text:
The list below shows all our retail outlets in the UK. This includes mail-order businesses not shown on the map. Click on the image or on 'retailer details' to find out more about the particular outlet and the tiles they stock.
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United Kingdom
Black Dog, Bath
This is Black Dog's new workshop in Bath with small retail shop. This is where it all happens - the centre of the decorative terracotta wall plaque empire! The full range of tiles can be seen in the shop.
Anne of Cleves House, Lewes, East Sussex
At Anne of Cleves House you can explore how the Tudors and Elizabethans lived, worked and relaxed at home.
Arbour, Shipston-on-Stour
new outlet - details coming soon
Arts & Crafts Living, nr Saffron Walden
Arts & Crafts Living sells gifts and home interiors in the style of the Arts & Crafts era (c. 1860 1930). Items for the home in the designs of William Morris, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Frank Lloyd Wright and other late 19th century designers.
Athelstan Museum, Malmesbury, Wiltshire
Malmesbury, which lies on the edge of the Cotswolds, is a great place for a family day out and Athelstan Museum, with its collection of artefacts and explanation of local history is the place to start.
Beach Pottery, Clevedon, North Somerset
We stock a large eclectic selection of pottery, glass, cards, crafts & gifts, & garden stoneware.
Belly Button, Manchester
new outlet - details coming soon
Black Dog of Wells, Wells, Somerset
We have MOVED to Bath! This was Black Dog's old workshop with a small retail shop. Philippa, who has retired from the business has kept the Wells shop open with a full range of tiles.
Body & Soul, Blagdon, Somerset
We provide a wide range of beauty treatments and holistic therapies are available. We also have a selection of gifts too.
Botanic Garden Shop, Cambridge
Welcome to the Cambridge University Botanic Garden where you can discover plants from all over the world in 40 acres of beautiful gardens and glasshouses.
Brading Roman Villa, Brading, Isle of Wight
Brading Roman Villa is one of the finest Roman sites in the UK. Our award winning Visitor Centre and Museum offers a unique insight into Roman life in Britain from beautifully preserved mosaic floors to an extensive collection of Roman archaeology.
Bristol Cathedral Gift Shop, Bristol
Bristol Cathedral is one of England's great medieval churches originally founded as an Abbey c. 1140.
Bunny Trading, Tavistock, Devon
details coming soon...
Canonteign Falls, Exeter, Devon
Home to Englands highest manmade waterfall, Canonteign Falls is a magnificent example of a Victorian folly set in a magical natural paradise. The waterfalls themselves descend for over 70m making this one of the most breathtaking attractions in Devon.
Canterbury Cathedral Shop, Canterbury, Kent
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian buildings in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site. The Cathedral is also the site of Archbishop Beckets martyrdom.
Caractacus, Clun, Shropshire
The pretty village of Clun with its Norman castle ruins, 14th century packhorse bridge is well worth a visit. Each first May Bank Holiday the Green Man festival is held here. Caractacus is located in the small Square.
Castle Gallery, Ludlow
Nestled within the Ludlow Castle walls (take a right at the gates!) our gallery contains some wonderful local treasures from talented local artists.
Chelsea Physic Garden, London
The Chelsea Physic Garden was established as the Apothecaries Garden in London, England, in 1673. This physic garden is the second oldest botanical garden in Britain, after the University of Oxford Botanic Garden.
Church of St Mary the Virgin (CCT), Shrewsbury, Shropshire
The spire of St Marys is one of the tallest in England and for over 500 years it has dominated the skyline of Shrewsbury's old town.
Colchester Castle Museum, Colchester, Essex
Colchester Castle was the first of the great keeps and the largest built by the Normans in Europe. The Castle Museum takes you through 2000 years of some of the most important events in British history.
Corinium Museum, Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Discover the treasures of the Cotswolds at our award winning Museum. Home to one of the largest collections of Romano-British antiquities extensively from Corinium, Roman Britain's second largest city. Our shop features local products alongside historical themed gifts and souvenirs.
Dorset County Museum, Dorchester
Award-winning Museum of Dorset including Jurassic Coast Gallery with Pliosaur skull, Archaeology Gallery, Thomas Hardys Study and Victorian Gallery with Roman mosaic floors. Explore 6,000 years of Dorchesters history and enjoy our delicious homemade cake in the tearoom.
Dunwich Museum, Saxmundham, Suffolk
The museum is devoted to the fascinating history of Dunwich which is now a tiny village of barely more than 120 people compared to being one of the greatest ports in the 11th century in England. What happened to Dunwich?
Ely Cathedral, Ely, Cambridgeshire
Ely Cathedral, has its origins in Saxon times when St Etheldreda built an Abbey Church. It became the richest abbey in England except for Glastonbury.
Entertaining Elephants, Church Stretton, Shropshire
Entertaining Elephants is situated in a 17th century barn in the centre of the town and specialises in local, organic, ethical and fair trade foods plus environmentally friendly, design-led, gifts and home accessories.
Fairweather's Garden Centre, Beaulieu, Hampshire
Visit Beaulieus hidden gem Fairweathers Garden Centre in Hampshire in the beautiful heart of the New Forest.
Fishbourne Roman Palace, Chichester, West Sussex
Discover the unique story of Fishbourne Roman Palace & Gardens, the largest Roman home in Britain and explore Britains greatest collection of Roman mosaics, as they were laid 2,000 years ago.
Fosseway Garden Centre, Moreton-in-Marsh
Fosseway Garden Centre is a family-owned business that nestles in the Cotswolds. We started out as a farm but with our love of plants and quality gifts we started our garden centre and cafe in 1989.
Garden Museum, London
new outlet - museum reopening soon
Gillian Collins - Gifts, Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire
Our aim is to source quality products which are unique, practical and affordable - making the perfect gift. We have an extensive range of gifts available for any occasion.
Gloucester Cathedral Gift Shop, Gloucester
This has been a place of Christian worship continuously for over 1300 years, since Osric, an Anglo-Saxon prince, founded a religious house here in 678-9 AD.
Harlow Carr (RHS), Harrogate, North Yorkshire
Explore the delights of RHS Garden Harlow Carr, a garden with a wide variety of growing landscapes ranging from woodland to wildflower meadows
Hilfield Friary Shop, Dorchester, Dorset
It was a Franciscan friary, and stood on the north side of the town, on the banks of the River Frome.
Holy Trinity Church (Long Melford), Long Melford, Suffolk
We sell a large range of religious and secular greeting cards, prayer cards and books, wooden and other crosses. Church souvenirs and mugs and other gift ware. Childrens religious books and toys. Church and Medieval Glass Guides and postcards.
Hyde Hall (RHS), Chelmsford, Essex
Experience the horticultural gem that is RHS Garden Hyde Hall, with fantastic panoramic views and an estate that is constantly evolving.
Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge Gorge, Shropshire
Founded in 1872 Craven Dunnill & Co Ltd is renowned for its selection and production of best in class wall tiles, floor tiles and specialist ceramics.
Joe Cornish Galleries, Northallerton, North Yorkshire
The Joe Cornish Gallery has been located in the North Yorkshire county town of Northallerton since 2004.
Kelmscott Manor (HHA), Near Lechlade, Gloucestershire
The Tudor manor house which was the home of William Morris, founder of the Arts and Crafts movement, and houses collections of his works.
Kew Gardens, Richmond, Surrey
Kew is London's largest UNESCO World Heritage site offering unique landscapes, vistas and iconic architecture from every stage of the Gardens' history. Our collection of living plants is the largest and most diverse in the world, growing out in the landscape and within our glasshouses and nurseries.
Kilver Court, Shepton Mallet
Kilver Court is rich in industry and innovation. The Great House dates back to the 1500s and the site has been at the centre of the woollen industry, the silk and lace trade and there's almost always been a brewery here too, phew!
Larch Cottage Nurseries, Penrith
new outlet - details coming soon
Low Sizergh Barn, Sizergh, Cumbria
Discover every day staples and foodie finds in our 17th century barn farm shop, explore our craft and gift galleries, watch our cows being milked whilst sampling treats from our tearoom menu, or join us for a farm trail through beautiful countryside.
Mosaic, Bishops Stortford
Mosaic is a framing shop which also sells prints, paintings and gifts.
National Roman Legion Museum, Caerleon, Gwent
Wales was the furthest outpost of the Roman Empire. In AD 75, the Romans built a fortress at Caerleon that would guard the region for over 200 years.
Nauticalia, Canterbury, Kent
As Britain's leaders in items of nautical interest, we stock thousands of products. Our shops are all in different and interesting locations, often by the waterside, and always surrounded by other attractions so you can "make a day" of it.
Nauticalia, Portsmouth, Hampshire
As Britain's leaders in items of nautical interest, we stock thousands of products. Our shops are all in different and interesting locations, often by the waterside, and always surrounded by other attractions so you can "make a day" of it.
Nauticalia, Port Solent, Portsmouth
As Britain's leaders in items of nautical interest, we stock thousands of products. Our shops are all in different and interesting locations, often by the waterside, and always surrounded by other attractions so you can "make a day" of it.
Nauticalia, Greenwich, London
As Britain's leaders in items of nautical interest, we stock thousands of products. Our shops are all in different and interesting locations, often by the waterside, and always surrounded by other attractions so you can "make a day" of it.
Nauticalia, Shepperton-on-Thames, Surrey
As Britain's leaders in items of nautical interest, we stock thousands of products. Our shops are all in different and interesting locations, often by the waterside, and always surrounded by other attractions so you can "make a day" of it.
Nauticalia, Liverpool
As Britain's leaders in items of nautical interest, we stock thousands of products. Our shops are all in different and interesting locations, often by the waterside, and always surrounded by other attractions so you can "make a day" of it.
No 47, Narberth, Pembrokeshire
No 47 - A big little shop offering a huge choice of delightful gifts, fashions, jewellery, toiletries, toys, home furnishings and much more.
No. 1 Royal Crescent, Bath
No.1 Royal Crescent, Bath (Grade I) was built to the designs of John Wood the Younger in 1767 1774 as the first house in the Royal Crescent. It has been preserved as a museum to get a very real taste of what a Georgian house would have looked like both upstairs and downstairs.
Norton Priory Museum & Gardens, Runcorn, Cheshire
An historical, horticultural haven, Norton Priory is the largest excavated monastic site in Europe, with 47 acres of grounds. Our own range of delicious pickles, preserves and Juice is made using produce grown in our beautiful Georgian Walled Garden.
Old Royal Naval College, London
The Old Royal Naval College, a World Heritage Site, is the architectural centrepiece of Maritime Greenwich, London. The buildings were originally constructed to serve as the Royal Hospital for Seamen at Greenwich.
Ordsall Hall, Salford
Ordsall Hall, Salford's Grade 1 listed Tudor manor house was first recorded in 1177. Since then, it has been home to medieval gentry, Tudor nobility, Catholics loyal to the crown, butchers, farmers, an Earl and several ghosts!
Organically Speaking, Hartley Wintney, Hampshire
Organically Speaking is a small, friendly, family-run independent organic store based in Hampshire. Established in 1999, we provide a 'one stop shop' for all your organic food, drink and cosmetics.
Perry's Farmhouse Cider, Ilminster, Somerset
We're a free thinking craft cider company that doesn't like being constrained. In fact we only like making craft ciders as naturally and as simply as possible - using the very best fresh apples.
Pilgrim Paths, Broadstairs, Kent
Pilgrim Paths sells beautiful labyrinth resources and works with church groups, schools, universities, charities, retreat centres and a variety of organisations to support times of prayer, reflection and meditation.
Pluscarden Abbey, Elgin, Morayshire
Pluscarden Abbey is the home of a community of Catholic Benedictine monks. It is the only medieval monastery in Britain still inhabited by monks and being used for its original purpose.
Red House (NT), Bexleyheath, Kent
The only house commissioned, created and lived in by William Morris, founder of the Arts & Crafts movement, Red House is a building of extraordinary architectural and social significance.
Rochester Castle, Rochester
This imposing fortress has a complex history of destruction and rebuilding. Today it stands as a proud reminder of the history of Rochester along with the cathedral and cobbled streets
Salar Gallery, Hatherleigh, Devon
Elegant shop and exhibition rooms showing & selling the work of up to fifty contemporary West Country artists and makers in the centre of small ancient market town midway between northern Dartmoor and Rosemoor Gardens.
Senhouse Roman Museum, Maryport, Cumbria
Dramatically sited on cliffs overlooking the Solway Firth, this award winning museum is next to a Roman fort probably founded in the first century AD and rebuilt during the reign of the emperor Hadrian.
Skylark Studio, Cockermouth, Cumbria
Skylark Studio with original etchings and pastel paintings by Rolf Parker. Situated in the attractive town of Cockermouth.
Southwark Cathedral Shop, London
The site of the Cathedral is mentioned as far back as the Domesday Book in 1086 but has only been a Cathedral since the creation of the diocese of Southwark in 1905.
St Albans Cathedral Giftshop, St Albans
This is the oldest site of continuous Christian worship in Britain and stands over the place where Alban, Britain's first saint, was buried after giving his life for his faith over 1700 years ago.
St. David's Cathedral Bookshop, St. Davids, Pembrokeshire
Since the 6th century there has been a church on this site. For the past 1500 years prayer and worship has been offered to God on a daily basis which continues to this day.
St. Edmundsbury Cathedral Shop, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk
A church has stood on the site of the cathedral since at least 1065 but it was largely rebuilt, starting in 1503 and a new Gothic tower completed in 2005.
St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London
St Martin-in-the-Fields is a landmark church in the heart of London, steeped in beautiful Georgian architecture which has been imitated across the world.
Starfish Studio, Johnshaven (nr Montrose), Aberdeenshire
Starfish Studio is a treasure trove of affordable, British handmade crafts in the small fishing village of Johnshaven.
The Bishops Palace & Gardens, Wells, Somerset
The Bishops Palace is home and office to the Bishops of Bath and Wells for last 800 years. Situated in the English county of Somerset, it is adjacent to Wells Cathedral.
The Commandery, Worcester
Also known as St Wulfstan's Hospital, this fascinating site offers displays about the history of the building as well as a major exhibition on the English Civil War.
The Great British Shop, Folkestone, Kent
We offer an eclectic and evolving selection of items across a range of categories. The common theme being that everything is produced in Great Britain & Northern Ireland. We feature British designers and makers who produce something a little different!
The Julian Centre, Norwich, Norfolk
The Julian Centre provides information, books, a library & shop, promoting Julian, writer & mystic 1342 c.1429
The Lost Gardens of Heligan, St Austell, Cornwall
Heligan, seat of the Tremayne family for more than 400 years, is one of the most mysterious estates in England.
The Shrine Shop, Walsingham, Norfolk
The Shrine Shop is an integral part of the shrine, focusing on the needs of pilgrims. Situated in the very heart of the village of Little Walsingham in The Common Place, the Shrine Shop has long been an integral part of the Walsingham experience.
The Square Studio, Northam, Devon
Ticketyboo, Ashford, Kent
Ticketyboo is located in the wonderful medieval village of Wye surrounded by beautiful countryside in Kent.
Tidings at Westonbirt Ltd, Tetbury
Our shop is run by Kim Ralph and Steve Cole who also run Cirencester's popular Tidings gift and card shop
Tintern Abbey (Cadw), Tintern
The Cistercian abbey of Tintern is one of the greatest monastic ruins of Wales and it is located on the bank of the River Wye surrounded by woodland in an area of outstanding beauty.
Tresco Garden Shop, Tresco, Isles Of Scilly
The Tresco Abbey Gardens are unique; a perennial Kew without the roof, flush with thousands of exotic plants not seen anywhere else in the UK.
Tretower Court & Castle (Cadw), Tretower, Powys
For over 900 years Tretower Court and Castle has been altered, adjusted and adapted. Much of this was done to keep up with style, fashion and the tastes of the time.
Upnor Castle, Upper Upnor, Kent
Upnor Castle is an Elizabethan artillery fort located on the west bank of the River Medway in Kent. It is in the village of Upnor, opposite and a short distance downriver from the Chatham Dockyard, at one time a key naval facility
Vindolanda Trust, Hexham, Northumberland
Visit Roman Vindolanda today and you will find one of the North Easts most famous and not to be missed tourist attractions lying in the beautiful landscape of Hadrian's Wall Country.
Watts Gallery, Guildford, Surrey
Watts Gallery is an art gallery in the village of Compton. It is dedicated to the work of the Victorian-era painter and sculptor George Frederic Watts. Close by is the Watts Chapel which is one of the most extraordinary and magical buildings in Britain.
Wells Cathedral Shop, Wells, Somerset
Visit one of the most amazing Gothic cathedrals in England with the unique scissor arches and one of the oldest working clocks in the world. The stunning West Front boasts over 300 medieval states.
Wells Museum, Wells, Somerset
Wells Museum is a small museum with an interesting mix of local artefacts including caving, geology, samplers, statuary from Wells Cathedral and Roman finds.
West Dean Gardens, Chichester, West Sussex
Discover one of the greatest restored gardens and visitor attractions in West Sussex. Admire the walled kitchen garden, Victorian glasshouses, Edwardian pergola and Arboretum.
William Morris Gallery, London
The William Morris Gallery, opened by Prime Minister Clement Attlee in 1950, is the only public museum devoted to English Arts and Crafts designer and early socialist William Morris.
Winchester Cathedral Shop, Winchester
For over a 1000 years, people have come to seek inspiration in this magnificent Cathedral. Housed in the Library, The Winchester Bible is the largest and finest of all surviving 12th c. English bibles.
Wisley Book and Gift Shop (RHS), Woking, Surrey
Undoubtedly one of the great gardens of the world, RHS Garden Wisley is home to some of the largest plant collections anywhere in the globe. Looked after by 90 staff, the garden aims to inspire and educate.
Yandles Gallery, Martock, Somerset
The Yandles Gallery is a bright, modern gallery, offering the largest open exhibition space in South Somerset, with an exceptional choice of Art and Crafts.
Yorkshire Museum, York
The Yorkshire Museum sits in the heart of York Museum Gardens and it houses five galleries showcasing some of Britains finest archaeological treasures and many rare animals, birds and fossils, in exciting displays.
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text:
One week, Mr. Stewart went to his health club on mon tues wed and fri. Each day he went to the club, he jogged on a treadmill for 3/5 hours, lifted weights for 1/4 hours, and then cooled down by stretching for 1/4 hours. On Sat, he rode his bike for 3/4 hours. how many hours did he spend exercising at his health club that week?
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subset: commoncrawl


