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E-newsletter of Investing for the Soul March 30, 2009
Ron Robins, Editor. E-mail /705-635-3034 Latest news at: http://investingforthesoul.com/
Top ethical investing news for March 2009
Books Back
Links may only be valid a limited time Commentaries by Ron Robins
Huge US Funds Manager TIAA-CREF To Engage In Effort To Avoid Companies With Ties To Genocide. - [COMMENTARY] "In an important victory for the cause of genocide-free investing, Investors Against Genocide has announced it withdrew its shareholder proposal from the proxy ballot for TIAA-CREF's July shareholders' meeting. This announcement follows TIAA-CREF's decision to vigorously engage PetroChina and other problem companies partnering with the Government of Sudan and to divest from those companies if they continue to substantially contribute to genocide or crimes against humanity. TIAA-CREF's policy applies to the ongoing genocide in Darfur, Sudan, as well as to future genocides."
As was the case with funds and banks
boycotting apartheid South Africa, so divesting from companies with ties
to regimes associated with genocide could gain real momentum.
TARP Banks Rebuff Shareowner
Request to Create Economic Security Committees.
"Shareowner proposal introduced by Harrington Investments is excluded
from proxy ballots by the SEC, and Bank of America and Citigroup refuse
a direct request from Harrington to form a board-level committee."
After reading this item, a reader has to conclude that the financial
elites will go to any lengths to protect their interests--even if it is
at the expense of the public interest.
Useful, Brief Primer On Shariah
Stock Screening. -
"Sharia-compliant investment management is concerned with investments in
assets that are in compliance with Islamic law. An Islamic investor is
not allowed to invest in companies that derive most of their revenue
from non Sharia-compliant business activities, or that use interest in
operating or financing their business. In the context of investing in
equities, screening for Sharia compliance is ensured using two main
screens: business activities and financial ratios." Many ethical
investors and analysts might like to read this article for insights they
could apply to their own investment analysis.
'Say On Pay' Non-Binding
Shareholder Resolutions Becoming A Feature At Canadian Company Annual
General Meetings. -
[COMMENTARY] "Over
the past month, 10 of Canada's largest companies have agreed to give
investors a non-binding annual vote on chief executive officer pay - a
practice known as say on pay - and Mr. Hawton anticipates many more will
voluntarily adopt the practice as it enters the mainstream." The
furor surrounding the AIG bonus situation may well change senior level
compensation packages in public companies for years to come. But
special compliments need to be paid to Gary Hawton for pioneering say on
pay resolutions in Canada for the past several years. Companies with
declining revenues yet with executive compensation hundreds of times the
annual pay of company employees, is simply unethical and irresponsible.
US Insurance Regulators Requiring
All Insurance Companies With More Than $500 Million In Annual Premiums
To Disclose Climate Change Risks & Plans To Deal With It.
"The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) today
adopted a mandatory requirement that insurance companies disclose to
regulators the financial risks they face from climate change, as well as
actions the companies are taking to respond to those risks." Great
news for policyholders as well as for ethical investors looking for
insurance stocks that are good to invest in.
MBA Students Seek Long Term Focus
In Curricula (2). -
[COMMENTARY] "Nine
out of ten respondents say that a focus in business on short-term rather
than long-term results has been one of the contributing factors to the
global financial crisis. Just 24% of respondents strongly agree that
they are learning how to make business decisions that will help avert
similar crises. In addition, a majority of the students surveyed
strongly agree that there is a need for business schools to introduce
other financial models into the curriculum, specifically models that
take long-term social impacts into account." Wow, what a change in a
few short years! Another example that the short-term anything goes
mentality is giving way to a new higher holistic consciousness.
US Population Less Convinced
About Global Warming. -
"Although a majority of Americans believe the seriousness of global
warming is either correctly portrayed in the news or underestimated, a
record-high 41% now say it is exaggerated. This represents the highest
level of public scepticism about mainstream reporting on global warming
seen in more than a decade of Gallup polling on the subject." This
will be an important trend to watch!
Norway's Giant Oil Fund Bars
China′s Dongfeng Motor Group Co. Ltd.; Is Reviewing Siemens AG For A
Possible Ban. -
[COMMENTARY] "The
$297 billion fund will be barred from investing in Dongfeng Motor on a
recommendation from the Council on Ethics because of sales of military
trucks to Myanmar, the Finance Ministry said in Oslo today... Germany′s
Siemens AG, Europe′s largest engineering company, was put under
observation because of the 'gross and systematic corruption the group
has been involved in over many years,' Norway said." Norway's giant
fund continues to demonstrate leadership in its selection of ethical
stocks and bonds. It is worthwhile for ethical investors to always take
not of what this fund does.
Survey: Business Students Want
Companies To Address Environmental & Social Issues (1).
"... 77 percent of MBA students view acting responsibly as a way to
increase corporate profits, a figure that has grown since 2006, when 60
percent of students saw the correlation between CSR and profitability in
Net Impact's first study." It seems that business students really
appreciate the advantages of using corporate social responsibility.
Recession Slowing Corporate
Social Responsibility Initiatives. -
"The [Booze & Co.] survey reveals that 40 percent of respondents expect
green and other corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives to
significantly slow due to the downturn, while 29 percent of respondents
don′t believe it will delay green projects. The pullback will be
especially evident in transportation and energy industries, with,
respectively, 51
New Index Series Tracks Gender
Equality. -
[COMMENTARY] "'What we found to be
especially interesting in our research was the positive correlation
between gender diversity in Boards of Directors and senior management
and the quality of earnings reported by companies," Gorte continued...
The Index series will include large and mid cap companies that recruit,
retain, and promote women.'" This will be a fascinating index series
to watch and to see how it influences both corporate management and
investor behaviour. Will the best socially responsible stocks to invest
in be led by women?
Investors With $55 Trillion In Assets Want More Corporate Action On Carbon Emissions Reductions & Strategies. - [COMMENTARY] "Investors that are signatories of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), a nonprofit organization which acts as an intermediary between shareholders and corporations on climate change issues, want the companies in which they invest to do more than just disclose climate and carbon information. The CDP signatories, who manage $55 trillion in assets, want companies to take such additional actions as adopting emissions reductions targets and developing low carbon solutions as well."
The survey of institutional
investors supports the view that analysts are increasingly incorporating
climate change factors in their analytical methodologies. The survey
results were compiled by Mercer.
CRO Magazine Says Bristol
Myers-Squibb, General Mills, Inc., & IBM Corp. Are 2009's Top Corporate
Citizens In Its Top 100 List. -
"... the methodology used to compile this year′s 100 Best list was
debated and voted on in open session by 27 leading corporate
responsibility practitioners representing nine major industry segments
October 2008 at the CRO Conference in Chicago." Of course, in such
lists, one has always to pay attention as to how they are compiled. Most
of these companies are considered among the most popular stocks that are
good to invest in by SRI funds.
Christian Brothers Survey: Human
Trafficking & Abortion Top Issues Of Concern Among Catholic
Institutional Investors. -
[COMMENTARY] Other
issues of concern are, "... companies that support governments
engaged in genocide or terrorism... environmental justice,
sweatshops/contract supplier standards, and access to water and
responsible use of water resources... 85% of Catholic institutional
investors believe that active ownership has a positive impact on
corporations." Morally conscious investing is huge. In America, one
dollar in nine is invested in portfolios that screen-out investments
engaged in activities such as those cited above. Spiritual investors
will find the results of this survey useful.
New US Low Carbon Index Launched
By S&P. -
[COMMENTARY] "The S&P U.S. Carbon
Efficient Index is composed of a subset of constituents in the S&P 500
with a relatively low Carbon Footprint while maintaining at least 50% of
the original weight representation for every GICS® sector in the S&P
500. The Carbon Footprint is calculated by Trucost PLC and is defined by
the company′s annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions assessment,
European Study Shows No Outperformance Of SRI Funds During 2002-7. - [COMMENTARY] "'None of the socially responsible investment equity funds available to European investors produced alpha or outperformance, according to an EDHEC Risk and Asset Management Research Centre study released today... 'SRI security selection in itself does not lead to outperformance,' the report said. 'Our results show that SRI fund performance is accounted for instead by style biases and market cycles.'"
This author is just saying that
there are still no magic SRI formulae for stock market outperformance.
However, as I have argued many times we can at least invest according to
our values and still likely enjoy conventional returns. But I still
believe that investment analysis incorporating ESG (environmental,
social and governance) and ethical factors will over the long-term
provide superior market returns.
SIRAN: Corporate Responsibility Gaining Ground In Emerging Markets. - [COMMENTARY] "By using a subset of EIRIS′ assessment methodology and publicly available documentation, 40 leading companies in ten emerging markets were examined and each company was assessed against key environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria... This study′s findings indicate that the majority of the 40 emerging market companies have shown evidence of addressing at least some ESG issues in their public disclosures."
SIRAN is a network of 150 investment
analysts in North America, supporting the ESG research work in more than
30 investment related firms. It's terrific to see companies in emerging
markets seeing the advantages of using corporate social responsibility.
Pollution Cap Could Boost 1,200
US Companies. -
[COMMENTARY] "Legislation
that puts a cap on greenhouse gas pollution will spur job expansion in a
dozen manufacturing states in the U.S., according to the Environmental
Defense Fund. The environmental group published on Friday an online
interactive map identifying more than 1,200 companies that stand to
benefit from future climate change legislation." Indeed, a
re-alignment of dollar flows from carbon producers to green and greener
companies could soon take place.
The Sunday Times (UK) Publishes
'The Rich Green List.' -
[COMMENTARY] "This
first Sunday Times Green Rich List shows that the enthusiasm among the
world′s wealthiest for investments in areas as diverse as electric cars,
solar power and geothermal energy is unaffected by the recession."
It's inspiring to read how the world's richest people are putting their
money into green and sustainable investments.
The Uptime Institute Publishes
Its List Of The World's 100 Greenest Companies.
"The list highlights the significant energy efficiency achievements
of global corporations operating major data centers. It includes
exemplary FORTUNE 500 and InformationWeek 500 organizations with a
demonstrated board-level policy and governance commitment to increasing
energy efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint of their enterprise
IT and data center operations." These are certainly among the
world's most environmentally conscious major corporations. You have to
suspect that there is a correlation between a company's focus on green
IT and their commitment to sustainability.
New Editorials
Can SRI Ratings Predict Stock & Portfolio Performance? By Ron Robins, March 13, 2009.
Can SRI Ratings Predict Corporate Behaviour? By Ron Robins, March 13, 2009.
Note: Articles are linked to the original source. Some sites may require registration, and may, or may not, archive stories. All links were active at the time of publication.
Disclaimer: Neither The Soul Investor nor Ron Robins make investment recommendations. Nothing in this newsletter should be interpreted as a recommendation or solicitation to buy/sell any securities or investments. The Soul Investor is a source of general information and resources for spiritual investing, ethical investing, and socially responsible investing (SRI). Investors should consider their actions thoroughly and consult their professional advisers prior to taking any investment action. The Soul Investor does not necessarily agree with the opinions expressed in articles in its newsletter or offered on the web pages to which it might be linked. Such opinions are the responsibility of the writers themselves. Furthermore, The Soul Investor does not offer or provide any warranties, representations, guarantees, implied or otherwise, as to the accuracy, legality, copyright compliance, timeliness or usefulness of the information, materials or services in this e-newsletter, or other sites, to which it might be linked.
The Soul Investor is a publication of Investing for the Soul, a registered business name in Ontario, Canada. Copyright © 2009 Ron Robins. All rights reserved.


