text:
(HOLLYWOOD, CA) -- Bootylicious MILF Mellanie Monroe has earned an astounding four nominations for the brand new fan-voted adult awards show, the 2013 Sex Awards. The Sex Awards is the first consumer-voted adult awards show to be broadcast on a national television network. The Sex Awards is produced by AVN Media Network and the X3Sixty Network and will take place at an award ceremony in Hollywood this October with a scheduled national broadcast date slated for January 2014. Mellanie is adored by fans of adult entertainment for her voracious sexual appetite and gorgeously sculpted curves. The blonde bombshell is now being recognized for her efforts with four nominations for the 2013 Sex Awards. Mellanie is nominated for Porn Star of the Year as well as Hottest Sex Scene for her role in the best selling films Lex is a Mother Fucker (Evil Angel) and Mother-Daughter Exchange Club Part 28 (Girlfriends Films). Mellanie and XXX newcomer Adriana Chechik are nominated for Porn's Perfect On-Screen Couple (girl/girl) award for their sensational chemistry in Mother-Daughter Exchange Club Part 28. "I'm so thrilled to be nominated for my first adult awards!" Mellanie said. "I've been so lucky to live out my fantasies on-screen and I hope fans continue to watch and enjoy my films." Voting for the 2013 Sex Awards began on July 8 and will end August 25. Fans can vote up to five selections per category with only one vote per ISP. To vote for Mellanie in the 2013 Sex Awards please visit their website at thesexawards.com. Bootylicious MILF Mellanie Monroe is nominated for four awards for the 2013 Sex Awards. For more information on Mellanie Monroe, please visit the Mellanie Monroe network www.MellanieMonroe.com www.Twitter.com/MellanieMonroe www.Instagram.com/InstaMellanie For more pictures of Mellanie Monroe, please click here: www.StarFactoryPR.com/Mellanie_Monroe.zip Mellanie Monroe is represented by LAX Models www.laxmodels.com email@example.com (818) 275-1010 To interview Mellanie Monroe for your website and/or publication; Please contact Star Factory PR: (818) 732-0191 firstname.lastname@example.com StarFactoryPR.com A press release by www.StarFactoryPR.com. About Mellanie Monroe The Dirty Souths Texan belle Mellanie Monroe has been stunning audiences since her shocking debut in a foursome in "Ass Parade 23." The big-bootied blonde was on a wild post-break up vacation in Miami and when approached with an offer to do porn said, "Why not?" Mellanie impressed co-stars and producers so much that within a week shed quit her corporate retail job and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a full-time porn career. The Houston wild child has an infectious energy and an insatiable sexual appetite, two qualities that made her a favorite among big name adult production houses. It wasnt long before Mellanie crossed over to mainstream entertainment. Shes a frequent guest on DJ Whoo Kids Whoolywood Shuffle on Shade 45 Sirius XM and Playboy Radio on Sirius XM Channel 103. Mellanie is known on radio for her dirty sense of humor and no-holds-barred interview questions. With big name porn studios under her belt, Mellanie Monroe has already made a lasting impression on the industry. She officially launched her website MellanieMonroe.com in May 2013. On it she shocks fans with even sexier, racier content, including her first anal scene. Keep an eye out for this Texans juicy booty, you cant miss it!
50 Shades of Grey ~ Cinema Seen
XRCO 2015 Hall of Fame
Interview with Ela Darling
Derrick Pierce Interview
The News Rack: Naked Swingers
Interview of Holly Heart
ED Expo to Big Easy
Hof on Phoenix Hooker Bust
I Know You
Cal/OSHA vs Evil Angel
Layla Price at Foxxx Booth
Star.XXX Blasts Off
Puma Swede on Jukeboxx Live
Nikki Phoenix Party
Viva Las Vicki
Freedom Acres Open House
Kendra Lust in Detroit
Starr Sisters in Houston
Nikki Phoenix Update
MWA: 10th Anniversary Column
Vegas Heat Party
XBIZ Rooftop Party
Welcome 2015!
Canadian Foot Porn
Actress as an Artist
Pushed Into the Corner
Tod Hunter Press Releases
Global Adult Industry Association
Pornography Feminism
Merry XXXmas, Happy Xanukkah
Rock'N'Sexxxy 12/10/2014
Karlie Montana Interview
Deep Vision ThunderRama
Hackin Jack vs Chainsaw Chick
BBW Eliza Allure Interview
Tara Lynn Foxx Retires
Treacherous ~ Reviewer Rated
Bright Lights, Lonely Nights
Taormino Speaks at Goucher
Cumisha Amado at Sagebrush
Vivid Radio 1st Anniversary
The Gardener ~ Reviewer Rated
BoodiGo: Privacy & Porn
Shades of Scarlet ~ Reviewer Rated
AINews: Skow Among Best
Heaven & Hell Halloween Party
These Things We Do ~ Reviewer Rated
Farrah Abraham at Hustler Hollywood
Sex Workshop Hustler San Diego
Halloween Art Show
O Awards Pre-Noms Open
Trophy Girl Casting Call
Cum in Me Baby 4 ~ Reviewer Rated
More Phoenix Mainstream
BoodiGo Partners PornGuardian
BoodiGo Supports ASACP
BoodiGo Blocks Child Porn
Boodigo Adult Search Engine
AVN Show Discounts End Today
Inside The Industry 10/08/2014
Amber Lynn at Wasteland
Nikki's Fit as Phoenix
Vivid Extends Patrick Hosting
Fake Test Results
Angelyne on Amber Lynn's RNSU
Red Cardinal Wraps Betrothed
Siri Wins Round 2
J.Lo Doc Johnson Offer
Stripclub Microbrewery on CNN
Father's Day ~ Reviewer Rated
Our Father ~ Reviewer Rated
Nikki Phoenix Album Released
Passport to Hustler Event
Fox News Wasteland
Asianmodelpalooza 14
Nikki Phoenix Appearances
Nikki Phoenix Karaoke XXX
Nina Elle Retains Star Factory
Tasha Reign Grads UCLA
Tera Patrick Hosts Vivid Radio
It's Just Work
Traci Bryant Goes Legal
CET Free Panel Month
Miss LA Karaoke XXX
Freedom Acres Location
Summer Lovers
Nikki Delano at Centerfolds
Karen Summer Returns
Advertise on AINews
Cytherea Auctions Fan Scene
Entertainment is Entertainment is Entertainment
Nikki Phoenix XRCO Nom
Calling All Stars
Picture & Video Galleries
Cherie Deville in LA
Mika Tan Orgasm Girl
Tate Nommed UK Film Awards
Laela Pryce with Foxxx Modeling
Deville Members Show
Jacky Joy Judges Galaxy Awards
Harper Presents at Sex Awards
Remy LaCroix Blowout
Free Video Promotion
Mellanie Monroe 4 Noms
Monroe Sex Awards Noms
Misty Stone Awards Noms
Angelina Valentine NightMoves Nomination
Remy LaCroix NightMoves Nom
Tasha Reign NightMoves Noms
Adrianna Luna Sex Awards Noms
Bonnie Rotten NightMoves Nom
Starfall Sex Awards Nom
Kiara Mia New Projects
Christie Stevens Undefeated
Bonnie Rotten Tackles Goldilocks
Cavanni Joins Verified Call
Teri Weigel Update
Tiffany Tyler Cocksucking Crown
Bonnie Rotten Shines
Teal Conrad Fleshlight Model
Lisa Ann Talks Sex
Teal Conrad New Releases
Christie Stevens Dream Girl
Julia Ann Scores Award
HotWendyPR Successful at AEE
Forbes Features Rotten
Brandy Aniston Unsung Starlet
Sunset's Superbowl Bet 2013
Tyler in Porn Valley
James Deen Anointed
Aniston Wins Best Scene
Tate Wins MILF Award
Eva Lin Takes Home XBIZ Award
Natalia Starr Update
Diana Prince Barelist Interview
Brandy Aniston Acting Out
Joanna Angel NightMoves Awards
XBIZ TV: Joanna Angel
Introducing Cindy Starfall
Jayda Diamonde
McLean: Bunny to Director
Pornstar Pages Section Index


text:
Wednesday, 28th August 11:30 PM IST
CHENNAI EXPRESS Continues To Overperform WIth Jumps In 3rd Week
Film was rock steady for last two days and today film grew with jump of 30% at least. As per ear;y estimates, film should collect 2.45 cr nett taking total figure to mammoth 216 cr nett plus.
Film will finish with 18 cr nett 3rd week and will cross 218 cr nett lifetime. Now 225 cr nett lifetime figure looks certain and worldwide gross 400 cr will be surpassed by end of 4th week if not earlier.
Below are the collections of the film –
Domestic Collection
Thursday (Paid Preview)
06.75 cr nett
33.12 cr nett
28.05 cr nett
32.50 cr nett
12.62 cr nett
11.50 cr nett
12.56 cr nett
19.60 cr nett
1st Week Total Collections
156.70 cr nett
2nd Week
06.50 cr nett
08.51 cr nett
10.22 cr nett
03.80 cr nett
07.06 cr nett
04.51 cr nett
03.25 cr nett
2nd Week Total Collections
43.85 cr nett
3rd Week
02.12 cr nett
03.61 cr nett
04.75 cr nett
01.63 cr nett
01.74 cr nett
02.46 cr nett
Total Domestic Collections
216.86 cr nett
Total Overseas Collections
108.50 cr
Total Worldwide Collections
325.36 cr
Total Worldwide Gross
392.00 cr

subset: commoncrawl


text:
New for 2015 DSM-5 e book
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text:
Justin and Selena's Weekend of PDA Began at Airport
Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez are taking PDA to another level. Before locking lips in front of millions at the Billboard Music Awards -- and being photographed with the Disney star's hand dangerously high on the BieberThigh -- the pair were spotted in all their puppy love glory at LA's airport.
"They are so cute together," a friend who saw the young couple check in together at LAX on their way to Vegas for the awards show. "They cut the line right in front of me in first class and were holding hands and giggling."
My spy in first class was about to confront them, "then I saw they were so in love it made me smile. Ah, young love, nothing is more beautiful."
The pair even took time to help shout out orders at Starbucks after the barristas mixed up a few orders. The fun moment highlights just young this kids are -- she's 18, he's 17.
