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Every so often we send out emails letting you know about the events, exhibitions, residencies or opportunites to get involved with Islington Mill. If you are interested in hearing/reading about any of this then maybe you should sign up to our newsletter here ....
Just as Islington Mill has taken a giant step forward with our successful Arts Council bid, we are simultaneously being restrained by a complaint about patron noise which has resulted in the Statutory Noise Nuisance notice under a 7 day deferral from Salford City Council. The suddenness of this development seems to negate the efforts we have previously made to work with the Council and residents at monitoring the impact of sound from our courtyard and main entrance. These efforts appear to have not made any tangible difference, hence our current urgent circumstances.
Our case is under review and any further complaints during the assessment period would seriously threaten our license so events like Gesamtkunstwerk, Daniel Avery & Dopplereffekt have all been relocated to other venues. Events like these feature the creators of some of our favourite music and we were proud to be able to host them in the City of Salford. However, the short term actions necessary to stage the events without jeopardising our license would mean we would not able to host them to the best of our ability. Artist and audience experience is something we value extremely highly and we don't want to compromise it for any reason.
There is a high possibility that the outcome of our review will include some kind of revision to our 24-hour license. We are sensitive to the needs of our neighbours and keen to avoid animosity and upset, and to that end we have submitted an extensive proposal of short-term and longer-term methods to limit the impact of sound and outdoor activity on our neighbours. These include additional soundproof doors, on-site sound-monitoring engineers, exterior and interior structural alterations, new taxi arrangements, and many other suggestions. In short, in terms of what we are willing to do to keep our current license, we have shown ourselves willing to consider every possible avenue, and we hope the Council and residents will appreciate this.
However, with all of the discussions around regeneration and increased footfall to the Chapel Street area – which centres around the Mill and which underpinned our successful expansion bid – we are left in a state of some confusion as to how an independent arts venue with a 24-hour license is meant to operate under an ethos of experimentation and spontaneity with a series of caveats and compromises that effectively curtails our ability to operate the way that we do. Islington Mill is not just a bar or a club or a gig venue, but is a unique and dynamic mixed use space within which artists are encouraged to develop and expand their work and present new and stimulating and inspiring work to a wide public, demonstrating on a daily basis that people can do great things, that things are possible in Salford. The recognition from Arts Council England and Salford City Council, investment in our long-term future consistently acknowledges this.
We are working hard to find appropriate and workable solutions to these problems in the immediate as well as the long term and we will keep you all informed of developments. If any of our friends or followers have experience in this area or technical knowledge they would like to share with us, our doors are open, and our doors will remain open to all, so please continue to check out our programme of events that are still happening.
Thank you.
"As friends and followers of Islington Mill you might be aware that after a decade and a half of successful but largely organic and unmediated growth, we have recently spent considerable time and energy in the formulation of a £2.2m project to safeguard Islington Mill.
The latest stage of this development plan has involved a Capital application to Arts Council England, and we are extremely excited to announce that they have agreed to award £1 million of investment towards the Islington Mill project. This will fund a new artist-in-residence facility with the capacity to bring up to twenty visiting artists to the region at a time, signalling a major development of the arts infrastructure in the North West.
As you all know, Islington Mill has always been proud to be an independent, self-sustaining entity – we follow no model and receive no public revenue funding, and we are keenly aware that this is intimately connected with the independence and versatility that characterises the work of the Mill. Securing such an enormously significant contribution from Arts Council England not only represents a huge stride forward in our wider project, but strengthens, endorses and recognises an approach we have always firmly believed in: that of a dynamic mixed model for the production of the arts like none other in the North West. The award represents an acknowledgement of, and strong commitment to, the versatility and uniqueness of that approach.
Now for some detail… The specifics of the capital project is focussed on major building improvements, including a brand new Artist-in-Residence facility to be housed within our atmospheric attic space; new rooms that will enable up to twenty artists to be accommodated at the Mill at any one time; a new production and showcase space that will occupy the entirety of our currently unused 5th floor bringing 4000 sq ft of space back into productive use; plus the replacement of the roof and provision of lift access to all floors that will secure and improve the long term futures for our existing fifty studios and workspaces, project and gallery spaces, venue and residency spaces.
While the homely and nurturing environment that is fostered at Islington Mill might be at odds with its industrial past, it is, and always has been, a space of production – no longer of commodities borne from social hierarchies, but of ideas and energies, of new ways of thinking and working and living, and of combining all three.
We are aware that the work only just begins to now make this project a reality, and that to remain steadfast we will need all the support that we can get. We welcome anyone who may be able to contribute in any way. We want to sincerely thank our friends, audiences, collaborators and community for supporting the team and directors at Islington Mill through three long years of the development of this bid.
We are so sad to hear the news of the passing of Steve Lloyd (Noisebox) at the Weekend.
Steve was instrumental in supporting us at Islington Mill in the very early days of chaotic gigs in our freezing, dirty ground floor space. Taking care of all the tech stuff that we knew nothing about, putting in the kit and not batting an eyelid while trying to pack up around googley eyed punters and organisers stumbling around at all time of the morning.
He helped us graduate up by providing us with kit that had been around every other venue in Manchester until we ultimately got our first in house system that he left with us until we blew it into just barely above a crackle n hiss with random noise bands and distortion. For both Islington Mill and Sounds From the Other City he made those early steps easy, available and affordable. Bands come in all shapes, sizes and sounds but none of them would sound any good at all without those unsung heroes in the shape of great sound & tech guys who keep their heads in those intense situations when something does go wrong, often taking the flack from both the artists and the crowds while battling to do a technical and unpredictable job and keeping the nights vibes going. Spare them a thought as they are the invaluable glue enabling the rich variety of noises we often take for granted in this great city of ours.
Very very sad news. R.I.P
Earlier this year one of Islington Mill's Direcors, Artist Maurice Carlin, held an exhibition at Castlefield Gallery entitled 'First...Next...Then...Finally…'. Filmaker Paul Wright has made a short documentary about the exhibition and the thoughts behind it which you can watch here.
We were lucky enough to have had website and soon to be magazine, Majestic Disorder, stay with us for a few days in November. Whilst with us they made this lovely short film after interviewing some of the people who call Islington Mill home.
"Amid a concrete maze rests a peculiar former cotton mill whose clandestine nook alludes to an artistic haven, one that undoubtedly serves as the collaborative headquarters of our dreams. Subconsciously woven into the fabric of Manchester, Islington Mill is a place where creativity roams free and inspiration sees no boundaries.
Home to over 50 artists' studios, residential flats, galleries, a B&B and nightclub, The Mill is wholeheartedly DIY in spirit. The characteristics of each unique mind shine through signifying the perseverance and power of artistic longevity.
Strengthening the imagination and keeping the soul hungry, the environment represents a niche collective where life and individual identity not only coexist but also thrive. It's an ingenious dwelling that seeps into your consciousness, altering your way of thinking."
Plan For A Ruin is the exhibition currently occupying the wonderful spaces that are the fifth and attic floors of the Islington Mill. And it seems that I am not the only one who adores spending time in this cobwebbed corner of Salford; for curator Simon Morrissey the space itself acted as atmospheric inspiration for the vision of the exhibition.
As you enter on the fifth floor you are met by two small paintings by James Parkinson, which offer a dialogue of opposites – quite literally through their colour, but also in the graduation of the markings and form. The works are simple, but the titles – which seem unrelated – are worth musing on further...
"Islington Mill Art Academy in Salford and the School of the Damned in east London, were set up by art students and recent graduates who could not afford rising course fees and were dissatisfied with the structure, ethos and curricula of traditional art degrees.
Islington Mill Art Academy in Salford was set up in 2007 by a group of local art foundation students who decided a traditional BA would not prepare them for life beyond education. Co-founder Maurice Carlin recalls that resident artists had expressed disillusionment with their degree courses. "They spent three years developing their practice but struggled to turn it into something in the 'real world'. They were not engaged with working artists on a day-to-day basis."
Read more of the article with various arts organisations and schools here
AQNB - "the artist is brought to life as the medium through which an audience interacts with one and the other."
The State - "This handmade work that appears digital... is a comment on the very nature by which physical and digital worlds are interwoven and interdependent."
Domus - "For Carlin, this negotiation between early information technologies, rubbings made in Ancient China with the most recent one – the digital information age, is something that he highlights and contrasts throughout the project"
Corridor 8 - Interview with Maurice Carlin
After residencies in Berlin and more recently Ibiza, Islington Mill are currently on residency at Flux Factory in New York. Long-term Mill tenants and collaborators Volkov Commanders and Rachel Goodyear will be contributing to the Flux programme as well as producing satellite events across NYC and Skype performances via Salford with Islington Mill Directors Mark and Maurice Carlin and Mill programmer Rivca Burns.
Using Flux Factory as a base to study the cultural and creative funding landscape within New York City, Mark Carlin is researching new strategies and models of funding, finance and organisation that will enable the renovation of Islington Mill's currently underused 5th and 6th Floor and realise a long term ambition of developing a 9 room residency and large scale, flexible, working and showing space.
Maurice Carlin is presenting work in the 'Self-Interruption' exhibition curated by Helen Kaplinsky, at the Jack Chiles gallery running from October 20 to October 29 as well as presenting a discussion on October 24 at the Public School, addressing "surplus knowledge, how knowing too much and notions of criticality in art education can lead to a stasis."
During the residency Rachel Goodyear hopes to create an energetic collage of ideas beginning with drawings and projections and expanding out to the possibilities of collaboration, performance, projected intervention, writing, hand drawn loops, costume and creative social engagement.