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The future look and feel of sandwich shops could very well be traced to the opening of Pickleman's in Park Place last September.
"Park Place was a pivot point for us," Pickleman's Creative Director Kendall Pearl says. "We were trying to be ahead of trends coming to Kansas City. People want high protein diets and a lot of vegetables."
In 2014, Pickleman's debuted three new salads, a trio of dressings and a vegetarian chili – all designed to meet customer demand for higher protein, lower calorie options. It was a big addition for the nine-year-old chain, which launched with only 19 menu items (soup, sandwiches and pizza) at its original location in Columbia, Missouri.
Pickleman's has been subtly changing its menu over the past few years to adapt to the way its customers are eating. In 2012, they introduced the 'Pick 2' concept, where diners could match a half-sandwich with a soup or half-salad.
"A lot of what we do is based on feedback from our customers," Pearl says. "We used Kansas City as a sounding board. We asked what people thought of our salads and a lot of women said they thought our salad lineup was a little bit like guys made all our salads."
The changes started with Pickleman's base salad. They swapped in spinach for iceberg lettuce. You can now pick spinach or romaine — heads of lettuce are brought in each morning and chopped onsite.
"We don't pre make any of our salads," Pearl says. "Our veggies are prepped to order, so we can customize everything."
The three new salads are the Avo-Cabb, Southwest and Walnut Cran. The Avo-Cobb has sliced Haas avocados, a hard-boiled egg, crumbled bacon, tomato, cheddar cheese and croutons. The Southwest swaps in corn, beans, and red onions for the bacon and eggs in the Avo-Cobb. The Walnut Cran has walnuts, cranberries, blue cheese and a hardboiled egg. While they were tweaking the salads, Pickleman's also looked at its dressing lineup.
"Ranch is great on everything, but it's got a lot of fat in it," Pearl says. "We needed something that fit in with our salads well."
The yogurt ranch swaps in plain yogurt for the mayonnaise used with the traditional Ranch dressing. Pickleman's added a lemon balsamic and balsamic vinaigrette dressing at the same time. All the dressings are made in house.
In addition to the new salads and dressings, Pickleman's also created a vegetarian lentil chili. It's made with brown lentils, chopped tomatoes, onions, jalapeno peppers and chiles.
"It's really hearty," area manager Keith Royer says. "It's good. It's got a little big of kick, a little bit of tang."
Beyond looking at their menu, the sandwich shop is also trying to take a mindful approach to its packaging. They recently switched to a biodegradable bowl for salads.
"If you look at the number of salads that one location makes, that's a hefty carbon footprint," Royer says. "This is one way for us to cut down on that."
"We knew that as a group buying for 19 restaurants, we have some buying power," Pearl adds. "As we try to consolidate our packaging, there will be some additional costs. But we look at what Chipotle has done with so many of its products and we think we can be a company doing it the right way."
Pickleman's is in the midst of adding two stores. The first will likely open in Omaha, Nebraska, while another is underway in the Westport area. The menu will feature more vegetarian items with a veggie pizza likely in the works.
"Kansas city is full of great and inspiration. It's unique in that it has respect for food, family and culture," Pearl says. "We just want to keep listening to what people have to say."
Pearl is also helping to overhaul online ordering and the eatery's app with Facebook integration, larger photos and a loyalty program. The new services will likely roll out this summer.
"We fall in a unique position in the quick service space in that customers can order custom salads for delivery," Pearl says. " We see more and more customers leaning toward that set-up."
Find Your Flavor is a series of sponsored posts on The Recommended Daily. Over the course of the next year, we'll explore the menus, cuisine and folks behind dishes at the restaurants in Leawood's Park Place. We talked food loves with 801 Chophouse's chef Jeremy Kalcic, about chef Leo Santana's scratch kitchen at Carma and the beer pairings brewing at Gordon Biersch.
[Sign and salad images courtesy of Pickleman's]

subset: commoncrawl


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If you were wondering whether or not you can glue metal to wood the answer is yes you can but… it is very difficult to create a permanent bond due to the differences in the makeup of the two materials.
Wood tends to expand and contract a lot more than what metal does, which makes it a challenge to create a sturdy bond between the two.
The best way to adhere a metal surface to wood is to use screws. You can also have various levels of success with the following types of glue.
- Araldite
- JB-Weld Steel Epoxy
Tips about Glueing Metal to Wood
Make sure both surfaces are clean and dry. It will help if you use steel wool on the metal to create a more abrasive surface.
Use clamps to hold the two surfaces together and, depending on the test e glue you use, leave for at least 24 hours to create the best bond possible.
One common technique, for a very strong and permanent bond, is to use both screws and glue in conjunction with one another.
Will Super Glue Work?
We haven't tried this ourselves but from vardenafil generic our research, it appears that some have reported success when doing small wood to metal jobs with Super Glue.
If you are planning to use Super Glue you might want to do a small test first before committing your entire project to it.
Where to buy the Best Metal to Wood glue?
The easiest way to buy clenbuterol dosage metal to wood glue is to purchase it online from a site like Amazon.
For up to date pricing check the glues we have for sale below:
3M Marine Adhesive Sealant 5200 Fast Cure
J-B Weld 8265S Original Cold-Weld Steel Reinforced Epoxy – 2 oz.
Also, you can buy it from your local hardware store.
Using Wood Glue with Metal and Wood
This to that
How to stick Wood to Metal


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Book a Fishing Trip on Ocracoke Island
The fishing around Ocracoke Island is world-class. Ocracoke has great fishing options for anglers of all ages and experience. Check out available fishing charters below and book an exciting day of fishing on Ocracoke Island. Gulf Stream and inshore fishing charters are available or rent a small boat for your own adventure.
Clam Digger and Flounder Gigger Charters
Explore the Pamlico Sound waters in a 24-foot Carolina skiff, complete with all the equipment you need to gather clams and gig flounder. Ask Marcus Lawson about his winter duck hunting trips as well. 252-921-0279
Dream Girl Sport Fishing
Enjoy a day of fishing with Captain Steve Wilson on his 28-foot, custom-built center-console boat Dream Girl. Captain Steve has been operating fishing charters in Ocracoke for more than 20 years. Whether you are a beginner or advanced angler or are just looking for a fun family adventure, there is something for everyone on board the Dream Girl. Inshore and offshore. You'll find the Dream Girl at the Anchorage Marina. Call to book your Outer Banks fishing charter. 252-588-0450
Capt. B Sport Fishing (Drumstick Crew)
Captain Ferris O'Neal invites you to fish the waters off of Ocracoke Island. Join a group or bring your own party. Families are welcome. Offering full or half day charters for sound, inlet, gulfstream and off shore wreck fishing. 46' Jarvis Newman fully equipped with latest tackle and electronics. Located at the Anchorage Marina. 252-928-1421.
Gecko Sportfishing
Fish with Captain Ernie aboard the Gecko, a 46' Carolina Sport Fisherman with Twin Engine Diesels. Fully equipped with latest tackle and electronics. Year round fishing inshore, offshore and night fishing. Families welcome.
Island Guide Services
Native guides offering over two decades of hunting expertise and local knowledge. Following in the family tradition, Island Guide Services offers stake and pit blinds, decoys and transport. Licensed guides Kenneth Tillett and Earl Gaskins.
252-928-2504 or 252-921-0127
Miss Kathleen
Join Captain Ronnie and Captain Ryan on a true sport fishing adventure. Spend an exciting day on the water. Whether a beginner or experienced fishermen, you will enjoy time spent with these local captains, sharing the knowledge of local fish, techniques, bird life and other island knowledge. Fishing parties frequently see dolphins and sea turtles, as well as a variety of other sea life. Family friendly. 252-928-8064
Rascal Sportsfishing
Both inshore (half- or full-day) and offshore (full-day) trips are available through Captain Norman Miller aboard the Rascal, who will equip and educate visitors about wreck, bottom or fly fishing. The Rascal boasts impressive catches of red drum, but local Captain Miller also knows where and how to find other inshore fish. Head offshore for a full day and hook grouper, snapper, amberjack, dolphin (mahi-mahi), barracuda, triggerfish or king mackerel. The Rascal offers special rates for families and has all the latest electronics as well as USCG safety equipment to ensure your trip is both enjoyable and safe. 30' SISU and 25' Everglades. All bait and tackle are provided. Catch and release is encouraged. Lodging and fishing packages are available. 252-928-6111
South Wind Charters
Join native Captain Spencer Gaskins for an evening of red drum fishing or book a trip clamming. All bait and tackle are provided and no personal fishing license is required. Call to reserve today 252-588-2105
Tarheel Sportsfishing
The Tarheel is a 24' Carolina Skiff powered by a 115 hp Yamaha outboard.The Tarheel also has state of the art electronics, plenty of fishing room, a shade canopy, and is US Coast Guard certified. Join Captain Ryan O'Neal for a fishing adventure aboard the Tarheel. 252-928-8064


