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Relaxing day... in the Caribbean
Trip Start Aug 17, 2010
22Trip End Ongoing
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Where I stayed
We got going early this morning from Georgia for the longest leg of the trip to Ecuador. Just under 800 nautical miles, it will stretch the reserves of the plane's fuel to the legal limits, involve a lot of open water south of Cuba, and will otherwise probably be pretty dull. Except for the occasional passing thunderstorm, of course.
At least, that's what it looked like in the morning. I hate mornings.
Savannah was a nice place to be. Hotel was comfy, restaurant was amazing, and we discovered that the big building on the airport with "Gulfstream" written on the side meant only one thing: they manufacture the Gulfstream business jets there (my personal favourite of the business jet line)
We took off right on time, about 0930. I had set up customs and arrival on my own for Grand Cayman, so it took a bit of e-mailing and phone calling to make sure things were all set. The Cuba permit came in with a confirmation, so when I filed my flight plan I included this approval number in the remarks. Somewhat anti-climatic considering the cost and effort to get the permit in the first place.
We were vectored around Miami a bit, then turned on the airway straight over Cuba as I had planned. Flying over Cuba, once you are expected and have permission, was a strangely quiet affair. Other than Westjet and Air Canada, no other aircraft were on the radio. I was barely spoken to the entire trip. I reported over the inbound point, then again over the outbound on the other side, and otherwise never heard from Havana Centre. Was actually somewhat relaxing compared to the chaotic vectoring and radio work over Florida.
Arrival in Grand Cayman was also fairly uneventful. I landed and taxied in, we were ushered to customs and immigration where we filled in a couple forms, then we were whisked into a taxi immediately, off to our hotel
We were checked into the Marriot on Seven Mile Beach. I knew this, but couldn't even imagine what this place looked like, until we arrived. It has easily shot into the top five hotels I have ever stayed in. It's a beach resort, and is literally right on the white soft sand of Seven Mile Beach. My room is on the fifth floor, and I can see the beach from my balcony if I look to the right. Wonderful.
When we walked through the main lobby, we found the walkway out to the sea starts through a jungle-type path with a large pond on one side. It has a big fountain at one end, with lots of nice comfy padded couches and chairs for lounging in. But upon closer inspection, the water was filled with turtles... real turtles! It's called "Turtle Lagoon", and there have to be at least 30 turtles living in this long meandering pond, ranging in size from only 2 inches across on the shell (babies), to slight larger than a dinner plate. Apparently, during the day, we could go get a cup of turtle food from the customer service hut and feed them. I watched a young boy feeding them, it was a riot. They all try to scramble up the sides of the rocks to get on shore where the food source is. Hilarious.
Besides the turtles, I also saw geckos (some much larger than I've ever seen before), and even a bright green iguana. Way more wildlife than I expected for a Marriot hotel!
I went for a swim in the ocean (which was as warm as a bathtub), then a quick dip in the pool (which was nearly as warm as a hot tub), followed by a mojito at the beach bar. We found a neat Caribbean cafe for dinner where I had risotto with shrimp the size of lobster tails. Had we wanted to afford $52, the hotel had an All You Can Eat Lobster dinner on tonight. Wow.
So basically, it's too bad I have to leave tomorrow. I think I like the Cayman Islands.


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Let's put the women and children to bed and go lookin' for dinner
Yeah I know, I know... it can't be Carl but the show probably wants you to think it's him by how him and Lori were arguing and how he always crept off in season 2. I know Daryl's brother finds Michonne and Adrienne (that's her name right?) so I'm not sure if that's him outside the fence. I know somebody's gonna be letting walkers in the gate so apparently, that's the perpetrator. I'm puzzled too. Was that before or after Rick locked that kid in the yard and told him he better run?
Yes, liked T-Dog, couldn't stand Lori but that was difficult to see!!! Andria is an idiot!!!
about to watch the mid-season finale tonight CAN'T WAIT!!!!
The mid-season finale was spectacular but all I could think from watching this whole season is how much I hate Andrea now. Rushes way too quickly into a romantic situation with a guy (you barely even knew the Governor and you were already dropping the panties and no need to bring up Shane) but then she alienated people like Dale who showed legit concern for her mental health. Oh and then she always has to mention about how she has experience in something or is a good shot every episode. Of course, she just abandons the one woman who saved her skin in Michonne at the drop of a hat to be the Governor's new girlfriend. If the intention is to hate her, the writers are doing a good job lol.

subset: commoncrawl


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Under Armour Men's 1243082 Team Colorblock Polo
Buy 24 or more for $38.25 each
- 94% Polyester/6% Elastane
- Lightweight, anti-pick, anti-pill fabric adds to durability and helps maintain a clean finish
- HeatGear fabric keeps you cool, dry and light
- Anti-odor technology prevents the growth of odor causing microbes
- UPF 30+ sun protection
- Rib knit collar and loose fit
The Under Armour 1243082 Team Colorblock polo is built for more than a clean look, it's built to play. The soft, sweat-wicking fabric has added stretch for mobility, keeping you focused on the court. Whether you're in the game or leading from the sidelines, get the performance wear that makes you better.
This is a non-stocked item which means it's not physically stored at our St. Louis, MO facility.
Non-stocked items are stored at our manufacturer's facility and may be drop shipped.
Non-stocked items/orders can take up to 3-5 business days* before leaving the warehouse.
If there are non-stocked items on your order those will be shipped separate from your stocked items (stocked items ship same day if ordered before 1pm CST) at no additional cost.
If Express Shipping is selected items/orders will leave the warehouse and be shipped via Express after the 3-5 business day processing time. Express shipping DOES NOT speed up processing time.
We will notify you via email within 1 business day if there is any expected delay.
*Occasionally our manufacturers are able to process and ship items quicker; however, this is based on a number of factors that are out of our control. If you need a non-stocked item quicker please call us (888) 962-7077 Monday-Friday, 10am-5pm CST. Often times we are able to get more accurate processing/delivery times once we know what items you need, when you need them and where you are located.
Printing requires additional processing days. Please visit our Uniform Printing page
For more information please visit our Shipping page and Shipping Practices page.


text: Went on a three hour tour for a blue 58 Schwinn Jaguar and ended up bringing this home also. Its gonna be too much of an expensive restoration back to original so I think I may end up just ratting out. I have the original 24 inch rims but these pair of 26 inch Columbia repop rims and tires don't look too bad on it. Any suggestions? 58 Jaguar Picked up a 51 Phantom along the way also. Too bad it was repainted. I am hoping that he chrome underneath the paint on the fenders and rims is decent


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If you've read any science fiction in the last decade or so, you're surely familiar with the notion of computing motes or "smart-dust." These nanotech computing devices are envisioned to possess a variety of physical sensors, form wireless mesh networks, and generally allow the hero (or villain!) to attain omniscient and clandestine awareness of the actions of other characters.
We're not quite at the point where we can build smart-dust, but Brendan O'Connor shows just how far along we are in the journey. At ShmooCon, the annual hacker convention in Washington, O'Connor recently unveiled his F-BOMB or "Falling or Ballistically-launched Object that Makes Backdoors." The F-BOMB is a clever hack that combines a PogoPlug running custom Linux firmware, a few gigs of flash memory, an antenna, and a 3D-printed case. The end result is a rugged little spy computer that costs about $50.


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Top photo: "Fibonacci" by Martin Rodriguez
Middle photo: "A Little Pez" by Daniel Guerrero
Bottom photo: "Tamales, Tamales, Tamales" by Rolando Briseno
UTSA presents art exhibit that uses language
By Tim Brownlee
Assistant Director of Public Affairs
(Feb. 13, 2009)--The UTSA Office of the President and the College of Education and Human Development will host the exhibit, "2008: International Year of Languages" from Feb. 13 through March 13 in the UTSA Downtown Art Gallery on the Durango Building first floor on the Downtown Campus.
>> An opening reception is 6-7:30 p.m. in the Durango Building Southwest Room (1.124), adjacent to the gallery. The reception and exhibit are free and open to the public.
Today's headlines
- La Prensa Foundation is newest member of UTSA Lone Star Society
- UTSA alumna Jordan Kaufmann wins $50K for new stent-graft start-up
- UTSA begins new way-finding sign installation this summer at Main Campus
- USA Today: UTSA long jumper Tyler Williamson rescues three-year-old boy
Article tools
The exhibit features art by Martin Rodriguez, Daniel Guerrero, Rolando Briseno, Ricky Armendariz, Tess Martinez, Terry Ybanez and Guillermina Zabala.
"Art that incorporates the use of words is one of my favorite contemporary art motifs," said Arturo Almeida, exhibit curator and UTSA art specialist. "This work offers excellent examples of this style. It is a pleasure to assemble work by these talented local artists and to participate in International Year of Languages events that have been done around the world."
The exhibit is presented in conjunction with the International Year of Languages symposium on multilingual education policy on Feb. 13 in the Buena Vista Theater (1.326) on the UTSA Downtown Campus. Read more in a UTSA Today story.
Exhibit hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday. For more information, contact Arturo Almeida at (210) 458-4983.


text: WOW, alot to digest......sounds like you're starting in the right direction..............to make it short, I would try to find someone in your area that is very knowledgeable in firearms and safety, and get some ideas from that person.....finding a firearm is so much personal choice, that no one can tell you what you should purchase. The states you mentioned are a PITA, there may be a few more that have regulations on types of firearms, NY for instance. Some also have regulations on magazines ie. high capacity. I may get some argument, but I think that a 9mm would be a good choice to start. NO, you cannot just put a firearm and ammo in a bag and tell the airlines that it's there. Check airlines rules and regulations for transporting firearms. Look at accuracy before caliber. A .22 cal. although small, in the hands of a competant shooter, is very deadly. I wouldn't carry one, but that's me. If you do a bit of searching, you can look up states lists of acceptable firearms for that state. I would think that most on this forum own more than one firearm, but not because of state laws. Good luck.