Volkov Commanders are using this as an opportunity to experiment and test out new ideas within every aspect of their practice, whether it's a costume idea, an impromptu performance piece or a video shoot. Collaboration, cross disciplinary projects and working spontaneously with a DIY approach is at the core of what they do, and they will be using the opportunity of being in a new city to do more of this.
The Islington Mill residency culminates at Flux Factory on Wednesday 30 October with 'Unguided Tour', a portal transporting the participant to another world, slipping through exploring and extracting all that has to offer on a tour that is simultaneously guided and unguided, experiencing all that is familiar impossibly contorted into a unique perspective.
Other Islington Mill associated events whilst in New York include:'A Night Of Transatlantic Collaboration' at Silent Barn on Tuesday 29 October presented by Mill tenants and collaborators Fat Out Til You Pass Out. CHERYL and BYT NYC present R.I.t.E. on Halloween night at Brooklyn Masonic Temple with Volkov Commanders and KHOM on Thursday 31 October.
Here at Islington Mill we don't go about life in a conventional fashion and our Christmas parties will definitely provide your business with an alternative way to celebrate the 2013 festive season. With a variety of spaces to chose from and packages that include mulled wine on arrival, a delicious buffet of home cooked festive food and an array of entertainment, all in the unique and enchanting location of the Mill. Our Mill is your Mill and with the ability to transform our space into your perfect Christmas party you will truly have original and unique festivities.
Our very own Mill resident, Kim Irwin will bring you your delicious Christmas buffet at reasonable prices.
If your company is interested in the Mill hosting your Christmas Party then please get in touch with Emma emma(at)islingtonmill.com
Islington Mill and TENT invited Bjarne Bare, co-founder of MELK an artist run initiative for new Scandinavian photography based in Oslo, to give a talk discussing the motivations behind MELK, photographers in the region and the his views on the position of the medium today.
Islington Mill strives to work with and build ongoing relationships with locally based collectives such as TENT. TENT is an initiative developed by Adam Murray of Preston Is My Paris and Oliver Whitehead formerly of Photoworks that looks at developing creative networks, providing pedagogical events and presenting commissioned work.
A massive thank you to everyone that came to Psychic Rhythm Abduction on Saturday night. We had an absolute blast with the Initiation Room, table of neverending cakes, performances and lots and lots of dancing. We are thrilled that you joined us, take a look at the photos here...
Positively Destructive, Volkov Commanders and CHERYL have now taken Psychic Rhythm Abduction on tour to Berlin's Monster Ronson's (July 27) and Barcelona's Hangar (August 2) to initiate more people into the ways of Islington Mill.
As part of the GNOD residency Got No Obvious Destination, sound artist Callum Higgins transformed our club space into a fully immersive, light reactive environment. Using the PA system and light sensitive noise creating circuits people were directed into to the room in small groups equipped with only a torch to guide them around. Their very presence and behaviour in the room manipulated and shaped their unique experience.
Islington Mill tends to be home to the more freaky, experimental end of the live music spectrum in Manchester, so this visit of London-based indie-electronic trio Vondelpark is a little against type. Their music is vibey and textured rather than intensive or otherworldly, but on this occasion the setting works a treat. Opening the night are Bloom, recent signings to the Salford label SWAYS. It's an unlikely support choice (ignoring the obvious local connection), but still an appetising way to set the mood...
Islington Mill resident and friend Aliyah Hussain is currently undertaking a 3 week residency creating new work at La Escocesa in Barcelona as part of our residency exchange programme. She is a member of the performance collective Volkov Commanders and recently had a double page spread in The Skinny which you can take a look at here. We couldn't be prouder of her and look forward to hearing about her exhibition.
The Glowing World Of Snotboobs and The Severed Toe
Yiiikes is a brand new art collective formed by the most amazing rad grrrls: Seleena Laverne Daye, Kandy Diamond, andAlison Erika Forde. Individually, they are completely amazing artists all working in different mediums. The Glowing World of Snotboobs... is their first exhibition as a collective and all the details surrounding the exhibition had been super hush-hush leading up to opening night. I had no idea what to expect from the exhibition. I knew it would be glo in the dark, I knew it would be a mixture of large scale textile pieces incorporating knit and felt, as well as painted pieces, and above all I knew it would be FUN...
Islington Mill, one of the city's best kept secrets housed next to a primary school, a fleet of takeaways and just a tangent off Salford's recognisable Chapel Street playing host to tonight's ensemble, the venue is a columned basement-like room with a wonderfully intimate capacity of 250, Lapalux is first up on stage to bring his auditory textures of otherworldly electronica to the forefront.
Delivering tracks from his Brainfeeder debut 'Nostalchic', Stuart Howard manages to enchant the packed-out venue with his blissful summits of sonic electronica, omissions of screwed beats and even the induction of provocative remixes that make it hard to believe that this is a one man show of epic proportions.
Jackknifing from his smogged-out, strapped down hip-hop samples on the one hand to his oily, slick oscillations on the other, Lapalux deals in textures as in so many swatches of fabric. Backlit by a blinding lightshow and wrestling with his hardware, he is a bold, even cocky physical presence. Album highlight Guuurl gets the room in gear, but it's nothing compared to the frenzy that Berlin trio Brandt Brauer Frick – with help from vocalist-cum-hype man Om'Mas Keith – induce with their extraordinary mania of wounding, techno-derived rhythms and shamanic, mesmeric sense of build and release. It's 11pm on a Wednesday night, and it's raining from the ceiling...
On Tuesday 12th February I attended the FREE event called 6 Million Ways of Getting into the Arts, in conversation with Alessandro Vincentelli and artist Hew Locke at Islington Mill. The event was run by Castlefield Gallery who are working with Quays Culture to programme a series of presentations encouraging creative practitioners based in Greater Manchester and beyond.
Hew Locke is an international artist who currently lives and works in London and Alessandro Vincentelli has for the last eight years been the Curator of Exhibitions & Research at the BALTIC in Gateshead. Alessandro has developed and curated solo exhibitions with internationally renowned artists. In 2011 he was co-curator of the Turner Prize when BALTIC hosted the prize...
CASTLEFIELD GALLERY Exhibition Preview: Thursday 7th February 6-8pm
Continues 8th-17th February
Our very own Maurice Carlin (Visual Arts Director) has been selected as the first Castlefield Gallery Launch Pad Solo Show. Carlin was selected through open submission by a panel including Bryan Biggs, Director of the Bluecoat. Carlin's exhibition will feature new work exploring medium of print, publishing and performance often produced within the public realm. Launch Pad offers a prestigous opportunity to CG Associate members to use the gallery as a test bed for the production, display and consumption of contemporary art.
We are proud as some heavily spiked punch that our very own GNOD were Guardian's New Band Of The Day. They say some lovely things and compare them to some wonderful people. Here's a snippet for you.
"Before you've even heard Gnod you can sort of tell they're going to be purveyors of ambient sludge, of prog-metal, of murky motorik psych-drone space-rock. You can tell that Julian Cope might be a fan, that reviewers are going to be drawing comparisons with Ash Ra Tempel, and that they would make people come away from their concerts saying things like: "My head is throbbing like a stained glass window-lined grotto of unconventional thought and atavistic proto-religious impulses." Read the rest of the article here.
Could I really start this review without ruminating upon the significance of Japan? A nation that is endlessly fascinating to 'Westerners', just as the West and its popular culture is equally as magnetic to the Japanese. And who better to illustrate contemporary Jap-Rock (to use Julian Cope's term) than the mighty Boris? Ever since the forced encroachment of western aesthetics via American imperialism into Japanese sensibilities from the early 20th century, the quake isles have been a mind-swirling and often amusing melting-pot of east meets west. For most serious listeners, Boris typify the ultra-Japanese take on pop and rock with super-cool explorations into genres that could too lazily be termed certain labels like 'indie' or 'sludge' or 'pop-punk'...
"I'm not very good at ending songs". Apostille aka Michael Kasparis manages the intense parts before those abrupt endings well though. In ripped silk shirt and over pre-programmed industrial beats and shrill stabs of noisy drones, he paces the stage and sings (rants) about reputations, appeasement and contempt. It is not Swans loud but is still shaking the denim of my jeans with its concentration of dark rage. The final song introduces some tuneful melody to proceedings – would have liked to see more of this light-and-dark rather than just the bleak, threatening blast...
From the record label that introduced us to Money and Great Waves, you have to expect something brilliant from Kult Country. Sways records have made sure the hype has been duly distributed for this Islington Mill feature, and as I lean against a pylon amongst the sea of knitted jumpers, this venue's brilliance is firmly conveyed. The former cotton spinning mill provides an appreciated getaway from the commercial manifesto which most city centre venues seem to follow… a vast, underground chamber in which everyone resides for the music...
James Brooks, aka Land Observations, stunned a small and intimate crowd with a performance of his debut album Roman Roads IV-XI on Saturday night.
The gig was part of a special event to showcase a visual art project by Off with Their Heads and Volkov Commanders entitled Black/White\Light for which attendees were requested to wear white in order to create a white 'slate' to allow the intricate and colourful projections to dominate.
The entrance hall was filled with white boiler suits, eerily hanging from the low ceiling for visitors to don in case they were unaware of the white theme. The old Mill building has not so much been renovated but rejuvenated and now houses an underground club, several floors of artist studios and a shabby chic loft with exposed wood beams. As a preview to how bizarre the evening would get, the loft was home to a gallery that boasted both installations and paintings in a setting that sends a shiver down your spine...
Words by Anne Louise Kershaw
Following immediately from the release of their EP 'Replacements', Last Harbour set out on a UK mini-tour and hit Manchester on the 24th October.
Having recently commissioned visual artist and photographer Andrew Brooks to produce live projections for the tour, the Manchester collective, not content to simply perform music, came bearing delicious visual gifts.
