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I have a bit of a fascination with streaming video gadgets. That's partly due to me being a geek, but more practically related to the fact that we cut the cable/satellite cord in our household in April of 2011. We never watched much current television anyway, and most of what we did watch amounted to DIY/HGTV reality TV garbage, and one day it hit me that we were paying $92 per month to DirevTV for the ability to watch and record The Daily Show and a geek staples, and nothing else. I had owned a Roku HD for about 6 months, having picked one up on Woot, So I discussed it with my wife, told her I thought we could survive on Netflix streaming, OTA HD, and iTunes Season Passes for the shows we couldn't wait for on DVD or Netflix. We committed to giving it 6 months, and I had my doubts as to whether we'd make it. Here we are, 3.5 years later, and I can't imagine paying $100/mo for the cable or satellite TV again.
My Other Streaming Devices
Since 2011, I've acquired a few more streaming devices. I've owned an Apple TV 2nd generation, and still own and use an Apple TV 3rd generation, a Roku 2, two Roku 3's, and I even used a Mac Mini as a Plex client for a while. I ran my 2nd generation Apple TV jailbroken for a while so I could run XBMC, but ended up selling it on eBay for more than the cost of its replacement 3rd gen Apple TV. Today I have the Roku 2 at my office, a Roku 3 on our tiny living room TV (bought purely so any potential babysitter could watch TV there), and the Apple TV and Roku 3 connected to our primary TV in our bedroom. I also have a Tivo HD with lifetime subscription connected to that TV but powered off most of the year, and I just disconnected a Playstation 3 that I intend to trade in for credit towards an Xbox One. I'm using the HDMI port from the PS3 on the back of my soundbar/sub combo (don't hate me) for a new device – the Amazon Fire TV Stick.
Amazon Fire TV – a Cheap Alternative
Amazon announced the Fire TV Stick a month or so ago, with pre-orders set to begin arriving around mid November. my wife and I managed to order a couple during the day they were announced, and as Amazon Prime members, we got ours for $19 each instead of the regular retail price of $39. My wife's should arrive sometime in December, but mine got bumped up to Black Friday, so I redirected it to my parents' home in middle Tennessee. I'd considered getting my parents either a Roku 3 or Apple TV for a while now, but wasn't sure if they'd really use it. I figured if the Fire TV Stick works out, one of ours could make a good starter streaming device for them, and potentially be all they'd need.
Out of Box Experience & A Software Update
On Black Friday, we returned home after taking our son and his cousin to a local kids play area called "Bounce Palace", and I found the Fire TV Stick waiting in the mailbox. Amazon continues to do a good job with the out of box experience – clearly borrowing a page from Apple's playbook. The Fire TV Stick comes in a box about the size of the one that both the Roku 3 and Apple TV come in, which may seem a bit large for something the size of a USB flash drive, but it also contains several other components to connect it to a TV and power it. Inside the box are the stick, the remote, a small USB power adapter, a long USB to Micro USB cable, and an HDMI extender adapter, presumably for TV's with too little room to accommodate the stick in between other connected HDMI cables.
I tried to use the Fire TV Stick by connecting its USB cable to the USB port on my parents' TV, but the stick complained when it booted up, saying I'd get a better experience using the included adapter, so I did. Once booted up, the first thing the Fire TV Stick needs is to be connected to a WiFi network, which went smoothly enough. The next thing it asked me to do was download a software update, which I did. I have no idea how long that took, because we went to dinner after about 20 minutes of watching the progress bar barely move. I worried that the slow download might mean we were in store for a poor experience over my parents' fairly slow U-Verse connection, but some of my Twitter pals confirmed the download was slow for them over their very fast connections. When we returned from dinner, we found the Fire TV Stick updated and asking if I wanted to use the Amazon account which had been used to order it. This is one thing that Amazon does really well – every Kindle or Fire device arrives ready to use and already associated with your account.
Showing the Fire TV Stick to My Dad
Once I confirmed I wanted to use my account, the Fire TV Stick played a welcome cartoon video that gave a brief overview of the stick and the uses to which it could be put. We mostly ignored this because it's hard to focus on much of anything besides getting a two year old and five year old into the house and settled into playing, but I was pleased to see that video and more were available for replay later.
After explaining to my dad that this was a device for watching online video, his first question was, "So you can use it to watch YouTube on the TV instead of the computer?" Check. His next was, "Can I get rid of cable if I have this?" I told him that was a much harder and more complicated question to answer, but in my case, yes, I had, although given his love of sports and many other types of TV shows, I kinda doubted it.
I showed him YouTube, which worked quite well, even over their fairly slow (4Mbps or so) internet connection. I signed into my Netflix account, and it also worked quite well. I added an "NFL Now" app and that experience was terrible – near constant buffering and the audio never successfully synced up with the video. There wasn't that much left to show him, which was good, because at that point my son ran into the room demanding to see something they had recorded on their U-Verse DVR. Ironically, once we switched back to the DVR, we discovered my dad had deleted the show, a Curious George Christmas special, but they settled for Frosty the Snowman. We could have watched both via the Fire TV Stick and Netflix, of course, but my goal wasn't to take over my dad's TV that night.
Putting the Fire TV Stick to a Real Test
After we returned to Knoxville, I disconnected my PS3 and connected the Fire TV Stick in its place. After dancing with the stick and the required network switch, I browsed the popular apps and downloaded and installed Plex. This would have cost me something, maybe $1.99, but for some reason I had 500 Amazon Coins, and I was able to use them to pay for the app. Once Plex was installed, I signed in with my Plex credentials and it recognized that I was a Plex Pass subscriber. I fiddled with the settings in the Plex client in an attempt to make it look as clean and sparse as I have it on my Roku and iOS devices, mostly to no avail. I guess this is the way Plex looks on Android, and if so, I'm not a fan. Still, I managed to turn off the most annoying thing – theme music, and started testing. I didn't adjust any quality settings, either in the Plex client or in the Fire TV Stick, so it ran at whatever the default is.
I was quite pleased with the performance over my 802.11N network, especially given my Airport Extreme is sitting two floors below our bedroom. It does remind me I need to pay someone to finally run Cat6 up to the top floor and place an AP up here to improve things overall. Using Plex, I streamed both 1080p and 720p MP4 rips of my own blu-rays (honest), and they looked fine. They might look a bit better on the Roku 3, but I wasn't in the mood to do an A/B frame-by-frame comparison. Suffice to say, I'd be satisfied with the quality, but with a 40 inch TV and a soundbar for audio, I'm not an AV nerd. I also tested it with some other random MKV files (no idea where they came from) and they looked quite good as well.
After trying it with Plex for a while, I tried several videos from both Amazon and Netflix, and the experience was exactly what I would expect – very good. I noticed a slight bump in quality and a near elimination of buffering when I recently upgraded our U-Verse internet service from 12Mbps to 24Mbps. If I thought the quality would get better by moving to 45Mbps, I'd do that, but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't.
As far as video quality goes, I'm really impressed with the Fire TV Stick – especially for $19.
User Experience
I'm going to show a picture I snapped of my TV screen here. It looks kinda crummy, but I want the visual. I was a little surprised but very impressed that Amazon includes not just a single overview tutorial video, but a series of 10 of them, covering such topics as troubleshooting and remotes and controllers. I certainly don't need these videos, but they're not meant for me; they're meant for people like my dad or my family and friends who don't eat, breathe, and sleep streaming video gadgetry like I do. I think both Roku and Apple would do well to include something like this in their devices as well.
Aside from very good streaming video performance, I found maneuvering around the Fire TV Stick to be a little cumbersome, although to be fair, I'd bet most people will get their major services activated and only use them in the Recent menu after that. Browsing for apps and games was a bit frustrating, especially the additional network or cable TV apps. Most, if not all, require some sort of sign in proving you have a paid cable subscription, which is fine, but I'd rather just turn all that crap off like I have on my Apple TV. As it was, I tried a few, discovered they all required sign ins, then removed them from Recent and will have to remember to go back and uninstall them. All the games I saw cost money or coins, and while I have a couple hundred Amazon coins left after paying for Plex, I had no desire to use them to demo what may be terrible Android games.
The Remote Problem
I've saved my biggest potential beef with the Fire TV Stick for last. See that picture? That's a selection of remotes – some of which I don't use, along with the main remote I do use for everything in my AV setup – the Logitech Harmony 600. The 600 isn't the fanciest Harmony Logitech makes, but I'm done paying $200 for a remote that will inevitably die. The 600 controls more devices than I need it to, and it lets me program one-touch activities for my wife and son, and at $50 or so, that's all I care about. I have one in the bedroom, one in the living room, and an Xbox-branded version of it in the basement, waiting for a TV to replace the giant RPTV I gave away recently. Next to the Harmony is the Roku 3 remote – which I never used until very recently, when I discovered its ability to let me listen to sound via its included headphone jack meant I could walk on the treadmill in our bedroom without worrying about keeping our son from falling asleep. Counting from the right is a Fitbit One, included purely for size, and an old school Apple remote. I've never even used the remote that came with my Apple TV, as I programed my Harmony to work with it as soon as I unpacked it.
In the middle is the Fire TV Stick remote. And like it or not, I will be using the Fire TV Stick remote, because it operates via Bluetooth and not infrared. I guess it makes sense, given the likely location of the stick, but it also means I can't use my Harmony remote with it. I have a USB infrared adapter for my PS3 that enables me to use my Harmony, but I doubt there will be anything like that for a $39 streaming stick. So until or unless I can find a Harmony remote that does IR and Bluetooth, I would be stuck using a separate dedicated remote for the Fire TV stick. That's a no-go for regular home use for me, which is fine, because my Roku 3 does everything the Fire TV Stick does. For travel use, however, a dedicated remote is fine, and I can see myself keeping one of these sticks in my backpack, with all its parts in a ziplock bag, for use on the road. I'm not sure how having a separate remote will impact my parents when I give them the other stick, but we'll see.
That's all for now. If you have any questions you'd like me to answer about the Fire TV Stick, hit me up on Twitter at mikestanley.
This is post 29 in the #NaBloWriMo #vDM30in30 30 Day Blog Challenge