"You forget how young they both are until you see them up close," the traveler tells me. "It looks like he hasn't started shaving yet. His skin is as perfect as hers. But one thing is for sure, they certainly were not trying to hide the obvious fact they are a couple."
Later on that evening when Justin won for Best New Artist Selena gave him a big kiss on the lips. "She's amazing," Bieber said in the press room after taking home six awards Sunday night. Before, they had only been seen holding hands at the Vanity Fair Oscars party.
'The Kiss' Is at 02:19 of the Video:
► Follow @NaughtyNiceRob on Twitter!
- Filed under:
- Awards -
- Famous Couples -
- Music News -
- Exclusives -
- Naughty But Nice With Rob Shuter -
- Top News
- Monday 23 MayBy olivia
- Monday 23 MayBy lameleca
- Monday 23 MayBy AllieHigh Rank Vote downVote upReport this
They are adorable, everyone need to leave them alone. It's sweet to see two kids being affectionate. For those who say that it was wrong to kiss in front of his mom, that's ridiculous. I can see if there was porno tongue and butt squeezing but it was very sweet. Leave these kids alone and let them enjoy their young love.
- Monday 23 MayBy lamelecaHigh Rank Vote downVote upReport this
Ewwww!!!! That's pretty much all I've got to say.
- Monday 23 MayBy garjaya
Just a friendly kiss between girlfriends.
- Monday 23 MayBy lameleca
- Tuesday 24 MayBy Rpmdive
Hope they have a litter together! Just don't give their influence to teens their age unless they are responsible for the bar they set!
- Monday 23 MayBy debbie
I am sorry but Selena is so much more mature than Justin is. He just looks way to young for her and he still acts like a child sometimes. I watched a interview and she has him beat by a mile in the maturity catagory. She needs someone who is a bit older than her and not in the business she's in. She has plenty of time to find the right person to settle down with.....just not Justin bieber:(
- Monday 23 MayBy lameleca
People who are typing in all caps.........STOP SHOUTING!!!!!
- Monday 23 MayBy Claud PipkinHigh Rank Vote downVote upReport this
Seems to me young people today being "too grownup"......Several tv shows show teens (high schoolers) acting and discussing very adult subjects.....
Question is are we expecting this or are we pushing them into the adult areas?????
- Saturday 28 MayBy Sara
no its just that times have changed and teenagers talk about teenager stuff, we do what we want to do because were teenagers.
- Monday 23 MayBy the_fool
Their marketing teams and agents have had this set up a long time ago. I say it is too forced and not natural. If they keep them together as much as possible - a story could develop or a kiss. A calculated career move.
- Monday 23 MayBy Sue
Jealous! Jealous! Jealous!
- Monday 23 May
Shame shame, we know your name, kids!
- Saturday 28 MayBy Sara
I dont like Justin Bieber, yes i think hes attractive, and yes i do like Selena Gomez and i think if anyone sends her death threats because they are je.ous of her than thats stupid, because i am sure that if you ever met Justin and he knew that you did that he would probably HATE you so good luck wanting him to appreciate you if you want the person he loves dead. That is like saying his mom should die because she was a "teen" (19) when she had him plus she gets to see him everyday. So basically any death threats you send to selena you might as well send them to his mom also because its the same thing. If you want to be a good fan then just shut uo and be happy for him
- Monday 30 May
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text:
Oh! So you're a super ultra quick spammer! NICE!!!
I am super ultra quick at your responding to your call. hehehehe. It's my 6th sense.
me and my shaved hairs are private business. =3 Hairs are srs bsns I has choco milk would you like some? Btw, glad you're alive! We need to talk asap. =o
nah yo. me and my shaved hairs are private business. And no where near serious stuff. I mean, we can think of hundreds of more serious things to talk about.... like.. uh.. ya know... SERIOUS STUFF!! *sips a glass of chocolate milk* YEA! THAT IS SERIOUS STUFF!
Hey like, can i talk about those beautiful hairs? =3 It is srs bsns after all!
ZOMGOSH! ST HAS AUTOMATICALLY DELETED MY CAPS! NO FAiR! -1 serious points.
serious business!?!? Zomgosh!!!!! Alright!! I am super awesome totally serious!!! The big caps and outrageous pink colors indicate that!
This is srsly bsns, plz take this srsly k? I don't appreciate your demeaning comments. >:[]
weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. THIS IS MORE URGENT TO DO! hehehe
URGENT MESSAGE!!! Hi. =3


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text:
Articles in Agriculture
On my recent visit to Chablis, France, I asked to see new producers and was slightly taken aback to find the name Michel Laroche at the top of the list. Laroche has been making wine, and then running a thriving business, ever since his very first harvest back in the terrible vintage of 1963. Over the years he has been at the forefront of innovation in Chablis, with horizons stretching far beyond the narrow valley of the river Serein. And now he has reinvented himself as a true vigneron, cultivating the grapes for the wine that he makes.
More from Zester Daily:
» Single-grape Chablis is Chardonnay in its purest form
In the 1970s and 1980s, when expansion of the Chablis vineyards was at its height, Laroche was responsible for the development of a large négociant business, buying the grapes or juice for wine, and the growth of the family estate to some 100 hectares (about 247 acres). Not content with Chablis, he developed a wine estate in the Languedoc, Mas la Chevalière, outside Béziers for vins de pays (country wine), because he wanted to try his hand at red wine. In 2005, he bought a wine estate in South Africa, l'Avenir; there was also a venture in Chile. He was a fervent promoter of screw caps at a time when the French market deemed them an anathema. And making use of his wife Gwénaël's talent for interior design, he opened an elegant hotel and wine bar in Chablis itself. Then in 2010, he sold out to Advini, a company run by the Languedoc family, Jeanjean, which incorporates several wine estates in the key vineyard areas of France.
Laroche can always be relied upon for a perceptive overview of the Chablis market. A former manager of the town's main bank described him as un grand homme du marketing (a great marketeer) — and she should know, as she doubtless saw the business plans of most of the vignerons of the appellation. After the fusion with Advini, Laroche stayed on for a two-year transition period, consulting on marketing, but now has returned to his roots and become a vigneron, based on his father's original vines. Appropriately, Laroche's new venture is called Le Domaine d'Henri after his father, and the label features a charming photograph of his parents enjoying a harvest meal in their vineyard. Laroche has four children, and his two daughters, Céline and Margaux, work with him. Although his sons have taken different career paths, Laroche insists that it is a family business for them all.
The core of the estate is 14 hectares (34.6 acres) of vineyards that belonged to his father and he has bought 8 more hectares (19.8 acres). They are mostly on the right bank of the Serein and include several plots of Fourchaume. There is a new cellar on the outskirts of the town. The vineyards are run organically, but the label does not say so because Laroche wishes to reserve the right to use a conventional spray if the climate demands it, as it did in 2013. His winemaker is Thibaud Baudin, who has worked in the Côte d'Or and in New Zealand, and then most recently for Advini at Domaine Laroche.
However, these days Laroche is very much involved with wine making and vineyard work in a way that the scale of Domaine Laroche had not allowed him for several years – and he is in his element. You can sense his enjoyment at serving wines in which he has played a vital role. As he put it, "le jeu, the game, is to produce quality. It is like a new profession, with a new perspective." And these days he can spend as much time as he likes in his vineyards, so that he feels so much closer to the product. "I've returned to its source."
As well as simple Chablis from vineyards in the hills above the village of Maligny, Laroche has created a range of three premier crus from the prestigious Fourchaume region. Here you sense his marketing expertise. The first small vintage of Domaine d'Henri was in 2012, and I was lucky enough to be able to taste the wines.
The basic Fourchaume, if a premier cru can be basic, is a blend of several plots. Just 11% of it is fermented and aged in wood, and then blended with the vat-aged wine in the June following the harvest. The year 2012 was a fine vintage in Chablis, so no chaptalization was necessary, and the wine is firm and has great minerality. The Cuvée Vieilles Vignes comes from older wines that were planted in 1970. Here the percentage of oak aging is 21% and the taste is firmer and steelier, with a taut finish. And the third Fourchaume, Cuvée Heritage, comes from vines that were planted in 1937, from a vineyard that Henri bought rather than planted himself. There is just one new barrel out of five, with 37% of the cuvée fermented and aged in oak. The higher percentage of oak makes for a more oxidative style, with more structure and richer flavors. In 2012 they made just 4,000 bottles of Cuvée Heritage, including some magnums and jeroboams.
When I asked Laroche what he considered to be the biggest change in Chablis over the years, he replied without hesitation, "The very positive development of the awareness that we are an appellation with a great potential."
Back in 1963, most people considered themselves farmers, merely scraping a living from their vines with the aim of quantity, not quality. These days it is the quality of Chablis that provides the excitement, and that is Laroche's aim as a new vigneron.
Main photo: Wines from Le Domaine d'Henri. Credit: Courtesy of Le Domaine d'Henri
Gardening in winter hardly seems ideal to those of us in cold climates, but for Craig LeHoullier, the season of snow brings the first opportunity to plan his summer tomato crop. A tomato adviser for Seed Savers Exchange and author of the recently published book "Epic Tomatoes: How to Select & Grow the Best Varieties of All Time," LeHoullier is an expert in the field, having developed, introduced and named almost 200 tomato varieties.
More from Zester Daily:
» Mennonite tomatoes have the power to bring her home
» Celebrating Thomas Jefferson's big green thumb
Over the past 30 years, LeHoullier has brought a number of heirloom tomato varieties back from the brink of extinction. Perhaps his most notable contribution is the Cherokee Purple, a tomato that came to him as an envelope of seeds sent by John D. Green and is now one of the most popular varieties in the Seed Exchange catalog.
LeHoullier's love for heirloom tomatoes began as a hobby, but after retiring from his career as a chemist and project manager in the pharmaceutical industry in 2007, this passion blossomed into a second career. LeHoullier lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, with his wife, Susan, and is known within the heirloom tomato community as NCTomatoMan.
I caught up with LeHoullier before the launch of his book tour and got his advice on how to successfully grow heirloom tomatoes in my own backyard.
Winter gardening: prime time for research
LeHoullier says he gets about a monthlong break between digging up the last of his dead tomato plants each fall and the appearance of the first seed catalogs, when the real work of planning the garden begins. This lull in the action is prime time for research. Online sites such as Dave's Garden, Tomatoville and GardenWeb can provide a good starting point for new gardeners. LeHoullier recommends searching for "garden discussion groups," "tomato discussion groups" and "top 10 tomatoes" to begin your reading.