Anyone familiar with their album will know that its production was personal, hands-on and site-specific. Having been recorded in a church – to benefit creatively from the acoustics and atmosphere of the place – the album comes complete with a screen-printed illustration of the exact location of each band member during the recording process....
We can officially say we know where Kylie is hiding.
A few weeks back we opened our doors to Coronation St as they took a shining to our Engine House. They were a pleasure to work with and here is a little backstage video from their filming. If you watch the Omnibus on Sunday you should be able to get a sneaky peek of the scene that was filmed here.
You know when you go see a band and you leave thinking "well, that was fun," because the guitarist played well and they did all your favourites and maybe you had a little bit of a dance and a sing-along? Well you're wrong. That's not really fun. Not like going to see Dan Deacon is fun, because going to see Dan Deacon is more fun than you will ever have when you're not at a Dan Deacon gig...
Words by Renee Richards
Salford Noise had a great atmosphere with a surprising mix of age groups in the 150 strong audience. This was the final night of the three-day student music festival, which ended on a high note at Islington Mill.
I was surprised at the mixture of ages busting moves on the dance floor with lots of rapturous applause in all the right places to fuel this Salford shindig. Mums and dads, aunties, cousins, old friends and new friends formed the crowd alongside the expected university turnout. The clapping was not token, it was heartfelt, and came as a real thank you to the entertainment on offer.
""How about this? Too gay?"
I'm running my outfit choices for Hunx past my girlfriend, Esther. I'm partial to some high camp, but she wants me to pass unharmed through the football fans swarming in Manchester today. I'm never sure how to reconcile the different identities in me. Man/Woman, Straight/Gay, all just different shades of the same thing. 50 shades of gay…"
To those in the know around Manchester's underground music scene, the name Fat Out Til You Pass Out is more generally associated with noisy, extreme bands called things like Drunk In Hell, Child Abuse and 100% Beefcock & The Titsburster (the latter topping Fat Out's fantastically weird and wonderful looking bill at The Crescent for Sounds From The Other City - we're sure it's only a matter of time before they're onto our official favourite vaguely offensive band name of this week, Gay Witch Abortion).
So what's all this then? Candles? On tables? Well, as we've touched on here before (not least during Jasper TX's incredible performance at Sacred Trinity last week) there's a shorter distance than you'd immediately have thought between the hardest, most sinister genre of recent years Black Metal and its brow-furrowing odd bedfellow Ambient.
Well what a great season we've had here at the Mill. It's been our best start to the year ever, with the Blackest Ever Black label showcase, Country Club, Nat Baldwin and Herbal Sessions amongst the highlights. The art exhibition 'Dynamic Death Party' which ran throughout the season was really special too. Dark and mysterious in tone… where else are you gonna see art that makes you want to start over at 2am?
In line with our new seasonal opening pattern, events are now on hold until 29 March.
Islington Mill is not only an art and event space. As well as 50 artist studios there are also a number of flats here at the Mill with residents such as Kim who runs catering business, FOOD by Kim and works with Cracking Good Food, as well artist, lecturer and photographer David Williams and members of the band, Gnod. These folks form a big part of the community and feel of Islington Mill and we think it's fitting that we launch our Easter programme with a photography exhibition by David Williams who has lived here for several years. As well as being a critically acclaimed photographer, David has single-handedly been responsible for all the beautiful plants that make our courtyard an amazing urban oasis during the Summer months.
Last Summer's blooms form the subject matter for David's work and will give you an idea of how stunning our garden can look. His exhibition will be open throughout the Easter Season – and to keep the courtyard looking gorgeous this year, we are hosting a Garden Party on Thursday 5 April to raise funds to contribute to the further development and maintenance of the garden.
After what has been a great 2011 for the Mill, we have decided to change things around a bit for 2012. This year, we are going to experiment with a new seasonal opening pattern. By changing the 'look' of our gallery and club space as well the Mill's opening times, we hope to present an even more exciting and cohesive experience when you come to visit us, as well as a programme that includes only the very best in music and visual arts.
After selling out our three arena New Year's Eve party we will be closed until January 25th. We will then reopen for our first season of 2012 on Wednesday 25th January with a preview of our new gallery show 'Dynamic Death, showcasing new and emerging young artists from the North in a building-wide exhibition titled 'Dynamic Death'. During this season the Mill will be open for gigs, parties and events from Wednesdays till Sundays until February 26th. Some of the region's finest promoters including Bohemian Grove, Now Wave, Herbal Sessions, Faktion, and I Am will bring you the best in live music, dj's and parties.
Sunday 6th May: 3pm to 3am
This year's Sounds From The Other City was the best yet, from Black Belles's brewing up a storm and Volokov Commanders confusing yet astounding passers by to PINS packing out the club space and CHERYL beginning their month long residency in the gallery with fake blood and glitter.
Images, videos and reviews will be uploaded soon to the Sounds From The Other City website.
Friday 23rd December: the night before the night before Christmas. The party season is well and truly under way, but it's not really Christmas yet. There's no sitting around, feeling bored and consuming more food in one day than you have done all week. This is the fun bit of Christmas, making time for friends, getting drunk and dancing around merrily – cue: DJ Derek. The 68 year old DJ took a liking to the black music that was coming to the fore in the early 60s as a young man in Bristol (such as Reggae, Rocksteady and Soul). The man has a record collection to make any DJ feel humble and will ensure bookings till he kicks the bucket. cont...
Woohoo! We have been crowned 'Salford's No.1 Cultural Haven'. Yep, old rough and unpopular us. We are very excited about this as we think it is quite an accolade.
The Best Of Salford is voted by members of the community and celebrates the best that this fair city can offer which is a hell of a lot. We look forward to working with these guys more in the future to really show newcomers to the area what we are all about!
We are very proud of the fact that Agnew's Gallery in London is hosting an exhibition of Susie MacMurray's work. Titled 'The Eyes Of The Skin' this exhibition will be an amazing chance to see a collection of Susie's drawings, sculptures and exhibitions in one place.
The exhibition opens next week, Tuesday 8th November through to the 4th of December, so if you are down in the Big Smoke you should definately check it out.
Christmas at The Mill saw the wealth of creative talent based here showcase their work and offer a range of unusual, one-of-a-kind gifts and treats. The Mill's residents offered a range of beautiful, limited-edition pieces, from ceramics and jewellery to photography and printmaking. There was music from members of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, mulled wine, hearty homemade soup and of course mince pies!
Thank you to everyone that came, we had a lovely time and we hope that you did too.
Words from Northern Comfort
So tonight I went to Islington Mill to an event run by Beep Industries. It was a talk by Aaron Draplin – founder of Portland's Draplin Design Company and co-creator of Field Notes.
Now – got to say straight away – I wasn't aware of him really until a couple of weeks ago. Yeah, I know. A friend of mine posted a link to a video of his, I then read his blog, then his twitter, then he posted that he was in Manchester this week. So I bought tickets, quickly passed on the baby to Elisabeth and drove over to the Mill.
Cutting to the chase – man was I glad I went. A great, funny, super-talented, inspirational guy. Above all what struck me was his sheer passion, the sheer joy and love he had that all day he could work for himself, making things that he loved and live that way. It was clear that this was a privilege to him; that the ability to do this, and to work and live like this is not something to be taken for granted, but something to be cherished and loved and celebrated.
Now he's about 12 months or so older than I, but waaaay ahead of me on this thing. He's a way better designer, way more experienced, etc. And sometimes, as I'm going greyer, losing hair and am constantly tired, that could get one down. But actually, it was all just super inspiring. Just the idea that your life can be what you make of it, if you work hard. I'm not saying anybody can do anything, but as someone who went completely freelance in March this year, and has a 6 month old baby, that's genuinely inspirational.
I started freelancing with no clients and from a job which wasn't the one I freelance in (so I wasn't 'known' in the industry), and knowing I had a baby on the way, and a mortgage to pay. Scary. But it's working. Slowly, but it's working. And I can get up in the morning, I don't need to put on a suit, or even get dressed. My commute is to my computer with a coffee. I can listen to whatever I want, work the hours I need to, spend time with Evie and my fiancé, catch up on shit on the internet without having to hide my computer screen, and what's the worst I have to do? Make more amends than I'd like to a client's work? Have to chase an invoice a couple of times? So what?
Also – it shows that if you work hard, work like it means something, like you're the client, then you can produce great stuff that you love, and have a job that you love. And in these days of 'a missing decade', etc, that's quite something.
So thanks to Draplin, and thanks to Beep. Shame more people weren't there, you missed out. It's sending me back to my work inspired, fired up, and ready to work harder and better. But not for some shareholders, or a boss, or whatever. But for me.
Praises are sung by Cutteruption
On Bonfire Night, I found myself at Off With Their Heads at Islington Mill watching one of the gnarliest musical peformances of recent memory. I'm not in the habit of referring to things as 'gnarly' but if there's one band deserving of the epithet, Organ Freeman could be it.
I'm a big fan of immersive performances: ones where the line between the audience and the performer is blurred, both spatially and figuratively. I have been ever since I saw Jean Genet bouncing up and down on a stage wearing tit-tape and squirting the audience with water pistols in a pub in Leeds a few years back. In my own performances, one of the most enjoyable things can be wandering into the audience's space and seeing what happens.
If you get a chance to see Organ Freeman, do. They combine live drumming with hyper electronic backings, blend pop hits into their own original numbers and dance like they've got ants in their pants. They also drenched themselves in an avalanche of talcum powder, launched illuminated balloons into the audience and menaced the audience with their fleshy pincers to an instructional dance called The Wirral Crab.
Review by Quenched Music
The first time I saw Suzuki Method was probably while Quenched Music was still just a blog and it is incredible to see how far they have come over such a short space of time.
