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Someone Should Thank Wal-Mart
This morning, Wal-Mart (WMT) reported a disappointing top line across all segments -- but we were braced for much worse considering the recently leaked internal company emails.
A domestic 1% comparison for the fourth quarter was not exactly inspiring, especially considering the all-important traffic metric turned negative for the first time in five quarters. What happened to all those price investments driving more people into the stores? After a leaked email that asked, "Where are all the customers?" (referring to January business), investors' minds were working overtime....176 more words left in this article. To read them, just click below and try Real Money FREE for 14 days.
There's no substitute for a trading floor to get great ideas, so Jim Cramer created a better one at Real Money and blogs there exclusively. We then added legendary hedge fund manager, Doug Kass, with his exclusive Daily Diary and best investing ideas. Staffed with more than 4 dozen investing pros, money managers, journalists and analysts, Real Money Pro gives you a flood of opinions, analysis and actionable trading advice found nowhere else, and allows you to interact directly with each expert.
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Kathy Bates has signed on to join "American Horror Story" for its upcoming third season on FX, TVGuide.com has confirmed.
As first reported by TVLine, Bates will play the best friend of Jessica Lange's new character, who eventually becomes her enemy.
Lange has appeared in both seasons of Ryan Murphy's horror series and won an Emmy, a Golden Globe award and a Screen Actors Guild award for her work in Season 1. Also returning for Season 3 are Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Lily Rabe, Taissa Farmiga and Frances Conroy, Post South reported.
Bates, an Oscar winner for the thriller "Misery," based on a Steven King horror story, most recently starred on the NBC legal drama "Harry's Law," and a recurring role on "The Office."
"American Horror Story,"�for those who haven't seen it, is a gruesome series in which each season is a completely different story from the one that preceded it. Season 1 was set in modern times at a Los Angeles home haunted by numerous blood-thirsty ghosts. Season 2 was set during the 1960s in an insane asylum with a mad doctor (played by James Cromwell) who experimented on patients.
Lange played a nosy neighbor and former owner of the home in Season 1, and played a nun working at the asylum in season 2.

subset: commoncrawl


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Joyless Pleasure – The Remixes (Sampler) – The Horrorist by thingstocome
My last full length album was released in May (The Horrorist, Joyless Pleasure). Before this year is up I will release a remixed version. All the remixes are in and I hope to finalize the artwork this weekend and get it off to download stores and the CD duplicator. I put together a quick sampler of some of the mixes above. Everyone did a great job including some readers of this blog.
1. I Stand with You – Haujobb remix
2. Modern – Steinkind remix
3. Love Sick – Tomas Tulpe remix
4. We Will Get Wicked – Miss Duckin' remix
5. I Stand with You – Raytrace remix
6. Hostage – Miro Pajic remix
7. I Stand with You – Millimetric Remix
There's more… more remixes on the download album/CD when it is released later this year!
"joyless pleasure is like a jewelry piece but in electronic music." – morganistik.com
photo credit: Daniel Fogg


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Update on that promo man?
Yeah, the one you got before you went away. Can you do it please? I can use it for the next show.
It's ok man, I'm sure you were in a situation where you weren't able to get in touch or whatever.
Do you have a promo request in your inbox by any chance?
Cool man, would have been nice to know since we've all been wondering where you've been lol!
Any news on your involvement in EWNCW man?
Merry Xmas, hope you're enjoying the holidays.
Hey man, any update on the promo for ZG?
Read the VM below
Check out the BITW thread for the next show card.
Then if you could could you put up bios for both Infernio and Avi using the same blueprint as everyone else.
Happy birthday!!!!
The Trinity
Fresh Member
Black Ninja!
© 2011 eWrestlingNews, All Rights Reserved.


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Conger makes most of rare start
SEATTLE -- It isn't easy to get your first start in five days and go deep in your first plate appearance. But that's what backup catcher Hank Conger did in the second inning against Aaron Harang on Friday night, hitting a two-run shot to right-center field that marked his first big league homer since Sept. 16, 2011.
Conger, who appeared in 59 games with the Angels in 2011 but just seven in 2012, basically starts once a week, with Chris Iannetta doing the vast majority of the work behind the plate. It's a big adjustment for the 25-year-old switch-hitter, who's used to catching every day in the Minor Leagues.
But it's one he feels he's taking to quickly, mainly because he finally has a solidified role in the big leagues.
"When I first got called up, I didn't really know what my role was, so I didn't really know what to expect," said Conger, who has his grandparents in the stands for the four-game series in Seattle. "Now, I'm very comfortable with my role because I understand my role -- just play whenever they need me to. Chris is the starter, he's been doing a great job so far, and so I think for me, it's easier to understand my role and to be more comfortable in my role."
Alden Gonzalez is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Gonzo and "The Show", and follow him on Twitter @Alden_Gonzalez. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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I love the Valk. I typically throw 300-325 cause I haven't gotten my technique down yet but I'm working on it. I can turn over a beat in DX easily and I can get a nice S curve from a new DX. A star valk is slightly understable depending on the weight.
What are my options if I want to try and fall in love with something new? Is there another disc out there that can hang pound for pound with a Valk? If so which disc is it?
Here is what I gather from my research?
Latitude 64 Saint (perhaps the same speed as a Valk but more overstable?)
Latitude 64 River (too understable and slow?)
Vibram Trak (less speed but same flight characteristics)
Westside stag
Millenium JLS or slightly higher speed OLS
Gateway assassin ?
Discraft Wildcat
If you had 2 choices from the above (or something else I didn't consider) to replace the valk, which two would you consider? Is there anything I'm leaving out?
Thanks for your help.


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" Brand: Tesco / Type: Meat "
I decided to try the tesco value corned beef for the first time a couple of weeks ago and I was very pleasantly surprised, corned beef in general is quite high in fat and being a processed meat is quite salty, this value one is actually less fatty and salty than many more expensive brands.
You get 7 slices in a 230g pack and the price in my local Tesco was £1.39, the slices are quite thin but are fine for a sandwich.
The appearance of the meat is good there is not as much of the white fat on them as you sometimes see with corned beef.
It can be a little hard to seperate the slices I have found it easiest to run a palette knife between them otherwise they can break up a bit.
They taste very good, not too salty and not greasy, the meat is soft and there have been no gristley bits that you can get with processed meats.
I am a fan of this corned beef and will be buying it again instead of the more expensive brand.
Overall well worth trying you me by surprised.
You have all been there...you grab a tin of corned beef out of the kitchen cupboard, only to be confronted with those horrible "keys" on the side of the tin. You tentatively remove the key, hoping that this time, this time it will be different...With no little difficulty, you slot the key into the sharp jutting out bit of metal at the side of the tin, and although your fingers are bleeding slightly, begin to turn the key in anticipation of the prize inside. You succesfully work your way around the first corner of the square tin, you have never got this far before. Your pulse speeds up and beads of sweat begin to form on your brow. Now to the second corner. Slowly, slowly you turn the key. The smell of the corned beef turns you into a slavering wild beast, as you attack the can in a frenzy of anticipation. Nearly there.....just a bit....SNAP! The key breaks in two, leaving you stamping your feet and turning the air blue with expletives. The weak give up at this point. The more persistent among us head to the shed and the power tools...
If this has been your experience, worry no longer! The great gurus at Tesco in their infinite wisdom have solved this age old problem by packing their Value Corned Beef in a user friendly plastic pack with a peel off lid, similar to the packaging of ham and other deli sliced meats. The pack contains eight generously sliced pieces of corned beef.
Tesco Value Corned Beef can be found in the chilled section of the supermarket. A 250g pack costs £1, which I think is excellent value. The ingredients are:
South American Beef
Preservative (sodium nitrite)
Each 31g slice contains:
Cal 70
Sugar 0.3g
Fat 3.7g
Saturates 1.7g
Salt 0.9g
Unfortunately, Tesco do not use the popular traffic light system when labelling their food, and you can see that the salt level is very high, nearly a whole gram of salt in a slice. To be honest though, the slices are very large, and if I am giving my kids a slice of corned beef in a sandwich, I would give them less than half a slice of this product.
The quality of the corned beef is really good, and you don't get that thick layer of white fat that you get with the tinned variety, just lots of lovely savoury meaty flavour. I think for a value product, this is really outstanding, because it feels like a premium quality item, and I doubt that Tesco would be able to improve on this.
The corned beef itself has lots of uses in cooking, as an ingredient in corned beef hash, or corned beef fritters, in a salad or just as a simple sandwich filling. It is perfect for rustling up quick, no fuss meals and suppers, which make it a staple ingredient in the family fridge.
The packaging is recycleable, and there are no major allergy warnings on the pack.
