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A tribute to Paddy O'Driscoll: the rock and roll publican with a heart of gold
September 12, 2011 , 6:48 PM by Jarrod Watt
A champion human being. A stalwart of the local music scene. These are some of the descriptions of the man I knew as the bartender's bartender, the publican's publican, and one of the most savvy and erudite critics of Australian contemporary music and knowledgeable insiders of all things happening in Ballarat.
His name was Patrick O'Driscoll, but like most multi-syllabic names in Ballarat it was shortened to a nickname - "Paddy-O". In proper Australian parlance the name was blurted without the space between Christian and surname initial.
What's in a name? That which we call a publican, by any other name would still pour beers.
PaddyO's name stood for many things: a dedication to ensuring the bands got paid. An employer of more people than perhaps your standard business model would care for. An epic memory for names, dates, relationships, gigs, business deals, criminal records, employer histories and emotional states of mind since he last saw you, to name a few. It stood for someone who genuinely wanted to know how you were faring when you sat down at his bar.
He was, in essence, a publican from another era: in this age of security cameras, energy drinks on tap, massive wall sized TVs blaring 'reality' programs and "you right there?" clinical capitalism via touchscreens and employee barcode logins, he was a publican who ran pubs that cared for people. The people who worked there. The people who played music there. And of course, the people who came to eat, drink and be merry there.
One of the last wisecracks referred to me concerning PaddyO relates to him having a few drinks at an Irish pub with a man called Mick Trembath last week. He had phoned in a request for two taxis, and in true deadpan fashion reported back to Mick: 'Well, Ballarat Taxis seemed have lost their sense of humour. All I did was order a taxi for a Mick and a Paddy from an Irish pub..."
He was, as described by many in the loungerooms around Ballarat where people gathered to share their sorrow and shock at his passing over the weekend, a f**kin' funny bastard.
Of course, none of it was ever quotable or on the record, you understand...
For a journalist new to Ballarat, PaddyO was the sagest, loveliest contact one could find; in my case, when I first rolled into Ballarat from Kalgoorlie some 8 years ago, I was touched that he knew my name from my work in Melbourne music magazines in the turbulent 90s. Not only would he give me the inside word on the inner workings of the Australian live industry dating back to those hallowed years up until the present, he had the inside word on so many aspects of Ballarat life - from town planning decisions to which real estate the biker gangs owned to who was related to who and who knew who in some of the more prominent business decisions that made headlines.
He would do this in the classic bartender pose - sideways lean, left arm on the bar, giving me complete attention while simultaneously looking to the left, right, and over my shoulder for anyone who looked like they were about to finish their drink or want to order some food. Sentences would clip mid-way to make way for "- get you anothery there love?" "Coupla frothies, gents?" - and continue as soon as the till had rung and the change handed back to the patron, without losing pace or punctuation.
There are few bars left - in Ballarat, or anywhere, from my jaded perspective - where one can simply walk in, sit down and strike up a conversation, be it with the person next to you, or with the people behind the bar. PaddyO's philosophy was not unilateral - it was universal. All of his staff came to exhibit the same friendly, genuine approach to customers, be your haircut clean-cut, shaven, dredded or blue rinsed; your conversation had as much currency as the content of your wallet or purse.
They tell me the Ballarat police used to call the Bridge Mall Inn 'the Stars Wars bar - full of druggies and weirdoes'. For starters, the Ballarat police needed to get to my old stomping ground in St Kilda in the 1990s to witness truly weird and dangerous public bars - but as for weirdoes? In a town where people were routinely bashed on the street for looking different (not too differnt these days, really), no wonder generations of musicians, artists, writers, music fans and oddballs of all descriptions chose to gather there for live music and craic. There was never, ever any blues, barneys or beatings in any of PaddyO's places in my short memory. There certainly was discipline - there was no tolerating those who got out of line, or were rude or confrontational, but these were rare occasions in my experience, as the man's influence stretched well beyond just who was served first.
What made his establishments so endearing was the egalitarianism and plurality inherent in how people were welcomed (and welcomed back); that meant you could just as well be standing next to a teacher, architect or TV news director as you would a builder, plumber, artist, muso or student when ordering the next round.
You don't get that much in licensed venues these days.
They say you get back what you give out - and PaddyO gave so many young bands a chance to get up and play. This just doesn't happen anymore in Ballarat. It doesn't happen many places anymore - for bands of any age. Old rockdogs from the 80s and 90s, young pups who graduated high school last week; they all got a go in the venues he managed, from the Bridge Mall Inn to Grainery Lane, to Karova and the Mallow. Be you rock, roll, metal, middle-aged, blues, bluegrass, indie or indifferent to genre, he would get your band a gig at his place. And then another one, to see if you were any good this time 'round.
Like all great publicans, he managed to make it look like he was just serving beers, when in fact the job took in bar manager,accountant, bureacracy tamer, restaurant manager, band booker, HR manager and the traditional chief bartender roles of marriage consultant, psychologist (for individuals and entire bands alike), social worker, security chief, priest, mentor, mediator and guidance counsellor. His embrace of the 21st century before the conquest of Facebook included a stint as blogger for a couple of years - to which, like his own musicianship, he was vastly under-rated, if not overshadowed by his reputation behind the bar.
He got back in return a love and devotion from all who came into contact with him; a respect that transcended merely being the Boss or the Man In Charge of the Beer, he inspired a new younger generation of hipsters, groovers and bartenders to drop their frosty facades and open their hearts and minds to conversations with those not like them; the only people more shattered than his family and friends at his passing are those who worked for him, and that, dear reader, is something rare.
He was, of course, an accomplished musician - as an Irishman of Ballarat stock how could he not be? My favourite band of PaddyO's were the Bring It Ons - where songs from Paul Kelly to Morrissey to Van Morrison were all played with PaddyO affecting a Bob Dylan-styled nasal drawl on vocals.
His song Stick to Beer is a classic; it's PaddyO's bartender's philosophy as distilled through an acoustic guitar. Kindly advice dispensed over a frothy.
When the mourning fades for the passing of PaddyO, it will begin all over again on another front: where's the place you can take your workmates, your Mum, your date, or your band? Where is the place where staff will gladly have a chat and a laugh with complete strangers?
There is none. Because the man who made it happen for nigh on 20 years in Ballarat is gone. A man who worked his guts out, who made the hard work, the really unsexy part of rock and roll - the setting up and cleaning it afterwards bit before doing it all again the next night - seem a trivial aspect of the job compared to how you were doing. And could he get you and your mate a couple more Germaine Greers?
We will miss him dearly.
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
Thankyou Jarrod for this wonderful tribute!
Posted by: Dani | September 12, 2011 at 09:40 PM
Jarrod, I think you've put it to words what most of us are thinking. Beautiful tribute mate!
Posted by: Rohan | September 13, 2011 at 09:33 AM
Simply beautiful Jarrod
Posted by: Lawrence | September 13, 2011 at 09:41 AM
You got him Jarrod, and he got us!! Beautiful words.
Posted by: erin | September 13, 2011 at 11:26 AM
Thanks for that Jarrod. A fitting tribute for such a passionate man. We'll miss you Paddy.
Posted by: Tim Baker | September 13, 2011 at 01:44 PM
Tried rading it yesterday, but couldn't get through with teary eyes! But today I managed. Beautiful words for a gorgeous man.
Posted by: Paige Duggan | September 13, 2011 at 03:36 PM
Yes Jarrod, we hear ya..
Posted by: Wayne | September 13, 2011 at 03:41 PM
Beautiful post! Time for another statue on Sturt Street me thinks!!! Paddy O welcoming people to, and back to, the 'rat as only he can for all time!! start a campaign ABC!
Posted by: Andrew Kelly | September 13, 2011 at 04:01 PM
Andrew, I absolutely agree. A statue for Paddy O is a must.
Posted by: Bryce | September 13, 2011 at 06:15 PM
Your a very good man Jarrod. Well written my friend.
Posted by: Terry Frangos | September 13, 2011 at 07:28 PM
Well said . You captured his essence. The Ballarat scene just won't be the same. Can we create some kind of legacy? I dunno what. Always thought Badger needed something too.
Posted by: Verity Higgins | September 13, 2011 at 07:28 PM
Hey I'll go with that one Andrew, most definitely. Thanks Jarrod, summed up the man beautifully.
Posted by: Dona Pentland | September 14, 2011 at 12:36 AM
Thanks for posting this about my cousin, we are all very proud of him and know he will always be remembered in Ballarat.
Posted by: Ann-Maree Browne | September 14, 2011 at 09:55 AM
Great tribute Jarrod. Paddy was indeed a rare and old-fashioned -in-a-good-way individual.
Posted by: Bek | September 14, 2011 at 01:23 PM
thanks for that Jarrod. Written so beautifully for dear Paddy
Posted by: cas | September 14, 2011 at 05:58 PM
So Succinctly put, Paddy will be missed by many, some of us who only recently met him felt he knew us for a lifetime.
Paddy you are a true gentleman
Posted by: Paul | September 15, 2011 at 10:10 PM
well said - hope this link works - this is one my most treasured performances I've ever experienced - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEUGXa2m-xE
Posted by: Adam Simmons | September 19, 2011 at 11:47 AM
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When Monica Watkins-Clay and her family moved from Chattahoochee to Quincy, she knew she couldn't leave behind her Little Free Library. Little Free Library is a nationwide non-profit organization which, through sponsors like Watkins-Clay, is able to provide a free book exchange in the neighborhoods where they are located.
The Munroe baseball team picked up momentum heading into their 2A-District 1 tournament this week. The Bobcats won three games last week with wins over Wewahitchka, Altha and Ponce de Leon.
The Bobcats took the lead late in the game in an 11-8 victory over Wewahitchka on Tuesday. The game was tied at seven with Munroe batting in the bottom of the fifth when Matthew Salters doubled, driving in two runs.
Buckwheat's, a new place in town just opened.
I was close to ecstatic when I realized the second word, (in much smaller print), after "Buckwheat's," was "BBQ."
One of my all-time favorite things to do in this lifetime was to get up early and meet my good friend Joe Faggione for a hearty breakfast of buckwheat pancakes.
Now I search far and wide and cannot find a restaurant that serves those delicious, dark buckwheats.
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The Gadsden County Times is your source for local news, sports, events and information in Gadsden County and Quincy, FL, and the surrounding area.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Silver Gymnasium [CD]
- Artist: Okkervil River
- Release Date: 10/08/2013
Best Buy is dedicated to always offering the best value to our customers. We will match the price, at the time of purchase, on a Price Match Guarantee product if you find the same item at a lower price at a Designated Major Online Retailer or at a local retail competitor's store.Here's how:
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You need to install Flash Player to hear these tracks.
- It Was My Season
- On A Balcony
- Down Down The Deep River
- Pink-Slips
- Lido Pier Suicide Car
- Where The Spirit Left Us
- White
- Stay Young
- Walking Without Frankie
- All The Time
- Every Day
- Black Nemo