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Lesley University academic policies are designed to ensure academic quality and integrity.
Information regarding academic policies such as attendance, awarding of transfer credit , graduation requirements, programs of study, academic review, academic advising, grading, leave of absence, student classification and status, transcripts, and others can be located below in the respective Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs, and the Student Handbooks below:
Undergraduate Graduate
Academic Policies
Acceptable Use Policy
Community Standards of Conduct
Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
Data Security Policy
Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual Violence Policy
Domestic Violence Leave Policy
Equal Opportunity and Inclusion Policy
Privacy Policy
Prohibition of Weapons Policy
Unequal Consensual Relationships Policy
Whistleblower Policy
Office of the Provost29 Everett StreetCambridge, MA 02138(617) email@example.com
None of these University policies, individually or together, is intended to create a contract between the University and any person or organization. The University reserves the right to amend or revoke any University policy at any time without notice.


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Jo Garcia's Dungeon Crib
Take a tour of Jo Garcia's kick-ass dungeon and discover Dungeon Siege 3.
Jo Garcia got locked up in a dungeon with three gorgeous wenches for a day to play the demo of Dungeon Siege 3, the new action role-playing video game. Take a tour of Jo's posh dungeon playpen and check out her sexy dungeon pals, deadly arsenal, well-stocked bar and relaxing sauna. Yes, she has a bar and a sauna in her dungeon. That's how she rolls.


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Movie Review: The Change-Up
The comic chemistry between Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman makes this body-swap movie rude, filthy, outrageous and funny.
Director: David Dobkin Rating: R Studio: Relativity Media
The Change-Up is the latest in Hollywood's apparently endless supply of body-swap comedies, a la 18 Again, All of Me, Dream a Little Dream, three versions of Freaky Friday and the like. These things all pretty much hinge on the same premise. Two people magically switch identities and, after a series of madcap, walk-a-mile-in-my-shoes adventures, end up desperately wanting their own lives back. The Change-Up fits the mold. But only by outward appearances.
There's Jason Bateman, a highly successful, driven, drone of a corporate lawyer sitting pretty with a fancy-schmancy suburban home, a pair of twins, a precocious, bullied little daughter and a great, hot, working mother-wife (Leslie Mann). His friend from childhood, Ryan Reynolds, comes from money, lives like he's 18, has women entering and exiting his life on a conveyer belt, sort of works at being an actor and never finishes anything he starts. Thing is, these plot details and clichés don't really matter, not in a movie so shrewdly directed by David Dobkin (Wedding Crashers) and hilariously co-written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore (The Hangover).
As it turns out, The Change-Up is, at its best, genuinely rude, filthy, outrageous and funny almost all the way through. It constantly pops and delights with such wickedly funny gags as a head-banging, feces-spurting baby, a horny, aged, boobalicious porn star, a booty call with a very pregnant mother and lewd, choice dialogue, the best of which is spouted by the quicksilver Reynolds. The quotable pearls include the likes of, "I want to strap you to my face and say the alphabet" and, when Reynolds shows Bateman an iPhone photo of one of his sex buddies: "This, right here, is Brenda. She wants it in Missionary, Wheelbarrow, Arabian Goggles, The Pastrami Sandwich. Let me tell you, no man is that hungry."
Reynolds and Bateman, highly watchable, skilled comedians, generate zingy, believable comic chemistry; their bromance throws off more sparks than most contemporary male-female movie star pairings. They're so good, in fact, that at times they make you wonder what they could have done back in the days of comedy masters like, say, Preston Sturges or Billy Wilder. Added pluses also include a wry, scene-stealing turn from Alan Arkin as Reynolds' father and deliciously funny, bold and sexy stuff—nudity included—from the gorgeous Olivia Wilde and Leslie Mann. Fully worthy of its R-rating, The Change-Up definitely delivers the late-summer raunch. And the side-splittingly funny.
About the Author
Playboy Contributing Editor Stephen Rebello has written many Playboy Interview and 20 Questions features. He is the author of such books as the notorious Bad Movies We Love (with Edward Margulies) and Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho, the latter of which has inspired a dramatic feature film set for production in 2012. His most recent Playboy Interviews include Josh Brolin and Cameron Diaz.


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What are the guys in the design shop at Suburu thinking? The B9 Tribeca is one ugly mofo. Can't they look around and see that the designs they throw out aren't going to get it done? I scratch my head everytime I see a Tribeca or Impreza on the street. Like the old saying, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
i think they highered the designer for Alfa Romera.but yeah the B9 is hard to beat for design
--------------------I'm working on a scifi-adventure webcomic!
Sad part is, when they worked with Saab, they must of designed this in a room with old Saab photos....
ReaganLoganTheGreat:Sad part is, when they worked with Saab, they must of designed this in a room with old Saab photos....LOL, interesting observation!
I agree. The Tribeca is uglier than the Aztek. The Tribeca reminds me of the Edsel with the horse collar grille.
The next wave of subarus will no longer wear that hideous urinal/plane thingy. It was a mistake, subaru acknowledged this, which is why they are redesigning the B9 Tribeca.
The 2008 Tribeca is supposed to be heavily upgraded. I've heard more power, new interior, likely new styling (don't know how extensive, though). Should debut sometime this year, obviously.Sales have been disappointing, for reasons obvious to us.
Seperated at birth?
-------------------------------------------Bad decisions make good stories.
That's just...I don't know what to say.God.
WOW, now that is not right, but funny...I can NOT look away............
Its not...umm....beautiful.
_________________________2016 GT3RS (expected) , 2013 Jeep Wrangler Sport,2008 GT3RS, 2008 Cayenne S ,2005 Smart ForTwo ,2003 Mercedes SL500
it was a good idea poorly executed. If they lowered the horizontal openings and lowered the headlights, I bet it wouldnt have been so bad.The Impreza is not that bad.
Could that have been any funnier? "I submit to you that it cannot!"+15 points for creativity
If u've seen this vehicle on the road u kno teh back end is even more damaging to the eyes.


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the act of using a social networking site in order to show off or impress others with material items and/or fun activities. may include status updates, comments, or most often, pictures.
by tf27 July 08, 2010
The Urban Dictionary Mug
One side has the word, one side has the definition. Microwave and dishwasher safe. Lotsa space for your liquids.Buy the mug
Emily- 'today was the worst day ever, im crying my eyes our right now'
Dude did you see Emily's status? She really needs to stop facebragging. No one cares.
Dude did you see Emily's status? She really needs to stop facebragging. No one cares.
by Linda Brooks July 08, 2009
Using your facebook status updates to brag about anything and everything you can possibly think of
by idontwannatellyou February 03, 2010
Verbally recapping a social network status update thread in order to share how clever your comment was or how impressed others were WITH your comment.
Tara: I posted "Obama? More like NObama!" and everyone was like, "OMG, Tara, you're a comic genius!"
Brad: Why you gotta always be Facebragging?
Brad: Why you gotta always be Facebragging?
by bnt_enterprises March 18, 2010


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Small Amsterdam Center Apartment
Size45 m²
Floor No.1
- Internet/WiFi
- Lockable room
- Towels
- Kitchen
Accommodation summary
|Watersteeg, 1012 NV Amsterdam, Netherlands
|Property type
|Property ID
|Acceptance rate
|Response time
|A few hours
|Calendar updated
|2 days ago
This is a Private space with a living area and a small bedroom, with a comfortable bed for 2 people. There is an extra bed in the living room, also a comfortable 2 person bed. The apartment is on the second floor (one flight of stairs). There is no elevator. The apartment is in an alley, (a very safe and well lit alley at night) so there is no spectacular view. Only for 2 people, no overnight guests allowed.
Because of the central location you will have access to many facilities such as all the tourists attractions, supermarkets, restaurants, bars, clubs, movie theaters and public transportation, all within a 5-10 minute walking distance.
A few examples are:
- Heineken experience
- Dam Square (The Royal Palace/ Madame
- Anne Frank House
- Red Light District
- Flower Market
- Leidse Square
- Rembrandt Square
- Museum District (Rijks Museum,Van Gogh
Museum and Stedelijk Museum)
- Vondel Park
There is a whole lot more in the vicinity.
You can walk to every attraction or take a few stops by tram (tram stop right on the corner). There are several places where you can rent bicycles.
House rulesSmoking not allowed.
No pets.
I don't charge cleaning costs, so keep the place clean.
|Check-in after
|Check-in before
|On arrangement
|Check-out before
|Cancellation Policy
Reviews of this property
Superb place and great location, everything with apartment was ideal. Ian was really friendly and even when my idiot friend left his passport in the apartment after posting the keys through the letter box he still made his way down swiftly so we didn't miss our flight. I would highly recommend this apartment
Ian was lovely, very efficient and excellent organisation getting us into the apartment. The apartment is in a very good location, right in the centre of town, which makes it very convenient. It is a decent size, clean and comfortable.
However, as Ian states in the description, it is not silent because of the noise from boilers etc. The other thing is that it is very light at night - it was fine for us but I would suggest a thicker curtain in the bedroom!
Overall, we had a fantastic time and would definitively stay again :) thank you so much for letting us use your awesome apartment. Next time, hang around for a beer with us ;)
Ian is a very nice and open host. Offers any kind of help. Appartment is perfectly located for almost anything you can do in Amsterdam. Clean, equipped with anything you need. Appartment is good for up tp 4 people.
Although in the centre of the city, it's not as loud as I expected,
Would definitely rent it for my next Amsterdam trip.
The apartment is really cute and the position in the city is perfect, close to everything. The house has all what it is necessary to have to stay for a vacation and the owner, Ian, is really a friendly person. So I am really happy of my choise, in case I will be back in Amsterdam for sure I will get in touch with Ian. I report just 2 issues. Even if in september it was warm weather so I had some problem because of it was not easy to allow air to circulate through. Even if in a cross street in the central position it is possible to have some noise of people in the night. It happened twice on three nites.
Ian's appartement is well located, in the center of Amsterdam. You can do everything by foot, this is perfect ! Also, Ian is very friendly.
I will go back there for sure !
A brilliant place in a better location than one can wish for! Doesn't get any more central than this.
There's an unused bed in the living room, an unfinished wardrobe and a random drawer with tools in it, but these are little niggles not worth mentioning. A very relaxing place to come back to after an exhausting day of exploring this beautiful city. 5/5.
We really enjoyed our journey at Ian's apartment. The flat is very clean, very well located, and the quality / price ratio is on its best. We also liked how communication was good and clear with the owner before we arrived. This journey was an amazing one, not only thanks to Amsterdam's beauty, but also thanks to this flat.
Best of luck Ian!!
Ian's place was very clean and spacious. There were only two of us staying at the apartment but I am confident that 4 people can easily sleep there. There kitchen is a decent size with everything you need to cook a decent dinner. There was some food left in the cupboard that we were welcome to use. Ian was very helpful and gave us lots of tourist advice.
The accommodation is right in the CENTRE. We bought a tram pass but didn't even need to use it since everything is walking distance. It is the perfect location. As soon as you walk out of the alley you are right in the centre of all the shops.
I would definitely stay here again!
- Quality assured accommodation
- Every host is verified by telephone
- Secure payment via SSL encryption


text: Good job, QuiltE. I failed with the ice cream block, therefore, it will not be in my quilt...there was about five that I did not care to do or they failed to look like the example and what others have done on the PC trail. Used others instead. No quilt police here!!