I award this product 5 stars for its quality and versatility, although caution is needed as regards the salt content of the product.
What is it?
It is 8 slices (250grams) of delicatessen-style corned beef from the chiller cabinet at Tesco. It is by their value range and comes in the blue and white packaging that we all know. The packaging has changed slightly from the picture shown, it now has smaller writing and a basic drawing of a salad filled bap. It states 'perfect in sandwiches and salads'. They advise to consume within 2 days of opening. It costs (give or take a few pence) around £1.00 per packet.
The ingredients.
The ingredients are fairly simple: south american beef, salt, sugar, and sodium nitrate. It is good to see there is no MSG added but a shame to see sodium nitrate added - it is an unnecessary additive in my opinion. I also worry about the fact the beef has come all the way from South America, surely this gives this food a particularly high carbon footprint?
The flavour.
It is not too salty in taste which is something I have noticed with a lot of the tinned varieties. It has a lovely savoury flavour and is light enough to enjoy in a salad but strong enough to jazz up your macaroni cheese. My partner and son also approve!
The texture.
For something on the economy end of the food spectrum, I was impressed to find no chewy bits of gristle. It is soft but not too mushy. It holds its shape when lifting carefully out of the packaging and the slices are not too thin or thick (about 2mm).
The convenience.
In my household, we always keep some cold sliced meat handy in the fridge for lunches, dinners, and snacks. Being on a budget, good quality ham is hard to find for less than £2.00 and cheaper options are full of chewy fat or bulked out with a lot of additives. Barring the sodium nitrate, this corned beef seems to be the lesser of the evils with regards to cheap cold meats. It has become a family favourite and until our income improves, we will probably be buying it on a weekly basis for a long time to come.
Value corned beef is one of my 'tesco must haves!'
I first used this corned beef around 2 years ago when my son requested something other than the normal cheese, ham or honey in his sandwiches. I have been buying this regularly ever since.
The corned beef is pre-sliced and you get 250g, which is around 8 slices in each packet, the packets are clear with the standard tesco value range blue and white labelling.
The corned beef costs 97p per pack and it is a more suitable size for sandwiches than their value sliced ham or chicken, as it is rectangular and fits nicely in the larger bread which I always buy. I feel that there is nothing worse than empty edges to a sandwich and find that squares of ham do not fit to the edges, whereas this corned beef does so only one slice for each sandwich is ever needed.
The corned beef is of good quality too, it is not dry at all (moist enough for me to elimiate butter/margerine) and it is not covered in the little white fatty bits that you would expect with a value corned beef product, or like you get in tinned corned beef, this in my eyes is on par with tesco standard label corned beef slices.
The corned beef slices are flavoursome and excellent value for money, in my household they are a favourite and I would recommend anyone to give these a try for a simple, tasty and cheap home made sandwich.
Not much more I really say, corned beef at its best in my eyes!!!
Tesco value range products vary a bit of that there is no doubt; we have had some very good ones, some reasonable ones and a few bad ones.
The Tesco value corned beef falls into the very good category and if you took away the bland Tesco value wrapping you would have no idea you were using a budget product.
I feared the beef would be fatty but it was no more so than any other corned beef and it tasted very, very nice and it was actually better tasting than the much more expensive Asda one we had been using.
Other cheap corned beefs that I have tried in the past tend to be very salty but there was no such problem with this one in fact there were no problems at all, and at 97p for 8 slices it is about 20p cheaper than the Asda one we used previously and considerably cheaper than buying brand named corned beef.
Nutritional info per slice:
Calories - 67
Protein - 8.1g
Fat - 3.7g
Salt - 0.9g
If you like corned beef then you will definitely like this one and by buying it you will save a few pennies so you can't go wrong!
The Tesco Value corned beef is a product I had tried not long ago when I was shopping in Tesco. I have been trying out some of the Tesco Value range to see if I can save some money on my weekly shop.
The packaging for the Tesco Value corned beef is not nice looking or eye catching but this is because it is in the Tesco value range and all of these items are no frills and very basic. The corned beef is in slices and is in a plastic packet. The front of the packet has the name of the Corned beef on it and the Tesco value logo.
The corned beef was bought by me to put in sandwiches. I thought it was nice when put on a sandwich and I liked it as much as any corned beef I have had before.
I usually spend about £1.50 on a pack of corned beef like this so I was pleased with the money I saved by getting the Tesco Value packet which only cost me about 95 pence.
I was worried about the Tesco value corned beef being to fatty but this is something that affects all types of corned beef not just cheaper ones. I thought that the Tesco Value corned beef was not to bad and not too much of fat so this was good.
The slices in the packet were nice and thin and just a nice size so I was pleased with this to as I had thought maybe the cheap corned beef would have been slices that were to thick which I don't like. There was eight slices of the corned beef in the packet so this was very good value for money.
I will buy the Tesco value corned beef again because it is good value and it tasted to me like other types I have had before. I will suggest giving it a try to put on your sandwiches because it is very nice.
Tesco Value Corned Beef
Description: Manufacturer: Tesco / Type: Meat.
Yes, once again I am reviewing a Tesco Value range product! I am a bit of an addict of these no frills products. Who wants to spend money on posh packaging and then chuck it straight in the bin? I know that I certainly don't!
As with all Tesco Value products, this one comes in white packaging with red and blue. The pack is clear plastic so you get to see the corned beef inside.
I have just read a great review on this (have a look!) which explains that the reviewer likes clear packaging for something like corned beef, because it means that they can't hide dodgy looking meat inside. I totally agree with this, and appreciate being able to see the meat before I buy it. In this case, the corned beef looks really good, not fatty and very moist. The slices are quite thick and it looks really appetising.
At just £0.97 for a 250g packet which contains 8 slices, it is significantly cheaper than other brands.
The corned beef is actually really good. It has a delicious and slightly salty taste that is unique to corned beef and is perfectly moist and tasty. The texture is good too and I was pleased to see that it wasn't oily or dry.
I like to eat it with Branston smooth pickle in either a sandwich or a toasted sandwich and also to make a corned beef and potato pie with it and found that this brand was great for each option.
Nutritional information per slice -
Calories 67
Protein 8.1g
Sugars 0.3g
Fat 3.7g
(sat fat) 1.7g
Salt 0.9g
If you are a fan of corned beef then I really recommend that you try this brand. I wasn't sure whether or not it would be any good, but was pleasantly surprised and will definitely buy this again. This product is another excellent example of saving money without compromising on quality and well worth buying!
Having braved a few of Tesco's value products in the past and being surprised at the quality I recently ventured into a new territory for me as far as their range is concerned and that was into their Deli packaged meats section.
Packaged very uninspiringly as illustrated above, I decided to try their Value Corned Beef; I figured that by the nature of what the meat actually is and how it is processed it shouldn't be that far removed from the higher priced premium versions. Indeed, looking at the slices in the package they all looked uniform in colour and appearance; at only 97p for a pack of 8 slices they proved to be a lot cheaper than the prettier-packaged alternatives.
As is the case with the Value range I found the pack to be quite difficult to get into with the peel back outer cellophane seemingly stuck solid to the rest of the pack, a quick snip with scissors soon sorted this though and into the pack I managed to get.
Prizing a slice away from the others proved to be a bit awkward, tending to stick together my slice gained an extra half layer from its lower neighbour, but as these were only going onto a sandwich the presentation didn't matter in the slightest. I was reassured to see that the meat looked as Corned Beef should, nicely mottled without huge pieces of fat visible.
Biting into my sandwich I first encountered a rich meaty taste, slightly salty but not overly so. The meat was well flavoured and seasoned and tasted exactly as Corned Beef should, in-between 2 slices of bread I couldn't tell any difference between this meat and the higher priced deli meat that you buy so was quite impressed overall.
Nutrition wise there's nothing really to worry about with each slice providing 67 calories, 1.7 grams of saturated fat 0.3 grams of sugar and 0.9 grams of salt. Ingredients are listed as containing South American Beef, Salt, Sugar, Preservative (Sodium Nitrite) so nothing out of the ordinary there. Tesco even inform you that the product is prepared with 120g of Raw Beef per 100g of finished product so that seemed reassuring to me.
Once again, a Value range from Tesco has proved to be more than worth its price tag. Apart from the annoying packaging and the fact that the slices stick together this is a brilliant buy that more than exceeded my expectations. Very tasty and wallet friendly this gets a well deserved 4/5 Dooyoo stars from me only losing one for the awkward packaging.
I am a big fan of picnics and having sandwiches for lunch, so as a result I generally need several different fillings for my sandwiches. So along with various meats I always find room in my trolley for a packet of Corned Beef. These days because money is a bit tighter I have started to purchase the Tesco Value Corned Beef in my weekly shop.