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Foldable Bedrooms Provide A Private Place To Sleep At The Office
Designers create collapsable bedrooms to keep professionals well-rested.
Instead of squirming around to find a comfortable position on an awkward piece of office furniture, you can now snuggle up in your own bed and sheets. Designed by Lieke Jildou de Jong and Alei Verspoor, the Fold Inn is a collapsable bedroom that fits in any sizable office or vacant space.
The Fold Inn is built of wood panels, and is about the same size of an average elevator. When expanded the moveable accommodation provides the same amount of privacy as home. It is easy to set up and store away, making it the perfect addition to a professional setting.
From October 19-29, the Fold Inn will be on display at the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven. The Dutch designers will be showcasing their project for the first time at the Temporary Art Centre (TAC).


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Not sure if this is the right place but it is 'training' so here it goes...
I want to get others thoughts on my set-up for a personal range at home.
my set-up:
- only used for shotgun firing (no slugs) and handguns. 22,38, 9mm, 45acp.
- backstop construction- hay/stray bales, single thick, 8 ft. high, 12 to 16ft wide.
-distance from muzzle to target- 10 to 20 yards.
- large 100 acre field behind with no concern for "hitting" others but i simply don't want my rounds going off my property.
my concerns are do ya think bales of hay will stop a bullet?
especially after they have been saturated with rain and snow for a while.
would the weathering make them better or worse bullet catchers?
honest opinions appreciated.
on a side note does/has anybodybuilt or thought about building a moving target? like a silohuette target on a string to practice shooting while moving.
just curious how this might be made to work


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Member since 7/14/2013
- 1 total post
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Recent comments from Ultrachickie
I am 11 days post TT w/lipo and finally able to stand up straight! Agree w/ all below...take at least 3 full weeks off of work. The 1st 4 days you will pretty much only get out of bed to pee. Then you'll start walking around more..... READ COMMENT


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Chiropractic patients in Arizona are being denied benefits and chiropractors are being forced out of business because a law designed to hold the insurance industry accountable is not being enforced.Read More »
Let communities make decision on nuclear waste storage
Recent articles about my proposed education fund and related spent nuclear fuel recycling program have produced some uninformed and negative reactionary responses. I urge everyone in the media, political arena and the voting public to educate themselves about this important subject.Read More »
AIMS test standards don't aim high enough to prepare students
Let's celebrate those Arizona K-12 public schools — both traditional and charter — that are advancing their students more quickly than their peers toward college and career readiness. Let's study their strategies and share those strategies so that similar schools might use them.Read More »
The president of Arizonification
As President Obama reflects on his trip to Arizona on Jan. 25, he has some soul searching to do. In recent months, the President has displayed a schizophrenic approach to immigration as he attempts to straddle impossible opposites.Read More »
Time to fight to keep public notices in Arizona newspapers
Long before transparency was the catch phrase of government watchdogs, Arizona newspapers have been the primary fighters in the battle to keep government records open to citizens. In the last few years, the transparency fight has moved to protecting the public's right to know by keeping public notices in newspapers.Read More »
Minimum wage increase will help Arizona's working families
While working families struggle to make ends meet in this sluggish economy, there is a bright spot on the horizon for Arizona's lowest-paid workers: On Jan. 1, the state's minimum wage increased 30 cents to $7.65, raising wages for more than 130,000 low-wage workers.
The increase not only helps hard-working Arizonans provide for their families, but also boosts the overall economy.
The truth behind SB1061 — the school lunch opt-out bill
If ever I needed to channel Paul Harvey, now is the time. Since SB1070, I don't think I have ever witnessed more false statements, misunderstandings and outright lies than I have with the school lunch opt-out bill. So with great respect for a radio legend, here is the rest of the story.Read More »
Obama's waiver rule change will keep families together
President Barack Obama took a small, but important, first step in eliminating the painful separation of American families because of twisted immigration laws.Read More »
Stop the congressional insider trading, now!
With Congress' approval ratings in single digits, many are asking why I want to return to Washington. It is, after all, one of the most unpopular jobs in America. The fact is, Congress has rightfully earned its unpopular reputation. But instead of ignoring it, I am running to do something about it.Read More »
Keep the public noticed
Take public notices away from newspapers and accountability goes out the window. The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors is a case in point.Read More »


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Domo Kun Toaster Makes Cute Looking Toast With His Face On It
Toasters are pretty much an essential kitchen appliance for many who can't do without having toast for breakfast in the morning. Here's one cute looking toaster that makes toast just as good as it looks.
The Domo Kun is a popular character from Japan, and now he has made his way by having a toaster made to look like him. Not only does this turn it into a Domo Kun toaster, it even comes with a special feature that makes it capable of producing a toasted slice of bread with Domo-kun right on it.
A cool Domo-kun themed toaster that will surely bring a smile in the morning for Domo-kun fans.
The Domo Kun sliced bread toaster retails for $39.99 from Amazon.


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Hi All,
just gone through all of the 3 extras disc's and can't believe the almost no-existent appearance of boba fett.
one of the most notorious characters in the star wars universe and a wasted opportunity to show him off,
while other not so notorious characters get a 360 animated schematic.
Can anyone tell me if the docking bay 94 scene with boba has changed from the special edition?
I feel a little short changed with my purchase.
oh well, maybe know Mr lucas may have the funding to produce the TV series now.


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New Issue of the TASP Journal Published!
We are pleased to announce that Volume 4, Issue 1 of "Research and Practice in the Schools: The Official Journal of the Texas Association of School Psychologists" has been published and is available in pdf format below. We look forward to receiving your manuscript submissions!
TASP Journal, Volume 4, Issue 1
TASP Journal, Volume 3, Issue 1
TASP Journal, Volume 2, Issue 1


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Technology doesn't isolate people: U.S. study
NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Contrary to popular belief, the Internet and mobile phones are not isolating people but enhancing their social worlds, according to a U.S. survey.
The survey was sparked by a 2006 study by U.S. sociologists who argued technology is advancing a trend seen since 1985 -- Americans becoming more socially isolated, their social networks shrinking, and the diversity of their contacts decreasing.
But the study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, titled "Social Isolation and New Technology," found people's use of mobile phones and the Internet is actually associated with larger and more diverse social networks.
"When we examine people's full personal network... Internet use in general and use of social networking services such as Facebook in particular are associated with more diverse social networks," the researchers said in a statement.
"Our key findings challenge previous research and commonplace fears about the harmful social impact of new technology."
The telephone survey of 2,512 adults, conducted by Princeton Survey Research International in July and August this year, found that since 1985, the extent of social isolation has hardly changed at all.
It found 6 percent of the adult population has no one with whom to discuss important matters but this figure is largely unchanged since 1985.
The survey, however, did find that people's "discussion networks" have shrunk about a third in the past 25 years and become less diverse as they contain fewer non-family members.
But people who have mobile phones and take part in a variety of Internet activities are associated with larger, more diverse core discussion networks. Continued...


text: Case | HBS Case Collection | May 2011 (Revised July 2015) Ford Motor Company: Strengthening the Dealer Network V. Kasturi Rangan, Katharine Lee and Marie Bell The case describes a five-year effort (2006-2011) of distribution rationalization and consolidation at Ford. The financial crisis in the second-half of 2008 forced GM and Chrysler into bankruptcy. Having completed the distribution overhaul work by 2011, its senior managers wondered how the transformed distribution channel would meet the needs of its new product strategy developed in response to the financial crisis. Keywords: Strategy; Product; Distribution; Consolidation; Distribution Channels; Transformation; Business Processes; Auto Industry; Citation:Rangan, V. Kasturi, Katharine Lee, and Marie Bell. "Ford Motor Company: Strengthening the Dealer Network." Harvard Business School Case 511-132, May 2011. (Revised July 2015.) View Details CiteView DetailsEducatorsPurchase Related


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a place for zinesters - writers and readers
hi all
I am working on a multimedia project (zine, DVD and podcast) and have reached the point of looking for some volunteers to record some short pieces of audio (around 3 minutes each) that I can use in the project. In this initial phase, I have three pieces for female voices (can be same voice) and one piece for a male voice. There is a sexual and relationship aspect to the spoken word pieces. They have appeared in various forms on blogged podcasts (if you want to hear some of the work go to http://www.fabricationdebruit.com . You may have to listen through the podcasts to hear the spoken word sections, usually they have used text to speech rather than live voices, because I hate my own voice, and my attempts of pitch shifting me to a female voice have failed :-)
If anyone is interested in knowing more or helping out, drop me an email djringringer at gmail dot com, and we can have a chat, or I can send you the spoken word pieces..
Views: 33