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With that in mind I've tried to compile a list of books which I found interesting at a certain point in my life, and which possibly influenced my outlook on things. I recognise that I've focused more on the "me" part of "The Books That Made Me", and that this will be more of a self-centred trip down memory lane than an interesting list of recommendations, but I'll run with it.
Childhood (0–11):
Eric Hill – Spot. A lot of people seem to have books that they really remember as a child, but for me it's a bit of a blur up until I was about six years old. Spot was one literary friend who still hangs around in my memory banks from those formative years.
R. L. Stine – The Goosebumps series. Particularly
Roald Dahl – Pretty much anything, but especially
Adolescence (11–15):
J. K. Rowling – The Harry Potter series. Do I really need to say anything else?
J. R. R. Tolkien –
George Orwell –
Young adulthood (16 – 19):
Harold Pinter –
Alan Moore –
J. D. Salinger –
Adulthood (20–Ongoing):
Ernest Hemingway –
Chris Ware –
Grant Morrison –


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Full training and support will be given and no experience is necessary. A starter kit is preferable but not essential. We have access to many MLM personal development audios, support groups and are a very friendly bunch.
Join nowIt is illegal for a promoter or a participant in a trading scheme to persuade anyone to make a payment by promising benefits from getting others to join a scheme. Do not be misled by claims that high earnings are easily achieved.


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Draw & Code are thrilled to be highlighted on an important new list of companies shaping the world of augmented reality. Nestling between Niantic, creators of Pokemon Go, and Sphero, the brains behind BB8 in Star Wars – we are certainly in good company! The full AR Landscape infographic was published on Venture Beat earlier this week – read about it here.
Augmented reality is the hottest technology in the world today and sector experts Super Ventures have plotted the 'AR Landscape' to guide readers through the companies shaping this fast-moving industry. Super Ventures is the world's first dedicated augmented reality incubator and early-stage venture fund. Based in downtown San Francisco, the partners in Super Ventures are some of the most experienced minds in the burgeoning AR industry.
This acknowledgement comes hot on the heels of the successful launch of SwapBots on Kickstarter. The augmented reality toy and game that is being developed in the Draw & Code studio is close to meeting the campaign's funding target with weeks left to go. It's been an intense month with SwapBots touring a diverse selection of events in the US including Toy Fair New York, GDC San Francisco and SXSW in Austin.
Next in the calendar is San Jose's SVVR (Silicon Valley Virtual Reality) is the organisation and event that brings together some of the world's leading immersive technology companies. Now in its fourth year, the 2017 SVVR Expo runs from March 29th-31st at the San Jose Convention Centre and if you are attending you can find SwapBots in the AR Area.


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Highlights / General details
Condors may be strong and skillful but sometimes even birds of prey get the blues. Visit a rehabilitation centre for condors that are down on their luck, then enjoy a nature walk, a visit to a sacred waterfall and some down time at a craft market. This Quito tour isn't full of the usual travel suspects.
Take in breathtaking views of San Pablo Lake.
Spot vultures, owls and eagles on a nature walk.
See hawks and falcons display their amazing flying skills during an exciting flight demonstration.
Have a close encounter with the majestic Andean Condor.
Enjoy traditional cuisine with a modern twist.
Visit the mystical Peguche Waterfall.
Pick up some colorful crafts at a traditional indigenous market.
Local English speaking guide; Private transportation; Entrance fee to the Condor Park; Lunch.
Items of a personal nature; Tips or gratuities for the guide.
Hours of operation
Departure date: Wednesday - Sunday; Start time at 8:00am.
Approximately 10 hours.
Meeting point: Quito Urban Adventures Office (Reina Victoria N21-226 between Carrión and Roca in La Mariscal).
Finish point: Quito Urban Adventures Office (Reina Victoria N21-226 between Carrión and Roca in La Mariscal).
Participant restrictions
Children must be 6 years of age to 11 years inclusively. Children below the age of 6 years are not permitted on the tour.
Additional Information
We suggest wearing comfortable clothing and shoes, a sweater or jacket and a hat.
Otavalo's climate is usually cold so it is recommended to use a warm jacket.
Please bring your camera because you're sure to snap those special memories.
For your Urban Adventure you will be in a small group of a maximum of 12 people.
If you have your voucher, your booking is confirmed. We'll see you at the start point.
Complete information, including local telephone numbers at your destination, will be included on your Confirmation Voucher.
**All information requested must be supplied or booking is subject to automatic cancellation**


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What is Probing Interview Questions? [Examples]
We often want or need more information than we get when we ask a question during an interview. Probing is asking follow-up questions when we do not fully understand a response, when answers are vague or ambiguous or when we want to obtain more specific or in-depth information.
Active listening techniques
Question probes often take time to work and the best thing is to lend a sympathetic ear and exercise patience. You therefore need to make liberal use of active listening probes such as silence, good eye contact, plenty of head nods, use of statements such as "OK I see…" and lots of "Mmm-hmms."
Examples of probing questions for interviews
Probes cannot be easily planned in advance. It is impossible to know what issue the person might raise and how you might need to probe to learn more. However, it is helpful to be familiar with probing and some general ways to probe. You can therefore specifically use the following questions to follow-up on the prepared behavioral questions.
- "Tell me more about that."
- "What led you to . . . "
- "What eventually happened?"
- "Looking back, what would you do differently now, if anything?"
- "Compare this to what others have done."
- "What did your supervisor say / do?"
- "What was the outcome?"
- "What was the situation?"
- "Why did you do that?"
- "How did others see it?"
- "What kind of feedback did you get?"
- "Is this typical for you?"
- "Can you think of another example of this?"
- "What did you learn?"
- "What did everyone else do?"
- "What else can you remember about that situation?"
- "Give me more detail about what you did, please."
- "What exactly did you say?"
- "I'd like to hear more."
- "How did that make you feel?"
- "What was the financial impact?"
In broad terms, probing questions often begin with "What" or "How" because they invite more detail. Questions that begin with "Do you…" or "Are you…" invite personal reflection. "Why" questions can be problematic. They may put the respondent on the defensive or result in little useful information and require additional probing.
About Anne Sandberg
With a degree in Experimental Psychology and a masters in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Anne Sandberg has 25+ years of experience in the human resources, training and management consulting arenas. Anne is President of ReadyToManage, Inc. and can be contacted at email@example.com


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When you are doing your own products, you are looking at a lot of things that are related to the industry and how it works in your favor in positive ways. That being said, you have to really look at how you can get things out to people and help them to see just what may be going on in regards to all of this. Do you know how to find custom product labels that fit your needs and whatever you may be trying to do as a part of your plm roadmap? Are there ways to make it work out in your favor?
If you have an idea as to how you want these things to work, you're going to see that there are a lot of options that you can get to make these custom labels. But, the fact of the matter is, you need to make sure that you're actually getting something that makes sense and that will allow you to work out pretty much anything and everything that you're going to produce. By getting some great labels, you know that you're finding answers that make sense and allow you to see a difference in how you get everything done.
Learning about this sort of thing and finding answers that make sense can really be quite the experience for you and everything that you need to be able to do. You can learn a lot about how the processes at hand work and you can actually connect with other people who are just like you and trying to be certain that they can get everything necessary to stay on top of everything. Check out the product labels that you are wishing to utilize and find a solution that makes you pleased with all of the results that occur.


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Do not hesitage to give us a call. We are an expert team and we are happy to talk to you.
+91-9811 027 251
RATES VALID TILL 31St March 2019
Rates are Per Person in Canadian Dollar:-
|Hotel Type
|Child (3-11 Yrs.)
Hotel to be used:-
|Niagara Falls
|Crowne Plaza Falls View
|Radisson Hotel & Suites Falls View Hotel
|Sheraton on the Falls
|Holiday Inn Toronto Downtown
|Sheraton Center Hotel
|Fairmont Royal York
|Best Western Ville Marie Hotel & Suites
|Delta Montreal
|Fairmont Queen Elizabeth
3 Hours Before Flight Time
On arrival, after clearing your customs, avail your transfer from Toronto Airport to Niagara Falls. Later check in at the hotel and evening is at leisure. Don't miss the beauty of illuminated Niagara Falls by night, featuring a rainbow of colored lights on the falls. Overnight in Niagara Falls hotel.
After breakfast step aboard a Niagara Airbus coach for Niagara-on-the-Lake Sightseeing Tour. On this fully narrated trip you will see the Floral Clock and drive along the scenic Niagara Parkway to Niagara-on-the-Lake. Later, explore Journey Behind the Falls – an engraved cave behind the Niagara Falls, which opens up to the mighty Horseshoe Falls. Overnight in Niagara hotel.
After breakfast, check-out and transfer to Toronto. Rest of the day is at leisure to explore the cultural, entertainment and financial capital of Canada. Overnight in Toronto hotel.
After breakfast, discover what lies behind Toronto's famous skyline on a comprehensive city tour. Experience the sights and sounds of this cosmopolitan city, highlights include Eaton Center, City Halls, Casa Loma, Yorkville and the University of Toronto. Pass by the Rogers Centre, the CN Tower and drive along the Harbourfront for a complete impression of the city. Later afternoon, free time to explore optional
activities like Ripley's Aquarium and much more. Overnight in Toronto hotel.
After breakfast, checkout of hotel and proceed to Toronto Union Station (own arrangements) to board VIA Rail to Montreal. On arrival proceed to hotel (own arrangements). Rest of the day at leisure, to explore Montreal's vibrant and dynamic culture. Overnight in Montreal hotel.
After breakfast, proceed on sightseeing tour of Montreal. Highlights includes, a photo-stop at the beautiful Notre Dame (entrance not included) – a Basilica renowned for its finest Gothic Revival architecture with extra-ordinary rich interior decoration, the residential and financial districts, historic Old Montreal, an outside view of the Olympic Complex, St. Joseph Oratory (photo-stop), a view of the campus of McGill University and a panoramic view from an observation point on top of Mont Royal. Later afternoon, free time to explore optional activities like Biodome and much more. Overnight in Montreal hotel.
After breakfast checkout and keep luggage in the lobby. Rest of the morning is at leisure. Later, transfer to Montreal Airport to connect flight to onward destination.
Above Price Does Not Includes:-
Important Notes:
November 1 – December 3, 2018: Monday andWednesday to Sunday: 1100 hours
December 4,2018 – March 4, 2019: Wednesday and Friday to Sunday: 1100 hours
March 5 – March 25, 2019: Monday and Wednesday to Sunday: 1100 hours
March 26 – March 31, 2019: Daily: 0900 & 1300 hours


