final Day (Sworn to Believe)" is one of the songs I remembered from the "teaser" thing they did on youTube many moons ago. It's an interesting song musically and lyrically and sneaks up with a deceptively catchy chorus — not quite ear worm, but just a couple of words and they stick in there. A solid song.
"The World is Wired" is a song that feels a little NM-ish, at first, but quickly secures its own identity and churns forward with solid riffing and a smart uses of breathing — the ends of each verse are well done. The song is put together very well and everything sounds excellent. The mix on this song shines.
The song that surprised me, the most, on this album was, without a doubt, "The Dying Age." That said, I love it. The layering going on is complex without becoming impenetrable and the vocals are spot on. The movement and feel of the song is excellent and it works, for me. Again, the off-time guitar under the verse wasn't something I expected, but can certainly dig it.
The instrumental, "Ad Vitam Aeternam" is pretty cool and leads into the title track, fitting well. Segueing into the "The Year the Sun Died," we get a very short acoustic intro/verse and into some heavy riffing during the pre- and chorus. This song has an excellent feel to it and effective use of dynamics — the seamless sinusoidal back and forth between melodic and thrashy is well done and the overall song, from structure to composition to execution is spot on. My only complaint with the song is the fade out — specifically, the timing…I wanted it to be longer than 5 and a half minutes, selfishly.
So, here's the bottom line for me — this is an exquisite example of a band "growing up." It's not 1989 Sanctuary, it's 2014 Sanctuary, and it really works for me. It's not "The Nevermore Replacement Project" or "Warrel's New Solo Project, Part II," it's Sanctuary, and from the opening notes of "Arise and Purify" to the tailing fadeout of "The Year the Sun Died," this album is solid, well-paced, well played and well executed.
Because I hate putting numbers to things, but it seems the social norm to do so, I will give this 9.5/10, for me.
The big knock, really, is that I wanted more which is sort of backwards, since one should be praised for leaving audiences wanting more, but since I'm the one who wants more and I know I'm not going to get it for a little while, it's my point, and I'm taking one for making me wait…ok, fine…just a half-point.
I know the fellas will understand.
Open Letter to Guitar Center
July 25, 2014
Here's the problem — I'm one of the minority: the left-handed guitarist. I'm also not rich, not famous and not the best guitarist out there. However, I do have money occasionally, and I sometimes get to feed the beast that is G.A.S. (Guitar Acquisition Syndrome). My biggest problem is the in-store selection.
When I go in, I have pretty good ideas about what I want. My choices, at least in my area (Dayton/Cinci Ohio), are exceedingly limited — an Ibanez Gi0 and Fender Tele. I will say that for my last birthday, I hit all the local shops and threw down less my wife thought I would to get a Schecter Omen-6 Extreme Diamond Series rather than some of the lefties we had found at other stores. The point being, I did NOT spend the money at Guitar Center, even though that was the second stop on the trip. I've bought there before, but not this time. Part of that was I already HAVE one of the two models available in-store and wouldn't buy it again without serious persuasion – like someone would have to pay ME.
I guess that comes to my next point — the in-store selection being dreadful is kind of be expected: we lefties are quite the minority. That said, would it kill you to have more than 2 models in store?! Even back in 1992 when I was looking for (and ultimately purchased) a new guitar at a LOCAL (to Norfolk, VA) shop, I had a choice from, basically, one lefty model per manufacturer, meaning I tested a lefty Fender Strat, Les Paul Custom, BC Rich Warlock, Jackson Stealth and PRS of some expensive persuasion, among probably 5 others. I walked out of there with the Stealth EX, but the point is that I had a choice. I, and other lefties out there, don't get that opportunity, in-store. Even *one* other model would be nice, but since you don't know which type of player you're going to get in there, predicting that a Schecter model or Jackson or Gretsch will the one someone's looking for, I know that makes it hard.
Just for the record, the quality on the Ibanez Gi0 is dreadfully cheap. The bridge is the stuff of nightmares and the hardware is…suspect and cheap. Just so you know. I bought one when I had my other guitar torn apart replacing pickups but still needed to record. Not a mistake I would make again. If you're really looking at a cheap (in price and not necessarily quality) guitar to feature, ESP has a number of inexpensive choices, as does Dean, Schecter and Epiphone. This is something you already know, since they're available online. I know there's the notion of inventory and keeping them on hand, taking up the space that one of the other righty guitars could use. But here's the thing — when I walked in and saw my choices, I turned around, left and took my money elsewhere. I'm not buying a guitar unplayed and if there's no selection in-store, then I'm going somewhere that will have one.
At any rate, this was brought on by the email sent out highlighting lefty models and got me thinking about how it's well fine and good to have them online, but, again, I'm not buying without playing an instrument (buying a second instrument of the same make and model notwithstanding) and when I walk into a store and get the "poor guy" sympathetic apologies from the sales staff because there are only two guitars of limited appeal available in store, it just feels a little disingenuous. If I, in the future, should find myself able to walk in with two grand to spend on a lefty and my choices are a $229 Ibanez drekster and a $400 Fender/Squire Tele, I'm taking my $2K elsewhere, just like I did with my $500.
Thank you for your time.
Testament and Greg
July 11, 2014
Greg Christian has been "airing dirty laundry," of late about how financially inequitable the situation was while he was in Testament and how that led to his decision to quit the band. It got me thinking.
I *LIKE* Greg. He's a neat guy, has helped pen some of my favorite songs, and it does sound like he not only got railroaded, a bit, but screwed, overall. That said, when I see things like "it may be time to see what my attorney thinks," I twitch, because that should have been done *first.* You bring in the attorney to look over your ***contract***, that legally binding document that will stipulate royalties, per-show pay or salary, in this case (was this to mitigate uncertainty, going with a "guarantee" pay rather than "per-show?"), and if the contract isn't up to snuff — *don't sign it* and negotiate until you get one that's to your liking. Otherwise, legally, you're, as it's been coined — over a barrel. Now, going back over unpaid royalties might be an option, but, again, if there was no breach of contract because there was no contract, it will be an uphill battle and, usually, doesn't end in the person getting royalties, just a loss of friendship(s) and a lot of bitterness.
I guess my other problem that is raised, here, is this — he talks about getting a paltry amount per show. He's got a W-2. This says, to me, a few things, including "employment at will" and "agreed upon wage." Basically, if they had played *2* shows, that would be have fabulous, right? $19K or so per show. Instead, having a set salary of $38K and touring the world, doing a billion shows, yeah, it's going to break down to "not very much" per show. That's the problem with salary — it's averaged across the year's worth of dates and not, as has been mentioned, a four week stretch of *4* shows, which, yeah, makes it REALLY hard to live on $1.25/show ( exaggeration… ).
I guess my take on this revolves around what a bizarre beast the music business is.
When one talks about things like Chuck and Eric "throwing down $3K" for first class tickets and having more money per show and this and that and the other thing, it comes down to several factors that aren't addressed, not the least of which are what kinds of contracts Chuck and Eric negotiated, to begin with.
1) During Greg's absence from the band, how many albums were released (2 new, "Demonic" and "The Gathering" along with "First Strike" where Greg gets "composer" credits), tours toured (boatloads) and income banked that put Eric and Chuck in the situations they're now in? I mean, an 8- or so year gap in Testament-based income is nothing to sneeze at, and certainly factors in, especially when combined with
2) New revenue streams — with Chuck, Eric, Alex and Gene having other income to subsidize Testament's overall income, it would certainly make it easier to spend more money than someone who doesn't have these revenues, not to mention
3) Royalties…If Greg doesn't have a contract in place stating, *explicitly*, what his cut of each *song,* let alone albums are, that's a big no-no. It all comes down to what you've signed as to what you get in this department — nothing is guaranteed; nothing. If these weren't done when Legacy became Testament and he became part of that monster, then it *really* needed to be done when he re-joined, since I'm not sure what legal weirdness happens when you quit a band and what carries over beyond hopefully pre-negotiated and contracted royalties. If he's saying he's not getting royalties, I'm wagering no contract was signed stipulating this. If there was, then, yeah, it's time to bring in a lawyer.
4) We don't know what the other members got paid. It *could* have been the same, though I really doubt this, but, again, with more in the bank, it's a lot easier to make do with $500/show than someone relying on the $500/show to feed, house and transport him to the next show…
There's also
5) How much does it cost to ship gear? Yeah, I know $100K sounds like a lot for a show. And, really, compared to local bands jumping over the moon for $100/show at a bar, it is. Now, I know when I fly, I have to pay $50+ for each additional piece of luggage and I have to check my guitar…singular…in a flight case…$50, and praying nothing impales it. I can't imagine what flying a stage full of gear would cost, even at a "economy shipping rate." I guess I could look it up, but between that, whatever is on the rider, new strings, sticks, cords, etc., per show…somehow I think it could add up quicker than one would care to think, considering also insuring all of the gear, maybe on a per-flight basis, in addition to whatever a 3-month-tour-worth-of-clothes suitcase armada looks like (they're guys…1? ;) ) and what extra baggage costs those are (though, the band members have to pay for this, it sounds like…). You also have to pay your
6) Your management, your promoters and your crew — sound guys, roadies, strange hangers-on that you think might be part of the entourage, but can't quite remember, but they look "metal" — "Wanna go to Tokyo?" Then there's gas for the buses or whatever transports your gear from the airport to the venue. It all has to come from somewhere, and odds are good, you're paying for this from the revenues from the previous night's gig.
I could be wrong, but it really sounds like it comes down to not walking in with a lawyer at the get-go to negotiate a proper, satisfactory contract.
Music Critique 101– Subjectivity
June 21, 2014
So, I listen to a lot of different styles of music. It's not a contest and I'm not trying to win the "Oh, yeah, we'll I'm more diverse than YOU are" contest, because it's pretty much a "who cares wins" argument. Most of the time, no one cares. My point, however, is that I have a different perspective on music than the person sitting next to me, just as that person has a different perspective from the person sitting next to them. What it brings to the fore is the point: subjectivity.
In this vein, I figure an example is required. Three weekends ago, I saw Conquering Dystopia in concert. Last weekend, I saw Hotel California play live. They were both excellent shows, though for me, for different reasons. The Conquering Dystopia show, pits and all, was about seeing the absolutely amazing tandem of four of the top musicians in the heavy metal genre in what can be described as an all-out shred fest. The Hotel California show, for me, was about spending time with my wife, seeing a band that falls within the Venn diagram of music we both enjoy. Now, for me, being with my wife was more important, but that didn't take away from enjoyment of the music and it was a good show – high energy when it needed to be and also, when appropriate, suitably subdued and contemplative. It was also a simpler show, which led to the following observation:
"I think Conquering Dystopia played more notes in their first song or so than this whole show."
Well, that was dumb of me. Because while it felt like a "hmmm…interesting" moment, to me, it could be – and was – perceived as a bit of music snobbery, implying that because the music wasn't as complex or up to the quite lofty standards of Conquering Dystopia, that it wasn't good. It's not how I meant it, but I will readily admit that's how it comes across. This is where the subjectivity and, further, expectations come in.
I don't care, really, that Hotel California didn't put on a show rife with riffs jamming hundreds of notes per minute, per instrument, into my brain. That is not their style and I wouldn't expect it. I'm not going to defend my statement any further, as it was a pretty boneheaded and insensitive thing to say. Specifically, it made it sounds like there was judgment as to which was a better experience and, to get back to my original thought, it means different things to different people. To me, Hotel California did exactly what I expected them to do – put on an excellent show that made a lot of people, including me, happy. Part of my happiness came from the music, but part of it also came from my watching my wife enjoying and being touched by the music.
Honestly, the first half of the HC set, I was kind of lost, as I'm not a huge Eagles fan, though I do enjoy the music of theirs with which I am familiar. That said, I got to watch my wife enjoy it and was introduced to music I wasn't familiar with and, ultimately, got to take in musicians having fun playing music they love. That's pretty much what it's all about for me.
I mentioned the Venn diagram and mentioned music that my wife and I both enjoy. It's not as inclusive as you would think as I listen to a lot of things she does not. Interestingly, though, when we got married, we duplicated two CDs – neither of which you would expect from someone who listens to Conquering Dystopia – Jewel's "Pieces of You" and Sarah McLachlan's "Solace" albums. Here's the point to that – I would never in a million years take my wife to a metal show…she doesn't enjoy the music, I'm not taking her anywhere near a pit, and it just wouldn't be a fun experience for her. By that same token, I enjoy going to see bands I wouldn't seek out if it weren't for her. I also don't go in with the same expectation as I do with a metal show. If I'm going to see Arch Enemy, it's not because I'm there to feel the white space between notes wrap around me in a soundscape woven from sounds and memories I've associated with the music since I was 10. It's because I want my face melted off by shredding guitars, bludgeoning double-bass drums and volume set to "bleed" in an all out set of aggression and technical sonic devastation. When I see a band such as Hotel California, my expectations are quite reversed.
It's also hard to extract the metalhead for those times when I am not in a "metal" environment. When heads were bobbing at the Hotel California show during songs like "Hotel California" or "Dirty Laundry," I thought, "hmm…it's not even heavy…" After about a second or two, I tacked on, "…but there IS emotional connection and subsequent outlet of this emotion." What people get out of music is as individual and unique as the music out there. Far be it from me, however, to judge any one else's appreciation or enjoyment of music and, especially, inadvertently minimize that enjoyment by the implications of the statement that I will now, attempt to rephrase in a way that isn't boneheaded:
"These guys rock and it was a much different experience from the last show, and that's cool."
For the record, I recommend seeing both of these bands live, if you have a chance. They both put on excellent – though very different – shows. You won't be disappointed in either case and you might just gain an appreciation for what goes into each performance, as I did.
Animals as Leaders
With Conquering Dystopia and Chon
With special guests Shores of Elysium and Novallo
May 24th, 2014 at Skully's in Columbus, Ohio…
As sometimes happens, there are concerts that just demand you attend. This was one of those. In the interest of full disclosure, I went with the sole purpose of seeing Conquering Dystopia. The last time I saw Jeff Loomis play live was in 2006 with Nevermore on the "This Godless Endeavor" tour. So, with that in mind, I had heard of two bands and listened to one. Apologies to the other bands, including Animals as Leaders, as, again, I was purely interested in Conquering Dystopia. That said, this was an evening of discovery an enjoyment of excellent music.
The first act of the evening was Novallo. They were good, musically and vocally, and at times reminded me a lot of a more progressive Stabbing Westward. I enjoyed their set and they had a good presence. I will need to check out their music – available on bandcamp.com. novallo.bandcamp.com, to be precise. It didn't seem as though everyone was sold, though – I had to chuckle – I saw, in passing, a text message on someone's phone that read "so much screaming." To be fair, it was all on-key, which, trust me, can only be considered a good thing! Check them out on facebook, as well.
The next set of the evening was inflicted at the hands of Shores of Elysium and, believe me, only in the metal community can the adjective "inflict" be considered a positive, and it was. From the opening notes to the closing, it was a relentless infliction of choreographed mayhem and wonton obliteration of eardrum and spinal column alike – and I tend to think they wouldn't have it any other way. To be honest, I had never heard of this local-ish (Delaware, Ohio) band and, equally honestly, that's a shame for the local area. I wouldn't mind seeing them again, though I might keep my aging, not-as-up-for-a-good-violent-pit-as-I-used-to-be, self along the periphery to enjoy the excellent musicianship that went along with brutal vocals. I had to laugh (as opposed to just a chuckle) when the vocals started, because I just thought, "you thought the LAST band screamed? Just wait…" The presence was good and those were some dreads on the bassist – and he had chops, to boot. The band was tight and I give them big props on winning me over not only with personality but with their music. You can find their stuff on iTunes or shoresofelysium.bigcartel.com not to mention their facebook page.
Slight tangent – I'm too freaking old for pits, these, days, it would seem. That said, when did just being a wrecking ball and getting up a head of steam and plowing into unsuspecting patrons attempting to enjoy a show become acceptable? Maybe I'm just a stodgy curmudgeon, here, but dare I say I miss the circle pits?
A band that did not conjure pits was Chon, and that's completely fine with me. I had heard of them, which was good, but I had no idea what their sound was like or really what to expect. I was completely disarmed with how down to earth and just, honestly good this band is. Both guitarists are technically excellent and without much by way of effects or "brutal riffery," held the previously unruly audience in thrall with technical runs and solid musicianship backed by equally talented bandmates. I really enjoyed their state presence which, as I think I mentioned, was just disarmingly down to earth. The drums were right up front on the very intimate (read: cramped) stage, to a point where I could pick out the drum sound without amplification. All in all, this band is amazingly talented and very much well worth checking out. Just remember, they're not your straight-up thrashing instrumental band – they remind me a lot of what would happen if Eric Johnson's and Blues Saraceno's music had a proggy lovechild. The cheeky nod to the Power Rangers was endearing, as well. I really, really enjoyed the set – such a pleasant surprise. You can check them out on facebook, iTunes or chon.merchnow.com. They are well worth looking into.