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Thursday, April 1, 1999
DJIA 9732.51 +46.35 (+0.47%) S&P 500 1293.72 +7.35 (+0.57%) Nasdaq 2493.37 +31.97 (+1.30%) Russell 2000 398.74 +1.11 (+0.28%) 30-Year Bond 93 31/32 -21/32 5.67 Yield
Broadband networking products supplier ANTEC Corp. (Nasdaq: ANTC) advanced today after losing $5 1/8 yesterday on bearish comments about the company's first-quarter outlook by a Merrill Lynch analyst concerned that recent merger activity might hurt the company's revenue base. The shares reclaimed $3 1/4 to $24 3/4 on about three times the recent normal trading volume after ANTEC said in a statement that it is "comfortable that results for the first quarter will be within the range of current analysts' estimates." Nine analysts surveyed by First Call currently have a $0.13 consensus EPS projection. ANTEC also said the combination of the broadband division of Nortel Networks (NYSE: NT) and Arris Interactive, a joint venture between ANTEC and Nortel, has been completed. It was this project that ANTEC pointed to in December as a sign of a future earnings boost when it was trying to cool the pessimism that surrounded a Q4 earnings warning driven by sagging international sales. Specific details of the transaction, however, won't be available until a conference call ANTEC plans later this month.
Today's Internet megamerger -- the $5.7 billion stock purchase of online streaming media company broadcast.com (Nasdaq: BCST) by portal giant Yahoo! (Nasdaq: YHOO) -- sent shares of several other companies flying north today as speculation about further buyouts heated up. The look for the Internet in the near future is likely to mean significantly more multimedia, making companies like online audio and video applications developer InterVU Inc. (Nasdaq: ITVU) and streaming technologies developer RealNetworks (Nasdaq: RNWK), an October Foolish Double, potentially hot properties. That's quite believable considering that America Online (NYSE: AOL) and General Electric (NYSE: GE) division NBC were reportedly looking at broadcast.com as well. To wit, shares of InterVU grabbed $15 1/8 to $59 1/2 today while RealNetworks raced ahead $35 11/16 to $157 7/8. Today's moves by broadcast.com, up $11 13/16 to $130, and Yahoo!, up $11 3/8 to $179 3/4, were mere hiccups by comparison. More on today's deal can be found in the Lunchtime News.
QUICK TAKES: Contact lenses direct marketer 1-800 CONTACTS (Nasdaq: CTAC) cleared up $5 1/2 to $17 3/4 after the company said it expects Q1 earnings to at least breakeven because of Internet sales. Two analysts surveyed by First Call currently anticipate a $0.12 loss... Chemical mechanical planarization equipment company LAM Research (Nasdaq: LRCX) moved up $4 13/16 to $33 13/16 today, reportedly on rumors that Novellus Systems (Nasdaq: NVLS) was looking to buy the company. Novellus added $3 1/2 to $58 5/8... File servers powerhouse Network Appliance (Nasdaq: NTAP) added $5 7/8 to $56 1/2 after last night announcing plans to sell of $2.5 million shares of its common stock for $50 1/2 each... Telecom equipment maker Lucent Technologies (NYSE: LU), which split its stock 2-for-1 after the market's close today, added $3 3/4 to $111 3/4.
Consumer information and data processing company infoUSA Inc. (Nasdaq: IUSAA) added $1 3/4 to $6 after announcing a partnership to develop Internet applications with Web domain registrar Network Solutions (Nasdaq: NSOL). infoUSA's B shares (Nasdaq: IUSAB) advanced $1 3/8 to $5 7/8... Computer systems integration and maintenance services firm Unisys Corp. (NYSE: UIS) added $2 1/8 to $29 13/16 after Salomon Smith Barney upgraded the stock to "buy" from "outperform"... Analog and digital signal processing (DSP) chip maker Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) moved up $4 3/8 to $103 5/8 today. Last night, the company said it plans to invest between $333 and $417 million dollars over the next three years at its Miho, Japan, manufacturing site.
Recovery Engineering (Nasdaq: REIN), which sells water treatment systems under the PUR brand name, flowed up $1 5/8 to $11 after it said it expects to meet or beat Wall Street's Q1 EPS estimates; two analysts currently expect a $0.09 per share loss, according to First Call... Online software retailer Beyond.com (Nasdaq: BYND), which last night said it completed the purchase of BuyDirect.com in exchange for about $123 million in company stock, gained $7 5/8 to $33 13/16 today... Fiber optic network operator Qwest Communications (Nasdaq: QWST) added $2 13/32 to $74 1/2 after it closed on a $1 billion senior credit facility from Bank of America (NYSE: BAC)... NTL Inc. (Nasdaq: NTLI), a U.S.-based company that provides telecom and cable service in the U.K., moved ahead $2 1/8 to $83 1/2 after it said it will complete its move to holding company structure at 8:30 p.m. tonight. The restructuring was done in connection with the company's efforts to pursue opportunities outside of the U.K. and Ireland.
Blood plasma expander and replacement technologies developer BioTime Inc. (Nasdaq: BTIM) flowed ahead $1 1/2 to $17 1/2 after it said last night that the FDA has approved the company's bid to market Hextend, a blood plasma volume expander used to treat injury- or surgery-related blood loss... Marketing firm Marketing Services Group (Nasdaq: MSGI) gained $2 7/16 to $16 15/16 after it said it sold a majority interest in its Metro Fulfillment subsidiary to Crescent Media for an undisclosed sum to, as CEO Jeremy Barbera said, "avoid any future net income erosion related to fulfillment operations"... Consumer electronics retailer REX Stores Corp. (NYSE: RSC) pocketed $1 5/16 to $12 7/8 after it said it will sell audio and video equipment on Amazon.com's (Nasdaq: AMZN) auction service. REX Stores is using the Amazon partnership as an initial test of its e-commerce strategy.
Baby Bell SBC Communications (NYSE: SBC) rose $2 9/16 to $49 3/4 after J.P. Morgan raised its rating on the company's stock to "buy" from "long-term buy" and Lehman Brothers upgraded the stock to "buy" from "neutral," setting a $60 per share 12-month price target... Lighting systems designer SLI Inc. (NYSE: SLI) brightened $1 3/8 to $22 3/8 after saying it will resume a stock buyback program through open market purchases. No specific number of shares or dollar amounts was mentioned in the company's statement... ZDNet (NYSE: ZDZ), the tracking stock for the Internet-related businesses of information technology media and marketing company Ziff-Davis (NYSE: ZD), took on $12 11/15 to $48 11/16 after adding $17 yesterday in its first day of trading. Ziff-Davis fell $1 7/16 to $20 1/16 after dropping $7 1/2 yesterday... Golf property real estate investment trust (REIT) National Golf Properties (NYSE: TEE) drove ahead $1 1/2 to $23 1/2 after it said it bought fee and leasehold interests in 21 golf courses for approximately $176.2 million. The company also closed on a $300 million unsecured revolving credit facility.
Paper, lumber, and other wood products company Mead Corp. (NYSE: MEA) recorded gains of $2 5/16 to $33 1/16 after Morgan Stanley Dean Witter boosted its rating on the stock to "strong buy" from "outperform," setting a 12- to 24-month target price of $45 per share... Canary Islands landowner and hotel operator Scandinavia Co. (AMEX: SCF) rocketed up $9 1/2, or 200%, to $14 1/4 after it said it owns a majority interest in caching company Mirror Image Internet and is in talks to buy the rest... Real estate, water, and waste-water businesses company Avatar Holdings (Nasdaq: AVTR) rose $3 3/4 to $22 after confirming negotiations to sell its Florida utility operations; the anticipated sales price is about $212 million... Semiconductor automated fabrication systems developer PRI Automation (Nasdaq: PRIA) rose $2 3/4 to $23 3/4 after NationsBanc upgraded the stock to "buy" from "hold"...Signal processor chip maker Analog Devices (NYSE: ADI), which received a reiterated "strong buy" rating at S.G. Cowen, closed up $1 15/16 to $31 11/16.
High-performance workstations maker Silicon Graphics (NYSE: SGI) sank $3 9/16 to $13 after warning that delays and problems associated with transitions to new product lines will result in a fiscal Q3 loss $0.20 to $0.25 per share greater than the loss of $0.07 per share previously forecasted by analysts surveyed by First Call. Strangely, SGI's shares rose 16% yesterday prior to the announcement, perhaps as traders expected a positive earnings surprise from the company. The shortfall was a surprise alright, but in the wrong direction. While the company has made considerable progress in turning its business around over the past year -- bringing in former Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HWP) executive Richard Belluzzo as its CEO and finally embracing Wintel technology for its workstations -- execution is lacking. The next milestone for investors will come next quarter, when SGI's important R12000 microprocessor-based servers are scheduled to become available.
The continuing slowdown in enterprise software, which has hit businesses ranging from relatively small enterprise resource planning (ERP) shops to large system software developers, wrecked two more companies today, prompting visions of General Sherman destroying an ever-greater number of northern Georgia towns on his historic March to the Sea. Irish enterprise middleware developer IONA Technologies (Nasdaq: IONA) tumbled $15 7/16, or 50.8%, to $14 15/16 after saying delayed orders from the slowdown, coupled with rising expenses, will lead to Q1 results ranging from a loss of $0.03 per share to breakeven, short of the First Call mean earnings estimate of $0.18 per share. Meanwhile, enterprise document management systems developer Documentum (Nasdaq: DCTM) fell $7 3/16 to $10 1/8 after blaming weak customer demand for "substantially" lower Q1 license sales compared to a year ago. The firm is calling for a "significant" operating loss for the period, dashing analysts' hopes for earnings of $0.14 per share.
QUICK CUTS: Integrated oil and gas firm BP Amoco (NYSE: BPA) slipped $5 3/16 to $95 13/16 after ending days of speculation and finally announcing a deal to acquire Atlantic Richfield (NYSE: ARC), or ARCO, for $26.8 billion in stock. BP Amoco CEO John Browne said he expects the combination will yield $1 billion in annualized cost savings by 2001. ARCO ended the day down $11/16 at $72 7/16... Branded natural food and beverages maker Balance Bar Co. (Nasdaq: BBAR) was knocked off-kilter by a $3 1/16 loss to $6 3/4 after saying higher-than-expected seasonality for its energy bars will lead to Q1 EPS between $0.05 and $0.06, roughly half of the First Call mean estimate of $0.12... Apex Mortgage Capital (NYSE: AXM) lost $1 to $12 1/2 after PaineWebber cut its rating on the real estate investment trust to "attractive" from "buy."
Enterprise network security products provider Secure Computing (Nasdaq: SCUR) was thrown for a $4 5/8 loss to $5 7/8 after pre-announcing a Q1 loss of $0.30 per share (excluding charges). Analysts had been expecting earnings of $0.10 per share in the period... Pharmaceutical marketing services provider Access Worldwide Communications (Nasdaq: AWWC) slid $9/16 to $7 3/16 after saying it sees Q1 EPS between breakeven and $0.03, down from $0.07 a year ago. Access also said it has hired Bear Stearns to explore strategic alternatives, including a possible sale of the company... Business computer security services firm Axent Technologies (Nasdaq: AXNT) lost another $4 1/16 to $20 after falling 26% yesterday on announcing a plan to acquire UK-based PassGo Technologies for about $50 million in stock.
