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Transformers Subscription Service 5.0 goes live
May 02
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
Just as 4.0 begins to ship
So originally I was going to do a third BotCon report discussing the upcoming Transformers Collectors' Club exclusives, but it's taken until now for them to finally put their Figure Subscription Service 5.0 images online. But...
BotCon Reveals
BotCon 2016: Transformers reveals
Time to check stuff off the wishlists
Apr 10
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
Here we are again with Hasbro's second round of four sets of reveals they do over the year. Previously we saw a large number of new Transformers: Titans Return figures at Toy Fair in February and later we'll see more at San D...
BotCon Exclusives
BotCon 2016: Transformers exclusives
Lots of wants here!
Apr 08
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
It's a little earlier than usual, but BotCon is here once again! As usual the annual event's first day starts with the official reveal of all the exclusive goodies. They've been super ambitious with the offerings this year, t...
BotCon 2015: Is Hasbro secretly teasing Titan Wars in the future?
Jun 25
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
Maybe a first look at SDCC announcement?
Well this was unexpected. Near the Hasbro booth at BotCon was a large poster advertising Combiner Wars showing off all of the Combiners of the series including the first look at Bruticus. But hidden around the text was an une...
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BotCon 2015: First look at Fan Built Combiner Victorion
Jun 25
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
Seeing double here...
USA Today was given the first look at Transformers combiner Victorion through a few comic panels from IDW. The results of Hasbro's Fan Built Combiner poll ended in an all-female Autobot combiner from the Sea of Rust with grav...
BotCon 2015
BotCon 2015: Transformers Fan Club reveals 2016 figure lineup
Armada Ramjet and Skywarp? Yes please!
Jun 24
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
This past weekend at BotCon the Transformers Collectors Club laid out their plans for 2016. This year they didn't go nearly as obscure with their figure choices as they did with the 2015 selection. I don't want to join the su...
BotCon 2015: Hasbro plans big for Combiner Wars
Jun 22
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
Bruticus versus a swarm of Autobots
This past weekend at BotCon 2015 Hasbro at long last revealed a first look at many figures we knew were coming, but have been eagerly awaiting a chance to see. Among them are eight classic Autobot cars reimagined as combiner ...
Take a look at BotCon 2015's complete box set
May 05
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
Cybertron: Most Wanted
BotCon 2015 is a little over a month away so let's see what's in store for their box set, Cybertron: Most Wanted. The story takes place on Axiom Nexus, a Cybertronian hub city at the center of the Transformers multivers...
The bad bots shine at BotCon 2015 with Cybertron's Most Wanted
Dec 31
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
Stop me if you've heard this one before
It's almost here! OK, no it isn't, it's actually around half a year away, but that's not stopping BotCon from spending New Year's Eve getting fans revved up for 2015! For Cybertron's Most Wanted expect to see a lot of paralle...
BotCon and JoeCon
BotCon and JoeCon move to Illinois in 2015
Now the east coast and west coast can complain together
Oct 24
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
Today is the first day of the unofficial Transformers convention TFCon in Chicago, Illinois. I guess there's no better time than today for Fun Publications to announce that their two major Hasbro-backed conventions are headin...
TFCC announces Transformers Subscription Service 3.0
Jun 27
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
The most obscure Transformers homages ever
The end of BotCon 2014 came with the Transformers Collectors' Club and BotCon heads revealing the Transformers Collectors Club 3.0 offerings for 2015. I have to say, I've seen some obscure references translated into figures b...
Hasbro announces several all new Transformers figures at Botcon
Jun 21
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
Few movie announcements, but good stuff for the G1 crowd
[Update: TFormers has photos of the updated display with all of the newly announced 2014 figures!] Hasbro held their Transformers brand panel at BotCon 2014 moments ago and made several exciting announcements. They were ...
Take a look at Hasbro's display at BotCon
Jun 20
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
Some figures get confirmation, for better or worse
Thanks to the official BotCon Facebook page we got several photos of many of the upcoming Transformers figures. Most of the stuff on display we've seen before back at Toy Fair, but there are a few new things on display that w...
BotCon 2014
BotCon exclusive souvenir sets add seven more figures
Plus some others
Jun 20
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
The club store opened at BotCon late Thursday night, officially revealing the rest of the exclusives for the event. The sixth bonus figure for people who bought the box set and attended the convention is Flamewar, a female De...
BotCon 2014
BotCon 2014 reveals custom class figure as Primal Prime
Biggest Transformers event of the year begins
Jun 18
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
Over on the official BotCon Twitter account they revealed the first non-box set exclusive of the 2014 event as Primal Prime. The figure is a red, white, and blue repaint of the 2006 Beast Wars 10th Anniversary figure cre...
BotCon 2014
BotCon announces final box set figure as Cybertronian Knight Ginrai
Fans are divided over the choice of colors
Apr 26
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
Fun Publications has announced the final figure for the BotCon 2014 exclusive Pirates vs. Knights box set as Cybertronian Knight Ginrai. If you aren't familiar with Ginrai he's a Japanese character from Transformers Masterfor...
BotCon 2014 goes all out with Headmaster Scorponok
Apr 04
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
First real working Headmaster in nearly 25 years
BotCon 2014 is right around the corner and they're lining up one of the best convention exclusive box sets ever. Using the them of Pirates versus Knights they started with announcing Cannonball, a predictable figure based on ...
Cannonball revealed for Pirates vs Knights BotCon set
Feb 07
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
Off to a decent start
It was just a week ago when BotCon revealed their theme for 2014 to be Pirates vs Knights while promising to debut Star Seekers captain Cannonball within the pages of the club magazine. Well, not content to make people wait f...
TFCC announces pirates vs. knights at BotCon
Jan 31
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
Because I guess ninja would be too obvious
Back at the beginning of January the official Transformers Collectors Club revealed that part of the BotCon exclusive box set would involve pirates, but left the rest to speculation. Not quite a month later the other hal...
BotCon 2014 theme to be pirates!
Jan 06
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
Or is it...?
It's that exciting time of year again for Transformers fans! BotCon 2014 is only about half a year away from opening its doors on June 19 in Pasadena, California and the slow trickle of event news has now begun. But here we a...
Botcon 2014
Could BotCon be returning to California in 2014?
Possible second year at the Pasadena Convention Center
Sep 04
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
Hardcore fans don't wait for official word apparently. When wondering where BotCon would be held in 2014 some eager members of Seibertron and TFW2005 took it upon themselves to simply call the Pasadena Sheraton that hosted co...
BotCon 2013 wraps up with peek at TFCC plans for 2014
Jul 01
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
Fun Publications discusses membership incentives, subscription figures, and themes for 2014
We're halfway through 2013 and Fun Publications is giving us a preview of their 2014 plans for the Transformers Collectors Club and BotCon. To go along with this year's Depthcharge figure they announced that the 2...
BotCon 2013 day 3 keeps the Construct-Bots coming
New additions to the series announced including some beasts
Jul 01
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
Kre-O didn't have a very big presence at BotCon this year and there wasn't much said at the industry panel compared to at Toy Fair 2013. Hasbro seems to be putting a lot of stock into their Construct-Bots building system inst...
Beast Hunters
BotCon 2013 day 3 shows even more Beast Hunters figures
Hasbro uses questionable practice of upscaling Cyberverse figures to make new Deluxe and Voyager figures
Jun 30
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
Despite mixed reactions from fans Hasbro is still trudging along with new figures and repaints for Transformers Prime: Beast Hunters. They've also started a questionable practice that we're going to discuss shortly. Cyb...
BotCon 2013 day 3 reveals even more Generations figures
Jun 30
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
Several new figures join the line at nearly every scale
Day 3 of BotCon was yesterday and Hasbro wasted little time in getting official images of all of their big panel reveals out onto the web. For now we're going to talk about what appeared in the Generations portion of their pr...
BotCon 2013 day 2 shows off a year's worth of exclusives
Jun 30
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
Retailers online and off to get a number of exclusives, plus the return of Linkin Park Soundwave
Transformers fans have no shortage of choices when it comes to exclusives in 2013. We've already seen a number of them released between Amazon.com and what was made available at BotCon on day one. Speaking of Amazon, so...
BotCon 2013 day 2 reveals SDCC Transformers exclusives
Jun 29
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
Transformers to be well represented at San Diego Comic Con
Day 2 of BotCon came and went on Friday with a number of exclusives announced, but the biggest among them will be coming to San Diego Comic Con in mid-July! Let's just cut to it: The rumors are true, Metroplex is coming to SD...
BotCon 2013 day 1 shows off all of the con exclusives
Jun 28
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
First exclusive set is the box set itself. I've talked about these at length (here, here, and here) so I'll make this brief: The set consists of five figures: Hoist, Obsidian, Strika, Skywarp, and Megaplex. The set could only be purchased through the pre-registration form and sold during this period leaving none for the convention (which is normal). A second un-boxed set in plastic baggies can be purchased by attendees at the convention who have already bought the boxed set. This starts the long list of previously unannounced (officially anyway) exclusives. The first of which is Starscream, a bonus figure that is given to fans who bought the box set and attended the convention (as opposed to non-attendee box set purchases). The figure is a black and gray repaint of Terradive from the Transformers (2010) figure series, the same figure being used to make this year's club membership exclusive Depthcharge. It's the character fans wanted, but not the figure they expected. The original Machine Wars Starscream a huge, bulky figure while this one is pretty small and spindly. The bio actually describes this figure as a clone and not the same Starscream so it's probably just a matter of Fun Publications not being able to find a suitable existing figure to repaint. Next up is a three-pack of G1 Seeker Jets. A few years ago this same convention caused quite a firestorm with fans for making Thundercracker, Thrust, and Dirge convention exclusives. The outcry was loud enough to get mass retail versions of all three released over time. This set brings up one familiar name in Sunstorm and three new names in Bitsream and Hotlink. Sunstorm still stands a chance of seeing mass release since his colors incorporate some black where there's usually white leaving room for a more accurate version at retail. Bitstream and Hotlink are much less likely due to their obscurity so I'm fine with them remaining exclusives as much as I'd like to have them. Strangely enough the trio is being labeled as Rain Makers despite not being the three actual Rain Makers we already know. The set is limited to 2500. Next is a two-pack of Electron and Sandstorm. Electron is based on G2 Autobot Laser Rod Electro and uses the same body as Hoist from the box set. This may be the best repaint choice of the entire set of exclusives since both the original and this one are based on classic Ford trucks. Only thing really missing is a sword. Sandstorm is a repaint of Dark of the Moon Skyhammer and it kinda works since they're both helicopters. Sandstorm was itself a repaint of European exclusive Rotorstorm recolored for Machine Wars. This set is limited to only 2000. Mirage and Thundercracker make up another set from Machine Wars. Mirage is based on the 2007 Transformers Classics Mirage figure in Machine Wars teal and white. Thundercracker is based on the same Revenge of the Fallen Dirge remold as Skywarp. Strangely the colors aren't even close to the same. The new figure is cast in mustard yellow with red splotches where the original was camo green and brown. Not sure what happened there. This pair is also limited to only 2000. The final figure is a pre-assembled, unpainted version of the figure that's beeing used in the Botcon customizing class. It uses the same mold as Strika in yellow red and gray. The name isn't listed on the poster, but it seems to be Blastcharge, a Vehicon from Beast Machines. The number made for sale isn't given, but it'll certainly be the most limited one in the bunch. The Kre-O set features Kreon versions of all five characters from the figure box set. They actually did a really good job of translating the likenesses of the group using existing parts and lots of clever paint details. Only down side is these aren't transforming Kreons, but that might be asking too much. The set is limited to only 1500. Finally they've got one more exclusive at the convention that's causing a stir among people who have paid Transformes club memberships like myself. That figure is a carded version of the membership exclusive Depthcharge being sold only at the con. It's something of a kick in the teeth for loyal fans who had to deal with the issues that Fun Publications has been having with their online membership system in recent years. The version going to members is simply in a plastic bag and white mailer box with a bio card, nothing else. It isn't unusual for them to sell some leftover figures at the con, but this is the first time they've made a special run of membership figures just for the convention. This is the version that should have been given to members, BotCon goers should be getting the bagged version. Worst part of all is the membership version hasn't even been delivered yet, people attending the convention will be getting it first. People attending BotCon have enough exclusives to choose from, if it weren't for club members there wouldn't be a BotCon every year so let us have our exclusive actually be exclusive. What's more surprising is what wasn't at the convention. Considering Megaplex is supposed to be a clone of Megatron it seems certain that the figure would be repainted as Megatron himself for sale at the convention, but that didn't happen. Likewise one of the most popular figures in the Machine Wars line is Optimus Prime, but no version of him was made for the con. Soundwave is another very popular figure from the original line and there actually are a few figures made recently that would have fit well, but it didn't happen either. Lastly it was rumored just before the convention that Hauler would also see release using the Transformers (2010) Grapple figure as a base. Shame, they all would have been good choices, probably even better than some of what was actually made. That's the end of day one, there'll be more coverage as BotCon rolls on. [images via BotCon on Facebook]
Thursday preview night gives non-attendees more than a few reasons to be upset
Just like with a lot of conventions these days BotCon has that one little window of time before the official opening where attendees can get their registration swag and pickup a few souvenirs. Of course this year is no differ...
BotCon 2013 Obsidian goes to the dark side
Botcon box set Obsidian has his bright green deco replaced with a darker one.
Apr 12
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
In a surprise update on Thursday the official Transformers BotCon event website quietly changed the original images of the Obsidian figure for the convention box set from bright green to a new dark green theme. This is after ...
BotCon 2013 registration has begun
Though you may want to save your money for 2014...
Mar 15
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
Fun Publications has announced that the official Transformers BotCon 2013 registration is now live. Registration can be done right online at the BotCon website for the event running from June 27 to 30 in San Diego, Calif...
Final two figures revealed for Botcon exclusive box set
Obsidian and Megaplex complete the 2013 box that also includes Hoist, Skywarp, and Strika.
Mar 02
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
Last week we previewed the first three figures in the Botcon 2013 box set Machines of War based on the 1997 Kay-Bee Toys exclusive Transformers toy line Machine Wars. This week we're getting our first look at the final t...
BotCon previews first three figures of Machine Wars theme
Feb 19
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
Hoist, Skywarp, and Strika are the first to be announced to much head scratching.
June 27 is still a fairly long ways off, but that's not stopping Fun Publications from getting a head start on announcing some of the exclusives that will be made available in this year's Machines of War five-figure conventio...
Botcon going back to Cali for 2013
Botcon to be held from June 27th to the 30th in San Diego
Dec 07
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
It was only just this past Wednesday that I mentioned we should be seeing an update on the official BotCon website soon now that the theme of Transformers: Machine Wars has been revealed in the official Transformers...
Botcon 2013 theme: Machine Wars
Dec 05
// Jeremy Emerje Crocker
Next Botcon goes back to 1997 for inspiration.
Early word from the Official Transformers Collectors Club magazine issue 48 showing up in club members' mailboxes now is that the theme for Botcon 2013 will be Transformers: Machine Wars! Machine Wars was a clumsy release in ...
The BotCon guessing game continues in the latest advertisement
Nov 03
// Jonathan Tubbs
On the back cover of issue 6 of the Transformers Timelines: The Stuticon Job comic, an advertisement was shown for the upcoming BotCon that has many people playing the guessing game. I don't mean when and where it'll happen. ...
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text:
Rhys Ifans is trying to get over his broken heart by splashing about in Ibiza with a blonde who's the image of his ex Sienna Miller.
Clearly, his recent brief fumble with Rod Stewart's daughter Kimberley hasn't been enough for this Welsh lothario - in one pic he appears to be getting close to TWO bikini-clad women on the Baleriac isle.
To see pics of actor Ifans' seaside frolics, click below.