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4 Nereid Street Capalaba 4157 QLD
Neat & Tidy 3 Bedroom Home with Huge Undercover Deck
Neat and tidy 3 bedroom home with a huge under cover entertaining deck. Perfect for a couple or family with public & private schools, medical centre, dental surgery, child minding centres and 3 shopping centres near by and a large park at the end of the street.
Easy access to shops, restaurants, and public transport. Pets on application.
Property details:
3 Bedrooms with ceiling fans or air conditioner
1 Bathroom
Huge Undercover Deck
Large fully fenced back yard
Secure LU Garage with remote access
Property Code: 18
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MySpace Real Estate
Camp Hill QLD, 4152
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text:
Hello i recently updated to the latest version of bd rebuilder, and the latest version of ffdshow, i am tryin to convert salt, to a bd25 backup on the options setting i have set encoder to highest (very slow)
the problem im having is about 30% through i get the error x264 has stopped working?
as since i have reinstalled the older ffdshow/martroska etc versions described on jdobbs site
however i was prompted with a dialogue box a while ago when running bd rebuilder i got a dialogue box from ffdshow about what to select or something it said ffdshow "choose dont use now, or always, etc" so i chose no, however apparently on reading up i should have chose yes on the ffdshow dialogue box which opened when i opened bdrebuilder, how can i get the dialogue box to appear again so i can choose yes??
Thanks for your help
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hi baldrick
the option is differednt
thats says use ffdshow in
and dont use ffdshow in
underneath is a greyed out option show dialogue whn an unknown application tries to load ffdshow,
im assuming that is it
but howver when bd rebuilder loaded i clicked no just this once
i loaded a ausio cue file up in imgburn it popped up then, i also chose no this once, so im assuming it will pop up on another program i try to load??
i bassically want it to pop up again so i can select yes to bdrebuilder
also should i select yes all the time to the option aswell?
Isn't Salt one of those infamous Cinavia protected titles? If so you're going to have tons of problems trying to shrink it and you may never get it to work successfully.
hi mate, no its ripped and backed up fine bud, just burning to bd25 now, so ill check in the next 30 mins and let you no, im just curious how to get the ffdshow to be selected all the time by the dialogue box that came up. or get the dialogue box to come back up so ive got the option??
i was going to report on jdobbs other forum, but it wont let you post until youve been a member for 5 days which is strange
Unless you can get more specific about the error message, it's hard to help you. And you should fill in your computer details.
I'm going to assume you're on WIN7. When you first run a version of BDRB, run it as Administrator, and it will configure itself. Use the included inspect.exe in the BDRB folder to confirm your configuration. And along those same lines, I suspect it's just a permissions problem.Pull! Bang! Darn!
I am trying to back up my copy of TERMINATOR SALVATION on Blu-ray to a BD-R 25 using BD Rebuilder v0.39.02 (beta)
I have tried using V0.39.04 but the end result is the same.
The main movie consists of 34 parts and BD Rebuilder always fails on the last file. (please see attachment)
The source file for Bd Rebuilder is a full .iso rip of the Blu-ray disk which plays back perfectly when mounted in a virtual drive
Can anyone give me a clue as to what is going wrong....many thanks
We are not BDRebuilder experts here so unless someone has a better idea about your Terminator Salvation problem, I think you are going to have to go Doom9 and beg for help over there. I took a look at your log and the old "interlaced VC-1 problem" isn't your issue here. It looks like the encode just fails for some mysterious reason.
I had this happen when I run out of free HD space. Remember BDrebuilder makes temporary file while encoding that it will delete if you set to delete them when encoding completes. My practice is to have 50GB's free on the target HD were the new and temporary files are stored.
Thanks for your suggestions, I tried again using a hard drive with 179Gb free space but had the same failure. I have used BD Rebuilder for a long time now and this is the first time I have had problems.
There is something I find rather strange about this disk and that is the files have 2 video streams, this is the first time I have come accross this (see attachment) Rebuilder seems to process 00235 ok but not 00141.
I will find an answer, Thanks again
attached files are .JPG
Last edited by Brighton Bear; 3rd Dec 2011 at 17:10. Reason: text added
It's possible that there is a bug in BDRebuilder. You'll have to reach out to the author on the forums on Doom9. The BDRebuider forum is actually the one they use for DVDRebuilder (another product by the same author). I'll warn you - the people on Doom9 are not very nice and sometimes not very helpful, but the author himself is OK. It's not his fault but he has a lot of sycophantic followers who delight in telling you things like "The problem is that you don't have BDRebuilder setup correctly" rather than trying to actually look into your problem. Perhaps you'll get lucky and the author himself will take a look.
Terminator Salvation should have been out for a while so I'm doubtful about this, but if this was a new release it would not surprise me if the 00141 file was put there deliberately just to screw up BDRebuilder. Hollywood has done a lot of things to screw up DVD shrinking programs in the past. I don't remember the movie as it's been too long, but I vaguely remember a couple of years ago seeing a DVD movie that had an unreferenced video file over 1 GB in size on the DVD. It seemed to me that it was there for 2 possible reasons. One was to artificially make the DVD size big enough to require a dual layer disc (without the movie would have fit on a single layer disc). The other was that maybe it was designed to force DVD shrinking programs to deal with it even though it wasn't used at all so that they would shrink the movie itself to a greater extent than was really necessary and make it of lower quality.
Thanks to all for your replies, I have sorted the problem and will update this with information tomorrow!
Actions taken to correct copy problem.
1. Remounted ripped disk image to a virtual drive.
2. Loaded playlists into BDInfo to confirm which playlist was needed.
3. Loaded required playlist MPLS file into tsMuxerGUI.
4. Removed secondary video stream (MPEG-4 AVC Video 2676 kbps 480p / 23.976 fps / 16:9 / High Profile 3.2), subtitles and unwanted audio tracks.
5. Muxed with tsMuxerGUI. output set to Blu Ray disk.
6. Burnt resulting files to BD-R 25Gb disk as movie size was now down to < 20Gb
Backup copy now plays with no problems............
You have the right idea. Good going.
Just to let you know, sometimes tsMuxer will fail to correctly join the m2ts files, and the audio will go out of sync after a bad join. OTOH, Clown_BD is more reliable for that, so file that away for future use. (Actually, I'm slightly surprised tsMuxer worked whereas BDRB choked on the same files.)
I have to agree with jman, as soon as someone posts on the doom9 BDRB bug report thread about a problematic disc....cue the hallelujah chorus. You're not set up correctly, you must have wrong versions of the helper apps, I did that one no problemo, blah blah. Well yeah, it seems BDRB is rather sensitive to vagaries in individual setups, and I'm not talking about using wrong versions of the helper apps.
I mean no disrespect to jdobbs, his program is wonderful as-is, but it's still beta obviously.Pull! Bang! Darn!
To elaborate a little more:
1) Brighton Bear is configured correctly. BDRB says so.
2) A search of "Terminator Salvation" on the bug report thread shows a few hits, but there's no common denominator. Apparently, previous versions worked for most people on that movie. I found nothing there that's exactly like Brighton Bear's problem.
3) Read the changelog and the whole thread and it's clear that sometimes bugs have been fixed, then they recur in later versions, when other changes have been made to the program. Trying a previous version of BDRB for a problematic disc is inconvenient, considering the fact that each version is time-limited. You have to change your computer's internal clock/date to do it. Which is reasonable from the author's point of view. He needs tasting and feedback for his changes.
Which goes to show how tedious it's been for the author to make his program stable enough and widely compatible enough to issue as a stable release rather than beta.
From the user's point of view it means the occasional disc that requires a workaround. My own experience is that extracting main movie with Clown_BD is darn near infallible, BDRB will happily re-encode that every time.Pull! Bang! Darn!
As a few members have recommended Clown BD I decided to give it a go on "Terminator Salvation".
I found it was not very "user friendly" to a newbie user, but in the end I succeded and produced a backup.
Can someone please tell me how to stop the movie restarting (looping) when it has finished playing!! I ran it through
BD Rebuilder and this cured the problem but I feel that I'm missing something in Clown BD that I should be setting.
Regards and thanks for your prior help.
Last edited by Brighton Bear; 9th Dec 2011 at 02:54.
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text:
States, Nations and Nationalism: From the Middle Ages to the Present
392 pages
March 1998, Wiley-Blackwell
Table of Contents
Series Editor's Preface.
Part I: States:.
1. The Advent of the Modern State.
2. Christianity and Reasons of State.
3. Leviathan.
4. The Constitutional State and the Rule of Law.
Part II: Nations:.
5. The 'Nation' is not just any Nation.
6. Nation States and National Cultures.
7. The Pivotal Period.
8. The Invention of the 'Folk Nation'.
9. The Folk Nations in Reality.
Part III: Nation States:.
10. The Revolutionary Nation State (1815-1871).
11. The Imperial Nation State (1871-1914).
12. The Total Nation State (1914-1945).
Part IV: Nations, States and Europe:.
13. Nations, States and Europe.
Index of Names.
Author Information
The Wiley Advantage
* Written by one of the foremost of Germany's youngest generation of historians.
"Schulze demonstrates a high level of competence in tracing the growth of the nation and the state from the time of Charlemagne to the reign of Napoleon. But it is in his account of that point in the early 19th century when the nation and state fuse that his book achieves brilliance." Choice