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Posts Tagged 'Salman Khan'
WHERE ARE THE ROLES? Lara Dutta, Bipasha Basu, Sonam and (above) Vidya Balan
MEENA IYER Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; January 5, 2010)
Luck By Chance
Posted January 2, 2010on:
MEENA IYER Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; January 2, 2010)
Yet, the reality of the matter is something else. It is usually who is available; and sometimes who is more saleable.
Take the latest: Aamir Khan was never meant to be playing the idiot in his latest film. It was to be Shah Rukh Khan. Since SRK and producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra had a difference of opinion, the Bollywood Badshah was replaced by Aamir. And while the rest is history, there are innumerable such examples in the film industry.
History knows that Amitabh Bachchan was not Prakash Mehra's first choice for Zanjeer. It was meant to be Dev Anand or Raaj Kumar. When both actors said no, the Big B stepped in. Jaya Bachchan even thanked Dev saab for refusing the Zanjeer role. The film gave her — her real life husband and it gave Bollywood one of its most revered screen couples.
Today you wonder how Dev saab would ever have fit into the angry young man mould. But that's an after-thought.
Hrishikesh Mukherjee wanted Raj Kapoor to play Anand. When he couldn't, Hrishida sent for Shashi Kapoor but Rajesh Khanna wormed his way in. And till today Anand is synonymous with the 70s phenomenon.
Shatrughan Singh continues to smart that it was he who was to be Jai in the Jai-Veeru jodi of Sholay but because he was riding a crest of super-success then, he didn't want to do a twohero film. Amitabh Bachchan got the role instead.
Aamir had been pencilled in for Yash Chopra's Darr but at that point he 'accused' Yash of playing games. And SRK made a permanent place for himself in the YRF camp.
Saif Ali Khan had qualms about playing a pansy in Dostana so John Abraham was brought in. John got male and female temperatures rising with this fun flick and is now a part of its sequel.
Kareena Kapoor asked for too much money for Kal Ho Na Ho; result — Preity Zinta landed this memorable film. Shah Rukh was meant to be playing Munnabhai but since he walked out after some miscommunication, Sanjay Dutt became Munna. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was in Chalte Chalte till Salman dropped in as an uninvited guest forcing SRK to call Rani Mukerji to replace her… and Rekha and Jaya would never have had their screen face-off in Silsila had Parveen Babi and Smita Patil done their roles.
Unlike real history, reel history is often made by default.
Barely has the Big B concluded hosting Bigg Boss 3, we hear that he has been roped in for the next season, apparently at a much heftier fee than the reported Rs 1.5 crore he was paid per episode. The show begins in the second-half of 2010, after Abhishek's game show Bingo plays itself out.
Amitabh Bachchan says, "There are some other television offers. I'm considering them. It wouldn't be prudent to mention their names at this point. Yes, the channel has expressed a desire to continue the relationship."
|Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
|Amitabh Bachchan
|Abhishek Bachchan
They are also going all out to woo Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, apparently to host a chat show. Convincing Aishwarya at this stage of her career when her calendar is full is proving to be problematic.
But as a senior person from the channel says, "We're on the job. We never planned to get both, Mr Bachchan and Abhishek. But now that they're on, we're getting ambitious." Apparently they plan to rope in the entire Bachchan parivar in one capacity or another.
Meanwhile, Abhishek is gearing up for his debut as a TV host on the show National Bingo Night. He says, "I have been getting quite a few offers in the recent past for television. I loved the show as it has a special connect with the viewers. They can participate, play the game and win sitting at home. I loved the uniqueness of the theme."
Talking about competing with his father who has just finished hosting Bigg Boss 3, he says, "I don't think about these things or I will lose focus. Once I am in front of the camera, I am going to be myself. I have always maintained that it is a great honour to be compared to the best. I will do what I have to do which is to go out there, play the game with the contestants and have fun on the show."