subset: commoncrawl


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Benjamin and Emily Dade of Williamstown would like to announce the birth of their first child. Amilia Kate was born at 6:52 p.m. on July 15, 2012, at St. Elizabeth Medical Center.
If you currently subscribe or have subscribed in the past to the Grant County News, then simply find your account number on your mailing label and enter it below.
Click the question mark below to see where your account ID appears on your mailing label.
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text:
Det. No. 06-0225, 26 WTD 175 (2007) - A public utility district that operates a "light and power business" disputes the assessment of public utility tax on certain income it received that was not directly associated with the generation, distribution, or sale of electric power. We conclude that the disputed income from "scheduling services," "operating reserves," and "sale of transmission capacity" were all from operations incidental to taxpayer's light and power business operations and that public utility tax was correctly assessed on that revenue.
Det. No. 06-0296, 26 WTD 188 (2007) - A company that holds itself out as a recycling service for construction debris, which collects unsorted debris from construction sites for a charge and delivers the debris to certified commercial construction, demolition, and land-clearing (CDL) materials facilities where recyclable materials are recovered and processed for reuse, protests the assessment of solid waste collection tax on its collection charges, contending its activities fall within the recycling exception in Ch. 82.18 RCW. We grant the petition and remand for cancellation of the assessment of solid waste collection tax.
Det. No. 06-0305, 26 WTD 196 (2007) - Taxpayer appeals the denial of RCW 82.12.035 credits against Washington's use tax for Swedish value added tax (VAT) and Droite de Suite charge paid when he purchased an item in Sweden. As neither of these taxes are "retail sales taxes" as that term is used in Washington's tax codes, the petition is denied
>> All volumes of the Washington Tax Decisions can be accessed through zip files on the Department of Revenue website at http://taxpedia.dor.wa.gov/zipfiles.aspx


text: Ok I live in the good old state of WA. As far as I can tell the only thing I need is a gerneral contractors Lic, and or a lic specific to irrigation. Am I missing something? What are other states requiring? Not even sure if I want to do irrigation but its something to look into thats for sure. Any pointers ? Also what kind of advice on running lines I see and read a little on pulling pipe? Any brands of pullers to stay away from? Thanks


text:
Permatex is a leading manufacturer of adhesives, sealants, gasket makers, hand cleaners, lubricants, appearance products, and additives for the automotive maintenance, repair, performance, consumer and DIY markets.
Since 1909, Permatex products have been used in workshops and racetracks around the world with well-known brand names including Permatex®, Fast Orange®, No Touch®, NOS®, and the Right Stuff®.
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Contact us or visit your nearest store and let our experienced team help you determine the best solution for your application.
Brush up on selection of
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text:
From the people credited with the current renaissance of role-playing games on the PC, Baldur's Gate II more than matches its predecessor. The original hit has been criticized for its weak story, bad party AI, and dull exploration. The sequel somehow streamlines all of these issues while offering 50 percent more game play than the originalabout 150 hours if you take your time. Add more character development, 3-D-accelerated spell effects, and a customizable interface and the result is one of the best RPGs to grace the PC.
Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
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HSA Checking
Health Savings Accounts (HSA) are a great way to save for qualified medical expenses.
A HSA Checking Account offers features designed to meet your needs.
- Opening deposit $100
- Interest bearing account
- Custom HSA checks
- Debit card for point-of-sale purchases and ATM withdrawals
- No annual or monthly fees assessed
- One-time set-up fee of $25
Tax benefits can vary; consult your tax advisor for complete information.