Determine your gardening goals
LeHoullier points out that gardening is a personal experience and that "Each one of us will choose how much of our lives we'll pour into it." Growing great tomatoes requires figuring out what kind of gardener you are — or would like to be.
LeHoullier suggests that you think about what you want to get out of your tomato garden. Before you place your seed order, consider whether you want to garden because you want to grow food; because it's a good hobby to work off a few extra pounds; or because you want to use it as a teaching tool for your friends, family or children.
Ask yourself: Do I want a high yield? Am I looking for huge tomatoes to impress my friends? Do I want an incredible flavor experience? Or do I want to grow something that I've never seen before? The answer to these questions will help you focus your research on the tomato varieties that suit your gardening goals.
Figure out what kind of tomatoes you like to eat
Tomatoes come in a wide variety of colors, flavors and sizes. Most of us have not tried many of the thousands of tomato varieties that exist in the world. LeHoullier believes that the best way to know which tomatoes you should grow is to decide which tomatoes you'd like to eat. Visit farmers markets and stores such as Whole Foods to try tomato varieties you've never eaten and notice which flavor profiles excite you.
Get to know your gardening climate
Understanding your growing season is crucial. If you live in a warm climate where summer lasts more than 150 days, then the maturity date doesn't matter much. But if you're in a colder climate, pay close attention to the maturity date of the tomatoes you want to grow. Talk to friends in your neighborhood who are avid gardeners and vendors at local farmers markets to see which tomato varieties grow best for them.
Seeds vs. seedlings
LeHoullier says that "At a basic level, people will want to understand that growing tomatoes from seed opens up the world for you to try different colors, sizes and shapes." That said, starting tomatoes from seeds can be a tricky proposition. Consider your capabilities and experience with growing tomatoes from seed. If your tolerance for failure is low, begin by planting seedlings.
Hybrids vs. heirlooms
Although LeHoullier says he "won't make the blanket statement that some make that heirlooms are always more disease susceptible and difficult to grow than hybrids," he does allow that heirlooms can be finicky and that "every tomato — including the hybrid varieties — has its own personality and foibles."
Start small (Do as I say, not as I do.)
After you've familiarized yourself with the seemingly endless choices in the tomato world, it's time to get planting. Showing restraint is key, especially for new gardeners.
Raising thousands of tomato varieties isn't for everyone. (Or in fact, for most people.) LeHoullier cautions new growers to start small, in spite of the fact that he has a huge and ever-growing tomato collection. LeHoullier identifies himself as a "hobby collector" — he's into beer brewing, roasting his own coffee, bird watching, kayaking, and has countless other hobbies in addition to what he calls "the tomato thing." He describes himself as a "seeker who is never satisfied." It is this tendency that has led LeHoullier to raise a collection of tomatoes that now hits the 3,000 mark.
One reason that LeHoullier's collection has grown so large is that he has inherited the collections of gardeners who have become overwhelmed. "People send me entire collections because they can't take care of them."
Disappointment is an opportunity for learning
A scientist by training and experience, LeHoullier sees gardening as "an exciting hobby to learn stuff" and reminds us that "Each year, X number of plants are gonna die. Critters are gonna eat another bunch of plants, but that's great because we learn from it and the next year we try different things to avoid that problem, knowing that other problems will arise."
The bottom line
LeHoullier asserts some basic goals: Do a lot of searching. Ask a lot of questions. Make an accurate assessment of your interest level. Taste every tomato you can get your hands on. Recognize that there aren't a lot of hard and fast answers to gardening questions. There are just, as LeHoullier says, "an infinite number of variables for every act a gardener takes."
Perhaps most important, LeHoullier cheers us on in our tomato-growing efforts by reminding us that, "If you can find them, and buy them, and taste them, and like them, there's no reason you can't grow them."
Main photo: Cherokee Purple heirloom tomato, named by Craig LeHoullier, author of "Epic Tomatoes." Credit: Susan Lutz
In an era when most wine experts agree how difficult it is to create a truly great sparkling wine in America, McMinnville, Ore.-based Rob Stuart is making one of his personal passion projects look easy. The longtime Willamette Valley winemaker just celebrated his winery's second release of Bubbly ($28), a 100% Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine he developed for mixing in cocktails or just drinking by itself.
"We knew what we wanted was an everyday sparkler," says Maria Stuart, Rob's wife and co-owner of their R. Stuart & Co. winery. "We wanted it to be affordable but to have those characteristics that make Champagne so special."
More from Zester Daily:
» 7 inspired recipes for flat Champagne
» 9 essential questions about Champagne, answered
Developed over the course of just six months, Bubbly joins a growing roster of sparkling wines emerging from Oregon's most celebrated vineyards.
Although Oregon has long had a handful of producers with reputable sparkling programs — Argyle Winery in Dundee and Soter Vineyards in Carlton are the most well-known — the state's love affair with sparkling is a new thing, an idea that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. It's a romance that's finally bubbling over thanks to a number of factors. For one, you have considerations of climate. Oregon's cold climate sweet spot, very similar to France's, has long been cited as a raison d'être for the wine industry's existence. Located on the 45° latitude, the state has spent the last half-century establishing itself as a place where terroir, maritime weather patterns and delicate Pinot Noirs rival those of anywhere on earth.
But the barriers to entering the sparkling market are a lot steeper than with Pinot Noir.
"Sparkling is almost impossible to do unless you have the right equipment, and it's so incredibly expensive," says Jeff Woodard of Woodard Wines in McMinnville. "Just a few years ago you could only think of five people doing it in Oregon — now there are 25 coming out."
A sparkling industry on the move
One man has made the impossible a reality for Oregon's small producers. His name is Andrew Davis, and his business, Radiant Sparkling Wine Company, has allowed 16 small wineries to start sparkling programs since he launched in 2013. Davis learned bubbles from the best during his seven-year stint as a winemaker at Argyle, but he wanted to do something personal on a smaller scale.
"I watched, waiting for sparkling to be a thing in Oregon, but there are just too many roadblocks for most small producers," Davis says.
The process is far from easy. Crafting a sparkling is labor intensive. Consider this: Where a bottle of red might be handled 20 times before hitting the shelves, sparkling gets an estimated 2,000 touches by human hands before reaching the marketplace. Only the most experienced winemakers are really making a go of it. But when they do, they are trying to capture that elusive, lively, complex, refreshing and effervescent nature of France's Champagne.
With still wine, Davis says, if something goes wrong, you can do something to correct it. But winemakers needed more technical assistance in experimenting with sparkling.
Then there are the financial barriers to entry. Even the most modest equipment for starting a sparkling program can cost more than $50,000 for just one machine.
"You can do manual rotation of the bottles, but it's extremely tedious," Davis says.
So Davis, seeing this need, launched a mobile business that assumes some of the more technical aspects of sparkling production, allowing winemakers to focus on crafting the right blend before bottling. Davis goes directly to the producers themselves, helping them to bottle the wine at their own site, add the yeast, crown-cap it, riddle it mechanically, returning to disgorge it when the winemaker decides the time is right.
Those 16 wineries throughout Oregon that have taken on the challenge of sparkling with Davis' help include Ponzi Vineyards, Elk Cove, Raptor Ridge and Sokol Blosser. Some have already thrown their names into the American sparkling wine ring while others will be doing so over the next few years, with the bulk of the efforts expected to emerge in 2017.
Bubbly on the menu
R. Stuart & Co. is perhaps best known in the United States for its Big Fire Pinot Noir, which sells all the way to the Eastern Seaboard. For Rob Stuart, who has been making wine for the better part of three decades, sparkling was always on his mind. On a 1971 trip to visit his brother, who was studying in England at the time, the then-17-year-old had his first taste of Champagne, a 1961 Bollinger served on a silver tray in elegant flutes. Ever since, sparkling has been a passionate side project.
As a student, he sterilized bottles for experiments in sparkling in his bathtub. At every vineyard he worked at thereafter, he asked a lot of questions about the process, experimented, tasted and refined until he knew exactly what he wanted to make.
"I always say when I make any wine it's like a Holy Grail project," Stuart says. "I know what I'm looking for; it's just about finding my way there."
His first sparkling for his own winery, Rosé d'Or, launched in 1999, is a gorgeous rosy sparkling based on a highly complex process. It's made according to traditional Champagne-making methods, but for one exception. As a nonvintage wine, it consists of a blend of several years' vintages in one bottle. With each new vintage, Stuart adds the new wine to the base wine and bottles it, with each successive year including both new wine and the reserve base wine.
"It's kind of like using a sourdough starter," Maria Stuart says. "This is the thinking person's sparkling — it makes true Champagne lovers swoon."
Bubbly, first released in 2013, came to be out of a direct need. Maria Stuart, who runs the Life and Times of a Pinot Mom food website, had out-of-town friends visiting one summer and wanted to serve crème de cassis, a classic French cocktail combining black currant liqueur and sparkling wine.
"I said, 'Rob, I really need you to just make me a good sparkling wine that pairs with cocktails,' " she recounts.
Within six months, the couple released their first edition of Bubbly, made from 100% Chardonnay grapes from Courting Hill Vineyard.
"When you've been making wine for more than 25 years you don't have to make all of the same mistakes again," Rob Stuart says.
The process for Bubbly is a little more straightforward, and the result is a wine the Stuarts expect to be a favorite at wedding showers, brunches and in cocktail pairings. It is just as accessible and lovely as intended, with lemon and pear flavors with Honey Crisp apple on the nose, dry and light, but with creaminess on the mid-palate. Like many sparkling wines, it pairs nicely with all types of fish and crab and smoked salmon, but the Stuarts see Bubbly as something of a social mover-and-shaker — hence the butterfly on its label.
"It's not easy to make sparkling wine," Rob Stuart says. "But this one isn't really that serious — it's simple, fresh, lively and free. It's our party wine."
Main photo: At the R. Stuart & Co. wine bar in McMinnville, Oregon, wine lovers gather to toast the arrival of Bubbly. Credit: Emily Grosvenor
"There's no hiding the fact that there are two populations, the haves and the have-nots," said Sanjay Rawal, talking about his provocative documentary "Food Chains."