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Benld, IL Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
Dixon's Benld Motorcycle Crash Attorneys serve clients throughout the Greater St. Louis area.
Motorcycle Wreck Lawyer Benld, IL. As a leading motorcycle accident attorney in Benld, Christopher Dixon provides legal representation to injury victims and their families. The Dixon Injury firm has collected more than 35 million in settlements fighting to win motorcycle accident cases
Based in the Greater St. Louis area, the Benld motorcycle crash attorneys at the Dixon Injury Firm help victims and their families through the claims process. At Dixon, we know how challenging it is for victims to handle claims when you consider recovery time, lost wages, and other expenses.
Our additional legal capabilities include:
Dixon offers a contingency payment program, meaning we only charge if we win the case. Contact Dixon now at (314) 409-7060 for a free case review and consultation.
Benld Motorcycle Wreck Attorney
Winning a motorcycle injury claim in Benld requires action and attention to detail. It is essential for victims to contact a lawyer as soon as possible.
The Dixon Injury Firm advises that clients hire a motorcycle crash lawyer as quickly as possible. We will conduct an investigation and launch the claim. Usually, this means sending a letter of settlement and intent to the other party, then, if it is not answered, opening a claim.
Speed is crucial. Why? Delays may lead to evidence decay, such as skid marks washing away and road conditions to change or GPS data being deleted. Our Firm needs to move quickly to ensure a victory for our clients. Even more so, a speedy trial allows Dixon to get our clients the compensation they deserve for medical bills and other expenses and time off work.
Motorcycle Wreck and Fatality Statistics
Here are a couple of national and local motorcycle accident stats worth noting.
- The IIHS says people are 29-times more likely to be in a fatal motorcycle wreck than a car crash. Nearly 5,000 deaths in 2016 (or nearly 13 percent of car crash deaths).
- Almost a third of motorcycle fatalities involve speeding (according to the NHTSA). Most of these deaths occurred on non-interstate roads.
- Close to half of touring, supersport, and standard motorcycle riders weren't wearing helmets. (Safety first!)
- There are close to 88,000 motorcycle injuries per year, according to the III, or over 1 percent of registered motorcycle owners.
- 30 percent of the 5,286 motorcycle fatalities involve alcohol. A quarter had a .08+ BAC.
- HG Legal Resources reports three-fourths of motorcycle wrecks involve another vehicle (usually a passenger car. Vehicle failure makes up only 3 percent of all wrecks.
- The mean cost of a motorcycle injury is $5,825, according to 2017 statistics, accidents.
Many accidents involve riders that are both new and don't have insurance. Common causes include distracted driving, lane changes, intersections, and not being visible to other drivers. The Motorcycle Wreck Attorneys in Benld are ready to provide legal counsel to victims and their families.
Do You Need to Hire a Benld Motorcycle Wreck Attorney?
An important reason to seek out a personal injury or motorcycle lawyer after a collision is to help fight insurance companies. According to the DMV, three of the main reasons to hire a motorcycle attorney are as follows:
- If you are severely injured, a lawyer will act as an advocate throughout the case, which allows you time to recover.
- Victims of wrecks likely to have expensive medical bills and lose time at work. Combined with various other injuries, these factors may become debilitating to your quality of life. A Benld motorcycle crash lawyer can help.
- A lot of victims won't hire legal representation because of financial pressure. However, the Benld motorcycle laywers at Dixon only charge legal fees if you win the case.
Veteran Motorcycle Wreck Lawyers in Benld, IL
Including truck and car accidents, personal injury, and workers compensation, the Dixon Injury Firm specializes in a number of areas. In regard to Benld motorcycle crashes, these include:
Feel free to read through Dixon's results and recent cases for additional information about our success as Benld Motorcycle Injury Attorneys. Here are more information about Dixon Inury Firm's legal representation in Benld, Benld:
- How much does it cost to hire Chris Dixon to open a motorcycle injury case? The fee depends on the size of the case. Dixon charges based on a contingency payment system, which means clients only pay a percentage if we win the case, which allows you to focus on other expenses and recovery.
- How much can I win? Again, the answer varies. Some states use comparative fault and other laws in regards to insurance claims. In a trial, a settlement may match or exceed medical and burial costs, loss of quality of life, and other expenses. Dixon's Benld Motorcycle Attorneys can give potential clients with more information about settlements and rewards.
- What do I do if I'm in a motorcycle accident? The first step is to call the Dixon Injury Firm at (314) 409-7060. We will help clients through the complicated legal process with experienced Benld legal representation.
Contact Your Benld Motorcycle Lawyer Today
The Benld motorcycle injury attorneys at the Dixon Injury Firm have won clients and their families more than $34,000,000 in compensation. View Dixon's recent victories and cases. Call Us today for more info about a case review from the Benld Motorcycle Wreck Attorneys.
Dixon Injury Firm | Motorcycle Crash Attorney Service Areas
Chris Dixon is proud to provide legal counsel to clients throughout Missouri and Illinois. If you require a free consultation and case review after a motorcycle accident in Benld, Contact Dixon right away. The Dixon Injury Firm also serves these Missouri and Illinois cities:


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Six years ago, Sister Anne Michelle Mudd, principal and head teacher at Saint Paul's Grade School in Saint Paul in rural Grayson County, Ky., got her first driver's license at age 60.
Why did she wait so long? "I never had a desire to drive," she explains. "But two of my brothers – John and Leo – talked me into it. They said, 'Sis, you need to learn how to drive. Mom lives only 13 miles from you, and if you learned to drive, you could visit her often.' So I did."
It proved to be another example of how Sister Anne Michelle always accomplishes something once she sets out to do it.
When she received her first calling to religious life while still in grade school, many were skeptical. She proved them wrong.
"When I set out to do something, I do it," she says with pride.
When she took on the challenge of giving a talk on vocation life one vocation Sunday – something she had never done – she was given a standing ovation. "Again, when you tell me I can't do something, you're barking up the wrong tree!" She proclaimed.
Sister Anne Michelle's life has been filled with challenges – challenges she has always accepted and then accomplished in her own unique style.
A native of rural Grayson County, Sister Anne Michelle was born near Peonia, the fourth oldest of 10 children of Dent and Evelyn Stith Mudd. Three brothers and two sisters are still living today along with her 87-year-old mother, whom she now visits regularly thanks to her ability to drive.
She attended Peonia public grade schools for eight years where the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph taught all of the classes.
Sister Anne Michelle received her calling to religious life early. "Sister Consolata Stallings was my third-grade teacher, and she would always talk to me about being a sister," she recalls. "She was my teacher for the third, fourth, fifth and part of the sixth grade and she taught me music from the third to eighth grade."
She wasn't the only influence.
"Father James Wathen became our assistant and taught us religion our junior and senior years in high school," says Sister Anne Michelle. "He was always on my coattails about going to the convent."
Sister Anne Michelle attended Saint Paul High School, also in Grayson County. Following graduation she accomplished the dream she had carried with her since third grade – she came to Mount Saint Joseph and began her novitiate, perhaps to the surprise of some skeptics.
"I was told by every sister who ever taught me how dumb I was," says Sister Anne Michelle. "I was told that I wouldn't get an eighth-grade diploma, that I would walk up the aisle with a fake one.
"When I was in high school, I was told you probably won't pass, but you can walk up the aisle with a fake diploma.
"And at Brescia College it was the same way. But I made the grade every time. And I love to tell it now. I fooled them all. Because when I set out to do something, I do it!"
Sister Anne Michelle says, "When I came here (Saint Paul's) 10 years ago, Father Charles Fisher told me he wanted me to give the vocation talk on vocation Sunday. I told him I couldn't do those things because I didn't like to. I could talk all day long in my classroom, but not to an adult in a group. But he said I still had to do it."


text:
PO (Pre‑Order Manager)by TenGrowth
Pre-orders, Out of Stock, Crowdfunding, Coming Soon, Sold Out
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Most recent reviews
My Home Pub
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Developer reply
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Developer reply
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text:
by Qi Liu, Fong Yew Leong, Zainul Aabdin, Utkarsh Anand, Tran Si Bui Quang, and Utkur Mirsaidov
ACS Nano, Article ASAP DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.5b03078
Publication Date (Web): August 18, 2015
Nanoscale defects on a substrate affect the sliding motion of water droplets. Using in situ transmission electron microscopy imaging, we visualized the depinning dynamics of water nanodroplets from gold nanoparticles on a flat SiNx surface. Our observations showed that nanoscale pinning effects of the gold nanoparticle oppose the lateral forces, resulting in stretching, even breakup, of the water nanodroplet. Using continuum long wave theory, we modeled the dynamics of a nanodroplet depinning from a nanoparticle of comparable length scales, and the model results are consistent with experimental findings and show formation of a capillary bridge prior to nanodroplet depinning. Our findings have important implications on surface cleaning at the nanoscale.
Learn more about Utkur Mirsaidov's research.


