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Cloth Diaper: Part IV
First of all, I want to apologize for not posting anything for a week, especially since I was in the middle of this series. But it was JBF week, so I was busy shopping and volunteering. And when I wasn't at JBF, I was trying to catch up on stuff around the house. This week I have played catch-up with the house cleaning and our internet has been sporadic the past couple of days. But now I'm back to the reviews.
Kawaii Diapers
My friend had her first baby last week and she has decided to cloth diaper. She is the one who inspired me to actually start using cloth (I've always wanted to, but she gave me the motivation to do it). She has decided to use Kawaii diapers based on the suggestion from another friend that has been using this brand for 10 months. Kawaii diapers are not a well-known brand but they are very inexpensive compared to other pocket diapers.
I read several negative reviews about Kawaii diapers when I was trying to decide which brands were worth trying out, and the low-cost really made me skeptical about the quality. But at $7 a diaper and knowing that they come highly recommended from people I know, I couldn't NOT give them a try.
Overall Adjustability: The Kawaii has 3 rows of 2 snaps- within average for a pocket diaper.
Adjustable Waist Snaps: The layout of the snaps looks very similar to Fuzzibunz. The only difference is the four snaps on the bottom row on each side are in a straight row as opposed to being contoured around the leg openings.
Absorbency: I have not had any leaks with this diaper, day or night.
Bulkiness: I think the Kawaii diaper is probably the bulkiest of all the diapers I have tried. Take a look for yourself.
Longevity: Kawaii diapers are fairly new and there aren't any reviews at the diaperpin.com from people who have used them for longer than 6 months. As mentioned above, the friend of a friend has been using them for 10 months without any issues.
Warranty: The warranty on these diapers is only for the first 90 days after purchase and you have to pay for the shipping to return them. In my opinion, this is the worst warranty policy of all the diapers I'm sampling.
Patterns available: There are 9 different patterns and 7 colors to choose from. I also believe that they are constantly getting new patterns and colors (but not restocking the old).
Cleaning: Both the packaging and website have a good amount of information on how to clean the diapers. The directions are basically the same as for most cloth diapers.
Cost: If you order these diapers directly from their website (theluvyourbaby.com) they are $6.99 for solid colors and $7.25 for patterns. This is an excellent price! If you order from another retailer you will probably pay $3-5 more, which is still better than most pocket diapers which run $17-20.
Overall: The diapers seem to be just as good as any of the others I have tried. In fact, they remind me a lot of the Fuzzibunz diapers without the adjustable elastic. Like I said earlier, I found only negative reviews about these diapers when I started my research. Since then, however, I have seen several positive reviews and lots of talk about Kawaii diapers on blogs and other places.
There are a few things that make me weary, though. The warranty policy isn't good and because Kawaii is a newer product, it's hard to tell if they will last through Kennedy and any more children in the future.
I should also mention that I'm not sure how honest the company is being about the working conditions where the diapers are made. The owner claims to live in Canada and admits that the diapers are made in China (not being made in the US is one of the biggest complaints from other users). I personally don't mind buying products made outside the US, but I don't know how I feel about purchasing products made in poor working conditions.
I am suspicious because of the extremely low-cost and because there are several grammar problems on the packaging and on the website– similar to grammar mistakes made when translating from Chinese to English. Surely, a company based in British Columbia where over 70% of the population speaks English would double-check their English before sending out the product or uploading content that is going to represent their company to the internet. This is taken directly from the website:
The workers are very happy and satisfy from their jobs. The working place where they have to spend all day is neat, clean and well ventilated, that's why they can produce the best quality diapers.
I can't prove it, but I'm not sure I believe this. Another problem with Kawaii diapers is that they are difficult to purchase. Because of the low-cost, they are becoming popular very quickly and the company is having trouble keeping their diapers in stock. This is one reason why you might want to pay a little more to order from a different site, but even other retailers run out quickly. I checked the Kawaii Facebook page and it appears that they recently got new stock, but sold out in less than 24 hours. So, while I like these diapers and especially the cost, I'm just not comfortable filling my entire diaper stash with this brand.
Cloth Diapers: Part III
Happy Heiny's
Happy Heiny's diapers was one of the first brands of pocket diapers. It is well-known among cloth users and has been around for a while.
Overall Adjustability: There are 3 rows of 3 snaps on the front of the diaper making a total of 9 snaps and 4 different sizes. I've never seen a diaper with more snaps for the overall size, which means you can get a pretty good fit.
Adjustable Waist Snaps: 2 rows of snaps on the front with 4 snaps coming from each side on the back. Again, I have never seen more snaps on a diaper, which is a good thing.
Absorbency: The only time I have experienced leaks with this diaper is at night (even with 2 inserts), but it hasn't happened every night. I would say the absorbency is good but not excellent.
Bulkiness: These are a little more on the bulky size. Take a look for yourself and notice how the diaper peeks out the top of her jeans.
Longevity: There are more reviews from people who have used this brand for a year or longer than any of the other diapers I've reviewed so far. And many of those people have used them for 2 or more years and on more than one baby. Out of these users, the only negative reviews received are for the aplix (Velcro) version. Since I'm using the snap version this doesn't apply.
Warranty: From their website:
Snaps: lifetime
Elastic: 6 month guarantee. After 6 months we will gladly send to you any elastics needed so that you may easily repair the elastic in your diapers
Sewing: 3 months
All diapers must arrive clean, unstained, lint free, and dry. All diapers with excessive wear will not be replaced or repaired under our warranty. Any products sent to us that do not follow the above conditions will be returned without repair.
What will void the Happy Heinys warranty:
- Washing instructions are not followed
- Use of Sanitizing cycle while washing or water temperature above 150F or 60C
- Use of detergents containing natural oils or any natural soaps or any detergents not approved by Happy Heinys.
- Use of any fabric softeners or dryer sheets.
- Use of any non-approved diaper rash creams
- Use of bleach, oxyclean, or any other caustic substances that may harm the fabric of the diapers.
At first the warranty policy sounds pretty good, but then when you start to read all the stipulations, it makes me wonder if anyone is actually able to take advantage of it if they need to. Read more about my issues with this warranty in the cleaning section of this review.
Patterns available: There are 28 solid colors to choose from and 17 fun patterns (including a few glow-in-the-dark diapers). This is an amazing selection! We like to put on some leg warmers, a t-shirt and a Retro Swirl Happy Heiny. It's so cute, and we've had several compliments! (I've never been complimented on how cute our diaper is before.)
Customer Service: From the research I have done, it's about 50/50. Some people have said that they have had 0 response after 4 months of trying to contact the company through various methods and other people have said that they had a response in less than 12 hours. As I read their website, I really get a negative vibe. I can't really put my finger on it, but I feel it. Especially anytime laundry detergent is mentioned (read below). This negativity may not have any impact on their customer service, but then again maybe it does.
Cleaning: The directions on the packaging are easy to follow and straightforward. When you read the care instructions on the website, you find that the company is very opinionated on this issue. From their website:
The very first and MOST IMPORTANT factor when it comes to washing your cloth diapers is that you MUST use the proper amount of detergent. Some customers are opting to use as little as 1-2 teaspoons of detergent when the recommended amount is actually 1 cup. When asked if they would use this little detergent on their clothes they would say absolutely NOT.
Well they didn't ask me, because I would say, "ABSOLUTELY YES!" (If you are new to my blog read why here.) Also, there are only 3 brands of detergent on their "approved list" and as stated above, if you use any other detergents you risk voiding the warranty. The 3 approved detergents are Tide, Country Save, and Rockin Green. The latter 2 are no big surprise, they are highly recommended by most cloth diaper users and manufacturers. However, Tide is one of the least recommended to use, especially regular tide that has enzymes, brighteners, dyes, and fragrances. I won't go into detail why these additives are bad for cloth diapers but you can go here to read about it and see a rating chart that includes most detergents. This website also has a lot of good information on the topic.
The Happy Heiny's website says,
As the inventor/manufacturer of Tide this is the main detergent we used while cloth diapering & we have recommended this since the beginning.We have had no reported issues with repelling from Tide when it has been used correctly, that is using the FULL recommended amount. Tide will NOT harm any of your diapers.
Does it sound to you like this person is claiming to be the inventor of Tide or am I reading that wrong? In the little research I did, I can't seem to find any connection between Happy Heiny's and Tide/ Procter & Gamble. However, if this is true, then there is obviously another motive in suggesting the use of Tide and to use the full amount.
Another concern that I have with this diaper in regards to care, is the use of bleach. The packaging and the website emphasize that you should never use bleach. This is okay with me, most cloth diaper manufacturers agree or say to only use bleach once a month or less often. My concern however is that the Happy Heiny's diaper is supposed to double as a swim diaper by removing the insert. I'm not sure, but I think the chlorine in the pools could be just as damaging as bleach in the wash. But if not, then I really like that I don't have to buy special diapers for the pool.
Cost: The average cost paid from reviewers at the diaperpin is $17.23.
Overall: This isn't my favorite diaper, but it isn't my least favorite either. I really like that several people have used it on more than one child (we don't want more right now, but maybe someday), and I absolutely love the choices in colors and prints. If I was able to use this diaper at night, it would probably rank a little higher on my list. I suppose I can pick a few of my favorite patterns to add to my stash for daytime use. We'll see.
Cloth Diapers: Part II
These diapers aren't well-known but they got great reviews at diaperpin.com. In fact, they are the diaperpin's #1 rated one-size pocket diaper. And the average cost that reviewer's paid was $13.08, which is cheaper than the 18-24 dollars that most pocket diapers cost. With such great reviews, and at such a low-cost, I thought I would give them a try.
Overall Adjustability: This category refers to how you make the diaper longer or shorter (from front to back, not side to side). It's what makes one-size diapers able to adjust as baby grows. Smartipants diapers have 2 rows of snaps with 2 snaps in each row. This is less than almost all the other diapers I have found, which have a total of 6-9 snaps. It works for us right now because Kennedy is in a medium size setting. But when I tried the diaper on Kaylynn on the biggest settings, it seemed very small. I'm afraid that this diaper won't fit during Toddlerhood for Kennedy.
Adjustable Waist Snaps: There is one row of snaps with 2 snaps coming from each side on the back. Like I said yesterday. Most diapers have 2 rows and 3 or 4 snaps to snap into place on each side. I hope this makes sense, its hard to explain. If you are confused, look at the pictures from today and yesterday and count the snaps. A picture can explain it better than I can. But to conclude, this diaper doesn't have as many snaps as the others.
Absorbency: They leak. When I put this diaper on Kaylynn, it leaked around the legs. We haven't had any leaks during the day with Kennedy. I've tried them on her twice at night and both times they leaked at the top in both the front and the back. This diaper only comes with one insert (most come with 2), so at night I put in an extra insert from the other diapers and they still leak.
Bulkiness: These diapers are probably the most trim, but that is probably why they leak.
Longevity: It's hard to tell, because there are no reviews at the diaperpin from anyone that has used them for a year or more. Maybe for good reason. The longest user gave them a 5/5 rating and she has been using them for 10 months. However, she does say that she doesn't use them at night or ever put two inserts in and that they have a smaller fit (which is a good thing for her baby).
Warranty: From their website, "Snap defects: 24 months; Elastic/ Materials defects: 60 days; Sewing/ Workmanship defects: 60 days."
Patterns available: This is comparable to Fuzzibunz. 13 colors; no fun prints.
Cleaning: This is what makes these pants smart. Most pocket diapers have one opening in the back of the diaper to place the insert. This diaper has one in the front and one in the back, which allows you to throw the diaper in the wash as is without having to touch the insert. The insert comes out all by itself in the wash.
The directions for care are easy to follow, but there's not a lot of tips or details on the packaging. When you go to their website, you get a little more information, namely that you should use 1/2 the recommended amount of detergent. By now, you should know why I like this idea. I've had a few problems with stains not coming out the first time through the wash, but nothing yet to make a big deal over.
Overall: I'm not a big fan of this diaper. Its special feature is that you never have to touch the dirty insert because it comes out in the wash. However, this hasn't been a big issue yet with the other diapers. Maybe when Kennedy starts eating more solids or wetting more, I'll hope for this feature, but right now, it's not a selling point for me. It fits small, isn't as soft as the others, and the insert seems too big for the pocket causing it to bunch up in the middle. Because of the lower cost, I might be able to overlook all these flaws, but the diaper also leaks and that is probably the most important aspect of any diaper cloth or not.
Sorry there aren't any pictures of Kennedy in this diaper. She wore it last night and I was waiting for the other diapers to get dirty to do a load. By the time she got them all dirty and I was able to wash and dry them, she was already in bed (she's wearing a disposable tonight). There will be pictures of her in tomorrow's review of the Happy Heiny's diaper (I've already taken them).
Cloth Diapers: Part I
This is the first post of the promised cloth diapers series. Each day I'll write one review for each of the diapers I'm trying out. Each review will have several different categories to make it very thorough. Then I'll finish the series with general information about cloth diapers and (hopefully) a calculator to help you determine if cloth diapering is right for you!
Before I start my series, you should be aware that cloth diapers have come a long way from the pre-folds and diaper-pins that our grandmothers used. There are several different types of cloth diapers and pins are a thing of the past. In my last blog of the series I will go into more detail about the different types.
For right now though, I want you to know a little about pocket diapers, since that is the kind I have chosen to use and will be reviewing. Pocket diapers are a two-piece system that consists of the diaper and an insert. The diaper has a waterproof shell and a fleece inner layer. An absorbent insert slides in between these two layers through a pocket usually in the back of the diaper. For heavy wetters or night-time use 2 inserts may be used for extra absorbency. All of the diapers I am trying out are one-size (they adjust to grow with the baby from birth through potty training) and use snaps as opposed to aplix or Velcro. Now that you know a little about pocket diapers here is review #1.
FuzziBunz Review
FuzziBunz diapers were one of the first brands for pocket diapers and they are very popular in the diaper community.
Overall Adjustability: Fuzzibunz diapers have a unique system for achieving the overall size of the diaper. Most brands have snaps on the outside to attain the small, medium, or large size, but Fuzzibunz uses adjustable elastic in the waist and legs. This makes it a little more difficult to adjust the size but gives the diaper a better outer appearance. At first, I had a feeling this would be a problem for me because I was planning on using the diapers for both girls and needed quick adjustability, but since Kaylynn is almost potty trained that isn't needed anymore.
I did like that this diaper came with a sizing guide, something that the other diapers did not come with. However, it's a little confusing. The adjustable elastic has holes and numbers. You find your child's weight on the chart, then adjust the elastic appropriately. This is from their packaging, "Corresponding hole is ABOVE the number on the legs and BELOW the number on the waist." I swear I had to read this 10 times the first time I tried to size the diaper. Why they had to make the number above the hole on one and below the hole on the other is beyond me. I also think the order of the wording is a little off. Since all the holes look the same and the chart tells me the numbers, I'm going to find the number first. So tell me the number, then where the hole is, not the other way around (ex. corresponding number is below the hole). Even though it was confusing, I think I got it figured it.
But then again maybe not, because I tried this diaper on both girls using their sizing chart and even on the largest snap settings, it was too small. Each time I have put it on Kennedy I have had to adjust the elastic because it would leave deep red marks on her waist and/or thighs. But I think I have finally found a setting that works and that is the joy of adjustable diapers, you can keep tweaking them until you get the perfect fit.
Adjustable Waist Snaps: Fuzzibunz diapers have a unique system for this too. Most diapers have 2 straight rows of snaps on the front with either 3 or 4 snaps on the part that wraps around and attaches; Fuzzibunz have 1 straight row with 2 snaps from the back and 1 contoured row around each leg with 1 snap from the back (total of 2 rows in front and 3 snaps from back). The contoured row means that you can change the size of the leg holes quickly as well as the waist. I've heard that the size of the leg openings makes a huge difference in whether the diaper leaks or not.
Absorbency: I haven't had a single leak yet from these diapers. At night I put in 2 inserts and it works great!
Bulkiness: Cloth diapers are going to be more bulky than disposables. I'm not sure if there is any way around this. But this brand doesn't seem to be as bad as others. I did the under-the-jeans test. Take a look for yourself.
Longevity: Obviously there is no way for me to personally review this category after only a week. The diaperpin.com however, has been a great resource for me as I have been learning about cloth diapers and choosing which ones to try. Based on the user reviews posted there, I am pretty confident that Fuzzibunz will hold up through Kennedy's diapering and at least one other baby. The Fuzzibunz website claims that their diapers will last at least 3 years.
Warranty: From the Fuzzibunz website: "Snap Defects – 1 Year. Elastic and/ or PUL (waterproof layer) Defects – 1 Year. Sewing/Workmanship Defects – 1 Year. Diapers will not be replaced with new product due to repelling, shot elastic past 1 year, staining or leaking." It should also be noted that each diaper comes with easy to replace elastic.
Patterns available: This is one of the perks of cloth diapers. They can be their own fashion statement! I love the bright colors and there are 14 different colors to choose from. However, there aren't any fun patterns to choose.
Customer Service: Again, I haven't had a need yet to contact them, but other users have been thoroughly impressed with the support they have received.
Cleaning: The directions for cleaning were right on the packaging, so I didn't have to go searching for it. Pretty straightforward, easy, and nothing out of the ordinary from other cloth diapers. I especially like that it says to use 1/2 the recommended amount of detergent (remember this post?). As far as staining, I haven't had any problems with this diaper and staining until the load I just did. But, every diaper in that wash ended up with a stain, so I'm guessing its a problem with the user, not the diaper.
Cost: About $18/ diaper (comparable to other One-Size Pockets)
Overall: I really like these diapers. Originally I had some concerns about the sizing, especially since this diaper kept leaving red marks on the baby, but I think I have that part figured out now.
Laundry Detergent
Back in Week 5 I told you about a test to see if you were using too much laundry detergent. I also promised I would do the test myself and then tell you about the results. Well, I was using too much detergent, which is great news!
I put two clean towels in the wash without any soap, set it to the hottest setting and then checked it five minutes after the wash cycle had started. This is what I found…
Those bubbles mean that I was using too much detergent. I took a permanent marker and made a line about halfway down from the suggested amount line on the cap. A month later I'm using half the detergent I was before (and saving $$$) and I don't notice my clothes being any dirtier.
Did you do the laundry detergent test? If so, what did you find out?