Rawal's film sheds light on those who eat food and those who produce it, and the disparity between what laborers contribute and their often meager living conditions. The documentary has earned rave reviews for its illuminating take on the food industry. Matt Pais of the Chicago news site RedEye called it "an educational and upsetting 81 minutes." Film Journal International recommended it for "every American who unquestioningly lifts fork to mouth for their three squares a day."
The Author
Rawal is unique in the insight he brings to his subject. For a decade, he ran a tomato genetics company with his father and sold seeds to Florida growers. It's from this background — his family's tomatoes are sold at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods Market — that Rawal draws his story of food, migration and inequality.
Spotlight on farm laborers
"Food Chains" begins in southern Florida, where local tomato pickers formed a human rights organization in 1993. They named their group the Coalition of Immokalee Workers after the town where they live. Like many farm laborers, the workers were paid by the number of pounds they picked, and Rawal gives a front-row seat to their plea for better working conditions and livable wages. According to a 2008 report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, workers who were paid by the piece were twice as likely to live below the poverty line as their salaried counterparts.
Although "Food Chains" is grounded in the CIW's fight against mega-grocer Publix, Rawal packs in stunning footage of farm fields across the country, juxtaposing it with the hardship many laborers endure. In one guilt-checking scene, Rawal takes his cameras to America's wine capital, Northern California's posh Napa Valley. Away from images of quaint vineyards and luxurious resorts, he presents farmworkers struggling to put a roof over their heads. The shortage of affordable housing, Rawal said, forces some to cram up to 20 people in a small house.
DeVon Nolen, manager of the West Broadway Farmers Market in Minneapolis, took her children to a "Food Chains" screening at the Film Society of Minneapolis/St. Paul, which has a history of promoting cross-cultural filmmaking. Nolen works on an urban agriculture initiative called the Homegrown Minneapolis Food Council. "It struck me how disconnected we are from our food source," she said post-screening. "The only way you can really solve this is to have a local sustainable food system."
Although today's consumers appear more concerned than ever with locally produced, pesticide-free and humanely raised foods, Rawal said there's one question that doesn't get asked enough: "Who produces my food?"
The group Bread for the World Institute has one answer. It reports that seven out of 10 U.S. farmworkers are foreign born, and roughly half don't have documents.
Migrant workers around the world
It's not uncommon for a country's food production to be supplied by migrant workers. Southern European countries draw millions of farm laborers from North Africa and Eastern Europe. What's different in the United States is that whereas Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece have carried out a combined 15 or more legalization programs since 1985, the U.S. has yet to grant legal protection for many of its most valuable yet underappreciated workers. A recent poll by the Southern Poverty Law Center found that 90 percent of female farmworkers in California cited sexual harassment as a major problem. Rawal noted that few challenge their unfair conditions for fear of getting deported.
Such is the food workers' paradox. The food system depends on them, but they're beleaguered by being foreign born. "Our immigration policy is to keep our labor costs low," said lawyer Michele Garnett McKenzie, advocacy director at the Advocates for Human Rights in Minneapolis.
In 2011, the CIW launched its Fair Food Program, a plan to double worker wages by instituting penny-per-pound increases on produce. This would cost the average family of four an additional 44 cents a year. Taco Bell, Burger King, McDonald's, Trader Joe's and Walmart all signed the contract (Publix has yet to join).
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The little guys are chiming in too. Lisa Kivirist boasts that her bed and breakfast, Inn Serendipity in Browntown, Wisconsin, is "carbon negative," meaning more carbon dioxide is sequestered than emitted. She is a big fan of the Fair Food Program described in "Food Chains." "It brings authentic transparency and needed justice to our food system."
Kivirist and her husband, John Ivanko, grow most of the food they serve to guests in their garden. Anything not produced on their property is bought from small-scale local producers or fair trade sources, which designate funds to social, economic and environmental development projects with an emphasis on fair worker wages. In order to be considered fair trade, a company must register with a certifying organization like Fair Trade USA or Fairtrade International.
The challenge for those like McKenzie, Nolen and Kivirist is to bring others into the movement. For his part, Rawal urged support of companies that signed on to the Fair Food Program. He also tries to buy local and fair trade foods, and avoids grocery stores whenever possible.
Despite being a farm kid, Rawal never realized until doing his film how much sacrifice goes into his food. "I'm more grateful for my food," he said. "That's the first step, as wishy-washy as it seems."
The documentary "Food Chains," which premiered in November 2014, is now available on iTunes and Netflix.
Main photo: Farmworkers weed spinach by hand in San Luis Obispo, California. Credit: iStock/NNehring
Ben Bartenstein reported this story for Round Earth Media out of St. Paul, Minnesota. He is active in the Asian American Journalists Association and is now reporting out of Rabat, Morocco.
This Sonoma wine captivated with scents of gently crushed black cherries mildly seasoned with oak. Its attack was silky and the flavors echoed the wine's alluring aromas. It was fresh and structured, though the oak gradually became more of a presence, indicating that the wine wanted cellaring.
It was the 2008 Vérité "La Joie," an obsessively calculated blend of — here goes — 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec. Wine critic Robert M. Parker Jr. awarded it 99/100 points and rated the 2007 vintage 100/100. There was another perfect score for "La Joie's" sibling, Vérité "Le Désir," a Cabernet Franc-dominated blend. And the third wine of the Vérité trio, the Merlot-based La Muse, garnered 99/100 points.
I do not typically score wines. I write pages and pages of notes. Amid the adjectives for that 2008 Vérité "La Joie" I noted "quite European in style" and "very French."
So perhaps it's not surprising that the wines were made by a Frenchman, Pierre Seillan, 64, who hails from the Lot-et-Garonne region south of Bordeaux.
The Vérité project
The Vérité project was the dreamchild of California wine icon, Jess Jackson, who died in 2011. An attorney and self-made billionaire, Jackson bought a pear orchard in 1974, planted grapes and eventually began making wine. In 1982 he created Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay and gave birth to a vinous revolution: Here was a moderately priced wine that trounced the Hearty Burgundies and other jug wines.
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Jackson continued to build his empire, which at its height comprised 35 wineries in five countries. What eluded him was a great wine. Then Seillan entered the picture.
The time was 1995. Seillan was managing estates for the Bordeaux negociant Cheval Quincard, when a mutual friend arranged for Jackson's wife, Barbara Banke, to visit Seillan at one of the châteaux he was directing. In 1996 Seillan visited Jackson and by 1997 the Seillans had moved to Sonoma County.
They wasted no time. Vérité debuted with the 1998 vintage. But, first, as Seillan recalls, "Jess and I explored his different estates, vineyards and properties around California and around the world. I was able to identify and develop new locations in Sonoma County that were the right place for growing very high quality grapes, and matching the terroir to the appropriate varietal and rootstock. I then was able to identify what I defined later as 'micro-crus.' "
The 'micro' approach
Seillan has worked with micro-crus for most of his life. "Ever since my grandmother taught me about soils and gardening when I was little at my parents' estate in Gascony, then my work across Bordeaux, in the Loire Valley, in Tuscany and California. I learned to listen to the message of a particular place from the soil, climate and the vegetation, and to be able to match that to producing the right grapes in the right way."
Seillan selects the best grapes from roughly a thousand acres of vineyards owned by Jackson to make the three versions of Vérité. The key parcels, well-exposed hillsides ranging from 578 feet to 2,457 feet, are: the Kellogg vineyard, Alexander Mountain Estate, Vérité Vale in Chalk Hill and Jackson Park.
Was the micro-approach uncommon in California? "Yes," Seillan said. "Viticulture in California is still very young compared to France."
In 2003, the Jacksons and the Seillans purchased the 55-acre Château Lassègue St. Emilion Grand Cru, and several years later, the 31-acre Château Vignot, also a St. Emilion Grand Cru. And Seillan manages the team at Jackson's Tuscan properties.
Not surprisingly, the philosophy of micro-cru prevails, from painstaking selection of soils to persnickety parsing of grape percentages for each bottling.
A few favorites
Having tasted more than a dozen Seillan/Jackson wines recently, I had a hard job picking favorites. Nevertheless, I loved the 2010 Château Lassègue. Velvety and nuanced, it was fresh and structured, with notes of licorice blending with those of Burlat cherries. At $90 it's not out of line for high quality Bordeaux and a lot cheaper than the 2008 Vérités ($390 a bottle). Of the three Tuscan wines, I much preferred the Chianti Classico to the two Bordeaux blends. Made from Sangiovese, the region's traditional grape, it had a tasty story to tell on its home turf. What's more, at $30 a bottle, it's priced at roughly a third of the Super Tuscans.
And there's a new, nicely priced charmer: Seillan has resuscitated vineyards planted by his mother on the Coteaux de Montestruc, facing the Pyrenees. True to form, he opted to plant Bordeaux grapes rather than those traditional to the region. The results are delectable. The 2012 Bellevue Seillan Côtes de Gascogne VdF, a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec, is a lip-smacking crowd-pleaser as well as a good value at $30 a bottle. Seillan's grandma must be smiling.
Main image: Pierre and Monique Seillan moved to Sonoma in 1997. Credit: Courtesy of Monique Seillan
Sicily is famous for its distinctive wines and native grape varieties, particularly those that grow on volcanic soils. Nerello Mascalese, today's most talked-about Sicilian red grape, only flourishes on the slopes of Mount Etna, Italy's largest active volcano. The lesser-known Malvasia delle Lipari grows instead on the volcanic Aeolian Islands, where it's made into a delicious and unique dessert wine that also goes wonderfully with cheese.
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Malvasia delle Lipari Passito DOC is made from sun-dried grapes in several versions, from very sweet to drier. It offers orange and floral notes, toasted nuts and rich apricots to the nose and, at its best, enough acidity in the mouth to balance the sweetness and keep it lively and long. The volcanic soils often confer exciting, salty minerality.
The Aeolians are the archipelago that sits between Italy's "toe" in Calabria and Sicily's northeastern corner. You reach them by ferry from Messina. The cluster of eight small islands, known as Isole Eolie in Italian, was named for Eolo, the god of wind in Greek mythology. No wonder: The Aeolians are subjected to winds from all sides. The islanders' rudimentary lifestyle of fishing and agriculture was dramatically captured in "Stromboli," Roberto Rossellini's 1950 black-and-white film starring Ingrid Bergman. It was set on the island of Stromboli, another of Italy's three active volcanoes.