Since I mentioned the size of the stage, may I just say that this is probably the most intimate setting I've been in since the Little Giant Room back at Wabash. By "intimate," I mean "reach out a touch someone" close to the musicians and the artists themselves having roughly 12 feet to work with from back wall to crazed fan. It also sports a diner in the front of the place that has excellent food that, if a little on the pricey side, delivers satisfaction. I can personally recommend the buffalo chicken philly. It works. Really. It was also cool to see just about every band member from each of the bands wander out into the diner for one reason or another. Anyway, small tangent about small stage-space aside, it's time to get to the reason I was there.
Conquering Dystopia, for those unfamiliar is like the supergroup you've never heard of. While there are "supergroups" with Navarro or Slash or some of these other high-profile musicians, you'd be hard pressed to put together a better groups of "super" musicians than the collection of Jeff, Keith, Alex and Alex. Jeff Loomis' pedigree is legendary, coming from prog-thrash-death-gasm Nevermore and having released a couple of solid solo albums. Keith Merrow has released three of his own albums and collaborated with Jeff on a number of product demo videos in addition to tons of his own. He is also a very tall individual. I just need to get that out there. Alex Webster is the bass force majeure hailing from Cannibal Corpse. If you can hang with a guy named "Corpsegrinder," you are a worthy addition to this group. On the skins, you have Alex Rudinger from "The Faceless." His winning personality and ability to turn your innards to jelly with his double-bass round out this group. With all this adulation, could they possibly live up to any expectations set before them?
Conquering Dystopia completely blew away my expectations and they were lofty expectations, indeed. They played the songs I wanted to hear in addition to three others. It seemed like a short-ish set, but considering they played ½ of the album, including the longer piece "Destroyer of Dreams," that's still a lot of music. The set consisted of "Prelude to Obliteration," "Tethys," "Ashes of Lesser Men," "Inexhaustible Savagery," "Kufra at Dusk," and "Destroyer of Dreams." I may have forgotten something or gotten something wrong. It happens. What also happened was an interesting phenomenon. The pit…it was the most interesting thing, other than the band, to observe. There was the same body flailing, but it would give way, midway through the songs, as they would suddenly remember they were in the presence of such awesome musicians that, perhaps, it would be well worth watching these guys jam, in their prime and with technical brilliance and sonic savagery (some might say, "inexhaustible…"). Watching each of these musicians, at the various points during the show, one just couldn't help but be in awe.
Rudinger's skill on the drums was masterful. Keith was just tall and making the impossible rhythms he and Jeff cooked up look effortless – something to see. Did I mention he makes it all look very easy? For the record, I have seen a lot of metal shows and I have never seen anyone tear it up on the bass with the skill and just…bombastic riffery that I witnessed with Alex Webster. This includes a lot of talented bassists, but after what I watched during "Ashes of Lesser Men," they all take a bit of a back seat. Sorry, fellas… Then, there's Jeff. Jeff Loomis' stage presence is a different kind of presence. He just walks up the edge of the stage and is awesome, just by what he does with the guitar. There's no need for an "ego ramp," or weird poses or anything other than just playing the shredding leads he's written with precision and an effortlessness that makes the guitarist in me cringe a little. It's awesome to behold. I recommend it to any and everyone. You may not be a fan of metal music, but to see a musician and a master of the craft performing some of the most complicated, intricate and brutally heavy pieces of music in a way that is still amazing and beautiful….it's still something to experience, and an experience I would recommend every time. This band is the real deal and one of the most talented groups I think you'll find out there. It was a pleasure to see and I hope that they swing back through this way on another leg of the tour.
Animals as Leaders is an impressive three piece ensemble, to be sure. Even as insanely bright as the backdrop was, it couldn't outshine the musicianship. I have never been a fan of the 8-string guitars, mainly from a "gear-geek" and "tone snob" standpoint, but I must say I was duly impressed with Tosin Abasi's tone, live. I'd seen some videos on the web and as such videos tend to be, didn't do nearly the justice to the tone that they should. This was remedied live. Both Tosin and Javier Reyes are exemplary musicians in full control of their instruments to prove without a doubt they are masters at their craft. I'm not sure what else there is to say – each song was performed with precision, enthusiasm and command. Tosin is a reserved showman and his quiet reserve belies his skill and talent with his guitar. I really enjoyed the show and recommend checking them out, should the opportunity.
Actually, that's the bottom line – there wasn't a band on this show card that wasn't an excellent band, performing well and winning over, if not the crowd, me. I enjoyed myself, immensely, and would attend another show on this tour without hesitation. All the bands showed up and gave it their all, and that's not something that's always a given in this over-"pop"'d, lip-syncing world of drek that passes for music, these days. Every last band showed the audience that they respected and appreciated their outlay of cash to see them on this night and performed like it. In sports terms, they all "left it all on the field." That's all you can ask for. Well, it doesn't hurt that they were all very talented and produced good music. So, again, if you have the opportunity to see the Animals as Leaders/Conquering Dystopia/CHON lineup – do it!
Facebook, Release Teams and Good Manners
April 25, 2014
I have worked in every aspect of the software design life-cycle. I have gathered requirements, documented those requirements, distilled those requirements, programmed those requirements, tested those requirements and released programs and/or updates reflecting those requirements. It's through this experience that I have come to understand how to make users happy and, by and large, it comes down to two things — doing what you say you're going to do and good manners.
Doing what you say you're going to do kind of goes without saying, I would hope. In case not, it comes down to living up to your contract with client, be it written or a hand-shake or verbal commitment with inferred contractual implications. If your client takes "Sure, I'll get that to you, tomorrow" as meaning just that, it's a contract.
Good manners, on the other hand, comprises many more aspects and facts of the company-client relationship and, while living up to the above contractual points have some legally binding aspects, it's also good manners to deliver what you say you're going to deliver when you say you're going to deliver. It's also good manners to treat your client with respect, not infer they're idiots, listen to what they're saying and acknowledge it.
Sort of a tangent, here. I've been in some discussions, recently, where there's a fallacy that the client is *always* right. Nothing could be further from the truth. Before I get lambasted for such heresy, consider the following revision to that old addage:
"The customer may not always be right, but the customer should always feel as though they are being considered fairly and have their concerns validated." Kibitizing over UI look and feel issues tends to bring this up a lot and the last thing the customer needs to hear is, "whatever. We're not dong it," especially when the real case is that the customer hasn't been informed that this request will break the UI layout to a point where fixing it would put the development timeline much further out and if it's something they still want to do, this will have to be taken into consideration and whatever contractual gymnastics necessitated by this will need to be ironed out. Generally, communicating to the client, even when it's not reinforcing "they're right," will be appreciated because it's showing that you're listening to them and also, you're giving them an informed response that can be considered.
To bring this back to the point of this post, Facebook has been epitomizing the exact opposite of this, of late. I have a post not terribly long ago about the updates to the interface that just get dropped on the user with no warning, no explanation of what has changed and no regard for the user, really, at all. There is only the misguided and over-simplistic, if not pandering, attitude of "we're making it better for the user."
Here's the thing…it's arrogant and lazy the way it's handled, presently, by Facebook's release team. To be fair, it's not just FB, but they're the most recent release team to irritate me, so they bear the brunt of my wrath.
Why would I cast such aspersions on a team of folks that I don't know that do, honestly, work very hard and are undoubtedly under a great deal of pressure? Because the onus for informing the user of major changes in newly released products is on the release team. The user should be informed of what has changed, especially when it alters major, core functionality.
I speak, specifically, about the "Most Recent" posts display option in the news feed. It was through the kindness of others that I re-found this *core feature* at all. It was moved from being the second, immediate option on the left-hand side to buried 2/3rds of the way down in the "extra" options on the right side of the application beneath things like games notifications. None of this was documented, anywhere, in the release of this app. I didn't get a pop-up on the first run following the update informing me of the major changes to the app. I wasn't given a run-down of the complete release notes. I was just pushed the update and left to fend for myself. That's arrogant. That's lazy.
The arrogance comes in that, because they are the almighty Facebook, there is no reason why anyone would question anything they do, so they can do whatever they wish and people will like it — they have to if they wish to continue accessing Facebook with a native mobile app. The laziness comes in with how simple it would be to put a pop-up screen that appears the first time you run the app after the update the in the main part of the pop-up highlights the major changes. For example, "Moved 'Most Recent' to an almost impossible place to find." Then there would be two buttons: "Dismiss" and "Release Notes." With these two buttons, the user would have the option to CHOOSE to either read the full release notes or to dismiss the dialog altogether. There's the rub — if the information is there and I've chosen to not read it, then it's on me if I can't find something and, therefore, have no right to complain. However, if there has been no common courtesy involved and the user has not even been attempted to have the information communicated, then that's on the release team and that boils down to bad manners.
You wouldn't just send a deliverable to a major client without telling them what you were delivering. That would be crazy. Why would your potential billions of clients be treated any differently? Not only is that bad maners, but bad business, as well.
Android v. Windows Phone 8–One Man's Experience
April 3, 2014
So it came that I had to get a new phone. By "had," I do mean "had." It was like when the Blackberry Tour decided it would no longer charge – if I wanted to continue using a phone, it was going to have to be something other than the Blackberry. In the case of the Blackberry replacement, the new phone was the HTC8X Windows Phone 8. A scant year later, it became necessary to change phones, again, as the HTC8X had begun such endearing behaviors as restarting at random, not sending texts, not receiving calls – you know…all the things that one looks for in a smartphone, these days. So…now I have a Samsung S4.
So enquiring minds want to know, do they? They want to know "what do you like better?" "which is a better phone?" "what made you choose Windows Phone in the first place and when you switched out the phone, why did you choose Android?" These are all valid questions, really. I'm going to answer them in a sort of shuffled order, though.
The Windows Phone Choice
I'll be right up front – it was a "business" decision; a completely deluded, misguided business decision. I thought that because it came with Office 2013 built in as well as built-in Outlook support (which turns out to be a bit misleading), I would be able to work on documents and handle company email tasks with ease and aplomb. Lies. Damned lies. If you've never tried to deal with a 14-worksheet Excel workbook on your phone, you can die happy knowing that there are pieces of your soul that will never be pierced by unspeak evil. If you have … you know of what I speak.
The Good.
Now, I liked the phone. It's a decent enough phone and I do have some apps I'll miss as they're not available on the Android market. There aren't many, but there a few, trust me. For example, the 627AM alarm app is excellent. I recommend it, highly. GuitarTools is another that I enjoy that I haven't found on the 'droid market. That said, I also enjoyed its fairly decent camera and pretty solid battery life. Oh, and it had Beats built in, which is both a good thing and a bad thing. I like the EQ boosting inherent to Beats a ton better than the overpriced, unwieldy and sonically suspect headphones of the same name.
The Bad.
The sim card slot sucks harder than blowing the door on a 747 at 30,000 feet. I had to shim the sim with a piece of business card. This actually worked for several months until the past month when it simply would barf "SIM Card Error. Emergency Calls Only" about 4 to 5 times a day. Exceptionally irritating and, apparently, just a dumb design decision by HTC. This alone was enough to push me towards switching phones. I never was a big fan of the random resets, either. I would enjoy not being able to send a text three or so times and then on the fourth attempt, the phone would just reset. It was the nail in the coffin as I sat in the Verizon store and it did it, twice, in the span of 5 minutes.
The Bluetooth implementation also seemed a bit sketchy. I went through no fewer than 7 headset/earpieces trying to find one that would pair and maintain connection for more than 3/4 of a phone call without cutting in and out and eventually dropping connection so that I would hear "Hello?!" coming from the phone in my pocket. Equally frustrating was the lack of device support. Case in point, my Logitech bluetooth keyboard that I use extensively with my Galaxy tablet, and now, my S4; it never paired properly with the 8X. For a phone that was purchased with productivity in mind, hammering out any form of work document on the touch-keyboard on the phone rather than a keyboard is…painful.
This is phone specific, but the lack of external storage got old. Of course, if any SD expansion slot was handled the same way as the SIM slot, this might not have been a bad thing…
The Beats implementation did tend to muddy up metal, especially with blizzardy double-bass work…it's why I didn't go with the headphones of the same name: Amon Amarth sounds just awful at volume.
When Switching Phones, Why Did I Choose Android?
The obvious choice when detracting against the 8X, if you want to stick with a Windows Phone is the Nokia, from what I hear. That said, I wouldn't go Windows Phone again without corporate sponsorship and a custom OS-level developer living in my basement. Why? If you haven't figured out from the previous section, then I'll address why I went with Android.
First and foremost, it's a much more stable OS. I have had the S4 for close to two weeks, now and haven't had a hiccup stemming from OS weirdness. As I still have the phone, by way of making my point for me, the last three times I've trotted out the 8X to either sync contacts (manually, of course, since there's no REAL support in that regard…), siphon off music or use one of the apps I like that have no counterpart, the phone has rebooted itself in the middle of said operation. Seriously.
Next, I prefer the Google Store. I'm sorry – "Google Play." Even though nothing says 'take me seriously' like renaming a store concept to a "play" concept, it does have a more easily navigable paradigm, easier payment system that works more of the time and has a ton – and this is either imperial OR metric – more apps from which to choose. Support for the Windows Phone is, indeed, growing, but at this point can't hold a candle to the number of Android apps out there and part of that is the next point.
I can develop for my phone should I choose, and I can do it for free. As a .Net developer imagine my glee when the SDKs were made available for the Windows Phones and were available as free add-ons to Visual Studio. Imagine my grumpiness when said SDK was updated and would no longer work on my "plain" Windows 8 system but would require not only a paid upgrade to Windows 8.1, but also a paid upgrade to Visual Studio 2012 and whichever level of "awesome overkill" was a level or so above my version. So, when I found the Android SDK, ADK and so on and plugged it into my Keplar installation of Eclipse and it *just worked* without any massive gyrations or outlays of cash, I was a very happy man. That said, my Java is more than a little rusty, but the point is that with minimal effort (other than learning the language), I can start designing the next "Killer App" for my Android phone.
Another reason was Google Everything. I know, there's no such product, but there might as well be. The overarching products associated with Google and the integration into the phone OS are very compelling reasons. My calendars now all sync. My emails now come in without third-party applications. I can, should I choose to accept the mission, hop onto Google Hangouts. The main thing, however, was the calendar. Since I've got it integrated with my Outlook installation at home, kludged into my Lotus Notes(!) installation at work, on both my tablet and now my phone, this makes it quite homogenous and reduces frustration levels a lot…in addition to reducing the number of "Oops!" moments as a result of a non-synced appointment being missed.
Which is a Better Phone?
There is no question in my mind that the Samsung S4 is a better phone than the HTC 8X, if only because of the SIM card debacle and the random resets.
Summary, OR, Which Do I Like Better?
To conclude this rather lengthy missive, I will summarize as best I can without being overly repetitive. I really like the S4 a lot. I haven't used it long enough to use the "Love" word (work with me…), but it's growing on me. It's funny – my wife is watching the growing pains and learning curve of the S4 and keeps saying, "If you don't like it or it doesn't work, take it back!" What she doesn't have as part of the experiential frame of reference is the equivalent learning curve I went through with the 8X, as she hadn't moved out here, yet. That's a long story as to why, involving moving for work and that kind of thing, but the long and short of it is that she didn't hear the same grumping and "aha" moments with the other phone. The learning curve with the S4 has more to do with unlearning how I'd been doing it for the past year and doing it the way it's done on an Android-based phone rather than "this thing sucks, wtf!" kind of problems. Another big difference is that when I was having problems on the 8X, it was new enough that there were very few people who had any experience with it while the support on S4 has been superlative and "problems" have turned out to be less significant and more easily "fixed" with the S4 partly because the problems themselves are less significant (see SIM slot…) and partly because the fixes don't involve OS-level tweaks, for the most part, which makes things much easier.
Honestly, I like Android better. I'll stick with Android. The level of robustness is just, well, robust, and odds are good that if there's something I want to do, there's either an app for that, which wasn't the case, often enough, with the Windows Phone.