To be honest the first two bands Working for a Nuclear Free City and The Rial To Burns absolutely tore the house down and everyone was dancing wildly to these two bands. Both really impressed me they were very original, yet not niche which is always a fear.
I hope to hear more from these two groups of musicians as they flourish during the following year.
Suzuki Method have had rapid success in that their debut EP sold out, which was a decisive statement of intent. Each of their tracks get the crowd dancing as well as posses a certain intelligence to them, which make the hardened music critic take a moment to notice them.
The smoky atmosphere of Islington Mill just added to the overall refreshing and vibrant performance of Suzuki Method. It is no wonder why soon the world will be their oyster as their originality these days transcends genre, which is a rarity these days.
The main track that got the crowd invading the stage was 'You asked for the moon and you got it,' simple electronic bliss coupled with strong distinctive vocals a trademark Suzuki Method track.
The night was kept in check by the Djing skills of the Salford City Radio gentlemen, a mixture of tracks to keep everyone's appetites moist during the set breaks as well as after all the musicians had finished performing.
I look forward to the next Helmets for Men gig as they do not seem to disappoint.
Check out these lovely reviews of Islington Mill that were in THe Gusrdian earlier in the year. There is one piece on the cool and trendy things to do in and around Manchester, where we are rightly described as a 'creative hub of a minor cultural renaissance' and the other is a lovely review of our 2 storey open plan B&B. Exciting things are being planned for the B&B which will be announced very soon!
The B&B is housed in a converted workshop with an open plan contemporary feel. With two double bedrooms and a dormitory room sleeping six the B&B can house a maximum of ten at any one time. Each room has ensuite facilities and there is a communal kitchen and dinning area for guests to share. The B&B predominantly houses bands and artists visiting the city, recent guests have included Billy Childish, David Medalla, and Roger Cardinal and musical stars Earth, Salem and Group Doueh. Housed in the midst of Islington Mill artist's studios, the B&B provides a lively and alternative introduction to the city. If you are interested in booking a room please contact Morry on 07917714369.
The powers of One69A and RAG are collaborating to give you the opportunity to design, print and create your own tshirt. Dont miss out on this fantastic opportunity to learn from the masters.
The price is £15 for one person or £25 for 2 people and more information is on our events page which you can see by clicking here. But remember you must book your place on any of these workshops and they do sell out so, please email firstname.lastname@example.com
The walk from the bright lights of Manchester is short, and if the signs didn't tell you so, you'd still think you were in the rainy city. For many it may as well be a different country, with Urban Mancunia seemingly frightened to step outside of its Northern Quarter comfort zone for any length of time. Whilst some would shy away from the risk of doing anything away from the usual haunts, Sounds from the Other City is a festival that absolutely revels in its outsider status, an obvious link to the new music is around to champion. So whilst Maps festival took residency in some of the more bizarre venues dotted around Manchester, a whole other world of sound lay just over a canal.
As with any festival, the weather seems to conspire to dampen the hopes of a carnival atmosphere, but whilst the threat of rain doesn't ever really show up, the bitter cold does. The walk to collecting a wristband is immediately brightened by some ArtYarn knitted animals hanging from a tree – a blue octopuses' awkward smile cancelling out the grim numbness of the fingers.
After huddling around for a wristband, it's time for the first band of the day. Using the excellent SFTOC special edition of Shrieking Violets as a guide, The Angel Centre is found with enough time to browse through Salford 'Zine Library's collection whilst taking in the slightly bizarre surroundings. Wonderfully, there have been no efforts made to conceal the fact that Girl Mountain is playing in what is essentially a canteen. Indeed, as he opens up his set, people take the opportunity to grab a late lunch, whilst the workers openly look bemused at what's going on in front of them.
Consisting of one man, a synth and a whole lot of presets, the room is filled with a cacophonous racket whilst the crowd slowly swells. Girl Mountain is far from the easy listening that you might want to ease you into the day, coming across like a more brutal, sociopathic Casiotone for the Painfully Alone. As far as statements go it's pretty daring, and after half an hour of feedback, fuzzy synth, distorted vocals, stilted rapping and a claim to be sponsored by Sanitary pads, the set is ended with the refrain of 'I've not got cancer/I'm just thin'.
Down the road at the Old Pint Pot, the locals set about watching the football whilst the masses crowd on the floor above for the start of the most hyped line-up of the festival. There's no room to move as Dutch Uncles rip into
their set. They might look as though they've been dragged backwards through a charity shop and have some of the most bizarre dancing around, but they've got the tunes to back it up. In the flesh is where their quirky math-pop really comes to the fore, all angular guitars and falsetto vocals. Showcasing new material, the band have taken huge strides from their earlier work and understandably, the cramped crowd seem to love every second.
The gamble on seeing the enigmatic Wu Lyf on the same bill means that the chance to see Jo Rose is the ornate surrounds of St. Phil's Church is pointlessly missed as it's announced the band have cancelled, so the opportunity is taken to visit Old Pint Pot's downstairs and have a listen to The Cavalcade. Shamelessly dream pop, it's difficult not to fall for their swirling sound. Their debut album due later in the year could be one of the more exciting releases of the summer.
Despite the many drawbacks of purpose built gig venues – the lack of soul, purposeful sense of identity and overpriced drinks – they do have some advantages. The queue for the toilets as Tim and Sam's Tim and Sam band with Tim and Sam opened their set would've killed for a decent amount of grotty cubicles. In every other aspect, the church surpasses pretty much any other kind of venue you could imagine, and the acoustics mean that Tim and Sam's wondering instrumentals sound like they've found their home.
After nipping off for some chips, it's up to The Crescent for a delicious vegan cupcake and The Graveyard Shift. Coming on around 20 minutes late, they batter the audience with easily the loudest performance of the day. There's some rockabilly in their sound, but they built their own unique, ramshackle house on a bluesy base. The only thing guaranteed at festivals is that set times will conspire against you, and just as the band get into their stride, it's time for Divorce's set for Lamb and Wolf. The five piece absolutely dominate the floor of Islington Mill with their fierce reinvention of noise metal. The relentless Juice of Youth is an obvious highlight, but it's a flawless set that gets a few people jumping and the rest nodding along.
As the sun goes down and the chill intensifies, it's back to Bring on the Dancing horses at the Old Pint Pot for Egyptian Hip Hop. Chronically overcrowded, the bouncers are called down to keep order by the time the band start playing. Looking like a collection of friend's younger brothers, in amongst all the blogs and NME articles it's easy to overlook the fact that they're actually incredibly talented. Proficient on several instruments, they alternate between the breakdowns of a major rock band and the experimental posturing that has garnered them such a following. Instead of getting swept away by the praise, it seems to have grounded them, as they put in an engaging performance that the teeming queue at the door are desperate to be a part of.
Whilst internet bloggers have been all over Egyptian Hip Hop, Islet have purposely stayed away from online. Having only recently started their own website and still without the industry-standard MySpace, they've got their following on the back of a series of emphatic live performances. Blessing Postcards from Manchester's stage, they're unlike anything else on the bill – or, indeed, anything else in music at the minute. At one point a member of the band takes a rattle, saunters through the crowd and cowers underneath the stairs for a couple of moments, before rejoining Islet on stage. It's weird, but experimental is what they do, and brilliantly so, being primitive and tribal whilst keeping tuneful. Above all else, it's a feat.
Headliners downstairs at Islington Mill, word about Chrome Hoof has really got out. The sorrow of a one in, one out policy is compounded by the band themselves, dressed in sparkling silver robes, passing by on their way in. Admittedly, they sound as astonishing as you'd expect a nine-piece experimental orchestra to, but even their otherworldly noises can't detract from being at the back of a crammed venue and the gnawing pain in the feet. 8 hours and 9 bands later the walk back to Manchester commences, but not without constant reminders of what a spectacularly individual concept sounds from the Other City is – a few hundred people crowd around a Manchester Scenewipe street show whilst knitted artyarn bombs cling to railings. There are many festivals that tread similar ground, but none of them come close to doing it with the deftness and personality that Sounds from the Other City has in buckets. If 2010's edition is anything to go by, it'd be a crime to miss out next year.
From - The Pigeon Post
Rowf! Rowf! Rowf!5 Islington Mill, Salford
Ears can get tired, but for eager clubbers suffering auditory fatigue due to unavoidable unpleasantness at work - heavy industrial machinary or the in-office stereo being permanently tuned to Radio 1 - recuperating in a quiet space of a weekend night is seldom the cure. Annual freakfest Rowf Rowf Rowf! might be. The Golden Lab label specialise in the less well trodden paths of contemporary music, as the drone, weird folk, psych, improv and free rock occurring here might suggest. The artists delivering the sounds such as Brooklyn's Blues Control, dub/folk singer Staphanie Hladowski, sound experimenters Bridget Hayden and Blood Stereo, would be recognised by those who read the Wire rather than watch it, but with only 300 places available for this mind melt, plus the Gnod DJs providing kraut rock, dub, psych and world music into the small hours, there should be a healthy attendance.
Marc Rowlands
Islington Mill, James Street, Sat & Sun
Perimeter Islington Mill, Salford, Friday, A celebration of leftfield pop music, old and new, from Blondie, World of Twist and teh B-52's to the Whip and MGMT. Ace, weird pop group Fol Chen Play Live Early doors
Perimeter Salford
Promising even bigger and better things, lineups have been released and tickets will be close to selling out for some nights at the returning, efficient Warehouse Project, a hugely enjoyable addition to MAnchester's annual clubbing programme. Less than two miles away in Salford, another warehouse project is helping to revive that city's cultural contributions. In a perhaps less sterile environ than its legal rave brethren, arts space Islington Mill manages to attain more of the exciting, spontaneous feel of the original earlly 90s warehouse parties, drawing a cool clubbing crowd away from Manchester as a result. The variety of nights held there may account for the ever present sense of surprise (as does the finely stocked, well priced bar). This Friday's live guests, werido Californian pop group Fol Chen seem perfectly placed to kick off proceedings at Perimeter, a celebration of leftfield pop, old and new.