Islands at a crossroads of culture
Contemporary vine-growing takes place mostly on two of the other islands, Lipari and Salina, but the archipelago has long been linked to wine, as professor Attilio Scienza, Italy's foremost viticultural historian explains:
"These islands played an important role in the history of wine. As Phoenician and ancient Greek ships traveled the Mediterranean, they stopped off here to stock up on food and this allowed for important cultural exchanges."
Scienza was speaking at Sicilia en Primeur, the itinerant Sicilian wine event that this year was held on the island of Vulcano.
"We know that grapes were grown and traded here: Grape seeds from 6,000 years ago have been found in archaelogical digs on Lipari. Later, in the 6th century, an unusual sweet wine became famous on the islands. It was made when very ripe, sun-dried grapes were heaped into a high mound whose weight naturally pressed the juice from the berries. This wine was known to keep — and therefore travel — well and its fame spread throughout the Mediterranean."
The family of vines called Malvasia grows throughout the Mediterranean, but the Malvasia now found on the Aeolian islands has a DNA very close to that of the original Greek Malvasia. Despite facing extinction after the phylloxera attacks of the early 20th century, today Malvasia is being made in sweet and dry versions by a score of producers on the islands.
"Mediterranean peoples have a different, more cyclical, history than other Europeans," Scienza says. "Life on these islands has hardly changed in 3,000 years. Today, this archaic, heroic viticulture can teach us a lot about how to make wine while maintaining the landscape sustainably." Malvasia vines are often still grown as free-standing bushes, ad alberello, in steeply sloping vineyards. Their long roots reach deeply down; it rarely rains on these islands.
A much-favored vacation destination
The Aeolians offer some of the Mediterranean's most sought-after holiday destinations, so if you want to explore their viticulture peacefully, it's best to avoid the August crush. Winemakers have more time in spring and autumn to show their vineyards and organize tastings. Book your visit ahead, as these tiny estates are usually worked by the owners.
I recently visited seven top Malvasia producers, most of whom are situated on Salina. I made my base at Capofaro, the luxurious resort owned by the noble Tasca d'Almerita family whose historic estate, Regaleali, is located in central Sicily. The hotel is surrounded by vineyards, and you can enjoy their fine wines at Capofaro's restaurant.
The name most often associated with Malvasia delle Lipari is Hauner's, who was the first to revive this traditional wine. Carlo Hauner makes fine Malvasia in sweet and dry versions.
Like Hauner, Fenech and Nino Caravaglio are artisanal Malvasia producers who supplement their incomes with the other plant that loves these arid conditions, the caper bush. Their tiny, salted capers — the plant's flower buds — are famous throughout Italy. You can sample and buy these producers' delicious wines and capers from their small cellars. Barone di Villagrande is another enterprising estate on Salina that also makes native reds on Etna.
If you go to Vulcano island, make an appointment with Paola Lantieri to visit her lovely house and vineyard. She makes her passito from grapes sun-dried on the vine and on cane racks. The latest addition to the Aelioan wineries is Castellaro, a large, ambitious project on Lipari. Their state-of-the-art cellar and expanding vineyards promise well for these ancient islands' continuing viticulture.
Main photo: Malvasia vineyards and bougainvillea at the Capofaro estate on Salina. Credit: Carla Capalbo
Across the country, bakers are starting to mill their own flour. The idea might seem silly. Make your own flour? Might as well make your own air. But like fresh ground coffee and fresh squeezed orange juice, fresh milled flour is a galaxy away from its banal supermarket counterpoint.
Flour's job is often structural, delivering flavors such as butter and chocolate in sweets, or fermentation in bread. Flour stands in the background and doesn't make a peep, like the ideal child of yore. This silence comes from stripping away the most flavorful elements of grains through the milling process, which generally removes all of the germ and much of the bran.
"Fat equals flavor," a chef friend declared in the early '90s, when fat was a popular thing to fear. I've found his statement holds true, even in grains.
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Grain kernels have three parts: bran, endosperm and germ. Most of the oils are in the germ and the bran, which also hold minerals, nutrients and flavors. Flavor and fat are volatile. Once exposed to air in the milling process, the oils in grains spoil quickly. Bran has other strikes against it, and the biggest is that it interferes with making lofty, airy loaves of bread.
Roller mills, which were adopted in the late 1800s, allow for removal of bran and germ. One advantage of this is shelf stability, and another is making flour that is mostly endosperm, a powerhouse of starch and protein that's great for baking.
Stone milling was the way to make flour for millennia. Now, millstones prop up mailboxes on suburban lawns, but the technology is having a revival. Bakers are adding stone mills to their kitchens because the process allows them to use more whole grain flours and experiment with flavors.
"Fresh milling is a new frontier in the repatriation of wheat to our regional economies," said Steve Jones, director of The Bread Lab and Washington State University's Mount Vernon Research Center. The place is a magnet for inquisitive bakers drawn to the science that is following flour back to the field. The lab has small mills to test grains as scientists, and resident baker Jonathan Bethony, investigate varieties, seeking types that grow well for farmers and perform well for bakers.
"The flour is flavorful and quirky. The flavor is a plus for sure, the quirkiness can be a pain," Jones said of fresh flour.
Flour aged to improve its strength
Flour is typically aged to improve its strength and even out irregularities that newly milled flour can display. Again, I think of children, who are tamed into good behavior. Time, or in many cases, bleach tames young flour, and its potentially wild expressions.
"We are working to add some predictability back to the equation. Fresh milled is usually weaker but in our experience still makes incredible bread and again the flavor makes it all worth it," Jones said. "Grassy, nutty, chocolate and various hints of spice? You don't get that from old flour."
Fresh flour is one of the primary reasons Tabor Bread exists in Portland, Oregon. Owner Tissa Stein saw a gap in the foodie city, where there was wood-fired pizza, but no place exclusively making wood-fired bread, nor house-milled flour.
The bakery opened two years ago, in a house down the street from a dormant volcano, Mount Tabor. The kitchen is tucked behind the oven and mill, which are visible from the café. The Austrian mill has its own room, but the walls are glass, so people can see the action.
The pine-planked mill is pretty as a piece of furniture. Baker/millers pour grains in the hopper, and inside the wooden casing, two large stones grind grains into flour. Customers like to see this tool at work.
Stein likes being able to bake with whole grain flour for flavor and nutrition. She fell in love with bread of this quality when she lived in California and bought Desem bread from Alan Scott, the baker and oven maker who launched a wave of microbakeries in America. Scott built an oven in Stein's backyard, and influenced her decision, decades later, to mill whole grains and capture their vitality.
"Going directly from grain to flour to mix with only a day or two in between," she said, enhances the taste, and the food value of the bread. Fresh whole grain flours add complexity, building layers of flavor from the lively enzymes on the bran that feed the sourdough cultures.
Fresh flour rather gymnastic
Fresh flour can be rather gymnastic because of those enzymes and other factors, but the challenges are hardly insurmountable. In fresh milling, people are tapping into a tradition, as Dave Miller did in the late 1980s. Getting a whiff of fresh flour as an apprentice at Berkshire Mountain Bakery really made an impression on him.
"That imprinted the whole thing for me," Miller said. "As a baker you never get to smell fresh flour, and you don't know what you're missing."
The moment when grains are cracked open is when the flour has the most potential nutrition, he believes. By the time he opened his own Miller's Bake House in Northern California, he knew how he wanted to bake, using a wood-fired oven, organic grains and a stone mill. His experience is a model for others taken with the concept, and putting it into practice.
Theoretically, milling also lends more choices in sourcing, but current production for industrial milling and industrial baking limits what's available, and its channels of distribution. Baker Graison Gill, of Bellegarde Bakery in New Orleans, is keenly aware of the flow of grain.
"We're at the mecca of transportation for grain barges and elevators and silos," Gill said. The Mississippi River handles 60 percent of grain exports for the country, but access to flour and grain is slim for the bakery. The constraints are partly why he chooses to mill some of the flour he uses. Making great bread with wildly good tastes and superior nutrition factors into the decision as well.
"When you're stone milling you're preserving the integrity of the grain," he said, and all its vitamins and minerals. In the case of wheat that means, "Omega 3 fatty acids, plus phosphorus, folic acid, zinc, magnesium, iron, potassium, mono- and polyunsaturated fats and vitamins C, B and E."
Bellegarde makes 4,000 to 5,000 loaves a week, selling to a mixed wholesale clientele of wine shops, supermarkets and restaurants. All of the breads incorporate some fresh milled flour. The fall menu of specialty breads was built to feature these stone ground whole grains, including wheat, rye, blue and yellow corn, buckwheat and durum. Louisiana rice and wheat go into the Acadian Miche, and a Pecan Flax bread is also made with Louisiana wheat. The Louisiana wheat is soft, and soft wheats are better for pastries, so he can only add so much to a bread.
"I got some Texas-grown hard red winter wheat and I made a loaf of it on Saturday and that was incredible," Gill said. Aside from a few places milling grits, Bellegarde is an anomaly, which is a catch-22. Until there are more people seeking unusual grains, farmers can't grow crops to serve the market.
The emergence of mills in bakeries can change that. Just as farmers markets acted as bridges to build local agriculture, mills are essential infrastructure for leveraging production of staple crops in small acreages and out of the commodity system.
Fresh flour, however, is not just a moral proposition, but a quick ticket to righteously great tastes. Dig around, and you might well find your favorite baker is getting curious about their main ingredient.
Main photo: Baker Andrew Heyn of Elmore Mountain Bread scoops flour he's just milled. Credit: Monica Frisell
It's hard to do justice to all the miller-baker all-stars, but here's a list of some bakeries milling some or all of their flour.