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Stay connected with us to get the latest health and fitness news, innovative workouts, healthy recipes and wellness tips.
Change Location
ACE Fit Share
Starting Position: Stand with both feet together or spread a few inches apart (2-3"), and parallel with each other. Pull your shoulder blades down your back and engage your abdominal muscles to stabilize the spine. Bend your knees slightly and keep tension in your inner and outer thigh muscles. This will help control the tendency to shift sideways during the single-leg stand.
Movement: Slowly lift one leg 3-6" off the floor; find your balance on the standing leg. Avoid any sideways tilting or swaying in your upper body and try not to move the standing foot. Hold for 10-15 seconds before returning the foot to the floor. Perform an equal number of repetitions with each foot.
Exercise Variation: Increase the intensity of this exercise by going through the following progressions (1) lift the one leg higher off the floor (illustrated) to further raise your center of mass, (2)raise both arms overhead (3) lift one arm to your side, (4) tilt your head, (5) close your eyes then finally (6) close your eyes and tilt your head.
Try to perform this exercise in front of a mirror initially so that you can watch and control the degree sideways shift over the standing leg. Always try to minimize the shifting the hips as it places excessive stress on your knee joint. While balancing on the standing leg, think about pressing your foot into the floor and squeezing your glutes (butt muscles), this will help reduce any sideways tilting.
Most of us can lift one leg, but the question of the quality of movement is important. Perform your movements slowly and under control, avoiding any sudden positional changes. Perform each progression until you can execute them with good control and form.


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The First Book
The First Book
More From Vendela
Vendela's Biography
Ideal Interview Subject: Sofia Coppola and Vera Farmiga
Source of Strength: "My mother and just watching her do everything that she does."
Three Words to Describe Herself: Determined, silly and thoughtful
Most Recent Project: "I'm starting a book about my mom's upbringing in Sweden."
Vendela Vida is an American writer, columnist, journalist and editor. She is the author of "And Now You Can Go," and "Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name," both named by The New York Times as Notable Books of the Year. Her most recent book, "The Lovers," was published in 2010 by Ecco. She is a founding co-editor of "The Believer," and the editor of "The Believer Book of Writers Talking to Writers." Vida collaborated on the screenplay of the 2009 film, "Away We Go," with husband, and fellow author, Dave Eggers. She is the co-founder and board member of 826 Velencia, a nonprofit organization that teaches creative writing to children and teenagers.


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|GTA V Latest News | #GTAV | #GTAOnline
2005 Two New San Andreas Cheats
GTA: San Andreas - General News | @ 08:26 PM MDT | By rappo
Here are two more cheats found by edisoncarter:
Always Midnight
Clock stopped at 00:00. Weird sudden weather changes. If you kill yourself, it'll stay at 12:00.
Recruit Anyone (Rockets)
Recruits get rocket launchers if they don't already have weapons.
View the rest of the San Andreas cheats here.
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text:
NBA Draft's Potential Celtics: New Mexico PF Drew Gordon
|06.25.12 at 8:17 pm ET
As part of WEEI.com's coverage of the 2012 NBA draft, we are profiling all players considered likely candidates to be drafted June 28. The Celtics own three picks: 21, 22 (from the Thunder in the Kendrick Perkins trade) and 51.
Position: Power forward
School: New Mexico
Age: 21
Height: 6-foot-9
Weight: 240 pounds
Achievements: 2012 All-Mountain West Conference first team, 2012 MWC Tournament MVP, 2011 All-MWC second team, 2011 MWC Newcomer of the Year
Key 2011-12 stats: 13.7 points, 54.2 FG%, 11.1 rebounds
What he brings: Gordon is a large presence on the floor and plays very aggressively on defense. He led the team with 11.1 rebounds — 8.0 defensively — his senior year and added 1.1 steals and 1.0 blocked shots per game. Gordon also is quick and can traverse the floor well despite his size and is aware of where the basketball is, even when he doesn't have it. Gordon, who can convert mid-range shots, averaged a double-double both of his seasons at New Mexico.
Gordon started his collegiate basketball career at UCLA, where he reportedly didn't get along with coach Ben Howland. He played six games with the Bruins in 2009-10 before transferring to New Mexico. The San Jose native was included in a Sports Illustrated article this year that targeted behavioral problems within the UCLA team. The article alleged Gordon had gotten into multiple fights, smoked marijuana and drank. Gordon told the San Jose Mercury News the SI article was inaccurate, although he acknowledged that he did make some "ill-advised" choices as a freshman at UCLA.
Where the Celtics could get him: Gordon is expected to be drafted toward the middle of the second round.
Notes: Gordon needed surgery in October 2010 for a torn meniscus in his knee, suffered a concussion in 2009 that caused him to miss the first game of the NCAA tournament and missed playing time his senior year of high school due to an ankle injury.
Recent articles:
San Jose Mercury News: Drew Gordon works to repair reputation for NBA draft
San Francisco Chronicle: Prep phenom Drew Gordon aims to return to spotlight
Video: Here are some highlights of Gordon (32) shooting and defending.
Latest from Bleacher Report
- Isaiah Thomas to Play vs. Wizards After Missing 2 Games with Knee Injury
- Ray Allen Not Invited to Rajon Rondo's NBA Title Celebration After...
- Isaiah Thomas Will Miss Next 2 Games for Celtics with Knee Injury
- Al Horford, Avery Bradley Out vs. Suns with Elbow, Hamstring Injuries
- Avery Bradley Returns from Achilles Injury for Celtics vs. Hawks
- Isaiah Thomas Criticizes DeMarre Carroll for Flagrant Foul in Celtics vs...


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Big events happen every year, but 2012 was packed with action. On June 5, sky watchers got a rare view of Venus moving across the sun, seen above. During the event, called the transit of Venus, a little black dot appeared to move slowly across the face of the sun. It won't happen again for 105 years!
This year also saw the world's top athletes come together to compete in the Summer Olympics, in London, England. Hurricane Sandy hit the U.S. in October. Cleanup and rebuilding efforts continue to this day. In November, after an exciting election season, U.S. voters elected President Barack Obama for a second term. It was a year with unforgettable highs, crushing lows and the everyday events that happen in between. As we look ahead to a new year, click through this slide show for a look back at a few of the most moving and memorable moments of 2012.
An Italian cruise ship called the Costa Concordia hit rocks on January 13 near the coast of Giglio, a small island in Italy. The impact tore a huge hole in the ship's hull. The 4,200 passengers and crew members had to abandon ship. More than 30 people died in the disaster.
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning celebrates after his team beat the New England Patriots 21-17 in Super Bowl XLVI on February 5. Manning was named MVP of the NFL championship, which was played in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Thunderstorms and tornadoes swept through Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio in early March. The twisters killed at least 38 people and damaged many homes, including this one in Holton, Indiana. These storms were part of an especially bad tornado season.
One World Trade Center rose to 1,271 feet--and 100 floors--on April 30, to become the tallest building in New York City. It beat the observation deck of the Empire State Building. The building will reach its full height of 1,776 feet in 2013.
SpaceX, a U.S. company, sent an unmanned supply ship called the Dragon to the International Space Station (ISS) on May 22. It was the first time a private company—instead of a government—made a delivery to the ISS.
Egyptian supporters of presidential candidate Mohamed Morsi celebrate after Morsi was declared the winner of the race on June 24. The vote took place 16 months after Egyptians forced Hosni Mubarak to step down as their leader. The elections were part of a series of big changes across the Middle East and North Africa.
U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps won a record 19th Olympic medal at the Summer Games in London, England, on July 31. The win made him the most decorated Olympian of all time. Phelps retired from competitive swimming after the Games. He ended his career with a total of 22 Olympic medals.
Mitt Romney greets supporters at the Republican National Convention, in Tampa, Florida. Republicans officially nominated the former governor of Massachusetts for President during the convention. Romney's running mate, Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan, was nominated for Vice President.
Around 350,000 students returned to their classrooms on September 19 after teachers ended a seven-day school strike in Chicago, Illinois. It was the first teachers' strike in Chicago in 25 years. Chicago is one of the largest school districts in the nation.
In October, Hurricane Sandy brought strong winds, rain and flooding to the East Coast, including parts of New York City and New Jersey. The storm was the second-most-expensive hurricane ever to strike the U.S. It left millions of people in need. Here, a man views damage in the Rockaway neighborhood of New York's Queens borough.
Voters reelected President Barack Obama on November 6. He won a second term in the nation's top office. Obama beat Republican Mitt Romney in a tough race. The popular vote was nearly split down the middle. Here, Obama celebrates with First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Jill Biden.
On December 6, the White House released its 2012 holiday card, painted by Iowa artist Larassa Kabel. The black-and-white illustration features Bo, the Obama family's Portuguese water dog, walking in snow in front of the White House. Bark! Happy holidays!