Marc Rowlands
Islington Mill, James Street, Fri
The Ting Tings release there first single since signing to Columbia on March 3rd. Great DJ is available to download for a limited time and there will be a 1500 7" vinyl for release.
As part of the single release the band are gathering up old 7" singles, which are going to be reversed and used as the new covers for the single.
Some of these have already been done and you will be be able to buy these on any of their upcoming NME tour dates and the remainder in selected stores. In order to get a copy you need to bring along an old 7" to swap at the gigs. If you can't make it to any of the gigs but want to get involved by recycling an old gem anyway, drop an email to firstname.lastname@example.com
The band also have loads of stuff coming up including live sessions on Radio 1 with Jo Whiley and Zane Lowe - more info on www.myspace.com/thetingtings
Artyarn would like to share with you a link to their website:
Here you will find out about all of their projects from the past 12 months.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the people who have assisted in making Artyarns first 12 months in operation fun and creative and for those of you have given the support and opportunities for them to make their projects.
We would like to thank Arts Council England, Central Salford Urban Regeneration Company, Anna Scrine, Architects Britch and everyone invovled with supporting the refurbishment of Ground Floor of Islington Mill and giving us new toilets! amongst other things, but new toilets! let's here it for new toilets! and full disability access! Woop woop! a nice floor and cobbles that you don't twist your feet on! yes! that's right! and many other improvements.


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Hot Sheet: And the Winner Is ...
BY Advocate.com Editors
February 28 2014 7:07 PM ET
3. MUSIC: JD Samson & Men at Bootleg in Los Angeles
The incomparable JD Samson, formerly of Le Tigre, performs with her band Men at L.A.'s Bootleg space in the Rampart District a week from tonight. The band is prepping its latest release, Labor, while JD's been performing, spinning, and producing events in New York and throughout Europe. Watch a performance by Men below, and click here for info on the L.A. show. – Neal Broverman
Tags: Hot Sheet


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Please Reds management, never put him out on the mound again...ever! He's a loss waiting to happen. He stinks, he sucks, he's got nothing left, he's a "fly ball" pitcher in a ballpark where flies fly out...not that his road talent is any better!
Trade him for a bucket of balls, some pine tar, a dozen jock straps, anything!
Any questions?


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Originally written on Larry Brown Sports | Last updated 2/3/13
Mark Teixeira gave a thoroughly honest interview to the Wall Street Journal in which he admitted that he is overpaid and aging. Teixeira signed an eight-year, $180 million contract with the New York Yankees prior to the 2009 season. He has four seasons left under the current deal, and he is scheduled to earn $22.5 million each year. Though he was one of the most productive first baseman in baseball during his peak, Teixeira's numbers have consistently dropped the past three seasons. He went from averaging a .942 OPS from 2005-2009 to an .829 OPS from 2010-2012. Teixeira is turning 33 in April, and he acknowledges he's on the downside of his career. "I looked at the first six or seven years of my career, I was in my 20s, it was easy. I wasn't searching for the right formula. To think that I'm going to get remarkably better, as I get older and breaking down a little bit more, it's not going to happen," Teixeira told the Journal's Daniel Barbarisi. "Maybe I'm slowing down a tick. Look, I'm not going to play forever. Eventually you start, I don't want to say declining, but it gets harder and harder to put up 30 [homers] and 100 [RBI]," Teixeira said. Teixeira went from being a .290-.300 hitter to posting three consecutive seasons around .250. Rather than attempting to get back to .290 which might be unrealistic, Tex says he is going to concentrate on trying to maximize his strengths: hitting home runs, walking, and playing good defense. The strategy seems sound, but it may lead detractors to say he is not living up to his salary. Teixeira would not disagree. "I have no problem with anybody in New York, any fan, saying you're overpaid. Because I am," Teixeira said. "We all are." "Agents are probably going to hate me for saying it," he told the Journal. "You're not very valuable when you're making $20 million. When you're Mike Trout, making the minimum, you are crazy valuable. My first six years, before I was a free agent, I was very valuable. But there's nothing you can do that can justify a $20 million contract." Players can still justify $20 million contracts, but it's not easy. Baseball's free agency system rewards players for what they have done in the past rather than what they will do in the future. That is why Teixeira signed for such a big contract even though the Yankees knew he would be in his 30s for most of it. Did they figure they would get a few more prime seasons out of him? No doubt, but they also knew he would be declining as the years went on. Teixeira may not be worth the $22.5 million he makes, but he is still an above-average player. His plan to maximize his strengths rather than focus on his weaknesses sounds like one that can help him obtain more value and prove his usefulness to the Yankees. Forearm bash to Eye on Baseball The post Mark Teixeira knows he's overpaid, aging appeared first on Larry Brown Sports. Related posts: Dodgers reportedly asked Yankees about CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira Mark Teixeira Just Another A-Rod Clone? Maybe That's Why Mark Teixeira Didn't Sign with the Red Sox
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Canada: Victoria 50 Cents 1870 LCW,...
2010 January Signature World Coin Auction #3008
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Waldorf Astoria
Landmark Gem Victoria 1870 LCW 50 CentsVictoria 50 Cents 1870 LCW, KM6, MS65 PCGS, Ex: Alston-Grossman. The second variety of this elusive first-year issue, here with the initials of designer Leonard C. Wyon on the neck truncation of Queen Victoria. This phenomenal Gem is tied for finest with only two other pieces in MS65 at PCGS (7/09). While the 1870 With LCW 50 Cents are considerably more available than the No LCW coins, both are extremely rare in Mint State, especially the Gem level of the present example.
With lovely original lilac to violet patina covering both sides, this coin is a virtual match to the predominant colors on the 1870 No LCW 50 Cents, an attractive proposition that enhances the desirability of the same bidder acquiring both pieces. While we cannot be certain, it appears likely that both coins resided for a long period in an old-time collection, where they developed similar coloration. With a bold strike and only a few scattered, minor contact marks, this Gem coin represents another remarkable opportunity in this string of landmark Canadian coins.
From the Canadiana Collection
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TV Info
Episode PremiereApril 01, 2009
Show Period2009 - 2011
Production CompanyFox TV, Imagine TV
Cast and Crew
DirectorAdam Davidson
ScreenwriterDustin Thomason
Main Cast
- Tim Roth as Cal Lightman
- Kelli Williams as Dr. Gillian Foster
- Brendan Hines as Eli Loker
- Monica Raymund as Ria Torres
- Hayley McFarland as Emily Lightman
- Mekhi Phifer as Agent Ben Reynolds
Additional Cast
- Anjul Nigam
- Daniel Benzali
- Dominic Hoffman
- Don Tiffany
- Jeff Newburg
- Kirk B.R. Woller
- Kosha Patel
- Michael B. Silver
- Michelle Ann Johnson
- Michelle Joyner
- Naila Azad
- Seema Lazar
- Stacey Moseley
- Sunkrish Bala
Lightman becomes obsessed with finding a link between two young women who committed suicide. More is learned about what drove him to study micro-expressions: the death of his mother.
Foster and the team try to recover billions of dollars for investors in a teachers' union pension fund who were bilked by a Ponzi scheme.


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U.S. District Court Judge Analisa Torres ruled the New York Container Terminal had no "reasonable or practical way" to protect over 2,200 containers damaged in the storm.
The new Senate bill would allow state governors to invoke Taft-Hartley in an attempt to mitigate port congestion stemming from labor disputes.
Non-MSP carriers worry they could lose more business under a new deal that would allow more local sourcing of food aid.
White House now believes it has the leverage it needs to seal the massive 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.
The Port of Los Angeles will begin construction this summer on a two-year project to upgrade and expand berths and backlands at the Yusen Terminals LLC container terminal.
The International Chamber of Shipping complained protectionist policies could limit access to U.S. oil and gas exports.


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It's been a long week. With finances run amok and the government hurrying to stabilize the economy, many Washington insiders and Wall Street traders are saying the same thing today: I could use a glass of wine.
Luckily, finding one won't break the bank. And weekend travelers looking for a short yet affordable trip are just in time for prime wine-tasting season between Washington and Richmond.
"On one hand, what's more disposable than a $20 bottle of wine? On the other hand, wine makes people happy," said Susan Westbrook, who owns White Fences Vineyards and Winery in Irvington, Va., with her husband, Bill. "We're still hanging in there at a time when, I think, it's sort of seen as an affordable treat when people sort of need it."
Pete Johns, one of the owners of New Kent Winery in New Kent, Va., said, "Truthfully, I think to a degree, the wine industry is recession-proof. People drink when they're happy, and they drink when they're sad."
Tucked between the Potomac and Rappahanock rivers, the stretch of land known as Virginia's Northern Neck harbors ideal conditions for growing grapes.
But the fertile territory is a fairly recent discovery for many of the area's vinters. Of eight wineries that stretch through the region, nearly all have opened up their doors to visitors since 2002.
"It's just the momentum that the wine industry has been gaining, not just in Virginia, but all over the country," said the area's veteran proprietor, Doug Flemer, who has run Ingleside Vineyards since 1980 on Flemer family-owned land hailing back to 1890. "People are becoming more interested in wine not just as a hobby but as a business."