Outdoor sportswear designed Columbia Sportswear (Nasdaq: COLM) slid $3 1/4 to $16 3/8 after Needham & Co. downgraded the firm to "hold" from "buy," citing valuation concerns... Meanwhile, Columbia rival The North Face (Nasdaq: TNFI) slumped $1 1/2 to $11 after saying its 1997 EPS will be reduced by $0.26 and its 1998 EPS will be cut be $0.32 due to a restatement of its financial results to account for certain transactions over the past two years... Energy and security services holding company Western Resources (NYSE: WR) dropped $1 3/16 to $25 1/2 after saying its Protection One (NYSE: POI) residential security unit will restate its 1997 and 1998 results after the SEC raised concerns about certain accounting policies. Protection One fell $2 1/4 to $4 and Lifeline Systems (Nasdaq: LIFE), which is being acquired by Protection One, sank $4 3/16 to $19 5/8.
Over-the-counter health and consumer products company Block Drug Co. (Nasdaq: BLOCA) was tackled for a $3 3/8 loss to $37 5/8 after agreeing to sell the Lava brand of hand soaps to lubricants maker WD-40 Co. (Nasdaq: WDFC) for unspecified terms. WD-40 also lost $1/2 to $28 1/2... Safe blood transfusions systems developer Cerus Corp. (Nasdaq: CERS) bled $1 3/16 to $21 1/16 after selling 2.2 million newly issued shares in a secondary offering yesterday at a price of $21 per share... Stephan Co. (AMEX: TSC) slipped $2 3/4 to $6 after the hair care and personal care products company said it miscalculated its costs of goods in 1998, which will lead to "significantly" lower than expected results for the year and possibly restatements of its Q2 and Q3 financial figures.
An Investment Opinion
by Warren Gump
Nix the Dividend Yield
The sky is falling, the sky is falling! Sell, sell, sell. You might get that indication from people who are looking at the dividend yield of many stocks. Fast food giant McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) has a current dividend yield of about 0.4%, down from 1.0% at the beginning of the 1990s. And McDonald's isn't alone. Most other major companies have dividend yields that are well below those in recent memory. What's going on here? Are the low yields a reason to panic?
Before getting into the several factors impacting dividends, it's important to understand how the dividend yield is calculated. You take the dividends per share paid over the last twelve months and divide that by the current price of the stock. Looking at McDonald's, the company has paid out dividends of $0.184 per share over the past twelve months. Dividing that dividend by the current stock price of about $46 results in a dividend yield of 0.4%.
Hold on, my dear friend, that is the dividend that has been paid out over the past twelve months. What about the next year? As investors, we are always looking forward rather than backwards. Many companies, including McDonald's, raise their dividends each year. This past January, McDonald's raised its payout to 4.875 cents per share every quarter from 4.5 cents. Since this dividend is likely to continue over the next year, it is more appropriate to use the prospective dividend rather than the historical number. Multiplying the quarterly dividend by 4, we calculate the dividend over the next year to be $0.195. Using the current $46 price as the denominator of the calculation, we find the McDonald's prospective yield is 0.42%. Not a huge difference, but one I'm sure Mickey D's shareholders appreciate.
Why is that dividend so much lower than the 1% available at the end of 1990? The company must have run into a lot of trouble and cut the dividend somewhere in the past, right? Actually the answer is no. Since 1990, the dividend has actually increased almost 150% per share! At the beginning of 1990, McDonald's quarterly dividend was a tad under 2 cents per share, yet it is now almost 5 cents per share. That's compound annual growth of over 10% a year.
If the dividend has gone up and the dividend yield has gone done, only one culprit in the equation remains. The share price must have appreciated much more quickly than the dividend. This fact is undeniable -- the stock has risen from just under $9 to over $45, or compound annual growth of just under 20% per year. Does price appreciation greater than dividend appreciation indicate that a stock is overpriced? Not necessarily. The value of a company depends much more on its current and projected cash flows and earnings than on its dividend yield.
Despite not being a primary driver of valuation, a dividend does represent excess capital that is not needed by a company for other investments. The most important use of cash generated by a business is to ensure that a company is prepared to maintain and enhance its competitive position. This means investing in facilities and programs to ensure that a company is more efficient than its competitors. Cash is also needed by a company to address new growth areas. If the jingle of cash is left over on a balance sheet after these initiatives are covered, companies often return it to shareholders. Historically, cash earmarked for shareholders has been paid out in quarterly dividends.
Over the past several years, companies have significantly altered the method in which they return cash to shareholders. Instead of paying the money out in dividends, a taxable event for most individuals, the many companies have decided to return the funds to owners in the form of share repurchases, which are not subject to Uncle Sam's wide grasp. For investors with a long-term investment horizon, this switch is quite advantageous.
Let's assume that Cash Machine, Inc. generates $1 million in excess cash flow a year that it wants to return to shareholders. One option to distribute the cash would be to pay an annual dividend of $0.50 per share. Assuming a price of $10 per share and 2 million shares outstanding, this would represent a yield of 5%. For owners who reinvest their dividends into additional shares of company stock, the situation really stinks. A holder of 100 shares would receive a dividend of $50 that would then be used to buy an additional 5 shares. At year-end, however, good ol' Uncle Sam would open up his hands and request a deposit of $14. Thus, the owner would have 5 more shares, but would be out of pocket an additional $14.
An alternative for Cash Machine would be to repurchase its shares. If it used all its extra cash to repurchase shares and the stock stayed at $10 a stub, the company would buy back 100,000 shares with its $1 million cash horde. The question now becomes, which alternative is better for the shareholder?
Under the traditional dividend scenario, the shareholder bought 5 shares with her $50 dividend, but also paid $14 to Uncle Sam. At the end of the year, she holds 105 shares of a company with 2 million shares outstanding (0.00525% of the company). On the other hand, the shareholder whose company chose to repurchase stock holds 100 shares of a company with 1.9 million shares outstanding (0.00526%). I'll take the latter any day. You hold a higher percentage of the company and you get to defer gains to Uncle Sam until you decide to sell your investment, which will hopefully be years in the future.
As corporations have increasingly recognized the benefits of stock buybacks over dividends, they have slowed their dividend increases and increased the amount of stock repurchases. As a long-term investor, I'm fully supportive of this move. This change does, however, cause the dividend yield to become irrelevant. If companies substantially reduce their 'payouts via dividends, how can you know how much cash the company returned to shareholders? The solution is actually pretty simple. All you need to do is find out how much the company expended on stock repurchases over the past year (available on the cash flow statement) and add this to the dividends paid. I call this measure the modified dividend.
Modified Dividend Yield:
(Dividend per share + trailing 12 months repurchases per share) / stock price
Looking back at McDonald's, we already know that the company paid $0.184 per share in dividends. Taking a look at the company's recently filed 10-K, the company repurchased $1.1 billion worth of stock in 1998. With 1.4 billion average shares outstanding during the year, the repurchase equals about $0.766 per share. Plugging these figures into the formula, McDonald's modified dividend yield would be 2.07%:
That modified dividend yield is a better reflection of how much cash McDonald's is returning to shareholders than its traditional dividend yield. I would propose that you use such a measure to see what your companies are returning to you. Most people look at Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) and see a company paying a paltry dividend of 0.1%. I look at the company and its $6.8 billion in stock repurchases and see a modified dividend yield of 1.8%.
A yield calculation including stock repurchases will not hold as steady as the traditional dividend yield. Companies can easily alter the amount of repurchases on a yearly basis, whereas its considered a big taboo to reduce a dividend. (A reduced dividend payout usually only occurs when a company is in financial distress.) Although fluctuations in the numerator of the modified dividend yield will be more prevalent, I believe it is much more informative statistic than the dividend yield.
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Move puts more Atlanta officers on streets
ATLANTA, Ga. — Traffic accidents on Atlanta interstates henceforth will be handled by the Georgia State Patrol in an agreement that Atlanta Police Chief Richard J. Pennington said Friday will free up APD officers to fight crime on city streets.
Noting that "it takes a police officer an average of 51 minutes to handle an accident," Pennington said the arrangement with the state patrol will free up about 6,000 hours of city police services for crime fighting.
Last year, Atlanta police handled about 4,100 accidents on roads the state patrol will take over.
Col. Bill Hitchens, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Safety, said it's not the first time the state patrol has stepped in to help the APD.
"In 1978, we did the same thing," Hitchens said. "We had what we called the Atlanta Murder Detail. We brought in about 200 officers to handle the interstates to free up Atlanta police" to fight crime.
That collaboration lasted about eight weeks.
Hitchens and Pennington said Friday that they hope the latest arrangement is permanent. Atlanta's police are more than 200 officers below full strength.
Pennington said after the news conference that the APD hired 250 officers last year, and "this year our goal is to hire 300." He said the target is to have a force of 2,000, up from 1,786 currently.
To recruit officers, Atlanta police scheduled a job fair for 8 a.m. today at City Hall East, 675 Ponce de Leon Ave.
Hitchens said the state patrol plans to hire 205 more troopers during the next three years as part of Gov. Sonny Perdue's initiative to build the force.
Copyright 2008 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Full story: Move puts more Atlanta officers on streets