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On October 18-20, join us as we venture into the world of the Conductor as he will take you to places like the Cemetery of Lost Souls, the Chop Shop,
Pirates Den, and other locations of terror. Children friendly experience is from 11am-5:30pm, but from 5:30pm– 10pm, the woods will be filled with
unspeakable terror. Vendors, activities
, and other fun and scary things will also be available to enjoy.
So lets see if you can face the wrath of
The Conductor.


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Believe it or not, this blog started out as a teeny little website primarily to share pictures of my brand new baby, Jayna. It was easier to post on a website than email pictures to our extended family, so it worked well. And now, thanks to your shares and word of mouth, I have over 1,000 "fans" on Facebook and have about 20,000 visits to my blog each month. These numbers help sponsors find me, so I can make a little money, try some new products {and report back to you}, and have allowed me to contribute to over 15 different publications and blogging networks. Every time you visit my website, you are helping to support my family…thank you!
But, today, I'm going back to the basics to brag on my Middle Little a bit. She has been taking ballet and tap since January with some friends from the neighborhood and from school. And now, in her spare time, she plies and leaps and twirls in front of any reflective surface!
Can you see Millie? She is second from the right.
Her recital was a typical 2 hour dance company recital…a showcase for all the different classes, plus a few solo acts form the older ballerinas. The little ones were so cute and terrible at the same time…always a couple of tots who were on the money with their routine; a few who just stood there and cried; and then the majority, who were a few beats behind with their moves…or just doing their own thing altogether.Apparently mascara and a little bit of lip gloss cures any hint of stage fright….in fact, it adds an element of sass! {as if she needed any more!}Jayna sang along with the lyrical music, while Lincoln was mesmerized by the pretty ballerinas everywhere…he literally watched {and often imitated!} the entire performance! It was a long show, but they both did great.And luckily, both grandmas were there to corral the Littles in the few moments of boredom. And Millie was just thrilled to have a whole entourage accompanying her to the show!And after her few minutes of delicate dancing in her elegant costume….she was right back to her silly self!