Corned Beef:
This product comes in plastic cartoons like this one or alternatively in more traditional tins. I think Corned Beef is quite a versatile product, you can use it in salads, sandwiches or can be turned into Corned Beef Hash to make a delicious meal.
Being a product from Tesco's value range this item is very competitively priced. Indeed for a 250g pack I purchased is currently being sold for just 97p. This compares very favourably when put up against the branded ones that are at least double the price and in some cases thee times the price.
The product does not have a fancy or expensive label on it. It looks quite sad and plain compared to the branded ones.I think as a result it is easy to miss and not even notice on the shelves. It is stored in an air tight oblong plastic tub, that is see through on all sides but the top. This has a white and blue design that signal that this product is part of the Tesco Value range.
On this cover it advises you of what the product is plus you get a very tacky picture of a roll that I presume is supposed to have some corn beef in, although it could really be anything. Below this you have more details such as a list of ingredients, nutritional information I am actually surprised this is on the top I would have thought it would be on the bottom or the inside on the other side to the label.
This product has a shelf life of between 2-3weeks and will be fine as long as it is keep chilled. Although once it has been opened it is best to consume the slices within 2-3 days.
I found the tub surprisingly easy to open. It just peels away along its edges, and I was greeted with a smell I certainly have always ococaited with Corn Beef. It is quite a unique and hard to explain smell but it reminds me of meat.
I notice there are eight slices to a pack and I must admit I have had problems in the past separating the slices out properly as they have on several occasions stuck together. The slice itself is a browny/grey colour, it does not look unappealing, it looks about right to me although I have seen other corn beef look redder. This on first inspection looks a little dry, but at the same time I am very pleased to see little fat round the edges on the meat.
In my experiment I put a slice of corned beef in a sandwich. My first impressions are this tastes very good, maybe a little dry but the meat flavour certainly come s through and I found my tastes buds were waiting expectantly for the second mouthful. Yes it was very pleasurable taste, although it tasted a bit sweeter than I expected. Because of the rectangular shape of the beef I found it was absolutely idea going into a sandwich, although for a roll it would need to be cut into two pieces.
For me there is absolutely no difference as far as taste is concerned from this to the more expensive branded items. This taste is great and I really enjoyed the full meaty taste of it, without the pockets of fat that some corned beef seem to have.
On examination I do think this product has a high sugar and fat content. But eaten in moderation I do not see this to be a problem. I think this product is a little like Marmite in as much you either love it or hate it, I love it.
South American beef, Salt, Sugar, Preservatives (Sodium Nitrate)
Nutritional values:
Each slice contains:
Calories: 70
Sugar: 0.3g
Fat: 3.7g
Saturates: 1.7g
Salt: 0.9g
I believe this product constitutes excellent value for money. As well as being cheap to purchase it tastes just as good as the more expensive branded items. The only difference for me is the inferior packaging and watch out your slices don't stick together.
Thanks for reading my review.
@CPTDANIELS November 2009
My mum normally buys corned beef from the deli in Tesco but she is on some challenge on a website to slash her shopping bills. One night me and her sat down with the laptop and her latest shopping bills to see where she could make changes without the food we eat suffering.
One of the things she saw straight away was that cooked meat from the deli is loads dearer than in the packets and corned beef in particular is mega expensive off the deli. Her last purchase of it cost £2.26 and she said she got about 6 slices for that, we looked online and if you buy Tesco Value corned beef it's less than £1.00 for 8 slices.
It's good for that money as well. Corned beef is always proper fatty and I don't think this one tastes any fattier than other corned beef. It's paler in colour and doesn't look as meaty but your gonna eat it not look at it!
I have mine in a butty with brown sauce and I can't see the difference with this and another corned beef. The slices are the right thickness and 2 is just right for a nice sandwich. The last pack I made a corned beef hash out of when it was my turn to cook and it come out wicked.
I don't know why people pay stupid money for corned beef when you can buy it this cheap and it's just the same as a pack that costs a load more! The only difference I think is that the corned beef in this Value pack is saltier than the one off the deli, you can only tell when you eat a slice on it's own straight from the pack and can't taste extra salt when you have it hot or on a butty.
Whether you are a student, pensioner or penny pincher, we all like to save money when it comes to buying things; but would we dare to go as far as buying that Tesco value stuff with the cheapo label? Well if you can see past the naff label on the corned beef then you are on your way to actually saving some money, because unlike some of the products in the value range, you will be pleasantly surprised with the product inside.
The good thing about this product is that you can turn over the packet and see exactly what you are buying through the clear plastic bottom, I particularly like being able to do this because labels can be cleverly used to hide all sorts of dodgy products. But then again I suppose that corned beef doesn't have a lot to hide anyway, because it's just a fatty, salty mix up with a bit of meat thrown in for good measure.
I'm not suggesting for one moment that Tesco value corned beef doesn't contain lots of fat, but I do prefer the sliced packet version to the tinned varieties because I don't like having to scrape off the layer of fat sitting on the top and I guess that the packet stuff just looks a little more appetising without it. I also hate chancing my fingers on the razor sharp edges of the tin whilst wrestling it open with a fiddly little key, as there is nothing like a bad accident to put you off your food.
Now then, you're not buying corned beef for the fine ingredients so I guess that it all comes down to taste, and I can say that it is really tasty and not overly salty. I always use this Tesco value corned beef to make a corned beef hash stew (cook thick slices of potato in boiling water, add gravy granules to thicken, and pop in the value corned beef) I then put into tubs and pop into the freezer; it's a great way to make several tasty meals on a tight budget. A good characteristic of sliced corned beef is that it breaks down nicely into the stew without leaving any large chunks for people to fight over.
The best part about this product is obviously the price at just 97p for a 250g pack which contains 8 large thick slices. It comes in an easy peel open plastic pack and there are usually plenty available on the shelves, so there are no excuses next time you go shopping. If you like corned beef and want to save a bit of money (the next size up is £1.99 for 150g), then I'm sure that you will like Tesco value corned beef.
Nutritional information per slice :-
Calories 67
Protein 8.1g
Sugars 0.3g
Fat 3.7g
(sat fat) 1.7g
Salt 0.9g
I am writing this review on behalf of my fiancee as I myself do not eat corned beef! However he has informed me of all the details he wishes me to include so here goes...
My fiancee likes to have a choice for his sandwich fillings but in these credit crunch times buying lots of different sandwich fillings can be expensive. However Tesco Value corned beef is a cheap alternative to the more expensive ones on offer. It costs 97p for 250 grams which on the packet says is 8 slices. These 8 slices make 4 days worth of sandwiches having two slices per sandwich, which is more than enough and makes a tasty sandwich!
According to my fiancee there is no difference in taste when comparing the tesco value corned beef to other brands such as Princes. The corned beef has a nice flavour without being too salty. It has a firm texture and does not fall apart easily. As it comes in slices you do not have to mess around trying to open the tin, like some corned beef products come in, and you do not need to worry about cutting the meat as it is already done for you. All in all my fiancee says that tesco value corned beef is a fine choice for his sandwiches and actually prefers it to other brands.
*The Nutrional Information*
Each slice contains:
~70 calories
~0.3g sugar
~3.7g fat
~1.7g saturates
~0.9g salt
~South American beef
~preservative (sodium nitrate)
The packet is a clear plastic tray with the basic Tesco Value brand cover. Although it is not the most exciting packaging this apparently does not reflect on the taste. On the packet it informs you that the meat is "prepared with 120g of raw beef per 100g of finished product".
Now that my fiancee has enjoyed tesco value corned beef it has given me the encouragement to try other tesco value sandwich meats as I am hoping that they will also be of a good quality and taste for a great price!
I've been economising recently. This means that where I can I've been trying to go for the next price bracket down. It also means that I've been looking at cheaper options for things like sandwich fillings because cold meats seem to be so very expensive these days.
Both my husband and myself like corned beef - not every day or even every week, but it's nice sometimes. So a few weeks ago I thought I'd give the Tesco Value Corned Beef a try. At under £1 (97p in fact) for a pack containing 250grams it was cheaper even than the cheap one they do on their deli counter.
Being in a clear bottomed packet I was able to see what it looked like and to be honest, I couldn't really see any difference between it and the next level up in price. In the trolley with it!
You get 8 slices in each pack - they're a reasonable size and thickness so that with a bit of mayo or a bit of salad you get plenty in a sandwich with just using one slice.
The packaging is their simple blue and white style, there's little waste to it which is good, and really - well it ends up in the bin so who cares what it looks like!
The flavour is - well to be honest it's the same as every other corned beef I've ever tasted. The only difference I've ever noticed between brands is slightly fattier or slightly saltier in some cases. For those two things, this isn't really bad on either count - yes it's fatty, but that's sort of the nature of corned beef, and it's not TOO fatty if you see what I mean. As to salt levels, I personally found it fine, but I suppose some people might find it a little on the salty side if they don't like much salt.