text:
|From: Matthew Flatt (mflatt at cs.utah.edu)
Date: Fri Jun 8 04:06:39 EDT 2007
MzScheme and MrEd are now version 370.3 in the SVN repository trunk. Changes: * Added `hash-table-iterate-{first,next,key,value}', which makes it easier to implement iterators/generators for hash tables. * The bytecode optimizer provides better dead-code elimination for `letrec' and for unused chains of procedures (e.g., an unused `f' that has the only reference to `g' that has the only reference to `h'). In particular, the optimizer now handles all of the examples from http://www.cs.brown.edu/pipermail/plt-scheme/2007-April/017156.html The one that remains is (comp=? (compile '(let* ([x 8][f (lambda () (set! x 5))]) (display x))) (compile '(display 8))) ; => #f ; because the `set!' prevents constant propagation `x', even though ; the `set!' is eventually removed because mutability is still determined early. But mutability doesn't necessarily interfere with dead-code elimination, so `foo' in the second original example of the thread is eliminated: (letrec ((foo (lambda () ... (set! foo ...) ...))) ;; doesn't use foo: body ...) This optimizer change is unlikely to speed up existing code, but it gives macro writers their rights. Matthew
|Posted on the users mailing list.


text:
Log Message: ----------- Reserve the shared memory region during backend startup on Windows, so that memory allocated by starting third party DLLs doesn't end up conflicting with it. Hopefully this solves the long-time issue with "could not reattach to shared memory" errors on Win32. Patch from Tsutomu Yamada and me, based on idea from Trevor Talbot. Tags: ---- REL8_4_STABLE Modified Files: -------------- pgsql/src/backend/port: win32_shmem.c (r1.11 -> r184.108.40.206) (http://anoncvs.postgresql.org/cvsweb.cgi/pgsql/src/backend/port/win32_shmem.c?r1=1.11&r2=220.127.116.11) pgsql/src/include/port: win32.h (r1.88 -> r126.96.36.199) (http://anoncvs.postgresql.org/cvsweb.cgi/pgsql/src/include/port/win32.h?r1=1.88&r2=220.127.116.11) pgsql/src/backend/postmaster: postmaster.c (r1.583.2.2 -> r1.583.2.3) (http://anoncvs.postgresql.org/cvsweb.cgi/pgsql/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c?r1=1.583.2.2&r2=1.583.2.3)
Next: From: Bruce Momjian Date: 2009-08-11 12:02:58 Subject: pgsql: Remove tab in SGML. Previous: From: Magnus Hagander Date: 2009-08-11 11:51:20 Subject: pgsql: Reserve the shared memory region during backend startup on


text:
After only one year in business, Birchbox continues to grow by leaps and bounds thanks to a one-of-a-kind business model, two savvy co-owners and an ever-growing team.
Is it possible for a brand-new online beauty retailer to grow from four employees to 45 in the span of one year? What about building a Facebook community of more than 50,000 and attracting more than 15,000 followers on Twitter? Growth like that seems almost impossible in such a short amount of time. However, when a company is able to bring something unique to the marketplace, you start to see some truth in that old "Build it and they will come" stuff.
Co-founded in September of 2010 by Harvard Business School classmates Katia Beauchamp and Hayley Barna, New York City-based Birchbox marries editorial content, product sampling and full-size product retailing.
Recently, Beauty Store Business sat down with Beauchamp and Barna to find out how their interesting business model works, what factors have aided in their company's phenomenal growth and the important place Birchbox now holds in the prestige-beauty sector as well its future in the entire beauty industry.
[Photo by Armando Sanchez]
Hayley and I came up with the idea for Birchbox when we were in business school, about six months away from graduation. Throughout our relationship in school, I always noticed how Hayley had the newest and best products. She always said that Mollie gave them to her. Mollie Chen was her best friend from her undergrad days, who had been a beauty editor and is now our director of content. That connection was definitely a huge part of the inspiration for the site.
We also began discussing the fact that it's challenging for customers to discover beauty products because there's so much product out there. Business school gave us a great foundation in thinking about industries where there was an opportunity to reimagine an existing status quo for customers and brands, and create a new value proposition. For the beauty industry, we were inspired by the opportunity to give customers the feeling of having a beauty-editor best friend, by selecting the product and merging content and commerce. For brands, we were inspired to build a service that created the best environment to connect with a qualified customer by merging editorial, marketing and retail sales.
Birchbox is a place for customers to discover the newest and best in beauty. It is a 360-degree experience of discovery. In other words, they try samples, learn more about them and then can easily transact on full-size products.
It's also a place where brands can find new customers and engage with them in an intimate environment—their home! Subscribers pay $10 per month, and they receive a box in the mail of four to five deluxe beauty samples. We editorialize everything that's in the box on the website with articles about how to use the products, videos when necessary, blogs, etc. And as the customers are reading about the products, they can easily click through and buy.
Before anything, subscribers fill out a brief beauty profile and tell us a little about themselves, which allows us to choose the samples that are best suited for them. There's a letter from the editor in the box, which Hayley, Mollie and I work on together. It provides a short description of the products and speaks about the theme of the month. We encourage subscribers to go to the site to find out more about each product.
[Everyone here is] very focused on being the best discovery service for beauty.
We didn't invent sending things in the mail and we didn't invent sampling. But the way that we packaged Birchbox with sampling and content and commerce while creating a value proposition to our beauty partners is a different approach. And we are the only ones with that perspective.
[Photo caption: Subscribers in all 50 states receive their very own Birchbox each month. Photo credit: Courtesy of Birchbox, along with subsequent photos.]
What's been interesting to learn as we've grown as a company is that we really have a wide appeal.
We appeal to young women who are just getting into finding the products they're going to love for years, older women who have been using the same products for years and haven't changed their routine but are now finding new products as a result of Birchbox, beauty junkies, and those who absolutely hate to make that trip to Nordstrom or Sephora.
We definitely have a core customer; the average is a young professional who is savvy, urban and highly educated.
Hayley and I started the company thinking that this was something that we needed a lot of; the early customers we attracted really have a similar profile to us.
But as we've grown and received press and have had customers talk about us in social channels, the demographics are always changing. And we're always nurturing that because we see a lot of value in all parts of the spectrum—the young girls who talk a lot and will be chatting about what Birchbox is and what they're finding to the customers who are quieter but finding what they love.
We actually launched a limited-edition box for men for the holidays and that has been great for raising our awareness. It was interesting to see whether men would like it, and it did really well.
Men also want to be surprised and delighted, and they like to be educated in a way that's tailored and edited down from all of the content out there.
We ask everything from age and where you live to your biggest beauty concerns, your hair type, if you classify yourself as classic or trendy, etc. It's a simple questionnaire that can be answered in just a few minutes.
It helps us curate each box. If we have a product that's specifically targeting dry or color-treated hair, we make sure to send that to customers who have identified as that. If we have something that's for sun protection and we have customers with fair skin and concerns about sun protection, we can send it to them.
It can be difficult, but each month we decide on a theme that anchors some of those decisions. Some products are also classified as every-woman products because they have a wide demographic reach. Then there are products that are very specific, such as tinted moisturizer, antiaging products, etc. In the end, it is all based on our customers' beauty profiles.
[Photo caption: Currently, Birchbox's ever-growing list of beauty brands numbers about 150.]
We're really focused on creating a product that customers love and that's what helps us grow. It gives them something to talk about and share with their friends, either in real life or online, and that's absolutely the No. 1 reason we've grown so quickly.
[I believe that it's been] word of mouth and friend referrals in the offline world. When someone tries Birchbox for the first time, they just can't wait to tell their co-workers, family and friends about the fun things they just got. And then social media has been a really big driver of our customer growth. YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and the beauty blogging community has been incredibly helpful in terms of spreading the word about Birchbox. People love to tweet when their boxes arrive, post pictures of what's inside and compare what they got versus what their friends—offline and online—received.
We've always had a strong social-media presence and have encouraged open discussions.
I think we started tweeting before we even sent out our first box. Our blog was up before our Web page was up. It's been incredibly important to us from day zero. Mollie has led the charge on that from the beginning.
We have 45 employees, with tech being one of our larger teams. But we have many different departments, including the beauty partnerships team, marketing, PR, editorial and operations.
We have about 150 different brands today, and the favorites are always changing.
Whenever we sample products, those pretty consistently become the most popular brands of the month.
We love that we're introducing customers to large and small brands, and helping smaller companies start to find their consumer and larger companies find new audiences. That's definitely a huge part of the service. We've had clear favorites in both the huge brands and the very small.
Each month along with the sampling we provide descriptions about the products on the website, reasons why the customer should care about the products, and who else loves it—if that's relevant. All of the information in front of them usually helps customers' purchasing decisions.
Also, the product ships free if they buy it in the month that it samples, so it encourages customers to take action quickly. So they try the products, decide which they love, go on the site and buy it while it's being promoted with free shipping. Our customers are usually pretty fast to make decisions.
[Photo caption: Birchbox gives beauty brands access to engaged consumers in a grassroots, yet glossy, environment.]
We are both an ecommerce and a marketing channel. And we know that some customers are buying products from us, and some are buying the same products elsewhere because now they recognize the brands when they see them in the real world. We ask customers if they pick [up those brands] elsewhere. We are proud of the fact that we are growing the absolute pie and helping offline retailers as well.
Another cool thing we've seen since launch is that we used to just sell the specific products we were sampling, but then we realized that consumers wanted to be introduced to other products from that same brand. So now, typically when we sample products from a particular brand we'll also carry other products from that brand. When people decide that they love the brand, they may go on the site and decide to buy a full-size version of the sample they tried, or they might try other things from the same brand.
A lot. It's going really well, but it's not a number that we're openly sharing right now. We're very focused on it, but we're also focused on all of the channels—not just the Birchbox channel.
We have a loyalty program, but we're not playing in the discount realm.
We reward our customers for feedback, referrals and for purchasing full-size products. Those points they earn go toward gift cards that they can spend on the site; so effectively they're getting a discount through the loyalty program by earning it.
Every 100 points a customer earns can be redeemed for $10 to spend on the site. Points are earned when customers refer friends (50 points), spend money (one point for each dollar) and fill out feedback surveys (10 points). So the points can be earned very fast.
We're focused on finding the newest and best brands and working with brands that we've always loved.
Between the partnerships team and the editors, Mollie and I created a list when we first launched that had hundreds of brands on it that we wanted to work with and there was a lot of initial outreach there. Now we're fortunate enough to get a lot of great brands reaching out to us.
If we don't know the brand well, we get it and try it, and show it to a bunch of different people in the office to get a lot of different opinions. We research the product and brand, and that's how we decide if it's really a fit for us.
We're always looking. It's really important for us to stay on top of what's happening out there, so we'll never stop looking. If someone wants to send us something for consideration, they can email email@example.com, and we'll either schedule a time to chat or ask them to send us some products to try and schedule a meeting from there.
The products have surveys associated with them every month, but we also—every other month or quarterly—survey our subscribers to get feedback on the service and how we're doing. Hayley and I still talk to subscribers every week, and our customer-service team is incredible and always keeping us in the loop as far as what the vibe is out there and what people are saying. We're very in touch with feedback.
[Photo caption: Birchbox has already won many prestigious awards and honors.]
Since Mollie was a beauty editor and our first hire, we've always had content as a big part of what we're doing. There's a lot of information about products online, but it's all very separate from the other things customers are doing, which is finding products, trying them and then trying to shop them. So for us what made sense was bringing the content to you relevant to the products that you're trying and also in an environment where you can shop.
The magazine launched from day one and really focused on supporting the products we were selecting to be in the box in addition to other products that made sense seasonally and theme-wise. We also write about things that we don't sell. That continues to be what we do today. We have a larger editorial team than we did in the beginning, but its focus is creating content for the magazine and our blog and promoting it [through] social channels. We also create quite a bit of video that lives in the magazine section of our site. All of the different channels tie into one another. Everything is co-merchandised. If you're reading an article, you'll see products that relate to it will be merchandised in the story alongside. If you're in an ecommerce environment looking at a product, you'll see that we link out to articles, and we have relevant videos embedded.
You can find all of our videos at birchbox.com/video/list, and they are largely how-to content or short-form product videos about what a product is like, what you should expect, etc.
Our focus is to solve the problem of discovery, and we felt online was a great place to accomplish that goal. Discovering beauty products online is especially challenging because you want to smell it and try it and touch it and that's really hard. So our vision with Birchbox was to solve part of that problem by having our offline product, the Birchbox.
We certainly miss out on people just walking by and coming into a store, which is—especially in New York City—a big part of how you can sometimes find the store itself.
And, of course, we are targeting a certain demographic of customers who are shopping online and who are comfortable shopping online—and that's definitely a smaller pool than the total potential audience.
On the flip side, we can be everywhere in the United States at once with one store, which is really powerful. And we can truly capitalize on social media because when people are talking about us, there's something for them to easily link to and send people to.
We really want to deliver the best to our customers. We want to deliver the most amazing service to our brand partners. We also want to be seen as partners in this entire, huge beauty industry that's filled with very smart people.
We've had an incredible first year, but we feel like there's so much more we can do to be a contributing member of the ecosystem. That means building out what our offering is, working on how our marketing and editorial continues to work together, growing our subscriber base and continuing to think and ask about what else our subscribers want from us.
Liz Barrett is a freelance journalist based in Oxford, MS.
[Photo caption: Birchbox logo]