United States
Miller's Bake House Yankee Hill, California
Tabor Bread, Portland, Oregon
Bellegarde Bakery, New Orleans
Elmore Mountain Bread, Elmore, Vermont
Bread & Butter Farm, Shelburne, Vermont
Green Mountain Flour and Bakery, Windsor, Vermont
Zu Bakery, South Freeport, Maine
Berkshire Mountain Bakery, Housatonic, Massachusetts
Farm & Sparrow, Candler, North Carolina
Sub Rosa, Richmond, Virginia
Boulted Bread, Raleigh, North Carolina
Renards European Bakeshop, Princeton, Wisconsin
Baker Miller, Chicago
Crooked Tree Breadworks, Petoskey-Harbor Springs, Michigan
460 Bread, Driggs, Idaho
Nomad Bakery, Derry, New Hampshire
Hillside Bakery, Knoxville, Tennessee
Fol Epi, Victoria, British Columbia
600 Degrees, Tofino, British Columbia
Boulangerie Bonjour, Edmonton, Alberta
True Grain Bread, Cowenchen Bay, British Columbia
The Night Oven Bakery, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Some restaurants that feature fresh flour
Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Pocantico Hills, New York
All Souls Pizza, Asheville, North Carolina
Pizzeria Locale, Denver/Boulder, Colorado
Some independent mills closely tied to bakeries
Wide Awake Bakery outside of Ithaca, New York, is linked to Farmer Ground Flour.
Pizzeria and Pane Bianco, Phoenix, are linked to Hayden Flour Mills.
Annie's Bakery, Asheville, North Carolina, shares a roof with Carolina Ground, a mill associated with a slew of other bakeries in the area.
Stone mills can supply your home baking
Farmer Ground Flour, Enfield, New York
Hayden Flour Mills, Phoenix
Carolina Ground, Asheville, North Carolina
Grist & Toll, Pasadena
Camas Country Mill, Eugene, Oregon
Maine Grains at the Somerset Grist Mill, Skowhegan, Maine
Greenwillow Grains, Brownsville, Oregon
Anson Mills, Columbia, South Carolina
The year 2014 not only beckoned all things local, organic and sustainable, it begged for transparency in our food supply. From growing concerns about GMOs and factory farming to the films "Fed Up" and "Food Chains," people may finally be waking up to the fact that our food system is as much political machinery as tractors and plows.
Here are six food trends that prove consumers want more healthy, sustainable and humane options.
1. Organically growing
Once thought of as a niche movement for flower children and pretentious yupsters, organics is now as marketable as Taylor Swift. With 81% of U.S. families choosing organic food at least sometimes — and restaurants, food companies and grocery stores acquiescing to customer demand — it comprises about 4% of food sales in the U.S. (about $38 billion). Sales of organic products at Costco have doubled in the last two years (to about $3 billion a year), and Walmart is promising to sell organics at the same price as conventional food through an arrangement with Wild Oats. Where will all this organic food come from? Will the industrial-scale Walmartization of organics weaken organic standards and squeeze out the family farmers who helped commercialize the movement? There are already storm clouds on that horizon.
2. Non-GMO labeling
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» When the water runs out: farming in a drought
As consumers are getting hip to Big Food's genetically engineered ways, the majority of Americans want GMO labeling. But as the big chemical and food companies continue to dump millions into defeating state labeling initiatives, smaller food companies and restaurants are taking matters into their own hands by touting non-GMO ingredients. In fact, Non-GMO Project verification may be the future for GMO labeling. In November, not only was Colorado's Prop 105 defeated, Oregon's Measure 92 was so close there was a recount — even though supporters were outspent by opponents, nearly $21 million to $8 million. Vermont is the only state that has successfully passed a labeling law, but it could be held up for years by appeals. Not to mention anti-labelist, corporate-backed politicians have introduced H.R. 4432, a bill that would prevent states' rights to have mandatory food labeling and would also prevent the FDA from creating a national GMO labeling standard. But you can't put the pesticide genie back in the Roundup bottle. The more these companies try to hide what's in our food, the more we want to know.
3. Locally sourced
People not only want to know what's in their food, they want to know the chicken's middle name and the arugula's forwarding address. This new farm-curious mentality stems from the rise of farmers markets all over the country that is fostering familial, Main Street communities. USDA data shows the continued growth of farmers markets for every region in the country. Five of the states with the most growth were in the South — Tennessee, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas and North Carolina. Since this region has some of the highest obesity and poverty rates in the U.S., success here is great news. Community-supported agriculture (CSA) farms are also on the rise, including community seafood that sells sustainable seafood directly from local fishermen to consumers. Expect more artisanal companies to crop up, as well as restaurants touting their chickens' favorite bedtime lullabies.
4. Vegan and gluten-free menu items
Restaurants jumped on the "V" and "GF" bandwagons, kowtowing to the cow-less and wheat-less among us — not simply to indulge the trendier-than-thou set. People with real food sensitivities want dishes that are safer than thou. Restaurants are getting serious about allergen training, and many have separate menus for top allergens in order to mitigate potential emergency room visits and even fatalities. By law, Massachusetts and Rhode Island require restaurants to provide allergen training to their employees, and similar laws will probably appear in other states or even at the federal level. That way, diners will be less litigious than thou.
5. Dairy-free milks
Many conscious Americans are swapping cow's milk for plant-based alternatives, and almond milk beats out soy, rice and coconut by a wide margin. However, 80% of the world's almonds are produced in drought-afflicted California, and 10% of California's water goes to almond farming (it takes 1.1 gallons of water to grow a single almond), so where does that leave almonds on the sustainability meter? Hazelnuts from Oregon could be poised to respond to the nut milk demand. Oregon grows 99% of the country's hazelnuts, which use less water, are drought-resistant and can thrive with minimal maintenance. Some high-end café owners actually prefer the taste and are already asking, "is hazelnut milk the new almond milk?"
6. Pasture-raised meats and grass-fed beef
As consumers are getting savvier about factory-farmed animals that eat GMO grains, we're seeing more pasture- and grass-fed meats at farmers markets from small producers. Grass-fed and grass-finished beef are seeing a greater share of the consumer beef market, and larger producers are selling through chain grocery stores and restaurants. Steve Ells, CEO of Chipotle, says, "Over time, we hope that our demand for grass-fed beef will help pave the way for more American ranchers to adopt a grass-fed program, and in doing so turn grass-fed beef from a niche to a mainstream product. … Most of the U.S. grass-fed beef that meets our standards is simply not produced in sufficient quantities to meet our demand. That's why we want to encourage more American ranchers to make the transition to raising cattle entirely on grass."
Main photo: Line up for the Taylor Swift of produce. Credit: Adair Seldon


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– Main Menu –
About QSI
Contact Us
About QSI
Contact Us
Experienced Instructors
QSI's instructor crew includes law enforcement, military veterans, and competition shooters with over 100 years of combined experience.
Defensive Rifle
More and more households are turning to rifles for self-defense. Our rifle classes teach the skills needed to use your rifle effectively.
Cutting Edge Techniques
QSI Instructors continually train and network with other organizations to ensure we stay on the cutting edge of self-defense techniques.
Defensive Handgun
QSI offers multiple skill level courses in the art of the Defensive Handgun.
Defensive Shotgun
The shotgun is a versatile, inexpensive, and reliable weapon system. This class teaches the skills to use it effectively for self-defense.
Multi-State Permit to Carry
Our Permit to Carry Course is accepted by all Minnesota Sheriff's and can be used to apply in other states which accept NRA-certified training.
Low-Light Courses
Over 80% of defensive firearm uses occur in low-light or at night. QSI offers low-light shooting courses for handguns, shotguns, and rifles.
More Bang For Your Buck
With our Season Pass and Five-Pack discounts, QSI courses are more affordable than ever.
Advanced Training
QSI offers top tier classes, including Partner/Team courses, Vehicle courses, and more!
Putting Students First
QSI prides itself on having a very low student to instructor ratio - usually 3:1 or better!