Overall, I think it was a good buy, very cheap, tasty, and I'll be buying it again.
Before the health conscious amongst us shake their heads in horror at the very idea of eating a cheapo no-frills packet of Corned Beef, or any meat in fact, then let me tell you that this particular cooked meat is notoriously high in fat, naturally crumbly and as salty as anything - there is nothing worse that can happen to this surprisingly tasty meat so you might as well buy the cheapest option.
In my local Tesco this is the cheapest option by miles, costing 97p for a 250g packet whereas the next option price wise is a whopping £2.48 for 175g! Of course, I opted for the Value package as it's a bargain buy and I'm glad I did as the meat may not look as attractive as other brands of corned beef (if this particular meat can EVER be called attractive!) but it's certainly as tasty and works well in both sandwiches and cooked meals.
In each packet you get eight decent sized slices, a little larger than those I usually buy from the deli in Sainsbury's but definitely whiter in appearance which indicates that this corned beef has even more fat in than usual. The slices crumble maddeningly as I try to separate them in the packet, in the end I had to resort to using a palate knife to get the slices of meat out which was annoying but the corned beef tastes nice so I can get over this.
The meat is very good indeed, and certainly worth the price. It's salty with the typical stodgy flavour of any corned beef on the market, on a sandwich with butter and a sliced tomato it's absolutely delicious. Bearing in mind that corned beef is definitely a love it or hate it food, if you're a corned beef fan then you're probably on to a winner here but if you like your meat less fatty then you won't like it and that's the long and short of this product.
Last night I made a corned beef hash using this Value meat and it was wonderfully stodgy, full of meaty flavour and melted beautifully into the hot potato. Perfect comfort food for a chilly May evening!
I shall carry on buying this cheaper version of one of my favourite cooked meats as I find there is absolutely no difference in flavour between this and a packet that costs £1.50 more. Of course, this being at the cheapest end of the corned beef market it's going to have a higher fat content as fat is obviously cheaper than meat. This for me is fine as I love any type of corned beef and I urge anyone to at least give this Value Corned Beef a try as you could save yourself a fortune if you like it, and if your heart can stand the fat!
Its corned beef and it is only a quid or so.
Sometimes when I go into supermarkets, my jaw drops at the prices of something as simple as the filling in a sandwich. Many cold meats, I find are actually quite bland and tasteless, and you usually need something else on there to give it a bit of a bite. Something like a dollop of branstons (or similar) pickle or a blob of brown sauce or ketchup.
One of my favourite cold meats has to be corned beef, and it is simply because it does seem to have a bit of flavour. It is disappointing though when we fancy a sandwich and you go and look at the cold meats and are confronted with something like £2.00 for four slices!! You could buy a ready made sandwich for that, with much more filling, and save yourself a few minutes in the kitchen.
When I say this Tescos corned beef, I had to snap it up! I can't remember how many slices you get with this, but it is definitely more than four.
It tastes fine, each slice is about the same slice as a slice of bread, so the sandwich bit is easy. Apart from that though, one of my favourite ways of using this is with a meal - a couple of slices of this, boiled potatoes drenched with butter or marge, and a portion of baked beans. You can even use a tin of new potatoes to save on the cooking.


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I think that this people think in numbers you are just a number once you enrol that is all, you feel alone without any help, there are some nice lectures, people, etc.but I think that they make too many mistakes, problems with udo well a real nightmare, lectures, modules, study materials, etc.You have to be alert all the time, simply the are a lot better universities around.A lot of things simply do not work, about help not much.Bad experience in my case.
I had so many problems at UoD, I will not bore you with the whole list. The new (2007) Markeaton Campus is not fit for students studying ADT (Art Design & Technology) courses it houses. The heating controls are based at the main Kedleston Road campus so its either v.hot or v. cold with the ground floor corridor (with a few sofas) being a wind tunnel, not the sustainable building it is supposed to be. There is no study area for this site unless you brave the wind tunnel sofas! Many of the students on my course ended up having councelling or really struggling with stress because our unfair treatment, and the student union was no help at all. I would strongly recommend against this university and I am now doing my Masters at Nottingham Trent (NTU) and so far have been very impressed. NTU with a study room just for built environment students and that room alone has twice as many A0/A1 printers than the whole of Derby uni and at half the price to print! On the subject of printing at Derby you do not get any money left on your card back at the end of your studies, in contast NTU has £6.30 print/copy credited pre loaded before you even start paying fees and states any funds left on the card willl be refunded!
Derby University is an amazing place to study and Derby itself is a really great place to live.
The teaching quality at the University is great and the lecturers are always there for you if you need extra help or are wanting to try different things.
The facilities at the University are great, no matter what course you choose! The new Markeaton Street campus is extremely modern and a really fancy place to study. The equipment available there is all completely up to date and all free to use for students!
Derby as a place to live has been really great. Its a big enough city to give everyone a real taste of grown up live, but is still small enough to have a real homely feel and means you can walk everywhere which is always nice!
The nightlife is amazing in Derby and you can find yourself having an amazing mix of nights without spending too much.
Derby University students union put on so many amazing student nights that give great deals, offers and entertainment, so you're never short of something to do.
There's so much to do even when you're not learning or sleeping too! Like the new Westfield shopping centre which has everything from shopping and eating out to a gorgeous cinema! It really is a perfect place to live!
The last thing I would mention about Derby University is that the student halls are really good! I've been to a lot of Unis and just the thought of living in most of them made me shiver! The halls at Derby are clean, spacious and really nicely designed, making the student experience here just perfect!
Derby University (UoD) is one of the post-1992, 'new' universities that emerged from the old polytechnics and teacher-training colleges. Generally not regarded as pure 'research' institutions like the red-brick and research-led 'Russell Group' Universities, centres like Derby have tended to initially concentrate on their strengths, such as teaching excellence and community outreach.
The principal campus is at Kedleston Road (KR), about 30 minutes' walk from Derby city centre. There is, however, a dedicated University bus service that offers heavily subsidised travel back and forth from KR to the city, then onto the railway station.
Currently, KR's buildings are in the middle of a £13.8 million pound re-fenestration of the exterior, which quite frankly was beginning to look its age. Despite the obvious disruption, this exercise has clear long-term benefits to students and staff. The campus itself is set in rolling tonsured lawns and sports areas, plus the inevitable disfigurement of large car parks that are a feature of any large institution these days. The main feature of KR is the imposing atrium that boasts a Waterstone's bookshop, clothes boutique, bank, ATMs, shop selling consumable comestibles, stationery, and subsidised broadsheet newspapers and also the 'red top' variants.
The other UoD sites are the nearly Britannia Mill and Markeaton Street (this, opened by Sir Richard Branson a couple of years ago) which are served by a free shuttlebus from KR, and further out, there is the Victorian architectural wonder at Buxton, officially opened by Charles and Camilla, no less.
In the recent national Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), UoD received glowing reports and commendations, with 25% of its research submission rated as 'world class' and 70% of international standing. As a result, the University has received substantial research funding to carry its research endevours into the next decade. This, under the current leadership of Professor John Coyne, the Vice-Chancellor, is a clear statement of intent by UoD to raise its game in terms of research. However, UoD still maintains its high standards in terms of teaching excellence, as its consistently high reports from external examiners and independent assessors testifies.
The city of Derby is a pleasant, safe and interesting place. There's lots to do, and to keep the entertainment-savvy student occupied. Try it.
I'm currently going into my second year of studying Geology at Derby university, so this review will be based on my first year.
Freshers week - This week, where ever you go is one of the most awkward experiences of your University life, meeting all those new people and finding your way around. I found that it wasn't as bad as I expected, the University staff were always around to help and a lot of the lecturers planned team building and ice breaking excersises. As well as this there was a faire which was useful as there were loads of freebies from all of the local clubs and groups. As well as this the University organised a street party which was brilliant.
Accomidation - The accomidation is up to date, well, all but Lonsdale - There are rumoured to be mice and foxes as well as problems with insects. All the others appear to be great :) Personally I was in St Christophers Court, which had a great community and my flat and the people around were amazing and to me we felt like a little family at the end. - Unfortunatly, all halls of residence are off campus so a 10 minute walk is usually needed, unless you live at one of the further ones where it can take 20 minutes or a short bus journey costing £1:50. (Oh, there is a free shuttle between Markeaton and Keddlestone! and at nights betweeen Keddlestone and Lonsdale, via Markeaton)
Night life - What can I say? I'm not really a big drinker so I went out like 3 times in the year, but they were very enjoyable times, and the people I know that went out every week enjoyed it thoroughly. It's one of the best parts of Derby, so I'm told. The student Union bar is great also - There are great bands on every month or so, and they do different events during the week (And it's good for getting a pint after lectures ;) ) If you're not a drinker, there are loads of places to go out resturants, the Cinema (don't fotget your 2 for 1 Orange thing on Wednesday!)