Still, Flemer said Virginia vineyards, like so many businesses, are struggling in the face of a sinking economy. Whether paying double or triple for petroleum-based products necessary for wine production, or seeing visitors buy a bottle or two instead of a full case to save money, Flemer said the wineries are taking a hit.
"It has definitely affected our industry," Flemer said. "Everything has been affected by the oil prices, particularly. And now people are not traveling as much. I often hear that people are staying closer to home, but they're also staying off the roads, too."
If you do decide to venture out for a stress-free weekend reprieve, autumn weekends are an ideal time. Though harvest came a bit early this year -- "the grapes really tell us when to pick 'em," Westbrook explained -- October is a great month to visit.
"People like taking that fall drive through the country," Westbrook said. "It's a beautiful time, particularly in Virginia, to sort of sit out on the porch, take in the crisp fall weather and have a glass of wine."
At Vault Field Vineyards in Kinsale, owner Keith Meenan said now is the time for travelers to get out and see the fall foliage "before they have to hunker down."
Some attractions sprinkled from north to south include:
Potomac Point Vineyard & Winery
275 Decatur Road, Stafford, Va., 22554, 540-446-2266
Tasting: Starting at $5 for eight wines and olive oil bar


text: I just picked up a Dagor to use on my 9x12 camera and have read that it has a large coverage, even up to 8x10, stopped down. Is this correct? Also it doesn't have a series number, just Goerz, Berlin Anastigmat-Dagor. I think from the serial it is early 20's. So, this is a nice lens yes, as in famous Dagor? These 20's lenses are becoming my favourite, Tessar and Heliar also, wonderful.


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MONTREAL, Feb. 21, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Les Affaires, one of TCMedia's flagship brands, is celebrating its 85(th )anniversary by publishing a special issue that profiles leading figures in the Québec business community. To mark the occasion, 25 business personalities have basically agreed to act as content editors by suggesting topics and commenting on articles prepared by the team of journalists. The special issue, dated Saturday, February23, is available today. "The enthusiasm with which these 25 personalities signed on to this project shows the extent to which Les Affaires is a benchmark in the business world. Actually, what we want to celebrate are Québec businesses and organizations, their leaders and their employees," said Stéphane Lavallée, Vice President, Business Solutions for TCMedia, and Publisher, Les Affaires Group. Among the senior executives contributing to the project are Pierre Beaudoin, President and CEO of Bombardier; Isabelle Hudon, President of Sun Life Financial - Québec; Monique Leroux, President and CEO of Desjardins Group; Rémi Marcoux, founder of TCTranscontinental; and Michael Sabia, President and CEO of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. Their presence and that of many other business people shows that Les Affaires is still the central hub of Québec's business world. "Les Affaires is changing rapidly, incorporating digital technology, presenting dozens of events each year and now we're even organizing trade missions," noted Mr. Lavallée. "But what drives it all, and will always drive it, is the passion for business." Other initiatives, such as special events and special columns in the newspaper, will be organized over the course of the year to mark the 85(th) anniversary of Les Affaires. Some history… Les Affaires was founded in 1928 in Quebec City as a magazine called Les Affaires, a Magazine of Business. The main aim of the publication was to help French-Canadian entrepreneurs and business managers improve their management practices, grow their businesses and increase their survival rates. Transcontinental, founded in 1976 by Rémi Marcoux, acquired Les Affaires newspaper in 1979. At that time, since only 4% of Québec adults owned shares in a company or in mutual funds, the paper focused on educating Quebecers about investing and finance. Today, Les Affaires earns the top ratings among North American business publications for reading time, reader loyalty and content relevance. About Les Affaires Group Les Affaires Group is the leading provider of information and analytical content for Québec business people. To date, the Group has the largest business and finance news desk in Québec, with a team of more than 45 employees. Through its publications, online activities and events, it determines key information, identifies business opportunities and disseminates best business practices. The Les Affaires Group, a member of TCMedia, produces Les Affaires newspaper, lesaffaires.com, Les Affaires Events, the management magazine PREMIUM, and the personal finance magazine A+. About TCMedia Canada's leading provider of media and marketing activation solutions, employing about 4,000 people, TCMedia reaches 24million consumers in Canada through its integrated multiplatform offering that includes print and digital media, the production of magazines, newspapers, books and custom content, mass and personalized marketing, interactive and mobile applications, TV production and door-to-door distribution. TCMedia is a brand of Transcontinental Inc. (TSX: TCL.A, TCL.B, TCL.PR.D), which has about 9,500 employees in Canada and the United States, and reported revenues of C$2.1billion in 2012. Websitewww.tc.tc. For more information or interview requests: Media Katherine Chartrand Director of Internal and External Communications TCMedia Telephone: 514-392-2091 email@example.com SOURCE: Transcontinental inc. To view this news release in HTML formatting, please use the following URL: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/February2013/21/c7411.html CO: NEWS - MEDIA ST: Quebec NI: PUB -0- Feb/21/2013 14:23 GMT
Les Affaires celebrates 85th anniversary
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U.S. Masters Swimming Articles & Videos Presented by
Nathan Adrian sets the U.S. Masters Swimming National record in the 100 yard freestyle in a smashing 41.13.
Coaching / Stroke Technique
For SWIMMER Magazine, U.S. Masters Swimming Coach Cokie Lepinski shows us how to pump up our Paddle Power and transform our hands and forearms into the ultimate propulsive tool.
Chances are, you have a goal that you're striving for as you swim up and down the pool. It may be a relatively small goal, or it may be a goal so big you haven't told anyone about it yet because...
Like many Masters swim clubs, our club faces a yearly exodus—usually beginning in October—of members at the end of triathlon season. To better explain: we train two local women's teams and our...
Press Releases
Minneapolis and Sarasota, Fla. — Swimming has long been touted as a great sport and recreational activity virtually everyone can enjoy and benefit from. U.S. Masters Swimming and Life Time –...
When you train and swim long enough, usually more than a month, you may see your performance improvements decline or stop altogether. This is a normal part of the training process. Once you're past...
The USMS website contains articles about sports medicine, health, and nutrition. This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional or medical advice on personal health matters. For personal medical advice, or if you are concerned about a medical condition or injury, see your healthcare provider for evaluation and care. The USMS website also contains articles about swim training and technique, including drills and workouts. All swimmers should be evaluated by a healthcare professional prior to beginning swim training. In addition, consult with a trained coach when introducing new technique or drills to your swim training program.


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The snow and the temperature are falling fast and so is your motivation.
To move. To drive. To cook.
The cupboard and fridge aren't stocked to your liking, so you're in a true rock-and-hard-place situation.
What to do? Pull on all your winter gear, clear the car off and warm it up? Nah.
In a "cabin fever" state, you come to the only logical solution. Delivery!
But whom to call?
As a bachelor/glutton/ex-server/humble restaurant critic, I eat out a lot but rarely pick up the phone to order in, so I consulted friends, Facebook and Urbanspoon to research the top options to have your dinner delivered to your door.
I decided to order five meals over the course of a week and rate each on the merits of the service: price, delivery minimum/charge, delivery time and, or course, the food itself.
What follows is my week of eating out of Styrofoam ...
Winky's Wings
Phone: 279-4647
Location: 9191 Old Seward Highway
Online: WinkysWings.com
Urbanspoon: 81% (240 votes)
Minimum: Depends on location
Charge: $2
Order: 50-piece original wings ($34.95)
Time quoted: 1 hour, 30 min.
On time: Yes (10 min. early)
Packaging and extras: A
Breakdown: This was a Sunday football feast. Straight Out of Philly doesn't open until 3 p.m. on Sundays, so the boys and I opted for Winky's on a whim. The wings arrived warm but not hot and a bit on the dry side. We tackled the spicy and flavorful flats and drummettes like an old-school NFL defense, bones tossed aside like a quarterback with poor protection.
Order again: Maybe
Serrano's Mexican Grill
Phone: 744-1555
Location: 640 W. 36th Ave.
Urbanspoon: 91% (342 votes)
Minimum: $20
Order: Serrano's burrito ($8.25), fajita burrito ($8.95), churros ($3.25) and a horchata ($2.45)
Time quoted: 1 hour
On time: Yes
Packaging and extras: A+
Breakdown: The delivery minimum had me scrambling until my roommate happened to come home hungry for lunch, and his burrito pushed us over $20. Both burritos, with rice and beans on the side, were ample in size and a perfect mélange of Mexican piquancy when paired with the soothing horchata. The fajita burrito was a bit on the cool side, temperature-wise. The churros were fresh, cinnamon-sweet and gone faster than Speedy Gonzalez.
Order again: Si!
Milano's Pizzeria and Philly Steaks
Phone: 569-6000
Location: 1207 W. 36th Ave.
Urbanspoon: 91% (262 votes)
Minimum: $10
Order: "Philadelphia" and "Philly Cheesesteak" (all 10 varieties of Phillys $9.95)
Time quoted: 40 min.
On time: Yes (10 min. early)
Packaging and extras: B
Breakdown: I had heard good things about Milano's cheesesteaks, so I was excited to try them out. Roommate No. 2 was around and asked to get in on the action. The sandwiches showed up piping hot, accompanied by unremarkable crinkle cut fries. Both of us were satisfied with the flavors. The roomie was happy they nailed his "no onions" demand, and I was equally pleased to see mozzarella subbed for Swiss. We were full but we might go "double meat" for $2 more on our next order.
Order again: Likely
Fiori D'Italia
Phone: 243-9990
Location: 2502 McCrae Road
Online: AKFiori.com
Urbanspoon: 86% (383 votes)
Minimum: $15
Order: Pollo alla fettuccini ($18.95) with side salad and garlic bread.