text:
A member of the Cars.com family
Vehicle Overview The Lexus ES sedan was redesigned for 2013 and was joined by a hybrid version: the ES 300h. The ES 350 competes with the Acura TL, Hyundai Azera and Lincoln MKZ. New for 2014 The available high-intensity-discharge headlights are now accompanied by LED fog lights. The ES 350 gains the choice of Bamboo interior trim like what's offered in the ES 300h hybrid, and both models now offer heated and ventilated seats with the simulated leather upholstery. Exterior Highlights Lexus' signature spindle grille, subtle trunk lid spoiler for hybrid, and 17-inch alloy wheels; 18-inch wheels available provides the Lexus sedan it's unique luxury look. Furthermore LED daytime running lights, LED taillights, dual exhaust tips, fog lights, and power moonroof all come standard. Power trunk lid optional. Interior Highlights The ES 350 comes standard with imitation leather upholstery; real leather available, power front seats, automatic air conditioning, and six-CD stereo with MP3 jack and USB port; premium audio available. Additional features include wood trim and steering wheel, heated steering wheel, power rear sun shade, and navigation system. Under the Hood The 350 comes with a 268-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine in six speed automatic transmission. The sedan come standard in front wheel drive and runs on regular gas. Safety Features Standard safety includes 10 airbags protecting passengers and antilock brakes and electronic stability system for vehicle control. Emergency communication system with one-year trial subscription. Additional safety features are blind spot warning system with rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, pre-Collision System, and backup camera. *Overview Courtesy of Cars.com
2014 Lexus ES 350 Sedans near you
See New Car Inventory
Exterior Colors: Blue, Red, Gray, Black, Beige, Silver, White
Interior Colors: Black, Gray, Beige
Invoice: $34,300
21 city
31 hwy
Auto Manual
Seats: 5
Cargo Space: Not Available
Basic Warranty:
months /
Powertrain Warranty:
Not Available
A member of the Cars.com family. NewCars.com® is a registered trademark. © Copyright 1995 - 2014.
NewCars.com® is a member of the Better Business Bureau.
Become a NewCars.com® Dealer Partner today.
Certain specifications, prices and equipment data have been provided under license from Chrome Data Solutions ("Chrome Data").© 2014 Chrome Data Solutions, LP. All Rights Reserved. This information is supplied for personal use only and may not be used for any commercial purpose whatsoever without the express written consent of Chrome Data. Chrome Data makes no guarantee or warranty, either expressed or implied, including without limitation any warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, with respect to the data presented here. All specifications, prices and equipment are subject to change without notice.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Photos and Description of this 3 bedroom holiday apartment in Cadiz
Luxury apartment fully equipped in furniture and furnishings.
Wonderful 3 bedrooms apartment in Cadiz Capital Promenade. Front of the sea. 110 m2. 3 bedrooms (two double and one twin), large open plan living room, double bathroom with hairdryer. Separate kitchen equipped with everything you need. Refrigerator, Dishwasher, Microwave, Electric Oven, Coffee Maker, Toaster, Gas heater. Crockery, cutlery and glassware with gold edges. Kitchenware, linens and towels included.
Terrace with table and chairs where you can enjoy the best sunsets on the Castillo de San Sebastian 7 th Floor. Elevator. Stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean from every room of the apartment. Furnished design. Totally outside and bright. Fitted wardrobes. Capacity up to 6 people. Even being located in a wide promenade, the area is very quiet, allowing you to rest overnight, where only the sound of the sea is heard. The apartment in the opinion of customers, is among the best of Cadiz. Included PARKING INTERNET and WIFI (High Speed). Plasma TV-42 ". Direct connection to PC audio-video (AV and VGA). Independent DVD. Includes baby cot and umbrella and two chairs to enjoy the beach situated 10 mts. the apartment.
- Suitability:
- children welcome
- pets not allowed
- smoking allowed
- wheelchair inaccessible