text:
One of the biggest electronics retailers in the United States, Best Buy, has been comprehensively Yahoo-ed.
The retailer, which has been struggling with competition from internet sales and mega-stores, has ended its 18-year commitment to a Results-Only Work Environment - one of the biggest experiments in workplace flexibility in the world.
It is a decision that has devastated those in the flexible work "movement", coming only days after the new CEO of Yahoo, Marissa Mayer, called all her telecommuters back to the office in an attempt to turn around the flagging IT company.
The Best Buy announcement on Monday (US time) is particularly worrying because its program - which allowed people to work where, when and how they liked - was regarded as a flagship.
Known as ROWE, the program linked the freedoms for its 4000 corporate office workers with a great deal of personal responsibility. Employees were kept to stringent performance agreements with their managers, while being trusted (as responsible adults) to decide how to structure their work so it would best benefit their employer and themselves.
Employees were evaluated solely on their performance, rather than time worked and office attendance.
While there is no doubt that both Yahoo and Best Buy are in trouble, critics of the back-to-the-office move argue that their strife has nothing to do with where or when the workers to their work.
According to one of the originators of the Best Buy program, Cali Ressler, ending flexibility is throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
"Best Buy is sending a very clear mess they are more concerned with having a leadership team monitor their hallways instead of having a leadership team that excels at defining clear measurable results and holding people accountable for achieving those results," she told Minnesota public radio.
Ressler's consultancy CultureRx claims Rowe saved Best Buy $US2.2 million over three years by reducing staff turnover by 90 percent and boosting productivity by an average of 41 percent.
In both cases, Best Buy and Yahoo, the decision appears to be more about a knee-jerk reaction to assert control in a difficult situation.
Best Buy spokesman, Matt Furman, told the StarTribune. "Bottom line, it's 'all hands on deck' at Best Buy and that means having employees in the office as much as possible to collaborate and connect on ways to improve our business."
Ressler's response: "Any sub-par leadership team can get all hands on deck. They can dictate hours, they can delegate tasks, they can brag about how much time they are putting in at the office. But, really, only true 21st century leadership has the ability to get everyone on point, especially at this time..."
Last week, Best Buy laid off 400 of its 4,0000 corporate employees in an attempt to save $US150 million in a $725 million cost-cutting program as it tries to build on what has been described as a "fragile" financial recovery, based on stronger than expected sales last quarter.
As it struggles with growing competition from internet sales, it has also weathered criticism for the quality of service at its stores, for its leadership, and its business strategy.
Furman says the company has not instituted an outright ban and managers will have the discretion to enable flexibility on an individual besis.
"But for the most part, the goal is to have employees in [the office] whenever possible."
In a statement posted on their website, Ressler and her co-founder Jody Thompson (bother former Best Buy employees) say the decision to end ROWE is "unfortunate, if not downright silly".
"While we agree that Best Buy must take drastic measures to turn their business around, moving back to a 20th century, paternalistic 'command and control' environment is most certainly not the answer.
"It's our hope that the Best Buy leadership team quickly recognises that the managed-flexibility game is old news, and that organisations who will win in the 21st century will learn how to effectively manage the work, not the people."
While it is undoubtedly not the intended effect, the cancelling of flexible work programs at Yahoo and Best Buy are being derided as a "War on Women".
Mothers are the greatest beneficiaries of flexibility programs because of the difficulties of blending childcare responsibilities and job-unfriendly school hours with work.
In the US, 54 percent of women have jobs, and 71 percent of them are raiding children.