The University - The Kedlestone campus is recently going through a window renevation..thing, where they appear to be putting windows on top of the old windows therefore making it look prettyer. It does! It really looks a lot better but I wouldn't have payed 10 million for them to do that. As well as this the atrium is a nice place, with a Upper Crust sandwich shop, Keddies - A newsagent type shop, a bank and two cash points, Waterstones and a hairdressers. There are always things going on - It's really busy with different University events and weekly stalls as well as occasional shows. It's a very up to date place.
I don't feel it is fair to review the teaching at Derby as I have had no experience with any department other than the Science department - Everyone I know is pleased with the quality of teaching though! If you need any more details feel free to contact me.
I spent my three years at Derby usinversity in September 2005. I started off with a boyfriend back home, shy and never went out, to become confident, loud, popular and independant!
Derby University is situated over a few sites, the main being Kedleston road which is approx 15 minutes on the Uni Bus from the city centre, Buxton, Mickle over and there was a new site opened i believe it was called the markeaton campus.
The Kedleston Road campus has a multi faith centre, gym, various cofee outlets, food stops, snack shop, waterstones and even a natwest!
The library at Keddy Road is amazing, theres computers for student use on every floor and lots of books to help you with your essays, or dissertation!
Socially there are lots of difefrent sports teams or societies to join ranging from your typical football to a rock society. The university is also supportive of those who wish to start their own society, with enough members, and a pitch the university will fund your new club!!!
I was a part of the business school which is highly rated which i found odd as Derby uni itself is not. I had some great lecturers who give you email addresses and phone numbers, and are always available to give help, feedback and advice. My subject.. Marketing Management offered a variety of different modules where i learnt the many different skills needed for marketing, variety ranged from advertising to economics to ethics.
The university based in Derby is a great city for students, various bars with differet specialities, Blue note for you rockers, First floor for the hardcore moshers, zanzi for you ravers, saddlers for the house fans and then bars such as coyote for all ya'll cowboy wannabees!
Derby is also host to a Westfield shopping centre, which is awesome, and their are great transport links into Nottingham and Birmingham!
I loved this university its supportive and social. The halls arent too far away from campus and the staff are really teher to help you!
Everyones university experience is different and it is very hard to make comments as your feellings change. I know when I first moved to Derby I thought it was a lovely leafy town, and I thought the University was adequete enough. However after living in Derby for 4 years my view has become somewhat tainted.
I would say that the University of Derby has easy to work out campus's (Old Jackson & Mickleover, New Markeaton), each faculty/department is clearly defined.
Personally I found my lecturers to have sound knowledge and with all university most aspects of study is self orientated. For this I found the libarary resources very good and easy to navigate with a vast stack of disertations and reference books.
Socailly, Derby has some good sports and social networks which are easy to join. I found the Balls were always well organised by the Students Union and we had some great line ups (Editors/Pendulum...).
If you are after a university which is fairly self contained and located in a small city, Derby is a good choice. I also found the staff we very helpful when i wanted to change my degree to a totally new subject - alwyas good to know if you are a bit indescisive!
I?m currently a student at the university of Derby (as you might have guess) about to start my second year and so I know what people think is important about the universities they are about to choose or embark upon. Since I only have experience at Derby Uni. I will let you know on what is here. I am currently residing in one of atleast six halls of residence. Four of these are close to the halls I am in at the moment so you certainly wont be far away from your lecture buddies. But more importantly there are four pubs within close proximity to halls all serving various cheap shots and the favored drink snake bite and black. And if this was not enough the town centre is 15-20 minutes by walk (as is the university if your bothered) with regular buses also in operation (if your to hung over to walk). In town there are a multitude of club and pubs to incapacitate any hardened drinker. All types of music admirers are catered for in various pub and clubs. Cheese being the most popular among the student body at the time that is not all that is on over. Punk and Jazz nights are also available at selected pubs and are well advertised to tell you exactly where and when. Drinks cheap Nights are long Anyone and everyone can party hard any night of the week Break the bank account and enjoy stumbling home Have Fun P.s. kebab, pizza and chip shops are plentiful
I'm now in my second year at derby university, on a computer studies course. I think the university is good as a whole, with good facilities. There is a nice learning centre, big restaurant, plenty of computers, but I think there is a lack of good lecturers. Some of my classes, I believe are boring. Maybe its the actual subject, but there are subjects that I like, but the lecturers drone on and on, either not explaining something in enough detail, or just being bloody annoying. I was in manchester with my girlfriend and tagged along to one of her lectures, Economics. I can't say this interests me one little bit, but the lecturer explained everything perfectly, and I left the lecture with a little understanding of the subject. The university could be improved by having more interesting subjects (for my area - computing), as I find that I enjoy say, 50% of my course. Thats just my personal preference, but i'd like other peoples opinions on this subject, because it looks like i've just got a grudge against derby uni. I haven't, so lets hear you!
I am currently a third year at the university of derby and i have to say...WOW! since the moment i came here for the open day i fell in live with it. The university is small but very very friendly. Everyone says hi and you get to know so many people. The halls of residents are all very modern and very fun to be in. They are safe and any problems are delt with ASAP! Also, if you have a computer you can get connected to he universities network to your room for a one of price of £30. from this you get FREE access to the internet 24/7! Night life is great. There is somewhere to go every night of the week to get aboslutly trollied or you can just chill at the local SU. There are lots of student nights with great deals like buy 1 get 2 free and 60p shots. I also believe that although the university, academically is towards the bottom of the league table i think it will be climing in the next years to come. It is a relativly new uni that is still getting of the ground and i believe when it does it wil be up there. The univeristy of derby also has one of the biggest Student unions in the contry and there is usually something going on to get involved in so you will never be bored... unless yu want to be. I would reccomend the university of derby to anyone ... trust me, you wont be sorry you came here.
I've recently finished my first year at Derby University, and I thought I'd tell you how it was. The accommadation is great, modern and stylish halls with decent common rooms and cool facilites. And it is good value for money, and makes it really easy to get to know loads of new mates. The university itself is also modern, well layed out and with excellent facilities, for instance the library and cinema showing classics and new releases. The social life - wicked. Cheap and cheerful student bars on various sites - the best is the Riverside, with free pool from 5-7 every day. Clubs? Union 1 is brilliant, especially SPANK! on wednesdays which plays a load of cheesy hits. Union 2 is not quite as good, but worth a look. In town try Zanzibar, Brannigans, Mcluskys and loads of other good value bars and clubs. And Time (home to Saturday club `Progress`) is best for all you dance lovers. There are loads of great events, the standout being the May Ball. We had Jools Holland playing this year, who was truly amazing. Plus a casino, stand-up comedy and thousands of other things it really is an event not to be missed. All in all, Derby Uni is a modern, trendy and good value place, which I would recommend to anyone who is trying to decide where to go. Party on!


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Someone here sent me a link to a page on 48 days, however in that page contained a link to a work at home scam page. Most work at home programs are scams, and those that require me to pay a fee are just as bad. Does anyone know of any legit work at home opportunities? I am trying to find a way to make some extra money during the day before work, but am not sure as to what as the area where I live is not exactly the best economy. I have a bit of experience in the warehouse industry which is a HUGE job market in South Carolina.
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I can't remember any specific company names because it has been so long since I looked into anything like this, but there are legitimate companies that handle customer service calls by having people take those calls at home. You sign into their system and accept the calls through it, and get paid by the hour or by how many calls you handle, depending on the company. I think that WestAtHome.com was a legitimate one. Start googling and looking, and you'll find forums where people do such things. Work at home mom (WAHM) forums can be a great place to look, too.
There was also a site called Volition.com that had some various types of work in a similar vein. Some was mystery shopping, but there were other things you could do as well. My mom actually did some mystery shopping, and if you get good at it you can get some pretty cool gigs that pay very well to go into banks and apply for loans using fake identifications that the bank provides you with. The banks just want to make sure that their process work as they are supposed to work, and that things are handled appropriately.
I need to check this out, thanks..
Check out ClarkHoward.com he's got a few legit ones.
I need to check this out, thanks..
I work primarily from home, and know many who do. Most of those I know who do this do so as a small (or micro) business owner with clients as opposed to being an employee with an employer. They have a marketable skill which they can use without having to be "on site" -- copy writing, graphic design, programming, marketing, etc. They can choose how many clients they want at any given time to try to keep the rest of their life in balance.