text:
"Only those who acquire true power can be truly kind."
Gulrez Pathan
"When you "settle" for something it means you get "less" than what you deserve."
marie katra
"When it comes to my life I have always been an optimist. My door is always open, and My pants are always down."
"The great recession is upon us"
Kenneth waters Jr
"They say 'shoot for the stars', i say 'shoot for the head'"
"Some people are not ignorant,
they just chose not to know too much."
"If Love is not powerful , what else is .......!!!"
Basil C S
Quotes Daddy offers a number of tools for developers and bloggers to integrate quotes into their site including customizable widgets, embeddable quotes and API.
Over 1,000,000 famous quotes and user quotes that you can save to your favorites, share with friends and add to your site, blog or social network.Find us on Google Ad Planner


text:
Hotel addressGrote Marktstraat 46
How to reach the hotelGPS :N 52° 4' 37.23'' E 4° 18' 46.96''
Contact the hotel
- Tel. (+31)708505180
- Fax. (+31)708505199
- firstname.lastname@example.com
Recently viewed hotels
Suite Novotel Den Haag City Centre - hotel description
Hotel code: 7320
Suite Novotel Den Haag City Center is located in the Nieuwe Haagsche Passage shopping arcade in the center of The Hague, within walking distance of the Binnenhof, numerous embassies, government agencies, international companies, museums and shops. The hotel has 118 suites, a fitness center, free WIFI and 24-hour service. Visit the AFAS Circustheater for a musical, or check out the Theater aan het Spui or the Nederlands Dans Theater for drama and dance performances. Scheveningen beach is 15 minutes away.
Message from the hotel manager
Barteld Oppers, the manager of the Suite Novotel Den Haag City Centre hotel, would like to welcome you.
Work in this hotel
These prices may be based on different room types. Depending on the country, these prices may not include taxes, may include VAT only or may include all taxes (VAT and city tax). When prices do not include all taxes, the relevant taxes (VAT and/or city tax) will be stated in the following stages of the reservation process. The price is only guaranteed at the time of reservation.


