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CLEARWATER — Lynn Martin had a husband once, briefly. Very briefly.
"I don't get this marriage thing," she said Friday.
What she does get is the bond that develops between a pet and owner. In her case, two little pugs and two Boston terriers.
"One night without my dogs is like torture," said Martin, 56.
Homeless for the second time, she says a Humane Society of Pinellas program that lets her keep her dogs at the shelter for 30 days is a lifeline.
A paralegal for 42 years, she hopes to find a new job and a home before July 16. The dogs must be picked up by then or they may be put up for adoption.
"That's never going to happen," she said. "If we have to live in my truck."
As unemployment, foreclosures, and energy and food prices rise, north Pinellas shelter officials say pets and owners are paying the price.
At Pinellas County Animal Services, workers say more people dropping off pets at the Largo shelter are blaming the bad economy or the loss of their homes. The SPCA Tampa Bay in Largo also reports a 3 percent increase in admissions in 2008 compared to this time last year.
The Humane Society shelter in Clearwater has also seen a steady increase in residents who cite economic reasons and homelessness as the reason for giving up pets, according to Suzanne Sakal, the shelter's development director. "And I don't see it getting any better soon," she added.
To offset this, the Humane Society created a program called "continued care" that allows cash-strapped residents to leave pets at the shelter for up to 30 days until they can get back on their feet.
But the service is expensive to provide. And the shelter is struggling with a budget that gets smaller each year.
Now a consortium of shelters and other animal groups called Pinellas Animal Partners has started looking into how to organize some help for those struggling to keep their pets.
But for many, new programs will come too late.
• • •
Just last week, a minister with a family came to Pinellas County Animal Services with three dogs: an energetic boxer, a sweet Yorkie and a fluffy Maltese, said Greg Andrews, operations manager at the shelter.
Andrews, surprised anyone would give up such pets, asked, "Is it because of the economic situation? Are you losing your home?"
The man answered, "Yes."
"He was almost in tears," Andrews said. "It was hard for him to leave them behind."
Not every shelter is reporting similar results.
Hillsborough County Animal Services said their surrender rate has remained constant.
"Over the last three years, our intake numbers are close to a hundred a day, sometimes more, sometimes less,'' said spokeswoman Marti Ryan.
Pasco County Animal Services reported a drop in the number of surrenders.
• • •
Marissa Segundo, a spokeswoman for the SPCA Tampa Bay said the top reasons for surrendering pets are usually because owners can no longer afford it or they're moving.
"And that includes foreclosures,'' said Segundo.
She sees the anguish on the faces of those turning in a beloved pet because they can't afford to care for it anymore.
"People will come in crying and teary-eyed,'' said Segundo. "They are red-faced when they leave."
Martin, the homeless woman who owns the pugs and the Boston terriers, said she can't imagine living without her dogs.
So what if one is blind and one has a tongue too long for his mouth?
"Who wouldn't adopt these guys?" Martin asked Friday during her weekly visit to the Humane Society. "I'm so happy to see you guys."
Panting, the dogs scratched at Martin's legs, eager for their turn to be held.
"You being good puppies?" she asked. "I've missed you so much."
When Martin left for a moment to wash up, a howling arose and died only when she returned.
"This happens when I take the trash out," she said.
Martin remains optimistic about the future for her and her dogs.
"You can't dwell on the bad," she said. "Most of the time, the bad is only temporary."
Theresa Blackwell can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or (727) 445-4170.


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PS. Here's my inked pic.
Where's the swoosh?
PS. Here's my inked pic.
Last edited by FireClown; 09-14-2017 at 06:48 PM.
Nice work, Fireclown. I didn't see her having butterfly wings but it works.
thanx superartguy.
I printed off a bunch of how-tos on drawing wings on people but after my 14th failed attempt I gave up and put the easiest wings on. Wings are really hard things to draw.
Had to rush this! Great work everybody! Good luck!
@barcswow on twitter and instagram
Very cool, lovin the beard
Nice, he looks like he just got out of the shower and he's about to jump my car. Zeus, your better than AAA!
I hope I'm not late.
Check out my PJ Art bloggity!! Aqui
On DA -> http://ratcrack.deviantart.com/
"It's better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing perfectly." - I don't know
Great entries, everybody. Here's mine:

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Sorry, the book that you are looking for is not available right now.
We did a search for other books with a similar title, and found some results for you that may be helpful.
A moving and compelling true story about two sisters fighting for survival in Sarajevo during the Bosnian war.
May, 1992. Hana is twelve years old when she is put on one of the last UN evacuation buses fleeing the besieged city of Sarajevo. Her twenty-one-year-old sister, Atka, staying behind to look after their five younger siblings, is there to say goodbye. Thinking that they will be apart for only a few weeks, they make a promise to each other to be brave.
But as the Bosnian war escalates and months go by without contact, their promise to each other becomes deeply significant. Hana is forced to cope as a refugee in Croatia, far away from home and family, while Atka battles for survival in a city where snipers, mortar attacks and desperate food shortages are a part of everyday life. Their mother, working for a humanitarian aid organisation, is unable to reach them and their father retreats inside himself, shocked at what is happening to his city. In Sarajevo, death lurks in every corner and shakes the foundation of their existence. One day their beloved uncle is killed while queuing up for bread in the market square, in a massacre similar to the one three months earlier which prompted a cellist to make a lone musical protest in the deserted streets. But when Atka finds work as a translator in an old, smoky radio station, and then with a photojournalist from New Zealand, life takes an unexpected turn, and the remarkable events that follow change her life, and those of her family, forever.
Set in the middle of the bloodiest European conflict since the Second World War, Goodbye Sarajevo is a moving and compelling true story of courage, hope and extraordinary human kindness.
About The Author
Atka Reid was born in Sarajevo in 1970. At the outbreak of the Bosnian war, she was a political science student. During the war, she worked as a reporter for a local radio station and as an interpreter for the foreign press. Upon her arrival in New Zealand she worked as a journalist in Christchurch. She later gained a Diploma in graphic design and worked as a graphic designer. She and Andrew, the New Zealand photojournalist she met in Sarajevo, live in Auckland with their two sons.
Hana Schofield was born in Sarajevo in 1979. She spent two years living as a refugee in Croatia during the siege of Sarajevo. In 1995 she arrived in New Zealand with her family, speaking no English. In 2002 she graduated from the University of Canterbury with first class honours in Law and a bachelor's degree in Russian. Since then she has worked as a lawyer for a leading New Zealand law firm, and more recently for a City law firm in London. Hana is also a qualified performance consultant. She is married
`A beautiful story that turns from sorrow to happiness, redemption, restoration. Goodbye Sarajevo shows that sometimes out of dire circumstances, new lives, new beginnings are possible' * Janine di Giovanni *
Audience: General
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Number Of Pages: 352
Published: 6th May 2011
Country of Publication: GB
Dimensions (cm): 21.6 x 13.5 x 2.6
Weight (kg): 0.38
Edition Number: 1


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Unto the Daughters: The Legacy of an Honor Killing in a Sicilian-American Family : Karen Tintori thought she knew her family tree. Her grandmother Josie had immigrated from Sicily with her parents at the turn of the century. They settled in Detroit, and, with Josie's eight siblings, worked to create a home for themselves away from the poverty and servitude of the old country. But Josie had a sister that nobody spoke of. Her name was Frances, and at age sixteen, she fell in love with a young barber. Her father wanted her to marry an older don in the neighborhood mafia - a marriage that would give his sons a leg up in the mob. When Frances instead eloped with her barber, her father and brothers killed her for it. Even eighty years and two generations later, Frances and her death were not spoken of, her name was erased from the family genealogy, her pictures burned, and her memory suppressed. Unto the Daughters is a historical mystery and family story that unwraps the many layers of family, honor, memory, and fear to find an honor killing in turn-of-the-century Detroit.
|Biografía y Autobiografía
|Ethnic Cultures


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Is there any way to specify views to use using ADE variables in the Hierarchy Editor? Alternatively, can we specify the simulation target using a variable in a test in ADE-XL? This would allow us to simulate over layout extraction corners using one test in ADE-XL.
Currently, we have a config view for each layout extraction corner (like config_cmim, config_typ, config_cmax) and have a dedicated test for each (like test_cmin, test_typ, test_cmax) in ADE-XL. It is really cumbersome to manually apply the same change to all of the tests each time I want to make a change to the tests.
No, it's not possible currently. You can make the view switch list (if not using a config) a variable (I think), but you can't reference ADE variables in config views. You might want to contact customer support over such a requirement so that an enhancement request can be filed.
Kind Regards,
In reply to Andrew Beckett:
Thanks, Andrew.
Yes, some of the folks here put a variable in the switch list, but as you mentioned it doesn't go with config views, which is a problem for most of my simulations.
I will filea request to the customer support.