text: At Canaan, our senior operating team is comprised of seasoned professionals. Former co-founders, CEOs, inventors, doctors, scientists, engineers, and quant jocks who love sharing their insights, experience and connections with entrepreneurs who need them. In other words, there's a pretty good chance they were the inspiration for the old adage, "It's not what you know, it's who you know."


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Mumbai: The latest buzz in the B-town film industry is that the hairdresser of Amrita Rao is all set to hook up the actress with a nice 'boy' as she put it. We have to wonder just how this unexpected love for Amrita Rao suddenly appeared. From what we have been able to find out, it seems that the hairdresser thinks that the celebrity has tried almost everything, including a makeover which failed. But not everyone can get lucky, it is not such a huge deal.
Some voices in Bollywood have said that the actress' best chance is to do well at the box office with the movie Love You Mr Kalakaar. So Kalakaar would be her best option. But considering this part is played by Tushad Kapoor, who is single but has no desire to tie the nod, Amrita Rao seems to be a little desperate.
The lovely Bollywood actress seems to have hit a brick wall, as no one seems interested in pursuing a relationship with her. But maybe she will have better luck in the future.


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Your Cat, Your Life
The Scoop
Cat News, Politics
Meow-Out-Loud Humor
Cat Chic
Gear and Glam
Your cat loves a clean toilet -- don't we all? Catster's singing Cat Lady, Sarah Donner, explains why.
Cat Breeds
Foods & Treats
Health & Care
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Cats & Cleaning
Cat of the Day
Photo Comments
Kittyboy here.
Yesterday was an unsettling day.
I climbed into the cat carrier because it looked fun and I was bored.
Little did I know, I'd be carried outside and I hate being outside. It makes me feel insecure.
My non-furry parents are worried about my bald patches and took me to the vet lady, who was very nice and gentle.
Looks like there is no problem, except maybe stress.
Of course I'm stressed. Seven months is a long time in feline time to be without my best friend. I waited and waited, but now I don't think he's coming back.
I feel so lonely...
Louie was my closest buddy ever since I was a kitten... And now he's gone.
Nobody is here to groom me and follow me around.
My non-furry mother tries her best, but it's not enough...
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I was working and got stung by a wasp on the hand. yeah, the first day is annoying and all, but I had relief from arthritis. Is bee venom the same as Wasp venom?
I am curious - how do you get a bees to sting you in a certain place (those who are doing it for arthritis relief)? Do you capture a bee in a jar and then take her out and place here where you want and she automatically stings you because she is so annoyed? Or do you force her stinger into your skin while holding her?


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"This are absolutely adorable!!! Smaller than I thought, make sure to read carefully the size description, but overall an adorable choice."
"I love these! They are even cuter than in the picture. The quality & colors are great. We changed the font to "tabs" and it turned out well."
"I loved this stationary from the moment I saw it, and was even more pleased when it arrived! The only adjustment I made was the font, which was changed to fit my rather long name. Love love love!"
"These cards were the finishing touch for my sons' Lego birthday party. I did not personalize them. The colors are bright and cheerful and the cardstock is a nice weight."
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Kentucky Rolls in Canadian Exhibition
Aug. 15, 2010
Box Score | Notes | Photo Gallery | Combined Exhibition Stats | Cat Scratches' five observations
WINDSOR, Ontario (AP) -- Kentucky coach John Calipari has already started turning a top-notch recruiting class into part of a team that hopes to contend for a national championship.
The Wildcats started a three-day, three-game exhibition series in Canada on Sunday night, defeating the University of Windsor 95-62.
Two months before official practice even begins, incoming freshman point guard Brandon Knight led the Wildcats with 31 points. Knight is supposed to fill the sneakers of John Wall, who led Kentucky to 35 wins last season as a freshman while earning All-America honors.
Wall was one of five Kentucky players - including DeMarcus Cousins, Wall's classmate and fellow All-America - who left school early for the NBA.
The game was played before a sellout crowd of 2,500 at the St. Denis Centre on Windsor's campus.


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The Fed Moves Beyond the Rate Cut
Will the Federal Reserve cut rates again on Dec. 16? Maybe a better question is: Should investors care if it does? That's because the Fed is taking a giant leap beyond its traditional rate-setting strategy. Since mid-September it has been moving toward a new policy called quantitative easing that gives much less attention to the target rate. Instead of trying to influence financial market results by controlling the overnight rate at which banks lend to each other, as it has done since the 1980s, the Fed increasingly is intervening in a number of other markets as well. These actions do more than pump enormous amounts of funds into the system, which is crucial to stabilizing the markets. They can also directly affect the rates on other types of credit, thus offering more stimulus to the economy than conventional efforts.
Amid dysfunctional credit markets, standard rate cutting is simply not working as a way to revive the economy. The Fed has already lowered its target for interbank borrowing to 1% with no apparent effect. As Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Dec. 1, "at this point the scope for using conventional interest rate policies is obviously limited."
Quantitative easing, commonly called "printing money," essentially supplies more funds to the banking system than are needed to maintain the Fed's interest rate target. Prior to mid-September, the Fed had been neutralizing the impact of its new lending facilities on the target rate by selling some of its Treasury bills, which drains away the excess funds.
Not anymore. Until the Sept. 15 bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, excess reserves, or those funds available for trading between banks in the overnight markets, had typically averaged about $2 billion a week. Since then they have exploded to an unprecedented $605 billion a week on Nov. 19. As a result, interbank funds are already trading well below the Fed's 1% target rate. That means actual policy is even looser than the target rate indicates, so a cut to 0.5% would not be a meaningful change in policy. Plus, if not for the Fed's new program of paying banks interest on the reserves they hold at the Fed, the interbank rate would have fallen to zero by now.
The Bank of Japan embraced quantitative easing from 2001-06, when it lowered its target rate to near zero in an attempt to pull the economy out of its long deflationary tailspin. The Fed's efforts are already far more aggressive than the BOJ's. Economists at research firm Capital Economics in London note that total bank reserves in Japan rose fivefold in the first year of this policy, but U.S. reserves have already grown nearly fourteenfold in about two months.
The Fed's Nov. 25 decision to begin buying up to $600 billion in mortgage debt and mortgage-backed securities from Fannie Mae (FNM), Freddie Mac (FRE), and the Federal Home Loan Banks is the biggest step yet in this new strategy. That plan, not even begun yet, has already sharply reduced mortgage rates and lifted the value of many mortgage-backed securities sitting on bank balance sheets. Both trends are expected to continue, and a wave of refinancing for homeowners with good credit and home equity seems likely. This program, plus the Fed's plan to lend up to $200 billion to holders of securities backed by credit-card debt, auto loans, and small business loans should breathe some life into the moribund securitization process that is so crucial to the flow of credit.
The Fed's new direction may be the best way to heal the markets and the economy. But Japan's experience showed the strategy did little to boost lending. Right now in the U.S. there is little desire to lend or borrow. There's also the long-term risk that flooding the system with money will spark inflation. Eventually, the Fed will have to sop up all that extra lending potential, but Bernanke says that's an issue for the future. "For now," he says, "the goal of policy must be to support financial markets and the economy." In other words, whatever it takes.


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SOME homes are impossible to sneak in and out of, and not because of the latest in high-tech security or an iron-clad exterior.
These homes have squeaky subfloors and noisy stairs loud enough to wake the dead. And it's a growing nuisance in more and more homes.
Some new-home owners think squeaky floors or stairs are older-home issues. Not the case. In fact, if your home is built to minimum code, it might not squeak yet -- but it will, in time. Go and stand in the middle of a room and start jumping -- the floors are going to bounce.
It's classic minimum code. When homes are built to minimum safety requirements -- because that's what minimum code is -- that's all you're getting. It will be safe but it might not be built to last more than 10 years.
Squeaky floors are usually a subfloor issue. Minimum code says subfloors need to be built using 2x8s, 16 inches on centre, with a minimum of 5/8 inches of OSB (oriented strand board) sheathing on top. Not to mention that most builders use a nail gun to install subfloors. Together, it's the perfect recipe for squeaky floors.
If you don't want your floors and stairs to squeak, use plywood -- the real kind -- for the subfloor. There's a lot of debate around plywood, OSB and other types of sheathing for subfloors. Are they comparable? Which one is better? Which one is no good? OSB is even called the "modern version" of plywood. Some kinds are more expensive than plywood.
But bottom line: When I pull up flooring and I see something like particleboard, low-grade OSB or aspenite, I'm not happy. Sixty years ago, subfloors weren't built of plywood, they were built with heavy planks. Plywood might be above code, but if you want to solve squeaky floors for good, it's just one part of the package.
Second, you want to make sure the subfloor is properly glued and screwed to the floor joists; if it's not, there will be squeaking and creaking.
When you use a nail gun to attach subfloor sheathing to the floor joists, the nail sometimes misses the joist. If your basement isn't finished, take a look at the ceiling. You can see how many nails from the floor above missed the joists (a worker would feel the difference when manually nailing them). That means there are fewer nails holding down the subfloor.
When people walk on a floor where the subfloor hasn't been properly secured, the sheathing moves up and down. This motion will eventually cause the nails that did hit the floor joist to pull away. The squeaking will only get worse.
That's why I always glue and screw my subfloors. The glue secures that connection and the screws lock it in place. Remember, nails can pull up; screws don't. This gives us stronger floors that will not move or squeak.
Hardwood flooring also might squeak over time -- it expands and contracts depending on the humidity in the home. Wood treads and risers in stairs also shrink with age. Hardwood usually shrinks in the winter because home-heating kills most of the moisture in the air. That can cause gaps between the hardwood boards, which can lead to creaking. Plus, as hardwood is nailed to the subfloor, shrinking can pull the nails out, and thus the squeaking begins.
If the problem has to do with the subfloor -- either it's not plywood or not properly secured to the floor joists with glue and screws -- the best option is ripping up the finished floor and making the appropriate repairs. That could mean pulling up the subfloor as well and replacing it with better materials and using better products to secure it. It's not a quick fix, or the cheapest. But it solves the problem. That's why a renovation is a great time to get rid of squeaky floors for good.
Another option is blocking, also known as strapping or bridging. It's a good option if the creaking is caused because the floor joists are too far apart. There are different ways of blocking -- it depends on materials and installation. It also depends if there's wiring or duct runs in the way. The way I like to do it, and the way I tell my guys to do it, whenever possible, is to screw a piece of wood in between and perpendicular to the two joists. Usually we're dealing with 2ó8 floor joists so we do eight-inch blocking. But if the floor joists are 2x10s, we use 10-inch blocking.
Blocking adds rigidity and stiffness between floor joists, so they won't move or shift. If you have access to the floor from underneath -- i.e. from an unfinished basement without any drywall on the ceiling -- you can solve the problem upstairs without having to rip up your finished floors. But if the problem is in the subfloor, you're out of luck. Those floors have to come up or you'll have to live with the squeaks.
Catch Mike Holmes in his new series, Holmes Makes It Right, Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on HGTV. For more information, visit hgtv.ca. For more information on home renovations, visit makeitright.ca.