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Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, owns a party bus, a party house, and what could be termed a party insect—a 40-foot-long praying mantis that shoots fire from its antennas. He views all of these things as a particular sort of investment. The mantis, which was built for Burning Man and is made of sculpted and riveted steel and mounted on a truck, is something Hsieh snapped up for no other reason than he liked it and thought that a giant pyrotechnic mantis in his neighborhood on the north side of Las Vegas might make people smile. The party house was bought for similar reasons, because Hsieh likes parties, and though he already often invited friends and neighbors to his sprawling and minimally furnished apartment, having a house nearby only expanded the possibilities for fun. (Plus it had a backyard pool.) The bus, a vintage school bus, got everyone where they needed to go.
The 40-year-old Hsieh is legendary for building, in Zappos, a company that has managed to be both hugely successful—more than $2 billion in annual sales—and hugely high-spirited. One of Zappos' official corporate goals is to "create fun and a little weirdness." It is consistently ranked among the best US companies to work for.
Late in 2011, Hsieh became even more legendary by announcing almost larkishly that he'd be leading a $350 million effort to rejuvenate a blighted stretch of Las Vegas' downtown, home to some lower-end casinos and motels and not a whole lot else. His plan was to spend much of his own personal fortune to transform this lifeless area about a mile north of the neon blitz of the Strip into an entrepreneurial tech nirvana. He was hoping to lure a raft of startups to join him, offering $50 million in seed money, a supportive business community, and helpful infrastructure. He wanted to do it all fast, recruiting 10,000 new residents within a span of five years while adding restaurants, bars, a members-only dog park, a climbing gym, coworking spaces, a medical center, and a highly enlightened preschool. He was simultaneously going to relocate more than a thousand Zappos employees to spiffy new headquarters in the middle of this spiffy new neighborhood. Never mind that neither Hsieh nor many of the people he'd hired had any experience in urban renewal or community development or the notorious grinding slowness of making change in a big city: The website for the Downtown Project, as Hsieh's enterprise was formally known, cheerfully declared its intention to transform downtown Las Vegas into "the most community-focused large city in the world."
In November 2012, I make the first of several visits to see what Hsieh is building out in the Nevada desert. Almost immediately I am ushered onto the party bus. As will prove to be true of a lot of things in the neighborhood, the bus belongs to Hsieh but seems to be used communally. There's a fully stocked bar at the back. There are 1970s concert posters pasted to the ceiling. For a while it was idling in a vacant lot, its stereo cranked high, but now a boisterous group of partygoers is taking it to a nearby outdoor arts festival. Just before the driver jams the bus into gear, I find a seat amid 60 or so mostly young, mostly tech-oriented women and men who have either moved to Vegas from out of state to get involved with the Downtown Project or have drifted to the downtown neighborhood, if only for an evening, to celebrate the general transformative spirit of things.
There are some pasty programmer-types on the bus, some Zappos employees, some random friends. Hsieh's cousin Jennifer, who has moved from the Bay Area, is here. So is Augusta Scott, an older woman wearing a backward-facing baseball cap, who describes herself as Zappos' "in-house life coach." A pair of guys who look like frat boys but introduce themselves as hackers hold two cups of beer each.
People on the bus talk about the bus—which is, in fact, a member of a fleet of party buses—with clear affection. They speak with equal enthusiasm about another bus, the Delivering Happiness bus, which Hsieh uses for 11th-hour road trips, like the time not long ago when everyone piled in and rode to Arizona to visit an alpaca farm because, as a blond woman sitting near me explains almost professorially, "Tony has a thing about llamas. And alpacas, if you think about it, are a lot like llamas."
Standing in the aisle beneath a revolving disco ball and dressed in a blue T-shirt and jeans is Hsieh himself. His black hair is buzz-cut. He wears a mirthful Mona Lisa half smile. Nearly every reporter who has ever met Hsieh has felt compelled to comment on the fact that he doesn't speak much, that he maintains an alert but unreadable expression, that for someone who runs one of the highest-revenue online retailers in the country he is inexplicably and even confoundingly mild. But those who know him best seem to appreciate him for exactly this trait. Hsieh's genius, they say, lies in his tendency to hang back and observe. He is said to be, above all, a masterful judge of character and a lover of quirk. Both of these traits helped him build the offbeat and chummy corporate culture that distinguishes Zappos—where one of the standard job-interview questions is "On a scale of 1 to 10, how weird are you?"—and now they seem to be informing his effort to populate downtown Las Vegas.
"Tony collects people," someone tells me later. "You almost don't even realize you're being collected."
Across from me on the bus sit two men and a woman, members of a band called Rabbit. A month earlier they uprooted themselves from Florida and are now living—alongside many of the other people on the bus—in the Ogden, an apartment building where Hsieh leases a number of units and loans them out as live/work spaces, sometimes in conjunction with coveted startup financing. The members of Rabbit don't have financing, though, or even a business idea. They have come simply because Hsieh saw them perform once at a venture-capital conference in Hawaii, told them he liked their music, and invited them to move to Las Vegas. Other than that, they aren't sure why they're here.
This is the first of many odd conversion stories I will hear as I come and go from Las Vegas, checking in on the nirvana-in-the-making and Hsieh's growing tribe of recruits: For many reasons—and sometimes for no reason—people seem ready to drop everything and move to Vegas, as if pulled in by a tractor beam, lured by Hsieh's below-the-radar charisma, his enormous ambitions, and an ethos that combines the idealistic, artistic communalism of Burning Man with the can-do workaholism of 21st-century digital entrepreneurialism.
"The whole thing is kind of crazy," says a band member named Devin, who spent the afternoon working on a sideline freelance job composing a TV ditty about vegetables.
Emma, the band's vocalist, says, "Here you're just surrounded by people who are huge dreamers."
It is getting hard to talk now, because the stereo volume has been bumped up and the dreamers around us are all singing. The bus turns a corner. I am not sure how to feel. Even by the standards of the tech industry, which exists on the semipermeable membrane between munificence and megalomania, it seems outlandish. I am wondering how, in an area without a supermarket, dry cleaner, or single patch of greenery and in a Trumpified city full of celebrity DJs, Cirque du Soleil trapeze acts, and fly-by-night gamblers but without a significant population of software developers, web designers, or venture capitalists, downtown Vegas will ever compete with Silicon Valley or even Austin or Boulder. I'm wondering how realistic it is to think that a man standing near me could pump such a vast amount of his own cash into a place like this, into an idea like this, to fix and bolster on the scale that things need fixing and bolstering, and make any of it last. I have questions about the plausibility of everything, this grand, civic chimera.
But nobody else seems worried. People are singing "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," and then when Journey comes on, they begin to sway soulfully, crooning, "When the lights go down in the citeeeeee … and the sun shines on the baaaaay …"
The bus deposits us at the arts festival, amid food trucks and art stalls and rivers of wandering people. Hsieh waves for me to join the small pack that is following him. We buy some barbecue and beer and then find our way to a stage where a California band called the Dancetronauts is playing—three DJs dressed in astronaut garb, spinning trance music while surrounded by female dancers in furry moon boots. Hsieh says that he himself hired them to come perform tonight. In fact he joined some other investors to buy the operating rights to the whole First Friday arts festival in Las Vegas, which has been around for 11 years but has been undergoing a resurgence since the management change. He's given it an infusion of money, hired a few new people, and dialed up the Dancetronauts. All this too is part of the plan.
We dance for a while—me, Hsieh, Augusta the in-house life coach, the hackers, and the blonde who explained about llamas. The music pulses. The onstage dancers strut while a DJ uses a little cannon to shoot smoke rings at the crowd. The air grows vaporous. The effect is dreamy and odd, almost as if we've unhooked from one world but haven't quite arrived at the next. After a while, Hsieh taps me on the shoulder.
"Come see something," he says.
It is late now, and we lope across a darkened parking lot. The lot is filled with art trucks—massive, functional, kinetic, scrap-metal sculptures mounted onto vehicles. But they've all been shut down for the night. Except for one. At the far side of the lot, dramatic against the desert sky, is a two-masted pirate ship built on a gooseneck trailer and strung with lights and wind-shredded flags. As we draw closer, I hear music playing. A woman dressed as a bare-midriffed pirate wench is dancing by herself on the bow.
Hsieh and I board the ship. On its deck is a collection of carousel horses made of welded metal. Without really discussing it, we each find a horse and get on. Someone must have pressed a button, because the horses start to move, lifting and falling as the pirate woman, seemingly unaware of our presence, keeps dancing up front. After a minute, Hsieh stands up on the back of his metal horse, so I stand up on mine too. He leads and I follow. There is no reason not to.
We are on the edge of the city. Las Vegas, vast and improbable, lies glittering ahead in the distance. From my vantage point, Hsieh is only a silhouette. He looks like an explorer on the prow of a boat, gazing wordlessly at a lit-up horizon. Already my questions are beginning to recede. I've read the early news coverage of what Hsieh is doing here, and almost always the headlines play off the most predictable of Las Vegas tropes. This is Hsieh's "Big Gamble." He is "Rolling the Dice." Everything is "High Stakes." You can almost feel the media sweating, maybe a touch gleefully, on Hsieh's behalf, calculating the odds on whether he'll ever pull it off. Standing on his horse, though, Hsieh seems impervious.
After a time, the horses shudder to a stop and we both climb down. We cross the parking lot, weaving between art trucks that lie like giant slumbering animals, heading back to find all the people from the bus. Hsieh, who hasn't said much the whole evening, seems suddenly energized, tweaked by weird pirate magic.
"Doesn't it make you think," he says, "about what's possible?"
When I first visit, the Downtown Project's headquarters are located in a wide, fluorescent-lit, linoleum-floored room in the back of an old check-cashing outfit on Fremont Street. The building itself is unremarkable, a narrow midblock storefront with a couple of dingy back rooms, but Hsieh is clearly fond of it. Mostly he seems charmed by the sign out front, a wedge-shaped marquee that reads, in utilitarian block letters, "Checks Cashed," which he's opted to keep in place even after installing his team of about a dozen people in the back offices. Around the neighborhood, the offices are known simply as Check-Cashing.
"See you at Check-Cashing," Hsieh calls out to coworkers he passes on the sidewalk or bumps into on the elevator at the Ogden. Just saying the words seems to make him happy.
The building's storefront is occupied by one of the Downtown Project's first small-business investments, a boutique clothing store called Coterie, run by an exuberant woman named Sarah Nisperos. An old friend of Hsieh's, Nisperos has been granted a $350,000 investment. Her business, located on an otherwise largely barren block, represents a toehold of prosperity in an area obviously unaccustomed to prosperity. Some of the neighborhood's more down-on-their-luck residents still totter in on the first of the month hoping to cash government-assistance checks but find instead racks of high-end cocktail dresses and $40-a-pair men's boxer shorts.
This clearly is the dissonance of transformation. If the Strip is where visitors sweep in on a tide of promise and ride the wave of a classic 48-hour all-you-can-everything binge, the downtown area is the place where grizzled lifers, the people who don't ever manage to leave, eventually wash up. There is no glitz to be found downtown. There is instead a very old casino, the El Cortez. There's the Downtowner motel, a tattoo parlor, and a pizza place owned by an Albanian who goes by Uncle Joe.
Joe, whom I meet during a walk with Hsieh, tells me about how it used to be, not long ago. "Street fights all the time," he says, waving a hand in front of his face, as if erasing the memory from an invisible chalkboard. "It was bad around here. Every day it was bad."
Since Hsieh and his friends began moving into the neighborhood, Joe reports, crime is down and pizza sales are up. Way up. "Things are changing," he says. By this he seems to mean that the roughness of the neighborhood has been balanced somewhat by the handfuls of idealistic tech people who now live and work and generally spend time on his block. The Ogden, which has 248 condominium units, had been only about 20 percent occupied in May 2011 when Hsieh moved in. A year later, the building is full, with 40 percent of it leased by the Downtown Project and the rest appearing to have been snapped up by young professionals.
Hsieh greets Joe like he greets everyone he encounters on the street, stopping deliberately to chat with a casual familiarity. Hsieh has steady brown eyes and sculpted cheekbones that funnel down toward his mouth. He smiles often but just barely, contributing to an air of general unflappability. The son of two Taiwanese immigrants, he was raised in Northern California and spent his early years experimenting with entrepreneurship, selling earthworms, greeting cards, and later, as a student at Harvard, pizza. His first business after college was an Internet advertising startup called LinkExchange, cofounded in 1996 with his friend Sanjay Madan. They sold it two years later for $265 million. Hsieh, 24 at the time, was rich, but he realized that he hadn't been happy.
In his 2010 book, Delivering Happiness, which is one part autobiography and one part chipper how-to on building a strong corporate culture like the one at Zappos, Hsieh describes how LinkExchange's rapid growth led to a dissolution of its values and a lack of community. Too many people, he concluded, were motivated by money and short-term reward. Too few were having fun. For him, going to work had become a drag. For the company, he wrote, it was "like death by a thousand paper cuts."
Hsieh's life since then is perhaps best described as a sustained effort to never, under any circumstances, feel that way again. He joined Zappos as CEO in 2000, the year after it was founded, and quickly instilled an aura of almost fanatically good vibes, urging employees to form personal connections with customers, compiling an annual Culture Book in which workers share what Zappos means to them, and providing everything from a nap room to frequent parades. The company has maintained that spirit even as it has grown. In 2009 Amazon purchased the company for more than $900 million, but it has allowed Zappos to retain its independence. Hsieh still serves as CEO, though much of his time is dedicated to the Downtown Project. (When I ask whether the company is suffering at all given his divided attention, Hsieh answers with a flicker of defensiveness: "I would say that putting my time into the neighborhood is actually the best thing I could be doing for the company right now.")
As we amble around downtown Las Vegas, Hsieh carries a MacBook Air under one arm and keeps the other hand jammed into a pocket of his jeans. He seems, in his mind, to be carefully tracking what everyone around him is doing, how they contribute to the overall plan. During the course of a couple of days, Hsieh introduces me to probably 40 people, often while he's standing in the glaring sunlight on the Fremont Street sidewalk, never once forgetting a name or a critical detail, never failing to emphasize both the whimsy and the ambition of his people and their plans.
"This is Zubin," he says. "He's going to revolutionize health care." Or "This is Candin. She's making an educational videogame about American presidents, where they have fistfights and stuff."
Many of the people we encounter are the beneficiaries of the Downtown Project's largesse, having received seed money from Hsieh's VegasTechFund. Of the $350 million total commitment, $200 million is going toward buying real estate in the neighborhood—Hsieh and his team are snapping up old motel complexes and commercial buildings that haven't flourished in decades. Another $50 million has been earmarked for small businesses, $50 million goes to the TechFund, and $50 million more is being steered toward improving education, including the development of a private preschool.
Hsieh, for his part, seems delighted in his seedling investments. Some people have gone through an informal pitch process. Others appear to be friends, or friends of friends, whose business plans have been vetted by members of the Downtown Project team. Some of the startups that the TechFund has invested in include a digital-media branding company, a car-sharing network, and a robotics company called Romotive whose three founders relocated from Seattle and are now working out of the Ogden, shipping miniature iPhone-powered robots from a spare bedroom on the 21st floor. Of all the new companies in residence on the downtown frontier, Romotive appears to be growing the fastest.
"We didn't come here for the money," cofounder Keller Rinaudo tells me during my 2012 visit, explaining that the company has first-round funding from the TechFund and several other sources. Instead, he says, they were motivated by the intimacy of the Las Vegas entrepreneurial community. Since its move to the desert a year earlier, Romotive has grown from three employees to 15 and now leases 11 units in the Ogden. We speak while sitting at a table in Romotive's main apartment/office. Behind us, in an open kitchen, Bobby Walter, who serves as company accountant as well as in-house chef, unwraps packages of sausages to put into a lunchtime jambalaya for the team. Rinaudo concedes that it has been harder to persuade new hires, especially people with families, to uproot themselves and move here, but he's firm about the benefits of being in Vegas. Space for both living and working is readily available, making it easier for the company to grow.
It's easy to find a kind of autonomy here too. Rinaudo describes Hsieh as a beneficent and hands-off godfather, happy to offer advice when needed but never hovering or second-guessing. Rinaudo is pleased to launch a company away from what he calls the "mercenary ADD" of the Bay Area. "Here we can build our own culture from scratch," he says. "Out there, the access to capital is so easy and everybody wants to be the founder of their own company. Loyalty is less valued." He pauses to look back at Walter standing over the stove, tending to a pan of sizzling chopped vegetables. "I don't think there's a chance there of building a tribe of people who love each other," he says, "and that's what we've built here."
Any time I go to downtown Las Vegas, Hsieh seems to be in deliberate public orbit, tending to the growing tribe. He lingers in the lobby of the Ogden, chats people up at a coffee shop called the Beat, and stops to visit the architects charged with many of the grand-scale conversions under way: A run-down Motel 6 has been razed to make room for an outdoor mall, which will be built out of stacked shipping containers; a corner building that previously held a 7-Eleven is being refashioned into a 150-seat theater called Inspire. By the time I visit in spring 2013, the Downtown Project's staff has grown so big they have left Check-Cashing and are operating out of various other coworking spaces and newly opened cafés around the neighborhood. Dropping by Coterie one afternoon, Hsieh props his laptop on a shelving unit stuffed with graphic T-shirts and spends 20 minutes answering emails.
He refers to what he is doing—the open and ambulatory nature of his days—as "being collisionable." Hsieh is a believer in the idea, popular in organizational psychology, that random, unplanned interactions between people often yield the most innovative results. His life, as I witness it, involves the same raft of scheduled business meetings you'd expect any busy CEO to have. (Hsieh's daily agenda, along with those of most Downtown Project team members and even visiting guests, is rigorously maintained by one of several "time ninjas" on staff.) But those meetings almost always take place in a bar or a coffee shop or an open workspace, leaving plenty of room for casual bump-ins and idle chat on the edges. I see him kick off meetings with whiskey shots. I see him rush off to get his head shaved in front of hundreds of Zappos employees for the company's "bald and blue" mass-shaving event held with the Blue Man Group. More than once, I watch him rearrange other people's dinner plans so that new parties can be added to the table. Or he may expand his own plans, collecting tagalongs as he moves around until, by the end of the night, what might have started as an intimate get-together now includes a wandering flock of 20 or more.
Visiting entrepreneurs continuously roam the neighborhood. Many of them are from the Bay Area, in Las Vegas for a few days to check out the scene and meet with those who have already staked a claim here. Some seem clearly on the hunt for Hsieh's coveted investment money. Others appear merely curious about the broader attempt at alterna-culture. Hsieh squires bloggers, celebrities, and billionaires around town, looping them through the neighborhood and over the sweltering sidewalks, pointing out what's already there and, more important, what's still to come. Elon Musk has walked around. Ashton Kutcher has walked around. Tyra Banks has walked around. Everybody collisions, almost pathologically, with everybody.
"It's the Downtown Project's big bet," Hsieh says, "that a focus on collisions, community, and colearning will lead to happiness, luckiness, innovation, and productivity. It's not even so big a bet," he adds. "Research has been done about this on the office level. It's just never really been applied in a consolidated way to a city revitalization project."
Much of the collisioning and communing is taking place at Eat, a restaurant owned by Natalie Young, a chef who never had her own place until Hsieh and the Downtown Project blessed her with a generous startup investment and help with everything from accounting to permitting. The restaurant is surrounded by vacant properties and faces an empty lot. Like Coterie, it has the feeling of an outpost, but one that has been embraced with a kind of we're-all-in-this-together brand of ferocity. On a winter day early in 2013, the restaurant teems with chattering customers at lunch. Young is working more hours than she imagined possible and turning a profit several months ahead of schedule. It is the community, she says, that is responsible for her success. Around downtown, "the community" is often referred to as if it were a single organism, a living thing. Hsieh has frequently invoked the idea, oft-repeated by his acolytes, that any business should be evaluated not just on its return on investment but its ROC—return on community. If any of it sounds odd and cultish, Young doesn't care.
"Once a month I have to come out and take a picture because the scenery changes so much," she says, describing the neighborhood. "The changes here are no joke. When people hear me speak they say, 'You drank the Kool-Aid,' and I'm like, 'Yup, and it tastes real good.'"
"All this," Hsieh says to me one afternoon in May, "is kind of a semi-brainstorm." We are outdoors, on a corner lot that sits between the Ogden and the old Las Vegas city hall, soon to house Zappos' new headquarters. It's 100 degrees out, but Hsieh seems unfazed. He steps through a gate leading to a fenced outdoor courtyard and waves me inside. This is the Gold Spike Hotel and Casino, freshly purchased by the Downtown Project and in the throes of being reimagined for the community.
Until recently, the Gold Spike advertised "Sexy Blackjack" and "$1 Shots" and featured waitresses in high heels and short shorts. Now, though, having been shuttered for a hasty renovation, it's reopening, without its casino, as a smoke-free bar and restaurant and 24-hour "hangout space." The former casino's restaurant menu has been upgraded to include healthier food like lettuce cups and portobello burgers. The video poker and slot machines have been stripped from the bar area, replaced by free high-speed Wi-Fi, an electrical outlet at every other barstool, and—a hallmark of Hsiehian whimsy—a giant cornhole game, a giant version of Jenga, and a giant shuffleboard court.
It can seem, just as Hsieh says, like downtown Las Vegas is one enormous in-progress brainstorm, a fantastically bankrolled exercise in municipal free association. At his apartment in the Ogden, where he often hosts meetings, Hsieh maintains a wide wall covered in multicolored Post-it notes filled with ideas from the community about what the neighborhood still needs. (Hardware store! Gay bar! Community garden! Cupcakes!) Rather than actively recruit personnel to fill various niches, Hsieh and his team encourage people who show interest—or who interest them—to come visit, stay for a while, and find their own way. Newcomers sometimes live for months free of charge in the Ogden, courtesy of Hsieh, with no requirement but that they collision freely and enthusiastically with others.
Doubters have no place in the ecosystem. Pragmatists stand little chance. A love of hyperbole prevails. Hsieh and his crew have plans to build the country's largest rock-climbing wall, to install the fastest free public Wi-Fi, to develop the most innovative transportation system. At a meeting discussing the construction of the dog park, Hsieh suggests they build the world's largest fire hydrant to plunk at its center. Because, well, why not?
"We do things kind of hacky" is how Zach Ware, one of Hsieh's top deputies at the Downtown Project, puts it. Ware, a clean-cut, 32-year-old former product development manager at Zappos, is spearheading multiple projects around town—the renovation of city hall, the construction of coworking spaces, the transportation system, which will be membership-based and include shared cars, bikes, and even planes.
Hsieh's tight-knit utopia, however, has endured some setbacks. In January 2013, in an incident that rocked the downtown community and made headlines around the country, a well-known entrepreneur named Jody Sherman committed suicide on a quiet country road outside of Las Vegas. He had moved his company, Ecomom, from Los Angeles in 2011, having been the recipient of one of the TechFund's first investments. Within weeks of his death, the company folded, leaving 28 employees out of work. Not long afterward, Romotive, the robot company and crown jewel of Vegas-based startups, having closed its second round of funding, announced it was moving its operations to San Francisco. In a pained-sounding open letter, Rinaudo thanked the Downtown Project and community members profusely, saying that the move was necessitated by his company's need to be in "close proximity to strategic partners" and to woo "brilliant senior talent."
Somewhat unsurprisingly, the community spun Romotive's departure as positive, proof of Hsieh's vision of Las Vegas as a startup incubator. "We think it demonstrates that downtown Las Vegas is an awesome place to launch and build a company," Ware said at the time, reminding everyone of the more than 20 other promising startups still in residence.
There are smaller, more predictable issues as well. A recent East Coast college grad tells me that he finds the dating pool to be lamentably small. I walk into one of the elevators at the Ogden late one night and overhear a resident—a member of the tech community—complaining tipsily to a friend about the claustrophobia that comes from knowing everybody around you, collisioning with the same people all the time. "I don't want to leave this place," he says, "but sometimes I do."
One afternoon in September, I go for another stroll around downtown Las Vegas with Don Welch, a former New York investment banker who is now in charge of small businesses for the Downtown Project. Another season has passed. The wheel has revolved again, bringing Hsieh's neighborhood another click closer to maturation. As in previous visits, I still pass empty lots and abandoned buildings and sidewalk brochure dispensers advertising "Free College Girls in Your Room." There are still some sun-beaten drunk people loitering on Fremont Street. The morning news still carries reports of neighborhood crime. But maybe because I've now been here a few times, or maybe because I am with Welch—who has spent the past two years working with Hsieh, who sees the neighborhood as he does—I notice these things less.
The new Zappos campus is now fully built, and the first groups of employees have moved in. A 65-acre open-access Wi-Fi network is in the works. The outdoor mall made of shipping containers looks half finished. An Airstream village and an outdoor concert space are nearly complete (having been overseen in part by some members of Rabbit who are now formally employed by the Downtown Project). Ground has been broken on a neighborhood medical center. The long-discussed preschool (overseen by Welch's wife, Connie Yeh, who is also Hsieh's first cousin) has enrolled its first class of students. Everywhere we look, some sort of change seems to be under way.
"This is going to be a flower shop with an architect studio up top," Welch says, gesturing to part of a two-story hotel building they are renovating, with multiple wide windows fronting the street. "This is going to be a juice bar," he says, his finger moving between windows. "That's going to be a sushi place over there, with a doughnut shop next to it. And up there will be a yoga space." A block later, he is at it again: "This is going to be a fried-chicken place. This will be a vegan restaurant." He shows me the future nail salon and wine bar and places where they are still waiting for city permits to come through. ("Everything takes longer and is more expensive than we thought it would be," Welch admits.)
It's easy to believe in all that's coming. And I'm not the only one. Over the months, a secondary wave of immigrants and investors has been drawn to downtown Las Vegas—people outside the Downtown Project but clearly inspired by it. Tech businesses are being launched out of low-slung ranch houses along an area informally known as the startup block. A New York-based videogame company is renovating a space not far from the Ogden and has said it will bring 150 employees to the city. A couple of new restaurants have popped up, bringing more foot traffic to Fremont Street.
One evening, the community gathers to celebrate the opening of a Mexican restaurant called La Comida, owned by Michael Morton, a well-known restaurateur. Hsieh himself shows up, as does his giant praying mantis art truck, which is parked on the street in front of the restaurant, its spiny arms lofting over the crowd, its triangular head—operated by a driver sitting behind its wings—swerving left and right, as if to take in the scene. Every few minutes, from its pipelike antennas, it lets out a cannonlike noise and shoots plumes of gas fire rippling into the dark sky. It is charming and mystical and just plain funny. But it feels almost defiant too, as if it's pushing back against the world's less wacky, less idealistic people, its skeptics and doubters—all the people who might never believe an urban neighborhood can be built primarily on friendliness and free thinking.
On my last night in Vegas, I meet up with a few people on the patio of a Fremont Street bar called Park. One of them is Cathy Brooks, who spent 20 years working in communications and tech startups in San Francisco before moving to Las Vegas in early 2013, drawn by Hsieh and his plans. She is now the owner of the much-anticipated dog park, called the Hydrant Club. Already Brooks is feeling a sentimental sort of pride. "Even if what we're doing doesn't succeed to everyone's wildest dreams, and I actually believe it will," she says, "downtown has already changed."
The sun is setting when a strapping guy with an easy smile shows up and orders a beer. This is Gerome Sapp, the 33-year-old founder of a social media company called Fluencr.com, which he's in the process of transplanting from Austin. Seven days earlier, he formalized a round of funding from Hsieh's TechFund. Since then he's been driving around with a real estate agent, looking for a place to live. It turns out that, beyond the genial community of entrepreneurs and artists, not everyone sees downtown as Tony Hsieh does. "I keep telling her I want to be downtown," Sapp announces to the people at the bar table. "But she says, 'No, no. Don't do that. Downtown's a ghetto.'"
He shrugs and shakes his head, as if astonished by the agent's blindness, as if she sees nothing where he sees everything. It is, after all, only a matter of perception. You just need to get on the bus. "She can think what she wants," Sapp says, grinning at everyone around him, "but this is my place."
Startup Fantasyland