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MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. - A Palmetto woman involved in a car accident that killed three pedestrians will have her license suspended.
79-year-old Doreen Landstra was in court Wednesday morning, where she pleaded no contest, and will not be able to drive for a year.
Florida Highway Patrol cited Landstra after the SUV she was driving backed into a group of people outside of a church at the Sugar Creek Country Club last month.
FHP says Landstra was attempting to back out of her parking spot when she ended up hitting seven people. Three people were killed, and the other four were taken to area hospitals.
John Paul lost his wife, 70-year-old Wilhelmina Paul, in the accident. "I had just walked away, heard the crash and the screams...I ran back, I did not realize my wife was on the ground."
John and Wilhelmina had recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Wednesday he showed up at the courthouse with this message for Landstra. "I have no anger against Doreen. I forgive her for it. It was an accident, she didn't mean to do it."
Landstra also was fined $1,000 plus court costs for improper backing. The Judge Robert A. Farrance told Landstra she can reapply for her license in a year but she'll have to take a driver's ed course and the written test. That is the maximum sentence allowed by law.


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NOTE: This event is now closed
5th September 2015
The Baskerville Society is an active group with frequently organised events and other activities, which are open to members and non-members alike.
The Bishop Hurd Library | 5 September 2015 | 1200-1600
The Bishop of Worcester, Richard Hurd built the Hurd Library in 1783 for his fine collection of books. The collection includes several Baskerville items and many other examples of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century printing including works by Thomas Bewick, Robert Burton, William Dugdale and Isaac Newton. Many regard it one of the most beautiful library rooms in the country. This outing also visits the mediaeval castle and county museum set in the serence Warwickshire countryside. The County Museum, housed in the former home of the Bishops of Worcester, is a fascinating place to explore. In the museum galleries you can discover social history, toys through time, travel & transport and the intriguing story of Worcestershire's past. Visitors can also see room sets such as the schoolroom and scullery, which are regularly brought to life by visiting schoolchildren and period rooms that focus on the Victorian and Civil War eras.
Book your ticket here.


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Washington, Apr 15 (ANI): America TV personality Spencer Pratt has revealed that he sees a potential politician in himself, and that he will definitely contest election later in his life.
"Don't know if I'll be getting elected any time in the next century or so, but definitely going after mayor of L.A. and at least governor," Us Weekly quoted him as telling celebrity blog Pop Sugar.
"I'll probably stop at Governor. I mean, if people were really pushing for me [to run for president] at that point, I'll probably have to step into that role. That pressure may be a little much," he added.
Pratt revealed that he would like to contest elections from his native California, as he was a fan of his birthplace.
"I'll start with California because I love California so much ... my state and my birthplace," Pratt said.
However, Pratt revealed that his political inclination would never make him quit the sitcom Hills.
"It makes me sick when I hear people say, 'I'm quitting The Hills. I'm going to go do this,'" he said. (ANI)


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Mon, Jun 10, 2013 at 4:09 AM
no title
All I want to do is feel loved eventho its not real love..when the lights go out and I'm in my bed. I think of all the madness in my head all of the things I did back then....well time to let these feelings and emotions out. I don't wanna make a name for myself am I a hoe because I have a girlfriend but still have feelings for my ex well to me you are not and ex you will always be my first and that will never change we had good times.I know I'm not the easiest person to deal with I know I'm annoying rachet and loud and can erk your nerves but that is just me and lately I don't know I guess I'm afraid of someone else comning in your life I'm not the jealous type but when it comes tou you I am shurgs why is that I ask myself and I can't come up with an answer is it love is it lust or is it my feelings telling me one thing and my body telling me something else I don't wanna plaw with your emotions like that day when u asked me did I like u or something well u should know that yes I like you..I have them days where I'm like ommmggggg if I had you back things would be better but maybe its for the best..forreal tho we have to meet in person and talk that is a must..I do want you to be happy I bet you feel like you moved on so why can't I but yeah it really wasent easy I like jumped into it to try and make u jelous but it didn't work yess that was stupid of me I know I do the most but yea..smh at myself sometimes brittany brittany brittany look what you've done...what am I going to do life is all about choices if you make the wrong one you have to learn from it and if not that's being dumb on your part but when you learn from it eventually you will make the right one either for a moment or a lifetime


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Into the fold: The art of the turn-up
The current ubiquity of the turn-up was brought to my attention after attending a recent men's fashion show. Looking around, I noticed that all the men - supposedly big cheeses in menswear - looked exactly the same: greased-back hair, bushy Icelandic beards, single-breasted blazers and check shirts buttoned to the top.
Worst of all, though, were the horribly narrow faux-selvedge jeans with huge turn-ups, bright socks (mainly red) and large brownish-orange brogues.
From what I can gather this is the new uniform of the male fashion cognoscenti who by slavishly adhering to this or any pre-prescribed look, are negating their positions as arbiters of taste.
Surely such men are supposed to dictate fashion and not follow it. One thing is for certain: they should not all look exactly the same with identical, oversized and entirely unnecessary turn-ups - or 'cuffs' as the Americans confusingly call them.
So what is the purpose of turn-ups and who invented this trend that has been prevalent in menswear for the best part of a century?
Looking at online forums I chanced on one American who said that he'd read that, "pants cuffs [turn-ups] were first invented to be used as a portable ashtray for men and their cigars."
He went onto write: "I was 100 per cent positive that I read this… Can anyone find something on this and back me up? My co-workers think I make stuff up."
I laughed out loud, until further down the page a lady going by the name of 'Kalhoun' remarked: "Actually, my husband uses his cuffs as an ashtray…. he doesn't like to toss the butts around, so he tucks them into his cuffs." I pity his dry-cleaner.
Reading on, another person commented thus: "Cattlemen in the old West would often turn their pants cuffs up to hold small items, like nails or staples. That would keep the supplies close at hand while riding the range."
Of course, even though of late I've seen turn-ups on Japanese fashion victims big enough to hold a Colt 45, none of the above is entirely accurate. In truth, the trend for turn-ups came from two diametrically opposed but equally pragmatic sources, at roughly the same time in history and for exactly the same reason.
In the mid-19th century, mining and cattle industries boomed in the US alongside companies such as Levi Strauss, who made the workers' trousers - aka jeans. Previously most clothes were custom-made to fit, but these shop-bought items were all off the peg. So cowboys, miners and the like turned their jeans up to avoid getting the bottoms in the mud, or worse, tripping over them. Cutting them would cause them to fray, and appearance was not an issue. The look became the norm and, right up until the Seventies, that is how jeans were worn.
These days, only a child or young teenager can get away with narrow jeans with huge turn-ups as he is still growing and, as his mum might say: 'You'll need that extra few inches of hem a few years down the road."
If you are over 20 and you feel you must sport a large turn-up (seven-and-a-half centimetres maximum) then the jeans have to be a good 40 centimetres wide at the bottom and must have proper selvedge (such as the Lee Archive or Levi replica 501), while the overall look has to be vintage. As for footwear, it's got to be a good work boot such as the Redwing Engineer (as worn by Brando in The Wild One) or the moccasin-topped Featherstone.
That said, on a selvedge pair of jeans I prefer the half-centimetre tiny turn-up. This looks great with wingtips (Florsheim or Loakes, for example), loafers (try JM Weston) or Cherry Red Doc Martens boots. It'll never seem as if you're trying too hard.
As for the second source that led to the turn-up on formal suit trousers, it has been said that the trend was initiated by Edward VII Prince of Wales, who in the late 1890s turned his trousers up whilst at race meets to avoid getting mud on the bottoms. English aristocrats - suckers for any fad started by a royal - followed suit and, much to the future king's bewilderment, copied his pragmatic affectation. Similarly, legend has it that the cuff fashion began in the US in 1905 after an English nobleman, on his way to a wedding in the rain in New York, turned his trousers up to avoid getting them wet and forgot to let them down. Fashion-conscious New Yorkers thought this a remarkable new craze and the fashion for cuffs began.
In fact, you could say that the style was initiated by those who couldn't give a damn (princes and poor workers) and popularised by this who could (wannabe toffs and fashion victims).
The fad was taken a step further in the 1920s. When an enterprising Savile Row tailor conceived the trouser pleat, the future Duke of Windsor subsequently adopted them and wore them with turn-ups, purely because they make pleated trousers hang better. Subsequently, students at Oxford began wearing baggy trousers - aka Oxford bags - with turn-ups over their fashionable plus fours, which were banned in class. The trend caught on in the US after visiting Ivy League students spotted the look and loved it.
Most trousers had turn-ups until the Second World War, when the governments of both the US and the UK made them (and pleats) illegal as they used up valuable material in times of fabric rationing. During this period, the turn-up was a sign of rebellion, wearers wanting to cock a snook at the authorities.
Similarly, after the war the UK's privileged went straight back to the pleats and turn-ups simply because they could, while the working classes still suffered from austerity measures and couldn't afford it.
Across the Atlantic, hand in glove with Dior's New Look of 1947 for girls, came the Bold Look. This saw men wearing big suits with big shoulders and full, pleated peg trousers with turn-ups. It was a look that crowed about US post-war affluence and the golden age of consumerism.
Today, as the Mad Men-style, slimline cuffless suit becomes commonplace (and, in my opinion, a little dull), many a stylemonger has moved back to the Fifties Bold Look for which the turn-up is a prerequisite. But still, turn-ups should be proportionate to the length of the leg sporting them. Shorter men look better with a three-centimetre turn-up while huge turn-ups will make a small man look like a child (but at least he'll get a lollipop at the dentist). A man of average height should not go more than four-and-a-half centimetres on the turn-up, while tall men can go a full five centimetres.
All turn-ups should hit the top of the shoe causing a small fold (also known as a break) while your socks should never be seen while you're standing up.
In general the rule is, if your trousers are pleated wear a turn-up and if not, don't. That said, the chino, a pair of trousers that should never be pleated, can live with either. Think Gene Kelly in An American in Paris or either Steve McQueen or Paul Newman circa 1963 and you can't go far wrong.