Know that marketable skills can be learned, too, so don't despair if you feel you have none. Just for one example, my 15-year-old has more work than she knows how to handle, doing something that she didn't know existed eight months ago, making an hourly wage that many 10 years older than her would envy. She had some initial (interesting!) learning/investment to do, but now she has a skill she can use to do side work all through high school and college.
What type of work does she do?
Web-based demos, sales overviews, and tutorials for various software programs. She uses Camtasia and Adobe After Effects and does work for several clients who do software development.
Here's a bit more of the story:
John, what else can you do?
Audio? Photography? Website design? Coding? Consulting? Typing / dictation?
What are your main hobbies? Do you have any fans or an audience?
I love photography, however I lack professional software applications, and money is tight right know. I can type and do data entry as I do a bit of this at work as the invoice clerk. My main hobbies are reading, writing, working out, playing with animals, computers, etc.. If I could make a living reading and writing book reviews that would be wonderful as long as the books are Christian. I need to think of some ideas.
I know that Hilton Hotels and 1-800 Flowers have customer service positions in which you can work from home.
Thank you so much for these ideas. Yea it would be good to make some extra money from home.
I sell stuff on ebay... from my kids outgrown clothing to items I find on super sale. I've also just signed on with freelancer.com, but I haven't tried for any jobs there yet.
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Hello Teachers/Friends,
What's the pali word for "exquisite" in the following teaching? And what's the exact meaning of it?
"This is peace, this is exquisite [perfect? Complete?] — the stillness of all fabrications; the relinquishment of all acquisitions; the ending of craving; dispassion; cessation [of greed/hatred.delusion]; liberation."
Many thanks! Metta,


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Over the weekend, forward Tracy McGrady officially became a member of the Qingdao Eagles, and while the news has created only a slight ripple around the NBA—McGrady could not get an offer to stay in the league despite tryouts for the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs—it is being much-heralded in China.
McGrady, 33, is the biggest NBA star to play in China, having attracted a legion of fans when he was paired with Yao Ming with the Rockets.
McGrady has signed a one-year deal, worth a reported $1 million. But the hope for the Eagles is that McGrady will stick around and build up a strong career in the CBA, much as Stephon Marbury has done with the Beijing Ducks, who won the league championship last year.
To that end, the Eagles announced they will be moving their home games from the court at Qingdao University, with a capacity of 4,000, to GuoXin Stadium, which holds more than three times as many fans.
Qingdao was founded in 2003, and the team finished 16-16 last year, ninth in the league. McGrady will change expectations, though.
As team general manager Sheng Xishun told The Wall Street Journal, "What we value about him is his experience and technique. We hope he can help the team move up to a leading spot in the CBA, the way Marbury did (in Beijing)."


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Waldorf Salad with Whipping Cream Recipe
I found this recipe in a local cookbook. The whipping cream makes it a little different than the usual Waldorf salad, but it's always good with any meal. —Romaine Wetzel, Ronks, Pennsylvania
Recommended: 41 Ways to Love Jell-O (Because We Know You Do)
VERIFIED BY Taste of Home Test Kitchen
- 4 cups chopped apples (about 3 large)
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice, divided
- 4 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped
- In a large bowl, toss apples with 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Stir in celery and walnuts.
- In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, sugar, salt and remaining lemon juice until blended. Fold in whipped cream. Gently stir into fruit mixture. Refrigerate until serving. Yield: 12 servings.
Originally published as Creamy Waldorf Salad in Country Extra November 2007, p49
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Safe and sound
Parents worry endlessly about how to protect their children from stranger abduction and violence, but many overlook one of the biggest threats to their children's safety and well-being — their own home. Experts say that children between the ages of 1 and 4 are more likely to be killed by fire, burns, drowning, choking, poisoning, or falls than by a stranger's violence.
About 2.3 million children are accidentally injured every year and more than 2,500 are killed, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's why it's so important to carefully childproof your home.
If home safety measures seem overwhelming, our childproofing checklists can help. They let you see at a glance what to do before your baby arrives, before your baby crawls, and before your baby starts toddling and climbing. You'll also find safety tips in our articles about childproofing your nursery, kitchen, and bathroom.
Here are some additional recommendations — along with some revealing statistics — about what you need to do to keep your baby safe at home.
Gadgets galore
You'll find all kinds of gadgets for sale that can really help your home childproofing efforts. Or (if you can afford it), hire a professional childproofer to choose and install safety devices for you.
Keep in mind that gadgets are no substitute for your eyes and ears.
"The best device is still supervision. I'd rather not recommend a product than suggest one that gives parents a false sense of security," says Anne Altman, a childproofing consultant and contractor in Santa Rosa, California.
Scope out the territory
The most effective way to ensure your baby's safety is to take a baby's-eye view of your home. Get down on your hands and knees and see how things look from down there.
What's within reach? What looks tempting? Where would you go if you could crawl, toddle, or walk?
This will help you figure out which cupboards, drawers, and other spaces your child might get into. As he starts walking and climbing, you'll have to reevaluate again, looking higher each time.
Carefully lock up or stow away every potential poison or other hazard, including cleaning products, medicines, vitamins, and knives. Use gates to limit your child's access to areas of your home that might contain dangerous items.
Keep an eye out for tiny objects that your baby could choke on. Pick up any coins, marbles, beads, paper clips, and other small objects you find on low tables or the floor or in low drawers or cupboards.
Be watchful when you have visitors, too. No matter how carefully you've childproofed the house, Great-Aunt Jane probably hasn't applied your standards to her purse. Aspirin, lipstick, medications, and other items that people typically carry with them are dangerous to small children.


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T Cooper is the author of three novels: The Beaufort Diaries (Melville House, 2010), which was recently adapted as an animated short film starring David Duchovny; Lipshitz Six, or Two Angry Blondes (Plume, 2007); and Some of the Parts (Akashic Books, 2002). He is also coeditor of an anthology of short stories, A Fictional History of the United States With Huge Chunks Missing (Akashic Books, 2006). His work has appeared in a variety of publications, including the New Yorker, the New York Times, the Believer, One Story, Electric Literature, and several others. His website is www.t-cooper.com.
I always knew I'd land in New York City—even if I wasn't one of those "I'm destined to be a writer" types right out of the womb. As a kid I assumed I'd end up waterskiing on the backs of bottle-nosed dolphins for a profession, but I did grow up frequently thinking in terms of stories like a writer—watching people, listening in on conversations, keeping notes in my head, taking pictures, both mental and actual. And gradually—sometime during early college—I started thinking I might make an okay journalist or nonfiction writer, and where better to settle than New York, the city of eight and a half million stories a day, and the center of the English-speaking literary world (still true no matter how massive and immensely popular the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books gets).
Shortly after moving to the Lower East Side (well before there were high-as-a-kite supermodels teetering down the streets there nightly), I attended Columbia University's MFA program in fiction, having decided that I wanted to put my creative, if not professional, efforts into making shit up. I spent hours a day on the F, 1, and 9 trains, commuting to lowly editorial magazine-publishing jobs at the old Time-Life building in midtown and shuttling back and forth between classes and my sixth floor walk up on Orchard and Stanton streets, where my little dog Murray (RIP) would be waiting with his legs crossed for me to take him down for a quick pee. After which I'd quickly drag him back upstairs, then hop on an uptown train to catch evening classes on campus. On the subway I read Pynchon, Nabokov, Chekhov, Roth, Puig, Borges, Munro, James, Woolf, People magazine. I was doing the only thing to be done in MFA programs, that is, simply, reading everything within reach, and writing my little stories that withered in comparison to the giants'—the ones that made me wonder every hour of every day what made me think I should be able to do something like that. And though I was by all appearances living a "writerly life," it was years before I answered the question, "What do you do?" with "I'm a writer." In fact, having come of age and published four books in the overwhelming and intimidating literary landscape of New York City, I still find it hard to produce those words when asked the question. "Bottle-nosed dolphin trainer" sounds more reasonable, especially when conjuring up the hundreds of writers associated with New York City: Whitman, Paley, Capote, Cather, Baldwin, Sontag, Albee, Didion, Styron, Mailer, to name only a few of the hundreds among them.
It is impractical to attempt to offer a comprehensive literary tour of New York City. I can, however, provide a comprehensive tour of my own literary New York—which means it is completely self-absorbed and subjective. See? I am a writer.