text:
Visit us on ...
We offer one of the most competitive rates on laser tattoo removal and have special package pricing and pricing for our ultra-fast R20 method. Treatment sessions start as low as $150 per treatment. We are also offering discounts of up to 25% on packages of multiple treatments this month. You won't find this kind of special anywhere else.
Holiday season is fast approaching. Get ready for those family gatherings and Holiday parties with this exceptional deal on Voluma this month. Call our office today to schedule your free consultation with one of our experienced Cosmetic Providers, 425-450-0880.
Purchase two 5ml bottles of Latisse get a 3ml bottle free. While supplies last.
CoolSculpting, a non-invasive liposuction alternative that uses cryolipolysis technology, is now available at the Naficy Rejuvenation Center.
The CoolSculpting procedure offers non-invasive fat reduction without the need for needles, incisions or anesthesia. The treatment is done in our private clinic rooms while you relax, use your laptop computer or even sleep.
More about CoolSculpting!
CoolSculpting: The Cool Way to Reduce Fat
Dr. Gottlieb performs close to 200 breast augmentations per year, more than any other surgeon in the Seattle/Bellevue region. In 2013 our center was one of the top 10 accounts nationally per the breast implant manufacturer Allergan. Combine Dr. Gottliebs 25+ years of surgery experience with a highly preferred pricing structure with the breast implant manufacturer we are able to obtain breast implants at a much lower cost. We pass these savings on to our patients. For more information about Breast Augmentation CLICK HERE.
view full size images
This woman had ptosis of her upper eyelids on the right side. She had an external ptosis repair to restore symmetry and improve vision.
Summary: ptosis repair, external ptosis repair, levator advancement, levator tightening, droopy eyelid surgical correction


text:
Burberry Brit
Jacket With Drawstring Waist
$378.13 Was $756.24 (50% off)
Product Code: 282166
- Need to know
- Item details & Care
- Shipping & Returns
- Any chic weekend wardrobe needs one of Burberry's gorgeous cotton jackets and this firey red design is an absolute must. Pair with your favourite cosy boots and chunky knits for lazy Sunday style. Model is 5'11 / 180cm, a standard UK 8 and is wearing a size XS. This item runs true to size.
- Red cotton jacket featuring a concealed zip front fastening under a buttoned flap, concealed drawstring at waist, roll-up sleeves with button tab detail, buttoned epaulettes, buttoned gun flaps, two concealed zipped side pockets, underarm eyelets for ventilation, a leather designer patch to sleeve, a storm flap and a button detachable hood.
82% cotton, 16% polyamide, 2 % polyurethane. Trim 100% cotton. Dry clean only.
view full delivery details
Free Delivery (2-3 working days)
All duties and customs are included at checkout
Returns ( view full returns details )
Seeking Style Advice?
Contact our Style Adviser team for expert
advice and assistance on all your
style-related queries:
Call: (+44) 345 260 3880
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Monday to Friday between 9am and 6pm
Saturdays between 9am and 2.30pm.


text:
Original designs. Made in the U.S.A.
Thread: Breve for iPad/iPad 2! I want one in every color. :)
Copyright © 2005-2013 TOM BIHN Powered by vBulletin 4 | Custom vBulletin Skin by: Relivo
"The bad days have two things in common: You know the right thing to do, and you let someone talk you out of doing it."


text:
Select () or exclude () categories to narrow your recipe search.
As you select categories, the number of matching recipes will update.
Find exactly what you're looking for with the web's most powerful recipe filtering tool.
1/1 Photo of Cinnamon Onion Butter
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
15 mins
0 mins
This is how we do butter in Texas! You just can't have too much onion, and the cinnamon works with that sweet onion flavor so well. I created this for my website, Smoked 'n Grilled.
Serves: 12
Units: US | Metric
Serving Size: 1 (12 g)
Servings Per Recipe: 12
Every recipe, menu, tip and how-to is right here, at your service.


text:
RetroguaposThis photo was shot on film. Taken by toyam with a Lomography Diana F+ (available in our Online Shop) loaded with Lomography 120 X-Pro 200 film in Madrid, Spain. These tags describe this photo: couple, awesome, and retro. This photo can also be found in the album Retiro.
Please login to get more out of this site
You are currently not logged in, do so now to add comments, like articles as well as photos, submit to competitions, translate articles and gain access to unlimited photo upload! If you are not registered yet, go here to find out more about Lomography and join now! If you just want a limited account for now you can use Twitter or Facebook. We would love to have you as a member here!
17 people like this photo
Liking photos helps us to present the best ones to you and others. 17 people like this photo. 17 people like this photo: disdis, makny, isakb, perone, elvismartinezsmith, h_hache, jodidopanki, knappschaft, mylatehope, larahacefotos, pangmark, sye, kobkob, cuculebu, susielomovitz, megustastu, and javihacefotos.
1 comment
Where is this?
Nearby popular photos – see more
Nearby LomoLocations
A Spring Sunday in Parque del Retiro
The traditional way to spend spring afternoons in Madrid is to head out to Parque del Retiro…
Alcalá Gate: Neo-Classical Grandeur in Madrid
This former entrance gate to Madrid still exudes the splendor and grandeur of neo-classical …
Holga in the Sun: Multiple Exposures in El Parque del Retiro
Loads of tricks have been shared about how to get the perfect multiple exposure shot. Which…
Strolling through Retiro Park
Let me take you on a short walk trough Retiro Park in Madrid and introduce my favorite places.


text:
Select () or exclude () categories to narrow your recipe search.
As you select categories, the number of matching recipes will update.
Find exactly what you're looking for with the web's most powerful recipe filtering tool.
1/9 Photos of Super Easy: Cucumber Salad
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
20 mins
24 hrs
I can't remember where or how I learned to make it this way, but I have been making it this way for over 30 years. ****NOTE: Cooking time is chilling time.
Units: US | Metric
Serving Size: 1 (196 g)
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Every recipe, menu, tip and how-to is right here, at your service.


text:
EXPOSED: Cabir\'s Secret Revealed
REVEALED: Cabir\'s Stormy Secret Is Out!
Sonam Kapoor and Fawad Khan Give Bollywo
Tell Me Your Secrets
8 Bollywood Actresses Whose Workout Secr
7 Bollywood Actors Whose Fitness Secrets
Bollywood Celebrity Workout Secrets Reve
Seven Secret Bollywood Weddings You'd
Abhishek reveals his Marriage secret!
Katrina Kaif reveals her beauty secrets!
Secret behind Arjun Kapoor's six-pack ab
#Blockbuster Wednesdays Lucky Tu Lucky Me - Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya
More Songs


text:
Footage from the first year of her life compiled into a tribute video on her first birthday.
A day I will never forget. I watch this video all the time as my baby grows up and it helps me remember just how precious those little moments are.
8mm VINTAGE CAMERA
I love this App! It has so many fun styles to choose from and adds a little something extra to video. You can even add the effect to videos already on your phone! It films in HD and 16x9 ratio, which if you ever wanted to edit the clips, this is the best way to film with this app.
Here's a picture to get a better idea as to what this app does!
|ORIGINAL FILE 8mm APPLICATION
For only $1.99 it's a steal. I've been using it for years. You can find it under a search for 8mm Vintage Camera in the app store.
It's fun getting your home videos on camera, but we can take it to the next level with a little editing. Check it out!
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
Choose from dozens of top-rated roast turkey recipes, from stuffed to deep-fried.
We're counting down from now until Thanksgiving with a great pie every day. Join the fun.
Delicious recipes, party ideas, and cooking tips! Get a year of Allrecipes magazine for $5!
See how to make minute steaks dressed in a simple BBQ sauce.
The slow cooker is the best way to make perfectly tender cheese steaks.
See a great technique for cooking tremendously juicy steaks on your stovetop.


text:
Experts in frangibility
Pollite is considered frangibility experts and provides a full range of frangible masts and poles to support visual and non visual aids near airport runways, taxiways and aprons. All of our masts are designed specifically to comply with the latest ICAO and FAA requirements on frangibility, deflection and strength.
The full compliance of our masts has been certified by an independently recognised FAA and ICAO aviation testing house. All of our products are regularly assessed and our processes audited to ensure our continued compliance with ICAO and FAA requirements.
UK Manufactured
Research and development is at the core of the manufacturing process. Pollite have designed a revolutionary method of manufacture to ensure our masts are fully compliant with frangibility requirements. The Pollite mast is unlike any other fibreglass mast in its composition and careful control of the manufacturing process ensures every mast is ICAO compliant.Find out more ›
Contact Information
- Telephone: +44 (0)1325 355 525
- Email: email@example.com
World Leading Solutions
Pollite meet international compliance
requirements across
the globe and work
with some of the
worlds largest
Latest News & Events
ICAO Compliant Windsocks
Pollite windsock masts have been designed to fully comply with the ICAO Annex 14 Vol 1... read more ›
We're on LinkedIn!
Follow us on LinkedIn! Search for Pollite on LinkedIn to keep up-to-date with all the latest... read more ›
Sydney 16R and 34L Upgraded
Sydney 16R and 34L given an upgrade When approaches 16R and 34L at Sydney's Kingsford Smith... read more ›
Come and meet us at Inter-Airport China & South East Asia
Come and meet us at Inter-Airport China & South East Asia. For the first time, Pollite... read more ›
Product Demonstration
Frangible Products
Approach Masts
Manufactured with a UV resistant gel coat finish the Pollite maintenance free Approach Mast is corrosion free.View Products ›
Windsock Masts
Designed to CAA, ICAO and FAA requirements Pollite Windsock Masts boast a unique hinged foot to...View Products ›
Antenna Masts
Pollite offer a custom design service for Antennae Masts from leading aerial, beacon and weathe ...View Products ›


text: Rob Kim/Imeh Akpanudosen, Getty Images Eddie Money Wants to Punch Kenny Loggins By Dave Swanson March 18, 2014 | Ultimate Classic Rock It seems that singer Eddie Money not only has two tickets to paradise, but two fists ready to aim at Mr. Footloose himself, Kenny Loggins. Read More|Comment Category: Rock Report Tags: Eddie Money Send to a friend! Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Pin it! Reddit This! Share on Tumblr!