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Saxe school visits break down barriers and build connections
NCPS remembers the dedication of retiring faculty members
25-year-old Sarah Edwards talks about life in the fast lane
Saxe's HOPE Club raises money for Fairfield County's Red Leash Rescue organization
Student film makers get to walk the red carpet at annual event showcasing cinematic talents
Celebration of the Arts takes place in NCHS Auditorium
South School students and families participate in Walk To School Day.
Senior Internship Program launches students from the classroom to the workforce.
Saxe Student Team Leaders ease elementary-to-middle school transition stress
Mr. Gusitsch replaces Dr. Veronica LeDuc, who is retiring this year.
Recognized as a "Curriculum Champion" superstar
Watch films and vote for your favorites, just like the Oscars...
Event helps raise $100K for NCHS Scholarship Fund
American Colonial era brought to life for entire fifth grade class
30th Annual Senior Art Show on display from April 27 to June 12, 2017
Need some Strategies and Apps that can help the gears run smoothly?
Over 600 students and more than 70 professional connected at Career Night
This year marked the 11th annual Tech Night, and more students participated than ever before.
An all-age crowd of over 800 watched as members of the New Canaan Public Schools faculty bravely took on the undefeated Harlem Rockets on the basketball court.
New Canaan High School hosted its first ever "Hackathon" where teams of students worked on projects involving robotics and computer coding which were judged at the end of the day.
Dr. Bryan Luizzi, New Canaan Public Schools Superintendent, is pleased to announce the appointment of Daniel Clarke as Manager of Facilities for New Canaan Public Schools.
Event benefits NCHS Scholarship Foundation
NCHS football team wins 4th straight championship
Parents and teachers benefit from Emotional Intelligence expert Dr. Marc Brackett
Michael Horyczun Named Director of Communications for New Canaan Public Schools
The New Canaan High School Scholarship Foundation (NCSF) has implemented several new initiatives in honor of its 50th anniversary!
New Canaan Rams
As we enter into the holiday season, I wanted to take this opportunity to share some of the ways we're nurturing positive school climates at our schools.
No Tickets Left for Thanksgiving Day High School Football Classic but can be watched live online and on cable
On Veterans Day this year, New Canaan Public Schools honored our veterans with programs throughout the district that included several dozen Veterans visiting schools as guests of honor and speaking to students, special assemblies and programs, music performances, and hallway displays that reflecting students' heartfelt gratitude and thanks.
Twenty New Canaan High School students were honored at the NCHS National Merit Honor Ceremony on November 2, 2016 that included National Merit Commended Scholars and National Merit Semi-finalists.
Marc Brackett, Ph.D., Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence will be coming to New Canaan to speak to parents on "Emotional Intelligence: The Foundation for Raising Happy and Successful Children."
48 NCHS students represented their school at the national Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics and Science competition.
The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders participated in making over 300 poppy flowers in memory of all the service men and women who died for our freedom.
Leveraging technology resources, inter-departmental collaboration, and the effort of students has resulted in authentic learning experiences previously unimaginable.
New Canaan High School AP Physics teacher Paul Reid recently shared results from this year's International Physics Bowl.
Rain may have postponed the South School Walk to School Day scheduled for Friday...
Students in grades one through twelve will present their NCPS Celebration of the Arts Gala Concert to the community.
Mr. William S. Tesbir will assume the role of Administrator of Special Education at NCHS beginning July 1, 2016.
Ms. Lenore I. Dweck will join the New Canaan Public Schools on July 1, 2016 as the next PreK to Grade 4 Administrator of Special Education.
The 29th NCHS Senior Art Show entitled "Off We Gogh" opens April 28 and will be on display through June 10. The exhibit is open to the public and admission is free.
Ms. Devine was a wonderful teacher, mentor, coach, and role-model to her students, an outstanding professional and friend to her colleagues, and an exceptional human being.
Last day of school will be Thursday, June 16.
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have recognized NCHS junior Hannah Gelnaw as a 2016 National Gold Medal recipient. A number of NCHS students have received recognition for their artwork this school year.
More than 90 New Canaan Public School students will share their passions for technology at NCPS Tech Night 2016.
There will be an evening show on Friday, April 1, at 7:00 p.m., and an afternoon matinee on Saturday, April 2, at 2:00 p.m.
From February 1st through 5th, East School held a voluntary food drive to benefit Filling in the Blanks.
2016 is proving to be a year filled with recognition for excellence in the visual arts at New Canaan High School
Budget season is upon us. We encourage parents to learn more about the budget by visiting our website for up-to-date information.
NCPS Preschool is having an open house at West Elementary School on Monday, January 11.
On October 7, 2015, the Connecticut State Board of Education adopted the SAT (created by the College Board) as the annual state assessment for eleventh graders in Connecticut.
This year New Canaan Public Schools is among the 425 Schools from the United States and Canada to earn placement on the College Board's 6th Annual AP® District Honor Roll.
We are pleased to share that on Monday night the Town Council unanimously approved full funding of the Saxe Middle School expansion and renovation project.
At Monday night's Board of Education meeting, new members were sworn in and new officers elected.
This year's Veterans Day message on NCTV was produced by TV Broadcasting students in cooperation with junior year history students: US History, AP US History, and American Studies, and many local Veterans.
We are happy to report that on Tuesday night the Board of Finance unanimously approved the full Saxe Middle School expansion and renovation project.
Thanks to the many, many hours of planning and preparation by our PTC volunteers, East School had a full house on Saturday, October 24th for our annual East School Fall Fair.
Dr. Bryan Luizzi is very excited to announce that Matthew J. Salvestrini will assume the role of Director of Digital Learning.
Clickable link to view slideshow of June 18, 2015 graduation ceremony.
Each year, the New Canaan Education Association awards a scholarship to a high school senior.
Summer arts are back for the young members of the New Canaan community.
Saxe music teacher Sarah Gleason was thrilled to share the following news. "I am still beaming with pride for our 8th grade girls Treble Ensemble...
New Canaan High School's Advanced Placement physics students recently participated in the 2015 AAPT International Physics Bowl Competition.
Mr. Bedard will join Saxe Middle School as Assistant Principal beginning July 1, 2015.
Good News from Around the District
Ted is one of 34 scholarship recipients out of 1,701 students nominated for the scholarship.
A chart comparing Option 3A to Option 3B
This year the exhibiting NCHS senior artists have decided to donate 100% of the proceeds from the sale of their artwork.
Level UP! art exhibition on display April 23 through June 8 in the NCHS Lobby Gallery.
This spring the New Canaan High School Film Club is hosting New Age Film Festival 2015.
School Superintendent, Dr. Bryan Luizzi, is pleased to announce the selection of Dr. Jo-Ann Keating as the next Director of Finance and Operations for the New Canaan Public Schools.
If you live in New Canaan, expect your doorbell to ring this Sunday afternoon.
The New Canaan High School TSA/TEAMS (Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics and Science) teams recently competed in the national competition and both Varsity and JV brought home top honors.
East Elementary School recently participated in a school-wide fundraiser to benefit the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation
There will be no shortage of energy at New Canaan High School on Thursday evening.
At the most recent Board of Education meeting on March 23, Dr. Jill Correnty presented an overview of curriculum, assessments and SBAC testing.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bryan Luizzi is pleased to announce the appointment of William D. Egan as the next principal of New Canaan High School effective July 1, 2015.
We recently became aware that a number of products containing cumin have been recalled by the FDA
What would you call a one-night event that occurs only in New Canaan, every other year, during which time members of the community take over the classrooms at the public high school?
Grade 3 students at West invited the school community to Be BOLD and donate to their food drive.
Good News from Around the District
Congratulations to fourth graders Madeleine Ernst and Rory McCarthy who were chosen as the recipients of the Elementary Celebration of the Arts Award.
NCPS invites interested companies to submit their qualifications for architectural design services for Saxe Middle School by 3:00 pm, March 5, 2015.
On Tuesday, February 3, East School hosted its annual STEAM Night to investigate Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics connections as a learning community.
The New Canaan High School Principal Search Committee has been formed
Dear NCPS Parent, The Board of Education recently approved the Superintendent's proposed 2015-2016 budget.
During the past few weeks New Canaan High School's Art Department faculty has announced some very impressive student achievements.