subset: commoncrawl


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Friday, August 14, 2009
A few more Dirty Things....
And finally, I will leave you with a couple of things I made for the May Fan Club/DD Gallery. The theme was called "Art for every Woman"...it focused on anything feminine. Moms, sisters, anything frilly and fabulous {because we are fab, right ladies!!}
Art for every Woman card.
Shabby Chic Mom Frame
I hope you have a wonderful weekend! See you back here on Monday, maybe with a giveaway!!! *wink* Oh, and Congrats to the 2 new Dirty Girls!!
20 comments:
- ScrappyDandyDoo said...
Oooo gorgeous work there!!! I love shabby chic/grungey but pretty work :D And I love Melissa Frances appliques :D
Julie xx
- August 14, 2009 at 4:23 PM
- lastivka said...
wow!!! outstanding work there!!!
- August 14, 2009 at 4:32 PM
- Juls said...
gorgeous, I love the card with the glittery frame and beautiful gem swirls! Its just lush!!
anf the frame is absoloutly stunning!! wow!!
- August 14, 2009 at 4:32 PM
Gorgeous creations Melissa!! I love Shabby inspired creations and yours are so lovely!
- August 14, 2009 at 5:21 PM
- Penny said...
your work is absolutely beautiful!
- August 14, 2009 at 6:18 PM
- Unknown said...
loving the house I am looking for some 3d ideas (something unusual) for a competition now I am not saying I will copy (wouldn't dream of it) But I think this is a great idea, something made from a frame mmm thinking cogs are turning
Love Dawn xx
- August 14, 2009 at 6:24 PM
- Colleen said...
Just beautiful Melissa, I love the girly girly card.
- August 14, 2009 at 6:54 PM
- Mandy said...
stunning work! so happy to have your blog on my list so that I can pop in each day and see beautiful creations!
hugs mandyxx
- August 14, 2009 at 7:20 PM
- Carly said...
Wow these are amazing!! Love them!
- August 14, 2009 at 8:13 PM
- Cheryl said...
How wonderful. I really love the Art for every woman. It is truly stunning.
- August 14, 2009 at 9:40 PM
- laterg8r said...
great chalkboard - very creative :)
- August 15, 2009 at 1:26 AM
- Nicki said...
WOW gorgeous projects! how on earth do you come up with such brill ideas for things like this? its fab!
take care
- August 15, 2009 at 1:09 PM
your creations are the very best. we just love your God given talent. each new thing is just so very Beautiful.
~ God Bless ~
Hugs :o)
We ♥ you
- August 17, 2009 at 10:19 AM
been dropping by all day and evening to see your new beautiful post. maybe later or tomorrow we will get to see you newest master piece.wow I see you doing another give away soon can't wait to enter for me and our daughter maybe this time we can get lucky. kiss Antonio lots of hugs.
Have a wonderful rested evening We will be back in the morning.
~ God Bless ~
Hugs :o)
We ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥you
- August 17, 2009 at 10:43 PM
- Denise @ kc242 said...
Lovely card Melissa! Love the way that you put it together. I especially like your backgrounds and embellishments.
- August 18, 2009 at 10:41 AM
- Janie said...
The "Art for Every Woman" card is beautiful! It is sooooo Victorian looking. Fantastic job.
- August 18, 2009 at 10:32 PM
- Tracy said...
Hi Melissa was doing a bit of blog hopping when i found your gorgeous blog...wow these are so stunning love your projects and congratulations on being featured on inspirational!!!!
- August 23, 2009 at 6:12 AM
- Splendid Little Stars said...
beautiful! Your creations are amazing!
- August 24, 2009 at 8:29 AM
- Sue McMahon said...
Wow! These are beautiful!
- August 26, 2009 at 10:06 PM
- csroyal said...
Beautiful... been scrolling through but had to stop here and say it's just beautiful!
- August 29, 2009 at 9:01 PM


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A Cancer Patient Is Not Accepting Samantha Bee's Apology For Mocking His "Nazi Haircut"
"It's just inconsiderate and very unprofessional to lump together anyone who has a certain hairstyle or just by the way they look."
TV host Samantha Bee has apologized after her show staff made fun of the haircut of a man they did not realize had cancer.
Wednesday's episode of Full Frontal With Samantha Bee included a piece from the Conservative Political Action Conference.
One section of the segment by correspondent Mike Rubens showed a montage of a number of young men with "Nazi hair."
Multiple media outlets have previously noted that the "high and tight" haircut has become popular among male members of the so-called alt-right movement.
The problem for Samantha Bee's show was that one of the men featured in the CPAC segment has brain cancer.
Kyle Coddington, who has had stage 4 glioblastoma since late last year, said he's endured weight gain and hair loss since beginning chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
"Due to the hair loss, I chose to cut my hair as it was seen on Full Frontal With Samantha Bee last night," he said in a statement. "Although it is not my preferred style, I am thankful I still have most of my hair."
On Thursday, a tweet from Coddington's sister, Megan, criticizing Bee went viral.
"Everyone in that video was targeted unjustly and profiled without facts or proof of the accusations made," Kyle Coddington said.
Coddington also noted that he is a registered Democrat and had not supported Trump during the election. (He has said he plans to register as an independent, according to social media posts from November.)
"These are facts that disprove the narrative trying to be pushing by the Samantha Bee's segment," he said.
On Thursday, Bee and her show both apologized on Twitter, saying they were unaware of his health status and noting that they had removed him from the clip online.
But Coddington said he is still not happy with Bee: "I want to make it clear that half-apologizing for offending someone is not apologizing for making baseless accusations against people because of the way they look," he said.
In an interview on Fox News' Fox & Friends on Friday, Coddington said he hadn't heard personally from Bee after what he described as "an interesting past 24 hours."
"I would say the effects of this go much further than just insulting me and the illness itself," he said. "It's just inconsiderate and very unprofessional to lump together anyone who has a certain hairstyle or just by the way they look."
A GoFundMe Coddington set up two months ago has since blitzed the initial fundraising goal of $2,500, with tens of thousands of dollars being raised to help with his cancer treatment.
Samantha Bee and her show even donated $1,000 to his fight, which he said he is thankful for.
"I am overwhelmed by the support received in that account, and am grateful to everyone who has contributed," he said.
David Mack is a deputy director of breaking news for BuzzFeed News and is based in New York.
Contact David Mack at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Got a confidential tip? Submit it here.


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Traditional Watch Shop at Bukit Gambir, Johor
Spotted this watch shop at the town of Bukit Gambir. Think of keeping this photo for the future....because I believe it's really difficult to find this kind of Watch shop nowadays in our daily life....
Do you see any shop like this in your area?
Apologies of the poor quality photo, it's snap from my mobile phone.
MY TRIPS - Home


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Poma Pin
Patent No. US8615964B1
When you purchase a guardrail for your building, it's important to ensure that it will last. We've developed a patented system that is guaranteed to endure the test of time. Watch the video to see how it works:
Metal and glass guardrail example using the Poma Pin.
Elegance and Simplicity
The Poma Pin enables design flexibility and protection for your building — all while providing a simple installation. Our patented system provides a wide range of flexibility for your rail design. This includes metal railings, glass guardrails, or a custom metal screen rail. The Poma Pin makes it easy to meet your design needs while protecting the foundation upon which its set.
Issues with Conventional Railings
Steel reinforcement bars are likely to be cut when drilling the large core holes for the railing posts. This causes exposure of the steel and aluminum to galvanic corrosion, post deterioration, concrete spalling and paint failures. Corroding rebar will expand and contract, which results in loose concrete and falling debris.
Conventionally installed posts are a direct conduit for salt water into the concrete slab. The moisture that does evaporate leaves salt deposits behind. The salt deposits result in concrete deterioration over time.
The Poma Pin Solution
The Poma Pin solves the problems caused by traditional railing installation. The stainless steel and aluminum design and configuration prevents galvanic corrosion. Also, the pin uses a much smaller embed than typical railing systems. This means that the anchor won't conflict with the concrete's reinforcing steel bars which can be a major cause of spalling.
The system controls moisture by directing salt spray, wind driven rain, and condensation through interior channels. The Poma Pin is installed using high strength structural epoxy that is much stronger that the concrete and impervious to water and chlorides. The resulting sealed core hole will not deteriorate for the lifetime of the railing system. The Poma Pin is a key component in many building modernization systems as well as new construction projects provided by Poma.
The workmanship of the product and the installation was nothing other then perfection. We are so happy with the finished product.


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Delhi: After surge pricing in taxi services and Indian Railways, another service is about to introduce surge pricing, Sulabh Shauchalayas. Sulabh has decided to introduce surge pricing and will now charge a person more if a person appears in great hurry or his face shows that he is under great pressure.
Sulabh runs public toilets across the nation and provides pay and use facility to everyone. The organisation is a non-profit one but to cut down on their losses, they have decided to introduce this surge pricing policy.
"Our losses were becoming a bit too big for us to handle. We were wondering how to counter that while still providing good, clean toilets for the public. That is when we saw that Indian Railways is going to introduce surge pricing, and we had our solution. Nobody provides more essential service than us, I am sure people will not mind paying a little extra in case of an emergency", a Sulabh official said.
Further, he added, "Railways has always been our main competitor so we keep looking at them for ideas. All our volunteers will be trained now so that they are well equipped to decide whether surge pricing applies or not in individual cases. Generally, man's face betrays the inner turmoil and pressure he is experiencing, so face reading is an essential part of this training. If they see a person in that agitated state, they will have to charge more. Of course normal demand and supply rules also apply so if the toilet complex is full, with a long queue waiting, and a person really has to go, he will have to pay surge pricing. Simple economics", the official added.
When we asked the official whether they are exploiting desperate people who have nowhere else to go, the official replied ,"Arey who said they have nowhere else to go? I told you that Railways is our biggest competitor. There is no monopoly here."