text:
Feedburner RSS
Serving on a corporate is just that - service!
Don't miss our top #SocialMedia contributor @NaThomson share trends for 2015 @DeniseHolt1 http://t.co/nI560nHq3o- Tuesday Nov 25 - 7:50pm
PSDNetwork says: Why Are Women so Good at Social Media Marketing? Part 2 of 2 http://t.co/hKcgMlkQVX- Tuesday Nov 25 - 4:00pm
4 tricks to turn nervous into confident when pitching ur #startup http://t.co/l9MHD2O0xv @E_forAll- Tuesday Nov 25 - 1:50pm
Don't miss key #SocialMedia trends for 2015 by @NaThomson @DeniseHolt1 http://t.co/r7GTjhSAff- Monday Nov 24 - 2:15pm
.@MarneyReid Loving ur content on #womenentrepreneurs Can't wait to see what 2015 holds for u!- Friday Nov 21 - 1:04am
PSDNetwork, LLC is committed to being the first place women turn to for start-up, leadership, and management decisions. Patti Fletcher and Heather Boggini founded PSDNetwork with a passion for the women who are transforming the world around them. The founders have an unwavering commitment to provide highly motivated women with tools and access to achieve their next big thing.
PSDNetwork blogs, video, articles and podcasts deliver concrete advice to navigate the sometimes complex and confusing milestones of growth that intrapreneurs and entrepreneurs face.
Learn more about the founders Patti and Heather
To the Top


text:
Reviews written by discosheets
Last updated: June 14, 2012
|Overall rating
|Flavor / Mouthfeel
let's do the walton waltz!
Wow! The first absinthe from Delaware Phoenix that I tried was Meadow of Love and I was convinced that it would always be my favorite absinthe; however, now that I have tried Walton Waters it is a really hard call. Walton Waters is the whole pacakge of absinthe. For me, every piece was just right. The aroma was inviting, strong and a great indication of the flavor. The louche is unbelievable and the taste is so compelling that you will still be trying to decide what you like best about it until the very last glass. Walton Waters was a true home run for me! 5 stars!
Appearance (4) : I gave Walton Waters a 4 here, only because the bottle I recieved was slightly amber and not the bold green that I have seen in many pictures.
Louche (5) : WOW! So beautiful! I louched each glass slower and slower because I was enthralled with the way the thick cloud looked like it was a big mist of clouds settling over a city. Spectacular.
Aroma (5) : The aroma is fantastic, and one of the few absinthes that I have had where the aroma is a true sneak peak of the flavor. I loved the aroma of this absinthe!
Flavor / Mouthfeel (5) : The flavor is outstanding! The holy trinity is balanced to near perfection, and the other herbs give you an additional level of flavor making it almost impossible to get bored sipping and just letting the flavors rush to every part of your mouth. The mouthfeel is spot on too, not too numb but just numb enough.
Finish (5) : The finish is so good that I found myself not wanting to eat or drink anything else for a while just to keep it around a bit longer.
Overall (5) : WOW! Truly a delicious and inviting absinthe that is sure to please any absinthiste. Try it now!
|Overall rating
|Flavor / Mouthfeel
Just gets better and better!
Pacifique is a really great verte absinthe! I have had it two different times now and the one thing I have to say about it is that it will really improve after opening and the flavor is very sensitive to the water ratio, but once you get it right it is quite delicious so don't judge it too harshly based on your first glass.
Appearance (4) : Pacifique comes in a very simple but fancy looking bottle, dark glass that keeps the eerie olive oil green color of the absinthe from fading. More neat looking than inviting, but a 4 nonetheless.
Louche (3.5) : The louche is great, but underwhelming compared the the thick cloudy louche other verte absinthes are capable of. Not disapointing, but could be better.
Aroma (4) : Pacifique smells spicy, inviting and deceptively complex. I personally loved the burning sweet vapor that comes out of the new bottle.
Flavor / Mouthfeel (4) : The flavor is very unique, which I love about quality absinthe. The holy trinity is working its magic, but there is an extra spiciness to the flavor that is exotic and tempting. Very refreshing and numbing.
Finish (4) : The finish is great, and the numbing effect lingers so slightly that it leaves you wanting more. Would have received a 5 if the spicy flavor lingered rather than the bitter.
Overall (4.5) : I had to give Pacifique an overall rating of 4.5 because each category was so close to being a 5. It really is a delicious and unique absinthe that is definitely worth trying, experimenting with, and then trying again.
Last updated: May 27, 2012
|Overall rating
|Flavor / Mouthfeel
Kubler - Revisited
I am updating my review of Kubler altogether, but only one rating has changed Flavor / Mouthfeel from a 2.5 to 3.5.
Appearance (4) : Kubler is a blanche so it is very clear, but I enjoyed the authentic swiss bottle. Also, the clarity makes the louche that much more exciting!
Louche (4) : The louche is outstanding. I love the louche on a good blanche absinthe because it seems to come out of nowhere like magic, and I just love thinking of absinthe as a little magical.
Aroma (3) : The aroma is slightly strong on the fennel, which tends to be a quality that I don't like but my love of absinthe is quickly changing my feelings about fennel so it still gets a 3 for me.
Flavor / Mouthfeel (3.5) : This is the only changed rating in my updated review because I found a perfect ratio for Kubler that toned down the fennel without sacraficing the numbing effect.
Finish (3.5) : I usually enjoy a strong finish, however with Kubler I was glad that it didn't linger so the weak finish was essentially a good quality for me.
Overall (3) : The only thing keeping me from giving Kubler more than a 3 is the fact that I enjoy other absinthes more that fall in the 4 and 5 range. Kubler is great!
|Overall rating
|Flavor / Mouthfeel
Not bad!
Lucid absinthe was one of the first absinthes I saw on the shelf when the ban was lifted in the U.S. but for some reason I waited a long time to try it. We ended up buying a bottle when it was the best option at a local liquor store. The reviews were not great, so I wasn't expecting much but I thought it was a great absinthe! The color was a little dull, but the louche was beautiful and you could see each drop dance into the glass. The bottle is dark, I assume to block sun light but I think it could have done a better job as the appearance was underwhelming. The aroma is sweet, and strong. The flavor just about matches the aroma having a strong anise and fennel flavor, without the rewarding wormwood kick which is what stopped it from getting a 4 on flavor. Definitely a great absinthe, that is so close to being amazing!
Last updated: May 27, 2012
|Overall rating
|Flavor / Mouthfeel
Lost in the Meadow of Love!
What a treat! Meadow of Love instantly became my favorite absinthe at the first sip! Meadow of Love is an overwhelmingly (in a good way) fragrant and aromatic absinthe, that has a wonderfully blended mix of classic absinthe herbs that will explode in your mouth, leaving you gagging for more! I really can't express how much I love this absinthe. Meadow of Love was docked .5 for appearance because it was delivered to us, still a lovely verte absinthe, but had maybe had too much sun exposure because it was slightly amber. I also gave it a .5 dock on aroma, only because the aroma doesn't do the flavor justice. Fennel overpowers the aroma, but tasting the absinthe there is such an amazing balance of all the herbs and fennel definitely isn't the overpowering flavor. Not only is this absinthe at the top of my list, but it comes from a small distillery in upstate New York, Cheryl Lins distiller, and sipping on this absinthe gives you the feel that you are sipping it with Cheryl herself. Meadow of Love is a MUST try for any absinthe connoisseur.
Updated 27 May 2012 ---
Appearance (5) : Previously a 4.5, I changed this to a 5 after recieving a BEAUTIFUL green glowing bottle of Meadow of Love. Absolutely the most inviting looking bottle out there, but careful the clear glass lets the color fade really quickly.
Louche (5) : Outstanding, beautiful, thick and glowing. Magical.
Aroma (4.5) : This is now the only non 5 star rating I give meadow of love, and only because it just doesn't do the incredible and dynamic flavor justice.
Flavor / Mouthfeel (5) : Flavor is indescribably delicious, and so well balanced. Mouth is delightfully numb, but just enough so that you can still enjoy the complex and complimentary flavors.
Finish (5) : All the best flavors remain on your tongue and you get such a refreshing cool numbing effect for a few minutes after each sip. It is really amazing.
Overall (5) : Still my favorite absinthe. The flavors are incredibly satisfying and there isn't a single quality about great absinthe that is missing, or lacking here. 5 stars!!