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The Lycian Way to Phellos, and, Sigh, Back
Trip Start Feb 08, 2008
154Trip End Sep 11, 2009
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I knew it was going to be a long hot one. So I got up and left the pension early. This aforded a fine early morning sunrise picture of the Greek Island of Megisti (or Turkish, Meis) in the sunrise.
Above town, just off the highway was a sign at the base of the steep hillside pointing the way. My objective was Phellos, a lot further than 5 km. In fact, I think the stated distance to �ukurbağ is mistated.
For the most part the Lycian Way is adequately trail marked. Red and white stripes are painted on rocks, trees, posts and so on
Also, I seem to have hiked more trail segments in reverse order of the verbal instructions, as this time. I'm more a visual person than a, well, literate one, so verbal descriptions of directions in nature are often unsatisfactory for me. And, trying to follow them in reverse order, as on this hike, does not make it any easier. However, with some experience at it, the night before I more or less "reverse engineered" the route, trying to draw a map, as I understood the instructions, for the direction of my hike.
This worked pretty well, though I lost the trail on two occasions, both in the same area. It was more aggravating than worrisome as in both instances it was in open territory and I knew the distant, observable objective area. Still, it gets frustrating. Especially for me perhaps, a former technical illustrator for whom my objective for my work was, "No ambiguities! Don't put the customer in a situation of embarasing confustion." (That's how I felt trying to do algebra)
Anyway, across the plain, the middle section of the hike, I came upon a turtle, as one often does in Turkey. This one obviously had taken some shocks. One wonders how these blows were rendered, as the Turks, I have read are respectible of turtles. Falling rocks? Who knows?
Phellos was an ancient Lycian city. And it was perched on the crest of a hill seen across the plain once one climbed up from Kaş and topped the crest of the plateau.
About the first object I saw was this huge sarcophagus, sitting akilter in the bushes. These are the kinds of things that always draw my attention and wonderment. The stones are so huge and heavy, how did those people ever get them to these places!? All I could do was put my hat and pack to try and demonstrate the scale. The footing is bad enough for anyone these days with hiking boots. Was the ground any different 2000 years ago! And, what was their footwear like? Was the climate and vegitation different, absent the many varieties of thorn bushes. None of the guide books addresses such questions.