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January 19, 2019 - Latest: What has happened to markets this year? by Darius McDermott
15th January 2013
For those who are worried about the immediate consequences, we highly recommend this analysis by Guardian technology editor Charles Arthur who considers exactly what might be happening in the immediate term.
Arthur considers several alternative explanations for that troublesome component news including Apple rescuing a component supplier and switching orders to it and the fact that the standard of components may be rising with less need therefore to order as many in future.
Cnet also says that many analysts suggest investors should relax at least about this issue. But as the company continues its downward share price trajectory should investors be worried about the medium and long term? We look at seven issues you might consider complete with useful links.
1) Even Apple may not be immune to the global economic downturn and some analysts agree as this round up by the Telegraph at the time of the last set of results shows.
2) As Apple falls in price its valuation may become much more attractive. But is it a buy, sell or hold? A few weeks back, CNET was saying pick your analyst for a different recommendation.
3) Apple's leading position, briefly becoming the world's number one company, could be following the pattern of Microsoft which saw a big share price spike when it was number one before settling back. Forbes suggested Apple might following this pattern in November last year.
4) Questions are sure to asked about the shepherding of the firm by Tim Cook in the wake of Steve Jobs' death well over a year ago. Last year's share price high was $702.10 in September. At the start of 2012 it was $424. It is still up on that price. But the critics are harsh. Forbes contributor Joan Lappin suggests that Cook is not aiming to disrupt industries the way that Jobs did. The headline is unflattering. 'Steve Jobs thought bigger, Tim Cook thinks smaller.' Ouch.
5) However all eyes will be watching to see if Apple can revolutionise another huge market such as television. It hasn't yet, though Slate magazine argues the change may have started. It's just that it doesn't always start with a bang. Apple has rivals also eyeing the TV market of course.
6) As it matures Apple may take on the characteristics of a different kind of company i.e. it may become a dividend paying stock and transition from growth to value. SeekingAlpha considers the issue. It is, of course, hugely cash generative but its dividend while increasing is still on the low side.
7) Keep your eyes on the fact that the Apple boss has been meeting with China Mobile with it hundreds of million of users in recent days. This has helped feed speculation of a cheaper Apple handset for emerging markets. On the one hand, it would be very like Apple if they pulled something significant out of the bag. Other the other, despite Cook's obvious ambitions, negotiations have been ongoing for a very long time. However CNN carries this significant viewpoint pointing out that, in China, Apple does not face the same censorship issue as some of its rivals such as Google or Facebook.
Compared with some of these issues, we suspect this components speculation story won't even merit a footnote in a month's time. (of course we could be wrong).