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Julian G Meyer, age 86, of Sauk Centre, passed away peacefully on Monday, May 7, 2012 at St. Michael's Nursing Home in Sauk Centre, Minnesota.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, May 14 at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Sauk Centre with Rev. Todd Schneider officiating. Inurnment will be in the parish cemetery. Military honors provided by Sauk Centre United Veterans Honor Guard.
Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday and from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Sauk Centre. Parish prayers will be held at 4 p.m. The Knights of Columbus will pray the rosary before Mass at St. Paul's Catholic Church.
Julian George Meyer was born on March 25, 1926, in Greenwald, Minnesota, to George and Hildegard Meyer. He graduated from Crosier Seminary in Onamia, after which he farmed with his dad for several years before serving in the Army, stationed at Fort Lewis, Tacoma, Washington. On August 17, 1953, he was united in marriage to Theresa Fuchs at St. Margaret's Catholic Church in Lake Henry. The couple farmed and raised their family in Sauk Centre Township, Stearns County until retiring and moving to Sauk Centre in 1997.
He was a member of St. Paul's Catholic Church and Knights of Columbus. Julian took great pride in his farm and family; his life was an example of hard work, intelligence, integrity, faithfulness, and generosity. He was invited to serve on several boards including Sauk Centre Creamery Co-op and Meire Grove Mutual Insurance. He was an innovative dairy farmer and his milking parlor design was the subject of a "Successful Farming" magazine article in 1970. He was also a DeKalb seed corn dealer.
His quiet dignity and perseverance toward recovery after a stroke in 1981 were inspirational to his family and friends. The family remembers the great kindness and contribution of many who helped keep the farm going the year of Dad's stroke.
Julian's interests ranged widely, from classical music to farm radio, all kinds of cooking, but especially Theresa's, and travel. Together, Julian and Theresa took numerous trips in their motor homes. Their biggest driving trip was to Alaska with Julian's mom and dad and the two youngest teenage sons in 1983. After the motor home was retired, they lived in Palm Bay, Florida, for several winters.
Julian is survived by his children Elaine (Michael) Benusa of St. Cloud, Kathie Meyer Sontag of Stillwater, Diane (Michael) Russell of Rochester, New York, Joe Meyer of St. Paul, Mark (Lois) Meyer of Sauk Centre, Mary (Kevin) Fletcher of Crossville, Tennessee, John Meyer of Palm Bay, Florida, Paul Meyer of Hackensack, and daughter-in law, Amy Meyer of Silver Creek. He is also survived by 15 grandchildren; 7 great-grandchildren; brothers, Bernard (Jane) Meyer of Sauk Centre, Cletus Meyer of Greenwald, Gordon Meyer of Burnsville, Roger Meyer of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and sisters, Mary (Bill) Kobilka of Forest Lake, Judy (Dick) Trombley of Minnetonka, and Jane (Dick) Ditmore of St. Paul.
Preceding Julian in death were his wife, Theresa on April 18, 2000; youngest son, Michael on April 28, 2009; parents, George and Hilda Meyer; sister, Dorothy Haider; and brothers, Eugene and Ronald.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Holy Family School in Sauk Centre.


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text: Hi All I am attempting my first root but am unsure about a couple of things. Any help would be much appreciated. I am running Android 2.3.5 and Sense 3.0 with S-ON and HBoot 2.00.0002 (more phone details at the bottom). Unfortunately my HBoot is not supported by revolutionary so I am going to attempt to install a different RUU with a Goldcard, and then s-off and root with revolutionary. Is this a good approach? How do I know which RUU should I use? Someone from XDA used the following from shipped ROMs collection - [ROM]Shipped Desire S ROM Collection - xda-developers): RUU_Saga_HTC_Thailand_1.35.1113.2_Radio_20.28d.30.0805U_3805.04.02.01_M_release_183327_signed.exe Why this one? How do you know what HBoot you'll end up with? I got my phone unbranded from a Hong Kong supplier, so should I use an Asia RUU? I'm also confused as to what to do once I've created the goldcard. How do you install the RUU from that point? Do I need to extract the .zip from the RUU.exe and rename it to PB99IMG.zip, and put it on the root of the goldcard? I have seen this on Desire forums but not Desire S. And how do I proceed from there? I only have one MicroSD at the moment. Is it recommended to have another, or can I back this one up to my computer and use that? Sorry if these are noob questions. I've done lots of searching and reading to get to this point! Additional phone details: LOCKED SAGA PVT SHIP S-ON RL HBOOT- 2.00.0002 RADIO- 3822.10.08.04_M eMMC- boot Software number 2.15.832.5 Please let me know if you need any more information, and thanks in advance!


text:
Photo Coverage: THAT FACE Opens Off-Broadway
Manhattan Theatre Club's production of THAT FACE by Polly Stenham, directed by Sarah Benson (Blasted, Artistic Director of Soho Rep) opened last night, May 18 at MTC at New York City Center - Stage I. BroadwayWorld was on hand to capture the opening night party arrivals.
The cast features Christopher Abbott (Good Boys and True at Second Stage), Maïté Alina (Off-Broadway debut), Betty Gilpin (Good Boys and True and Boys' Life at Second Stage), Cristin Milioti (The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter at NYTW), Laila Robins (Frozen), and Victor Slezak (Salome).
The production features scenic & costume design by David Zinn, lighting design by Tyler Micoleau, sound design by Matt Tierney, fight direction by J. David Brimmer and dialect coaching by Ben Furey.
THAT FACE is a powerful and darkly comic look at an affluent family in freefall. Mia (Cristin Milioti) has been suspended from boarding school. Her brother, Henry (Christopher Abbott), has dropped out altogether. And Martha (Laila Robins), their mum, manipulates them all. Money can no longer fix their problems -- now it's up to them. This Olivier Award-nominated play from Britain's fastest-rising young playwright premieres in New York with the director of last season's acclaimed Blasted.
THAT FACE began previews on Thursday, April 29, 2010.
Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove, MTC has become one of the country's most prominent and prestigious theatre companies. MTC productions have earned a total of 16 Tony Awards and six Pulitzer Prizes, an accomplishment unparalleled by a New York theatrical institution. MTC has their Broadway home at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street) and an Off-Broadway theatre at New York City Center - Stage I (131 West 55th Street). Renowned MTC productions include The Royal Family; Nightingale; Ruined; The American Plan; Top Girls; Come Back, Little Sheba; Blackbird; Translations; Shining City; Rabbit Hole; Doubt; Proof; The Tale of the Allergist's Wife; Love! Valour! Compassion!; A Small Family Business; Sylvia; Putting It Together; Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune; Crimes of the Heart; and Ain't Misbehavin'.
For more information visit www.ManhattanTheatreClub.com.
Tickets for THAT FACE are available via New York City Center Box Office (131 West 55th Street), CityTix® (212-581-1212) and www.nycitycenter.org. Tickets for THAT FACE are $75.
Photo Credit: Emily Faye Oakley
Polly Stenham & Cristin Milioti
Polly Stenham & Cristin Milioti
Polly Stenham & Cristin Milioti
Christopher Abbott & Cristin Milioti
Betty Gilpin, Christopher Abbott & Cristin Milioti
Christopher Abbott, Polly Stenham & Cristin Milioti
Betty Gilpin, Laila Robins, Christopher Abbott & Cristin Milioti
Polly Stenham, Betty Gilpin, Laila Robins, Christopher Abbott, Cristin Milioti, Victor Slezak & Sarah Benson
Maite Alina, Polly Stenham, Betty Gilpin, Laila Robins, Christopher Abbott, Cristin Milioti, Victor Slezak & Sarah Benson
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From This Author Emily Faye Oakley