Time quoted: 1 hour
On time: Yes (20 min. early)
Packaging and extras: B
Breakdown: I didn't know they delivered until a Facebook friend suggested it. The sizable portion of pasta (enough for two people) was inundated with a cloying cream sauce and plenty of tender chicken chunks; it was helped by a hefty dose of pepper. It was fittingly accompanied by nearly half a baguette of not-so-garlicky garlic bread and a sad side salad of iceberg lettuce, one tomato slice and two cucumber slices.
Order again: Possibly
Thai Town
Phone: 644-4433
Location: 3311 Spenard Road
Online: ThaiTownAK.com
Urbanspoon: 84% (172 votes)
Minimum: $30
Charge: $5
Order: Stir-fry basil chicken ($12), Thai fresh rolls ($8), fry spring rolls ($8), side of rice ($1) and a soda ($1.50).
Time quoted: 1 hour
On time: Yes (10 min. early)
Packaging and extras: B
Breakdown: I was at work and failed a few attempts at other places, so I try Thai Town and reach a friendly female voice. During the call, I find out the minimum and begrudgingly suck it up and order some extra food. Next, I hear "$5 delivery charge," but I'm too busy and tired to abort. I tell her my location. "Oh no, we don't deliver that far away." But she can sense the defeat in my voice and tells me she'll make an exception. She delivers it early and with a smile.
The basil chicken was a bit salty but that was nothing the desk-top Sriracha and the side of rice couldn't fix. The fry rolls, hot and crispy, were delicious but not recommended if you want to keep a clean keyboard. The fresh rolls kept until the next day and made a perfect after-bar snack.
Order again: Probably not
More options
Taco/Burrito King
Phone: 771-6000
Location: Multiple
Online: TacoKingAK.com
Urbanspoon: 86% (755 votes combined)
Minimum: $18
Charge: $2
Straight Out of Philly
Phone: 569-1515
Location: 210 E. Fireweed Lane
Online: StraightOutOfPhilly.com
Urbanspoon: 86% (120 votes)
Minimum: $12 (Midtown) or $20
Charge: $2
Wings 'n Things
Phone: 277-9464
Location: 701 W. Spenard Ave. Unit A-7
Urbanspoon: 71% (641 votes)
Minimum: $15
Charge: $3-$5
Sparta Pizza
Phone: 561-6000
Location: 1005 E. Dimond Blvd. No. 4
Urbanspoon: 90% (167 votes)
Minimum: $10
Sweet Pink Pepper
Phone: 276-0709
Location: 1553 S. Bragaw St.
Urbanspoon: 82% (219 votes)
Minimum: $20
Peppercini's Deli House
Phone: 279-3354
Location: 3901 Old Seward Highway Suite. 18
Online:AlaskaDeli.com (order online)
Urbanspoon: 81% (154 votes)
Minimum: $25 (Midtown) or $50
Monster Pizza
Phone: 561-9999
Location: 343 Benson Blvd.
Urbanspoon: 86% (116 votes)
Minimum: $15
Lily's Family Restaurant
Phone: 561-3805
Location: 1440 E. Tudor Road
Urbanspoon: 44% (50 votes)
Minimum: $15
Northern China
Phone: 337-1912
Location: 353 Muldoon Road
Urbanspoon: 80% (61 votes)
Minimum: $20
China Garden
Phone: 272-2626
Location: Multiple
Urbanspoon: 81% (240 votes)
Minimum: $17
By BARRY PISER
Anchorage Daily News


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Watch Brian Lee White and Alex Case perform advanced audio adjustments inside Logic Pro, while they guide you through their reasoning in the built-in video window.
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Charlie Sheen, Brooke Mueller "Thinking of Getting Back Together"
Charlie Sheen's newest goddess? His ex-wife Brooke Mueller!
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When are you too young to wear thongs/g-strings?
I have a friend and her daughter is wanting to go panty shopping for herself...She is 14yrs old and is interested in thongs... I guess my questions... Show More
Most Helpful Opinion
My mom got me my first thong when I was in like 8th grade, 12 or 13 years old. It was really ugly and frilly and unbearably uncomfortable so I never wore it. She told me it was to see if I liked it and that it isn't proper underwear to wear to school, etc. I think she got it for me as a learning experience or something. Under those conditions I think its fine, but not for her to wear to school and show off, which might be the result if she's the one initiating the idea of wearing thongs. I think the proper age is 18 personally, after you leave high school. The girls in my high school wore thongs as a statement of their sexuality and it just appeared slutty. That's just my opinion though, I might be too closed minded
You bring up some great points... I will share this with my friend. I don't think you are closed minded at all. Thank you
It is so uncomfortable! I tried one on ONCE and I never bought one it does make you look slutty and stuff girls wear them all the time at school
What Girls Said 26
I would have to cut the limit at Elementary school for SURE!
I actual started wearing some in Middle school at the end of 7th grade , but I was always 1 sometimes 2 years older than my class mates.
But again I think you should be able to wear them when ever you want.
I don't wear them cause I'm trying to be sexy or hot or anything I always wore them cause I hated underwear lines.
my mother didn't want me to get a thong by I still got my first thong on my 14th birthday behind her back, my cousin bought me one because I wanted one but I never wore it to school, I js was curious about it, it was uncomfortable to have on all day but when I got older, I got a little more use to it. but really I only have like 3 thongs which I use for special occassion with my boyfriend. I think the proper age is the age at which one can give consent for sex because it does cause unwanted attention from guys if visible.
nothing if one if they buy a couple for her as long as they talk to her about it, that its not for school etc.
i started wearing one at thirteen because I was sick of having my bikini panty things going up my butt. Kinda seems like thongs wouldn't fix the problem but I'd rather have a string up my butt than a bunch of material. I started to wear them for comfort and I love not having panty lines and I feel sexy about myself when I wear one. (I did even when I was the only one who knew I wore one too) It's an easy ego boost and a comfortable solution to a tacky problem. I didn't show it off or brag about it. If that's what she's going to do I think that's a problem. But I don't think 14 is a bad age to be wearing a thong. In fact, it's the perfect age. That's when girls kind of start to come into their own (not to mention notice other girls panty lines) and thongs somehow help. Some days I wear panties just because but most days I like wearing my g-strings :) If she wants a thong for the right reasons, I say the girl should wear a thong.
she's old enough, girls like thong because they don't show panity line and are comfy and cute. my mom bought me one when I was 14, but really it depends on the girl and her folks...oh and my dad did the laundry and seen mine so he don't care either. If she is wanting one to show off and act sexual it might be best to make her wait a few years.
Ha, I love this question. I don't know if you watched it, but there was a sex education programme on, with Anna Richardson, and she was campaigning for shops to stop 'pimping our kids' i.e they wanted shops to stop selling inappropriate clothing for girls, and I mean girls under the age of 13. One of the items was a padded bra for six year olds, and both shops came back and said the padded bras were not to enhance the cleavage, but to give the girls some modesty. Now, the whole point in a padded bra is to enhance the cleavage, and why does a six year old girl, who doesn't have any boobs yet need to 'hide' her modesty...
I think 14 isn't necessarily too young for a thong, but I do feel that young girls are being a little too adventrous with clothing, I mean, what ever happened to having a childhood? and although 14 is said to be in teenage years, they are still too young to understand all the messages they give out when they wear particular things. I don't like it, you see young girls walking around supermarkets with their skirt so far up, when they bend over I can see EVERYTHING.
I think that she's old enough to pick out her own underwear. Life is hard enough for that age... choose your battles.
Having said that, I don't have a magic age to give you. I was 18 when I first started wearing them, and my mom saw some in my laundry and she had a problem with it. I was furious! A girls underwear shouldn't be the cause of drama in a household. It's just not that big of a deal.
That is a good point. Maybe this isn't a battle that my friend needs to be having. I am sure there are going to be more pressing issues later on in her daughters life. thank you
And, like mdmaddogmd or whatever said, the reason why I started wearing them in the first place was cause of the panty lines. Seriously. In terms of attractiveness, thongs are not pretty... in my opinion.
Thongs and G-strings are no stament of someones sexuality for one thing, I first wore then around 16 I think and before I started having sex. It was more of; there just so comfortable, don't leave pantie lines and look great (even if I was the only one seeing it, its a confidence thing).
I can totally see how some guys/girls would precieve a girl wearing a thong especially if its showing as something slutty..Thongs are kind of linked to sex and that image since you see so many models, sex symbols wearing them (in revealing photos, p*rn etc.) and really your sometimes wearing them for someone else not yourself (boyfriend, s/o).
I do think there's a proper age to wear them 16+ is what I would say is a good age. If I saw some 14 yearold wearing one.. that's to young and kinda gross. If some girls pulling them out of her pants for everyone to see, she's just asking for it.
Statement* :p
its personal, everyone is different , personally I hate them things ! ha ha normally sixteen fifteen is when you should if you want to wear them !
are thongs uncomfortable? why do you hate them?
i think they are very comfortable, like if you drop something and you bend down the thong goes up and everyone can see ! maybe its just me?
What Guys Said 6
Does it really matter? I mean, if a young girl, say 8, wanted to wear a g-string under her shorts would it really matter?
If a girl is wearing a skirt and is planning on doing handstands and cartwheels, then obviously she needs something "covering". But if she's going to have it covered up anyhow, who cares.
Have an opinion?


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Results 1 to 13 of 13
Thread: Moments of Befuddlement
January 2nd, 2009 #1
Moments of Befuddlement
So here goes. I will upload studies etc of the last two years to this sketchbook.
This one is supposed to be a portrait of Tilda Swinton, inspired by her appearance as the Archangel Gabriel in Constantine. Well, have fun.