text:
Are you a Junior Gunner attending the UEFA Champions League Schalke match on Wednesday, October 24?
If so, make sure to keep an eye on your inbox and an ear on your phone over the next few days, as we will be offering five lucky JGs the chance to lead the match officials onto the pitch before kick-off!
The five JGs picked will be done so at random.
Good luck!Copyright 2017 The Arsenal Football Club plc. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source


text:
Discussion in 'BUILD OFF 4 FINISHED BIKES' started by rgallen, Jul 30, 2009.
Ugly but finished and rides real smooth....I'll go for looks next time.
i dig it because you took a relitivly new frame and made it look old that is cool. the bars are cool and i dig the low hanging rear fender
In my opinion only the paint is 'ugly'. But it's supposed to be that way, right..? This bike has loads of pottential. That rack/seat set-up is a great idea! You did some serious welding only not on the main frame. The transformation is dramatic! In a good way: You've made a modern bike look like a vintage one. And I don't mean the fake 'old paint', but the bike in general. The lines. It's silhouette. If you said it was a pre 1970, I'd believe you right away.
Well done.
And yes, I definately want to see this one done for looks after this build off...
UGLY, no.......COOL, yes! Everybody's gonna want to ride it.
Very cool. Won"t get lost at the bike rack either!
In my eyes you went for looks this time as well, 'cause it's a bike that looks like it's got attitude! Love those springers, and the bars and fender are cool!
I agree with KOTA. I would jump on that bike and ride it in a second! Cool!
ugly in the best kind of way i love it!
that home made rack is really cool, and the rat-trap springer is a nice touch (i want one of those!). very cool.
Ratty rat! :wink:
i'm diggin the fender.
Separate names with a comma.