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Answers Home
» Food & Nutrition
» Homemade Food
Chicken and Rice for upset stomach?
My vet suggested feeding my 10 week old puppy boiled chicken and rice for her upset stomach. She weighs almost 6 pounds. My question is, how much of each should I feed her...is there a certain recipe to follow?
Asked by
on Aug 26th 2008
in Homemade Food
- This question is closed.
Best Answer
The easiest way to make chicken and rice is if you own a microwave rice cooker. You can buy those from any WalMart for about $5 to $10.
With the microwave rice cooker, just put the rice into the cooker, add some water - or chicken broth - and pop it into the microwave for about 10 minutes. (You may need to try some different configurations with more or less water to get the desired softness in the rice.)
Make the chicken separately. Boneless chicken breast works great. Boil it without any kind of spices on the stove, then cut it up and mix it in with the rice. It should take you about as long to make the chicken as it takes for the rice, if you start with thawed chicken. (You can make a bunch and put it into the fridge, too.)
Feed approximately the same amount as you do of your dog food, more rice than chicken. You can also add in some plain, canned pumpkin. Dogs like the test and it helps settle tummies. It's usually in the pie aisle next to the pumpkin pie mix.
Abby answered on Aug 26th.
Other Answers
My suggestion would be to cook the rice and the chicken together as a broth or soup type of thing. Feed her as much as you would her regular dog food, especially if this will be her temporary food until her tummy gets better. The chicken and rice works, I have used it for my Tiffy.
♥Tiffy♥ answered on 8/26/08. Helpful? / 0
Macie is so cute! Cooking the chicken and rice together with broth is tasty and also gets some extra fluid in your puppy. I cook the rice in twice as much water as directed and add diced chicken when the rice has 10 min left. I make 1/2 cup rice with one package of chix breast. Daisy is 10 lbs and she has 1/8 cup 3 times a day. The canned pumpkin is a great idea but not if Macie has diaharea. it will make her poop more. If you want to help with constipation give pumpkin.
Daisy Allison answered on 8/26/08. Helpful? / 0


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The Lomography La Sardina Marathon Camera takes you on a fun-filled adventure through that land that time forgot: analogue photography. Doing what Lomography does best, the La Sardina Marathon is a "toy camera" that not only shoots 35mm film, but captures images with all the artistic light leaks that you've come to expect. Additionally, it allows for multiple and long exposures, has a standard tripod mount, and a shutter release lock. Should you long for flash, the camera features a La Sardina micro contact for connecting an optional Fritz the Blitz flash!
0.6-1m - If whatever you're taking a picture of is between 0.6m and 1m (i.e. close-up) then just be sure that the camera is set to this setting. Just make sure the lens ring is turned to the right position (from the front of the camera.)
1m-Infinity - If your Lomographic subject is at least 1m or further away, then turn the lens ring to the left to make use of this focusing setting
If you take a quick look just in front of the viewfinder, you will see a small switch marked B/N/MX. You can choose between N (Normal) and B (Bulb) mode by simply flicking the switch left or right.
You should use the N mode when you are shooting in sunny conditions. N stands for "Normal, 1/100 second".
You should use the B mode when you are shooting indoors or in situations where the light is not so great. B stands for "Bulb Shutter", and in this mode the shutter will stay open as long as you hold down the shutter release button
|Standard 35mm (135)
|Fixed 1.9' / 0.6m closest focusing distance 2 focusing steps: 0.6-1m: 1.9-3.3' 1m-infinity: 1.9'-infinity
|Shutter Speed
|Bulb (B), 1/100 (N)
|Unique La Sardina micro contact For Fritz the Blitz flash only
|Area: 1.4 x 0.9" / 36 x 24mm
|Focal Length
|fixed f/8
|Angle of View
|Multi Exposure
|1/4" tripod screw Cable release connection
|Shutter Release
|Yes - locks after lens collapsed
|Inverse Galileo-type built-in
|Not specified by manufacturer
|Not specified by manufacturer
|Packaging Info
|Package Weight
|1.45 lb
|Box Dimensions (LxWxH)
|9.0 x 7.2 x 3.3"


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In the contemporary atmosphere of War on Women zealotry/lunacy, Rep. John Kline (R-MN) is of course doing his bit.
So it is not a surprise that Mr. Kline has sponsored many pieces of legislation related to the subject … one bill that has made it through two committee votes and appears to be headed for a vote by the full House is H. R. 1797 Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.
The "Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act" will be a national prohibition on aborting pain capable unborn children after twenty weeks gestation (post-fertilization age). The legislation lists 14 findings (plus constitutional authority) … weighing into medical discussion of neurodevelopment effects and children born missing the bulk of the cerebral cortex … but no mention of Congress's role in protecting the health and lives of pregnant women.
(MN Political Roundtable)
There is no legitimate science whatsoever behind claims that fetuses are "pain-capable" at twenty weeks, or anything like it.
As always, Kline is just going along with the right-wing agenda – I'm not at all sure that he's really capable of independent thought, in any meaningful sense of the phrase. The title of the article from which I took the following is "2013 Is Shaping Up To Be The Worst Year For Reproductive Freedom In Recent History." It would seem to be spot-on, and we still have 6 ½ months to go.
On a call with reporters, representatives from the ACLU's Reproductive Freedom project pointed out that abortion opponents have been more aggressive about their goals in 2013, and predicted this year will "go down in record books" for advancing some of the most stringent legislation this nation has seen since Roe v. Wade legalized abortion 40 years ago. The ACLU considers the mounting pile of state-level restrictions to be a "coordinated campaign" to eventually ban abortion in every clinic in every state. The group points out that there are three prongs of attack in this national strategy: making abortion services inaccessible for women, making it impossible for abortion doctors to continue their work, and forcing abortion clinics to close their doors.
(Think Progress)


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Structural Engineering Seminar Series
January 30, February 6, 13, 20, 27, and March 6, 2018
Earle Brown Heritage Center
6155 Earle Brown Drive
Brooklyn Center, Minnesota 55430
Registration will become available in fall 2017.
About the Seminar Series
This Structural Engineering Seminar Series is designed for practicing engineers and architects. Each program addresses specific structural issues and concerns involved in the design and construction of buildings, bridges, and other structures, and incorporates examples of various principles involved.
The purpose of the Seminar Series is to:
- provide current information on topics of interest to the structural engineering community
- increase professionalism in structural engineering
- provide a forum for continuing education in the engineering community
Who Should Attend
This series is planned for design and construction engineers; practicing architects; project managers; city, county, and state building officials; and others interested in structural engineering design and construction.
Series Day/Location/Time
Sessions will be held on Tuesdays at the Earle Brown Heritage Center, 6155 Earle Brown Drive, Brooklyn Center, MN (directions). Earle Brown Heritage Center has free on-site parking, complimentary wireless internet, and easy freeway access from I-94/694 or Highway 100.
All seminars will be from 1:00−4:15 p.m.; sessions include a 15-minute break.
Continuing Education Units
Each seminar session awards 0.3 CEUs. The entire seminar series awards 1.8 CEUs. One CEU is defined as 10 contact hours in an organized continuing education activity under responsible sponsorship, capable direction, and qualified instruction.
Sponsored by:
College of Continuing Education, University of Minnesota
Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering, University of Minnesota
College of Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota
For Program Information
Call 612-624-4938 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
For Registration Information
Call 612-625-2900 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
If Ford Motor Co. continues to post strong earnings during the remainder of 2010, a return to profit-sharing for United Auto Workers union members may be in the works.
Ford made $2.6 billion in the second quarter, and through July its light-vehicle sales were up 22.9%.
"As long as we continue making profits, everybody will benefit," Mark Fields, Ford executive vice president and president-Americas, tells reporters when asked if the UAW profit-sharing plan will be revived.
In his speech at MBS, Fields says Ford is on track to bring about 1,975 jobs — many from outside the U.S. — back to Ford workers between 2008 and 2012, or 25% more than it committed to in its 2007 UAW contract.
So far, 1,340 jobs formerly held by suppliers have been shifted to 24 Ford U.S. facilities, and another 635 will revert to nine Ford plants within the next few years, he says. Among them: Battery manufacturing technology from Mexico to Rawsonville, MI, and front-drive transaxle manufacturing from Japan to Sterling Heights, MI.
Ford also will shift some work to its Sharonville, OH, transmission plant; Chicago stamping operation; Wayne, MI, assembly plant and a second Sterling Heights components facility.
Fields makes a case for a U.S. manufacturing renaissance, calling for greater collaboration between OEMs, unions, suppliers, government and others.
"No economy anywhere in the world since the industrial revolution has been strong without a strong manufacturing base," he says.
Underscoring the world vehicle population will double to 2 billion over the next 20 years while demand for fuel will rise 45%, Fields says U.S. auto makers can help the nation retain a strong manufacturing base by meeting "the three critical issues shaping the globe: the economy, energy and the environment.