subset: commoncrawl


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Foolin: Videobomber Scares KTLA Reporter On Live TV!
KTLA reporter Wendy Burch was trying to do a live segment from Union Station in Los Angeles on Tuesday morning until a videobomber scares the crap out of her. Posted By Persist
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
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TO HELL WITH BURGUNDY was a Manchester-based trio founded on October 22nd, 1987. Karl Walsh (vocals, acoustic guitar) and Joanne Hensman (vocals and percussion) met as drama students and the line-up was completed by Kevin Metchear (vocals, acoustic and electric guitars) after they left college. The name of the band came from a line in "The Song Of The Vagabonds" from an operetta entitled The Vagabond King by Czech composer Rudolf Friml.
In March 1988 Joanne's song "Mother Of The Sea" appeared on an EP put out by a friend on his own "From Chorley Records" label. The EP led to a deal with Factory Records, and the album Earthbound followed in May 1989, together with a CD single of "Who Wants To Change The World?", which also featured the non-album track "Money". Sadly, the album, which included the original version of "Go", has been unavailable since the demise of the Factory label. In August 1990 they were invited to join Barclay James Harvest as special guests on their European Tour, and THWB subsequently toured with Graham Parker, BJH (again!), Clannad and Bob Geldof amongst others.
A re-recorded version of "Go" featuring a string quartet was issued on a 12" 4-track single in November 1990, and the album Only the World came out on the band's own Stig Europe label in February 1992. Numerous concerts followed in Britain, Italy and Canada, and a new album, 3, appeared in July 1994. A limited edition CD single of "The King And I" was released at the same time.
The band's fourth album, The Marvel Of The Age, was released on April 27th, 1998 and the band toured extensively in support of it. In March 2001 THWB were invited to appear as special guests for three UK concerts by their old friend John Lees of Barclay James Harvest, but these would prove to be the last shows that THWB ever performed, with the band splitting up due to personal issues.


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Pool: 216 NSU Acadia Drive
Thibodaux, LA 70301
Mailing Address:
Crawfish Aquatics, Nicholls
PO Box 2219
Thibodaux, LA 70310
Office Hours:
All Visitors are required to obtain a temporary parking permit from Nicholls State University. There is no charge for Crawfish Programs, but displaying a parking pass is a requirement for attending practices and lessons at Crawfish Aquatics. List the group or lessons session you are attending.
Obtain a parking pass by going to the Parking Department on campus or ONLINE.
Billing, Administration, Swimming Lessons: Brent Labat email@example.com
Head Coach & Site Director: OJ Messina, email@example.com


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PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) — The father of a 16-month-old boy who died after he was left inside a car in suburban Detroit has been formally charged with child abuse.
Henry Ogene was arraigned Saturday in Pontiac's 50th District Court on a charge of child abuse-leaving a child in a vehicle resulting in death. Authorities say he must surrender his passport if he posts a $5,000 bond.
The Oakland County Medical Examiner ruled the cause of Odeshi Ogene's death was hyperthermia.
Undersheriff Mike McCabe says he doesn't know if Henry Ogene has an attorney.
The sheriff's department says the child was found Thursday and pronounced dead at a hospital. Temperatures in the Detroit area that day reached about 80 degrees.


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West Elm Market: A New Shop For Home Tools, Including Lots of Kitchen Stuff!
Today West Elm launched West Elm Market, and boy, are we excited! The new store (the first of which will open in Brooklyn on October 25th) specializes in what West Elm is calling "your total tool homekit" with categories for Kitchen, Garden, Care + Repair, and Personal Care. We're clearly especially excited about the new kitchen collection, which includes everything from Smeg refrigerators (in 10 juicy colors!) to Ittala cast iron pots.
West Elm market will not only feature West Elm's own products (including an exclusive line of modern enameled cast-iron Dutch ovens and pans) but also select products from well-known kitchen names like Krups, Smeg, Black + Blum, Nordic Ware, Lodge, and Full Circle. And continuing with the company's recent focus on partnering with high-quality indie brands and labels, the Market will also sell limited edition collaboration pieces done especially for West Elm, like the Teflon-free nonstick pots and pans collection developed by GreenPan, the copper sauce pan from Brooklyn Copper Cookware, and the signature sage scent cleaners from Common Good.
The new collection launched online TODAY, but eight Market shop-in-shops will open in select West Elm stores in Costa Mesa, Dallas, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Nashville, New York City, Seattle and Toronto in November.
I am loving the Terrain bakeware ($24-$39), these wood and glass storage jars ($16-$29), the enamel measuring cups ($19), and of course, the Smeg refrigerators ($1,999). So many gift ideas! What do you have your eye on?
(Images: West Elm)


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¹ Viovio Photo Books Reviewed: Free Your Photos! - Thoughts Media Forums Digital Home Thoughts Digital Home Thoughts - News & Reviews for the Digital Home Register in our forums so you're ready for our next giveaway contest... Zune Thoughts Loading feed... Apple Thoughts Loading feed... Laptop Thoughts Loading feed... Home Forums New Posts Register Articles Archives Shop: Software | Hardware Contact About Search Thoughts Media Forums > DIGITAL HOME THOUGHTS > Digital Home Printing Viovio Photo Books Reviewed: Free Your Photos! User Name Remember Me? Password FAQ Members List Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Thread Tools Display Modes #1 04-06-2011, 04:00 PM Eric Juillerat Thoughts Media Review Team Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 15 Viovio Photo Books Reviewed: Free Your Photos!