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No matter what Disney park you've been to (Excluding HK Disney!) you've seen this ride and you've seen its huge lines. You've probably even waited in that huge line or wasted a fast pass to get on this ride. That ride is Peter Pan's Flight. While the Tokyo ride is slightly different and Shanghai Disney has… Continue reading Disney's most over-hyped ride
Tag: Disney Blog
Star Wars Land Opening Dates!
It's finally happening! Disney has finally announced the time frame for when they're looking to open their newest parts of their disney parks in California Disneyland and Walt Disney World Florida! The strange part being that it looks that Star Wars Land in Anaheim, California is due to open first in Summer 2019 before the… Continue reading Star Wars Land Opening Dates!
To Infinity….
Welcome! Thanks for joining me on this amazing adventure I hope to make into the world of Disney Blogging. Hopefully I'll be covering all sorts of things you enjoy from Disney (Not just animated!) film reviews, Disney park blogs and Disney news. I've set up a Twitter account where you can find me most of… Continue reading To Infinity….


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Back to News Articles
March 31, 2017
CHARLOTTE, NC – (March 31st, 2017) – The XOOM Energy family of energy retail companies, that provides natural gas and electricity services to homes and businesses across the U.S., Canada, and Japan has been recognized as the 2016 Retail Energy Provider of the Year. The award was presented by Energy Marketing Conferences, LLC at their 7th Semi-Annual Energy Marketing Conference in Houston, Texas on March 1st, 2017. As the leading event for the competitive energy industry, the EMC is proud to recognize XOOM Energy as the Retail Energy Provider of the Year based on their many accomplishments during 2016," said Larry Leiken, EMC Co-Founder.
The year 2016 was another year full of achievements for XOOM Energy due to new markets and new products. It was the second year in a row XOOM Energy appeared on the Inc. 5000 list and was recognized as part of the 2016 North Carolina Mid-Market Fast 40 presented by the North Carolina Business Journal. It was also the third year in a row XOOM Energy was awarded the Grant Thornton North Carolina 100® award.
Expansion has been key in XOOM Energy's progressive and successful year, launching in seven new utility markets across the United States, in Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and launching for the first time internationally with a new entity in Alberta, Canada. Expansion continued when XOOM Energy, through XOOM Energy Japan, GK, became the first foreign energy retailer licensed to provide electricity to residents in Japan and began offering service to residential customers in Tokyo in December 2016. "Expanding into two countries in one year took a lot of hard work and dedication from our team, and because of them, both launches were very successful," stated Thomas Ulry, Chief Executive Officer. "We are excited to see what this year has in store for XOOM Energy," he added.
In addition to expansion internationally in 2016, the XOOM Energy family also introduced new innovative products through new relationships. These products included RescueLock, a fixed rate plan that donates 5% of the customer's energy charges to PetSmart Charities®, the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, to help end pet homelessness, and FilterSnap which offers customers the opportunity to have their air filters delivered right to their door on an auto-fill basis.
With the combined efforts of launching new markets, and creating new products, XOOM Energy has continued to build upon past success, striving to be at the forefront of the energy retail industry. "We are honored to have been recognized for our achievements by being named 2016 Retail Energy Provider of the Year," expressed Ulry.
About XOOM Energy, LLC
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We were invited to tender for this 'whole of property' landscaping project. The client already had a design which we were able to adapt further to meet their individual brief and requirements.
The project initially involved the removal of a large conifer hedge in the rear garden, and replacing it with new close board fencing around half of the boundaries. New bespoke gates were also installed to divide the different garden areas. The remaining front and rear gardens were then re-graded to improve the site levels.
The main patio in the rear garden was built around the customers' existing pergola, and was retained by brick walling. The area was paved with 'Sahara Yellow' sandstone, and edged with 'Multi Stock' brick pavers. The paving theme continued around the house with additional paths and seating areas.
A curving trellis panel screen and hidden gateway were installed to divide part of the rear garden, behind which a compacted aggregate surfaced kitchen garden and utility area were installed. Additional off road parking was also made available in this area.
The central rear garden areas were then laid to lawn, edged with additional brick pavers, with curving planted borders wrapping around the perimeter. A mixture of shrubs and herbaceous plants were used to good effect.
The front garden and driveway also saw a complete transformation - a new paved path and feature step section, and a new tarmacadam surfaced driveway, all completed to our customers delight.
Checkatrade feedback – 'Really pleased with the both the design of the garden and the work done. Everyone was lovely, extremely polite and courteous, and a real pleasure to have working in the garden. They were very tidy, and very meticulous, with even our neighbours commenting on their real attention to detail, and their tidiness. We would definitely recommend Revitalise, and have done so already to friends. 10/10"Back
Friendly, professional and courteous. Able to be flexible on arrangements. Delivered a lovely result and gave lots of tips for aftercare. Will definitely use again.
We own a newly renovated modern house; and the garden planting needed to match, Isaac listened to ideas we had and the design he prepared was perfect. We've had people taking photos of the garden, actually stopping outside the house to talk to us about it. They worked so hard to achieve this, they had the skill to be able to adapt the design as they went along, working with the natural features of the garden and enhancing them with the new bits. They are all incredibly talented at what they do, and really nice people to work with.
Isaac and his team have been efficiently maintaining the parts of my garden that I struggle with due to incapacity for several years. They are very processional, work to a high standard and are very good time keepers. I have been extremely pleased with the work they have carried out always discussing any aspects necessary. They work in a very tidy manner and are thoroughly nice chaps to boot. I would not hesitate to recommend this company.
We have used Isaac and his team in the past and were not disappointed! We decided to ask them to come back again this year to do further works in our garden. We had various areas of the garden done; patio areas, new trellis fencing, a border shape changed and extended, new border plants and stepping stone paths. The team on our job was Nick and Sam. Excellent in every way - competent, professional, friendly and each had a sense of humour at all times, especially on the days when it absolutely poured with rain! Everything each day was left tidy. I would strongly Revitalise Gardens.
One of the best trades we have encountered. Excellent service. Polite and tidy. Early starts and full day worked. Work finished to a very high specification. Site left spotlessly clean. Would definitely recommend this company.
Isaac and his team did a fantastic job on the front path and wall repairs needed. I have got quotes for more work and fully intend to use them again! They were considerate of the needs I had and my budget as well. They were quick too and worked around my working hours. I am really pleased with how it all looks now, they have done a brilliant job!!
I would highly recommend Revitalise Gardens. Having looked on their website I was impressed with some of the larger scale projects they have done. This job in comparison must have seemed relatively small for them, so I was very impressed with the fact that their customer service, advice throughout and attention to detail made me feel like I was a very important customer to them. The removal of the trees relied on me seeking approval from my City Council, and they were very helpful throughout this process. Highly recommended!
Isaac and his team were fantastic. Extremely polite and helpful with my constant questions. Hard working (even in the heavy downpours) and Isaac ensured the highest quality product but at a really competitive price. Highly recommended.
Professional service from start to finish. Isaac initially came to inspect the garden and discuss my ideas on what I was looking to achieve. From this he was able to provide full drawings of what the finished garden would look like along with a full detailed quote. Upon commencement of the works the team worked tirelessly in order to complete the project within the agreed timescales. The end result is fabulous!
Revitalise Gardens have assisted with a project to make over our garden for my son Oliver aged 9 who is severely disabled and was previously unable to access the garden. They dedication and commitment to the project was second to none and the works couldn't have been completed without their input. The work has made a huge difference to Oliver and the entire family and we thank them greatly for this.
Website design and web development by One2create


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September 30-October 2, 2011
The Print Club of Cleveland invites you to attend the 27th Annual Fine Print Fair . The Fine Print Fair, Cleveland's largest and most comprehensive exhibition of fine prints, begins Friday, September 30, 2011 with an opening night benefit preview and continues Saturday, October 1st from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Sunday, October 2nd from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Corporate College located at 4400 Richmond Road in Warrensville Heights (at I-271). The Fine Print Fair benefits the Department of Prints at the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) and is sponsored by the Print Club of Cleveland, a non-profit adjunct organization dedicated to supporting the museum's print collection.