Reading Series and Events
Since 1993 KGB Bar (85 East Fourth Street), tucked away on the second floor of an ancient East Village tenement building, has hosted the Sunday Night Fiction reading series. Directed by Suzanne Dottino and founded by Ken Foster, it's the premier literary fiction reading series in New York. Authors from Colson Whitehead to Jonathan Franzen to Grace Paley to David Foster Wallace—to name a few—have read at the former social club and speakeasy for Ukrainian socialists. During the years before I published a book and was lucky enough to have been asked to read there myself (undeniably one of the "if you can make it there, you'll make it anywhere" moments of one's literary career), I can remember many a night spent in the tiny, packed room, downing some vodka-based drink while studying real writers like the aforementioned ones either reading or taking in readings themselves. I particularly recall a few early fall nights, summer still hanging on, with everybody drinking and laughing a little too hard, the giant windows flung open, their curtains flapping against the frames, readers pausing every so often while a garbage truck compacts its giant oozing load, or as a car alarm's hysteria winds down after a crisp double-chirp. The precise placement of Soviet-era propaganda posters and photos plastered all over the bar are seared into my brain (sit through a handful of thirty-five-minutes-plus readings, and you'll see why), including one particular poster depicting a handsome man (I still don't know who it actually is and am not particularly interested in investigating further—a young Stalin? Lenin?). Many a night I recall drifting in and out during readings actually wondering whether it was some Soviet revolutionary, or in fact a Beverly Hills, 90210–era David Silver/Brian Austin Green (decide for yourself; it's high up in the northeast corner over the bar). In addition to fiction nights at KGB, there are general poetry, nonfiction, and a variety of other themed readings (lit crawls, lesbian erotica, noir, MFA series showcases, and so forth), practically every night of the week—and, with the exception of those readings billed as fund-raisers, they're almost always free. Additionally, there have been a few pretty solid anthologies edited by former organizers of the reading series, including Foster and Rebecca Donner, featuring work by various authors who have read at the venue over the years.
Just north of KGB, up Second Avenue, is the Poetry Project at St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery (131 East Tenth Street), which has, since the sixties, been a leading forum for literary events, mostly of the poetic persuasion. It was the scene of the only joint public reading by Allen Ginsberg and Robert Lowell, and has over the years hosted John Ashbery, Adrienne Rich, Alice Walker, Sam Shepard, Amiri Baraka, Yoko Ono, Anne Carson, Paul Auster, and Jim Carroll, among others. Staffed by local poets, the project offers not only space to read publicly, but also tangible resources and support for poets, writers, and artists, including a giant annual fund-raiser, the New Year's Day Marathon Reading, which started in 1974 and nowadays brings "over 140 poets together revealing not just that a better life could exist, but that it already does, sexy and wise, rancorous and sweet, big hearted and mad as hell." I've dipped in and out of the marathon on a couple of frigid New Year's days over the years, and it is indeed a spectacle, so quintessentially downtown New York, and just the right kind of reminder one needs on the first day of the next year of one's life.
I've never been a huge fan of crossing a bridge from Manhattan into another borough for, well, almost anything besides an airport (I'm one of those assholes), but a couple of pretty exceptional events take place in the borough of Brooklyn, which is in and of itself an undeniable force in New York City's literary arsenal. The Brooklyn Book Festival, held annually in mid-September, has over the course of five short years emerged as one of the preeminent literary events in the country. Pete's Candy Store (709 Lorimer Street) in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, has hosted a slew of literary heavyweights from Jonathan Ames to Francine Prose to Rick Moody over the years. In the words of former Pete's reader Sam Lipsyte: "Pete's Reading Series is top of the heap, though I have yet to encounter any fucking candy."
Just because you're a corporate behemoth squeezing the lifeblood out of small independent bookstores everywhere doesn't mean you don't have a generous helping of big-hearted, genuine book lovers working for you who curate really good, free public readings—often including local authors published by independent and big publishers alike. The Barnes & Noble on the Upper East Side (150 East Eighty-Sixth Street) and the one in Union Square (33 East Seventeenth Street) reliably have a few noteworthy readings a week between them.
On the indie front, SoHo's new(ish) McNally Jackson Books (52 Prince Street) hosts a number of top-notch events and features a sleek, serene café and a hearty magazine rack. My favorite events are those specifically devoted to showcasing writers in conversation with their editors. I participated in one of these with the editor of my second novel, Laurie Chittenden, and we delved into areas that we'd never really plumbed while in the thick of the editing process. It's a conversation nonwriters aren't often privy to (even some established writers aren't having conversations like these with their editors these days), and you can bet that some surprising, revealing moments about the process of making books will emerge.
The 92nd Street Y Unterberg Poetry Center (which has two locations: 1395 Lexington Avenue and 200 Hudson Street) is like the Hollywood Boulevard of reading series—more like the Walk of Fame stars segment, less like the Walk of Shame end of the boulevard with its burnouts and crackheads. I mean, freaking W. H. Auden and Kay Ryan and Woody Allen and Joan Didion and Philip Roth have read there! It ain't particularly cheap (tickets for the Main Reading Series range from ten dollars for those thirty-five and under to twenty-seven dollars for everyone else), and you often need to reserve tickets in advance. But it's a venerable nonprofit New York institution steeped in history that gives literary rock stars (Steve Martin not withstanding)—who don't need to hawk their hardcovers alongside Snooki and The Situation at a local strip mall's Books-A-Million—a dignified place to read.
Back in Brooklyn, BookCourt (163 Court Street) and Greenlight Bookstore (686 Fulton Street) are excellent showplaces for both local authors and those visiting New York on tour with new books. Greenlight hosts a mean book party (with DJs!) in addition to periodic all-star evenings featuring appearances by authors from the stable of one of the best publishers on the planet, Akashic Books (also based in Brooklyn). Another indie located in the borough, Melville House Publishing (145 Plymouth Street), actually has a storefront bookstore on the same premises of its publishing offices, which hosts a unique selection of books and readings by both Melville authors and those from other local indie houses like Akashic, Seven Stories Press, Soft Skull Press, PowerHouse Books, Ugly Duckling Presse, and others.
(Note: The best guide to readings and book parties around all five boroughs can be found in the Books section of Time Out New York magazine, available on any newsstand around town, down on the subway platform, and, sure, it's available online, but why not nut up and support print journalism by purchasing an actual hard copy to stick in your back pocket for the week?)
My favorite bookstore in New York has got to be St. Mark's Bookshop (31 Third Avenue). Founded in the seventies, it's a de facto community center for writers, not to mention a trusty destination to hit after going out for dinner or drinks or music or what have you on the Lower East Side or East Village. Immediately to your left upon entering the store, you'll find two full shelves devoted to new or otherwise intriguing paperbacks. And a little farther in, down on the left, across from a stool that's cradled my ass on many a weekend night straight through the midnight closing hour, is the hardcover fiction new release shelf. I don't get too wrapped up in reviews and other milestones surrounding the release of a new book, but I will admit that when I saw my second novel both in the window and alphabetically situated on the new hardcover fiction shelf, I felt a moment of, Wow, I've arrived; it's embarrassing to admit it now (lord knows I was wrong) but since I've seen other established authors clearly thinking the same thing—signing copies and striking up awkward conversation with the random customer who happens to pick up a copy of their book—hopefully I don't sound like too much of a creep saying it. St. Marks is a smart, living, breathing world of books that's somehow managed to keep its doors open for thirty-five years. On top of that, they've recently—finally—started to host events at the store too. And they showcase one of the most thorough selections of literary magazines and journals anywhere, from the tiniest hand-printed limited edition consignment zines to big guns like McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, One Story, Granta, and the Paris Review. And the staff curates a serious art book collection, too.
Tied with St. Marks for the best late-night literary destination in New York is, of course, Strand Book Store (828 Broadway), hands down my favorite used-book store in the country, much less the city. Though I don't know why it made me so happy to find stacks of my books there on sale even before their release dates; it really shouldn't bring such joy, since it meant some reviewer made a buck off of my baby instead of giving it the love and attention it deserved. But likely half of the books on my shelves come from the Strand, and it is a true place of wonder—a literary amusement park on par with Powell's Books in Portland, Oregon. The newly renovated store just south of Union Square boasts an elevator, two functional restrooms (in lieu of the old one which had no less than an inch of urine on the floor at any given time), and a whole floor dedicated to a world-class rare books collection. Okay, a confession: Having worked glossy magazine-publishing jobs over the years, I did, usually on Fridays, troll the hallways of magazines like People, Time, Sports Illustrated, and Entertainment Weekly, and collect tons of review copies that the editors had placed in the "free areas," and then turn a few bucks by selling those new books for credit (or cash, depending on the week) at the Strand. That glut of unauthorized bios about the Backstreet Boys on the shelves? You know who to blame.