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Comparison to the West: A Tale of Two Monkeys
Oct 15
// Sideshow
Monkey VS Goku Monkey (Masaaki Sakai, voiced by David Collings) "Born from an egg on a mountain top. Funkiest monkey to ever pop. He knew every magic trick under the sun. To tease the gods and everyone and have some fun." Or so the opening suggests. There's not a lot I can say about Monkey that wasn't covered in the last post. He wants to fight, he hates being controlled and he has an extremely short temper. Despite that, he does have morals, a code of honour, etc. At one point he'll be expelled from the group for his violent behaviour and he'll go along with it, only to then come to his senses to "save the day". In episode 2, he starts wearing the Headache Sutra, which was explained in my last post. The difference however is there's an actual reason for Monkey to be wearing it. Tripitaka frees him and then he leaves, breaking his promise with Tripitaka. Makes sense. Goku (Shingo Katori) From episode one, I already know the differences here. Where Monkey is short tempered, Goku is lazy. Another thing I've noticed is Goku seems to be almost obsessed with pee. It became abundantly clear in episode two when he pees in a hot spring. Sure, this was to save Hoshi from being cooked in it but when you have one episode where 30% of his dialogue is fart related in addition to this scene, you tend to wonder whats going on an that little ape's head. There are good points to Goku, it just that it feels really plastic seeing them episode after episode. Goku makes a speech about friendship, Goku gets mad about the victim of the episode and flies off for "the final showdown". From a character perspective, he's the most noble of the four. Writing wise, on the other hand, he's just annoying and repetitive. (But I'll share my thoughts on that next week when we come to the 1/4 point.) The Edge: Monkey No, the nostalgia glasses are off. This choice was based on a personality level. The sheer randomness of his personality rather than the same thing episode after episode, is more appealing to me from where I'm sitting. Sandy VS Gojou Sandy (Shiro Kishibe, voiced by Gareth Armstrong) - Also known as the brains of the group. A fish spirit who banished from heaven for breaking the Jade Emperor's cup. Level headed and often speaking of philosophy. Sandy often states the obvious, things that the audience is certainly thinking. "What if this is a trap to capture you?", he asks Tripitaka, seconds away from an incoming ambush. He's such a well rounded character, there's not much else to say about him. His weapon of choice is hard for me to describe. Its a cross between a staff and an oar, in my opinion. Gojou (Teruyoshi Uchimura) - Upgraded to a pair of sai, Gojou is once again the brains of the group. Or at least that's what I would say. It seems that Gojou and Hakkai are either sharing or swapping personality traits. They both act as Hoshi's advisers, with Gojou being a little bit more aware of the obvious dangers.I said little. Hell, he's seen seducing or allowing seduction to happen from various women on the basis that he's simply told they fancy him. Its unexpected, is what I'm saying here. But its something that I'll accept with open arms as its feels like there's four main characters rather than three main characters and one wall flower. The Edge: Gojou Last week, I said that Saiyuuki's costumes are over detailed. This week, I'm making an exception with Gojou. His costume just looks so perfect for not only his character but his fighting style. Another thing that makes him stand out is the fact he is fighting with sais rather than a staff based weapon. His fight scenes are the most amazing to watch in Saiyuuki. Pigsy VS Hakkai Pigsy (Toshiyuki Nishida, voiced Peter Woodthorpe) - A womaniser and a glutton, hence the name. Also kicked out of heaven...but for feeling up the Lady Vega. And as you can probably guess, yes, this kind of thing does land him and the gang in a whole heap of trouble. In the third episode "The Great Journey Begins", Pisgy is woken up by a beautiful woman and follows her without question only to then be captured in by her spider-demon daughters and literally hung out over night. Its these scenes that make any non-fighting scene worth watching for it's comical value. On another note, I'd say that for a character whose suppose to be ugly, he certainly doesn't look that in the slightest. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that his costume is the most appealing out of the entire gang...nam style...ok, bad joke but you know what I mean. The simplicity of it. The only thing "piggy" about it, is his ears. I challenge anyone to say "he's hideous". Hilarious? Yes. Hideous? Not so much. Hakkai (Atsushi Ito) - Hakkai is the noble pig goblin. His behaviour can be somewhat compared to a young teen or child whose obviously getting picked on by the other kids. Wears his heart on his sleeve, etc. And before I go on about his personality, I'd like to take a minute and ask: "Does this look like a pig to you?". To me he just seems more like a cat than a pig. Getting back to base, for a pig character he certainly doesn't show these "pig" character traits as much as you'd think. Yes, he'll let any woman seduce him but rather than the Pigsy's: "Oooh! Beautiful lady!" tactic and pulls a Brock moment(Remember? From Pokemon?), Hakkai is more on par with the shy high school nerd who is asked by a pretty school girl if he wants to hang out with her. My other main problem I have with him is the lack of evolution from being expelled from heaven to now. We never see him overcome certain "pig" faults, lust, gluttony, etc. It feels like even if we've watched all 11 episodes and one movie, we've somehow missed Hakkai's personal character arc and this is the aftermath we're watching. The Edge: Pigsy Don't get me wrong, Hakkai's personality is great entertainment and certain scenes pull my heart strings like an elastic band. But lets face facts. In any Journey to the West retelling, the main characters are a Monkey, a Fish, a Pig and a Priest. So after 10 minutes of deciding, the question came down to: "Is this a 'Pig' character?" and if the answer for Hakkai is "no" then I'm sorry, the edge goes to Pigsy. Hands down. Out of the two characters, I'd rather watch the actual "pig" character. Tripitaka VS Sanzou Hoshi Tripitaka (Masako Natsume, voiced by Maria Warburg) - In all honesty, I've been dreading writing about Tripitaka and Hoshi. Simply because they're the exact same character. Word for word. So its hard to compare a character that's exactly the same (except for one thing we'll get to, don't worry). At least when comparing the likes of Monkey and Sandy, there's differences to point out. Anyway, Tripitaka was an orphan, adopted by a monastery. After finding his mother and "avenging" his father, he is told to go on a holy journey to India. The show maybe called Monkey but Tripitaka is the leader of the group. Now in most adaptations of Journey to the West, there's a common troupe with this character. The fact he's played by a female actor. I get that because the character is a boy priest and its easier for women to play younger men then grown men. (Fans of anime will know exactly what I'm talking about) But in this show they didn't really try hard enough to conceal that fact. An episode comes to mind "You Win Some, You Lose Some" where he's captured, again, and you start to realise that "Hey...Why are there lumps on his chest? Did the demons do that?" Sanzou Hoshi (Eri Fukatsu) - Same story as Tripitaka, a boy priest whose on a journey to India, leader of the gang, etc, etc. His kind heart and helping nature does become his undoing sometimes. Its also the reason why every episode they detour away from their Journey to India. The annoying fact about Hoshi specifically is something I've explained in the previous post. His "trust" in Goku is something that has got me shouting at my laptop, "Why rescue and travel with the one guy you obviously don't trust?". My plothole rantings aside, theres one point that is worth noting but its not on a character level. Its on an actor's. In keeping with tradition, Hoshi is played by a female actor. The reason for noting this? She shaved her head for the role. Now to some that doesn't say much however speaking as an actor myself, it takes a lot of confidence to be so committed to a production you would do something like that. And I certainly tip my hat to that. The Edge: Sanzou Hoshi Surprised? He may not be consistent with his trust for his fellow pilgram. His headache sutra prayer is enough is make me get my nostalgia glasses and shouting, "WROOOOOONNNNNNG!!!" but I'm going to stick my neck out here and give the edge to Hoshi on an actor level. I say this because both Hoshi and Tripitaka are the exact same character. It's hard to give an edge to two identical people. However I'll take this edge back the instant the show fails to cover up the fact that Hoshi is played by a woman. I.e. "Magical demon lumps" Wrapping up I present to you my personal choice of pilgrims for their journey to India. So what's you're thoughts? Given the information above, which four would you choose? When writing this, I've purposely left out certain facts like Pigsy's actor changes and the Horse becomes a main character in Monkey. Nor did I mention there are two reoccurring characters in Saiyuuki. These will take another post later down the line when we reach the halfway point. But for now enjoy today's post and look forward to next week's where we reach the 1/4 mark and the thoughts that surround my head about it.
The continuing saga of one community member's journey through classic literature!
[Here now is the next entry in community member Sideshow's awesome series of C-blogs about Journey To The West. In case you haven't been following it (for shame!) here's the first and second parts. And don't forget,...
Promoted Blog: Comparison to the West: The Journey Begins
Oct 08
// Sideshow