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Figure1 : Simple, yes, but...

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Viovio.com allows you to create photo books, photo cards, calendars, and more - on demand. With their simple tools you can drag and drop photographs and text onto any of hundreds of creative templates and create professional looking products you'd be proud to share with your family and neighbors. And while they have fee-based services, Viovio gives you up to 200MB of photo storage free.

The Vicarious Life

Viovio might sound redundant, and it is. Vio is Latin for "go travel." Viovio directly translated means "go travel go travel." Now I don't speak Latin, but to me the name implies, go travel, come back, print out a book, and let me live vicariously through your adventures (it's less expensive, and a convenient way to avoid Montezuma's Revenge - trust me). In support of my translation, Viovio encourages a Community where you can make comments, share photos, and create travel blogs. And in the name of world peace Viovio brings these features to its members for free.

A Place For You And The Professionals

Viovio has put together a full service offering that plays to both the amateur and the professional. For the casual users, they provide tons of free and fee-based templates that can really pop your images and create an interesting dialog. One really cool thing about the templates is that they are mix and match. You can use individual pages from different templates and easily integrate them into your project to create a one-of-a-kind look.

Figure 2: Free and Fee Based Templates.

The site is made to be easy. Drag and drop your images into templates, and employ simple text editing tools to make comments. Viovio also gives you several convenient options for uploading your photos: one at a time, in multiples, in a ZIP file, or even via FTP. For reasonable prices you can print your book with discrete Viovio branding and a unique book identifier. It's small, and I think it looks good. It makes it easy to reorder the book for those estranged relatives that suddenly want to be part of your family moments.

For the professionals out there - or those like me who play one on TV - you have the ability to make books from the same blank or creative templates, but can also pay a wafer thin fee to have the Viovio branding removed. This might be useful when self-publishing or utilizing Viovio's services to sell your books. To this fact they are in the process of expanding their distribution options, offering ISBN's and Amazon listings; you professionals out there, take note.

Figure 3: Full service printing.

Don't want to use Viovio's templates for your book? No problem; upload a PDF and have Viovio print it for you. For you Mac users out there, they can print your iPhoto book, offering more options than Apple, and at cheaper prices. In addition, Viovio has recently added Aperture file support. As you can see, Viovio is a complete printing service, with an ecosystem designed to support the casual and professional users alike.

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First Impressions

So how does the service work? Thoughts Media, our parent company, sent me in to find out. First off, getting started can be a bit tricky. The interface is web-driven, which can be cumbersome, leading to erroneous navigation or unintended clicks away from work in progress. This provided some early frustration. In time, I learned to love big brother - I mean the interface - and was able to efficiently create and assemble books...in time.

Figure 4: Viovio Designer.

Once in, you are confronted with a daunting question: Which template do I use for my photo book? And this can be a bit overwhelming. There are tons of templates available. Some are free, and others you pay a few dollars for - contributed to the site via the community. A good strategy and pre-creation planning session would go a long way here. I'm known less for planning and more for jumping in, so I chose my template on the fly...and that ultimately lead to the creation of two books instead of one. One day I will plan, but that's for another day.

You should go into this with a couple of questions in mind; 1) who is my audience - who will be viewing the book, 2) What kind of pictures will be in the book - portraits, landscapes, or embarrassing family photos? My book chronicled the latter (our last Christmas), and was filled with pictures of the family, and Santa of course! It was my intention to give this book to Nana, who would appreciate large pictures unencumbered by details that would detract from identifying each family member. The first template I chose for the book was absolutely beautiful! It had intricate artwork that surrounded each and every picture and created a boutique looking book of a professional scale I could not duplicate.

Only problem was, because of the artwork, the pictures were small. And because of the way the artwork layered over parts of the image - the effect was engaging, you always lost bits of the photos which made it difficult to crop and place said photos. Upon realization of this fact, and many hours spent, I switched gears and chose a blank template instead. It is important to note that it cost me nothing to create these books, so I only lost time and pride. The moral of the story here is to think about how your pictures will be used and carefully choose the template that will best tell your story.

The Fine Print

Constructing your photo book requires patience; I don't have any. The interface is not particularly intuitive, and requires a click-and-wait procedure that could have pushed Nelson Mandela to snap his pencil in half. Inserting an image is great - drag and drop. But if you want to move it, crop it, or rotate it, you have to choose it, click the tool, perform the task, click to complete, review, and repeat until it looks good - each step followed by a long pause. This same list of clicks is required for adding text, however, is even more frustrating as each time you change a font, size, color, bold or italicize, or just move it, you have to complete the list above. Every time you make a change you have to wait for the site to update. If you don't plan, and are somewhat creative, this process can take a long time.

Figure 5: Cover may not be printed exactly as shown above.

Cover to Cover...

Creating a Cover for my book included the same frustrations above, followed by it's own unique set of challenges. The cover designer tool has convenient tick marks to show you where your book, depending on style and printing option, may crop your cover photo. This should be a useful guide, giving you the ability to place an image without fear of cutting off Auntie's head. But it's not. The guide is so "general" that the tool becomes useless.This only exacerbated by the fact that the provided design tools are so limited that things like centering and page positioning become difficult. To confound the issue even further, the guides are specific to the printing option you choose for the book. Choose hardcover, it crops here; softcover it crops there. This means you have to re-design your cover if you change your mind later. Unsure if my image would be improperly cropped, or my text vertically truncated, I chose to shrink my image to accommodate for almost anything.

Printer of Choice(s)

Viovio offers many printing options: Hardcover, Softcover, Die-Cut, Imagewrap, Wire-O, mini-books (3.75 x 2.5 to 7 x 5), and large books (11 x 8.5 to 14 x 11) and several different photo papers of varying quality. It is easy to find a book that will fit both your needs and your budget. What quickly becomes frustrating is choosing a book, designing for it, and in the end finding out you can't get it printed on the paper you wanted. For some reason, depending on the type and size of the book you choose, you only have certain options for printing it. I wanted a higher quality paper, but didn't have the option, so settled with what they gave me. Don't get me wrong, the delivered product looks great; I just would have chosen something different - and paid more, given the opportunity.

Figure 6: Want an 8.5 x 8.5 with Premium Photo Printing? So did I.

By The Book

The finished product was more like a magazine than a typical photo book. While I missed the hardbound feel, the recipients of the photo book liked it more than the albums and hardbound books they had. My wife made comment that she was expecting a hardbound book and was a bit disappointed - until she spent some time with the book. She came to admire the feel and size of the book, explaining that it took less space, was easier to handle, and felt good in the hand. She thought it would be much easier to catalog photos and store them in this format than in hardbound. And other family members corroborated this sentiment. To me, it feels like a very high quality magazine. The paper feels very nice, the cover - proportionately significant, and the images are good; if not a bit dark. The printing dots are visible to a trained eye. Given that my image file sizes were between 1MB - 3MB, I would have preferred crisper images. But as I sit here and nitpick, I am reminded that six of these books were near the same price as one of Apple's hardbound books. I have only one of those, and primarily because they're so expensive. On top of that, I find that I cannot just get one book printed. If a family member sees the book, they either take mine or nag me into submission for their own! At roughly $9.50 per book, this is a very nice gift sure to please anyone with a sentimental heart. And now it's all starting to make sense. Viovio allows me to take my images off of my hard drive and display them where my family and I can enjoy them; and at a very good value. In the same breath, I can experiment with different paper, bindings, templates, sizes, and formats at a price that won't induce bouts of buyer's remorse. I now find myself wanting to put together another book.

Figure 7: A very good value, and a nice presentation.

It's An Online Thing

It's an online application, and many if not all of my comments are indicative of this. A common problem with online applications is the browser. Browsers are not standard, and are difficult to program for and around. I know; I have designed user interfaces for Internet applications. It's difficult. On top of this, users, like me, go and add plug-ins for neat things, cute things, and things I didn't know I needed. This can cause problems for applications like Viovio's that can slow the process, or cause the process to error out. I used Firefox, and had problems. I used Safari, and had no problems. I turned off Firefox plug-ins (Safe Mode) and things worked as advertised. Just be aware that there can be issues that are browser related, and that can be worked out.

Community, Service

That being said, this is a good time to tell you that Viovio's customer service is exemplary! It was fast via e-mail, pleasant, and gave me the impression that they cared. Customer service like this is hard to find; and especially from an online web site. Truth be told, I used them frequently, and even to this day they still speak to me, even using my actual four-letter name. Viovio has asked me to extend to you, our Thoughts Media faithful readers (and all you other people), a 20% off coupon to use on your next photo project. Just use the code 20OFF when you check out. It's this kind of attitude that makes it all worthwhile. And it's because of this attitude that I whole-heartedly recommend using Viovio for your photo book and related printing needs. I know I will.