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'Let Me In' (R)
Since most people who go to see Let Me In will not have seen Let the Right One In, the 2008 Swedish movie that inspired the remake, let's get the comparisons out of the way quickly. The original is drastically superior in two critical, signature scenes: The swimming-pool sequence and the depiction of what happens to a vampire when he or she enters your house uninvited. The first movie also included a brief but crucial bit of nudity that the Hollywood remake opts to ignore, for understandable reasons (they're much more progressive than us, those wacky Europeans).
In every other respect, though, Let Me In is the equal to director Tomas Alfredson's original and even surpasses it in some ways. Director Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) obviously loves and respects the first movie – he replicates its tone, atmosphere and cinematography and sometimes reprises scenes shot-for-shot – but he also has his take on John Alvide Lindqvist's highly cinematic novel, and transplating the story from a Stockholm suburb to 1983 Los Alamos, N.M., does more than simply make it relatable to U.S. audiences.
The change introduces a subtle subtext about the growing dissatisfaction of Reagan-era America and the dissolution of the large number of nuclear families the Baby Boomers tried and failed to keep together. The resulting dislocation felt by the children of those families turns out to be of huge importance to the plot – the engine that ultimately drives the characters to do rather extreme things.
Owen (The Road's Kodi Smit-McPhee) lives in a drab apartment complex with his mother, who is overcome by her impending divorce and is barely a presence in her son's life. (Although she appears in several scenes, the camera never shows us her face, underscoring her perpetual emotional absence. She's there, but she's not there.)
Lonely, small for his age and bullied at school, Owen spies on his neighbors with a telescope (shades of Rear Window that pay off beautifully later) and notices the arrival of new tenants: A little girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) who walks barefoot in the snow, her feet purple and bruised, and a man (Richard Jenkins), presumably her father. Soon, we discover the man is most certainly not her dad and that the girl, Abby, is not like most 12-year-olds.
"Just so you know, I can't be your friend," Abby tells Owen the first time they meet at the complex's playground. And despite their growing relationship – a friendship on the cusp of a young adolescent romance – Abby turns out to be right in the end. She really can't be friends – with anyone, ever.
Vampires were already ubiquitous before the Twilight mania erupted, and now they have become inescapable to the point of exhaustion. But Let Me In, yet another tale about the connection between a human being and an ageless bloodsucker, doesn't feel trite or cliched. The unusually young age of the protagonists brings a fresh spin to the hoary scenario, and the superb performances by the kids (who outdo their Swedish counterparts) ground the story in adult-sized emotions. Moretz in particular, so awesome as Hit Girl in Kick Ass, proves herself to be a considerable talent, giving Abby an old soul, a childlike innocence and a menacing demeanor – qualities that blend into a unique and intriguing whole.
Although it remains largely faithful to Lindqvist's novel, Let Me In adds a few new wrinkles (including a hair-raising, bungled murder that results in a spectacular car crash, with the camera sitting in the back seat). And there are a couple of moments of true, unsettling horror, including a gruesome one involving Elias Koteas as a detective investigating a series of serial murders.
For those who have seen Let the Right One In, there is no overcoming the sense of deja vu Let Me In instills: If I hadn't seen the original, I might have gone ga-ga over Reeves' version. But even with the shock of novelty gone, the film still draws you into its chilly, demonic heart. "Do you think there is such a thing as evil?" a teary Owen asks his father during a telephone call. Let Me In argues that's a question a simple yes or no can't answer.
Cast: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloe Grace Moretz, Elias Koteas, Richard Jenkins.
Director: Matt Reeves.
Screenwriters: Matt Reeves, John Alvide Lindqvist.
Producer: Donna Gigliotti, Alex Brunner, Simon Oakes.
An Overture Films release. Running time: 115 minutes. Vulgar language, considerable violence, gore, naughty children behaving really, really badly. Opens Friday Oct. 1 at area theaters.


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I want to upgrade my existing installation and would like to ensure the db is not modified until I get the new installation running. Is there any way to restart into a single user mode so that a pg_dumpall works as the superuser? Or am I limited to a stop, fiddle with pg_hba.conf, restart, pg_dumpall, etc.? Thanks, -Tom
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This report, intended for program planners, identifies steps for evaluation and provides strategies for addressing challenges in program assessment.
Evaluation, the process of determining a program's utility or direction, is critical to program planning, budgeting, and management. Through evaluation, program planners can ascertain how well components of their program are functioning. Evaluation also provides clues as to why components may or may not work.
Evaluation aids program accountability. Managers often need to determine whether their programs are having the intended effect on participants and the community. Documenting a program's impact provides valuable information to decision-and policy-makers, such as program funders.
Finally, evaluation can aid long-term strategic planning for program managers, community leaders, and policy-makers. Carefully documented results from an evaluation provide guidance to those planning similar programs and allow programs to serve as models for other communities.
For the purposes of this publication, the terms "program manager" and "evaluator" are used interchangeably, on the assumption that program managers can capably guide and perform evaluations when funding is not sufficient to hire an outside team of evaluators.
Creating Communities for Active Aging
This guide to program evaluation is a companion to Creating Communities
for Active Aging.Managers and staff from active aging programs,
as well as
other stakeholders, indicated a need for a detailed description of
program evaluation.


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MIAMI—IHG has signed the new-build Holiday Inn Lima Airport Hotel.
The $24-million hotel is being developed by the Pinasco family, who will also manage the hotel under the Operaciones Turisticas Peruanas S.A.C. entity. The organization also owns and manages the Crowne Plaza Lima.
The 179-room hotel will be directly connected to the city's Jorge Chavez International Airport, and is located 2.5 miles from the Port of Callao.
The property will be equipped with sound insulation to minimize airport noise. It will also feature a restaurant, room service, a bar and an indoor swimming pool.


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In-app Merchandise for Game Developers
Company Summary
We automate the way game developers can sell merchandise products within their apps
Developers choose where to offer branded print products in the gameplay – phone cases, t-shirts, wall decor, etc. We take care of the rest!
There's zero costs & no risk. Revenue is shared! Orders are fulfilled on demand by automatically connecting print manufacturers around the world.
We're Uber for printing with first customers, working MVP & evaluation of $2M
- StagePrototype Ready
- IndustryConsumer Products
- LocationRiga, Latvia
- CurrencyUSD
- FoundedApril 2016
- Employees0
- Incorporation TypeNot Incorporated
- Websitethemonetizr.com
Last 4 years in IT startups (most successful got merged). Before 10 years in sales and marketing – for one of the World's largest Advertising & Marketing companies Omnicom Media Group (Account director for Nissan, McDonalds) and in Sales at Eastern Europe's largest broadcasting services MTG Group.
Been a part of 3 startups in the last 3 years, took part in two start-up accelerators in Finland. 5 years experience in printing industry including management of print product production, worldwide delivery and IT processes.
- Reinis SkorovsDevelopment and AutomationUnconfirmed
With a B.S. degree in computer science, he is a highly rated IT specialist with international experience in Germany, Austria and the USA. Won most promising startup award in Finland.


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Disney's Wilderness Lodge is conveniently connected by bus or water taxi to numerous Disney restaurants within the Magic Kingdom Resort area.
Per Night Excl Tax
(407) 824-3200
Be the first to hear about the latest news and special offers at Walt Disney World Resort.
Thank you for signing up! You should begin to receive news and special offers very soon.


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We'll fight to the end to save Monaco: Prince Albert
Prince Albert of Monaco has pledged to do everything possible to save Monaco football club from being demoted by the French league for financial irregularities.
The first division runners-up are appealing a decision made on Wednesday by the league's financial watchdog which relegates them to the second division next season.
But Prince Albert insisted in an exclusive interview with AFP:"We're going to fight right to the end to save the club."
The heir to the Monaco throne said: "I can't accept relegation that isn't based on sporting results.
"That would be overlooking Monaco's history and it would be betraying lots of people."
The demotion of the seven-times French champions coached by former French international captain Didier Deschamps follows a meeting on May 21 between Monaco club president Jean-Louis Campora and league officials inspecting the club's finances.
Monaco's debt is officially put at 53 million euros but sources at the club say it is closer to 80 million euros.
The club could be reinstated if they can find new financial backers.
Sources in the principality say relations have soured between Campora, who has been president since the mid-1970s, and the Grimaldi family, who have traditionally bankrolled the club.
But Prince Albert fell short of publicly calling for Campora to resign.
"I wouldn't go as far as that," he said when asked if he wanted to see Campora quit. "But I think there've been lots of management errors. There are also players who don't play but cost a lot."
He ruled out financial help from his family.
"We couldn't do that as that would correspond to public financing. In contrast the Palace can seek out and convince investors to step in. It's also up to those responsible already in place to try to save the club."
Monaco finished second to league champions Lyon in the championship which ended last week and qualified for a place in the lucrative European Champions League.
Deschamps' team, although missing out on the league title, did land one trophy this year, beating Sochaux 4-1 in this month's French League Cup final.
Topics: france-soccer, monaco, france
First posted