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Guest Starring:
Fortune Teller, Guy, Deacon, Fortune Teller, and Teddy
Date: in the vicinity of July 26th
We have fun and games~
"Welcome to the Carnival"
Sullivan Bros. Carnival
The tent flap may not drown out the carnival music and the people milling in the background, but it grants a small amount of privacy for two people visiting the Carnival, some for the second time. A woman sits on a stool, her back to the door, sandy hair shifting as she turns to look over her shoulder at them. "Welcome. Please have a seat."
The tent is exclusively set aside, granting access to those who pay a small price, though a tip jar filled with small coins and small bills sit at the side, for additional cash given to the exhibit, which happens to be a woman with tattoos vining up her arms and shoulders, the canvas of her skin partially visible, but still discretely covered enough so as not to be advertised as an adult feature.
"My name is Lydia, the Tattoo Lady," she greets them, shifting a bit more so that she can face them.
The criers promised secrets unravelled, desires revealed, even ones so hidden that they may not be known even to those who enter.
Randall's first visit to the Carnival was just following up a vague hunch: with that much weird stuff going on in one place - and with the event not obviously commercialized to the point of pandering, like certain circuses and renaissance fairs able to afford TV ad time - there was a chance that someone with a real ability might find it a good place to hide in plain sight.
Now, having figured out some of the implications of the eclipse, his interest is a lot more specific. Even the recent major swerves in his relationship with Carrie weren't enough to distract him from returning - to the contrary, he made a point of bringing her along this time. It was the original plan anyway, and now he figured she'd be pretty interested, too. "Hi," he says to Lydia, simply, glancing toward his companion as they sit down for a reading.
Carrie follows Randal in and looks Lydia over curiously. "Hello." Her thoughts are of the line, 'I wonder if I can make her skin expel the ink? That probably wouldn't be appreciated.' It's one of those problems she worries about sometimes. What if she tries to heal someone with piercings or tattoos? or someone who's had plastic surgery? Or their gender changed? She shudders and tries not to think about it. It does enter her mind to wonder if anyone here is a real power. She never gave carnivals much thought before. They were always too expensive.
It likely would not be appreciated, no. Lydia doesn't know what's going on in the woman's head, despite any promised that she'd know their deepest most secret desires. Turning a bit more, the shawl slides down her arm to rest at her elbows. "I can show you what your heart's desire is, much like a crystal ball. I will need to touch one of you." Her hand raises up, reaching toward the two in an offer, somewhere between the both of them. Either could take the hand. Much like her back, her arm has a twisting of tattoos as well, soft colors making it look more realistic than those painted on skin by artists in the carnival. "Who would like to start?"
A sidelong glance - just long enough to pick up on Carrie's momentary preoccupation - then Randall nods, reaching a hand forward and placing it near Lydia's, leaving it to her to complete the gesture in whatever way works for her. This should be interesting, he thinks to himself: desire has defined both the long-term and the immediate scale of his life in New York, but how well will Lydia perceive them? And will she indeed see something else that he hasn't?
Carrie watches, chewing her lip. She wonders if Lydia will pick up on Randal's abilities, or her tampering with his abilities, whatever it was she did. Carrie watches the tattoos carefully. She's read "The Illustrated Man" after all. She doesn't expect them to do anything, but who knows? In a powered world, who really knows? She tries to sit still during the process, but fidgets.
As she reaches across and touches his hand, Lydia closes her eyes and seems to shiver, as if caught by a sudden cold spell. Under their watchful gaze, the tattooed vines twirling the woman's arm begin to move. Curling tighter and sliding up her arm, creating a small blank area where a blot rises up and begins to form into the shape of a planet, and small specks of black, perhaps trying to make up stars, then it shifts further, creating something akin to a magicians hat.
"You desire to understand the mysterious— the unknown. The secrets of the universe, and… inner power. Both of this world, and others…" Her voice is soft, sincere, but almost distant, as if she's not quite there.
The small blot shifts again, sinking down into her skin, and spiraling up to form a face, the face of the woman sitting next to him. His date. His girlfriend. "You wish for stability, but also indulgence, happiness with… with Carrie." Her eyes open, and the tattoo fades away again, the vines sliding back into place. "Which would be you."
Well. It's hard to fake that, isn't it? Unless maybe there were drugs involved, but that's not what this looks like. Randall peers closely at the shifting imagery - merely nodding silently to Lydia to confirm the truth of her words - paying almost as much attention to the in-between states as the final images. How does the ink move? Well, obviously it moves because of magic, but why does it follow a straight line or a curve or an indistinct blur?
Carrie stares at the moving tattoo, hypnotized by the motion. She gapes as Lydia uses her name, pulling her eyes away from the moving ink. "Yeah." she says, her voice croaking. Carrie clears her throat and says it again. "Yeah. Sorry, I was watching your tattoos… move. How do you do that?"
"Trade secret," Lydia says mysteriously, her voice still maintaining that gentle calm, as if nothing could break through it. This is a carnival, and everything, and everyone, plays a part. This would likely be hers. The hand moves back, releasing Randall's and shifting toward Carrie, even as she says directly to Randall, "I think it would be a good idea for you to come back to the Carnival before we leave. Get to know some of the people here."
Randall leans back, resting his hands in his lap at first, then nods again even as he's reaching up to toy with a lock of Carrie's hair. "I think you're right about that." It certainly looks like an ability at work - and not hiding, but on prominent display. Together with the idea that their earlier disappearance was due to some type of spatial effect being interrupted… this is increasingly looking like a lot bigger deal than he gave it credit for. He made that mistake with the government persecution for months, he's not of a mind to repeat the mistake now.
Carrie slowly, hesitantly offers her hand. If all this is a fake… she won't know anything about Carrie, right? And if it's not… If Lydia really has a power of her own… would Lydia cause trouble for her? Carrie worries. Yes, we're paranoid today. Most days, truth be told. But what if… her biggest fear is true? And what if Lydia knows? Is she ready to have it out in front of Randall? Carrie doesn't know, but offers her hand. All the answers to these questions will become clear in moments. Or not.
The tattoos move once again, not following any specific pattern, and indeed not even clearing off as much space on her arm this time around, as if they're not sure how to form. It swirls and moves, creating a face with curly hair, male, prominent, with shadows across the face, as if half cloaked in darkness, or dim light, but the representation is obvious, as her eyes slide shut again. Perhaps if Lydia's tattoos showed someone she didn't have in her tent, it would seem more convincing, but it's still quite unique, in it's own right.
"You wish to be with the one you love, but— you are not ready for all of the responsibilities that would come with such a relationship. You are not ready to be responsible for anyone beyond the two of you— you do not wish to have children, yet." There's something odd in her voice, that calm seeming to break a little. Perhaps she understands how that feels, not being ready for a baby, and all that comes with it…
"But you also wish for a place where you can… be yourself." The tattoo shifts again, forming into a hand, with something wavy lines stretching out from the palm and fingers, like tendrils. It shifts again, forming a face— her own, with Randall at her side. A banner of text forms across the bottom, curving delicately, and creating a sign much like the banners hanging through the Circus. 'Miracle Worker'
Randall blinks. Well, that's something Randall hadn't thought about, at least beyond keeping a certain box tucked away in a drawer at the apartment. They did play it safe. (Right? Everything was so different for a while there, but he's sure he still kept track of that. Pretty sure…)
…but before his nerves have time to develop into full-blown worry, Lydia continues on. Whose hand is that? And— well, now that last one is really obvious. And all sorts of intriguing. They'd both better come back, at this rate.
Carrie stares at the tattoo, her mouth hanging open. There can no longer be any doubt, at least not for Carrie. Whatever it is Lydia does, it's as real as Randall's power, as real as her own. Her own face was not in Lydia's chest when she got here, nor was Randall's. She looks over at Randall and reaches out for his hand with her free hand. Her jaw moves silently a few times, and she whispers, finally, "Miracle worker?"
"The images are created by you, I'm just a funnel for them," Lydia responds quietly, removing her hand and opening her brown eyes to look from one set of the young couple to the next. "But I think perhaps it's saying you belong in a place where you can… be who you are, and be appreciated for who you are." With that, she stands, pulling the shawl up around her shoulders as the tattoos move and lace back into position once again. "And what you can do." It's so soft, and calm, but she begins to back away. "I've told you all that I can. But you should return sometime in the future."
The lights of the Carnival are particularly beautiful at nighttime, they are bright and shiny and happy and anticipatory of fun and excitement inside. It's a colourful array of red and greens amid the rides, the flags, and the games. Of course, the games themselves are decorated extra with the promise of prizes to be won. Giant fluffy teddy bears, giraffes, and zebras line the booth where Guy sits. It's a simple enough game that he mans. His receding hair line and blue eyes reflect the redness of the lights surrounding him, but he's smiling, which is always a good way to entice people to play.
"Step right up! Step right up! Knock over my milk bottles— " three bottles are stacked and ready to be knocked over, "spill the milk and win a prize my friends!! If you're strong— you can do it!! Step right up!!" he cups his hands around his mouth to further project his voice. His mismatched clothing, colourful and bright, looks well-worn, but that's the way it goes in a Carnival. "Be a winner!! Be a winnnnnnnnnnnerrrrr!!! Only two dollars per play! Spill the milk and win something CUTE and FLUFFY! You there, Sir! You look like you'd have a girlfriend! Don't you want to win her a Kyoooot and fluuuuuuffy prize?!"
Next to the booth sidles up not the man's first customer, but a fellow carnie, judging by not just his similarly worn apparel but the wildly neon blue color of the hair he's got sticking straight up faux-hawk style. The dark eyeliner emphasizing his laughing gaze parallels the dark brown of the rest of his hair, trimmed into deliberately bent sideburns and in a twirling goatee. Up and down his exposed arms are colorful tattoos, and everywhere it's possible to stick an earring there is one. This human experimentation board, or Deacon as is yelled sometimes when he isn't at this post, slides one leg up along the side of Guy's counter, perching himself somewhere near the back where he won't interfere with any forming lines. "If no one comes over," he informs the carnival game-runner slyly, "You owe me dessert. And to never mention your 'milk bottles' again."
Indeed, it's a lovely evening. The sun is gone, leaving its residual warmth, and the Carnival's warm lights just make the summer evening that much more lovely. Aiden strides along, his hands in his pockets, his eyes trailing over the scenery; the games, the silly little makeshift rides, the money traps, the side shows. All around him, happy people are enjoying themselves; the young man is quite content to simply watch, it seems.
The blue faux-hawk catches his eye first, along with the man shouting about knocking over milk bottles, and cute fluffy prizes. Now, Aiden certainly never had much use for fluffy prizes. Stuffed animals never were his thing. However, he does have a certain lady aquaintance in mind as he steps toward the booth, running a hand through his messy hair. Two dollar bills are fetched from his pocket and silent offered to the game-runner. Why not?