Figure 8: Set your photos free and continue to enjoy those special moments currently stored on your PC!

Conclusions

The things that challenged me include: the click-and-wait creation procedure, the one-color-only text option for the cover, the cover cropping-guide-tick-marks, and that limited printing options resented based on your initial book selection. I should be able to choose any of the many printing options available, at any time during the process. The things I really liked include: their customer service, ZIP file and FTP photo upload capabilities, the quality of the delivered product, shipping time/communications, and the many template options available for use. You can really create a professional look and feel here, as well as, create your own books for sale.

Viovio provides a simple, highly cost effective, and high quality way for me to take my photos off of my hard drive and put them into a book; where they can be enjoyed by many. In my opinion they provide a value for your money, and a treasure for your family. Oh, and one other thing - this year Viovio is working on lowering shipping costs for Canadian customers by printing with a Canadian printer; not bad eh? By the way, did you find the 20% coupon contained in the article above?

Eric Juillerat is a technologist, geek, and all around admirer of anything with silicon, buttons, or touch screens.

Do you enjoy using new hardware, software and accessories, then sharing your experience with others? Then join us on the Thoughts Media Review Team! We're looking for individuals who find it fun to test new gear and give their honest opinions about the experience. It's a volunteer role with some great perks. Interested? Then click here for more information.

 __________________ Eric Juillerat is a technologist, geek, and all around admirer of anything with silicon, buttons, or touch screens. Eric Juillerat View Public Profile Find all posts by Eric Juillerat #2 04-06-2011, 04:50 PM Jason Dunn Executive Editor Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 29,160 I'm impressed at what they're able to do given the price of the books - when a photo book is that affordable, you're far more likely to do them more often. On the flip side, when a photo book costs you $100+, you'll probably only do one a year, if that, and obsess over every detail building it (well, I do). Nice review! __________________ Want to contact me personally? Use this. Want to read my personal blog? Check it out. Want to follow me on Twitter? Here you go. Jason Dunn View Public Profile Find all posts by Jason Dunn #3 04-06-2011, 05:42 PM Brad Adrian Editor Emeritus Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 3,060 Now I want to go back and re-read the review that Jason wrote about a different online book service and compare the two options. Jason, what was the name of that service? __________________ Old Market Researchers never die...they just get broken down by age and sex. Brad Adrian View Public Profile Find all posts by Brad Adrian #4 04-06-2011, 05:44 PM Jason Dunn Executive Editor Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 29,160 Quote: Originally Posted by Brad Adrian Now I want to go back and re-read the review that Jason wrote about a different online book service and compare the two options. Jason, what was the name of that service? Well, there wasn't just one photo book printing service in that review - there were 12. __________________ Want to contact me personally? Use this. Want to read my personal blog? Check it out. Want to follow me on Twitter? Here you go. Jason Dunn View Public Profile Find all posts by Jason Dunn #5 04-06-2011, 08:33 PM Brad Adrian Editor Emeritus Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 3,060 Thanks! It was the Picaboo one that I was thinking of, but the 12-service mega-review is much better. __________________ Old Market Researchers never die...they just get broken down by age and sex. Brad Adrian View Public Profile Find all posts by Brad Adrian #6 05-05-2011, 03:14 AM Cross_ Neophyte Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 2 I posted this in the other thread but just for completeness' sake let's add it here as well: last week I sent an email to viovio and blurb asking for print samples. They both declined - with identical email responses. Response time was fast, but that refusal is a bit of a let down. 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Stay warm in the Born Fly Oakhill Hoodie. This hoodie sports an allover Born Fly graphic on the front and enlarged graphic on the back. Equipped with front zipped pockets and a drop tail with a drawcord for an adjustable fit. Pair with your favorite Born Fly gear for a complete look.
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Repulsorlifts as a Method of Stable Magnetic Levitation| Repulsorlifts were used in the study to find out if they can be used to replace the wheels of a conventional car. It was hypothesized that it will be able to lift a car using magnetic repulsion forces. The different magnets were tested individually with the usual tests for magnetic strength, size, and temperature increase, which were done in the preliminary testing. The prototype road and car were then constructed based on the specifications that had been identified after the preliminary testing. The prototype car's magnets were permanent magnets while the road magnets were electromagnets. They had been oriented so that the magnets would repel each other.After the levitation tests, the proponents constructed other prototype roads and cars, based on the design which increased the chances for stability of the project.
The repulsorlift setups were then tested for levitation. It was found that the repulsorlift was capable of lifting the car, yet its stability and lift would depend on two factors: the strength and the ratio of the strength of the car and road magnets, and the angles at which the car magnets are oriented. Therefore, repulsorlifts can be used as a method of levitation for cars once the lift would be sufficient to resist both gravity and the weights on the car.Further clarification of the procedures and results should be directed to the researchers and adviser.Researchers Earl Angelo B. Panganiban
Cebu City National Science High School Cost-Effective Free Fall Apparatus| Cost-Effective Free Fall Apparatus for Elementary and Secondary Students. Public Schools do not have sufficient funds for the purchase of a Free-Fall Apparatus, which is used to measure the time for a falling object to hit the switch pad from a certain point. A cost-effective Free-Fall Apparatus was constructed with the aid of recycled materials to serve as a cheaper alternative for this device. This study was intended for the improvement of the original equipment in terms of materials used, structural design, function and price. The main structure was built with the use of excess planks of wood.
The electromagnet, powered by three volt-battery was assembled. Wires were tapped into the stopwatch and were connected to the electromagnet. The Power Supply Box was connected to the Synchro Box to allow relay function.The electromagnet was finally affixed to the device through the use of a large paper clip. A tape measure was fastened to the equipment. The switch pad was affixed through the use of a lever and magnet. The apparatus was tested for several times until it functioned accurately.
The innovation proved to be very efficient. It showed the same function as the original one although the initial design was altered. Special features include the machine's flexibility and added parts such as the lever. This apparatus can really be used by various public schools throughout the country because of its effectiveness and affordability.Further clarification of the procedures and results should be directed to the researchers and adviser.
Para-Toluenesulfonate Doped Polypyrolle as EMF Electrode Source| A conducting polymer was synthesized from polypyrolle doped with paratoluenesulfonate (p-TS) using electrochemical deposition technique to find a substitute for metal electrodes in EMF sources. Samples were produced with varying p-TS molarity, specifically 0.1, 0.15, and 0.2 M. Initial characterization of samples was done using Scanning Electron Microscope(SEM) for surface analysis, and the Energy Dispersive X-ray system (EDX) for elemental analysis. Surface analysis of thin sheets was observed to be fibrillar, while thick samples had globular surface.
Traces of Nitrogen, Carbon, Oxygen and Sulfur in decreasing order of concentration, were detected in the EDX system, showing potential as conducting material.To determine potential as EMF source, samples were subjected to Van der Pauw Measurement. Conductivity was found to be within 20 to 200 siemens, resulting in a computed resistivity of 0.05 to 0.005 ohms. These values are comparable to those of certain conductors such as copper. When used in a chemical cell with copper and zinc sulfate solution, the EMF produced was between 1 to 1.5 volts. This showed that the p-TS-doped polypyrolle is a good conductor and could be a possible electrode of a battery.
Thermal analysis yielded a peak of endothermic reaction at 350ºCelsius. Degradation point was at 770 degrees celsius. The sodium para-toluenesulfonate-doped polypyrolle opens the prospect of creating lightweight batteries, since they are approximately 80% lighter than common metal electrodes used in EMF sources. This progress signals a breakthrough in plastic electronics.Further clarification of the procedures and results should be directed to the researchers and adviser.
Elastomeric Grating for Wavelength Switching in Optical Communication Systems. A diffraction grating was fabricated from an elastic polymer. It was patterned after a plane reflection grating with a pitch of 1,200 lines/mm. It was characterized using HeNe laser to verify grating properties. Angular scanning as a function of applied strain was observed for two individual wavelengths. Intensity of the fiber output was optimized as an application of angular scanning in fine alignment. Beam profiles showed consistency of first order diffraction intensities at different levels of strain. This showed that the elastomeric grating's efficiency is independent of strain.
The elastomeric grating's variable pitch can be of immense utility in optical communication systems.A stretchable grating can be used to replace typical high-cost architectures of metal or glass gratings of different pitches that correspond to various spectral regions. By changing the pitch, the grating can be used for different ranges of wavelength. The elastomeric grating's variable pitch can be used to scan different wavelengths over a wide selection since elastomeric grating diffracts different wavelength division multiplexing in optical communication systems. Laser beams of different wavelengths carrying different signals can be transmitted simultaneously through an optical fiber and diffracted to route the wavelengths onto separate wavelength-specific channels.Further clarification of the procedures and results should be directed to the researchers and adviser.