Monkey - Episode 1 (Monkey Goes Wild About Heaven) Now to be fair I've forced myself to watch Monkey without my nostalgia glasses. Why? I'm going to point at the common Sonic fanboy "arguments" and go "thats why". You'll see what I mean when we head over to Saiyuuki. First things first, 90% of the voice acting is fantastically offensive. The whole "oh! Daniel-san!"stereotypical asian accent reminds you of the kung-fu films of yesteryear which does fit with certain characters I guess. But I'll admit it does get offensive very fast. The narrator especially but I feel he is the only person in the show that justifies the accent simply because he is portraying an all knowing wiseman. Second thing is that the special effects are cheesy as all hell. Shots of Monkey cloud-flying comprise of a tiny figurine on a cotton ball. Summoning his monkey army can be recreated with still images of a single person, copied multiple times and animated on a moving plane in Adobe After Effects. Having said that, this IS a show made in the 1970's so I'm letting it slide. The opening to the show is by far one of the flashiest openings I've seen in ages. From the song alone, it gives the sense that this is the most epic story of all time. "Born from an egg on a mountain top. Funkiest Monkey to every pop." etc, etc. I highly recommend you track this song down just to see for yourself. (Its Monkey Magic by Godiego for those at the back of the class) Trying to recap all 43 minutes of Monkey in a single paragraph is extremely hard partly because its 43 minutes but mostly because I didn't do so well at english in high school. The entire episode is an origin story for Monkey, who made of stone and capable of magic, telling the tale of how he acquired the magic Wishing Staff and how heaven tried to control him as a precaution. So they hire him as the Heavenly Stableman. But he started fighting when he found out that's not a high status in heaven. And then they refer to him as "Great Sage, Equal of Heaven" in name only and make him a Gardener of the Heavenly Peach Garden. But then he ate all the peaches, thus making him immortal and then goes crazy and fights all of heaven. And this is from being told he's not invited to a heavenly party. All of these scenes are sown together with fight scenes. And it must be said that the "staff VS sword" fight scenes are decently choreographed to the tune of drums and bass guitar playing in the background making it almost addicting. They're no Mark Musashi (Kodama from Garo) but its close. Speaking of production, the visuals overall are something that warrant certain frames of the episode to be sent into an art exhibition with its beautiful costume and set designs. But getting back to the last bit of the plot... Desperate to stop Monkey, Budda appears in his female form, making a first in many gender reversals for characters in the series, and places Monkey under a mountain for five hundred years...harsh. Budda then turns to heaven and hints at a journey that must be taken to save man kind. If you're wondering why I haven't mentioned Sandy, Pigsy & Tripitaka yet, its because this episode isn't really about them. Hell, Tripitaka is seen in the last minute of the whole thing. I'll go into detail about them in my next post when I compare them to their Saiyuuki counterparts. Saiyuuki - Episode 1 (Land of Fire) Monkey/Goku is blonde. (I just thought I'd start by saying that.) Saiyuuki gets right in the action with the Goku, Hakkai/Sandy, Gojou/Pigsy & Sanzou Hoshi/Tripitaka taking on a bird demon and an army of ninjas. Now if I said Monkey's fight scenes are close to Mark Musashi then Saiyuuki is Musashi's genetic clone. A battle royale of animal spirits and ninjas. I think the main reason they chose this as a way to start the show is because Monkey is a cult classic and assumes that Saiyuuki's audience already know how they came to be. And to be honest, if I was writing a remake, I would start like this to. The show's opening is something that I'm still confused about. It starts with a beautiful painting and has the traditional storytelling narrator. After that is a shot of the mountains with Goku spinning his staff and then the show's name and episode title are seen on the mountain side accompanied by modern-ish music. It gets confusing trying to pin point what tone they're going for. But one thing that doesn't get confusing is the comedic writing. You'll have a scene of Goku, Hakkai & Gojou fighting over who gets to drink their water supply when Hoshi empties his bottle on a plant and gets shouted at since that's the only water they had left in the middle of a desert. So Hoshi starts to cry while the rest of the gang try to calm him down by pretending to see a town in the distance. This is the only joke I'm choosing to ruin since it happens after the opening but there are better ones. After reaching a town they encounter Hoshi's former master whose faced with a problem. His daughter is marked as a sacrifice to keep a demon from causing more chaos in their town. Hoshi volunteers to help. Their plans immediately backfires as Goku discovers that Hoshi's former master offered Hoshi up to the demon so his daughter wouldn't be sacrificed. Resulting in Hoshi and the others to be kidnapped. Goku then saves them...by bringing Hoshi's former master and his daughter into the demon's lair and once again, things don't go as planned as the daughter is left behind. Afterwards Hoshi demands why Goku did that. And after a heated argument with Hoshi trusting his former master than his own pupil, Goku leaves, expelled from Hoshi's travelling party. And this is where I start having problems with the show. The next scene is a discussion between Goku and a cook called Rin-Rin which is basically to frame a flashback to when Goku was trapped under a mountain. From where I sat if they didn't include this scene I would think "Well Goku is reckless. He's a danger. It makes sense not to trust him.". But to include this scene something was rattling around in my brain. "Why go through all the trouble of getting someone out of a five hundred year prison, travel with them for god...budda knows how long and yet NOT trust him???" Up to this point the show has portrayed these four pilgrims as brothers, close friends, etc. What I'm saying is that if you're going to travel with someone on a journey that would take years to complete, how could you not trust that person? Hoshi is kidnapped, again, and discovers out Goku WAS right. Goku finally goes to rescue him, in the form of cloud-flying, after a pep talk. And while I say "cloud" I really mean leaf. A giant leaf. To be honest, I like this change. Its different but I think what makes it work is the scene itself. Quick scenes of Goku flying on the leaf created with CGI rather than a figurine. People with CGI knowledge, tell the others how hard it would be to do that? Nice, gentle flying music accompanying it. Its certainly one of the things that keeps audience members intrigued. And while its not as cheesy as Monkey's special effects, its on par with shows like Garo and Kamen Rider......and Super Sentai...you get the idea. Then, a final showdown which pretty much runs exactly like how the episode started, with everything returning normal. But I'll share my thoughts on that later. Trust me, it's going to take me another post to explain that. Oh yes. And after all this, Hoshi tricks Goku to put the headache sutra headband on. A headband that hurts Goku when Hoshi recites a prayer, which I'll remain silent about that prayer because I'll have to put on my Monkey nostalgia glasses on. But I will say that after this whole trust plot has finished and Hoshi has to trick Goku to wear this precaution, seems to scream out "Hoshi doesn't trust Goku as much as you think.". And its one of the biggest slaps to the face. What makes Saiyuuki work is it's comedy and fight choreography. Its visual aspects (costume & set design) however, aren't as impressive. It seems that they were going for a bright and colourful costume set but its overshadowed by the massive amounts of detail they give them and the dullness of most sets. An over detailed costume for the likes of Goku or Gojou seems impractical. And special mention should be given to Monkey Majik, the band who wrote and sung the ending theme forSaiyuuki, further illustrating how much nostalgia the producers are trying to generate. (Around The World - Monkey Majik) The Edge: Neither After seeing the first episodes of both I'm struggling to see who has the edge, the upper hand, etc,Monkey has amazing costumes and the special effects are something that SFX students should study up on. Saiyuuki, on the other hand, has a simplified script (for an 83 minute episode) and amazing fight scenes. So lets just see what the rest of the series (50 episodes of Monkey, 11 episodes and 1 movie forSaiyuuki) has to offer as we continue our Comparison to the West! ....Didn't think I'd write this much...
Part two in an awesome community-written feature series!
[Community member Sideshow has been running a fascinating series of C-Blog posts on Journey To The West and its many influences on Japanese pop culture, and such amazing efforts deserve recognition - and promotion! If you've ...
Promoted Blog: Comparison to the West: Introduction
Sep 26
// Sideshow
Journey to the West has been adapted time and time again throughout the years. From films like The Forbidden Kingdom to anime such as Saiyuki as inspiration to characters like say...Goku and sadly Rule 34...a legitimate, can pay to watch rule 34. But in 2006 Japan wanted to spark to nostalgia feel with it's tokusatsu show Saiyuuki. What makes this show worth noting is that it's the successor to the original Monkey. Thats right folks, its a comparison. A Comparison to the West! So, while I get started on my own little journey, look forward to the following blog posts: -The Journey begins (First episode comparion & impression) -A Tale of Two Monkeys (Main Character Analysis of both shows) -Quater point Wishing Staff (1/4 recap) -Halfway there (Should be obvious) -Three quater Nyoi-Bo (3/4 recap) -Journey's End (Final episode and Saikuuki movie comparison/final thoughts) Hang on to your magic clouds and prepare yourself for a Comparison to the West!
[Jtor community member Sideshow had some great insights into anime's adaptation of a classic piece of Asian literature. We can't wait to see the rest of his series, but in the meantime, check out his introduction and GET...
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LAMPS PLUS Blog Policies
Even if you're not planning to throw a major fete this holiday season, it's nice to dress up your bar area and that involves choosing a bar cart style. You could go with a rustic chalet theme, incorporating plaids and antlers, or get seriously sparkly with all your shiny mirrored and gold accessories. Here are two holiday bar schemes for inspiration.
It's true that plaid is making a major showing in the fall/winter fashion scene, but regardless of trends tartan is always in style at Christmas time. Tartan tea towels and cocktail napkins are nice touches too, like this one above from Camille Styles.
While taxidermy and antlers are always welcome like in Erin Hearts Court's image, be sure to dress your head with a garland or wreath. Just that tiny touch says holiday, and smells good too.
Shopping guide: 1. Rustic Message Board 2. Stag Horn Faux Antler Wall Mirror 3. Horizon Birch Bark Table Lamp 4. Apothecary Style Glass Beverage Dispenser 5. Red Tan and Green Plaid Pleated Shade 6. Jubilee Fine Fragranced Fraser Fir Candle 7. Rustic Chic Weathered Blue Hall Chest 8. Hex Nut Natural Wood Candle Holder 9. Faux Cedar Pine Topiary 10. Reed and Barton Cove Crystal Hiball Glasses
It's true that gold tones are huge right now throughout the house (unless you've already moved on to copper) and this is true for bar cart style too! During the holidays, and especially for New Year's, a touch of gilt makes anything festive.
Mirrored chargers and trays, polished chrome or brass cocktail shakers, and of course any and all of your crystal are essential in making your bar shine. These two images from Style Me Pretty and Elle Decor provides lots of glam ideas.
Shopping guide: 1. Swizzle Blush Chandelier 2. Starburst Mirrored Wall Art 3. Little Red Bird Glass Pedestal Plate 4. Gold Leaf Shaped Decorative Tray 5. Godinger Leaf 2-Tone Brass and Silver Ice Tongs 6. Reed and Barton Cove Crystal Decanter 7. Antique Brass and Black Tray Table 8. Reed and Barton Soho Crystal Cocktail Glasses 9. Jubilee Fine Fragranced French Vanilla Candle 10. Crown Two-Tier Iron Stand
Image credits: Erin Hearts Court, Camille Styles / Style Me Pretty, Elle Decor