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Junior surf involves children from 5 up to 14 years of age. It's about fostering confidence and safety in the surf and on the beaches, within a fun, friendly and healthy environment.
Junior members are tutored by senior lifeguards and coaches on subjects that are relevant to beach safety and understanding of sea conditions. They will train for, and participate in competition events called 'Carnivals'. The level of instructions is obviously suited to the age group.
See Training & Competition and Age Groups for more detailed information.
We aim to build your child's confidence in the sea, make them aware of the dangers and enable them to assess their own limitations. Family participation plays a huge part in its success.
Weather and sea conditions permitting, we try to GET WET every Club Training Day. Having fun is what it's all about!
Our season runs from November through to March. We also have winter training for the older 'mad keen' children.
Club Training Days are held each Sunday, 9.45am to 12pm.
Our day ends with a sausage sizzle to warm up and feed the tummy!
See Calendar for more detailed information.


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Birth & Infancy
In the hopes of becoming pregnant, a woman might finely crush shells, mix them with warm water and let the mixture set over night before swallowing. The mixture would be comprised of either shell beads provided by Pit River people, if a boy was desired or the inner layer of shells from the ocean for a girl. On the fifth day of the woman's menstruation cycle she would ingest the mixture facing to the east.
During pregnancy, women were cautious about what they ate and the activities they participated in. The woman would be prohibited from eating fish to prevent illness, but would eat various species of birds in the hopes that the child might not be weak or lazy. It was believed that eating things like intestines or an animal who was killed by choking or downing could lead to issues, such as the baby becoming "twisted" in the womb or unable to breathe.
While diet was important, it was also considered central that the woman reduce physical exercise to a minimum and prevent quarreling and fighting to avoid emotional or physical strain for the expecting mother. The father had only one small restriction—to be cautious in the hunt and not to snare any animals.
At time of delivery, two midwives were called on if available, along with other women who were either kin or part of the community. The husband might be present, if desired. The delivery occurred often times in the main house or in a supplemental hut. When labor was entering the final stage, the mother knelt on the bedding, while one midwife physically supported the woman from behind and the other midwife wait patiently in the front of the woman with a buckskin or fur blanket in her lap, hands prepared for receiving the infant.
Following birth, the midwife would use her hands to gently wash the baby and then laid in a woven Tule reed cradle with fawn skin or rabbit fur for protection. On the second day, the infant would be given a "steam bath" with floating water-lily seeds. While in the cradle, the infant would be placed over a large basket containing water and hot rocks, for as long as the steam would roll. The mother would attend the bathing when able.
On the fifth day, the navel stump would become detached. The family would contain the stump in a small buckskin bag, often times decorated in beadwork. This bag would be tied to the cradle near the child's right shoulder, where it remained until the cradle was no longer needed and all would be disposed of by burning.
Children would be breast fed usually to the age of two and the diet after 6 months of age may also be supplemented with finely ground roots (Epos) and pieces of soft fat or pre-chewed meat. To entertain a baby, the root may be used, stating, "boqs" (Camas root), "ge's" (Ipos root), or playful sounds such as "woya, woya, woya" and "dip, dip, dip".


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Videos and lessons to help High School students learn how to
represent data on two quantitative variables on a
scatter plot, and describe how the variables are related.
A. Fit a function to the data; use functions fitted to data to solve problems in the context of the data. Use given functions or choose a function suggested by the context. Emphasize linear, quadratic, and exponential models.
B. Informally assess the fit of a function by plotting and analyzing residuals.
C. Fit a linear function for a scatter plot that suggests a linear association.
Common Core: HSS-ID.B.6
Related Topics:
Common Core (Statistics & Probability)
Common Core for Mathematics
Rotate to landscape screen format on a mobile phone or small tablet to use the Mathway widget, a free math problem solver that answers your questions with step-by-step explanations.