Contact QSI if you want to learn what you need to know to be proficient with the firearm in the home, in your vehicle, and on the street! --- Bill M., Permit to Carry Instructor, Minnesota
Latest News
Treatment of Gunshot Wounds
September 19, 2015
Saturday September 19, 2015 – Saturday September 19, 2015 17706 Valley View Drive Description: This course provides shooters with the basic knowledge needed to treat gunshots of other penetrating trauma. You will learn: How to assemble a gunshot wound kit Common causes of gunshot wound fatalit
SHOT 2015: The Activity Group
December 31, 1969
The Activity Group 's expanding sponge injection system made the news a while ago, and has been approved by the FDA for military use. The injector is designed specifically for use in areas where a tourniquet cannot be used, such as the armpit or groin. Existing devices for trauma to these ar
SHOT 2015: HTC and Tennessee Arms
December 31, 1969
High Threat Concealment makes custom concealment rigs for high risk operations. Their Low Profile System can be worn covertly or overtly. I could see using this as a duty rig for police work, or concealed under plainclothes. Here we have one of their staff demonstrating the practical use of the ri
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Mayhem # 2889292
About MeI am currently pregnant at the moment, & i think ill just put this modeling on hold.Hello, Im Samally, Im 18 years old. Im Laos Cambodian & thai. I've always wanted to be a model, I always run into scammers. I want myself to feel confident even though i don't have a great body for it. I've always wanted to be on covers or in commercial. I grew up being insecure about myself. and i knew if i was a model maybe i would feel better knowing i made it onto being a model. i love posing and being myself. i just want to have fun. Please contact me here Still need to build up my portfolio, Will need help. Friends |


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Nylon Cowboy Knot Halter With Matching 14' LeadCode: KH7227
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The Fashion World is Bringing Back Denim Overalls
Yup, you heard right. Overalls are BACK IN STYLE. I found this out the other day when I walked into one of my favorite stores and saw a whole rack full of overalls. Short, long, dark denim, light denim, destroyed, acid wash... they had them all. When I went to talk to the sales lady about this influx of overalls, I saw she was rocking a pair herself and the look was adorable Considering the world of fashion is going through a huge 90's revival right now, it was only a matter time until ladies started... Read More


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VIEWS: 2 PAGES: 2 CATEGORY: State Specfic POSTED ON: 3/12/2010
County of Volusia Training and Experience Questionnaire NAME_________________________________ Residence Phone Number ( ) - THE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE MUST BE REFLECTED IN JOB HISTORY ON YOUR APPLICATION 1. Do you have a valid Florida Driver License? [ ] yes [ ] No 2. Do you have a valid Florida Commercial Driver License? [ ] yes [ ] No 3. What level of Commercial Drivers License do you have? [A] [B] [C] [D] 4. What endorsement codes do you have?[T] [N] [P] [H] [X] 5. Please circle which side of the County you prefer to report? • East (Daytona, Ormond, New Smyrna, Port Orange, Edgewater, Oak Hill, Holly Hill) • West (Deland, Osteen, Deltona, Pierson, Orange City, Debary, Deleon Springs) • No Preference MAINTENANCE WORKER Knowledge, Skills, Ability yrs/mos Knowledge, Skills, Ability yrs/mos Truck-mounted insect spray equipment / Electric waxer / Ditch cleaning hand tools / Light equipment maintenance / Using cleaning products and equipment / Brush cutter / Set up and/or move equipment or furniture / Assist in brick laying / Grounds maintenance / Power mower / Light electrical, painting or other construction / Ballfield machine / Operate a tractor in landscaping project / Turf maintenance / EQUIPMENT OPERATOR During the last 10 years: 1. How many traffic violations have you had? _______ 2. How many of these were moving violations? _______ 3. How many involved accidents where you were found at fault? _______ EQUIPMENT OPERATOR I EQUIPMENT OPERATOR II EQUIPMENT OPERATOR III Knowledge, Skills, yrs/mos Knowledge, Skills, yrs/mos Knowledge, Skills, yrs/mos Ability Ability Ability Tractor/sickle bar, / Tractor with front loader / Crane / pull or move Track Back Hoe / equipment/machinery Bucket truck / Operate a chain saw or / Backhoe with less than / Pavement striping / concrete saw 1 yd. bucket machine-truck mounted Pumping equipment / Rotary crane on treads / Motor grader / Fuel truck/service / Vehicle mounted power / Heavy bulldozer / equipment with fuel spraying Compactor / Tank wagon / Boom-type mower / Lo boy/tractor trailer / Vehicle mounted cement / Tandem/tri-axle dump / Vac Truck / mixer, air compressor, truck hammer Off road dump truck / Off road dump truck / Flat-bed/single-axle dump / Road roller/soil / Hydraulic excavator / truck 8,000 lbs. + stabilizer (boom/gradall) Fork lift / Chipper/Stump Grinder / Dragline / Lift station / Clam Truck / Front-end loader / with 4 yd.bucket THE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE MUST BE REFLECTED IN JOB HISTORY ON YOUR APPLICATION CARPENTRY I, II, III ELECTRICAL I, II, III HVAC I, II, III Knowledge, Skills, Ability yrs/mos Knowledge, Skills, yrs/mos Knowledge, Skills, yrs/mos Ability Ability Hang doors/knocked down / Bend conduit / Change compressor and / motors Hang doors/pre-hung / Size conduit / Install A/C units, split / and package Complete framing/layout / Size load centers / Fit all sizes of copper / Suspended ceilings / Wiring for lighting / pipe Finish work / Size conductors / Trouble shoot electric / circuits Cabinets / Read blue prints / Make and install duct / Metal studs / Low voltage control / work Formica / Control wiring / Read blueprints / Hang drywall / Trouble shoot electrical / Install & work on / problems refrigeration units PAINTING I, II, III PLUMBER I, II, III CONSTRUCTION I, II, III Knowledge, Skills, yrs/mos Knowledge, Skills, yrs/mos Knowledge, Skills, yrs/mos Ability Ability Ability Brush & roller application / Layout & Dig Pipe sizes & fittings / / foundations Scaffolding / Solder, silver solder / Form structures by / assemble/disassemble cutting wood Airless spray / Cut & thread pipe / Sets reinforcing steel / Prep work (caulking, / Rough in plumbing / Mixes materials / patching, etc.) including sand, cement, rock, etc. Pressure cleaning / Set fixtures / Pour & finishes cement / Use of oil, acrylic, etc. / Repair fixtures / Lays brick/concrete / block / Sanitary sewers / Sets grades for drainage / Water distribution / pipes / Plumbing codes / Lays pipe to grade / / Read blueprints / Builds sandbag / Layout work / headwalls / Underground / Repairs failed concrete / water/sewer structures WRITE THE NUMBER OF YEARS EXPERIENCE YOU HAVE IN EACH AREA OF WELDING: •Tig Welding •Mig Welding •Welding and Fabrication •Brazing •Cutting Torch_______ •Plasma •CuttingScarfer (Carbon Arc) •Aluminum Spool Gun •Knowledge of Metal Types_______ I CERTIFY THAT THE INFORMATION PROVIDED ON THIS FORM IS COMPLETE AND TRUE TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE AND I UNDERSTAND THAT FALSIFICATION OF THIS INFORMATION MAY BE GROUNDS FOR DISQUALIFICATION FOR EMPLOYMENT WITH VOLUSIA COUNTY OR TERMINATION, IF EMPLOYED. MY APPLICATION REFLECTS MY WORK EXPERIENCE. ________________________________________ _________________________ SIGNATURE DATE


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Age 86 of Lincoln Park. Beloved husband of the late Margaret. Loving father of Connie (Tom) Ellis, Carol Bach and Bob (Yola) Bachinsky. Dearest grandfather of Chad, Brooke, David, Lauren and Taylor. Preceded in death by siblings Stella, Ralph and Bernice. Chester loved to fish, bowl and play a variety of games (card and board) with his family. He was a longtime member of the Lincoln Park Coin Club.
Visitation Sunday January 13, 2013 from 1:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. with a 5:00 p.m. Scripture Service. Funeral service Monday January 14, 2013 beginning with 9:30 a.m. Prayers at the funeral home followed by 10:00 a.m. Mass at Christ the Good Shepherd Catholic Church 1540 Riverbank, Lincoln Park.


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The Blues Brothers
1980, 133 minutes
Jake Blues (John Belushi) leaves Joliet prison and with his brother Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) visits the Chicago orphanage where they were both raised. After discovering the orphanage is closing because of unpaid taxes, they decide to use their music and other less-than-desirable skills to raise the money and hilariously save the day.
Próximos Eventos
- Thursdays at Noon film series - Cheaper By the Dozen
- Jueves 5 de Marzo de 2015Biblioteca Central, Auditorio Koret
- I Just Wanna Ball Screening
- Jueves 5 de Marzo de 2015Bayview, Bayview: Sala de Reuniones
- First Thursday Movies at Excelsior
- Jueves 5 de Marzo de 2015Excelsior, Excelsior: Sala de Reuniones


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This is a discussion on step by step PCV valve change w/ pics within the Engine Performance forums, part of the Tutorials & DIY category; Originally Posted by Noktrnal1 Havent seen any pics of what the PCV for a 04 WRX looks like, so here ...
FWIW to the 06-07 owners.....went to the dealership and they had no part # for the PCV (the parts guys are good guys too I knowem). Talked to my tuner on friday and he said that they really weren't an issue on the 2.5L because the system is routed differently.
Mine: '05 PSM WRX 5MT Sport Wagon, Cobb AP
Wife's: '05 SRR 2.5RS 5MT Sport Wagon
The Knack. It's a rare condition characterized by an extreme intuition about all things mechanical and electrical ... and utter social ineptitude.
This is great, it's the exact same as my 05... I'm trying to change it now actually, had to hop online to see if I can figure out why I'm stuck sorta... those clamp/crimp things, those are weird to me. Unlike anything else on the car really, and I don't know how they come off... because that PCV valve doesn't just screw out really lol
Instructions are nice and pictures are excellent. A couple questions.
1. What is the year of the WRX?
2. This PCV valve looks different than the factory one. The factory appears to have two parts: a metal PCV valve and a plastic body with two ports.
I own a 2005 WRX with 50,000 and considering replacing the PCV valve, and clean MAF sensor/ Intake manifold/intercooler. Also, can I clean the intake manifold with the intercooler removed and run seafoam through the BOV valve hose? Any links for the things I want to do is appreciatted. thanks.


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If you have a Windows Phone 7 device, you'll need the Zune software to move music, videos, and pictures between your phone and computer. If you don't have the Zune software on your computer yet, go to www.zune.net to download and install it.
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Distinguished Speaker Series 21. January 2008 Maranda Gibson Conference Calls (0) What if you wanted to have a teleconference, but you didn't want to do all of the talking? What do you do? Get someone else to do it! Specifically, get an expert to be the main speaker at a teleconference sponsored by your organization. Think about the expense and logistics of arranging for someone to speak or lecture on a topic that is hot in your industry right now. Then think about how you can offer interested parties the chance to hear from an industry leader without having to rent an auditorium or venue. Admit it, you're intrigued! Make sure that the speaker you select really does have some relevant information to share on hot button topics that your audience will care about. This person does not have to be known all over the world, either. They just have to have a credible reputation and be a dynamic speaker. People will get excited about the teleconference, even if the speaker is not an international jetsetter. When you promote your teleconference be certain to highlight its convenience. Tell participants that they won't have to fight traffic or find a parking spot. When the teleconference is over they can put what they've learned into practice right away and share it with colleagues who couldn't take part in the teleconference. Now all you have to do is find a speaker!
Additional Services to Look for in Your Teleconference Provider 18. January 2008 AccuConference Conference Calls (0) There are many standard services that a teleconference hosting-service can offer which make the experience more pleasant for the conference call participants. There are other hosting-services, however, that provide increased value at minimal extra charges that not many people know about. The extra values increase the effectiveness of a conference call and ensure a better outcome for the person holding it. Below is a list of features that you should think about when deciding on a teleconference hosting-service to help conduct your businesses. Although this may not be something you normally would consider, Call Recording and Audio Playback are essential features to seek out when looking for a teleconference provider. How many times has someone called in late or missed one of your teleconferences? Having a provider with a call-recording option allows you to make a digital recording of the call which can then be stored on your provider's site. The audio playback option then allows those who were unable to join the conference to call in and not miss a thing. A related service you might want to look for in a provider is Transcription. This service will make and provide a written transcript of the recorded conversation to you. This can be extremely important when planning business or sales strategies, carrying out interviews, or negotiating contracts or sales during a teleconference. Post Call Tracking is another feature that you could find useful, especially if your conference call is one that includes a lot of people. This service allows the provider to track who participated in the call and who called in to hear the recorded call via the Playback mode. This is something very important if the information in the call is essential to your business goals. Be forewarned, not all teleconference hosting-services offer these services. One place you can find all of these, though, is right here at AccuConference. In addition to all of these services, and more, we also hold the industry's "gold standard" in customer service.