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Continuing on the weekly series, today we posted the session on A Rich Type System. Thanks for watching the last week's session on naming conventions and coming that chat… Last week we had over 90 people at the chat. If you missed it there will be a chat transcript posted soon. The technical content of the presentations are going to start ramping up fast from here on out.
A couple of notes on this sessions:
I am interested in your thoughts on Value and Reference types.. do you agree with me that many developers on the platform can be very productive and happy on the platform without really understanding the distinction between value and reference types? (slide 5).
Funny, listening to my self read code… for a line like: "int i = 123;" I read that as "int i gets 123". I guess "gets" comes from my history with Pascal… how do you think it is mostly read?
I think it is very cool that you can look at the source code for int\Int32… it is just a value type, you could write one of your own. Check it out int32.cs
Slide 16 talks about generics, sense I filmed this, we decided to added generics to the CLS in the .NET Framework 2.0 (Whidbey) time frame (before Longhorn).
Slide 20 talks about the now infamous naming convention for generic type parameters. Again, my data is out of date. Kris has the latest guideline here. I must say it is a bit odd to hear me vigorously defend our "old" K, V model… I must say I sound pretty convincing. J That said, I am very happy with the new model we have, I think it fits in much better with the overall model
Slide 27: The obvious question many of you will want to know is how to get a list of all the optimizations the JIT does. The short answer is that we don't produce such a list to ensure that we are free to change the JIT as we move forward and moves to different processorts. The thing you should do in your code is to measure, measure, measure… don't assume "smarter" code is better. Write the code in the obvious, easy to read way, then measure and optimize. More on this in Rico's talk in the next few weeks.
Slide 27: I confirmed it, we do this optimization on accessing chars out of a string as well as arrays. For all intents and purposes, the JIT treats instances of System.String just like a char[] for exactly this reason.
Slide 30: Good news on the catch{}, vs catch (Exception e) differences. We are very likely going to address this in Whidbey. That is we will wrap exceptions that don't inherit from System.Exception in a class that does inherit from System.Exception…. Look for more data on this post Beta2.
Slide 36: First, an interesting thread on localizing for developers… Lots of good comments here: http://blogs.msdn.com/brada/archive/2005/01/24/359983.aspx#FeedBack
Slide 36: Brian Harry and I recently spoke about error messages for exceptions. He made a good point that sometimes end users to see exception error messages. This is particularly true when you are building an end application. So for most "system" or "framework" level exceptions target the message at a developer, but for application specific exceptions expect for an end user to see them.
Slide 36: UE = User Education… they are the folks the write the documentation for the product.
Slide 56: Did anyone happen to use a very early, pre-beta release of the .NET Framework and actually see the PrinterOnFireException? I would be interested to hear if anyone actually spotted this…
General question: how do you like the questions at the end? Are they helpful for you to understand the material?
Rich Type System
Learn what rich constructs from the CLR's type system are available and appropriate for developing APIs. Also, learn when to use reference over value types, delegates, exceptions, attributes, and many other important features.
[Sign up for the chat]
Sign up for coming chats…
2/4 - Member Types [Sign up for the post session chat]
2/11 - Designing Inheritance Hierarchies [Sign up for the post session chat]
2/18 - API Usability [Sign up for the post session chat]
2/25 - Designing Progressive APIs [Sign up for the post session chat]


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After a series of polls where you, the readers, picked the very best PlayStation games of the century, we felt that we would provide you with our favorite games on the system, too. Of course, that's arrogant, disgusting, and a little on the exhibitionist side on our part, but hey, you keep coming back for more, right?
So here are Dave and Doug's picks, one best game from each genre. And at the end of each list, we give you our final, overall pick of the system. We hope you enjoy the results! Either way, make sure to let us know what you thought by emailing us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Dave's Picks
Action: Despite the fact that this genre was filled with a lot of great games, this one wasn't too hard of a pick for me. Tony Hawk, Syphon Filter, Driver, etc., you're all great games, but my pick has to go to Konami's Metal Gear Solid. Why? That's simple. Metal Gear Solid is much more than just a videogame. It's a cinematic thrill ride and a wonderful gaming experience.
Adventure: This is another genre packed with a ton of solid games. However, just like the Action genre, making my decision didn't take any time at all. Resident Evil 2 and 3 were exceptional games, as were Dino Crisis and Legacy of Kain. However, none of them complete me. My pick for best adventure game on the PlayStation is a true videogame masterpiece, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Everything about this game screams out perfection (with the exception of the voice acting).
Driving: Despite the 98.2% max and the numerous other bugs and issues, Gran Turismo 2 still wins out in this genre. I loved the Need for Speed games, R4 was a blast to play (way too easy in my book), and the first GT was nearly perfect. But, in the end, I played and enjoyed GT2 more than any of the other racing games on the system.
Fighting: The fighting genre was a difficult pick for me. It wasn't a problem because there's a lot of great games in it, but more so because nothing really stood out. I really enjoyed Tekken 3 as it was cool to open up all the characters and it was an easy game to play amongst friends, but it didn't strike me as being truly great. Therefore, my pick has to go to Capcom's Street Fighter Alpha 3. SFA3 is probably the best game in the entire Street Fighter series and Capcom did a wonderful job on the PlayStation port. Though, I must mention that in my humble opinion, the best fighting game on the system is really Tobal 2. The problem is that it never made it out in the U.S.
Platformers: I enjoyed Crash Bandicoot: Warped, Spyro 2, Tomba! and Rayman quite a bit, but Ape Escape stands out as the best platforming game on the PlayStation. The game truly pushed the 3D capabilities of the PlayStation to its limits and actually added a few fresh new elements to this age-old genre.
Puzzle: If I had to pick the single greatest videogame of all-time, I'd probably pick a puzzle game -- Tetris. But, while the PlayStation did have some versions of Tetris (The Next Tetris and Tetris Plus), none of them really intrigued me. The puzzle game that gets my pick for best on the PlayStation is Devil Dice.
RPG: Despite the slow start, the PlayStation ended up being the system to have for RPG fans in the U.S. Over the last few years, American RPG fans no longer had to wonder why all the great RPG's were being left behind in Japan, because just about all of the great ones made their way here. Of all the genres, this was the hardest one to make my decision on. In the end, I had to give my vote for LUNAR: Silver Star Story Complete. It featured a phenomenal storyline and a cast of characters that you really fall in love with by the end of the game. Just so you know, the other games that were in the running were Xenogears and Grandia.
Shooter: I actually picked two games for the shooter genre. One is a standard shooter and the other is a lightgun shooter. As far as standard shooters go, I believe that the very best one on the PlayStation is Square's Einhander. R-Type Delta, G Darius, and ThunderForce V were all great; But Square's game just edged them out in my book. As far as lightgun shooters go, the PlayStation only had a small number of them. My pick for the very best goes to Elemental Gearbolt. Why pick this over Time Crisis and Point Blank? While those were great games, Elemental Gearbolt was the only one that was truly different. It wasn't about shooting as fast as you can and constantly reloading. The game had a storyline, one of the best videogame soundtracks of all-time, and fresh new play mechanics in the genre.
Sports: Sports games are what really got me back into gaming in the 16-bit days. I have quite a few fond memories of playing Genesis sports games with my brother and my friends. So, it's no wonder that the sports games (I've picked two because I couldn't decided on which one was better) that I went with were the first ones on the PlayStation that truly brought back the same gaming experience of the Genny ones. Therefore, my vote goes to EA Sports' NHL '98 and Madden NFL '98.
Both were the first that really offered great one and two-player gaming experiences that gave me new memories that rivaled the old ones. NHL '99 had framerate problems and NHL 2000 had a lot of goofy little issues, so '98 was the best that EA offered. 989's FaceOff 2000 was that series' best and NHL 2000 from Fox Sports surprised everyone with its greatness. Just in case you're wondering which Madden was the '98 version, it was the last one done with sprites. Most print and online magazine editors ragged on it for being out of date and that it wasn't up to the standards of 989's GameDay, but the truth is that those editors are IDIOTS. The gameplay of Madden '98 was where it was at. Madden 2000 actually comes in a close second, but loses out because conquering its AI took a little less time than '98's.
Wrestling: The wrestling genre is great... FOR ME TO POOP ON! Actually, WWF Smackdown looks like it might actually be a wrestling game that's...gasp...good, but it's not out yet.
Music/Dance: Parappa was a great game and a blast to play, so it has to get my vote for the best in the genre. But, that's in the U.S. The very best game in this genre is really Konami's Guitar Freaks. There's nothing more addictive than playing Guitar Freaks.
Dave's Overall Best Game of the Century: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
Douglass' Picks
Sports: Every year there is another great round of games that usually betters the previous versions. If International Superstar Soccer 64 for the Nintendo 64 was on PlayStation, that would be my all-time sports game of the century. As it is, FIFA 99 was a smart, deep, refined soccer game that was EA's best, in my humble opinion.
But I must be fair, and portray my arcade origins. Given that I played more hours of NFL Blitz 2000 than any other sports game ever, I have to give it up to Midway, at least in the arcade version. The coin-op version of NFL Blitz is absolutely the most addictive, raucous, and in-your-face football game I have ever come in contact with. I love that sh%t. Sadly, the PS version wasn't as good as the N64 version, and thus, the love, while still great, didn't apply with as much slather. So, by default, FIFA 99 is my favorite sports game on PlayStation.
Action: Tony Hawk Pro Skater and Driver were, by far, my two favorite action titles this year, and to be honest, ever, on the system. I played the sh%t out of Metal Gear Solid and loved lots of other great games on the system, but these two really captured my attention again and again. I respect Tony Hawk Pro Skater a lot, as I spent most of my time trying to perfect huge combos in the tournaments, especially from the high ledges into pools. That game is insanely good.
But of the two, I spend even more time playing Driver. The missions kept me up late at night, and the Survival mode kept me up for the rest of the morning. And when I finally figured out how to use the Directors mode (it was harder when it was in the Alpha version), I was so utterly hooked, that I had become a whimpering blob of mush when I was forced to stop. Driver just had me by the huevos from the very start.
Adventure: In the last two years, the most amazing adventures I ever played out-did anything from the past. Resident Evil 2 and 3 were more intense, more frightening, and better games than Alone in the Dark or anything from the olden days. Of those two games I'd have to say Resident Evil 2 was my favorite. It was big and scary, and enabled you to play through as two different characters with complementary storylines. I spent so many hours clutching the controller that my hands were sore for weeks. I looked forward to coming home from work to get in another three hours. RE3 was awesome, but the third time around wasn't nearly as scary as it was with RE2.
My other favorite adventure was Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, which seemed to do well critically, but was lost on the average player because it was hard to manage. Without a fricken' map, the game was more frustrating than it should have been. Still, the mood, atmosphere, and storyline, in addition to the great hand-to-hand interface and character abilities really showed just deep and immersive a game could be. From beginning to end that game oozed of evil and dread, and it is like no other that way. And of course, there is Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, a pure game if there ever was one. But it didn't sink in as deep as RE2, in my humble opinion.
Of the three, however, I choose you Pigeoto! Just kidding, Capcom's Resident Evil 2 takes the cake as the overall brilliant, story-driven, puzzle-heavy, scary movie-style game that changed the way I viewed adventure games.
Driving: The year 1999 was the absolute best year for driving games ever on the PlayStation. Almost all of the best driving games on the system appeared: R4: Ridge Racer Type 4, Need For Speed High Stakes, Need For Speed Presents V-Rally 2, Gran Turismo 2, and another favorite of mine, Sled Storm. While every game had its good aspects, by far the most amazing of the games was Gran Turismo 2. Drag races or not, 98.2% or not, the game is so far and above the rest that Polyphony has completely rewritten the books on what a driving game should be. Everyone from Sega to Namco to EA, or whoever plans on making a racing game, must look at GT to compare or contrast their own title. The level of depth, the amount of cars, the extra courses and great music and little extras put this so far ahead of other racers it's mind-boggling. It may sound like I'm oozing with love, but if one game ever deserved it, this is it.
Fighting: For most fans it's all about Tekken 3, and there is no doubt it is a fantastic game. But my love lies with Street Fighter Alpha 3, which I believe is the absolute best fighting game on the PlayStation. The coding team at Capcom boned down and mastered the PlayStation's sprite-handling abilities like no other team and quickened the frame rate, added more features, and improved the single-player experience way beyond my expectations. I spent so many hours playing this game, alone, mind you, that when it came time to fighting another person, I was pleasantly surprised. You can have your Tekken, but for me it's all Street Fighter Alpha 3.
Platformers: What a strange experience Ape Escape was for me. The best platformer ever on the PlayStation arrives and no one blinks an eye. Ape Escape is innovative, hilarious, and is the first game to deliberately use only the analog controls on the PlayStation. And guess what? It's a blast. Crash Bandicoot Warped was good fun, but by year three I was spent with the crazy-eyed marsupial and his 2 1/2D madness. Give me Ape Escape any day of the week, over Crash , Croc, Gex, heck... it's leaps and bounds better than the copy-cap Banjo-Kazooie (yecchh!). Only Super Mario 64 tops this one in my books. But on PlayStation? I go monkey for Ape Escape.
Puzzle: In my short life, while I have actually played more I Tetris than any other puzzler, I wasted more sweet hours on Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo than any other puzzle game on PlayStation. And while I hold these truths to be self evident, THQ's Devil Dice is an even better game than Capcom's classic. I've thought about this one for some days now. Even though I spent more time with Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, Devil Dice takes the prize. Devil Dice is ingeniously addictive, while figuring multiplayer and several other modes into the thick of things, these guys thought up something NEW, something that wasn't based on Tetris. It's because of this genius that I think Devil Dice is better than Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, better than Roll Away, another great puzzle game, or the low profile but nonetheless fun Ballistic.
Music/Dance: Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you see things), the West never received the oozing gobs of music games that flooded the stores at Akihabara and the rest of Japan. Us poor American slobs only got three games, Parappa the Rappper, Bust-A-Groove, and Um Jammer Lammy. Of the three, I have to say the Parappa the Rapper had the biggest effect on me, and holds the deepest hitch to my gaming heart. It was charming, playful, and frighteningly fun, and as weird as a videogame can get.
Wrestling: While I have been exposed to all of the wrestling games on the PlayStation far more than any regular human should ever be, my experience playing wrestling games has become a more interesting one, by far, in the last two years. Wrestling games have finally begun to grow up. WWF Warzone, WWF Attitude and WCW Mayhem have done several things to lift this pitiful genre up by the bootstraps than any other PlayStation games, and now, with WWF Smackdown coming down the pike, it's only going to get better. The weird twist of fate here is that there is no real great wrestling game on the PlayStation yet, and so I have no real clear pick. Nothing stands head and shoulders above the rest for me to definitively pick a leader for the century.
RPGS: As you probably already know, I am not the biggest fan of traditional turn-based RPGs. I prefer a good adventure or an action-based game to a turn-based one. But on this system, Final Fantasy VIII is my favorite RPG. The best-looking RPG with the most refined sensibility of any of Square's games, FFVIII takes the cake. It's a mature story, it's studded with great features, and it's an amazingly beautiful game. Xenogears -- and even Final Fantasy Anthology -- had its moments, but FFVIII takes the cake. Oh, and one last thing, it wasn't a big hit, and most people never even knew about it, but Guardian's Crusade deserves special mention as a funny little RPG that was a lot of fun.
Douglass' Overall Best Game of the Century: Gran Turismo 2.