text:
Author Archives: Foundation for Jewish Camp
How to Pay for Jewish Sleepaway Camp
Whether you're investigating a camp to send your child to in summer 2015 or still figuring out this summer's plans, you're definitely thinking about the cost of this experience of a lifetime. It's on our minds too. We recently saw this video on CNBC.com offering advice to parents for saving money on camp:
While the tips provided in this video are helpful, we have some additional resources to share that may help your family pay for camp:
- Many camps offer early registration incentives or sibling discounts. Most also offer scholarship assistance or you may be able to receive aid from your local Jewish organizations. Visit FJC's scholarship page and contact your synagogue or federation for additional information.
- Families in the Northeast, New England, and Mid-Atlantic regions may be eligible for BunkConnect TM, a pilot program that matches income-eligible families with high-quality nonprofit Jewish summer camps at low introductory rates. Finding out if you qualify is quick and confidential.
- If your child has never been to a Jewish overnight camp before, they may be eligible for a need-blind One Happy Camper grant of up to $1000. Learn how.
Note: The opinions expressed here are the personal views of the author. All comments on MyJewishLearning are moderated. Any comment that is offensive or inappropriate will be removed. Privacy Policy
Make Your Child One Happy Camper!
Jewish overnight camp is about so much more than campfires and color war. At camp, kids get the chance to explore who they are—and who they want to become—in an active, inspiring, fun-filled environment. (Marshmallows included.) But paying for camp can be difficult. We get it—we are parents too.
We have some easy ways to make the dream of overnight summer camp a reality for your child. We can even help you find the perfect camp—no matter what your background, you will find a place your child will have fun, be comfortable, learn more about themselves, and explore their Jewish identity.
If your family lives in the northeast, check out BunkConnect, a new program that offers introductory rates at 40-60% off to first time campers. Finding out if you qualify is quick and confidential—answer six questions at BunkConnect.org. Then start browsing for the right summer experience for your child for this summer! The website will connect you right to the camp director to learn more about the experience.
One Happy Camper
BunkConnect doesn't work for your family? One Happy Camper offers first time campers up to $1000 off. With over 155 Jewish camps on Foundation for Jewish Camp's Find a Camp tool – search out the perfect one. You can narrow down your search by choosing preferred session length, specialty activities, denomination, and more. Once you choose a camp visit OneHappyCamper.org to see if you are eligible for a need-blind grant.
While you are on our website, visit our scholarship database. Don't forget to talk to your synagogue, local federation, JCC or other Jewish organizations. Many have scholarships available to make summers at Jewish camp a reality
At Jewish camp, ruach (spirit) is part of every activity—from dancing to hitting a home run—allowing campers to explore their connection to Judaism in a meaningful way while having the summer of their lives. Clearly, we are a little passionate about this. You will see the difference in your child the minute they return home. The impact of overnight Jewish camp is immediate. At camp, kids hang out with amazing role models, who inspire confidence and independence, guiding your child to hone their skills, build self-esteem, and discover interests and talents they never knew they had.
We can't wait for your child to have the summer of a lifetime. (And you get a bit of a break from the logistics of the daily grind, not bad…)
Note: The opinions expressed here are the personal views of the author. All comments on MyJewishLearning are moderated. Any comment that is offensive or inappropriate will be removed. Privacy Policy
The Tech Side of Camp
by Rabbi Jason Miller
New Brunswick, NJ – As Jewish camp leaders once again convened at Leaders Assembly, the Foundation for Jewish Camp's biennial conference here in New Brunswick, there was a lot of networking taking place – both in person and via social media. The dozens of ad hoc camp reunions taking place in the hallways of the hotel also materialized into an exchange of best practices for these Jewish camp professionals. The hot topic this year was the use of technology, both in the back office of the camp operations and front and center for campers, their parents and alumni.
What role all of this new technology plays for the Jewish summer camp industry was hashed out in breakout sessions at the camp confab in what were termed "Hot Topics" and also discussed in the "Shuk" where the companies that provide this new technology were camped out. "Do you keep your camper registrations and medical forms in the cloud?", "Who manages your alumni Facebook page?", "Have you started Instagram or Pinterest accounts," and "Which online service do you use for staff background checks" were just some of the questions overheard at the conference.
While many don't typically associate high tech with the camp world, which for generations was thought of as a low tech industry, there's no question that camps have come to depend on the latest support applications in the technology world to run their camps efficiently, effectively and safely in the 21st century. After all, while one of the core missions of the overnight summer camp experience may continue to be allowing our youth to unplug from their electronic gadgets for several weeks each summer, the camps charged with that mission must be run like businesses. And that means using the best technology to manage everything from security, registration, financials and medical information to social network engagement, summertime communication and alumni relations.
In one "Hot Topic" session, Sacha Litman, the founder of Measuring Success, demonstrated the importance of using "Big Data" to help camps with their year-round engagement efforts. Big corporations, he explained, have been using "Big Data" for many years and in 2014 summer camps need to utilize the same data tools to acquire new campers and maintain existing relationships with both current staff and the valuable alumni who are now positioned to donate and send their children or grandchildren to the camp. These data measuring tools have been available to camps for years, but most didn't know how to put that data to good use for philanthropic or camper recruitment and retainment purposes. Litman's plea that camps focus on engaging their campers twelve months a year rather than in the traditional camp recruitment season was a theme echoed throughout the 3-day conference, which ended Tuesday afternoon.
Read the rest of this article on eJewish Philanthropy.
Note: The opinions expressed here are the personal views of the author. All comments on MyJewishLearning are moderated. Any comment that is offensive or inappropriate will be removed. Privacy Policy
Jewish Funders Network Awards Inaugural Shapiro Prize to Foundation for Jewish Camp
The Jewish Funders Network has named the Foundation for Jewish Camp as the inaugural recipient of the Shapiro Prize for Excellence in Philanthropic Collaboration, for being the first funder collaboration to advocate for, promote, and strengthen Jewish camps on a wide scale.
The new prize recognizes alliances of forward-thinking Jewish funders who collaborate to achieve broader impact in their chosen fields of interest. It was presented Sunday at the annual JFN conference in Miami Beach.
Until FJC was founded in1998 by Elisa Spungen Bildner and her husband Robert Bildner, Jewish camps ran independently or within their religious movements. The Bildners envisioned collaborating with other funders, and received support from The Samuel Bronfman Foundation and The Wexner Foundation.
The creation of FJC expanded support for the field and brought long-term vitality to more camps and their programming.
Read the rest of this feature on eJewish Philanthropy.
Note: The opinions expressed here are the personal views of the author. All comments on MyJewishLearning are moderated. Any comment that is offensive or inappropriate will be removed. Privacy Policy
Counselor and Camper Costumes & More Purim Fun
Purim's getting close, so we're sharing some camp-themed costume ideas for you to enjoy!
One of the most delicious memories of camp is s'mores roasting over a fire, so why not dress as one? Your toddler will be so yummy in this S'more Costume!
Channel your inner counselor! Get dressed up as your favorite madrich or madricha with these colorful whistles. Bonus: You can use them in place of a grogger during the Megillah reading!
Continuing with the counselor theme, how about adding a backpack to round out the costume? This cool tye-dye Jansport backpack will also be perfect for carrying and delivering mishloach manot, or Purim food gifts.
Round out your counselor costume with this Columbia Bora Bora sun hat. It may not necessarily be sunny this Purim, but it sure will get you in the mood for summer (and of course, summer camp!)
Share your Purim fun with family and friends! Send this Purim gift basket full of kosher hamatashen, adorable masks and other fun activities.
We hope you enjoy our camp-themed Purim picks, and chag sameach!
Note: The opinions expressed here are the personal views of the author. All comments on MyJewishLearning are moderated. Any comment that is offensive or inappropriate will be removed. Privacy Policy
Jewish Camp Trendspotting: 10 Ways a Summer Ritual is Changing
Nostalgia about summer traditions notwithstanding, Jewish camps have changed dramatically from a generation ago.
Camp's value for Jewish education and identity-building is now a major focus of communal attention. Major Jewish foundations, federations and organizations are investing heavily in the sector.
Many camps have become more intentional about incorporating Jewish learning, Shabbat and Israel into their programming. They've also evolved to meet families' changing expectations and demands: offering a wider range of choices of all kinds (from food to activity to session length); providing more frequent updates and communications to parents; accommodating numerous medical requirements and allergies;and placing greater emphasis on safety and security.
At the same time, the Jewish camping field is becoming more professionalized. The job of camp director has been shifting from a seasonal gig to year-round career, and counselors are receiving more intensive training.
With all this change in the Jewish camp world, here are 10 specific trends we have noticed:
1) Shorter sessions: Once upon a time, summer camp meant the entire summer, with the majority of campers attending for seven, eight or even 10 weeks. Now it is the rare child or teen who spends the full summer at camp (or at one camp), and most programs offer multiple sessions, ranging in length from just six days to seven weeks. "Our three-week session has always sold out more quickly than the four-week, and our new two-week session has been a quick hit as well," said Vivian Stadlin, co-director of Eden Village Camp in Putnam Valley, N.Y.
2) Specialized programs: Whether a child's passion is sports, the environment, outdoor adventure or science and technology, there's a Jewish camp for that. An incubator under the auspices of the Foundation for Jewish Camp spurred the creation of five specialty camps in 2010 (including Eden Village, which is focused on the environment) and another four that will open this summer. The idea is to attract kids who might not otherwise consider a Jewish camp and to show them they can combine their passion with Judaism. Increasingly, established general-interest Jewish camps are adding specialty tracks and electives. For example, the New Jersey Y camps offer a science program and various sports programs, while Ramah in the Poconos has run basketball clinics and a tennis academy.
3) Healthier food: Serving healthy, locally sourced food is a part of the mission of some specialty camps like the new health-and-wellness-focused Camp Zeke and was a component of Ramah Outdoor Adventure from its beginnings in 2010. In addition, many established Jewish camps have been redoing their menus to make them more nutritious and environmentally friendly: adding salad bars, replacing "bug juice" with water, offering more vegetarian fare and even planting their own organic vegetable gardens.
4) More affordable options: The Foundation for Jewish Camp recently introduced a new program called BunkConnect that enables first-time campers from middle- and lower-income families to search for a variety of discounted Jewish summer camp options. While BunkConnect is currently only available in the Northeast, New England and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, the foundation hopes to expand it in future years. In addition, most Jewish overnight camps offer financial aid and the One Happy Camper Program, initiated in 2006, offers grants for all first-time campers regardless of need. So far 50,000 children have received One Happy Camper grants.
5) Broadening definition of camp: While rural settings and rustic accommodations are still the norm, two specialty camps — the Union for Reform Judaism's Six Points Sports Academy and Six Points Science & Technology — are located on boarding school campuses, and another, the 92nd Street Y's Passport NYC, is in the middle of Manhattan. Passport NYC, in which participants do internships and live in air-conditioned dorms, and Six Points Science blur the boundary between "camp" and "summer program," while programs like USY on Wheels and Adamah Adventures, which operate under the Foundation for Jewish Camp's umbrella, blur the boundary between "camp" and "teen travel."
Read the rest of this feature on JTA.
Note: The opinions expressed here are the personal views of the author. All comments on MyJewishLearning are moderated. Any comment that is offensive or inappropriate will be removed. Privacy Policy
Using a Business Model to Make Jewish Summer Camp Affordable
By Rabbi Jason Miller
Ask any Jewish family that sends their children to both a private Jewish day school and a Jewish summer camp about the affordability of such endeavors and they'll use words such as "sacrifice," "hardship" and "priorities." With the cost of Jewish day school tuition for one child varying from $10,000 all the way up to $40,000 per year, more Jewish families who desire a day-school Jewish education for their children are finding it cost prohibitive even with financial aid.
Add to those rising costs, the additional expense of a month or two at a Jewish summer camp and families are having to just say "no" to their kids. In the new economy, the Jewish middle class has virtually vanished. Many families who once would be considered upper middle class are forking over their tax returns hoping for subsidies to make day school and camp tuition affordable. New organizations like the Affordable Jewish Education Project (AJEP) are sprouting up seeking to imagine alternative solutions to the economic crisis. Plain and simple it's becoming cost prohibitive to raise a Jewish family according to the values of day school and summer camp.
While Jewish day schools continue to solicit large endowment gifts to offset the tuition costs, the Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) has announced a new affordability initiative. In an effort to put a Jewish summer camp experience in financial reach for most families, FJC has launched BunkConnect, a new program that matches eligible families with high-quality nonprofit Jewish summer camps at a more affordable price. This philanthropic business venture has been developed in collaboration with forward-thinking business executives and leading philanthropists.
Read the rest of this article on HuffPost Religion
Note: The opinions expressed here are the personal views of the author. All comments on MyJewishLearning are moderated. Any comment that is offensive or inappropriate will be removed. Privacy Policy
Jewish Disability Awareness Month
February is Jewish Disability Awareness Month (JDAM), which brings a topic that is very important to us at the Foundation for Jewish Camp to the forefront of conversations all over the Jewish community. JDAM is "a unified initiative to raise awareness and support efforts to foster inclusion of people with disabilities and their families in Jewish communities worldwide." To further the effort, we are running a series dedicated to discussing disabilities at Jewish camp this month.
Kicking off the series is a round-up of some of the most powerful posts by Joel Yanofsky, one of our resident bloggers and father to Jonah, a great teenager and camper on the autism spectrum.
It Takes a Village, Like it or Not
Camp Turned My Son Into a Teenager
Stay tuned for posts by camp directors, experts in the field, former campers, and more.
Like this post? Join the conversation through MyJewishLearning's weekly blogs newsletter.
Note: The opinions expressed here are the personal views of the author. All comments on MyJewishLearning are moderated. Any comment that is offensive or inappropriate will be removed. Privacy Policy
Summer Lovin' – Shira & Noah
When/how/where at camp did you meet? I arrived at staff training at Camp Ramah in New England my junior counselor summer two days late, having just come back home from a trip to Israel. Shira had recently returned home from a year spent studying in Israel. After a training session, I was showing my Israel pictures to a friend and Shira asked to see. We initially bonded over our recent Israel experiences. Though we had been at camp at the same time as campers, we are a year apart so never got to know each other. Luckily that summer we did! Shira was a counselor for the edah (age group) that my younger brother was in, and my parents were in camp that summer, which made for some interesting social situations. Shira likes to point out that she knew my family members before she even knew me!
Was it love right away? Yes! Within the week we started dating. Some of our favorite memories are still from that first summer.
What happened between you when camp ended that summer? Sadness. I was leaving for Israel for the year on Nativ and Shira was headed to her freshman year at U Maryland. We split up briefly facing the daunting distance, only to stay in close touch over the phone and shortly decided that we wanted to continue our relationship despite the distance. After that I went to college in NYC, so we visited each other a couple times a month. Each summer we got to spend time together as we went "home" to camp. We wound up spending the same semester abroad together in Israel finally. After Shira graduated college she moved to NYC and we were finally living in the same city. Shortly afterwards, we were married.
Will you send your kids to your camp? Yes! Shira's parents, and aunt and uncle both met at different Ramah camps also so we know it is in the blood.
Shira & Noah Mencow Hichenberg were married in November 2009. They currently live in Manhattan and are expecting their first child next month! Shira is a Clinical Research Coordinator at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Noah is the Director of the Nursery School at the JCC in Manhattan.
Like this post? Join the conversation through MyJewishLearning's weekly blogs newsletter.
Note: The opinions expressed here are the personal views of the author. All comments on MyJewishLearning are moderated. Any comment that is offensive or inappropriate will be removed. Privacy Policy
Summer Lovin' – Alyia & Max
When/how/where at camp did you meet?
Max and I met for the first time at Camp Edward Isaacs in 2000; I was a camper and he was a CIT. My girlfriends and I would give him a hard time about hanging out with our counselor. In 2006, on the first day of staff week I walked into the canteen during a showing of "The Matrix" to say hi to a friend. Max was sitting next to him and immediately stood up and yelled out my name with big open arms. I must have looked very confused because for the past 6 years since we met we had hardly exchanged two words! Max gave me a huge hug and told me he was so glad to see me.
Was it love right away?
Max says he knew that night in the canteen… I took a little longer to warm up. Everyone seemed to know he had a crush on me and when they told me I would just roll my eyes and say we were just friends and it would stay that way! Then one night when I sat OD in my tie-dye pajamas and oversized sweatshirt, he came by and kissed me. At that moment everything changed and I knew he was the last person I ever wanted to have a first kiss with.
What happened between you when camp ended that summer?
Heartbreak! Straight out of a sad movie. We both decided that since we didn't go to the same school and we were in "different places in our lives" that we would end the summer romance and just be friends after camp. After a long, drawn out goodbye I remember driving away down the dirt road sobbing by myself until I got home…and then for days after that.
That first winter we talked on the phone every so often, checking in to say hi and happy birthday. When we were home from school we would see each other. The next summer I went back to camp but Max didn't. He would come visit though and we fell right back into the days of summer love. I spent my days off with him and we began to talk and see each other more and more as the months went on. For the next few years as I finished college and he began his post college "adult life" we dated on and off, taking breaks to study abroad and "find ourselves." In 2010, during my last semester in college, we became serious and last year he proposed during a bike-ride on a pier in Riverside Park.
Will you send your kids to your camp?
Sadly, Camp Edwards Isaacs closed in 2008 but if it were open we would say, "Absolutely, we'll send our kids to Eddie I!" There is no question though, that we will send our kids to Jewish sleepaway camp to have transforming summer experiences, and maybe meet the love of their life too.
Alyia and Max were married in September 2013 with their camp friends and former camp directors in attendance. They currently live in Brooklyn, NY with their Sphynx cat, Abby. Alyia is an Assistant Program Manager at Foundation for Jewish Camp and Max is a therapist at the Jewish Child Care Association in Brooklyn.
Note: The opinions expressed here are the personal views of the author. All comments on MyJewishLearning are moderated. Any comment that is offensive or inappropriate will be removed. Privacy Policy