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Posted on » 03 July 2009
MANAMA: Bahrain-based Islamic investment bank Gulf Finance House (GFH) yesterday denied it is was in talks to merge with Kuwait's First Investment Bank or any other bank, dismissing a media report.
"All the rumours in this regard are erroneous and completely without foundation," it said in a statement.
"Gulf Finance House would like to assure its shareholders, investors and clients that it has no plans to merge with any bank or financial institution and continues to operate as a standalone Islamic investment bank," it said.
Kuwaiti paper Al Watan reported earlier yesterday that GFH and First Investment have started to evaluate assets ahead of a merger expected to take place at the end of the quarter, citing unidentified sources.
GFH also denied rumours it was about to lay off staff.
"Gulf Finance House would like to clarify there is no truth to the rumour that it is either laying off expat staff or not renewing their contracts," a spokesman for the bank said.
GFH is an Islamic investment bank that has focused on developing and arranging financing for large infrastructure and real estate projects in the region, sectors which have been hit by the global economic downturn.
The bank is now trying to diversify by building up private equity, asset management and venture capital business lines, after it posted two consecutive quarterly losses.


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In 1998, America's law enforcement community began using an automated background check system to approve or deny gun purchases instantly. Since then, millions of Americans have had their backgrounds checked by police who use the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System to keep guns out of the hands of convicted felons, illegal aliens, fugitives from justice and several other categories of people.
In spite of the system, the wrong people still buy guns. Over a 30-month period, 10,000 felons and others prohibited from buying guns passed background checks and obtained firearms because most states have failed to adequately automate background check records, according to a report released in 2002 by the Americans for Gun Safety Foundation. The report, Broken Records: How America's Faulty Background Check System Allows Criminals to Get Guns, graded states on their record keeping and information sharing.
Just under half the states -- 22 to be exact -- received an F.
Not all states fared so poorly. One state in particular made a major technology investment to keep its record keeping accurate and improve its ability to prevent criminals and other illegal buyers from obtaining guns. The commonwealth of Massachusetts deployed what it says is the most comprehensive, instant record-checking system for gun owners and purchasers.
The new system, dubbed MIRCS (Massachusetts Instant Record Check System), combines biometrics with the state's criminal history database. Would-be purchasers must pass a background check both when applying for a license to carry a firearm and when purchasing the gun. Massachusetts issues 78,000 firearms licenses every year.
"This is the most comprehensive system of its kind in the country," said Barry LaCroix, executive director of the Massachusetts Criminal History Systems Board (CHSB). "The Web-based system has expedited and standardized the process for running background checks."
MIRCS replaces an operation that relied on paper and mainframe computers, and took weeks to process an application, said Jim Slater, CIO for the Executive Office of Public Safety, which oversees the CHSB.
"Massachusetts has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the nation," he said. "But the existing system built up a tremendous backlog because it was still paper-based in the local police departments where residents have to apply for gun licenses."
It was also inefficient, costing the state and police time and money.
Web-Based Verification
In 2000, the state decided to automate the front end of the application process, allowing local police to file forms from computers and eliminating the paper trail that made the old system slow and cumbersome. It was originally designed as a mainframe-based solution, something the CHSB wanted to change when it became clear the process could work less expensively on the Web. A small firm called xFact, from North Andover, Mass., designed and built the front-end application.
Massachusetts spent approximately $4.6 million on MIRCS, using money from the state's IT bond program, which borrows money from financial markets for state government systems that can demonstrate a return on investment in terms of money and value. The funds paid for design, application development and hardware, said Curtis Wood, deputy director of the CHSB. In addition, the project paid for installation of a workstation, printer, fingerprint reader and secure router in every local police department in the state, he said.
Some equipment purchased by the CHSB, including the router and workstation, is part of a broader law enforcement program to give police in Massachusetts integrated, encrypted access to FBI and other databases over the state's integrated criminal justice system infrastructure.
"We were able to leverage the budget for the project to cover a number of related applications," explained Wood.
When applicants arrive at the local police department, they pay a fee for the license, and have their picture taken and fingerprints scanned with the


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Instagram Hotel Indulges Guests' Social Media Obsession On Vacation
The 1888 Hotel in Sydney has a space for guests to take selfies and incentives based on guests' social network profile.
Social media inspired hotels are apparently on the rise. Spain opened the Twitter-inspired Sol Wave House, and now there is the Instagram-themed 1888 Hotel in Sydney, Australia.
From a lobby that has a digital mural of Instagram shots to a space built specially for hotel guests to take selfies when they check in, the hotel is completely designed around the social media site.
The five-story hotel has 90 rooms, which are decorated with photos taken by guests. The rooms start at $140 per night, and guests have a chance to win a free additional night's stay through the hotel's monthly photo competitions. Guests who take the best photo of the hotel win. The hotel also offers Instagram-based incentives. Guests who have more than 10,000 followers are awarded a free night's stay at the hotel.
The hotel is managed by 8Hotels and was named after the year Kodak came out with the first box and roll camera. In an article on Mashable, 8Hotels CEO Paul Fischman said the hotel was designed with the 'modern traveler' in mind. Today's travelers like to take photos of their trips and share them on their social networks. That is why 8Hotels integrated social media into the design of the hotel.


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Appreciate your spouse this month...and always— published: 05-05-2014
The daily grind can make it easy to forget to tell your spouse how much you appreciate him or her. This month, focus on showing your partner how much he or she means to you. There are many ways to show appreciation. One way is to write a "gratitude letter" in which you tell your partner in writing how his or her actions have affected your life in a positive way. Describe all the little things that you appreciate—from kindness toward others to making you a special dinner. Try to be specific so that he or she knows you put a lot of thought into it. And try not to expect something in return. The essence of gratitude is to give without expecting something in return.
For more ideas on fostering gratitude, read "Just the Facts: Resilience—Gratitude" from afterdeployment.org.


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Come and celebrate the magic and wonder of Ambigrams !!!
AMBIGRAM: A typographical design or artform that may be read as one or more words not only in its form as presented, but also from another viewpoint, direction, or orientation.
For more info, click here
If you're a fan, creator or even a remotely curious person in the ways of ambigrams, be sure to stop by, take a peek and watch us.
If you are interested to have a customized ambigram, you can send a note to this group (then I will post your request in a Journal). Or you can also visit our members' page and request to commission them after looking at their gallery.
Have Fun in our gallery !!!


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Latest action! A competition of two frogs for a balloon in a room. You vs your computer. You must try to jump correctly to direct a balloon to the opponent's cactus to score a goal, and to protect your own cactus. The winner scores more goals before the end of a match. The program features are based on mouse controls.
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Pallavi Sharda Ranbir kapoor in new upcoming movie Besharam
Pallavi to romance Ranbir Kapoor in BESHARAM:Pallavi Sharda,beautiful indian australian actress. She has now been roped into her first big project in which she will romance none other than Ranbir Kapoor. Well, it will be interesting to see her romancing the handsome Kapoor in town on celluloid. The movie is titled "Besharam" to be directed by Abhinav Kashyup. It has been learnt that Ranbir was already in the project but they were looking for an actress. Besharam wanted a talented fresh face opposite Ranbir Kapoor and Earlier Parineeti Chopra was roped for the movie but Parineeti is replaced by Pallavi Sharda and Pallavi suited the role completely. Pallavi is the new addition to the venture, In this flick, Ranbir will be sporting a new avatar of a tapori. He has done so previously in a movie but that was for an item song for Chillar Party. Viacom 18 and Abhinav's own banner will produce the movie that is scheduled to go on floors in October this year.
Ranbir Kapoor to romance Pallavi ShardaThe chocolaty boy of Bollywood is all set to romance with the new face of bollywood Pallavi Sharda in her forthcoming flick. Duo will set the silver screen on fire as both are considered as extrovert in nature. The movie is expected to go on floors in October and will be directed by Abhinav Kashyap. Abhinav Kashyap directed the superhit film Dabangg but due to some personal issues Arbaaz Khan dropped him from the sequel.
Actor Ranbir Kapoor is definitely a ladies man and every actress wants to work with him. Where, obviously Ranbir Kapoor will be performing the character of Besharam. The producers of Besharam wanted a talented new face opposite Ranbir Kapoor and Pallavi Sharda ideal the role totally.
Well, we are very sure Ranbir Kapoor and Pallavi Sharda would burn the screen together with their powerful performances.
Pallavi Sharda Besharam:Besharam is an upcoming movie in which Pallavi sharda,last seen in Heroine and My Name is Khan and now she will play the solo lead role for the first time in bollywood and she will be paired opposite the handsome Ranbir Kapoor.