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MADISON, Wis., July 25 (UPI) -- Organizers of a Wisconsin parade for hybrid cars said the 208-car event set a world record for the longest procession of hybrids.
Paul Cooley, showroom manager for event organizer Smart Motors, said the Madison parade included vehicles from Ohio, Florida, Texas, Colorado, Georgia and Quebec, the (Madison) Wisconsin State Journal reported Monday.
Smart Motors said the 208 vehicles participating in the 2.1-mile parade only used four gallons of gas, as many of the cars did not even need to use their gas engines for the 5 mph procession.
The dealership said the event broke the previous Guinness World Record of 140 hybrid vehicles in a parade set last year in Belgium.


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Bill English has caved into the pressure on the high dollar but needs to go much further and overhaul our out-of-date Reserve Bank Act, says Labour's Finance spokesperson David Parker.
"Bill English has given in to the unrelenting pressure from manufacturers, exporters, workers, unions and political parties to change monetary policy but he needs to go much further. The new tools are useful but on their own they won't be enough to make our currency competitive and help our exporters flourish.
"The Reserve Bank has a tunnel vision mandate that requires it to primarily consider inflation. Our retro Reserve Bank Act was made in the 1980s when inflation was the main demon. It's time to bring it into the post-financial crisis world.
"The Reserve Bank must be given more firepower. It needs to be able to give appropriate weight to other critical issues such as employment and our overvalued dollar as well as inflation.
"Bill English is only doing half the job. He risks making it harder for first home buyers without the benefits of creating better jobs and higher wages that full reform of the Reserve Bank Act will help bring.
"National's economy isn't working for ordinary New Zealanders. Manufacturing outside primary industries is in trouble and jobs are being cut every week. We need to remove the tunnel vision mandate and give the Reserve Bank a 20/20 perspective for the economy.
"Labour has long argued that the Reserve Bank must be able to look beyond inflation and give equal weight to other important issues such as the exchange rate and jobs. That would help our exporters and manufacturers and create better paying jobs for New Zealanders."
27 February 2013 MEDIA STATEMENT


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Monday January 24, 2011
From Heidi Knapp Rinella, Las Vegas Review-Journal: The unexpected demise of Michelin-starred, Five-Diamond Alex, which closed Saturday at Wynn Las Vegas, certainly set tongues a waggin' on the Las Vegas restaurant scene. With Wynn representatives declining comment, speculation ranged from the impending demise of fine dining in Las Vegas to a sudden personality conflict between chef Alex Stratta and Steve and/or Elaine Wynn after a collaboration of many years.
So here's some comfort food of a different kind: While we have no knowledge of the latter -- and we at Taste make it a policy not to speculate -- it appears that foodies can take heart because there's no evidence of the former. But things may be shifting slightly.
"I don't think fine dining is done," said David Robins, managing partner, operations, for the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining in Las Vegas. That said, "I think Las Vegas has an overabundance of high-end and not enough of what we consider casual dining on a high level."
Robins said his company saw the trend coming about a year and a half ago and made changes to Postrio at the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian to blend more casual dining with its fine-dining element. And he said the trend influenced their newest restaurant, Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria & Cucina in Crystals at CityCenter.
"We really saw the effect of casual dining at Crystals," Robins said. "Because of what was going on at Aria, with its high-end selection of restaurants, we saw an opportunity to do casual dining as a second and third option" for people who were in town for a week or so.
"And it's paid off," Robins said.
But not initially. The restaurant opened as a brasserie and was switched to a slightly less expensive Italian restaurant, "with more of a pizza concept."
Now, "we're going gangbusters," he said, adding that average business had quadrupled.
Robins noted that back in 1992, when Spago opened at the Forum Shops at Caesars, the company "took some baby steps" by pairing a fine-dining room with a casual cafe in the front. The reason, he said, was to accommodate both those looking for a fine-dining experience and those in search of a bargain meal or quick bite.
The former, he said, seems to be in demand less frequently these days, partly because of the economic downturn that has tightened purse strings but also because of the fact that as a society we're increasingly used to instant everything.
"People are on the move," Robins said. "People have expectations in terms of doing more in Las Vegas than just dining."
Hubert Keller, whose fine-dining Fleur de Lys at Mandalay Bay became the small-plates restaurant Fleur in December, agrees that people are looking for more than simply sitting in a restaurant for several hours. About a year ago, he put a patio area outside the door, where he started serving "some fun, cool bar food," much of it inspired by his experiences living and working in various parts of the world.
"We had quite a response," he said. "People were actually coming back and asking if they could have it inside, also." So he decided to rip out the front wall of the restaurant, expand the patio and concentrate on small plates -- including a tasting menu.
"It's probably a little more casual," he said. "Basically the whole thing is still about being entertained. We really worked on presentation."
To wit: Barbecued ribs that come to the table under a glass dome, with the dome filled with smoke. Or ice cream that's frozen tableside with nitrogen -- which, he said, turned out to be better than the restaurant's homemade ice cream made in the kitchen with an expensive, elaborate machine.
Keller compared such presentations with the old-school cherries jubilee, flamed at the table.
"We add our own personal touch to every single one," he said. "It's a little show on one hand, on the other hand definitely the taste, the flavor and the ingredients."
He said some customers do make an evening out of dinner, so the entertainment factor is important to them.
"They will spend the time in a restaurant if it's a cool spot," he said. "You're not being instructed by the waiter, or how the chef said you should do it -- all the things that can be intimidating.
"The younger crowd is not used to the old-time restaurants, but they still definitely go out and socialize. They want to be in a place where it's happening." He noted that many retail stores have added entertainment components to amuse their customers.
David Myers, whose Comme Ça Parisian-style brasserie opened with the Cosmopolitan last month, agreed that changing lifestyles are affecting dining.
"I think the attention span is definitely shorter than it used to be," he said. "I think people are definitely wanting to get in and get out. They want to get on with their lives and do something."
But, he said, "I think people tend to expect a high level of fine dining, in the most casual way." Of the brasserie concept, he said, "given the economy and the changes we've had over the last couple of years, it's certainly a great fit. It's affordable; it's a place where people can go and take some friends and come weekly if they want," which he said has been the case at his Los Angeles restaurant and is starting to happen in Las Vegas.
Christina Clifton, vice president of food and beverage at Aria at CityCenter, said she also has noticed a shift.
"I think that there have been in the last several years people turning away from three-hour dinners," she said. "That's been a trend that has been unfolding. The seven-course meals and the 17-course meals, people don't take to them like they used to."
The growth of social networks, Clifton said, has changed dining dynamics as well, with plenty of customers tweeting from the table.
"I think what they do is they end up bringing a larger base of their friends into their dining experience, even though they're not present, by tweeting it and Facebooking it at the time that it happens," she said.
"I think people are trying to get more done in a shorter period of time and have the same feel of being satisfied," Robins said. "But they may have a great salad and a great pizza instead of sitting down for an hour and a half and having a three-course tasting menu.
"I wouldn't say the trend is going away. It is becoming a finer percentage than it used to be. Maybe five years ago it was 10 percent, now maybe 5 percent want a fine-dining experience."