Charla is exploring the carnival on her own. She doesn't know much about it at the moment, but she saw it around and thought she'd check it out. If it was interesting enough she might even do a news story about it. She also happens to be carrying a shopping bag, as she'd gone shopping for new clothes on the way.
She soon walks by the milk bottle table and looks at it for a while. One of those stuffed animals might be a cute decoration for the news studio, she thinks, but she decides to wait for someone else to try the game, to see how hard or easy it might be to win.
A lopsided smirk is issued to Deacon as Guy takes the bills, sliding them into one of his pockets. "Good choice, Sir! C'mon buddy I bet you can knock over those there milk bottles!" The game runner gesticulates towards the bottles before retrieving three baseballs for Aiden to throw. "Give 'er a try there, Sonny!" Everyone is sonny to Guy. Even girls. Well not all girls. Depends on the girl, really.
After passing the three baseballs to Aiden he slides closer to Deacon, leaning against the side of his own booth. Crossing his arms over his chest he kind of smirks while concentrating on those baseballs, he's not without talents of his own. "So. You get to give me dessert now, right Deacs?" he winks. "All I need is a healthy diet of popcorn and cotton candy!"
Wordlessly taking the three baseballs, Aiden holds two in his left hand, tossing the first baseball up and catching it once to get a feel for it. Then, taking aim, he sends the baseball flying toward the milk bottles as hard as he can. It may be just another carnie scam, but it's at least enjoyable. A brief glance is cast toward the two as the young man tosses the second ball up and down, before his focus it turned back to the matter at hand.
Thwarted out of his bet, Deacon adopts a crossed arms posture of slight indignation when Guy slips over to gloat and the position proudly displays each of the winding decorations and dragons spitting fire painted along his skin. Every spot is covered completely and he picks at one idly, digging nails at the skin, as he gives his fellow carnie the evil eye. "This time, bud. I'm sure all that sugar will help you forget all that hair… you'll never have." Tongue out, Deacon hops from his place to stroll a bit more towards the front of the booth. His childish expression has receded by the time he espies Charla also hanging out there, but the mischief in his dark eyes remains. "What do you think?" He asks the woman encouragingly, giving a colorful gesture towards Aiden. "Think we've got a winner up here?"
Charla shrugs. "I don't know. He seems like a strong guy," she answers. She recognized him from an earlier meeting, and recalled that he did manual labor before… definitely the kind of thing that would make someone strong. She idly watches some of the other booths nearby.
Deacon earns a rather mirthless chuckle. "Well I wouldn't want blue hair anyways and not everyone can age as gracefully as me! Your dragons agree! I'm hawt stuff." An idle wink, another chuckle, and Guy redirects his attention back to the task at hand: his customer.
Strangely, and really defying physics, the first ball kind of whirls away from the milk bottles with a curve. A mischievous smile spreads over Guy's lips as hie eyebrows furrow, "You have an arm on you! Look there, Sonny, a curve ball! You should join a baseball team or something." Chuckling at the notion, once again, rather humourlessly (so his meaning can't be fully understood) he tightens his jaw. The second ball misses the bottles by just a hair— a fraction really. "Ha! You're getting closer!! C'mon! One more try!" His grin grows. There's something almost displaced about it on his lips, but there it is, teeth disjointed, yellowed, and gapped. This guy really ought to see a dentist.
Deacon's blue hair is Awesome and anyone who says otherwise is just a sourpuss with bad teeth. But that's not the object of conversation right now; Charla is. Or, rather, her disenchanted evaluation of Aiden. "Eh, he seems like a strong guy…?" The carnie echoes Charla's answer, somewhat exaggerated in its disaffection. "Come on!" Now he spreads his hands, reaching at her but not actually touching. He bids her to move a bit closer to the front of the booth. "Look at him, he's floundering! I think you need to give him a little bit of encouragement — here, he's on his last one. Tell him to do another, and this time, you'll help. Ready?"
Charla chuckles a bit and steps up to the counter beside Aiden, though trying to keep away from the booth runners. Definitely not her type. She looks toward Aiden with a smile. "Go get 'em," she says, miming a ball-throw of her own. She waits with anticipation for Aiden's last throw.
Scowling as his shots miss, Aiden tosses the third ball up in the air and catches it a few times, doing his best to get a feel for the weight of the ball. Probably weighted or something. He pauses as Blue-hair's words reach his ears, turning just in time to see Charla step up beside him. A bright smile appears on his face. Hey, it's that adorable news anchor girl! "Hey, Miss Charla, fancy seein' you here." With a grin, he holds up the last ball. "If I win, then you can have the prize, alright?" With a small grin, Aiden winds up, aiming the ball right at the milk jars and throwing as hard as he can.
The ball actually makes good progress towards the milk bottles, and even makes a clear b-line for them. It hits them… an ricochets off. Apparently the throw wasn't hard enough? What are they filled up with cement?
There's a very momentary frown from Guy before he forces a tight-lipped smile. "Hahaha! Good try kid! Gotta put more weight behind it than that though! You and yer— " he glances at Charla, Deacon, and then back to Aiden "— girlfriend could give it another go— ?" He smiles like a cat that just caught a canary.
Grinning in his own way, Deacon hefts himself a second time onto the counter, only now a full seated position as he watches partway over his shoulder at the last throw. His mouth pushes out into a sympathetic 'oooo' at the resulting failure. "That is just— that's harsh. Fetch them balls back, this guy," not Guy guy, "just promised a lady a present. Now it's on~" Hands cocked in a encouraging gun-finger, wink combination towards Aiden, he then drops them to his lap where he begins to pick up the idle habit of peeling at his skin again. He isn't just scratching, though; there seems to be pale pieces coming off as though he were tremendously sunburned and now feeling the effects. Too bad he's white as white. These guys really must live on candy and caramel.
Oh my. He's falling into a carnie trap, isn't he? Aiden offers a peculiar look to the two carnies, his nose wrinkling in disgust at the peeling guy. Ew, gross. The suggestion that Charla is his girlfriend set the southern man blushing, fumbling over words for a moment. "Oh, we just met th'other day." But it seems he's taken the bait, reaching into his pocket and fetching out another two bucks, which he offers to Guy. "One more try. If I don't get it this time, I'll buy you an elephant ear or a funnel cake. Assuming you're here on your own, that is." Aiden offers Charla a warm smile.
"Sure," Charla says in reply to the offer. At this point she's not planning on trying the game herself, but it looks like she might get something out of this after all. "Yeah, he's not my boyfriend," she assures the people at the counter. "And no, I'm not looking," she adds, anticipating any possible reply to that.
"The trick is in the angle. Anyone can win, anyone can win— " if Guy wants them to. He grins broadly at his customers and grasps the green again, rather happily this time. It's a good day already! He bends down, disappearing from the window of the booth for a moment while retrieving the three balls.
The balls are grasped and handed back to Aiden with a smug grin and a wink to Deacon. He resumes his spot behind the booth, leaning against one of its walls, lounging really, but his eyes never move from the balls themselves. In fact, he's strangely focused on them, more than most people. Arms are crossed over his chest as he grins again.
Now perched quite contently there on the booth, Deacon leans his back against one of the support pillars and lets out a low, encouraging whistle to Aiden when the balls are handed over. "Give it a good one," he hollers breezily, "If you get this guy," Guy guy, "in the middle of his shiny forehead, I'll give you a prize. We've got everything you ever wanted over at the freak show, we do."
The man takes the three balls, eyeing Guy warily. Carnies, such scoundrels they are! Another look is cast to Blue-Hair, one brow arching. "No, sir, I'd rather not throw a ball at some stranger's head." Then, with a small grin, he grabs up one ball, feeling it out once more. Then, focused on that middle bottle on the bottom row, he sends it flying, chucking the ball as hard as he can. Stupid rigged carnie games.
Charla, meanwhile, watches the operators. Is there some sort of trick involved, she wonders. She didn't see them touching anything the last time- there didn't seem to be some sort of secret switch. But then again, if the customers could see it, it wouldn't be secret, she thought. Clearly something fishy was going on- he totally should have knocked the things down.
This time the ball does a crazy loop to the side and falls down just shy of the milk bottles, all the while Guy stares at it very very intently. He only takes his eyes off and back to his customers once the ball has actually fallen, trading glances with Deacon and then the others. "Ooooh! One down two to go! Will the lad have any success?! Will he get the girl who isn't his girlfriend?! Stay tuned…"
"I'll do it," Deacon suggests, leaning forward just slightly from his post to hold out an offering palm to Aiden and his two remaining chances, "Give me one of those, I'll bean him a good one. Look at him. Look at how nervous he's gettin', you're soooooo close. Come on. No, forget me, forget him." The hands give a wave, jangling the many bracelets on his wrists, "Look at the girl. Lookit her. There's your inspiration, your shining star~" But then his encouraging voice turns briefly lower, wry, and prodding, "Actually, so far's with the batting record, maybe you should give her a chance at it."
The man is frowning as the ball misses, but his eyes aren't even watching where the ball is going. He's watching Guy, a somewhat suspicious look on his face as he notices that hawk-like stare he's giving the ball as it flies. Something is definitely fishy. Slowly, he reaches for the ball, snagging it up and examining it for a long moment. Then, suddenly, the man is offering a small grin of his own.
He glances briefly to Guy for a moment, his eyes narrowing in concentration. Reaching out with his Ability, Aiden's mind touches Guy's nervous system. Once connection is made, Aiden influences Guy's nerves to give him a deep ache, all over. Nothing unbearable, but enough the break the man's concentration. Then, the ball is thrown, aimed at the bottles. Two can play at this game.
Charla grins at the suggestion that she try it herself. She could probably do a little cheating of her own with her abilities, but she'd rather watch, which is why she's fine with the fact that Aiden refused the offer to let her try. It looked there, like he had an idea, but Charla couldn't think of what he was planning to do. She didn't suspect that he might have a power too, after all.
The telekinetic's concentration is easily broken by the pain sent to his nervous system. In fact, Guy physically doubles over in pain at the shock he receives randomly. Must be old age, right?
And as he doubles over, Aiden manages to knock over all of the milk bottles in one fowl swoop. There certainly was something fishy going on, wasn't there?
With a heavy groan, and that still present ache in his bones, he manages to stand straight again, grasping one of the large, rather oversized and scarily fluffy giraffes from the top of his cart, handing it over to Aiden. "Lucky shot I guess— " he eyes the other man suspiciously, but then the hustler hustled Aiden first, right? "— here ya are… enjoy the rest of the carnival…"
There's a bit of a strange noise from Deacon… then through pressed lips, he can't even hold back the snort and then peal of laughter. "Ohhhh, lookit that. He comes through. Congratulations, bud." There's a pause here or there to let the common folk do their common folk, blah blah blah look at the nice thing I got you, oh isn't that cute blush blush girlie crap — anyway, the carnie leans his way towards the center of Guy's booth with a lowered voice, still full of mirth. "You just lost your dessert. And one of your precious fluffy giraffes."
A smug grin upon his face, Aiden drops his influence over Guy's nervous system, reaching out to take the fluffy Giraffe with a small nod. The suspicious look is returned to Guy, shrouded with understanding and amusement that touches his eyes.. Then, the southern man is holding the giraffe out to Charla, that puppydog grin worn on his face. "Here you go, Miss Charla. A nice fluffy giraffe for you t'take home with ya. Perhaps I can still buy you that elephant ear?"
"Oh, thank you," Charla answers with a sweet smile. "I'd like that," she adds to his second offer. She stuffs the giraffe into her shopping bag and moves off. That was… quite an interesting experience, she thought. She'd definitely have to discuss it with Aiden when they were alone…