text:
One thing about it,my doggie loves all my quilts ( I find him sucking on them!), never bugs me about the time or money I spend quilting,and sits on my feet while I quilt. The DH doesn't get any more quilts,as he doesn't appreciate them.
Welcome to the Quilting Board!
One thing about it,my doggie loves all my quilts ( I find him sucking on them!), never bugs me about the time or money I spend quilting,and sits on my feet while I quilt. The DH doesn't get any more quilts,as he doesn't appreciate them.
I made both of my step daughters quilts and they did who knows what with them, but neither of them possess them. I am pretty positive that they ended up being left behind during a move or thrown in the trash. I explained to them both that the quilts were theirs, but also took the time to explain the cost, time and especially the love that went into making them. Am I little upset, yes at first, but then again I did give them to them. What they did with the quilts was their choice. I have also tried to imagine what happens to quilts that I donate. Do the recipients really appreciate the quilt for the remainder of its "life" or does it turn into pets bed or used to lay under the car while the oil is being changed? So, I have learned to just let it go!
I made toobrush rugs for all 4 of my kids for Christmas. One the dog claimed before package was even opened. Another puppies claimed as soon as it hit the floor. I lay them on our floor while working on them to make sure they are flat, my toy poodle thinks it is for her. I have one in the works for her.
Many people care more about their dogas then their family. Our furbaby & all of our kid's animals are family. At least what is made is loved.
I have thought about all of this with the dog. You see if my dog had a desire to lay on a quilt and I seen it, the very first thing I would do is remove it and give him another. Then the very next time I seen a quilt I liked at a second hand store I would buy it and give it to the dog. And put the other one up for me to use on the couch while watching tv or reading or anything else. Just my opinion. The thing is it does harden a person up, to want to give anyone anything.
I gave my DMIL a quilt because she loved it when she saw it. Once when I visited her, her dog was curled up on it. She told me that Daisy took it over as soon as she brought it home and that it was her favorite place to curl up. My DMIL loves that dog so much and I could tell how happy she was that Daisy was so happy. I could not have given a gift to please her anymore than a quilt that Daisy loves so much. They are both happy - Daisy is comfy and DMIL takes great pleasure in watching her make her nest in the middle of the quilt that I gave them.
Enjoy your day,
A fat quarter is not a body part!
Many find this funny but I made the dogs and I a Ricky Timms Kaleidoscope quilt this year and its PERFECT..in our house they are the kids and we want them to be comfy and happy..as a matter of fact we have quilts on the backs of the lazyboys and the dogs make nests in them over night!!
Tranquil Quilting-MI
Home is where the rags of your life are turned into quilts, lemons become lemonade and a few extra pounds are simply welcomed as "more of you to love."
I am so confused. I don't know if I found a rope or lost my horse."
You have a great attitude. I made a quilt for my nephew and found it stuffed in the back of his closet. I would rather the dogs had been able to use it.


text:
Australia 1927 – Australia 1982
England 1951-56
Murray Bail
oil on canvas
signed: u.r.
canvas 182.0 (h) x 121.8 (w) cm
National Portrait Gallery, Canberra Gift of an anonymous donor 1999 Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program
© estate of Fred Williams
Australian author, Murray Bail, came to known Williams when they served together on the Council of the National Gallery of Australia. Sometimes during Council meetings Williams would sketch Bail's portrait in the margins of agenda papers.
This painting was undertaken in Williams's Tooronga Road studio in the Hawthorn. Although there is an awkwardness and tentativeness to Bail's demeanour, it is one of Williams's more natural portraits. There is a sense of empathy between artist and author. Bail recalls first becoming interested in Williams's work in 1967 when he saw some of his minimal work on display at Georges Gallery in Melbourne. Williams once remarked that he had read Bail's novel Homesickness. 'It was interesting to me because it had no focal point, like my work.'


text:
This term refers to the cleaning of your excremental skid marks in the toilet by getting a juicy wad of toilet paper, flushing the toilet, and dislodging the spackle during the minimal amount of time there is no water in the bowl during the flush.
I couldn't leave my ass remnants in the porcelain jungle for my coworkers to see, so i had to do the low tide slide.
by Fiftyslam April 27, 2011


text:
Due to the challenging economic environment, we're sorry to announce that we've made the difficult business decision to postpone the O'Reilly Money:Tech Conference, which was to take place February 4-6 in New York.
We are grateful for the support of everyone who had made plans to participate in the event, particularly program co-chairs Paul Kedrosky and Robert Passarella, the advisory board members, and our event sponsors.
O'Reilly will continue to explore the financial tech space, including the possibility for a future version of the conference.


text:
Current Weather: Holland, MI
- Clear sky
Visit Days are an excellent choice for visiting Hope's campus.
A Visit Day provides more of a structured campus visit than an individual visit, but still provides the flexibility to create a day that best suits your needs. Plan on spending from 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM with us. (Registration begins at 8:30 AM.)


text:
Ball State's commitment to immersive learning and academic research is evident in both the abundance and the quality of its centers, institutes, clinics, bureaus, and other research and outreach units.
These units provide innovative and interdisciplinary research activities that expand beyond the borders of our campus to have an impact on Indiana, the nation, and the world.
We have listed the centers and institutes our office is directly responsible for in alphabetical order:
Copyright © 2017 Ball State University 2000 W. University Ave. Muncie, IN 47306
800-382-8540 and 765-289-1241


text:
This trade is a bull put spread trade on SUN. This trade is for the short-term option traders not wanting to purchase the SUN shares but profit from the time decay of the sold puts. This trade is set up to receive maximum profit if SUN is above $8.82 at February expiry. This trade should profit from Suncorp strengthening into the ex-dividend date and this trade will expiry before the ex-dividend date in 2010.
- Sell 25 contracts SUN February $8.82 Put Options @ 15 cents
- Buy 25 contracts SUN February $8.57 Puts Options @ 8.5 cents
Shares per contract = 1020
Net Credit 7.5 cents
Trade Summary
Maximum Profit = $1,912.50
Maximum Loss = $4462.50
Breakeven = $8.745
Return on Risk = 42.86%
Suncorp is announcing their First Half Profit Announcement on the 24th February 2010. On this day they will confirm the Dividend amount and when SUN will go ex-dividend. Without knowing with certainty the dividend amount and the date we can use last year's details as an approximation. Last year SUN went exercise 27th February for 20 cents. If this is relatively accurate this tells us that our position will expire before the ex-dividend date. 20 cents dividend is also a 2.2% yield which makes it highly attractive and should keep SUN strong until after the ex-dividend date.
Daily Chart:
- Short-term uptrend
- Buy on Stochastic
Weekly Chart:
• SUN is in a medium term uptrend and still a buy on the stochastic.
To receive ASX Option Recommendations or to learn more about Bull Put Spreads please request the complete Option Spreads eBook by contacting us on 1300 368 316 or firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Stay connected with us to get the latest health and fitness news, innovative workouts, healthy recipes and wellness tips.
Change Location
ACE Fit Share
Bread pudding, an economical dish designed to use up stale bread, is most often associated with dessert. It's equally comforting turned savory, enriched with cheese and studded with vegetables.
Nutrition Profile:
Diabetes Appropriate
Healthy Weight
High Calcium
High Potassium
Low Calorie
Serves 6
Prep Time 60 min
Total Time 120 min.
Step 1
Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Add milk, hot sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; whisk until blended. Add bread and stir to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Step 2
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat an 8-by-8-inch (or similar 8-cup) ceramic or glass baking dish with cooking spray. Put a kettle of water on to boil for the water bath.
Step 3
Cook spinach according to package directions. Drain, refresh with cold water and squeeze out excess moisture. Set aside.
Step 4
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring often, until tender and golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic; stir to blend. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover and increase heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until any excess moisture from the mushrooms has evaporated and mushrooms begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring, 2 minutes.
Step 5
Add the mushroom mixture and 1/2 cup cheese to the egg mixture; stir until blended. Scrape into the prepared baking dish; sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese evenly over the top. Place the baking dish in a larger pan, put in the oven and pour boiling water into the larger pan to about halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake until the pudding is set in the center, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool slightly; serve hot or warm.
Featured Workouts
Check out our 12-week fitness plan designed to boost your strength, endurance, muscle definition, energy level and overall health.
Flatten your stomach and build strength in the muscles that provide stability and mobility for the spine, pelvis, ribs and hips.
Focus on pulling, rotating and building strength with workouts created alongside Olympic Gold Medalist Dominique Dawes.
This workout provides a challenging total-body workout that can be done from the comfort of home with no equipment other than bodyweight and space.