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Is the prime minister the last person to believe the intelligence on WMDs?
Gethin Chamberlain for The Scotsman, 31 January 2004
FIRST there were weapons of mass destruction that could be launched within 45 minutes, posing a threat to mainland Europe. But they became battlefield WMDs which could threaten only troops attacking Iraq. In time, they metamorphosed into programmes for the production of weapons that could or could not be used against coalition forces at some unspecified point in the future. And now it seems they may never have existed at all.
Britain's stated case for going to war against Iraq was built on sand, and that sand has been shifting for months. Unlike the United States government, Downing Street did not leave itself the option of launching a war against Iraq simply to effect regime change.
Tony Blair put all his faith in the information supplied by Britain's intelligence services. They assured him that Saddam had weapons that could be made ready for use within 45 minutes that Iraq was actively seeking to acquire uranium from Niger, and that the country had access to a range of unconventional weapons, from anthrax to VX nerve gas, one droplet of which can kill.
It appears they were wrong on all counts. In the aftermath of the Hutton Report, those looking for a scapegoat are turning their attentions to the intelligence services. How, they are asking, could they have got it so wrong?
In the US, patience with the intelligence services appears already to have run out. Lord Hutton may have let Mr Blair off the hook by limiting the scope of his inquiry to rule out an investigation into the case for going to war, but the Prime Minister could yet be undone by events taking place across the Atlantic.
It has been a bad week for those who took the intelligence services at their word.
First David Kay, who quit as chief weapons inspector, rubbished the idea that Saddam had any weapons worth speaking of. Then Condoleezza Rice, the trusted national security adviser of George Bush, admitted that the pre-war intelligence did not appear to gel with what forces found when they entered Iraq.
Last night, Mr Bush himself acknowledged that the spectre of Saddam's weapons of mass destruction might have been the product of an intelligence failure. The president said "I want to know the facts" about any intelligence failures regarding the deposed Iraqi leader's alleged cache of forbidden weapons.
But Mr Bush declined to endorse calls for an independent investigation.
In the US at least, it appears that more people believe Elvis Presley is alive and working in their local diner than believe in the intelligence services' claims about Saddam's weapons of mass destruction.
Next week, Mr Blair will have to go before a committee of senior MPs to be quizzed on the intelligence material. The committee chairman, Donald Anderson, has let it be known that the Prime Minister can expect an uncomfortable session. According to Mr Anderson, Mr Blair can expect to be asked whether he is the "last person to believe the intelligence assessment".
The problem that both the US and UK governments face is that the intelligence services delivered what they thought their masters wanted to hear. Lord Hutton alluded to the problem when he said that John Scarlett, the former MI6 director responsible for writing the government's dossier on WMD's, may have been "subconsciously influenced" to strengthen the wording of the document.
But while the Prime Minister continues to stand by the British intelligence material, the US government is cutting its losses and admitting that it may have got it wrong.
On Thursday, Ms Rice admitted: "I think that what we have is evidence that there are differences between what we knew going in and what we found on the ground."
The excuse she offered on behalf of US intelligence was that Iraq was a closed and secretive country that was doing everything that it could to deceive the United Nations and the world.
The US based its decision to invade on what George Bush called a "grave and gathering danger" posed by Iraq's weapons.
But, according to Ms Rice, the US may never learn the whole truth about Iraq's arms capabilities because of the extent of the looting which took place immediately after the invasion.
The hunt, she said, would continue, but the reality is that the widely quoted views of the weapons inspector David Kay, who said he doubted that any weapons would be found, have seriously dented the administration's hopes of finding evidence to back up its pre-war claims.
It had already been forced to concede that it was mistaken to accuse Iraq of trying to buy African uranium.
But Mr Kay has urged the US administration to go further and to set up an independent investigation into the intelligence shortcomings. His conclusions will have made painful reading for those, like Mr Blair, who still cling on to the original intelligence assessments.
"If the weapons programmes existed on the scale we anticipated, we would have found something that leads to that conclusion. Instead, we found evidence that points to something else," he said.
He believes the intelligence services were taken in by Saddam's policy of "creative ambiguity", by which he got rid of banned weapons that could have triggered a UN response and subsequent military action, while giving out the impression that he may have retained just such a deterrent. "Saddam wanted to enjoy the benefits of having chemical and biological weapons without having to pay the costs," he said.
According to Mr Kay, it was not just the US and the UK that were taken in. The French and German intelligence services also believed that Saddam still possessed weapons of mass destruction: "We were almost all wrong," he said.
Not only that, he said, but the chances of finding significant stockpiles of WMD were practically non-existent. The looting and the efforts of Saddam's security services to cover their tracks had seen to that. "I don't think they exist," he said. And it was not hard to imagine the groans in the White House and Downing Street.
Putting a brave face on the failures, General John Abizaid, the head of the US military's central command, said that at least some of the intelligence had proved useful.
"If we did get the WMD wrong, OK, I understand that," said Gen Abizaid. "But I can tell you that there are certain things that we got extremely right which allowed us to conduct a campaign that was pretty quick and, you know, pretty decisive in a very short period of time." But that is not good enough for the committees of senators and congressmen and MPs who have the task of scrutinising what went wrong.
Tony Blair will be the first to feel the heat when he appears before the liaison committee of select committee chairmen next week. Robin Cook, the former foreign secretary, has already urged him to admit that the intelligence presented to Parliament was "wildly wrong".
Yesterday, he said: "Now that even the White House has admitted they may have got it wrong, it's getting embarrassing to watch our government still trying to deny reality. The game is up. He will never have a better opportunity to say that he believed in all good faith the intelligence he was given and he gave to Parliament, but that it has turned out to be wildly wrong."
Mr Anderson said "further parliamentary scrutiny" of the intelligence which led to war was needed now the Hutton Inquiry was concluded.
Also facing questions will be the MI6 chief, Sir Richard Dearlove, and John Scarlett, the chairman of the joint intelligence select committee, who have both been summoned before the intelligence and security committee.
It was MI6 that provided much of the information for the government's controversial dossier on WMD on which it based its case for war.
Both men will be asked to explain why it was that they were so confident their intelligence was correct, although the committee has already acknowledged that the MI6 struggled to make any headway against Saddam's secretive regime.
In the US, the House and Senate intelligence committees have already unearthed a series of intelligence failures. According to the Washington Post, the committee have concluded that CIA analysts and their superiors did not seriously consider the possibility Saddam Hussein no longer possessed weapons of mass destruction.
Although they operated independently, both committees are understood to have concluded that the CIA relied too heavily on circumstantial and outdated intelligence and was too dependent on satellite and spy-plane images and communications intercepts.
The Post said the committees also found that CIA operatives and analysts failed to realise that the Iraqi chain of command for developing chemical, biological and nuclear weapons had fallen apart, and that Iraqi scientists and others were engaged in their own campaign to deceive the Iraqi leader, telling him they had weapons that did not exist.
Senator Pat Roberts, the chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, likened the CIA's assessments to a runaway train. "Once it left the station, it kept going faster and faster," said Mr Roberts.
"Some analysts may have been trying to slow it down, but it just kept going."
It is now widely acknowledged that US intelligence-gathering inside Iraq was hampered by the near total lack of reliable human sources.
"It's fairly evident that we did not have as much intelligence on the ground as we needed and we were having to depend on satellite reconnaissance. There is a big problem in not having enough people on the ground," said Congressman Michael Collins, a Republican member of the House intelligence committee.
And that is the key to the problem. The real reason the intelligence was so badly flawed is as basic as it is obvious. Life in Saddam's Iraq was so tightly controlled and the regime so secretive that Western intelligence organisations failed to gain a toehold in the country.
In the dark about Saddam's intentions, but under pressure from their political masters to come up with answers, they did what many would have done – regurgitated the rumours, dressed up the tittle-tattle and told their governments what they wanted to hear.


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About Alpha-Liberty Company
Alpha-Liberty Company has been a leading force in the weighing industry for 30 years and has grown to be an ISO/IEC 17025 Certified Company.
As an Independent Balance and Scale Dealer, Alpha-Liberty Company offers a wide range of weighing services and equipment, including programming and systems from a variety of manufacturers. Alpha-Liberty Company also has one of the largest inventories of parts in the Midwest for Sartorius as well as A&D. Our product offerings include everything from Ultra-Micro Balances to Truck Scales from many of today's leading scale manufacturers.
Alpha-Liberty Company's Service Department is expertly trained for a variety of weighing services, from basic calibration to complete repair and overhaul. All of our technicians are factory-trained and certified by the State of Ohio to perform service and repairs. Our professionals are qualified to service products by many of today's leading scale manufacturers. Also, Alpha-Liberty Company exclusively holds the unique position of being factory trained for repair of explosion-proof balances.
Alpha-Liberty Company provides services and sales to a variety of customers, each having diverse and specific needs. Our customer base is comprised of business and industries from educational facilities to medical organizations to government agencies and beyond, including both one-man operations and Fortune 500 companies and everything in between. Alpha-Liberty Company will customize our sales and services to meet your company's needs.
We also offer long and short-term rental and lease-purchase options for balances and scales. Rental agreements are available from one day to a year or more.
Our service staff represents collectively well over 100 years of experience in the scale industry. Alpha-Liberty Company's courteous and professional sales team is here to work with you, our valued customer, to expertly advise and guide you through your purchasing and servicing needs.
Alpha-Liberty Company is dedicated to superior Customer Service. Customer Satisfaction is the number-one priority with our sales and service professionals. Alpha-Liberty Company wants the opportunity to be of service to your company.


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Outdoor Tables
Our outdoor tables offer function and fun for your outdoor spaces.
Having the ideal place to picnic, barbeque or have a tea party begins with having outdoor tables that are durable and functional. At Patio Furniture Industries, we have just the outdoor tables you are looking for, made of recycled poly materials that are eco-friendly and built to last. You'll find that our outdoor tables offer the ideal solutions where other tables cannot because they come fully assembled and are great for all seasons in North Carolina. They even come with a 20-year guarantee, so you know you'll have outdoor tables that will be around for years to come. Contact us to learn more about our products and to get your outdoor tables today!