text:
Wooster, OH
There are several opportunities for higher learning available in Wooster. Perhaps the most famous is the College of Wooster, a private liberal arts school that has consistently been recognized for its high quality of education and unique experience for undergraduates who are serious about academics. The College of Wooster has a strong impact on the city's cultural landscape, which lends to the city's "college town" feel when classes are in session. In addition to this school, Wooster is home to Ohio State University's Agricultural Technical Institute and Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center.
If you are a fan of opera or orchestral music and hope to move somewhere that allows you to see either or both of these musical styles performed live, Wooster will be a great fit for you. Even though you might not expect a small midwestern city to offer so many cultural opportunities, Wooster is home both to a symphony orchestra and a professional opera company. Thanks in large part to the College of Wooster, the Ohio Light Opera and Wooster Symphony Orchestra regularly delight local audiences with music performances and special events.
Known locally as Spangler Park, Wooster Memorial Park is a great place to get outside and enjoy unspoiled natural beauty. This park features several miles of hiking trails that offer visitors the opportunity to see the best of Ohio's natural landscape all year round, from fall color to spring blooms and everything in between. Best of all, the trails in this park are only open to pedestrians. That means that if you want to take it easy and go for a relaxing stroll at Spangler Park, you will not have to worry about a mountain bike barreling around a corner.


text:
You must log in to access this feature. Sign in with Twellow or Facebook to get started.
By signing in to Twellow, you indicate your agreement to our terms of service.
Simply connect with Facebook and kiss those password blues away,
or go here to reset your password.
Blu is the worlds best electronic cigarette. No tar, no tobacco, no ash, & no smell.


text:
Phuket Gym Patong Fitness Center in central Patong Beach
We have created a fitness center that meets the need of conditioned and reconditioned, teens and seniors, women and men, individuals and teams. Open Daily 06:00 am - 22:00 pm
Membership Fees
1 Day: 180 baht
1 Week: 750 baht
1 Month: 1,500 baht
3 Months: 2,700 baht
6 Months: 5,100 baht
Year Rates
1 Person: 9,600 baht
3 Person: 21,000 baht
5 Person: 30,000 baht
7 Person: 35,000 baht
Over 100 pieces of workout exercise equipment
Large co-ed workout floor
Weight Training
Free weights, full range of dumbbells and barbells
Life Fitness Multi Gym
Daily Aerobics Classes & step workout on Sunday
Thai Boxing Classes
The latest Cybex & Life Fitness cardio workout from the USA
Cybex Treadmills
Cybex Arc Trainers
Cybex Cross Training
Cybex Bikes
Cybex Recumbent Bikes
Cybex Steppers
Male & Female Locker Rooms
Male & Female Saunas
Juice bar featuring weight loss drinks, shakes for pre- and post-workout performance
Service Events & Fitness Servcies
Personal trainer
Free induction. New members will get 3 times free induction about using cadiovascular machines, machine workout and free weights workout.
Kick boxing bag (trainer available on request)
Outdoor exerciase like Soccer, basketball and volleyball can be arranged by our staff to fit our customers needs.
Drinks Bar
Gym Shirts