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TOYSREVIL Turning 8 on Tuesday
The TOYSREVIL-Blog turns 8 years old, come February 19th (at precisely 5:36AM). Wow. It's been that long? (Timeline includes over a year of self-whining and subsequent toy-bloggery in ernest tho MUAHAHAHAHA). Look out for contest/s (I'll have see what I can give away first hahaha) and other "surprises" on the blog (and by that I mean i'll sort it out by the weekend hahaha). Be sure to stay tuned for goodness, folks!


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Van Cortlandt Park
Van Cortlandt Park
Around twenty thousand years ago, New York was buried beneath massive glaciers. When the ice receded, it left behind the characteristic sketch of Van Cortlandt… Read More
Van Cortlandt Park - Glaciers in New York City
The characteristic sketch of Van Cortlandt Park—steep ridges, smooth hillsides, and open flats—was carved by glaciers. The most recent ice age began about 1.5… Read More
Van Cortlandt Park - the Wetlands of New York City
Tibbett's Brook cuts through soft Inwood marble on its way from Westchester to Spuyten Duyvil. Before dividing into a concrete conduit, it feeds the Van Cortlandt… Read More
Van Cortlandt Stadium
Van Cortlandt Stadium takes its name from the Van Cortlandt Family who occupied the land from 1699 to 1888. The WecKquaesgeek Lenapes Native American Tribe lived on… Read More
Vault Hill
"My body I commit to the earth, to be buried in a family vault which I intend to build on my plantation. If I do not cause the vault to be built in my lifetime,… Read More
Woodlawn Playground
Woodlawn Playground lies within Van Cortlandt Park, near Van Cortlandt Park East and East 239th Street, and takes its name from the adjacent neighborhood and cemetery.… Read More
Directions to Van Cortlandt Park
- This Weekend In Parks
- Green Youth Assist Management Of Van Cortlandt Park: Collecting And Anazlyzing Critical Data
- Van Cortlandt Track Club
- Bird Walks
- Norway Maple Pull
- Historic New York: Native Americans
- Van Cortlandt Track Club
- Barbecuing Areas
- Baseball Fields
- Basketball Courts
- Bathrooms
- Bicycling and Greenways
- Bocce Courts
- Cricket Fields
- Dog-friendly Areas
- Eateries
- Fishing
- Fitness Equipment
- Football Fields
- Golf Courses
- Great Trees
- Handball Courts
- Hiking Trails
- Historic Houses
- Horseback Riding Trails
- Nature Centers
- Outdoor Pools
- Playgrounds
- Running Tracks
- Soccer Fields
- Spray Showers
- Tennis Courts
- Wi-Fi Hot Spots


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Don't miss out on a lower price on this hotel
Get an overview of this hotel3-star hotel near Castiglione Thermal Park
Popular property highlights
Situated near the beach, this hotel is within 1 mi (2 km) of Ischia Port and Castiglione Thermal Park. Aragonese Castle is 1.4 mi (2.2 km) away.
Hotel Features
Along with a restaurant, this hotel has a bar/lounge and a rooftop terrace. Free buffet breakfast and free WiFi in public areas are also provided. Additionally, 24-hour room service, a meeting room, and a 24-hour front desk are onsite.
Room Amenities
All 38 rooms offer free WiFi, 24-hour room service, and flat-screen TVs with digital channels. Guests will also find minibars, hair dryers, and showers.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!Opens in a new window
Hotel Villa Maria
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
The hotel offers a restaurant. A bar/lounge is on site where guests can unwind with a drink. A complimentary breakfast is offered each morning. Wireless Internet access is complimentary.
This Ischia hotel also offers a rooftop terrace, tour/ticket assistance, and a garden.
- Bar/lounge
- Luggage storage
- Babysitting or childcare
- Offsite parking discounted rates available
- Rooftop terrace
- Shopping on site
- 24-hour front desk
- Free breakfast
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Restaurant
- Year Built 1920
- Total number of rooms - 38
- One meeting room
- Number of floors - 3
- Free WiFi
- Number of buildings/towers - 2
- Wedding services
- Babysitting or childcare (surcharge)
- Garden
Family Friendly Amenities
- Family Hotel
- Free Wi-Fi
- Babysitting or childcare (surcharge)
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Offsite parking discounted rates available
Room Amenities
- Air conditioning
- Minibar
- Private bathroom
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- Shower only
- Digital TV service
- Flat-panel TV
- Free WiFi
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Room service (24 hours)
- Cribs/infant beds (surcharge)
- Rollaway/extra beds (surcharge)
Where to Eat
Guests are offered a complimentary buffet breakfast each morning.
Onsite venue - This buffet restaurant specializes in regional cuisine and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
24-hour room service is available.
Nearby Things to Do
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
- Bicycle rentals nearby
- Windsurfing nearby
- Sailing nearby
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at noon
Check-in time ends at midnight
Check-out time is 10:30 AM
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Rollaway/extra beds are available for EUR 40 per night.
- Cribs (infant beds) are available for EUR 5 per night.
- Pets not allowed
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
- No onsite parking is available.
- A tax is imposed by the city: EUR 1.00 per person, per night, up to 7 nights. This tax does not apply to children under 18 years of age.
Optional extras
- Crib (infant bed) fee: EUR 5 per night
- Rollaway bed fee: EUR 40 per night
Hotel Name
- Villa Maria Hotel Ischia
- Villa Maria Ischia
- Hotel Villa Maria Ischia
We should mention
All guests, including children, must be present at check-in and show their government-issued photo ID card or passport. Cash transactions at this property cannot exceed EUR 2999.99, due to national regulations. For further details, please contact the property using information in the booking confirmation.


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Sir Alex Ferguson out to quieten Manchester City
As Sir Alex Ferguson prepares to take a giant stride towards securing his 12th Premier League title at Newcastle tonight, the Manchester United manager said he would not shy away from the big decisions needed to renew the club in the summer.
Victory at St James' Park, where United have not lost in a decade, would see them go nine points clear of Arsenal, who will have a game in hand but only six matches to close the gap.
With the Manchester City defender, Joleon Lescott, warning United that the challenge from Eastlands was unlikely to fade, preparations for next season have already begun.
Ferguson dispatched his brother, Martin, to Spain to scout the Atletico Madrid keeper, David de Gea, who is a prime candidate to replace Edwin van der Sar when the Dutchman retires next month.
The close season at Manchester United is expected to be a busy one with the futures of players such as Owen Hargreaves, Wes Brown, Michael Owen, Tomasz Kuszczak and even Dimitar Berbatov uncertain. And while Ferguson did not discuss individuals in the current United squad, he told The Manager, the magazine of the League Managers' Association, that he was not afraid to bring a player's career to an end.
"It is a horrible thing to say but you cannot be sentimental in this job," the 69-year-old said.
"I love the players that I've had and I've been very, very fortunate to have had great players who have come through my career with me.
"All of the players I have had here have played a part in my success so when I see something happening — as in the cases of Nicky Butt and Phil Neville — I have had to release them to other opportunities.
"It was getting to the stage where I was terrified of talking to them and telling them they weren't playing. It wasn't fair to them because they had played a big part in the resurrection of Manchester United. When the time came for me to let them go, I knew I was cutting really important, loyal strings and I didn't enjoy it.
"My job is to manage United and to produce results and I am no different to any other manager. I will not be regarded in the same way if I am not successful. Everything to do with me is black and white. If it's on the football field and I see something that I feel is a retrograde step for the club, I have to act and make decisions, which is something I have always been good at.
"I can make quick decisions and I am lucky that way. In management, you have to be able to make decisions and sometimes you are not right but that doesn't concern me too much because the important thing is being able to do it."
That Manchester United are perhaps three games away from recapturing a championship that was lost to a resurgent Chelsea 13 months ago is one of Ferguson's many great achievements. United's football may have lacked the magic of previous campaigns but they have forged a consistency that in a wildly unpredictable Premier League should prove decisive.
Striker Berbabtov may be the Premier League's top goalscorer and on Sunday night was named in the Team of the Year as voted for by the Professional Footballers' Association but he is likely to begin tonight's game at Newcastle on the bench, just as he did when United and Chelsea locked horns for a place in the semi-finals of the European Cup.
When he was given an opportunity on the grand stage, Berbatov squandered two early chances in the Wembley semi-final against City, moments that frustrated Ferguson singled out as decisive.
Rooney, suspended, was watching from the stands and even if his record at St James' Park were not outstanding, with six goals in five games, there would be little question he would return.
As he proved when getting rid of Dwight Yorke and Ruud van Nistelrooy when both were seemingly at the height of their powers at Old Trafford, Ferguson has a keen sense of when a striker is past his peak.
Berbatov's contract expires in 14 months' time and Manchester United have a unilateral option to extend it another year — another of the big decisions Ferguson will have to take in the summer.
Belfast Telegraph