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Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp is adamant there will be no rush of players wanting to leave White Hart Lane should the London club fail to qualify for the Champions League.
Spurs have won just one of their last nine Premier League games and dropped to fifth in the table.
And should capital rivals Chelsea, who will face either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid in the final, win this season's tournament, a top four finish may not be good enough to gain a place in European club football's premier competition.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy was lauded before the start of this season for rejecting several offers from Chelsea for Luka Modric while Barcelona, knocked out of the Champions League by the Blues on Tuesday, have been linked with Spurs star Gareth Bale.
But Redknapp does not expect the duo to leave at the end of the season, come what may.
"No, I don't," he said on Sky Sports News. "When they came to the club, Tottenham weren't in the Champions League, and were nowhere near getting in the Champions League.
"They play for Tottenham. They're at a great club. There's no reason they should want to leave. If we don't make it this year we'll try again next year. There's not too many clubs they could go to better than Tottenham.
"Gareth Bale and Luka Modric have both signed long-term contracts. Gareth has had a fantastic time for young player at Tottenham. He needs to stay at Tottenham a few more years yet and keep developing.
"We've progressed so much in the last four years, we've got to keep that going and push on even more in the table and look to win a Premier League. It's not impossible."
Chelsea knocked out reigning champions Barcelona with a remarkable rally at the Nou Camp where, despite seeing captain John Terry sent off in the first half, they secured a 2-2 draw and a 3-2 aggregate win.
Redknapp believes interim manager Roberto di Matteo is now set to get the job on a full-time basis.
"It's an unbelievable achievement," said Redknapp, the favourite to become the next permanent England manager.
"You just can't put it into words, how good it was. To play against 10 men, 2-0 down, and come back shows fantastic quality. And in the end they deserved it. They rode their luck but when you've got 10 men playing against Barcelona you need all the luck you can get.
"Great credit to the manager. Robbie's done a great job there.
"He must have a very good chance (of getting permanent job), a great chance. He's done a fantastic job since he took over.
"That's up to the chairman of Chelsea, but he couldn't have done any more than what he's done. He's had a fantastic run and he's a nice guy as well. I hope he gets the job."
Meanwhile Redknapp insisted Tottenham could yet end the season as one of the top four clubs in England.
"We've got to make sure we finish fourth or third, make sure we're in a position to qualify," he said. "If we don't, it doesn't matter what happens.
"It's still wide open - Arsenal, Chelsea, ourselves, Newcastle - it's still any two from four."
"We've got to go on a good run now.
"If we pull off good results in these last four games we'll be in the Champions League and I'm very confident we'll do that."


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Haven't joined yet? Join MYX |
Labor Day weekend was a blast! ZoukOut 2016 was undoubtedly a huge success as 6,000 revelers went to the pristine shores of Boracay to party!
More than half of the visitors who gathered during the event were from neighboring countries in Asia including Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore! The two-day event featured some of the biggest international DJs including Kaskade, Dubvision, and DVBBS! Representing the local acts were Deuce Manila and Carlo Atendido!
Photo courtesy: ZoukOutPH
Our very own VJ Sarah Carlos also graced the event!
Were you at ZoukOut 2016? Share your best moments during the event in the comments section!


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Bubu Fairy ChefBubu the fairy chef is especially good at making dessert! Follow her magic recipe and make delicious pudding and cupcakes for the animals!
Sushi of Your LifeI love sushi, what about you? Take the quiz to see what type of sushi matches you!
Kitty Cooks FishThe cat chef is preparing a super yummy seafood cuisine. Help her in the kitchen to make the delicious dish.
Sweet PuddingCan you help the customers by selling them your delicious sweet pudding? Have fun!
Sandwich v.s. GMOHelp the sandwich escape monsters in this fun and highspeed platform game. Collect keys by jumping, teleporting and switching gravity!
Sushi Time
Connect sushi before you run out of moves. Collect the right sushi to finish each puzzle! Be strategic and puzzle your way through over 30 levels.


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After being urged to embrace new challenges, innovations and inventions, more than 1,200 newly minted San Diego State University graduates walked across the stage in Viejas Arena Friday to accept their diplomas.
"Remember this, the only constant in this world is that it is constantly changing and you need to be part of the change," commencement speaker Roger Simmons, professor emeritus from the School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, told the College of Health and Human Services students. "Challenge the status quo, think outside the box, don't stay within the lines. Be creative and create your own vision of the big picture."
The morning ceremony was one of several planned through the weekend by San Diego State University as it bestows nearly 9,300 degrees.
University President Elliot Hirshman told the group that graduation day is the best day of the year for him — a day of pride and celebration.
"No matter what the future brings, you are prepared," he said. "You have accomplished much here and you have the capacity to learn and to grow and to meet challenges we cannot even envision."
While SDSU graduates were able to go on with its commencement ceremonies as planned, others weren't as fortunate.
California State University San Marcos canceled its graduation festivities set for Friday and Saturday as a result of the wildfires that threatened the campus earlier in the week. Ceremonies have been rescheduled for May 24 and May 25.
The University of San Diego law school graduation is Saturday with graduate and undergraduate ceremonies next weekend. UC San Diego's Skagg School of Pharmacy's graduation is Saturday with other ceremonies set for June.
Nearly 11,000 community college students also will be graduating from campuses in San Diego and Imperial counties over the next few weeks.
In his address, Simmons predicted great things for those entering fields such as nursing, social work and public health. He told the graduates they will be able to pursue new ways to help patients cope with serious illnesses, to improve with rehabilitative programs and to help overcome the health gap that plagues those who are disadvantaged.
"All of you have the training, education, intelligence and opportunity to shape the future unlike any previous generation," he said.
SDSU offers degrees in dozens of disciplines and areas of study, with psychology, criminal justice and business administration as its three most popular majors. During this graduation season, 7,190 students have earned bachelor's degrees, 2,138 are receiving master's degrees and 111 have finished their doctorates.
While some plan to go onto graduate programs, others will be entering the job market at a time when the economy is picking up. The National Association of Colleges and Employers 2014 Job Outlook Survey estimates employers will hire nearly 8 percent more new college graduates in 2013-2014 than they did the previous year.
SDSU has a wide array of students. Here's just a representative sample of some the best and brightest, most of whom are the first in their families to attend college:
• Francisco Candido said he picked SDSU mainly because of financial reasons, but he thinks it was a great decision. A graduate of Point Loma High School, Candido became involved in engineering programs at the university and is the first in his family to graduate from college.
"Everything worked out really great," he said. "San Diego State has this reputation of kind of being a party school. But once I got here I saw there was a lot of opportunities."
He said he was able to find a group of friends who had the same career goals and mentality that he had.
Candido, 22, will be beginning a Ph.D. program at Cornell in the fall for mechanical engineering, with plans to go into academia or work at a national laboratory.
His advice to other students is to not get deterred from their goals. "Whatever is in your mind, don't let anyone tell you otherwise; just pursue that," he said.
• Estefanía Castañeda Pérez who is graduating with a degree in political science and a minor in honors interdisciplinary studies, will be going to Madrid on a Fulbright scholarship to teach English in a bilingual school and spearhead a model United Nations program.
She hopes to go onto graduate school to do research on the border and human rights issues.
Castañeda Pérez, 23, grew up in Tijuana and graduated from High Tech High Media Arts in Point Loma before attending SDSU, a decision she made after receiving a President's Diversity Scholarship. She completed a research project on cross-border commuters that won her a Dean's Award and other recognition. She also spent nine months in Japan in a study-abroad program.
"Being the first person in my family to have the opportunity to go to college has given me more reason to love education," she said. She said she hopes to become a political science professor because her professors played such a crucial role in her education and helped her find her passions.
• Phillip Rey Silva remembers feeling a little intimidated when he walked into his first large lecture classroom at SDSU filled with about 500 students. After growing up in Morro Bay, the 22-year-old said he found SDSU to be a very large campus. "It was a big change for me," he said.
But he said he settled into the school, which he picked because of its strong reputation for science majors and its proximity to biotechnology firms. He majored in biology with an emphasis in cell and molecular biology and had a double minor in psychology and religious studies.
He was a fellow in the Minority Access to Research Careers program and worked on several undergraduate research projects including a stint as a research assistant at the Scripps Research Institute on a project that is seeking a drug treatment for successful methamphetamine recovery.
The first in his family to attend college, he began to think about pursuing a Ph.D. at the end of his sophomore year. In the fall, he will be attending Yale University and has a long-term goal of teaching neuropharmacology.
Now that he's moving to Connecticut, he's wishing he would have spent more time at the beach and appreciating San Diego's weather. "I love the water, I love swimming, but I never learned how to surf," he said.
• Alexis Kelley had to decide between attending SDSU and Long Beach State, and opted for SDSU because of its honors program. She said she felt very prepared for the rigor of college by her Sacramento high school -- the Health Professions High School -- which had an emphasis on medical studies.
During her time at SDSU, she not only spent a semester in Italy but also worked in Washington, D.C., as an intern for Rep. Jackie Spier, D-San Mateo. The internship was through the Panetta Institute for Public Policy.
Kelley, 21, majored in psychology and will go on to the University of California Los Angeles in the fall to pursue a master's degree in social welfare. She wants to become a license clinical therapist.
She worked as a resident adviser and a peer educator and also made sure she enjoyed her time as an Aztec and found her own social niche.
"I have no regrets," she said. "I think everything I did happened for a reason. I went to every basketball game I could, I enjoyed my experiences here. I was able to do it all."