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Escondido, CA, USA < change city >
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15500 San Pasqual Valley Rd
Escondido, CA, USA
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83 weddings
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San Diego Wedding In July
"Fun for all ages! Please contact us if you have decided to go as we may have extra discounted tickets."
David and Gillian's Wedding
"Open 8am-7pm"
San Diego Wedding In March
"Formerly the Wild Animal Park, this is a safari-style animal park affiliated with the San Diego Zoo."
San Diego Wedding In May
"Safari Park!"
San Diego Wedding In July
San Diego Wedding In June
"The Wild Animal Park is a little different than the zoo. You can expect to do more walking here because the animals are more spread out. The area is very open and you get to see the animals in a more "natural" enviornment."
Newport Beach Wedding In June
"This is a less traditional zoo with less enclosures and open areas for the animals to roam. You take a tram along the perimeter of large open areas to see the animals."
Marilyn and Christopher's Wedding
San Diego Wedding In October
"Our picture on the first page was taken at the Wild Animal Park! It's always a fun day!"
La Jolla Wedding In September
"Wilder lions, & tigers, & bears!"
Yorba Linda Wedding In August
"See the animals roam free, go on a tram tour and ride the sky way!"
Jennifer and Menzies's Wedding
"This place is totally worth a visit. Jen and Menzies personally like it better than the SD Zoo. Check out the lion family hanging out on the jeep and try feeding the lorikeets!"
Orange County Wedding In June
"An interesting park where the animals are not caged, but roam acres of natural territory. Travel through trams or even personal, guided tours to view them in their natural habitat."
San Diego Wedding In June
"One of the coolest animal parks around. It has a really amazing tram ride that allows you to see the animals in a more natural habitat. This is a half-day trip so if you don't want to spend the day at the zoo, this is a great alternative."
San Diego Wedding In May
"Experience a unique adventure at the Wild Animal Park's 2,100-acre preserve, where animals wander freely in surroundings much like their native homelands. A quiet railway, pathways, and shows enable you observe both animals and exotic plants."
Jennifer and Justin's Wedding
"15500 San Pasqual Valley Rd. The Wild Animal Park houses a wonderful variety of wild and endangered species in a more natural environment rather than in cages. I-15 N. Exit Via Rancho Pkwy (East) and turn right. Continue on Bear Valley Pkwy. Turn Right on San Pasqual Rd. Right on San Pasqual Valley Rd. End at 15500 San Pasqual Valley Rd."
San Diego Wedding In August
"Take a safari through Southern California's jungle"
Nicole and Will's Wedding
"May be hot at this time of year. Also make sure to wear sun screen."
Nicole and Dan's Wedding
"This place is awesome because the animals have large areas to roam and play. Aunt Judy and Uncle Jim have been here too."
Amy and Colin's Wedding
"Affiliated with the San Diego Zoo but different location and animals."
San Diego Wedding In July
"Click on the blue underlined "Wild Animal Park" to be directed to their website."
Our Wedding
"Welcome to the Wild Animal Park. You'll never get closer to the animals!"
Susan and Red's Wedding
"An african safari-like experience. A large area where animals roam "free" and aren't in cages. You take tours around the areas to see the animals up close and in a natural enviroment. Click on the title 'Wild Animal Park' up above to visit the website and find out more information on hours and prices. Coupons available in most hotels."
Vanessa and Reid's Wedding
"You know the city is far behind when you enter San Diego Zoo"
Jackie and Joel's Wedding
"See the rhinos and take a safari ride!"
Daniel and Kelly's Summer Wedding Soiree
"The Wild Animal Park is an expansive wildlife sanctuary that is home to more than 3,500 animals representing more than 400 species. Its renowned botanical collection represents 3,500 species and 1.5 million specimens. Over half of the Park"
Robert and Victoria's Wedding
"San Diego's Famous Wild Animal Park. Bring your walking shoes and sun screen!!"
Our Wedding
"Large Africa and Asian Animals"
Guide to Krisjon and Charlie's Wedding Weekend
"This is an extension of the San Diego Zoo. It's a huge area where most of the animals are in open enclosures. You view the animals either from a tram or from various hiking trails. The Wild Animal Park features some excellent animal shows designed to entertain and educate visitors (just ask Charlie about the kinkajou)."
San Diego Wedding In September
San Diego Wedding In May
San Diego Wedding In July
San Diego Wedding In July
San Diego Wedding In July
San Diego Wedding In May
San Diego Zoo Safari Park Wedding In April
Escondido Wedding In March
San Diego Wedding In October
Jenny and James' Wedding
Temecula Wedding In May
Eden and Burke's Wedding Week
San Diego Wedding In February
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San Diego Wedding In August
San Diego Wedding In August
Kelsey and Kyle's Wedding
La Jolla Wedding In June
Carlsbad Wedding In April
La Jolla Wedding In February
Encinitas Wedding In October
Carlsbad Wedding In August
San Diego Wedding In July
San Diego Wedding In July
San Diego Wedding In June
Raina and Jerry's Wedding
La Jolla Wedding In March
San Diego Wedding In March
Megan and Eric 's Wedding
San Diego Wedding In September
Susan and Michael 's Wedding
San Diego Wedding In June
Britany and Doug's Wedding
Jennifer and Joseph's Wedding
Jenee and Ben's Wedding
Alvi & Courtney's Wedding
Krystle and Shawn 's Wedding
Josh and Lore's Wedding
Kaci and Jeffrey's Wedding
Mary Rose and Johann's Wedding
San Diego Wedding In July
Erin and Geoffrey's Wedding
Kim and Nick's Wedding
Tim and Jackie's Wedding
San Diego Wedding In June
Tracy and Brock 's Wedding
La Jolla Wedding In April
Katie and Scott's Wedding
Erik and Teresa's Wedding
Kate and Michael's Wedding
Natalie and Johnathon's Wedding
Kristi and Sishir's Wedding
Megan and Michael's Wedding
San Diego Wild Animal Park
15500 San Pasqual Valley Rd
Escondido, CA, USA


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I've seen that knockoff roller among others & have seen the damage it has done. This is a great anti-aging/scar treatment in the hands of a trained medical provider, not a lay person or people acting like doctors & providing it's the... READ COMMENT


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Welcome! Need support, you got it. Or share you ideas and experiences.
As much grief as we all like to give Patrick, hasn't anyone ever listened to him seriously enough to notice that he is a real-life mad scientist? Through weird devotion to spending maybe millions of dollars to learn audio design by doing, he's become a top-notch (if amateurish) cable designer. I don't believe in cables beyond electrical efficiency and build quality, but I'd be willing to believe that the Forest power cable is one of the best ever designed. Once he gets a business head on his shoulders, stops the questionable marketing, improves quality control - which he's given to early adopters with a lifetime guarantee - the mad scientist/boy genius could go really good.
Follow Ups:
I was looking at the Cable Ring thread below and saw something to the effect that Tweak A makes the sound "grey and silky" and Tweak B, "black and edgy" but the Cable Ring makes the sound both "black and silky". If you'll notice for a second, these are unique among Patrick's buzzwords. Usually he's into clarity, microdetail, and other meaningless abstract nouns. But black/grey and edgy/silky sound are very real and easy to understand, even if they're hard to put into words. Clinically speaking, a man more at home with abstract thoughts than concrete reality is considered psychotic, but real life isn't a DSM manual.
Patrick is a man who is clearly functional enough to win high-stakes pool competitions, spend all his winnings on expensive audio cables, solder and hardwire and cut them apart to learn cable constriction, sustain an idea long enough to get into Virtual Dynamics' conceptual prototypes, learn through sheer intuition what makes the Judge more promising than the Nordost Valhalla (remember that phase?), form an entire design philosophy around the promising Virtual Dynamics concept, figure out on his own the idea behind semiconductor devices, learn the difference between active and passive components (see the "0.06mA" of current that he claims makes his crystals active filters), start a business, design a website, keep a girlfriend, father a child, keep both, and make slow and incremental but unmistakable refinements in his ideas, company and website. Clearly he is not a lunatic. He's a laughingstock because of his utter ignorance of basic electrical engineering. But electrical engineering can be taught; what he already has - which is to achieve all he has using nothing but intuition and cable alchemy - cannot.
I happen to think that what Patrick already has is extraordinary and would encourage him to put his Coconut Audio earnings in the bank for a while to pick up a book. The world doesn't get people like him too often, and he has the brainpower to revolutionize the cable industry. I want to see him use it someday, and I don't think I'm alone.
The guy sounds like a madman and was banned on other sites and some of the products look insanely priced and if he got you conned more power to him.
Frank, I hope you realized that original poster "observer" and Coconut-Audio are most likely the same person :)
Oh Patrick. You're poor poor soul. Thinking about selling cables, ha? ;)
keep a girlfriend and father a child. neither one of those is a monumental task. nor is anything else that you mention.
Sniff. Sniff. I smell a shill.
Scientist? Hardly. His "scientific explanations" are regurgitated from other websites that sell crystals and health food.
This is the guy who came to the Asylum seeking advice on how to spend 3 days in a cryo chamber in order to construct one of his products. Anyone with the slightest of scientific backgrounds knows better. He also wants to build a speaker with 20,000 transducers, one for each frequency.
"You need to do the same with the speakers by using 20,000 drivers inside, this is my future project."
He read about crystals and their supposed affect on electronic components, tried some and heard a difference (all in the ears of the beholder), copied/pasted some verbage from the internet, and started a "business". That is far from being a scientist, mad or otherwise.
I come here for the laughs...
They're called semiconductors.
As (undeniably) nuts as his exploration has been, he stumbled on the truth by sheer accident at great cost. His methods and materials are all wrong but he's on to something with his ideas of "perfection".
If he just put aside the crazy juice and learned electrical engineering to make his ideas work, he could be a great cable designer. I don't think I have to apologize for saying that.
Patrick is on the right track for his power cords, but he hasn't quite figured it out yet. The tourmaline and Exeres are junk science and I imagine he's using those MLM schemes as capital to lure speculators. Patrick has designed a power cord that in theory uses an active -180-degree shield. He's all caught up in pushing gemstones and health food but once he's gotten his feet comfortably wet he can design a two-plug power cord, which electrically would satisfy even audioskeptics like me and justify the "last three feet" belief of the cablephiles in giving a power regenerator the absolute best AC power to distribute to the end load.
Most of the time a skeptic is critical, but this is one of those times you have to give the devil his due.
Also in his design philosophy is using semiconductor materials as active components in cables. Hats off to this guy
He is using quartz, which is silicon dioxide. Pure silicon is the base material for semiconductors, and it is not transparent as quartz is. Oxide layers are applied in a controlled manner to exact specifications of composition, thickness and uniformity.
and because the idea of a passive semiconductor is ridiculous to start with. He's still got the idea of using semiconductor materials in tweaks and cables.
As I said, it'd be interesting to see what he could do with the idea of a two-plug power cord, with the second plug as an active component of the cable. The idea would justify cable voodoo, and I'm a skeptic.
Right now giving his financing and lack of electronic knowledge he has to lean heavily on audio woo to state afloat. Don't let that fool you
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Tolzien will be the third quarterback on the club behind Aaron Rodgers and B.J. Coleman.
Tolzien led Wisconsin to a Big Ten co-championship and the Rose Bowl as a senior in 2010. He went undrafted and signed with San Diego following the 2011 draft. After his release by the Chargers at the end of training camp that summer, he was claimed off waivers by the 49ers to work behind Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick.
With Smith's trade to Kansas City, Tolzien started training camp as San Francisco's No. 2 quarterback. He was released on Monday, with the 49ers going with Colt McCoy and B.J. Daniels behind Kaepernick. In two preseason games, Tolzien completed 18-of-34 passes (52.9 percent) for 188 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception.
The Packers usually keep three quarterbacks, and have started the past few seasons with two on the 53-man roster and one on the practice squad. It's possible the Packers will use Tolzien for some intel on their Week 1 opponent.