The carnival is all lights, music, and noises. The happy-go-lucky music that plays is an excellent backdrop for a place of fun, wonder, and games. Booth after booth lines the area just shy of the rides. Some games involve knocking over milk bottles. Other involve darts and popping balloons. But among all of the rides are lines and lines of teddy bears, large, oversized teddy bears.
A blue cart in the middle of the booths is manned by Teddy, who, rather aptly, gets to sell teddy bears to customers of the carnival. Like his fellow carnies, his clothes are mismatched and somewhat askew— a pink shirt underneath a maroon vest, all accented by a bright purple bowler hat.
"Teddy bears~" he virtually sings, his brown beard, about the colour of the teddies he sells he pushes in front of him. "Get your teddy bears~ Can win one? You can buy 'em~" he has a soft twinkle in his eye as he pushes the cart forward further except… for some reason it gets away from him and keeps rolling somewhat down a slope.
Izzy might not be able to win one— but that's not stopping him from trying. Wiry arm flinging back, he jumps up, sneaker riding the edge of the wooden platform as he whips the ball down at some milkcans, missing by a mile for all his dramatics in chucking the thing, which might, after all, be more for the amusement of the woman accompanying him, a pierced, punkish creature who cackles as Izzy's run off from the booth by a guy yelling at him for creating a miniature earthquake in the booth that knocks down almost everything -except- the milk cans he was aiming for. Izzy seizes up his date by the hand; boy and girl run off through the carnival, leaving the manners of civilization behind them, as is only right under the bright lights of the rides and the careening strains of the carnival music. The more definitely feminine one of the pair digs in the fat heels of her shiny black boots, trying to anchor the boy to a halt as he turns back to swat at her playfull—OOF! He runs straight into the side of the Teddy bear cart, losing his companion's hand and ending up half-atop the thing as it rolls all the faster for the extra weight, toppling and bouncing until he gets his wits about him and tries to drag his feet against the dirt, drawing the cart's course into a spin that ends abruptly against a tree, shaking its passenger onto the ground, flat on his back.
Teddy's mouth gapes, eyes widen, and feet freeze for only an instant as his cart gets a passenger. Fortunately, he comes back to life seconds later, racing all the faster as the cart actually hits a tree. "Watch out!!" he yells as the passenger is on the ground. Eyes still wide, the thin Carnie, closes the distance and offers Izzy a hand to help him up. "You okay there? Man, I'm sorry! It's never gotten away from me like that before. One of the dangers of living with a traveling carnival, never really know the terrain."
Teddy bears have spilled every which direction, some only a few feet, others several meters, or at least it seemed like there were others several meters away. On second glance though, the teddies are nice and close, all within reach. Maybe the cart didn't crash as hard as it seemed?
"Gonna be okay? Maybe you should go see a doctor or something…" he winces. The doctor doesn't exactly have credibility or any mark of trust from Teddy.
Izzy seems sufficiently dazed, but more confused than injured, hardly realizing where he is or how he got there. Soft, girlish lips open, eyes squeeze shut a few times and nose wrinkles with an exaggerated blinking. When he has his breath and voice again, the first thing that comes to mind comes sailing out on them, dazed eyes fixing on Teddy:
"Did I win?"
Dark eyes narrow as an easy smile plays on the Carnie's lips. "Maybe if you bowlin' for trees…" He winces a stitch before offering Izzy his hand again. "Lemme help you up. Anything broken?" Taking a step back he points to his cart, "The cart got ya. Like I said, never happened before." And this mismatched man has been around this Carnival doing this job for many years.
Izzy turns his head toward the carnival lights, which all seem… so distant, now, even if they're not. The proximity of the teddy bears is lost in the general distortion of his spatial awareness. "Heh," he gives a little laugh, then reaches up to take the arm up, curling up with his back and then getting his feet underneath him. "I don't… think so. My head's kind of swimming, though. Maybe I should… just… go sit down. For a little. You said… uh, you have a nurses' station or like?" he asks, his accent and diction keenly northern.
"Nah. We don't have anything like that right now, but sit on a bench for awhile… I bet you'll feel better," Teddy winks as his smirk melts into something a little more concerned. "Hey. I noticed you like… your girlfriend with you and were playing some of those games." He bites his bottom lip before saying, "Most of those are unwinnable. You can have one of these teddies for free if you like though— I mean… least I can do for my runaway cart, right?" He tugs on the bottom of his vest before shifting his weight from one foot to the other twice over. "Plus, if you want, you can tell her you won it…"
"Oh, yah," Izzy answers, "Gretchen. I should… find… her… I guess. She's not really my… I mean, we're out together and so, but… -well,- you know." And whether Teddy knows or not, Izzy leaves it there. "Hey, thanks, guy. That's right snookum of ya," he offers back. "Here, let me help you to get these up and together again," he decides to make himself useful, kneeling down. "So you go around with these folk? Must be a hell of a life, eh?"
Reorganizing the cart, Teddy nods, although oddly, there seem to be a lot more teddies on the cart than off… was that the case moments ago? At the question, Izzy earns a kind of warm lopsided grin. "Yeah, these people, they're my family." He bends down to pick up some more of the cute stuffed teddies. "We support each other, look out for each other, and they're like the first people I've ever really trusted. Ehn. You know it is, the world is all rawr out to get each other." He half smiles again.
"Heh. Yah, seems like there's hardly a place for a fellow to call home out here in the city, some days," Izzy agrees. He takes up one bear, then another, tucking them into the crook of his other arm until he's got enough to stand and begin to place them on the— he glances to the ground, then to the cart, "How'd all those get up there again, like? I don't think I've hit my head as hard as— all that."
"Trade secret… magic 'n all that jazz," Teddy winks before pulling the rest of the bears onto the cart. "Hey, take one. Enjoy the rest of your time at the carnival. It's a great place for dreams and magic, never know what you'll find, man." This is accompanied by yet another wink as he finishes straightening the bears on the cart. His hands grasp the handle as he gives Izzy another nod before disappearing up the hill blue cart in tow.
Hidden away by the walls of a tent, netting speckled by string lights, and colourful scarves with swirling, worldly, whimsical patterns, is the secrets of the universe — or at least the secrets of Miss Emily Caulfield, as told by a Carnival fortune-teller.
Outside, the sounds of entertainment and whimsy — laughing and shouting voices, music, bells from games won and lost. But inside, it's a private little world of mystery.
Leaning in the dim tent over a small round table, the fortune-teller, a strong-featured middle-aged woman (perhaps made to look just a touch older than she really is) waves long fingers over a spread of cards. She could have been a gypsy in another life… or maybe she is! Long dark hair wisped with silver swings ahead as her intent focuses on these cards, each of them detailed and full of character, depicting mythological feats and symbols, beautiful artwork that tells a tale. A tale of a life, purportedly — Emily's.
"Normally I'd start with your past… but you, dear…" she says in a faintly accented voice, "you're a different bird behind that pretty little face, hm? The cards tell me that your story starts backwards! We have to start at the end to find the beginning."
The strange Carnival disappearing act after that eclipse is, as the fortune teller says, just the end of a long and strange trip. It's a trip with a few really glaring gaps of memory in the middle as well. For the purposes of this woman, it's the starting point of what she hopes will be rediscovery of all those missing memories.
"You have no idea how different…" Emily replies to the woman. Her eyes lift from the cards, raising to look at the woman before replying with a typical lips pressed together expression. However, the blonde (sans wig today, sporting a length long enough to style in a little bob) seems so pleasantly naive to the fact that she's not the only special here.
"So here we are at the end - the beginning. Where do we go from here?" Emily looks at the cards more closely, wondering how the woman's interpreting the symbols (Joker? Sword? Death?). "What does it all mean? Why am I even here…again? Last time I visited, the whole place vanished into thin air."
The fortune teller brings her hands up and folds them, baubles over baubles as her jewelry clashes together. While studying the arrangement of tarot, she looks up to wink at Emily; this time, a purposeful finger taps at the one in the center, while the digits adjacent reach out to touch the other cards — the past and future. "Your past and future are, as we say… in flux— your present, just like this layout of cards, is caught in-between, anything could happen from here. But what is certain is that your future holds a discovery," she explains. "A breakthrough, potentially earth-shattering… but to get there… well, to get there…"
The fortune teller appears almost distraught for a second — a fact which she tries to cover up with a smile of showmanship, the over-the-top sly smile befitting of a Carnival oracle meant to know all. "To get there we must do a little… mm. Let's say … soul-searching. The cards are telling me…" Again, that unnerved look; she decides to regard Emily frankly this time. "Is there something in your past you're hiding?" Pause. "…even from yourself?"
Emily's face twists a bit, mouth pulling up at the corners in a mix of hurt and confusion. "I…don't know. I can't remember. Just," she starts out, reaching up to run fingers through her short hair, and then down to her left leg. "I don't remember how these happened. I always wore my hair long, and now it's short. My leg is sometimes sore too - a scar I can't remember." Signs of a sordid past, indeed!
"Why? Why that look? What's in my past? Help me to remember!" Her intense blue eyes are locked on the woman now, undeterred by the clatter and jangle of the jewelry on the woman's arms. "You're supposed to be good at this stuff! Why can't I remember?!"
The fortune teller's head tips back, remaining staid in the face of the young woman's distress; still, there's that glimmer in her dark eyes, a knowing, wary shine. "The cards tell me you've been through… trials. Dark… times. To know of them," she says, "We would have to look deeper. Deeper than I can go. But there might be a way, right here, at the Carnival!" What doesn'tthe Carnival have, after all.
The woman's voice, husky as-is, then lowers, and her already intense features intensify on Emily. "But I warn you, dear. You might not be the person you think you are today. Remembering… it will awaken you to things that were perhaps meant to stay lost. Are you sure that's what you want? Sometimes…" She flattens her hands over the cards, hiding all but the blank edges and slivers of detail from sight. "…ignorance is bliss."
"I have this hole in my memory. I'm here in New York, but I'm not from New York and I can't remember why I came! I have this…scar. This new do. I didn't want them, but now I have them, and I can't remember! I want to know what happened, good or bad!" Emily's posture changes though when she speaks, sitting up very straight in the chair. Her interest is piqued, clearly.
"I want to know. I have to know," Emily says, leaning forward over the table. "I don't care what it is…I have to know." Her voice is practically a hiss, a little venom in there - just a little bit predatory, even.
The fortune teller is silent for an unduly long time, staring dark-eyed across at Emily in thought. She takes a breath and, quickly, snaps a finger.
Nothing magical happens, no memories come flooding back to Emily, no genie appears— but a young boy — his features like hers, strong, dark — does peek out around a curtain. "Andre, come here," the woman says, ushering the boy, who is obviously, by his mismatched colorful clothes, a carnie like her. He scampers over and the fortune teller leans down, murmuring in his ear. "Be a good boy and run out for me, go get … " her words are lost in murmuring.
The boy runs past Emily, disappearing from the tent, the disturbed flap sending in a glimpse of bright neon lights and crowds for an instant.
"You should go enjoy your time at the Carnival," the fortune teller suggests kindly, "before your past catches up to you. He'll find you, out there, and show you what you've been missing. Try the cotton candy."
(FADE … for now!)