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Nashville, TN USA
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Guitars• Gibson 201907
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• Gibson Blues Hawk
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• Gibson Chet Atkins SST
• Gibson Chet Atkins Studio CE/CEC
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• Gibson CJ-165 Maple
• Gibson Dove Ac
• Gibson EDS-1275
• Gibson Epiphone Acoustic
• Gibson ES 325
• Gibson ES-135
• Gibson ES-135 Limited Edition
• Gibson ES-175
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• Gibson Les Paul 30th Anniversary Deluxe
• Gibson Les Paul Ace Frehley Signature
• Gibson LES PAUL ARTIST
• Gibson Les Paul Classic
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• Gibson Les Paul Custom
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• Gibson Les Paul Junior Special
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• Gibson Les Paul SmartWood Standard
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• Gibson Les Paul Standard DC Plus
• Gibson Les Paul Standard Limited Edition
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• Gibson Les Paul Studio
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• Gibson LS6
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• Gibson SG ''61 Reissue
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Amplifiers• Gibson BR-6
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Strings• Gibson Brite Wires
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Parts/Accessories• Gibson Heavy Pick
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Cases/Covers/Racks• Gibson Electric GuitarCase
Pickups• Gibson 57 Classic
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ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons Discusses His New Gibson Billy Gibbons SG Model — Video (10/20/2015)
Gibson and Billy Gibbons have teamed up to create the new Gibson BGSG—as in "Billy Gibbons SG." The platform for the BGSG is a classic 1961 SG, but there are radical differences. The most obvious is the guitar's top, which is raised on its upper...
Top Five Gibson Les Paul Facts You Probably Didn't Know — Video (9/30/2015)
In this new video—which was posted to YouTube September 26), Mark from Guitar Nerds, a U.K.-based website for guitar fans (and nerds, we reckon), counts down the top five Gibson Les Paul facts that you probably didn't know. This new video comes...
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We tend to think of the Gibson brand as pretty traditional. But amid all the Les Pauls, SGs and ES models the company has turned out over the years, it's easy to forget that the guitarmaker has also created numerous oddities. A while back, our f...
Marty McFly's 'Back to the Future' Gibson ES-345 Was Actually from the Future — Video (10/21/2015)
In the hit 1985 film Back to the Future, 1980s teen Marty McFly, played by Michael J. Fox, fills in on guitar at the high school dance. As we all know by now, he blows the minds of the Fifties-era kids and musicians in attendance by incorporati...
John Lennon's Long-Lost Gibson J-160E Guitar Sells for Record $2.4 Million at Auction (11/9/2015)
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John Lennon Gibson Jumbo Auction: Yoko Ono Demands Half - For All the Right Reasons (10/14/2015)
John and Yoko—John McCaw, that is, a 69-year-old San Diego contractor who's had possession since 1969 of one of the most sought-after Beatles guitars John Lennon ever owned—will split the proceeds of what could be a million-dollar windfall when ...
Jimmy Page Shows His Double-Neck Gibson and Fender Tele with B-Bender — Video (6/16/2015)
Here's a little something from 30 summers ago. On July 18, 1985, The Guitar Show visited Les Paul's home in Mahwah, New Jersey, to tape Les and Jimmy Page for an episode. It was five days after Led Zeppelin's reunion performance for Live Aid in...
How John Lennon's Long-Lost $2.4 Million Gibson J-160E Guitar Was Found (11/10/2015)
As was widely reported yesterday, John Lennon's long-lost acoustic Gibson J-160E acoustic-electric guitar, which he used while recording the Beatles' Please Please Me and With the Beatles albums, sold for a record-shattering $2.41 million Saturd...
Gibson Custom Launches Limited Edition Peter Frampton "Phenix" 1954 Les Paul Custom — Video (10/23/2015)
Gibson Custom has announced a collaboration with Peter Frampton for a limited release of the Peter Frampton "Phenix" 1954 "Triple-Pickup" Les Paul Custom. A detailed and extensive replica of Frampton's storied guitar, the limited run celebrate...
firekid Performs "Magic Mountain" at Gibson Guitars Showroom — Exclusive Video (11/5/2015)
Today, AcousticNation.com presents the exclusive premiere of firekid's recent live acoustic performance of "Magic Mountain" at the Gibson Showroom. The track is from the Nashville-based singer/guitarist's self-titled debut album—firekid—which wa...
Dear Guitar Hero: Todd Rundgren Talks Eric Clapton's Psychedelic Gibson SG, Changing Influences and More (6/16/2015)
He's a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer who's had his own hits and worked with such artists as Cheap Trick, Sean Cassidy and Meat Loaf, but what Guitar World readers really want to know is… A lot of what I've heard of your new albu...
Cream-Era Eric Clapton Explains How His Gibson 'The Fool' SG Works — Video (9/17/2015)
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The Little Dipper
905 West Main Street, Durham, NC 27701
Hours: Tues-Sun: Open at 5pm, Closed Mondays
(919) 908-1023
Visit Their Website
Avg User Rating: 5 out of 5
Total Votes: 1
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Known as the Fondue on Main, this fondue restaurants is located in Brightleaf Square in Durham. It offers chocolate and cheese fondue, in addition to salads, soup, meats, seafood and vegetarian options.
We're excited to present an extensive wine list, an assortment of craft beers, and unique "Durham cocktails," with personality, in addition to The Little Dipper classic signature drinks.
The atmosphere is warm, energetic, colorful and will make you feel at home from the moment you step foot in the door. Fondue is an experience, meant to be enjoyed slowly with friends, family and loved ones all sharing one common pot for cooking. Many customers have commented that it's the only time they are able to step away from life, slow down and enjoy good conversation with the one they're with. We have friendly, outgoing servers who are able to guide you throughout the evening as you enjoy the fondue adventure. Come soon and get hooked!
How it works?
Our menu is set up as a three-course meal, which includes a cheese appetizer for the table to share, salads, and many entrée choices. Desserts are priced separately, but a definite treat that completes the entire fondue experience.
All of our tables are handmade with at least one shared burner in the center of the table. Fondue is unique in that everyone shares the pot to cook in which requires all to agree on one common cooking style, including Peanut Oil, White Merlot and Vegetable Broth, Port Wine and Beef Broth, Asian Firepot with Sake, Chicken Broth, or one of our seasonal specialties. The Little Dipper is known for our 17 different choices of homemade dipping sauces for your meats, vegetables, and seafood after cooking.
A separate pot on a side sterno can be requested for those with special dietary needs or vegetarian choices. In addition to the full course menu we offer an a la' carte version which includes all of our cheese appetizers, salads, grilled meats, seafood, and of course the delectable chocolate fondue desserts.
Is this your business? Update your free WRAL Out & About business profile by emailing us your logo or a picture of your business now.