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Do you often find yourself wondering "is my husband having an affair?" If you're tired of being lied to, and you just want to get to the truth any way possible, then keep reading, because I think you'll like what we have here!
Do You Want an Astonishingly Accurate Infidelity Quiz?
Before we go any further, let's make sure that one thing is perfectly clear:
For the duration of this cheating husband quiz I'm going to ask you to assume that your husband IS having an affair. If he's not, rest assured that we'll find out the truth, but for right now we're assuming he is cheating because that'll make our investigation easier, and it'll be less painful in the end if it's true.
So go ahead and say it, in your head if not out loud…I want you to ask yourself and then answer yourself:
"Is my husband having an affair?"
Deep breath. Slowly when you're ready…
"Yes, my husband is cheating on me"
Now deep breath again! We'll deal with the pain and the anger and the emotions of that statement later, for right now we're going to focus on getting to the truth.
The fact of the matter is that 85% of the time your gut feeling will tell you the truth before any other signs do.
The fact that your suspicious at all means that your virtually guaranteed to be right…A woman's gut never lies. Just check all the popular infidelity forums, you'll see this same recurring pattern. Your suspicion is one of the best indicators of an affair.
Is My Husband Having an Affair Quiz
Here is a 3 question quiz you should take to figure out if your husband is cheating on you. Just ask yourself the following questions and you're sure to unearth the truth:
Cheating Husband Quiz Question #1)
- "Has My Husband Ever Accused Me of Cheating?" -
This is one of the best indicators that you can get that your husband is unfaithful to you.
If the Answer is Yes:
If you answer this question yes, then chances are good that your husband is probably being unfaithful. It's been proven time and time again that almost always distrust is based on guilt.
What that means for you is that if your husband has ever accused you of having an affair, you should be VERY suspicious of him.
If the Answer is No:
The fact of the matter is that we as humans are constantly thinking about ourselves. Our naturally self-centered tendencies often cause us to assume everyone else acts and thinks the same way as we do. This is the reason that you should be suspicious of an accusatory spouse; chances are they got the idea of YOU having an affair from their own disloyalty.
If you answered no to this question, then this doesn't necessarily mean that your husband isn't having an affair, it just means that he's not guilty about it.
Cheating Husband Quiz Question #2)
- "Does My Husband Still Have Sex With Me Regularly?" -
This is a very important question…It's essential that you identify any odd patterns in you and your spouse's sex life as soon as possible. Remember how we're assuming that your husband is having an affair?
Well, whether or not he's still being intimate with you will give you a big heads up to the type of affair he's having…Which is actually more important than you probably think.
If the Answer is Yes:
If your husband is still sleeping with you a normal amount, then that actually means that it's very unlikely that he's emotionally involved with his lover. It's likely that the affair is purely physical to him, even if he says otherwise to his lover.
This means that your husband is probably cheating on you out of boredom or some similar reason.
If the Answer is No:
However, if your frequency of sexual intimacy has decreased, then it probably means that your husband is having an emotional affair. That doesn't necessarily mean that there's no physical aspect, but it does mean that your spouse has found some reason to sleep with you less.
It could be revenge that motivates the affair, it could be a need for drama, heck, it could even be something as silly as self affirmation.
The fact of the matter is that there's some issue that your husband can't deal with, and that's what's causing him to be disloyal.
Cheating Husband Quiz Question #3)
- "When Would My Husband Find Time to Cheat?" -
Yeah, I know, this isn't a yes or no question. And this may no definitively answer the question of "Is my husband having an affair", however, it's still very important that you take the time to answer it. Here's why:
There are a few things that all affairs have in common, and one of them is the element of Time. Every affair is going to require time to unfold.
- There will have to be time spent communicating (hint: BIG place to find clues).
- There will have to be time spent preparing to meet each other.
- There will be the actual time spent together.
- There will have to be time spent in transport.
As you can see, that really adds up to be a lot of time. There are only so many hours in the day, after all. Now, if you really think about it, I'm willing to bet that there aren't that many REAL opportunities that your husband would have to have affair.
Here's what you should do:
Take some time to jot down the times that YOU would have an affair.
By thinking like a cheater, you're going to be much more likely to catch your husband. I think you'll be surprised that you're guess will turn out to be much more accurate than you think. Trust me.
Next Step: Get Cold, Hard Proof
The only thing left to do is to catch your husband red handed. By securing evidence of an affair you will know for sure that he's cheating. Luckily, there actually aren't that many FOOL PROOF ways to catch cheating, so you don't have that much more work to do.
You really have two realistic options from this point:
Cell Phone Tracking
If you want cold, hard evidence that your husband is having an affair, and you want it RIGHT NOW, then you won't get anything better than Cell Phone Tracking.
With this technology you get access to the following information:
- All of your husband's contacts
- All of your husband's text messages
- All of your husband's phone calls
- You even learn exactly where your husband is at all times with GPS tracking
=> Learn More Here: Top 4 Ways to Track Your Spouse Cheating <=
As you can see, cell phone tracking ain't no joke, and you should really consider it as the next step in your journey at this point.
However, if you don't think that cell phone tracking is for you (Hey I understand, privacy is a real concern), then don't worry, you have other options.
The 'Old Fashioned' Way
Private Investigators have been around in some or another for a REALLY long time. For centuries there have been people who specialize in acquiring information secretly and covertly.
Call them whatever you want, but there's on thing for sure:
They know how to catch affairs. And YOU can learn their secrets…today.
Recommended – Proven Way to Catch a Cheating Husband
Tired of wondering whether or not your husband is being loyal? That course will walk you to the truth.
Either way you choose to proceed, I only wish you the best of luck from this point onwards. Feel free to check out some more of SignsCheating.com if you'd like! We have tons more information for you.
You are here => SignsCheating.com / Suspect Cheating / Is My Husband Having an Affair
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FDB Stops Production Of Illicit Sex-Enhancing Drink
The Food and Drugs Board (FDB) has locked up the production unit of an illegal sex enhancing alcoholic beverage known as "Two Fingers Special" concealed in the toilet and the bathroom of the manufacturer.
The product, which has no label, manufacturing/expiry date, batch number and FDB number, is said to have been sold to thousands of men seeking to enhance their sexual performance.
Currently, the FDB has locked up the premises and arrested the owner of the facility.
When graphic.com.gh got to the production unit, there were several jumbo-sized barrels of the locally made gin "Akpeteshie" and big bags of a powdered brown substance, as well as hundreds of plastic buckets packed at the premises.
Speaking to the media, the Western Regional Director of the FDB, Mr Solomon Agampim, said the board had had information concerning the production of the drink since 2010 but it was unable to locate the source.
He said the FDB later found the source of the unapproved alcoholic beverage in Takoradi.
Mr Agampim said the ingredients in the concoction were a source of worry to the board, since they could seriously affect the lives of the people who patronised the drink.
He said samples had been taken and would be forwarded to the forensic laboratory for analysis to determine the chemical composition of the drink and its effects.
The manufacturer of the drink, Mr Joe Krampah, said he had been in the business for some time now but he did not seek the approval of the FDB nor the Ghana Standards Authority.
He said he used akpeteshie, mixed it with some spices and blended it with local herbs, contending that the product was safe for consumption by his standards.


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A molecule found in sharks appears to be able to wipe out human liver viruses, such as hepatitis, new research has found.
"Sharks are remarkably resistant to viruses," study researcher Michael Zasloff, of the Georgetown University Medical Center, told LiveScience. Zasloff discovered the molecule, squalamine, in 1993 in the dogfish shark, a small- to medium-size shark found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. [See a Gallery of Wild Sharks]
"It looked like no other compound that had been described in any animal or plant before. It was something completely unique," Zasloff said. The compound is a potent antibacterial and has shown efficacy in treating human cancers and an eye condition known as macular degeneration, which causes blindness.
Zasloff's new research shows it can also kill many human liver viruses, though a few researchers who weren't involved in the study do have concerns that in order to see an effect, you'd need toxic levels of the molecule.
Viral activity
By studying the compound's structure and how it works in the human body, Zasloff thought it might have some antiviral properties. He saw that the molecule works by sticking to the cell membranes of the liver and blood vessels. While there, it kicks off other proteins, some of which are essential for viruses to enter and survive in the cell.
The researchers decided to test the compound on several different live viruses that infect liver cells, including hepatitis B, dengue virus and yellow fever. They saw high efficacy across the board.
The researchers were unable to test the compound against hepatitis C, a virus that infects the livers of about 1.5 percent of the U.S. population and can cause liver cancer, because hepatitis C doesn't grow well in lab models like rats. Yellow fever virus is often used as a surrogate lab test to show possible efficacy against hepatitis C, and the researchers were able to cure yellow fever in hamsters with squalamine. [7 Devastating Infectious Diseases]
Zasloff hopes to start human trials in the next few years.
Future treatments
The sharks also contain a number of other squalamine-like molecules, which target other tissues and organs. Some interact with the respiratory system and others with the kidneys.
"I believe that each of those compounds renders those tissues resistant and the day will come when we will be in a position to administer a compound to a human being and render certain organs selectively resistant against particular viruses," Zasloff explained. Zasloff holds several patents for the use of squalamine and related compounds for the treatment of viral diseases.
Jean Michel Brunel, a researcher from the University of the Mediterranean in Marseille, France, is excited about the data, though he said the concentrations used to kill the viruses are high, and, as such, could be toxic to humans.
Marc Maresca, a researcher at Paul Cézanne University in Aix-en-Provence, France, who wasn't involved in the study, agreed that the concentrations used were quite high, possibly in toxic ranges for some cells, but in an email to LiveScience Meresca also called the study "very exciting."
"Overall, the paper is very convincing," Meresca said. "It could open a new way to fight against major viruses such as HBV, HCV or HIV."
The study was published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences.
This article was reprinted with permission from LiveScience.
Related on LiveScience:


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Zoltan Mesko CIN (6) 4 years ago3 Comments
Free agent P Zoltan Mesko worked out for the Jets.
The Jets already have Ryan Quigley at punter, though he's coming off a mediocre season. An ex-Patriot, Mesko appeared in seven games for the Steelers in 2013. He worked out for the Redskins in April.
Zoltan Mesko CIN (6) 4 years ago
Free agent P Zoltan Mesko worked out for the Redskins on Tuesday.
Mesko, 28, had a 36.7 net average on 34 punts for the Steelers last season. He signed with the Bengals late in the year but never appeared in a game for them. The Redskins are looking for punters after releasing Sav Rocca in March.
Zoltan Mesko CIN (6) 4 years ago
Bengals signed P Zoltan Mesko.
P Shawn Powell was waived in a corresponding roster move. Powell had struggled in the absence of Kevin Huber (broken jaw, injured reserve). Mesko has 55 games of NFL experience, but was just 24th in net-punting average for the Patriots last season. He only lasted seven games for the Steelers in 2013. Punter is going to be a trouble spot for the Bengals during the postseason.
Zoltan Mesko CIN (6) 4 years ago
Steelers signed P Zoltan Mesko, formerly of the Patriots.
They're rolling with Michigan Man Mesko over incumbent Drew Butler.
Zoltan Mesko CIN (6) 4 years ago
Patriots released P Zoltan Mesko.
Mesko was due to earn $1.323 million this season. The Patriots have chosen to go with undrafted rookie Ryan Allen, who will make $405,000. Mesko, who struggled at just 43.1 yards per punt last season, will be on the short list when teams need punting help.
Zoltan Mesko CIN (6) 6 years ago
Zoltan Mesko (knee) averaged 46.7 yards on three punts in Sunday's loss to the Bills.
Mesko came into the game questionable, but said he just needed to loosen up. "It's just a minor thing," he said. "By next week I should be OK."
Zoltan Mesko CIN (6) 6 years ago
Patriots P Zoltan Mesko (knee) took part in a limited practice Wednesday.
Mesko was unable to finish out last week's game, so this is a step in the right direction. The Pats worked out free agents Jeremy Kapinos and Matt Dodge just in case Mesko can't go.
Zoltan Mesko CIN (6) 6 years ago
Patriots P Zoltan Mesko injured his knee in Sunday's win over the Chargers.
Teammate James Ihedigbo was blocked into Mesko's left (kicking) knee after a punt. He was unable to punt again, but did serve as the holder for Stephen Gostkowski later in the game. Mesko underwent an MRI on Monday, the results of which are unknown.


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Homeowners in north Minneapolis have made great progress toward recovery from last spring's tornado.
Most of the 3,700 properties affected by the storm have been repaired. But city officials say hundreds of properties remain damaged, more than a month after they had hoped most repairs would be finished.
The north Minneapolis streets near Theodore Wirth Park were hit hard by the tornado. More than eight months after the storm, evidence of its force remain. Many homes are still being repaired.
But others are boarded with no sign of activity, like the damaged home two doors down from where Ruby Cruz lives on Sheridan Avenue North.
The small white house has a large open gash in its roof, which looks as if it is caving in.
"There is nobody there and there wasn't anybody there when the storm happened," Cruz said.
She worries the empty houses in her neighborhood will further depress home values for her and the other stable homeowners on her block. But she's not sure what the city can do.
"You know they are doing what they can," Cruz said. "I'm satisfied that they are fixing the streets and stuff.
"I don't know if there is anything they can do about the houses, you know, because knowing that the bank owns them — that is why they don't do much to it."
This vacant house is typical of heavily damaged properties where owners haven't responded to months of notices ordering them to make repairs.
"As you can see from that end the roof is gone," said city housing inspector Farrokh Azmoudeh. He said some people were uninsured or underinsured. Some just walked away from their properties. And others, he says, are foreclosures or owned by banks.
"There is no ownership that we can identify to correspond and say "What are you going to do,' "Azmoudeh said. "Those are out of our control. Out of the city's control."
Azmoudeh and other inspectors have canvassed north Minneapolis trying to find unresponsive owners. It is now up to the city to decide which of the worst holdouts, including this home on Sheridan, should be torn down.
"And the last group are the ones that they haven't done anything," Azmoudeh said. "We've given them all of the notices and the city is about to demolish them."
The most recent city inspections — since the beginning of the year — found 330 properties with outstanding repairs in the tornado zone. The city has identified about 150 of them as vacant.
About 60 vacant homes are possible demolition candidates, Director of Housing Inspections Tom Deegan said. Many are likely bank owned, and Deegan said it may take months to sort out ownership.
"The problem that we are looking at here with the tornado area ... is that we really don't know of anybody's intent, and we won't know probably until we get closer to spring," said Deegan.
So far, the city has torn down 10 homes and plans to demolish another eight. Owners have the right to appeal before their property is knocked down, and that adds months to an already drawn-out process.
That leaves vacant and damaged properties to further deteriorate, Deegan said.
"We are actively pursuing all of these cases and everybody is working very diligently to that end. It just takes time," he said.
Demolishing a home costs the city an average of about $17,000. The city recoups some of that through fees charged to delinquent property owners.
But the city would rather save homes than tear them down.
Officials are working with community groups and the state to preserve every property that can be saved, and to assist homeowners who need help paying for repairs.
The goal, Deegan said, is to have a plan in place for every damaged property by spring. But even with plans in place, he said it could take until next fall before every home damaged in last May's tornado is either fixed or demolished.


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Housing Market "Doesn't Look Slow" to SF Realtor Bonnie Spindler '82
December 5, 2007
December 5, 2007, Greencastle, Ind. - "It doesn't look slow to me," Bonnie Spindler of Zephyr Real Estate tells the San Francisco Chronicle of the current housing market. "I keep telling people it's not a buyer's market, but they don't believe me until they get into the trenches," adds the 1982 DePauw University graduate.
Carol Lloyd writes that Spindler "says she'd heard that the softest sector of the market was entry-level properties, but a recent open house of a six-unit tenancy-in-common building with units ranging from $500,000 to $590,000 challenged even that generalization."
Spindler tells the newspaper, "I had 100 people go through the house and seven or eight requests for disclosure packages. Many of the buyers were already preapproved with loans."
You'll find the complete article, headlined "Some S.F. neighborhoods are solid despite meltdown," at the newspaper's Web site.
Bonnie Spindler -- who majored in communication and psychology at DePauw -- was featured in a San Francisco KRON-TV news report in February 2006. Details can be found in this previous story, or visit her Web page.Back


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The woman fatally struck by a car on her way to buy a lottery ticket in downtown San Diego Saturday has been identified.
Gabriela Alexandrescu, 62, of San Diego suffered extensive injuries when she was struck by a Honda Civic while crossing the street at the intersection of Reynard Way and Redwood Street in the Midtown neighborhood, according to the county's Medical Examiner's Office.
Police said the accident happened about 9:25 p.m. when Alexandrescu was headed to the Clover Leaf Market on Reynard Way to buy a lottery ticket.
She died at the hospital shortly after paramedics took her there, officials said.


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The Kenyan music scene has been quite vibrant over the last decade. However, gospel music remains the most popular genre of music. In fact, gospel artists top the list of the most famous as well as the richest artists in general. The industry has seen old gospel artists making a comeback as well as new musicians being discovered. Currently, the following are the top 10 popular Kenya gospel music artists:
Recommended Reading: 10 famous Movie Stars born on Kenya
10 Famous Kenya Gospel Music Artists
1. Rufftone
Do you like gospel music and want to get the best of it? Try Ruff tone. Ruff tone whose real names are Roy Smith Mwatia can be said to be the "God father" of gospel music. The musician was born 35 years ago in the Western province of Kenya. He specializes in gospel dance hall and raga. Besides being a gospel artist, he is also a music producer and owner of lampstand records.
2. Esther Wahome
When talking about the gospel industry, the name Esther Wahome always comes up. She is one of the most prolific figures who have always featured in the gospel scene. She has also dominated the scene for over two decades. Esther Wahome has also mentored many upcoming musicians in the industry. Besides singing, she also participates in charity events. As a wife and mother of three, she also represented the country in Mrs. World beauty pageant.
3. Daddy Owen
Daddy Owen aka Papa Fololo is the younger sibling of Rufftone. His real name is Owen Mwatia. He burst into the scene a few years back, and under the leadership of his big brother "Rufftone" he has dominated the gospel industry for the last three years. He also managed to win most awards and nominations in the last three years. The accolades included KORA, Channel O, Groove awards, and other local awards. Daddy Owen is also among the wealthiest musicians in Kenya.
4. Juliani
Juliani born Julius Owino started his music career as a secular rap artist with the group Ukoo Fulani. Born and raised in the ghetto, he has managed to cut himself a niche in the gospel industry. As the king of gospel rap, he has also been nominated a couple of times. Currently he is also the goodwill ambassador in charge of promoting youth farming in Kenya.
5. Ben Githae
Ben Githae is well known for singing more laid back gospel tunes. He usually performs in vernacular specifically in "Kikuyu" dialect. His fame has seen him feature in top musical concerts. Ben Githae was one of the most featured artists in the just concluded elections in Kenya.