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« Co-headliner adds Fuel to Buckcherry's Musikfest show | Back to Main Page | The 'secret' show Nick Jonas didn't reveal in recent interview »June 11, 2011
Categories: Concert Reviews, Country, Music, Music News, Musikfest
Posted by John J. Moser at 10:08:17 AM on June 11, 2011
Ricky Skaggs plays wonderful traditional bluegrass music – blindingly fast mandolin enveloped in other instrumentation that captures the very air of Appalachia and accounts for six of the eight Grammy Awards he's won since 2000.
Skaggs and his stellar Kentucky Thunder band played that music with skill and obvious love, to great effect, Friday at Musikfest Café at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks.
And a crowd of something less than 200 loved it – loudly letting Skaggs know its appreciation.
But as great at that music is, it couldn't help but be a disappointment that in a show that stretched an hour and 40 minutes and included 22 songs, Skaggs played just two of the astounding 11 No. 1 and 28 Top 10 country hits he had 1981-91.
And as great as the music he played was, it was those two songs, "Highway 40 Blues," and "Uncle Pen," as well as a couple of newer gospel songs, that were the night's highlights.
Skaggs obviously knew that: He closed his main set with them, and, for "Uncle Pen," told the crowd, "I want you all to sing along now." The crowd knew it, too, and cheered those songs loudly.
Having said that, the music Skaggs did play was very good, and perhaps he gave the fair warning when, at the start of the show, he told the audience his six-man band – with no percussion -- would "razzle you and dazzle you with bluegrass music."
They did, giving their own fair warning of sorts playing with exceedingly fast picking and strumming on the opening song, The Stanley Brothers' "How Mountain Girls Can Love," then on Skaggs' "Ridin' That Midnight Train" and a couple of instrumental pieces.
After "Pig in a Pen," Skaggs flexed his hands and rubbed them.
"Dang!" he said with a laugh. "Yeah, well, at 56 they don't quite work as fast as they did when they were 26 – or 36."
Looking the part of a bluegrass icon with shoulder-length gray hair, Skaggs was open with his love of the music and its heritage, recounting in a long story how he started his career playing with them as a 15-year-old and lovingly explaining that the mandolin his was playing originally belonged to Pee Wee Lambert from that band.
He played several of their songs, as well as songs by bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroe, who Skaggs said told him the key to playing great mandolin was to "whip it like a mule."
On Monroe's "Bluegrass Breakdown," Skaggs did just that, as did fiddle player Andy Leftwich, who was one of the night's stars. Guitarist Cody Kilby, another of the night's stars, played so fast that the crowd applauded spontaneously and cheered loudly at the song's end.
But the best of the show was a mid-set coupling of "Can't Shake Jesus," a traditional country song from Skagg's 2010 album "Mosaic" and the 2003 bluegrass-country song "A Simple Life."
On the former, Skaggs sang with conviction, his eyes squeezed shut as the ominous music built around him. "A Simple Life" had him on guitar as he again sang extremely well in his lower register.
After another very good country-bluegrass song, "Sis Draper," and a turn on "Sally Jo" that prompted an audience member to shout "Yeah!" Skaggs turned over the spotlight to Leftwich on "The Miner Song" and to rhythm guitarist Paul Brewster, whose strong tenor on Monroe's "Kentucky Waltz" brought strong cheers.
After closing with "Highway 40 Blues" and "Uncle Pen," which had the crowd clapping along and cheering, Skaggs returned for an encore of a straight-up gospel version of "A Work of Love" from "Mosaic."
He then closed by accepting a hollered request for Ralph Stanley's "Little Maggie," singing in a yelping country call, with Kilby playing astonishingly fast.
No one could have been disappointed with that.
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Ricky Skaggs shares love of bluegrass, but little country, at Musikfest Cafe
JOHN J. MOSER has been around long enough to have seen the original Ramones in a small club in New Jersey, U2 from the fourth row of a theater and Bob Dylan's born-again tours. But he also has the number for All-American Rejects' Nick Wheeler on his cell phone, wrote the first story ever done on Jack's Mannequin and hung out in Wiz Khalifa's hotel room.
JODI DUCKETT: As The Morning Call's assistant features editor responsible for entertainment, she spends a lot of time surveying the music landscape and sizing up the Valley's festivals and club scene. She's no expert, but enjoys it all — especially artists who resonated in her younger years, such as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Tracy Chapman, Santana and Joni Mitchell.
KATHY LAUER-WILLIAMS enjoys all types of music, from roots rock and folk to classical and opera. Music has been a constant backdrop to her life since she first sat on the steps listening to her mother's Broadway LPs when she was 2. Since becoming a mother herself, she has become well-versed on the growing genre of kindie rock and, with her son in tow, can boast she has seen a majority of the current kid's performers from Dan Zanes to They Might Be Giants.
STEPHANIE SIGAFOOS: A Jersey native raised in Northeast PA, she was reared in a house littered with 8-tracks, 45s and cassette tapes of The Beatles, Elvis, Meatloaf and Billy Joel. She also grew up on the sounds of Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks and Tim McGraw and can be found traversing the countryside in search of the sounds of a steel guitar. A fan of today's 'new country,' she digs mainstream/country-pop crossovers like Lady Antebellum and Sugarland and other artists that illustrate the genre's diversity.


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Adventure Games TorrentsOn this page of justfresh-manchester.co.uk you can download Adventure games torrents, most of them are for PC platform, also cracked by release groups like CODEX or RELOADED.
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Its vibrant, retro 2D images and vibrant '90s-motivated pop soundtrack is sufficient to create any Sega Genesis fan squeal in excitement. However, Sonic's most up-to-date outing is concerned however it's decadent in this aspect with reminding one of his previous. Sonic Mania exceeds expectations of what exactly a brand new sport in the franchise may look and perform like, handling to become a magical celebration of yesteryear and a natural development of this series' classic 2D formula.
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As soon as your neighbor discovers you, he gives chase, and he is apparently difficult to escape. We did not get to see that through my presentation. While poking around you find a secret which you need to put at a briefcase to advance to the remainder of the game, and on through a doorway.
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Far Cry comes to America from the most recent installment of this award-winning franchise. Stand up to cult leader Joseph Seed, and his allies, the Heralds, to ignite the fires of immunity and also liberate the besieged community.
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The game happens in Bolivia in July 2019. The nation is becoming more and more shaky as the Santa Blanca, a Mexican drug cartel that is formerly minor, gets more power and influence inside the county to the stage where Bolivia is becoming a narco state as well as the biggest producer of cocaine in the world. The rise in power of the drug cartel concerns the Usa Government, as the influence in Santa Blanca has started to spread beyond Bolivia.
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Crack Status: Crack Included (FitGirl)
The Walking Dead: A New Frontier Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4 and Episode 5
Sometime following the outbreak, former soldier David García, the guy utilizing the idea to brand themselves having a symbol to indicate each other as a member formed the group. Sometime before the events of the game, the group took over the city of Richmond for unknown motives. In addition they assaulted the community of Wellington, Ohio due to the group not giving them food when they requested it.
Games Torrents | Views: 4902 | Downloads: 245 | Date: 2017-06-12 | Genre: Adventure |
Platform: PC
Crack Status: Crack Included (CPY)
Mirror's Edge Catalyst is a first person action-adventure game where the player takes control of Faith Connors as she advances by way of a futuristic city. Like the Edge of the first Mirror, players traverse the city leaping moves evade or fight enemies and to finish assignments and using facets of urban exploration. Players also can use external objects like zip-lines and ledges, and gear including mag rope and disruptor to go across buildings.
Games Torrents | Views: 4346 | Downloads: 123 | Date: 2017-04-02 | Genre: Adventure |
Platform: PC
Crack Status: Crack Included (CPY)
Welcome to the Stone Age, a time of limitless experience and extraordinary risk, when sabretooth tigers and giant mammoths ruled humankind and the Earth is at the end of the food chain. As the last survivor of your hunting group, outsmart enemy tribes to beat the land of Oros and end up being the Apex Predator, fend off ferocious predators, and you'll learn how to craft a lethal arsenal.
Games Torrents | Views: 5120 | Downloads: 275 | Date: 2017-02-26 | Genre: Adventure |


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Routes : North America : United States : California : High Desert : Tehachapi
Tehachapi - 5.7Average Rating : 0.00 out of 5
Route sequence (left to right): 3
Route Summary | Ascent Notes (0)
Premier Sponsor:
Rock (Toprope)
Top rope bolts, beware of glass and trash at the site since it seems teenagers come to the top of the rock to drink and make a mess. Tagging is also a problem at the top of the rock.
Description:Up in mountain park. There is 2 or 3 routes bolted for top rope. You take Water Canyon road off of Highline on the south side of Tehachapi and drive until the road ends and the last campground. Then walk west around the gate and through the church camp. Right past that you will come around to the rock. Look for the top rope bolts to select the lines you want to climb. From the top looking down the easiest routes start on the left and it gets harder as you go right.
Descent Options:It has super easy access to the top for setting up Top rope anchors off the bolts and rappelling down. It also has a nice trail down to the bottom. Routes are probably about 60 ft to 80 ft.
Submitted by: sevs on 2010-02-06
Last Modified: 2010-02-08
Views: 1583
Route ID: 103479


text: Fridolin is having big relationship troubles. He is strongly suspecting his wife to be cheating on him with another man. This is to him the only explanation why he hasn't been having any sex in quite a while. When he gets a letter from his wife telling him she wants to leave him, he decides to take matters into his own hands. Together with a friend he comes up with a plan to satisfy his lust and at the same time make his estranged wife jealous.