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The second session dealt with Africa's regional challenges and development in the overall African economy. Ambassadors Ito, Comberbach and Arrour were joined by Ambassador Wasswa Biriggwa of Uganda, chairman of the ADC TICAD Committee; Ambassador Godwin N. Agbo of Nigeria, vice chairman of the ADC Trade and Investment Committee; and Ambassador Joao Miguel Vahekeni of Angola, also a vice chairman of the ADC Trade and Investment Committee. Japan Times Managing Editor Kitazume continued as the moderator. Excerpts of their discussion follow:
Moderator: When we say Africa or the African economy, the fact of the matter is that it's not one country. Every country has its own situation, prospects and challenges, and there will also be regional characteristics in the economy and its current development. Please tell us the current situation of each of your countries and in the respective regions.
Comberbach: My country is a landlocked nation in the middle of southern Africa. We are part of the broader Southern African Development Community, which is a bloc of 15 countries, which have been together for several decades. And the principal objective of this union that we have is to really forge regional integration.
The SADC region itself has a total population of around 260 million people, and we have a combined GDP of around $480 billion. We are also fortunate in that we have Africa's biggest economy, South Africa, as part of our SADC grouping. And although that generates a number of challenges when you live next door to a very big economy, it also brings about a lot of opportunities as well in terms of the size or the South African economy and the diversity of it, attracting inward investment, attracting trade. But the regional integration program that we are embarked on is designed to make the impact of this kind of inward investment and trade felt right across the southern African region.
It's a region that's extremely wealthy in terms of natural resources, mineral resources in particular, but it has abundant agricultural land and potential. And so the potential for industrialization of turning agricultural produce into processed products for sale among ourselves and beyond the region is enormous.
The challenge for us is really to attract inward investment, which would help us to add value not only to our mineral resources but also to our agricultural resources.
Africa as a whole has 54 countries. It is divided into eight regional economic communities. They overlap in membership in some areas. SADC is engaged in negotiations with two other regional economic communities, the East Africa Community and COMESA, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, to create a common free trade area. Once that is in place, and we hope it will be in place by 2017, you will have a free trade area with a population of about 540 million and a combined GDP of around $660 billion.
Biriggwa: Uganda is located in the middle of Africa; it is neighbor to Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan. It is known as the "Pearl of Africa" because of its beauty formed by abundant natural resources, rivers and lakes, fauna and flora.
But probably the most captivating phenomenon in Uganda is its people, known for their warmth and friendly, welcoming nature. Uganda has a population of close to 34 million people, mostly young and energetic.
Recently, we were fortunate to have discovered vast amounts of oil and gas. We are inviting investors to come and participate with us in the area of refinery and building a pipeline.
We have quite a huge population of educated people. Uganda universities, led by one of the most prestigious and oldest universities in Africa, Makerere University, graduates more than 50,000 per year. Being in the middle of East Africa we are also a trading hub for the neighboring countries, a great opportunity to invest and trade with a population of more than 120 million people.
We have been fortunate that we have had a stable democratic government for the last 27 years. We have enjoyed peace and a sustainable economic growth averaging 6 percent for the last 15 years.
We are interested in fostering investments and trade; we have many investment opportunities in infrastructure, energy sector, value addition, telecommunications, finance, IT, tourism and agriculture.
Uganda is a member of the East Africa Community, the oldest regional bloc in Africa. It was started in 1967, initially with only three countries, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. Now we are five countries with Burundi and Rwanda, and soon we hope, South Sudan. Within the community members enjoy the economy of scale, access to a bigger market unhindered by tariffs and quotas, and soon its peoples will be able to work and live anywhere in East Africa and use the common currency. The opportunity for an investor is great: You invest in one country and have access to the rest.
Arrour: I would like to emphasize that Morocco is well known for its democratic institutions, its political stability and its comprehensive and legal framework.
Strategically positioned on both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, less than 14 km from Europe, Morocco is a regional center for trade, manufacturing, warehousing, redistribution, sales, call centers and an array of IT services reaching Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas.
We are very much grateful to many Japanese corporations who placed their trust and confidence in the Moroccan economic and political stability, and kindly came to Morocco and invested and promoted social and economic development in Morocco. We have about 35 Japanese corporations that are doing a win-win job in Morocco, utilizing the advantages of our fiscal stability, our economic growth. Over the last five years we have had 5 percent economic growth yearly.
In 2004, Morocco became the second Arab nation (after Jordan in 2000) to enter into a free trade agreement with the U.S. In 2005, Morocco joined the EU Neighborhood Association for trade, and in 2008 was the first Arab country in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region to be granted the coveted "Advanced Status" as a full trading partner. We have ties with Mercosur (the South American trade bloc) and ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States), which makes Morocco one of the best countries to promote production bases for the domestic market and also for export. We naturally have free trade agreements with our neighbors and Arab countries. We are promoting business relations and trade relations with Africa.
The Maghreb Union, comprised of Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Tunisia, and Morocco, offers a huge number of business opportunities. Some of the countries in the Maghreb Union are rich in oil and gas, others are rich in minerals like Morocco; we are first exporter in the world in phosphate and fertilizer products. Morocco is one of the leading exporters of agriculture and marine products in North Africa.
Furthermore, Morocco is blessed with a young, dynamic and well-trained workforce, capable of providing appropriate value-added performance in many sectors of industry, finance and service activities.
Agbo: Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the most populous black nation in the world. There are more than 250 ethnic groups and 250 languages. English is the official language.
The main economic activity was agricultural until the discovery of oil. Nigeria also has rich mineral deposits. Nigeria is strategically located and drives the economy of the West African region.
The West African region comprises 16 countries and has a total population of about 300 million. By 2020 that number is expected to rise to 500 million. Currently, Nigeria has 170 million people, which constitute more than half of the population of the entire sub-region. This represents a huge market for products from the West, including industrialized countries like Japan.
The region established an economic grouping, the Economic Community of West African States in 1975 to promote economic integration in industry, transport, telecommunications, energy, agriculture, natural resources, commerce, social, monetary and financial as well as cultural matters. ECOWAS is made up of 15 countries.
While ECOWAS deserves to be hailed for its achievements, there are several issues that have yet to be resolved, including the following: political turbulence has been a thorny issue troubling a few West African states; infrastructural deficits continue to hinder the region's effort at enhancing trade and industrial development; West Africa remains vulnerable to events in Europe and the industrialized countries; a mismatch between skills demanded by employers and the types of education acquired by the youth; the existence of a large informal sector in most West African countries continues to hinder the region's economic growth; and corruption in some government circles.
Vahekeni: Angola has experienced rapid and prolonged economic growth in the last six years. Social reforms are expected to have a great impact on our population. We are launching political reforms and must double our efforts.
Angola is reconstructing its infrastructure, including schools and hospitals damaged by the civil war. Angola needs to improve its public management systems. It needs to curb one of the sicknesses of the civil war: corruption. Angola needs to increase accountability.
In terms of our region, we are part of SADC, like Zimbabwe. Infrastructure in Angola is a way to create channels in the region for integration.
To achieve the shift to the next level of economic development, we have to shift the economic situation. It is highly dependent on oil revenues; though it is important, it employs less than 1 percent of the labor force. It becomes a constraint for the diversification of our economy.
We face social and economic problems. Reducing poverty is one of the biggest challenges, which has been helped by oil and diamond revenues.
One of the pillars of development is agriculture. Angola is endowed with fertile lands and water, about 26 percent of the water of Africa. Angola was the breadbasket of Africa. Three decades of war destroyed many of the infrastructures.
Another important sector is mining. A new mining law will allow those who want to invest in this sector in areas that are still dormant. We are also looking for partners from Japan.
Moderator: There have emerged some keywords, such as "value-addition," "industrialization," "infrastructure" in all the countries. These are areas where foreign investment plays a vital role in many cases. I would like Ambassador Ito to please give a followup comment from the viewpoint of the Japanese government's policy of promoting Japanese private sector investment in Africa.
Ito: Generally speaking, Japanese companies' expectations for African countries are greater than ever. For example, in a survey recently conducted by JETRO, about 60 percent of companies intend to expand or are considering expanding business with Africa. Particularly, many companies regard the middle class of Africa as a target of business.
At the same time, risks and challenges remain for investors who intend to operate in Africa. The investment climate in Africa will be improved through developing better infrastructure, a skilled workforce and improving the legal system or legal framework related to investment.
Conflict prevention, good governance and the rule of law are also very important factors for realizing a stable social order for an improved investment and business climate. So Japan will support efforts by African countries for improving the investment climate.
From the beginning of the TICAD process, generally speaking, we have promoted the so-called South-South Cooperation, which utilizes the Asian experience for African development. It is desirable that the international community, including emerging countries such as China, actively promote African development.
For Japan, in order to remove the bottleneck to economic growth in Africa, we will continue to support Japanese business activities in Africa, by improving infrastructure and developing a skilled workforce through ODA. Japanese business activities in Africa are contributing to the improvement of the living standards of the local people through the transfer of technology and the creation of employment. I think that it is highly appreciated by the African side as a Japanese type of assistance.
Moderator: I would like to welcome responses to Ambassador Ito's statements.
Biriggwa: First of all, I would like to thank Ambassador Ito and the government of Japan for the work they have done through the previous TICAD. From TICAD IV to the upcoming TICAD V, there has been a huge improvement in our relationship with Japan, and I would like to thank the Japanese government for carrying through the promises that were made at TICAD IV. This is very rare, by the way, with many countries at the end of many international conferences promising so much, but at the end of the day we never receive anything.
In the case of TICAD, it has been a very good process, coming especially at times when Japan was undergoing very difficult times, the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami and all that. But they never cut what they had pledged to the African nation. And this is truly commendable, and I would like to thank the government of Japan and the people of Japan for their great sacrifice.