Services to Look for in Your Teleconference Provider 17. January 2008 Maranda Gibson Conference Calls (0) Anyone with conference call experience knows the general features and customer service you need in a conferencing provider. Less well known, however, are the extras that can make your life easier and your conference calls more effective. Below is a list of services you might want to consider using, if your service provider offers them, that is. First, an important feature is automatic email reminders to people participating in your teleconference. Having the option to email participants a week before, a couple of days before, the day of, and just before the teleconference is a powerful way to make sure your teleconference has the maximum participation. A pre-conference option is indispensable, especially when the organizers of the call are not in the same room. This option allows you and your team to get together "virtually" just prior to the conference call - separate from your participants - to make any final arrangements and get everyone on the same page. The Q&A option allows you to manage live question and answer sessions without all the confusion and over-talking associated with open calls. In Q&A mode, participants push a button on their phone that "raises their hand". The moderator can then selectively unmute the phone of any participant they choose - leaving all other lines muted - so only one person speaks at a time. This can be done on the moderator's computer, or simply pressing a "star code" on the phone to take the next in line. This flexibility and the peace it guarantees is a real life saver.
What Makes a Conference Call Succeed or Fail? 15. January 2008 Maranda Gibson Conference Calls (0) Like any business meeting, teleconferences are either heralded by groans or cheers. The response your teleconference receives depends largely on how effectively you orchestrate the meeting. Knowing what participants hate or like most about teleconferences can help you avoid the pitfalls and hold an effective and productive conference. The four things people like most about conference calls are: They encourage group members to participate and share ideas openly. They foster commitment to the organization by investing participants in the decision-making process. They produce superior solutions through group participation and effort. They create a feeling of organizational unity. The four things people hate most about conference calls are: They fail to begin or end on time. They accomplish little for the amount of time invested. They fail to reach a consensus or accomplish their goal. They are dominated by a few participants. Make an effort to plan conference call that will create positive synergy for your business. Avoid holding conferences that are boring, repetitive or fail to accomplish their goals. You should strive to conduct a conference call that follows a specific stated agenda, starts and ends on time, is conducted fairly with an opportunity for all to express their views, and accomplishes its stated goals.
Make Your Introduction Tight and Leave Your Notes Loose 14. January 2008 Maranda Gibson Conference Calls (0) When preparing for a conference call, a speaker often spends a lot of time poring over what they will say and trying to get their planned remarks just right. Then they just leave their introduction up to chance. If you are engaged to speak as part of a conference call that is being sponsored by another organization, it is likely that someone else will be introducing you to the audience. If it all possible, you should write your own introduction. Why? While there are no guarantees that it will be delivered as written, it may be very helpful. You will prevent a rambling introduction that can take away time from the actual conference call. It allows you to decide which parts of your career you want to highlight. You know which part of your experience is most relevant to the audience. It will also give you the opportunity to promote parts of your business that you really want to push. On the other hand, you don't want to deliver your remarks as if you are reading them word for word from your notes. You want to sound informed, but conversational. So your notes should include all of the important points you want to make, but you shouldn't try to write down every single phrase you expect to say.
Public Speaking Tips—for When You Can't See Your Audience 10. January 2008 George Page Conference Calls (0) If you are speaking as part of a conference call, you have to remember that it isn't just a phone call. It is business! You cannot talk the way you'd talk to a friend or relative on the phone. Act as if the audience can see you Have you ever been advised to smile when answering the telephone? The person on the other end cannot see you, but they can sense the friendliness of your tone and smiling will help you convey warmth. The same thought applies to public speaking over the phone. If you are slouching, this will come across in your voice. Sit up straight as if every participant can see you. Work the room No, you cannot actually go around the room shaking hands, but you can make everyone on the line feel welcome. When people introduce themselves, say hello or make a brief comment that adds onto what they've said. "I'm Fran from Silver Industrial." "Hello Fran, I've visited your company's new facility. It is state-of-the-art." Use imagery to help participants get the picture You won't have any charts or pie graphs to show, but you can help your audience create mental pictures. "Industry analysts predict unstable growth in that sector—it will be kind of like riding a roller coaster." "These variables tend to appear suddenly and the experience can be jarring—imagine yourself in a bumper car being bumped by a several other bumper cars all at once."
When to Schedule a Conference Call or Video Conference 7. January 2008 Maranda Gibson Conference Calls, Video Conferencing (0) Modern technology can make holding a conference call or video conference a breeze. But there's still a fair amount of work and organization involved in planning and holding an effective conference. Before you decide to invest your time (and money), you should examine your reasons for wanting to schedule a conference call or video conference. If your reason is listed below, you're on the right track. You need the interaction of ideas and opinions to create a plan, program or fully realized concept. You want to encourage a positive group dynamic or build team spirit. You have only a short time to build consensus or reach an agreement. You need to explain a complex subject or introduce a new concept or product. You're wasting your time (and everyone else's) if your reason for holding a conference call or video conference is among the following: All necessary participants cannot be available at the same time. You or the other participants don't have time to properly prepare. Participants cannot be available for the time required to properly discuss and consider the issue. You have a simple message to deliver or question to answer. You are imparting information that does not require discussion or an immediate response.
Tips for Encouraging Participation During a Conference Call 3. January 2008 Maranda Gibson Conference Calls (0) To ensure a successful conference call, you need to create an atmosphere that encourages participation. Here's how: Keep an open mind. Leave your preconceptions behind and open your mind to new thoughts and ideas. Be friendly. Begin the conference call with a smile and a greeting. Respect differences. You will encounter many different personality types and personal styles. Look for the positive aspects in each and harness them to reach the group goal. Make an effort to allow every voice to be heard. Recognize individuals. Let individuals shine within the group. Acknowledge and seek out people with special expertise or talents to share. Give credit. Thank and recognize the ideas of others. Acknowledging the contributions of others fosters trust and confidence. Accept challenge. Accept criticism without getting defensive. If your ideas or opinions are challenged, meet that challenge with explanation, discussion and persuasion. Be yourself. Be sincere. There's no need to play a role or try to be what you're not. Be content to be yourself. Be responsive. Watch the participants for verbal and nonverbal signals and respond. Look for signs of inattention or boredom which may indicate that the meeting has gone on too long or that one person or view has become too dominant. Lack of eye content or a high-pitched voice can signal anxiety. Ask what the person is feeling and why. Use these signals to keep the group focused and on task.
Communicating with Foreign Customers or Colleagues 28. December 2007 Maranda Gibson Conference Calls, Video Conferencing (0) In an interesting experiment, an American university professor divided students into two groups. Both listened to the same lecture by a native speaker of English. Each group was shown a photograph of the purported speaker. The group that was shown a photo of an obviously American speaker exhibited greater comprehension of the material than the group which believed it was listening to a non-native speaker. Both listened to exactly the same speech delivered by the same individual. Personal assumptions, cultural bias, gender, age or racial prejudices, education preconceptions, and power hierarchies – so many factors affect the way we perceive others. Even when we speak the same language, these biases can affect the way we hear and understand each other. In communicating with foreign customers or colleagues in a teleconference, the effort must be made to set aside our cultural differences to understand each other. Often cultural references and idioms get in the way of clear communication and repetitive efforts must be made to arrive at a shared understanding. Video conferencing can present additional challenges where body language and gestures common in one culture may give unanticipated offense in another. Many companies that regularly do business in foreign countries have implemented cultural advisor services to assist their employees in putting the company's best foot forward. If your company does not offer such a service, you can find many country-specific websites that provide helpful advice on bridging the cultural gap by entering a search for foreign customs + business meeting. Proper advance preparation will ensure a smoother, more productive teleconference or video conference with your foreign counterparts.
Timing is Everything in Teleconferencing 27. December 2007 Maranda Gibson Conference Calls (0) So you've scheduled a teleconference—great! Now you want to make sure that it is successful and meets your goals. Here are some ways you can ensure a successful teleconference: Send out reminders: Of course you have the teleconference on your calendar, but what about everyone else? Even if they have written it down, they could get caught up with something and not pay attention to the time. A reminder will jog participants' memory and is a great way to maximize attendance. You can actually send out two reminders—one the week before and another a few hours before. Watch the clock: Don't let any participant drone on (and don't drone on and on yourself either). Only the featured speaker should speak at length. If you find that someone is making long-winded comments or trying to push their own agenda, don't be afraid to steer the teleconference back to the main topic. Make notes of hot topics for future teleconferences. Have a well-timed agenda: Just as you don't want one person to go on and on, you also don't want to spend too much time on one issue. On the flip side, you don't want to jump from topic to topic at a speed that will leave the participants dizzy. Be aware that a teleconference should not be exhaustive. They should be informative, but every aspect of a topic cannot be covered. Decide just what information you want participants to leave with after they hang up.


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Anthony Salerno
Game Credits
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Shaman King: Master of Spirits 2 (2005) | (Voice Producer) | |||
Shaman King: Master of Spirits (2004) | (Casting) | |||
Shaman King: Power of Spirit (2004) | (Voice Director) | |||
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Submit Your Ex/Girlfriend and let the world see how hot she is, or what a bitch she was ;) Takes 1 min so why not share!
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Some pics of my wife in our kitchen and in the bedroom!
girls begin to smell good fishy after their first mensuration period. younger girls have a bizzare smell comming out their peaches smells like pee and for weeks unwashed toes smell. funny smells like stinking toe cheese .-) older woman smell the best for me
take your moms used panties and sniff in the middle mmmh smell the piss fish and shit mix mmmh
Most of the daddies in this world sniff the daughters peaches and masturbate when mommies are not at home. my current girlfriend told me that her dad wanted to check her vagina smell a few times a week...with the cheap excuse that he want to get sure she's ok. cheap excuse! he peeled open her vaginal lips and smelled her most personal bodyzone until she was 17!!!!! scandal!!!!! what a father :-(
Well she is hot and horny, but are you sure this is your wife and not your daughter that your fucking?
that smoking pic couldn't be more white trash. ugly kitchen, but she is fuckable none the less
Get the bitch drunk, drag her into bed, tie her spreadeagle on her back, then ram my stiff cock in her cunt and shoot jizz inside her..
perfect wife here, id give a million bucks to lick her butthole and bury my face in her pussy
enter your comment here...mom9 should be taken my true stealth cock up both of her holes after all we have something in comen