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Jonathan Hay, a celebrity publicist and record producer, has been called a "legendary music producer" and "pr maven" by major media outlets. He's been dubbed an expert in crisis management by both Rolling Stone Magazine and The New York Times. He was awarded the "TIDAL Rising" achievement by the streaming company owned by Jay Z. No stranger to controversy, Hay is outspoken with his views and has been seen on media outlets across the world, ranging from The Washington Post to TMZ. Hay has been involved in charities talked about in such prestigious publications as Vogue and Vanity Fair.
Jonathan Hay was born in Leesburg, Florida and was adopted as a 11-day-old baby. Hay was raised in Louisville, Kentucky by Donald and Nancy Stivers, both who have been very loving and influential throughout his life. His music career started in the early 1990s when he stumbled upon a recording studio while attending college Hay's first major label work came from Michael Jackson's MJJ Productions in 1995 with the group Quo. From the Bluegrass state, Hay got his first taste of success in the music industry with Travis Meeks who was signed to Interscope Records and sold over three million records, including 17 weeks at #1 (which at the time was a modern rock record). Hay and Meeks (and his late father Gary Meeks) started a record label and offered Michael Jackson a record deal during Jackson's public battle with Tommy Motolla and Sony Music. They received support from MJ's close friend Uri Geller and they faxed over a letter of intent to The King of Pop's manager Trudy Green. Although the deal never happened, Hay got to work with Jackson's long time producers Teddy Riley and Bruce Swedien.
Hay worked for John Houston Entertainment, a company owned by Whitney Houston's father and Kevin Skinner. The company assisted the late iconic songstress. After a long period of time, Hay quit working with Days of the New after a public dispute involving a press release that announced Meeks' audition for the new band Velvet Revolver, formed by ex-Guns N' Roses members Slash, Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum. Hay relocated to Florida and partnered up with Ringz & Partners Entertainment, a company owned by Cilvaringz. Cilvaringz, also known as Tarik Azzougarh, is the producer and concept inventor of Wu-Tang's single copy album 'Once Upon A Time In Shaolin' (an album that was purchased for $2 Million dollars by a single buyer).
In 2005, Jonathan Hay helped publicize "Pon de Replay" the debut single from Rihanna, using controversial marketing tactics. The story of how Hay broke Rihanna's single has remained a constant topic in the mainstream press since 2008, and was a trending topic in 2015 and 2016. Hay has worked with a plethora of artists and labels, from being a publicist for the iconic Death Row Records to being involved in a song with Prince that was nationally distributed to mammoth retail chains such as Best Buy and Tower Records back in the day.
Jonathan Hay played a significant role in a high-profile guardianship case involving teen actress Ariel Winter, a star on the TV series Modern Family. Winter's mother, Chrisoula "Crystal" Workman, approached Hay about publicly leaking nude photos of her other daughter, Shanelle Gray, in an attempt to sway an ongoing legal battle in which Winter's older sister was seeking emergency custody of the young actress. As a witness to the mother's bizarre attempts, Hay signed a declaration for Ariel Winter in favor of her staying with her sister.
Hay co-founded SMH Records, a Charlotte, North Carolina based record label with music mogul Mike Smith. The startup company got major media attention with its reported capital raise of $30 million. Through Hay's long-standing relationship with Jim Urie, the label landed a distribution deal with Caroline, a division of Capitol/Universal Music Group. Highlights of Hay's time with the label include a Kim Kardashian and Kanye West publicity scandal, a record deal offer to Lindsay Lohan, a $15 Million public offer to Jay Z to produce an album and a bidding war with Warner Brothers for Wu-Tang Clan. Jonathan Hay also helped launch One Shot, a TV show hosted by Sway Calloway that aired on BET. Hay was a music producer and mentor on the show which also features DJ Khaled, Tech N9ne, T.I., RZA, Twista, DJ Drama and others.
Hay was a co-executive producer and songwriter of an album by Kxng Crooked of Eminem's Shady Records. Hay has also executive produced an album that featured film star Johnny Depp. Hay's produced songs with Cyhi The Prynce, Juicy J, Riff Raff, Twista, Nappy Roots, Royce da 5'9″, Yung Bleu, DJ Whoo Kid and many more.
Hay appeared on Inside Edition where he publicly apologized to Beyonce after an incorrect story appeared in the book Becoming Beyonce, a unauthorized biography written by New York Times bestselling author, J Randy Taraborrelli. Hay was mentioned numerous times in the book for his involvement in a publicity stunt in 2005 when he spread rumors that Def Jam CEO Jay Z was dating his newly signed artist Rihanna. Hay confessed that he started the rumors in order to boost the then 17-year-old's debut single "Pon De Replay" after several failed attempts: "The PR stunt that I did was out of desperation to help break 'Pon de Replay,'" Hay told New York Daily News. "It was reckless and I didn't think it was going to work. I was just throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what would stick." Hay had never spoken with the author and was blindsided by the book's release. He was disconcerted to learn that his quotes were taken out of context by Taraborrelli, which caused interference in promotional plans between Hay and TIDAL, a streaming company owned by Jay Z.
Tragedy struck on April 20, 2017. According to St. Matthews Police, Hay and his 14-year-old daughter were victims in a violent home invasion that was allegedly setup by his former neighbor Quantez Gibson. Two men plead guilty to kidnapping and robbery charges and are testifying against Gibson. Hay and his family strongly believe that his ex-fiancé Sabrina Hale was complicit in the home invasion as she was in an intimate relationship with Gibson and had an Emergency Protective Order against her for threatening to kill his daughter. Hale has been under criminal investigation but has yet to be charged with a crime.
Hay told the media that he felt "galvanized" by the home invasion and turned his pain into creativity. In less than two years, Jonathan Hay has produced five albums and single that have topped the Billboard Charts in multiple genres including Jazz and Hip-Hop.


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Christ Church Hilderstone
Christ Church is a family focused place of worship at the heart of the community, providing a warm welcome to all visitors.
For more information about our Church services, contact details for the Parochial Church Council and the parish magazine see our services & contacts page.
The church dates back to 1833 and you can read a little more of the history of the church on our about page.
If you want to visit us, Christ Church is situated at the eastern side of the village near the junction of Sandon Road, Cresswell Road and Hilderstone Road.


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'You can, ah… you can give it a little rub if you like,' said the dear, weak old man mid bed-bath. He was my patient, I was his nurse. He was talking about his dick, which I was about to wash. I don't know why old men delude themselves into thinking young nurses have a sexual fever that can only be cured by handling ageing knobs but they sometimes give it a fucking go. Good on them, I suppose. 'Oh mate, they barely pay me enough to wash the damn thing, let alone tug it.' He nodded graciously in understanding and we went about our usual business and chatted about the weather and politics. Bless him, but dry old sausage is just not that enticing, and neither is a dry old satay, so this recipe is a most and tasty one. But flavour and moisture alone won't get us to old age. So I eat healthy shit like this Chicken Satay because one day I want to be an old tart soliciting crotch touches of my own. Enjoy.
INGREDIENTS: Serves about 4
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 3 birdseye chillis, finely chopped (less if you don't like spicy shit)
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 5 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon tamari
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 cup (250ml) coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 500g chicken thighs, chopped into bite-sized chunks
- 2 zucchini, cut into half moons
- 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
- 1 bunch pak choy, roughly chopped
- Cooked brown rice
- Heat a saucepan over medium heat, and plonk in the peanut oil, then add in the chilli and garlic and fry up for a minute or so. Pour in the honey and peanut butter and stir it round and get it all melty. Then add in the tamari, fish sauce and coconut milk and whisk it until it's combined.
- Heat a wok over high heat, and place the peanut oil in. Get the onion in there and fry until transparent and slightly golden. Then chuck the chicken, zucchini and broccoli in and fry for about 5 minutes (or until chicken and vegetables are cooked to your liking) then throw the satay sauce and pak choy in and cook until it wilts (about a minute).
- Serve atop cooked brown rice and say a little prayer for all the poor nurses out there having to dodge old dick at work.
This is an extract from SHANNON'S KITCHEN: Healthy Food You'll Actually F**king Eat which is in bookstores around Australia and is available online from a fuckload of retailers such as: ME/Shannon/The Shandogg, Booktopia, Dymocks, Angus & Robertson and, Readings.
The Book Depository offer INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING.
Thanks legends!
Shannon x