Bluestockings (172 Allen Street), bookstore, café, and activist center started out in 1999, improbably, as a collective women's bookstore (men allowed!), just before gentrification really took hold on the Lower East Side. I volunteered as events coordinator there for about a year just after completing my MFA class work. In those early months and years, Bluestockings (then a woefully under air-conditioned one-room space with everything, even the paint on the walls, having been donated) used to pack it in, audiences spilling out onto the sidewalk for events featuring folks like Miranda July, Gloria Steinem, June Jordan, Amy Ray, Elizabeth Wurtzel, Barbara Kingsolver, Le Tigre, and many more. It's still a decidedly feminist space now, just not with an exclusive focus on women's titles, and it's still run by a functional collective, one of the few remaining in this country. Having expanded into a fortune teller's former storefront next door, Bluestockings 2.0 offers a one-of-a-kind, diverse selection of books alongside a fair-trade organic café, plus an eclectic array of popular events, from Women's/Transgender open-mike poetry jams, movie premieres, book parties, standard-fare literary readings, live music, and even a "dyke knitting circle"—plus a workshop on "Finding G and P spots" (the latter, I'm hoping, stands for "prostate").
Housing Works (126 Crosby Street) is the bookstore/café arm of a vital New York City nonprofit that emerged in 1990 to address the twin crises of AIDS and homelessness. The bookstore's stock of new and used books and music is donated, the staff comprises volunteers, and all proceeds support the efforts of the mothership, which is the largest community-based AIDS organization in the United States. Housing Works also hosts book- and music-related events—parties go on there year-round—and it's a quiet, refreshing oasis when you're stuck among the shopping hoards of SoHo and need to remember what a book feels like in your hand.
Some other book institutions (or institutions in the making) not to be overlooked: 192 Books (192 Tenth Avenue) in Chelsea, Shakespeare & Co. (716 Broadway in Greenwich Village, 137 East Twenty-Third Street in Gramercy, 939 Lexington Avenue on the Upper East Side, and 150 Campus Road in Brooklyn), Posman Books (the Grand Central Station and Chelsea Market locations), and East Village Books & Records (99 Saint Mark's Place), which features a scruffy but excellent, quirky used selection, a prodigious two-dollar book rack, and late hours. (Another happy personal moment occurred when I spotted a dog-eared copy of my first novel sitting comfortably on East Village Book's "Anti-This-Establishment" shelf.)
Places to Write and Spot Other Writers
Since it opened in 2005, I've tried to schedule most if not all of my meetings/lunches/coffee dates at Mud (307 East Ninth Street), aka "the office." I put the place in my most recent novel; the polar bear hero, a recovering addict named Beaufort, gets both sober and his life back on track when he lands a job slinging coffee on the Mud Truck, which is the bright-orange mobile version of the bricks and mortar restaurant/coffee shop. It has the best coffee beans around and is a great spot to plug in a laptop (during off-dining hours). I know many downtown writers are as fond of it as I am. Of course, I take credit for introducing many of them to the place. Before Mud, the perennial hangout was the old-school Ukrainian East Village restaurant Veselka (144 Second Avenue), directly across the street, which some writer, I can't remember who, introduced me to when I first moved to the neighborhood in the mid-1990s. Veselka's been given a major overhaul from its old dingy dark days, but it's still open twenty-four hours and has the best boiled potato pirogies in town. And you can sit there for hours with nothing but a $1.50 cup of tea in front of you.
I've never been one to write in cafés and restaurants, but there are some places that seem especially writer-friendly where I like to read or bring a manuscript to edit if I'm feeling like getting out of the house. 88 Orchard (not surprisingly at 88 Orchard Street) on the Lower East Side sometimes seems like it might be a showroom for Apple laptop computers. But it has free wireless, good coffee, and all locally supplied baked goods, plus breakfast and lunch. Since I prefer vegan and gluten-free baked goods, I like to stop across the street at Babycakes (248 Broome Street), where I'll pick up brownie bites, donuts, or banana bread to take back over to 88 to enjoy with a giant iced soy latte while I'm working. And rounding out a trifecta on this block is the Lower East Side Tenement Museum (108 Orchard Street), which prides itself on supporting the literary community, with a heavy-on-the-historical bookstore in its gift shop, and the author-based Tenement Talks series held several nights a month. A few years back, I read at the store with novelist Dara Horn to launch the Young Writers Write the Immigrant Experience series, while other authors I've seen there include Emily Barton, Gary Shteyngart, and Richard Price. I used the Tenement museum for researching my second novel, since part of the book is set in the early 1900s, right up the block; I snagged some pretty specific details (smudged squares of newspaper for toilet paper and a bucolic scene painted on burlap in the vestibule) from the museum's tenement tour for descriptions in my book.
One of the nicest strings of blocks in Manhattan happens to be one on which I was lucky enough to settle several years ago, East Seventh Street in the East Village. I can't imagine my wife and I ever giving up our apartment there. In addition to being one of the nicest streets in Manhattan, East Seventh also happens to be one of the most literary, having been home to an impressive sample of writers, such as Heather Lewis, Catherine Texier, Jim Lewis, Bruce Benderson, Ken Foster, Lucy Greely, Ellen Miller, Ann Rower, John Leguizamo, Daniel Pinchbeck, Jennifer Levin, Paul LaFarge, Gregory Corso, and William S. Burroughs. Allen Ginsberg's first New York City apartment was at 206 East Seventh Street, and other buildings he occupied over the years are at 437 East Twelfth Street, 408 East Tenth Street, and 704 East Fifth Street (I think this latter one had a plaque on it at one time or another). In the spirit of Ginsberg, the annual HOWL! Festival is held in June in Tompkins Square Park (offering the best dog park and free public wireless, it's bordered by East Seventh Street on the south, East Tenth on the north, and Avenues A and B on either side). Many events vaguely in the spirit of Ginsberg's infamous work "Howl" take place over a weekend in and around the park, and there's always a group reading of the poem to kick off the festival.
The East Village also happens to be prime hunting ground for creepy writer-stalkers, so if you're into that sort of thing, hang around for a spell and you just might see, say, rock-star poet Eileen Myles striding down First Avenue in a new, old pair of jeans she just scored at one of the excellent second-hand designer shops in the hood (like Tokio 7 at 83 East Seventh Street), or novelist/playwright/critic Sarah Schulman toting a bag of laundry down from her fifth floor walk-up tenement. Or novelist Arthur Nersesian standing there line editing the stained and frayed manuscript of his new novel atop the U.S. mailbox on the northwest corner of East Sixth Street and First Avenue. (I've personally seen all this and more.)
Because I Care
The Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. (372 Fifth Avenue in Brooklyn) is the storefront to 826NYC, one of eight righteous writing lab and tutoring centers that make up 826 National, the literary nonprofit founded by author Dave Eggers dedicated to supporting students' creative and expository writing skills and helping teachers inspire their students to write. The Superhero Supply Co. offers everything a superhero at any stage of development might need, including capes, tights, and secret-identity kits. You can also pick up the latest issue of the Believer magazine, a Wholphin DVD, any of the latest McSweeney's Books titles, or one of the many publications featuring work by 826NYC students. (The free, drop-in tutoring center is housed behind the storefront; all profits from the store support the organization's efforts.)
For a semester I was a writer-in-residence at the Bronx Academy of Letters, a public school founded in 2003 as a place where reading and writing form the basis for every aspect of education (yes, even math and science). The school was founded on the belief that students who can express themselves in writing will do better in any path they choose in life, and just a few years out, the grades six through twelve public school was included on U.S. News & World Report's "Nation's Best High Schools" list. If you care about the cultivation of important new literary voices, consider making a gift to this worthy institution (tax-deductible), or attending one of its few literary benefits thrown each year.
Another organization that believes everything improves through the telling of stories is New York Writers Coalition (80 Hanson Place, #603, Brooklyn). One of the largest community writing programs in the country, the coalition offers free workshops to those who have historically been deprived of a voice, including at-risk youth, incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals, the homeless and formerly homeless, individuals with disabilities or major illness, and the elderly. In support of their mission, the coalition offers several events, fund-raisers, and parties attended by New York literary luminaries who support the efforts of the organization. A favorite is the annual Write-A-Thon, when everybody is asked to "Write your A** Off" during a full day's activities at the New York Center for Independent Publishing (in the library of the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen building at 20 West Forty-Fourth Street).
The annual (very fun) Small Press Book Fair also takes place at the New York Center for Independent Publishing, which is incidentally, right across the street from the Algonquin Hotel (59 West Forty-Fourth), site of the famous Algonquin round table where a "vicious circle" of authors, journalists, critics, agents, actors, and editors like Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, Harpo Marx, Harold Ross, George Kaufman, and Alexander Woollcott met daily beginning in 1919. Might as well top off the tour with a couple dry martinis at the quintessential literary New York locale, the Oak Room at the Algonquin. I haven't tried it myself, but rumor is, if you're an author in town on tour with a new book, you can get a free night in the hotel in exchange for a signed first edition. And if that's not an inspiration to finish your manuscript, I don't know what is.