Having said that, there is quite a lot of room for improvement, and I'm sure my colleagues will agree with me as to what can be done in the area of investment.
We have not been very successful in attracting the activity that you see in North Africa. We see that now the government of Japan and the business community are engaged together in finding a solution to this problem.
I would like to add that what is missing in all of this is the media. The way Africa is portrayed should be that it is separate countries. If something happens in one country, it's taken in Japan as if the entire continent of Africa is on fire. So the media have to do their part in explaining the various qualities of the different countries that we have.
The other aspect for us is that we are truly interested in trade and investment. ODA is very important and that is very good, but trade and investment is the key. And so we need Japan to help us and prepare so that we can receive investments so that we have a win-win situation, whereby the corporations of Japan come to Africa and they do what they have to do and we also benefit out of this.
But at the present moment, unfortunately, we have not seen that happening. We need of course technology transfer, development of infrastructure, which is pretty poor, and developing the energy sector, which is very important for industrialization.
Agbo: Regarding the ODA issue, it has been very important, especially in central Africa, but there should be a shift to trade and investment, and the transfer of technology to Africa.
I want to talk about what Ambassador Ito mentioned about the perceived challenges that may be hindering the movement of the Japanese private sector to Africa.
The issue is how to partner together. These concerns that he raised can be addressed by Japan and Africa working together. They can't be solved by running away from it. We have to jointly confront these perceived challenges and work out acceptable solutions in the mutual interest of our economies and people.
In my opinion, if, for instance, the international community, including Japan, can contribute to Africa's efforts to reduce conflicts and develop infrastructure to attract investments, Africa's fortunes will undergo a favorable transformation. This is what we are looking for in partnering with Japan. Also, in the area of good governance, we want to partner with Japan in developing policies and projects that would improve the material condition of our people. In this regard, I am happy to say that the government of Japan has actively supported a number of nongovernmental organizations in the promotion of grassroots projects designed to empower rural dwellers in Nigeria. This is apart from the contributions of JICA in the field of educational and water supply infrastructure.
Vahekeni: I think one of the elements that can create a difficulty for the Japanese private sector to enter Africa is the bad perceptions they have in reading the newspaper and so on, but some of the bad perceptions, they are the same as in Europe.
So we need to create a new image of the relationship between Japan and Africa. Not only from us. We are ready to create those conditions, showing Japan where the private sector can be successful. We are ready to be in a win-win situation. We are not begging. We are saying, you have this and we want this, so let's work together. But it is necessary to destroy the bad perception.
Japan, let us say, is part of the "Western vision of the world." This is very negative for Africa. Just an example. We all give our solidarity to Japan for what happened in Algeria. But what happened in Algeria cannot represent Africa. Sorry. Absolutely not. Even it is not in Morocco and Morocco is near. But we read immediately in the media "Africa," but it is not.
We are ready to open our countries and we want Japan to be there.
Moderator: We have heard that conflicts and security issues are some of the hindrances to the investment climate. I understand that this is an issue that cannot be generalized, it has to be seen in each country's or each region's context, and it's not a simple issue. But overall, what efforts are required to reduce and stop those incidents from being a block to foreign direct investments? I think there needs to be some concerted effort among the countries of Africa and the international community, including Japan.
Comberbach: It's a difficult question and quite a sensitive one as well.
We were shocked, all of us, by the terrorist attack that took place in Algeria. And we felt it very much here as ambassadors to Japan. Allow me, through this particular forum, to express our deep condolences to the government and people of Japan, and to the families of those who lost their lives in this terrible incident.
Of course, such an attack is an attack against Africa as a whole and indeed against the international community. You will have noted that the African Union strongly condemned it as such, whilst also declaring full support for the government and people of Algeria and commending the Algerian authorities for their prompt and firm response to the attack.
Although Africa has faced up to many challenges on its long path toward development, and apart, perhaps, from the U.S. Embassy attacks in Tanzania and Kenya in 1998, by and large, we have been spared the scourge of terrorism. However, it is now clear that there are extremist elements operating on our continent — and we have to address that. And yet, we need to be careful — and the media has a role to play here — that we do not succumb to the temptation of painting each and every incident which occurs on our continent in the colors of al-Qaida. In doing so, we may well be over-simplifying what is, in reality, a far more complex situation on the ground.
The reality, in part, is that there are a number of international criminal syndicates in operation in parts of our continent — smuggling weapons, smuggling drugs and smuggling people — and all taking advantage of the vastness of Africa to find ways and means of moving their contraband products into Europe, mainly, but to other parts of the world as well.
The African Union's Peace and Security Commission — which has infrastructure in place at both regional and continental levels to monitor developments on the continent and to act early to prevent any difficulties which might arise from developing into conflict — has been warning for some time now that these criminal syndicates constitute a gathering problem, not just for Africa, but for the broader international community as well.
The commission has been warning, as well, that this is not a phenomenon which Africa can deal with on its own. This is part of a global threat and it has to be tackled in a holistic or comprehensive manner, by Africans, within Africa, but with the enhanced support of the international community, including Japan.
Africa has its own mechanisms and its own structures to deal with security problems of this nature, but we lack adequate resources, capacity and expertise. We also lack, perhaps, the practice of effective coordination between and among ourselves. So, I think what we need is more support, targeted support, to boost Africa's own efforts in this regard, and this is what we look for from the international community, including our friends in Japan.
In this regard, we have to commend Japan, too. Within days of this terrible incident, there was a conference in Addis Ababa to discuss the situation in Mali and the broader Sahel region. Japan was the first to pledge a large amount of resources — some $120 million — as a commitment to support efforts to bring stability to Mali and to contribute toward the task of rebuilding the nation.
Such support can come in many ways. What is important is that it should be directed to supplementing Africa's own efforts to respond to these sensitive situations, and to the challenges posed by international organized crime operations on the continent.
Ito: One thing we hope to do is reduce abject poverty and develop the security mechanism to combat terrorism. So one of the main themes of TICAD V is peace and stability as a foundation of growth.
Arrour: I would like to emphasize the importance of South-South Cooperation. In Morocco, South-South Cooperation is part of His Majesty's government's top priority. We feel if we do not help each other, if we do not help ourselves, nobody will invest in our continent, if we Africans do not first invest in Africa. Morocco is the second largest investor in Africa after South Africa.
This is why we promote the triangular cooperation, not only between and among governments, but also within the private sectors of Japan and Africa. And this is one of the agreements we would like as an outcome of TICAD V, creating a Japan-Africa economic forum.
We have to work together, not only ask the people or companies to come and invest. We have to show the way.
Regarding legal frameworks, I believe each one of our countries is working very hard to offer to Japanese partners the best legal framework. But you cannot have a legal framework by yourself. You need the cooperation of your partners.
Japanese investors, when they do business in Morocco, they do their best to empower the local manpower and to give responsibility to the local management. We have seen those examples in my country. I would like to take this opportunity to express our deep recognition and deep appreciation for those corporations who entrust not only the manpower but also the local management.
I can testify that in the automobile sector, the Japanese investors are the largest employers in the private sector in Morocco. This is thanks to their empowerment of the local human resources.
Ito: Personally, I agree with you about the triangular cooperation. In the case that the Japanese companies are a little reluctant to invest in some countries by themselves, I think it's very useful for them to have much more experienced partners, jointly investing. So I would personally like to expand such kind of triangular cooperation.
Arrour: As you know, financial resources are abundant in Africa. Most African countries are rich in natural resources. Most of them have the financial capabilities and the human resources. What we need from Japan is cooperation in transfer of technology and knowhow. In fact, we need to put them together, the people with the opportunities and the Japanese technology, the Japanese knowhow for the sake of the development of relations between our nations and Japan.
The Japanese government and private sector have been very effective in the transfer of technology. Not all foreign corporations are as successful as Japan in doing so. Japanese transfer of technology has been very fruitful for our countries and we should applaud it and look for more cooperation in that sense.
Biriggwa: As for the TICAD process, from the African side, we feel that now there should be a transformation toward a Japan-Africa relationship rather than Japan, the international community and Africa all involved. At the present moment, we do not have a forum where Japan and Africa meet face to face, to speak candidly. And I think to show the maturity of our relationship to Japan, it's now time to have an exclusive forum with Japan, so we can move to another stage. Because now, our relationship can have mutually assured benefit.
Agbo: Also, please tell more of the success stories of Africa, because that's how you can change the perceptions of Africa.
Arrour: We should promote the human to human acquaintance by promoting tourism, education, cultural exchange. Business is very important, but nothing comes from zero. Everything should begin from history. They say that seeing is believing, so the more Japanese citizens visit Africa and see with their own eyes, and see for themselves the large diversity in scenery and beauty of the continent, the better they will understand our African way of life, what we can offer and what the opportunities for business are there. Africa is open and ready for business.
Moderator: This forum has been held ahead of the fifth TICAD conference coming up in June. The conference has itself evolved from the international community supporting Africa's development into a forum where the international community and the African countries are working together, rather than an aid donor to aid recipient kind of relationship. We are now entering a relationship where private sector investments and business partnerships rather than government aid are taking center stage.
There was an observation made that Africa's recent, rapid economic growth is coming partly from Asia's greater demand for resources. That may be part of the explanation. But also, there was another observation that Africa's growth is now a part of the global growth that countries like Japan will have to rely on to sustain its own growth. So I think this is a sign that the relationship between Japan and Africa or that of Africa and the rest of the world is entering a new phase.
Mention was also made of the role that should be played by the media to change people's perceptions of Africa and African countries. I would hope that this discussion would contribute in some way to changing that perception and contributing to people's greater understanding of what's happening in Africa now and what will happen in the future.
Thank you very much again for participating in this forum.