text:
forum: Everything else
#91 Sun 20 May 12 4:29pm
- Forum champ
- From North Carolina
- Member since Thu 15 Jul 04
Re: Food Revolution Day, May 19!
I went to to Google Hangout and enjoyed the conversation. Made roast turkey breast with yams and veggies for dinner last night. Trying to stay healthy.
#92 Sun 20 May 12 11:02pm
- Member Occupation Sometimes I would like to know myself (or like to change it).
- From Germany
- Member since Thu 17 Mar 11
Re: Food Revolution Day, May 19!
Food Revolution Day is over, Danny and the students of Fifteen had some great events in London - and for sure there have been many more great events worldwide.
Today I had the chance to join the Vietnamese supper club at Fifteen. Now I have to figure out, how to show you some photos of it.
#93 Sun 20 May 12 11:15pm
- Forum super champ Occupation avoiding housework
- From The land of song.
- Member since Tue 04 Oct 05
Re: Food Revolution Day, May 19!
It was a good day Christian , good to meet you .
Have you loaded the photos onto your computer yet ?
#94 Sun 20 May 12 11:44pm
- Member Occupation Sometimes I would like to know myself (or like to change it).
- From Germany
- Member since Thu 17 Mar 11
Re: Food Revolution Day, May 19!
I have put three photos on the blog.
Yes it was really good.
#95 Mon 21 May 12 8:35am
- Member Occupation Office Wallah
- From Yorkshire / E Sussex
- Member since Thu 15 Mar 12
Re: Food Revolution Day, May 19!
This weekend I baked two loaves of bread, 8 flour tortillas for the fajitas, breadcrumbed 20 chicken oysters Ive been saving in the freezer for the last few months and made a chilli jam to smear on them, made a mustard bechamel sauce for the Salmon and used all my home- grown herbs and lettuce to go with it. Oh and roasted a load of mixed veggies! Busy busy!
#96 Mon 21 May 12 9:16am
- Forum champ
- Member since Fri 19 Nov 10
Re: Food Revolution Day, May 19!
I baked a loaf of "pane di fiori" (hop flowers yeast), I was not sure it worked after two years, and it did! I brought it to the inauguration of a reconstruction of a prehistoric village, and handed it to the man who bakes bread in a hole in the ground, after making fire. He has a sort of earth pan now with two flat handles and a hole to let the steam go out, which can be put on the loaf as an oven. I hope one day I'll have one aswell. They have been discoveredby archeologists in Trentino on the Alps.
There were school children learning and listening to a friend of mine explaining the use of herbs, her husband teaching how to make tools from stones, another passionate ragazzo letting children discover things under sand and telling them how you do that without breaking or spoiling and and and
I felt good there sitting on a woodden chair near an open fire in a hut ...... so familiar to me, I would have stayed there waiting for something bubbling in a huge pan on the embers
somehow I felt I was celebrating a good Food Revolution Day
my pics do not want to appear on the blog section, so imagine them please
Last edited by Grand_Ma (Mon 21 May 12 9:25am)
#97 Mon 21 May 12 9:58am
- Jamie Oliver Food Foundation
- From Jamie's Office
- Member since Tue 06 Jul 04
Re: Food Revolution Day, May 19!
Thanks so much Mada for your support - I am back on board today after a marathon Food Rev weekend so I will work with Eric to resolve the image uploading challenge.
Kind regards
#98 Mon 21 May 12 10:30am
- Forum super champ Occupation avoiding housework
- From The land of song.
- Member since Tue 04 Oct 05
Re: Food Revolution Day, May 19!
Grandmadamada , that sounds a fantastic day and yes .. I can imagine that oven .. And I can almost smell that bread as it bakes !
I also had a good weekend as I went into Cardiff to see the food revolution event at Jamie's Italian , they were making a huge 'Welsh Dragon ' picture from pasta .
The pasta , for the picture ,was being made outside the restaurant in the street for all to see by one of the chefs . Children and passers by we're adding lengths of pasta to make the picture .
Sadly I could not stay and see the picture as it finished , but I can say I was there at the start!
I shall add pictures to my blog later today .
I had a lovely chat to Antonio, who was making the pasta and he spoke to me about the difference in the texture of pasta made with just water and flour compared to that with eggs added to make the dough.
He also told me of the fantastic time he had had with Fifteen 15 year olds from a local school who had spent the day ,(earlier in the week ) at Jamie's Italian learning to make pasta , salads and bread . He told me about the way their faces showed complete concentration ,then joy and
excitement seeing what they had made .It sounded a lovely time.
Sunday , I went to give a bit of help taking leaves off herbs do that they could be used !
#99 Mon 21 May 12 11:21pm
- Member Occupation Business editor at Jamie Oliver
- From London
- Member since Wed 02 May 12
Re: Food Revolution Day, May 19!
Wow, I thought I had a busy Food Rev day but I seem to have been put to shame, especially by tstucky! I did, however, successfully poach my first egg, which despite being a decent cook is a skill that has evaded me for a good few years. FIt must have been the magic of the day!
I actually spent most of it chopping lettuce, but also going to bake sales and helping Danny out with his and Rocket&Squash's amazing pub lunch supper club.
I popped a blog up on here, as well as on my own blog (which can have more pics!) so have a look at what we all got up to at Jamie HQ.
#100 Tue 22 May 12 10:19am
- Jamie Oliver Food Foundation
- From Jamie's Office
- Member since Tue 06 Jul 04
Re: Food Revolution Day, May 19!
Thanks for your help Jonny G - you are a legend for helping out other staff as well after helping us!


text: I hope some of you FSUers will like this as much as I did. This is one of the best speeches I have ever heard. While it's given to musicians, it's really for anyone who has ever competed for anything (which is all of us). It's heartfelt, funny, down-to-earth and inspiring. (It's called "Loser's Club.") It's from Jon Nakamatsu, Gold Medalist of the 1997 Van Cliburn International Competition. As many of you probably know, it's kind of like the Olympics for concert pianists. About 10 years ago, the Cliburn Foundation started another International Competition, this one for amateur pianists. Jon has served on the jury for this event on several occasions. He gave this speech in 2007, just before the finalists were announced. As an aside: while he is now a highly acclaimed and successful concert solo pianist (since winning the big Cliburn prize), Jon did not go to Juilliard or any big music school. He studied with a local teacher in San Francisco from age 6 through adulthood. He majored in German at Stanford. Here's the link (it's 9 minutes, but do watch the whole thing if you can, it just gets better and better--you won't be disappointed): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5smz7gycqQ


text: First off, I have an older Kenwood 350W 2-channel amp that is supposed to power a 10" Kicker CompS. They actually compliment each other power-wise perfectly. They are both under the rear seat. All of a sudden a few weeks ago the amp just stopped working. I checked all the connections and they were tight. So, I tested the connections, the power is going into the amp. BUT, it no longer works. Is it possible that it over heated from being under the seat and just took a $hi* ? What would you suggest for keeping under the seat where it seems there is some heat build up? Secondly (hopefully simple), I DO NOT have the Bose stereo but I do have tweeters in the A-pillar. Anyone know the size of these and how easy they are to get to? I'm looking to upgrade all the speakers. Lastly, I've heard it is pretty hard to install a new head unit into these NNBS trucks, is this true? I am willing to take it in if need be but if they are fairly easy I would not mind doing it myself. Last summer I changed the head unit in my boat and it was simple, maybe the truck is simple too? Thanks!!


text:
On this episode of The Young and the Restless, Angelina wears a red statement choker necklace. As she meets with her father and explains she no longer wants to be married, one can tell he would like nothing more than to choke his new son-in-law. Poor Angelina has to choke back tears as she makes her statement, attempting to convince Angelo she made a mistake by marrying Kevin. One good thing about the relationship ending and the newlyweds facing the music? Angelina will no longer have Chloe breathing down her neck all the time. Then again, one can only hope she doesn't start singing the blues because she looks so darn good in red.
She is wearing a Lanvin for H&M Necklace that retails for $39.95. While the collaboration collection was for sale in 2010, there are several necklaces still available on eBay but they are priced significantly higher.


text:
Sometimes a story is a series of observations that can allow a reader to share in the experience. The story "Bragging rights" about the football game between San Ramon Valley High School and Monte Vista was written in this style, for the reader to "be there" at the exhilarating scene of the cross-town rivalry that Friday evening. The reporter - who has no allegiance to either side and enjoys covering events at all the schools - attended the game to take part in the excitement, observe it, and report on it.
Read the full story here Web Link posted Friday, December 7, 2007, 12:00 AM
Town Square
Watching the game
Original post made on Dec 7, 2007
Like this commentPosted by Hal Bailey
a resident of another community
on Dec 7, 2007 at 8:38 am
Dear Dolores,
Well said. After all, it is only high school and football and should not define anyones life. This isn't TEXAS!
Now if the played Rugby, it would be a different story!


text:
Sharing my love of all things shabby, thrifty, crafty and cheap! Formerly known as One Cheap B*tch.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Burlap Message Board
I cut a piece of foam board to fit the frame. Then I used some spray glue adhesive to add my burlap.
Once that was dry, I hot glued some metal clips to the front. Then I added some chalkboard tags. Feeling Frenchy, I wrote numbers 1-6 in French onto each tag.
As a finishing touch, I used a grungy red safety pin to add the Eiffel Tower image. I have it propped on a music stand in the tea room. Total cost: $1!
Linking to The Shabby Nest: Frugal Friday.
8 comments:
- Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...
Cute! Love the clips you added.
- June 8, 2012 at 7:05 AM
- Jamie said...
This is such a cool idea. I want to do a board kind of like this myself. Still deciding if I want to do burlap or a cork board one. Either way, I want to paint some sort of stencil design on it. I love the french numbered chalk tags on yours. Such a cool touch! ~ Jamie
- June 8, 2012 at 7:20 AM
- Lauren @ My Wonderfully Made said...
Wow is this cute! I love this idea and adding the chalkboard tags is great because you're getting the pretty burlap board AND the chalkboard tags to write on.
- June 8, 2012 at 4:27 PM
- Michele said...
That turned out really cute and is a clever way to up the oomph of a regular message board.
- June 9, 2012 at 5:20 AM
- Patti said...
Tres chic!...love it
- June 9, 2012 at 10:33 AM
- Maria said...
What a great message board, I love what you did! I need to make a new one too, thanks for the inspiration!
- June 9, 2012 at 8:11 PM
- Biljana said...
Great, I love french look:-)
Thanks for stopping by, hugs Biljana
- June 10, 2012 at 2:06 AM
- Donna said...
Oooh, la, la! I love your frame transformation! Gotta love those creations that use what you already have. Great job!
- June 11, 2012 at 5:03 PM


text: Although he is not having the best year this year I do really like Jerome Smith RB from Syracuse. I think his running style would be a nice compliment to Wilson. I do think Syracuse's running game has suffered this year because of the loss of Nassib being the QB making defenses worry about the pass a lot more than Terrel Hunt behind center.. Losing Pugh I think hurt the running game for them also but Smith is a big physical runner who is decisive with his cuts which is why I think he could be a nice fit to compliment Wilson.