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Vintage Hip Hop Breaks Vol.1 WAV REX226 October 2016
Vintage Hip Hop Breaks Vol.1
Vintage Hip Hop Breaks Vol 1 – with this sample pack we are launching a new series of premium Hip Hop breaks. You can expect 64 drum loops from 80 to 110 BPM with authentic warm sound of classic funk music from the 70's. These breaks also fit in styles such as Trip Hop, Breakbeat, Neo Soul, Acid Jazz, Indie, Funk, Turntablism, etc. The special feature of this pack is a solid vintage sound with deep and dusty vinyl record sound character. The sample pack is available in 24-bit WAV, Recycle REX 2 and Akai Programs (old and new, suitable for most AKAI MPC samplers).
• 64 Drum Loops
• 80 to 110 BPM
• 24-Bit WAV & REX2
• Akai Programs (old and new, suitable for most AKAI MPC samplers).
File formats: *.WAV, *.REX2
Info: 24-Bit WAV Quality, 80 – 110 BPM
Size: 136 MB
Total: 64 Drum Loops
INFO/DEMO: http://redi.se/3faz
Vintage Hip Hop Breaks Vol.1 WAV REX2
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Wonderful Colorful Bathroom Designs 15 Lively Multi Colored Bathroom Designs Home Design Lover - Redesigning and also revamping any kind of space can be a laborious if it's your very first time. Even if you're an experienced pro, attempting out a new design technique can be a hit or miss game. That's why revamping a restroom is the most effective way to test house design ideas for the very first time due to the fact that they are so little. Even if you don't such as the design when it's finished, you can inexpensively and also conveniently replace the design due to the fact that of a restrooms dimension. However regardless of what you have in mind, it's not visiting pop without a great decor design.
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BENTON CITY - It was a clean sweep for the Grandview tennis teams yesterday in CWAC South action at Kiona-Benton.
The boys battled for a 3-2 team win over the host Bears. Kevin Floyd got the 'Hounds on the winning track with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Michael Lala in No. 1 singles play.
Chase Lindsley of Grandview followed with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Mark Crawford.
But Ki-Be tied the match at 2-2 with victories in both the No. 1 and 2 doubles contests.
First, the Bears' duo of Spencer Hayter and Evan Beus prevailed 6-4, 6-3 over Joey and Marco Diaz. Then, Ki-Be's Indy Lytton and Jeff Stewart defeated Robert Madrigal and Nick Saldana 6-3, 7-5.
That led to the decisive No. 3 doubles match, in which Grandview's Paulino and Rodrigo Fajardo rallied for a 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 victory.
The win improved Grandview's boys to 9-1 in league and 10-2 overall.
In girls competition, Grandview left little doubt as to the outcome with a 5-0 sweep over their Ki-Be counterparts.
Miranda Shreeve cruised to a 6-1, 6-0 win over Ki-Be's Julie Souriyavongsa in No. 1 singles play. Grandview teammate Sydney Mottice followed with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Amanda Foss.
In doubles play, Allison Grow and Danika Martinez got things started with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Leilani Wight and Kyrie Bradshaw in No. 1 doubles play.
Christine Penwell and Noelle Miller won the No. 2 doubles match for the Lady Greyhounds, 6-4, 6-2 over Hannah Norman and Megan Hirschi.
Adriana Valdez and Lily Yoon wrapped up the match with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Ki-Be's Merci Valdez and Haley McDaniel.
The Lady Greyhounds improved to 4-6 in league and 5-7 overall with the win.
Grandview's tennis teams return to action tomorrow (Thursday) when they travel to play Lower County rival Sunnyside.
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Let's frontage it. Bugs are all over. It doesn't situation how many an nowadays you twig your sward or plot beside insecticides, they e'er come up vertebrae. Having pets or small-scale family doesn't generate the system any easier either. Did you cognise that 90% of Americans flow all but 300 a million pounds of pesticides on their lawn, respectively year? The lawfulness is, best of these pesticides are insoluble, which channel they wand say for a precise hourlong circumstance. This is not good for any wandering pet or tyke.
The pesticides we use today, usually move in the way of balls, crystals, granules, foggers or sprays. These products product up near 35,000 pesticides in the market's circulation, and they are accountable for the figure of quality home poisonings in the U.S. Most insecticides are poisonous decent to interrupt an animal's biological process, such as feminizing phallic animals and disrupting their cleverness to propagate.
Contrary to what the labels will archer you, our pets are not status to creepy-crawly sprays. It is a ubiquitous rate for our cat or dog to either take in insecticides obliquely by stained food, or to come up into interaction beside it straight. Chemicals in pesticides are fat disintegrable which makes it easy for them to elapse into our internal organs, specified as the viscus. Over time, these chemicals can impose authoritarian difficulties next to the nerves, hormones, and the immune regulations.Post ads:
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Financial markets are notorious for irrational mood swings. But even by past standards, the recent wild gyrations in both stocks and currencies seem to have set a new record for ludicrousness.
The source of the panic has, of course, been the United Kingdom's referendum vote last week to pull out of the European Union.
The first thing to note is that markets should have been prepared for the outcome. After all, in the last weeks of the campaign, opinion polls indicated that the two sides were running neck and neck. It was a fair bet moreover that prospective Leave voters were being systematically undercounted. After all, as they had long been portrayed as ignoramuses, xenophobes, and even outright racists by the London establishment, many of them undoubtedly felt cowed into keeping their true opinions from the pollsters. In the circumstances, financial traders would have been prudent to maintain balanced books going into the vote. Judging by the post-vote gyrations, which extended even to oil and other commodities, most traders seem to have been badly blindsided.
Yet not only was a Leave vote foreseeable but some of us foresaw it. Even as early as 2013, it was pretty obvious that in offering a referendum the UK's pro-EU Prime Minister David Cameron was tempting fate. In a commentary at Forbes in February of that year, I wrote:
British exasperation with the EU has the potential to shake the latter-day world order. A symptom of the strains is that the UK's pro-EU Prime Minister, David Cameron, has felt obliged to promise the British electorate a straight in-out referendum on British membership of the EU. Cameron probably doesn't realize it yet but he may just have touched off a geopolitical avalanche. Certainly his referendum is a destabilizing – if in my view highly welcome – move at a time when the world economic order has rarely seemed more precarious. That order is founded on an overtly anti-democratic commitment to globalism on the part of the foreign policy elites of the UK and United States. Yet globalism is not working and the evidence of its failure mounts daily.
I returned to the subject several times, not least in a commentary in May 2014 whose heading – Suddenly The EU's Break-Up Has Moved From A Long Shot To A Probability – said it all. Analyzing local election results that testified to a strong anti-EU undertow, I wrote:
Although British voters have for decades wanted out of the European Union, that possibility has hitherto been expertly forestalled by a less-than-democratic left-right alliance of London-based elites. Now suddenly all bets are off. In local council elections yesterday, England's long-suffering grass-roots voters finally rose up. They snubbed both main parties, the Conservatives and Labor, to support the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP)….. Yesterday's vote…. seems likely to trigger a chain-reaction in which it becomes impossible for the London elites any longer to hold out Canute-like against the democratic will.
It is now abundantly clear to even his most committed supporters that Cameron proved too clever by half. His agenda in offering the referendum was merely the parochial one of buying short-term peace among feuding factions in his Conservative party. Although the party's right wing had long wanted out of the EU, he evidently calculated that with the help of the opposition Labor party he could pull off an easy victory for the Remain camp.
What he did not understand was that he was living in a bubble. He is a globalist in a London where almost all "respectable" opinion is globalist. The globalist fashion has been long been propagated by the City, as the London financial district is known. As City types tend to pay themselves well (despite the fact that their money management services are often of mediocre or even questionable quality), they elicit considerable misplaced obeisance from the more naïve of their neighbors in London's better residential districts.
So much so that even the higher reaches of the Labor party have long been globalist. In the circumstances therefore it was probably easy for Cameron to forget that countless ordinary Labor voters not only have never shared this mindset but had long ago come to the view that the UK's entry into the EU in 1973 was the first step towards a globalist future that has proved disastrous for the UK's once world-leading manufacturing industries. His relative youth (he is not yet 50) moreover may have blinded him to the fact that older voters remember a time when, in many categories, British manufacturers led the world. In shipbuilding, for instance, British yards accounted for around half of all the world's output in the first fifteen years after World War II. Even more to the point, older Britons remember when it was the UK, not Germany, still less Japan, that built the best small cars. In fact in the 1950s, the UK was the world's largest auto exporter.
In such once-booming, but now long depressed, industrial cities as Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield, Birmingham, and Swansea, the sense of alienation has been palpable since as far back as the 1980s. While in general elections disaffected Labor voters may have had nowhere to go but the party they have always supported, the referendum finally gave them a chance to second-guess the Labor leadership – and they took it.
At the end of the day, few in the British establishment have emerged unscathed from the last week. Cameron has already, with a commendable sense of honor, fallen on his sword. His finance minister George Osborne, who up to the referendum had been seen as Cameron's most likely successor, has not resigned but will probably face a long spell in the political wilderness once Cameron's successor is chosen.
A related question is what will happen to the Bank of England's governor Mark Carney. As I pointed out last week, he crossed a line in coming out so vigorously in support of the Remain camp. His efforts to calm markets in the wake of the vote, however, have met with general media approval and seem to have proved of real value. The betting is he will survive to fight another day.
Eamonn Fingleton is the author of In Praise of Hard Industries: Why Manufacturing, Not the Information Economy, is the Key to Future Prosperity (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1999).