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Posted by Bill
Ms. Brumback was the lead attorney on a team that defended a large national Architectural firm in a complicated claim brought by a very aggressive health care institution's legal team.
At all times, Ms. Brumback patiently and competently led our firm through the process. Our firm had been very successful over the many years it had been in operation in avoiding such claims and, as a result, required much guidance from the legal team in assisting in our own defense.
I, personally, and the firm, generally, would recommend Ms. Brumback to any design firm in need of an excellent defense.
Posted by Chris
I returned a product to a store owner and he claimed he would issue me a credit on my credit card once his credit card machine was working again. He never did after multiple phone calls and then sent me a bad check. Melissa wrote him a letter to "put the fear of God (or fear of lawyers, perhaps)" into him, which seemed to work, since he finally sent me a check for my refund that cleared.
Posted by James
Ms. Brumbach represented my firm on two separate occasions. The first as a member of a legal team who defended us against a former client. Rather than meet to discuss the concerns in person, this client was persuaded by an aggressive law firm to resolve the matter through the courts. Their incentive being the expectation of a large insurance settlement from a policy we carried at the time.
The second was as our attorney in a suit to collect fees from a client who withheld final payment for work we performed. Rather than meet to discuss, this client ceased communication.
In both instances she became familiar with the facts very quickly and developed a well conceived plan for both our defense and the merits of our claim.
We would not hesitate to engage her if the need arose once again.
Posted by Christina
Melissa did a fantastic job when I was trying to negotiate with the insurance company after a car accident that left me with several injuries and many hours of missed work. She worked very had to get the best settlement for me as quickly as she possibly could. While I had been working with them for months, she settled the situation in one phone call. She was always professional when I was corresponding with her, both on the phone and via email. I appreciated how quickly she resolved the situation and how much respect she gave when dealing with me and the insurance company. I would recommend her to anyone who wants to get their problems handled swiftly and efficiently.
Posted by Joe
Mrs. Brumback was professional, easy to deal with, easy to contact and always returned my e-mails and phone calls in a reasonable time. She was very knowledgeable about our case and was a good negotiator.


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You haven't eating a hamburger until you've had one at Calico Jack's!Read More
Come on in and grab some oysters and shellfish! Enjoy the laid back atmosphere. Check out our menu using the navigation at the top and if you need anything just ask!Read more
"Come on in for the best seafood in Tallahassee!"
Welcome to Calico Jack's. Here you'll find the freshest Tallahassee oysters and shellfish served in a variety of delicious dishes served with color and flavor. Our popular Captain's Combo of fresh mahi mahi, shrimp and oysters, grilled tuna steaks and steamed oysters will satisfy any seafood lover. Lunch is a hearty, yet fresh experience with our chowder or gumbo combo, and your choice of soup or salad. Enjoy a taste of the Northeast with our Maryland Crab Cake Sandwich or "south of the border" flavor with Costa Mayan Fish Tacos, served with tri-color chips, salsa and sour cream. Cater your next party with one our party platters. Our Peel and Eat Cajun Shrimp Platter, Fried Calamari Platter or Fresh Wrap Platters including grilled shrimp or tuna are all great crowd pleasers. We also have wings, burgers, and a variety menu.
Happy hour is awesome! We found this place in the paper and their specials really caught our eye! So glad we made the stop. 5 cent beers is unheard of… Even if it is just pabst. Oh and 45 cent oysters!!! Score. The gumbo was also delicious. Lots of meat and seafood without the fishy taste.


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Filter Rules: How to promote certain sites or web pages
The Fluid Dynamics Search Engine allows you to "promote" certain web pages.
When listing search results, FDSE arranges each listing in order of its relevance, which is a number from 1 to 999999 corresponding to the number of times the search keywords were found in the document. If the web page has been promoted, its relevance value is multiplied by some integer. A higher relevance value causes it to appear closer to the top of the results list.
To promote web pages:
Log in to the "Admin Page".
Choose the "Filter Rules" link from the navigation menu. One of the default Filter Rules is labeled "Promote Sites". Click the "Edit" link for that rule.
There will be a TEXTAREA labeled "Strings". Simply enter the URL of any web pages that you wish to promote. If you enter a base URL, like "http://www.xav.com/", then all pages whose URL contains that substring will be promoted.
At the top of the page is the text "promote by [5] times". You can set the multiplier to any value between 1 and 99.
You must rebuild your index files for the changes to take effect.
If you want to promote different sets of web pages by different values, you can create multiple filter rules, and give different promote values to each set. For example, you could have rules "Promote Sites - 5x", "Promote Sites - 10x", and "Promote Sites - 90x".
The Filter Rules are very versatile. Instead of using the URL of web pages, you could set the "Analyze" property to "Document Text", and then promote pages which contain certain strings (like a link back to your site).
Web pages that are effected by multiple promote-type Filter Rules will have a promote multiplier equal to all the individual multipliers combined, subject to a maximum ceiling of 99. Thus, a 10x promotion based on URL and a 5x promotion based on a string in Document Text will result in a 50x multiplier. But another 10x promotion based on hostname would only increase the multiplier to 99x, the maximum possible multiplier for any document.
For more information on how FDSE calculates relevance values, see: Sorting Results: How relevance is calculated
History: Filter Rules were added to FDSE with version 2.0.0.0015 on 2000-10-10. Prior to that version, web pages were promoted using the settings "PromoteSites" and "Promote Value". Very early versions used the
@PromoteSites array or the
$CRANK string.
"Filter Rules: How to promote certain sites or web pages" https://www.xav.com/scripts/search/help/1098.html


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Matthew Elam (6-foot-6, 300-pounds) is a mountain of a man in the middle of the John Hardin defense. As a sophomore, he was able to come up with 65 tackles and three fumble recoveries. He has been getting attention from several schools, including in-state rival Louisville who he visited for the Governor's Cup contest.
Now Elam is planning to visit Kentucky this weekend.
"I didn't get to go to the Kent State game last weekend," said Elam. "I'm for sure going to the Kentucky game this weekend."
Elam is still in the early stages of recruiting right now. He hasn't had a lot of contact with the Wildcats yet.
"I haven't really been in contact with them much," said Elam. "I have very high interest in UK. I'm hoping to get an offer from them soon," he continued.
Kentucky Scout will have more on Elam after his Kentucky visit.


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River Cats' Vogt does it again
A's farmhand homers twice in another six-RBI game
By Robert Emrich / MiLB.com | July 19, 2013 9:35 PM ET
It was a case of deja vu all over again for Stephen Vogt.
The A's farmhand collected five hits, including a pair of homers, and drove in six runs on Friday night as Triple-A Sacramento cruised to an 18-7 romp over Salt Lake at Spring Mobile Ballpark.
Batting third in the lineup, Vogt put the River Cats in front with a two-run homer in the first inning. He singled and scored in a four-run third, then blasted a grand slam in the sixth that extended Sacramento's lead to 13-6. It was his 11th homer and second slam of the season.
"It was a good day," said Vogt, who scored four times. "Looking to come off a good win last night and I was able to get a home run in the first inning. I got some good pitches to hit, was able to lay off some tough pitches and able to stay within my approach and get five hits."
On April 14, the 28-year-old catcher posted an identical 5-for-6 line with two homers and six RBIs in a 22-6 thrashing of Reno. He's had three two-homer games this year, plating five runs on June 23 against Colorado Springs.
"It's kind of surreal," Vogt said. "The hard part about this game is you play every day and you don't know if you're going to go 0-for-4 or get five hits. To repeat that day, I thought about that after the game. It was great. It was a great night for the team and also a great night personally.
"It's always a great night when you have a multi-hit game, but to get five hits and six RBIs and two homers, you wish you could have a night like that every night. The cliche is true -- tomorrow's a new day, enjoy it for a little while tonight but be ready to go tomorrow."
Daric Barton was 3-for-4 with a homer, four RBIs and four runs scored for the River Cats, while A's No. 11 prospect Michael Taylor went yard and plated three runs. The outburst was not out of character for Sacramento, which is tied for the Pacific Coast League lead with 554 runs scored.
"I can't say enough about our lineup," Vogt said. "Whether it's young guys or guys that have been around a while, everybody contributes on a different night. When you're hitting in a lineup like this, one person gets the ball rolling and it's contagious. When we start to get on a roll, we don't stop, we don't let up."
Luis Rodriguez slugged a grand slam and Kole Calhoun added a two-run homer for the Bees.
Robert Emrich is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @RobertEmrich This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.View More


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Lyonswood Careers
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We have over 35 years of continuous experience in this field and our results are well documented in our commendations. Over 98% of our infidelity clients get the evidence they need.
Lyonswood Private Investigations is always looking for competent people in all areas of the investigation industry. If you already a licensed investigator with experience or if you have a skill or ability you think our clients might have be interested in, please forward us your details and a CV by email and we will discuss the possibility of utilising your services in the future.
For those who are licenced but not yet experienced, we are also interested in hearing from you. In NSW, you will need to have a master licence before you can perform any form of work with us so please make contact when you have met this requirement.
For those who are not licensed and not experienced, have you ever considered becoming a private investigator? Perhaps you didn't even know that such a job really existed. Private investigators do exist in Australia but the reality of life as a private eye is a bit different from Hollywood's portrayal. There is still the excitement and intrigue you would expect but there's also a strong regulatory, commercial and legal framework within which investigators must operate.
There will always be a need for private investigators although the level of demand fluctuates with changes in legislation, society and in technology. Is the role of investigator one that you could take on? Are you reliable, attentive, imaginative and a good communicator? Would you have the ability to understand instructions, understand clients' requirements and desired outcomes, identify key elements and formulate and execute a cogent plan? Can you think outside the square and come up with a unique approach to a problem? If so, you might make a competent investigator. Whether as a part-time endeavour or a job for life, conducting investigations teaches you a useful set of skills, many of which can have broader application.
We suggest as a first step purchasing and reading Lyonswood's Guide to Becoming an Investigator, a short ebook which outlines what you need to consider when entering the investigations industry. Once you have read the guide and complied with the steps you will be ready to make contact with us and explore the possibility of becoming an investigator.
Lyonswood Investigations regularly posts interesting content on our social media pages and we strongly advise those interested in a career in investigations to follow our Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus pages. Links to these sites can be found at the top right hand side of this page. Lyonswood is looking at offering a work experience opportunity to a suitable candidate in the future and details will be released via our social media pages.