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Hide this ad by registering as a memberJanuary 2nd, 2009 #2
Nudity madness
The true reason for starting this sketchbook was a strange encounter with Posemaniac's Thirty Second Drawing http://www.posemaniacs.com/?pagename=thirtysecond earlier this evening. For the results see below. Thanks to Man Made God for mentioning posemaniacs!
Apart from some in the first row, these took 60 sec each. 30 sec is madness!! I did them all in one session and thus discovered the mildly addictive nature of the website. In a way I like this better than life nude drawing, because there you rarely get to draw someone walking a thightrope etc.
Last edited by Uli; January 2nd, 2009 at 07:12 PM.
January 2nd, 2009 #3
The first one looks like Tilda Swinton from afar, don't know if I got her name right. The woman who plays the witch in the Chronicles of Narnia and the wife from Burn After Reading. I like your sketches so far, keep progressing.
New World Creation: Designers Wanted Environment of the Week
January 3rd, 2009 #4
Woah thanks ;-) It actually is supposed to be Tilda Swinton, I'm glad you recognized it.
More coming soon--
January 3rd, 2009 #5Registered User
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I like the sketches, they have good, form , and proportions, though I was never one to try it, maybe I should. The portrait is good, though I have to ask if it was a watercolor, or acryllic?
Ev'sSketchbook for the lazy minded but willing!
Help an artist, leave a critique.
January 3rd, 2009 #6
Thank you. Yes, try it, it's fun!
It's thinned acrylics on canvas paper
January 3rd, 2009 #7
More older stuff:
1. Aaron Hemphil of the band The Liars
2. More angel stuff (I used a pic of Jean Cocteau and Jean Marais, but didnt aim for likeness)
January 3rd, 2009 #8
Fantastic sensitivity to these sketches. I love this last one with the dog. The poses are pretty good, just do MORE!!
January 31st, 2009 #9
Acrylic Experiments 1
Here's an experiment in mixed media. I combined acrylics with ink on watercolour paper. It reflects too much for scanning, so I did a photograph. Size is A4. The image shows performance artist Leigh Bowery, I saw an exhibition of his work last year.
Last edited by Uli; February 1st, 2009 at 05:07 AM.
February 1st, 2009 #10
Acrylic Experiments 2
More acrylic experiments:
I did a quick sketch mixing acrylics and watersoluble oil colour. Looks promising to me. The browns are acrylics with glossy gel medium, white and blue is mostly oil colour.
Pic shows how I would imagine the (evil) True Fae of the new White Wolf's Changeling The Lost.
Last edited by Uli; February 1st, 2009 at 05:19 AM.
February 1st, 2009 #11
Hi Uli, it looks like you have got hold of the acrylic gloss gel then! The thing to do is to use it throughout an entire study using it in the thin glazes and in the impasto - don't be afraid of it and get used to using 50% and more in the mixtures, sometimes having the paint look like coloured jelly.
I tend to miss stuff in sketchbooks because I don't look here regularly so please feel free to lemme know when you have done some more playing about with this stuff or if you have any questions by giving me a PM or an email so that I can visit your sketchbook.
From Gegarin's point of view
February 1st, 2009 #12
Thanks a bunch, Chris. I used the gel that I saw in town, but it's white and that's somewhat irritating. I'll try to get some clear gel next week.
March 10th, 2009 #13
I remembered these live nude studies that I did a while ago. At long last a male model- they are hard to come by in this part of the country, it seems--
excuse the *§(§$&/§§!! scan
5-10 min


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"great book"
pretty close to the top
Who doesn't love a good love story. The thing I liked the best is how different Haven and Hardy are.
The different tone she used for each character.
It totally made me cry.
I love science fiction. I love the reluctant hero. Characters that try to do the right thing no matter what.
"Hardy's a fox!"
No, my voices in my head as I read print are just as good.
Hardy is a really magnetic hero....really liked him.
The description of this book leaves out a crucial part of the story. The publisher's summary reads "But when Haven marries a man her family disapproves of, her life is set on a new and dangerous course. Two years later, Haven comes home..."
Half of the book is full of descriptive and detailed scenes of spousal abuse, including rape. The words "dangerous course" is way too general. I was blindsided and felt mislead - even though nothing in the summary is incorrect or inappropriate.
I usually read the reviews of books I'm purchasing on Audible at Amazon's main website, and I really regret not having done so with this book. One of the reasons why i didn't take the time was because I really enjoy Lisa Kleypas' books and made an assumption that this wouldn't be that different.
What made it more difficult was that the narrator did too good of the job playing out the scenes. I would recommend getting a print version of it so you can skim/skip over the more disturbing parts.
While the story itself was okay once she leaves her abusive situation, I still felt frustrated and exasperated. The worst part was that the story sucked me in, and I chose not to put it down because I kept thinking... okay she'll leave soon... okay she'll leave now... this has got to be the part when she leaves. Wrong. Then, my thoughts ran more towards... the story will get much better... the characters will develop nicely... I'll magically start to love Haven. Not so much.
I may have enjoyed this book a bit more had I listened to it with different expectations and a different perspective.
"Love this series!"
Lisa does it again with her contemporary romances. This was one of my favorites. I think the other reviewers (positive ones) have said it all.
Pacific Northwest Gardener
"Just OK for Me"
I love all of Lisa Kleypas's historicals. I read Sugar Daddy, liked it, and thought I would try this one. The story was a 3.5 for me. Probably won't be in my keeper list. Didn't care for the narration at all. It ruined all the male parts for me.
"Insight into Abuse"
If you want to understand verbal manipulative abuse and what results when you enable the accompanying narcissistic behavior, this novel will educate you. The first of the book gave an in depth play-by-play subduing narrative; the rest of the story made up for the needed but depressing self-preservation infomercial.
The narrator of this story did it no justice with her gravely voice and southern accent which didn't cut it. I did not find myself caring what happened to any of these characters but maybe it was because I couldn't get past the narrator's presentation.
Lover of ideas who feels no guilt at all about her pleasures.
"Lady Houston has a problem"
I love Lisa Kleypas' historicals but am not such a fan of her contemporaries. (To be fair, contemporary romance is my least favorite anyway.)
This book is very much like a Lifetime Battered Woman Movie of the Week complete with First Husband from the Black Lagoon and the perfect rescuer.
I found it absorbing and unpleasant. But Kleypas has great talent if your up for something like that.
I am a lover of books. I enjoy losing myself in a fabulous romance and great story plot.
"Keep reading even if you want to stop--It improves"
I was not prepared for this book by the reviews from audible. This book received so many good reviews without describing the atrocities associated with domestic violence.
The book starts off pretty innocuous and interesting. Right away the reader is introduced to two sumptuous characters who have tantalizing chemistry and a pull to one another. Hardy Cates and Haven Travis have a romantic encounter by accident at Haven's brother's wedding. Haven made a mistake and mistook Hardy for her boyfriend in dark cellar....With that one could imagine what the encounter was like!--Fabulous and very memorable for both.
Hardy is a blue-eyed devil especially as highlighted in his proposition: he enjoyed that encounter so much he told Haven to tell her boyfriend she felt sick, but then spend the night and weekend with him. Haven, is a good-girl and definitely committed to her boyfriend Nick and does not accept his invitation. This was a decision she was sure to regret with the life events that follow her marriage to the Nick.
Haven becomes the victim of domestic violence. There is a long portion of the book that goes into the intricacies of this violence perpetrated by Nick. This is the part I just wanted to stop listening altogether. I was upset because I had chosen this book for relaxing, easy-listening. I was livid with the graphic rape scene. Once Haven leaves her husband, it gets much better.
Hardy comes into her life after her divorce and her relationship to Hardy is just wonderful!!!....He comes into her life to bring healing and to love her fiercely. He protects her and believes in her....Their relationship is just a great read....
Lisa Kleypas was true to her style of rewarding readers with a nice epilogue. Even though it took me a while to get used to the narrator (not too crazy about her accent & different voices), it ended up being a good story. I'm glad I completed the novel.
I just Love the Allure of a Great Romance...a Pair of Rose Colored Glasses...some Fine Wine, and a Subscription to Audible...
"You Can't Please All of the People All of the Time"
Publishers Weekly called "Blue-Eyed Devil: A Novel, [A] formula-breaking romance that takes on social issues and escalates passion to new heights."
I am a huge Lisa Kleypas fan, generally rating her novels with 5 stars! In truth, she is one of my all time favorites whether it be Historical or Contemporary Romance!
I can't help but wonder, though, why she decided to change her "formula" and focus so much of this story on spousal abuse? In "Blue-Eyed Devil" the leading lady, and her man, have spent much of their lives facing one or more forms of abuse, albeit stemming from very different circumstances, with one growing up in extreme wealth, and the other, in extreme poverty. I suppose it could be argued that it demonstrates that abuse crosses all demographic lines. I realize and value the importance of bringing about social awareness, but, for this review, I am not really interested in the politics of the issue. I am interested in the entertainment value of the story and it's characters.
The characters were somewhat likable, but not really lovable, and the narrator, Rene'e Raudman, was one of my least favorites ever. Her male voices were really difficult to listen to, and her "Texas" accent was insulting! I am a proud Texan, and am a frequent visitor to the great city of Houston - which I love! I know that this sounds really persnickety, but I don't know anyone who speaks like RR - Anywhere in Texas. Lisa Kleypas is from Houston, and while she certainly captures the "mind-set" of many Texas men and women, I am surprised that she didn't veto this narrator for another.
"Sugar Daddy" by LK is the story of the same families living in a time (about a year) prior to this, and should be read first. That narrator, Jeannie Stith was a much easier listen.
Kleypas fans, I am a little on the fence with this one. "Sugar Daddy" is credit worthy..."Blue-Eyed Devil" - not so much.