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Georgetown/Scott County KY History
Uncover the rich history of Georgetown/Scott County, Kentucky.
Kentucky's fastest-growing city has historically been an overachiever. From its earliest days, stretching back 450 million years to the Ordovician Period when the area lay beneath a shallow sea, the land that would become Georgetown/Scott County distinguished itself with rich and varied forests and salt licks and springs that enticed an abundance of bison, elk and black bear.
In the beginning
Native peoples have lived, hunted and fished along the lush and temperate banks of Elkhorn Creek in what is now Scott County for at least 15,000 years. (Of course the creek is the longest in the state.) In particular, the Adena culture (800 B.C.-800 A.D.) thrived in the area, with several significant Adena mounds still marking the presence of this pre-Columbian Native American culture.
Exploration by people of European ancestry can be traced to the June 1774 arrival in Kah-ten-tah-teh (the name given to Kentucky by the Wyandot Indians) of John Floyd, a surveyor for George Washington, and his expedition party. At that time, all of Kentucky was part of Fincastle County, the largest and westernmost part of Virginia.
"The spring is the largest I have seen in the whole country, and forms a creek in itself," noted a passage in a journal kept by a member of the expedition party.
A year before the Declaration of Independence was signed, in 1775, settlement attempts were made in the area, but it wasn't until the winter of 1783 that a permanent community was established at Johnson Station near the North Fork of Elkhorn Creek – approximately five miles west of present-day Georgetown. It was eventually renamed Great Crossings because of traversing buffalo herds, but the name wouldn't last long, thanks to an entrepreneurially-minded, fiery-tempered Baptist preacher from Virginia named Elijah Craig (1743-1808).
In 1784, Craig incorporated a town he called Lebanon in the Virginia Legislature. That name didn't last either as it was changed to George Town in 1790 in honor of the first president of the United States: George Washington. Two years later, in 1792, when Kentucky became the15th state of the union, it became George Town, Kentucky.
That same year, Scott County became one of the first two counties created by the newly formed Kentucky Legislature. It was named for General Charles Scott, a Revolutionary War hero who was called out for "corrupting the morals of our youth" and as "one of the wickedest men I ever saw," depending on whom you asked. He would later serve as the Commonwealth's fourth governor, from 1808 through 1812.
From bourbon to Buffalo Soldiers
But back to Craig, who probably set Georgetown/Scott County's already overachieving nature into overdrive. Craig is credited with these firsts: first classical school in Kentucky, founded in 1788; first ropewalk; first saw, grist and paper mills; and first fulling mill, which has to do with cleansing cloth. His biggest first? Producing bourbon whiskey, distilling the spirit in 1789 at the site of Royal Spring Park, located in present-day downtown Georgetown.
The school Craig founded was later absorbed into Rittenhouse Academy and later still, in 1829, into Georgetown College, the first Baptist college west of the Allegheny Mountains (and possibly one of the very few with ties to bourbon).
Georgetown continued to distinguish itself after Craig's death in 1808 – but not in a way that made all its citizenry happy. Spiraling into decline, the community was described as "notorious for its wickedness and irreligion" by Elder Barton Warren Stone. He had moved to Georgetown in 1816 to become principal of the Rittenhouse Academy.
Things calmed down eventually and Georgetown College started making a name for itself, first as an innovator in the superior classical education it provided and, in 1898, as one of the first such institutions in the South to become coeducational.
Throughout the nineteenth century, Georgetown's cultural and economic life – the latter based on tobacco, milling, distilling and the rope and bagging businesses – was closely tied to that of the Deep South. While Kentucky remained officially neutral during the Civil War, Scott County's leanings were Southern. Following the war, many Scott County African Americans took part in the "Great Migration," with many settling in the newly formed, all-Black community of Nicodemus, Kansas.
Life in the Great Plains was one of hardship, however, and many would eventually return to Scott County and the new African American-settled communities of Zion Hill, Watkinsville and New Zion. Several of these residents joined the 9th and 10th Cavalries and the 23rd and 24th Infantries. These were the legendary Buffalo Soldiers, established by Congress as the first peacetime all-Black regiments in the U.S. Army. The name, "Buffalo Soldiers," was given to them by Native Americans in the late 1870s and marks a place of honor in U.S. history for those who served.
According to Gone, Forgotten, Now Remembered: Scott County, Kentucky Cemeteries, at least four Buffalo Soldiers are buried in the Old Georgetown Cemetery.
The county keeps on keepin' on
While Georgetown was growing, other communities in Scott County were also flourishing. In 1834, Stamping Ground – so called for the buffalo herds that would gather at the salt spring and stomp the ground while waiting for water – was incorporated.
Sadieville, once called "The Big Eagle," was formed in 1879 in the northern portion of the county as a rail stop along the Cincinnati Southern Railroad. The city was named in honor of Sadie Emison Pack, who played hostess to construction engineers working on the line.
Throughout the 20th century, Georgetown and Scott County have been in a transition from an economy based primarily on agriculture to a diversified one of manufacturing, small business and the family farm. During the 1960s, the construction of Interstate 75 placed the county right smack on one of the busiest highways in America. Two decades later, in 1985, the selection of Georgetown as the site of Toyota's first American assembly plant – and the largest Toyota Manufacturing plant in the world – resulted in the greatest period of growth in the county's long and storied history.
And it's not slowing down.
Today, Georgetown and Scott County remain proud of its past achievements and poised for an exciting future. We invite you to visit with us and experience our heritage.
A town named for a married lady: Sadieville
Sadie, Sadie, married lady. Two centuries ago, Mrs. Sarah "Sadie" Emison Pack was honored when this former railroad town, incorporated in 1880, was named after her – proving that girl power is not a new concept. Originally called "The Big Eagle" owing to its location on Eagle Creek, it was changed to acknowledge Pack's efforts in helping railroading construction crews that set up their base of operations in this crossroads community.
One of the greatest and most lucrative railways in the south, the Cincinnati Southern Railroad made Sadieville – described as a "bright village, putting on city airs" – one of its shipping points, and a seriously lucrative one at that. Records from 1904 note that 216 cars filled with stock, logs and tobacco, which amounted to thousands of dollars, shipped from Sadieville. That same year, over $13,000 worth of rabbits, hides, produce and other goods were shipped by Sadieville merchants.
Sadieville was the largest market in the country for shipping yearling mules and colts. The firm, Burgess and Gano, purchased the majority of these animals in Sadieville and shipped them to various points in Georgia. The young mules and colts were corralled in the countryside and once three or four hundred had been delivered by the stock raisers, drivers would round them up and drive them to Sadieville stockyards alongside the railroad tracks. An advance team of men would alert residents that the "mules were coming" so they could prepare for the thick cloud of dust – at times as dense as a heavy fog – the animals would raise stampeding into town.
Recalling Sadieville's history as a railway town is the Sadieville Train Car, a historic 1955 caboose located a few feet from an active Norfolk-Southern Rail Line. The restored car has original equipment and fixtures as well as some original documents and is today one of two documented Sadieville geocaching sites on the Scott County GeoTrot.
Sadieville is also home to a Rosenwald School, one of the many state-of-the art schools built across the South in the early 20th century for African American children. Constructed between 1917 and 1920, the school remained segregated until 1954. Restored in 2011 to preserve its history, the school is now a museum/cultural center. Visit by appointment by contacting the City of Sadieville at 502-857-4576.
Nearly 140 years after its founding, Sadieville is a quiet community on beautiful Eagle Creek with rural backdrops, tree-lined country roads and historic homes, including a significant collection showing off late Victorian-era and early twentieth-century residential architecture. Its downtown is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
A name trampled in the dust: Stamping Ground
Stamping Ground was named for a noise: the stamping of hundreds of hooves of impatient buffalo waiting to drink from Buffalo Spring. The bowl-shaped basin is actually one of Kentucky's three major "stamping grounds" sitting at the junction of trails used by migrating herds.
Adventurers Will McConnell and Charles LeCompte discovered Buffalo Spring in 1775 and called it Buffalo Stamping Ground. It is located on an ancient migratory path the Native Americans called Alant-I-wamiowee, or buffalo path – a wide swath of land cut into forest that has left a permanent imprint at the spring. This path was also used by the Mound Builders and, later, pioneer settlers.
The Alant-I-wamiowee is likely the roadbed that forms the road from Stamping Ground toward Georgetown, where migrating herds would ford Elkhorn Creek at a place known as the Great Crossing.
Sometime around 1790, a fort was built by Anthony Lindsay. Located near LeCompte's Run – a branch of the Elkhorn named for Charles – it became the first settlement in Stamping Ground and kicked off a series of firsts, including the establishment of McConnell's Church in 1795 and the Post Office in 1814. By 1880, Stamping Ground had four stores and about 300 people.
Although the population has more than doubled, present-day Stamping Ground is a quiet, historic community surrounded by beautiful countryside.
A source for the research for this history was Scott County Kentucky – A History, published in 1993 by The Scott County Historical Society, Georgetown, KY. Lindsey Apple, Frederick A. Johnston and Ann Bolton Bevins, editors.


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