text:
Enabling youth towards saving 'development'-induced destruction.
Organisers of the unique programme said that by educating youth about the environmental issues and creating awareness on complex social problems only effective change in the society could be brought....
Check out the link TOI (as reported)
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Troy Savings Bank Music Hall Announces New Season of Shows
The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall has announced its 2011-2012 season of concerts, and it's a wildly eclectic mix of bluegrass, jazz, Broadway, classical, Cajun music and much more.
Tix go on sale to Music Hall members and subscribers on Monday (August 1). Single tickets will go on sale to the general public at 10am on Monday, August 15.
Here's the line-up:
The Midtown Men
October 9, 7pm – $40, $44, $49
Four stars from the original cast of Broadway's "Jersey Boys" celebrate the music that defined the '60s – the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Jackson Five, the Mamas and the Papas, the Four Seasons and more.
An Evening With the David Lanz Liverpool Trio
October 15, 8pm – $28, $32, $35
Grammy nominated pianist David Lanz will be joined by flutist Gary Stroutsos and cellist Walter Gray to play selections from his CD "Liverpool: Re-imagining the Beatles."
The Grascals
November 3, 8pm – $25, $30, $35, Student Price $12
Grammy nominees the Grascals are one of the finest bluegrass bands in the land, as proven by their three 2011 Bluegrass Music Awards, including Instrumental Group of the Year.
Interpreti Veneziani
November 5, 8pm – $29, $34, $38
The Italian string orchestra performs music by Vivaldi and other masters of the baroque era.
Benny Goodman: A Carnegie Hall Tribute
November 10, 7:30pm – $30, $35, $39
In a benefit for the Capital Region Coalition to End Homelessness the Brooks Tegler 16-Piece Orchestra recreates the famed 1938 Carnegie Hall debut of Benny Goodman and his band.
Blue Suede Christmas
December 17, 8pm – $29, $39, $49, Student Price $15
Elvis tribute artists Scot Bruce and Mike Albert serve up an evening of Presley's pop hits and holiday favorites.
An Nollaig: An Irish Christmas with Eileen Ivers
December 18, 3pm – $27, $32, $38, Student Price $15
A Celtic Christmas concert with fiddle sensation Eileen Ivers and her band.
Dee Dee Bridgewater, To Billie With Love: A Celebration of Lady Day
January 14, 2012, 8pm – $30, $35, $39
The Tony and Grammy Award winning jazz vocalist pays tribute to the great Billie Holiday.
Bad Boys of Broadway
January 21, 2012, 8pm – $30, $35, $39, Student Price $15
Two of the baddest boys on Broadway – Tony Award winning singer Schuler Hensley and Tony, Emmy, Oscar and Grammy winning composer-orchestrator Jonathan Tunick – join forces to serve up an evening of musical theater's most villainous songs.
Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole
February 4, 2012, 8pm – $20, $25, $30, Student Price $15
An evening of great Cajun and zydeco music with fiddler-singer-accordionist-songwriter Cedric Watson and his red-hot Louisiana band.
Pickin': A Bluegrass All Star Jam
February 10, 2012, 8pm – $25, $30, $35, Student Price $12
A bonafide bluegrass super-group featuring fiddler Michael Cleveland, Sammy Shelor on banjo, vocalists Claire Lynch and Don Rigsby and many others.
February 19, 2012, 3pm – $25, $27, $32, Student Price $15
Brothers Giles, Ralph, Graham and Neal Broadbent serve up an evening of electric string quartet music that stretches from Brahms to Charlie Daniels.
Ethel with guest artist Robert Mirabal
February 25, 2012, 8pm – $25, $30, $35
The always adventurous string quartet ETHEL teams with Grammy-winning flutist Robert Mirabal to present "Music of the Sun," inspired by the sun mythology of Native Americans.
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
March 19, 2012, 7:30pm – $79, $69, $59, Student Price $22
Led by trumpet titan Wynton Marsalis, the world renowned 15-piece big band performs the full jazz spectrum with special attention paid to Marsalis' own music for big band in honor of his 50th birthday.
Vox Audio
March 23, 2012, 8pm – $25, $30, $35, Student Price $15
An interactive, theatrical, family-friendly performance by the acclaimed a cappella group.
Strunz & Farah
April 15, 2012, 7:30pm – $20, $25, $30, Student Price $15
The gifted guitar duo plays an exotic blend of flamenco, Afro-Latin and Latin folk, Middle Eastern and jazz backed by an international ensemble of world-class musicians.
The Hot Club of San Francisco
April 21, 2012, 8pm – $27, $30, $35, Student Price $15
The west coast Gypsy jazz ensemble unreels the scintillating music of Django Reinhardt and much more.
Riders in the Sky
April 28, 2012, 8pm – $20, $25, $30, Student Price $12
America's favorite singing cowboys transform the Music Hall into a campfire sing-along with marvelous music and a wacky sense of cornpone humor.
Gabriela Montero
May 4, 2012, 8 PM – $30, $33, $38, Student Price $15
The stunning vocalist is a true rarity – a classical vocalist who can improvise with the best of them.
Lea Salonga
May 5, 2012, 8 PM – $50, $55, Student Price $20
The star of Broadway's "Miss Saigon," "Les Miserables" and "Flower Drum Song" (as well as the voice of Princess Jasmine in Disney's "Aladdin"), takes you on a musical tour of her stellar musical career.