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Here's a good post from Tyler Cowen on the STEM worker "shortage" issue that features a good analogy: "it could have been pointed out that, before the rise of Hyundai, South Korea had just the right number of auto workers (not many) for their factories (also not many)."
This also highlights the biggest problem with the H1-B skilled guest worker program, which isn't that more skilled technology workers moving here is bad but that structuring it as a guest-worker program is a lot worse than handing out more green cards to similar people would be. There's a strong case for guest workers in something seasonal like agriculture, or even something highly cyclical like construction. But one important goal of bringing skilled STEM workers into the United States is to build upon and expand in our leadership in the high-tech realm. To that end, it makes much more sense to encouraged skilled workers to settle here than to come and go. Instead of working for the United States for a few years and then going back home, we should want people to work in the United States for a few years and then maybe found their own company. Or go work for some other company. Restricting them to guest worker status is convenient for their initial employers, but it undermines much of the sound rationale for importing skilled workers.
The entire debate over the H-1B program is multi-faceted, and I think it's important to keep that clearly on the table. I have a lot of problems with the way it's structured. But it's not always obvious what critics are trying to propose as their implicit alternative. Giving out fewer H1-B visas is, I think, worse than giving out more. But replacing STEM guest workers with STEM permanent residents would be a change for the better.


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I opened a Jura wine this weekend. Les Grandes Gardes 1995, Domaine de la pinte. The variety is pino noir. It smelt like Sherry, Huangjiu(Chinese liquor) and Koshu(Japanese aged Sake).
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Saturday, September 29, 2007
grappa distilled by Coffele
I've puffed a cigar with grappa. This grappa was little too sophisticated to me. and little expensive. It wasn't bad, but Well, I prefer more rougher ones. I can buy 2 bottles for the same price. I love their wines though..
The cigar was Hoyo de monterrey, Epicure No.2. It's not so strong type, but I love it.
投稿者 hikalu 場所 9/29/2007 12:20:00 AM 0 コメント
Friday, September 28, 2007
Thursday, September 27, 2007
hiyaoroshi part 2
Tonight sake is a hiyaoroshi again, "Mutsu-hassen", brewed by the Hachinohe brewery. It says that it's located in Aomori. This hiyaoroshi taste sweeter than the last hiyaoroshi I've drunk. and pure rice taste, and smells fruity like melon. Melon flavor is one of popular descriptions about Sake. It's little sweeter than usual, I think. The color was little yellow like white wine. The meal was a pasta and a nimino tonight. the pasta sauce was made with Clams, broccolis, shirasu(boiled tiny fish), and butter. It was nice pasta. and The nimono was simmered with Shirataki, Daikon-oroshi, Atsuage(is fried thick Tofu. it's popular.), and carrot. the taste was basically soy-sauce and Katsu-dashi.
投稿者 hikalu 場所 9/27/2007 10:51:00 PM 0 コメント
Monday, September 24, 2007
beer in the daytime
Today is a holiday in Japan. So that, I'm lazing in my room with beer and some foods. Today's beer was Palm, a Belgium beer. It tastes fruity(little berry) and light alcohol. and the food was pita bread with sausage and curry(simmer with lentil, corn, and some raisin). It was a cozy brunch.
投稿者 hikalu 場所 9/24/2007 12:37:00 PM 0 コメント
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Shirako is milt(fish eggs or sperm of the fish?). It's a traditional popular foodstuff in Japan. Usually, the milt of Anko's or Fugu's are popular. They are eaten with Ponzu(soy-sauce and citrus juice based sauce. Usually, people use it with Nabe dishes). I don't know eating fish milt is popular in the world though.. At this time, there were salmon's sold in a market. It was very inexpensive. I thought shirako is an expensive foodstuff. Actually, this sake's milt needs to clean away odors, fish strong aroma, you know. I think sake's is stronger fish aroma than other milt. I guess that some people don't like it much. Anyway, I boiled and soak them into sake, to clean the aroma. That's preliminary. and I made soup and pasta with them. the soup weren't bad, the texture was unique. I liked it. but it has still fish aroma including. The pasta was better than the soup. I think I should've cooked them with butter. I think butter and salmon usually go together.
投稿者 hikalu 場所 9/23/2007 09:04:00 PM 0 コメント
Saturday, September 22, 2007
I've opened a sake tonight. Hanagaki hiyaoroshi brewed by Nambu Sake Brewery(Japanese site). Hiyaoroshi means that the brewed sake in early spring, and Brewery keeps the sake in cold place while summer. and the beginning of autumn, the sake is bottled and released. It'said that it tastes more tasty than usual. Actually, This sake is tasty. It has rich rice and pure water taste and smells fruity. I've paired wine with some Japanese popular foods, Hiyayakko(a way of eating Tofu), boiled vegetables and thicken fillet with Sumiso-ae(which means a Japanese traditional popular sauce mixed by miso and rice vinegar basically), and grilled fish(Kamasu). It was nice paring.
投稿者 hikalu 場所 9/22/2007 09:10:00 PM 0 コメント
Friday, September 21, 2007
davidoff short perfecto
I've puffed a cigar tonight, davidoff short perfecto. It was the first time to puff the cigar shaped like this. Figurado shape. I've heard of that it was a popular shape in the past. It was good, but I prefer Millennium Blend petit corona.
投稿者 hikalu 場所 9/21/2007 11:40:00 PM 0 コメント
ラベル: cigar
Monday, September 17, 2007
natural wine in Loire
We opened three bottle of Loire wine, 2 bottle of Thierry's and one bottle of Domaine des Griottes's.
This Sauvignon Blanc was superb! It's completely different from what I've tasted. I don't think people recognizes the variety is Sauvignon.
This pino is light taste. I didn't mean watery. It tastes natural and charming. This wine also went together with seafoods.
pinot d'aunis. It tastes little sweet and semi-sparkling. It's sealed with crown cap. You should chill it. but it's not that sweet. It tastes natural, and I enjoy drinking naturally.
This is a compote de figues I made. One of my favorite.
投稿者 hikalu 場所 9/17/2007 06:55:00 PM 0 コメント
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Ca'visco 2006
Wow, This wine is superb! It's nicer than ever. It smells honey, pear, citrus, vanilla, and chamomile. and It has nice bitterness and acidity too. I like this wine. I drunk it with pasta, linguine piccole with tiny clams and broccoli sauce. It went together tonight.
Before sleep, I've sipped a grappa tonight. It's also made by Coffele. It's elegant. It's a nice grappa, but little more expensive than I expected. I prefer little more wilder though, It's not bad at all. It's an elegant and delicate grappa.
投稿者 hikalu 場所 9/11/2007 08:45:00 PM 0 コメント
Friday, September 07, 2007
sawaya matsumoto
I've opened a sake tonight, Matsumoto syuzou, Sawaya matsumoto 700k. It's a limited-line which is made once a year. The rice is Yamada-Nishiki and shined till 65% size. The rice is said that it's nicer when it's shined inward. This sake is nice balanced. It goes together with foods. You should drink it with foods. soft taste, and after tasting is dry, it's not persistent. I think it's a nice sake as daily.
投稿者 hikalu 場所 9/07/2007 09:15:00 PM 0 コメント
ラベル: sake
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
kiriboshi daikon
Kiriboshi daikon is one of popular Japanese dried vegetables. It's a dried shredded daikon radish. People soak it with water for 10 or 20min, and usually use it as simmered dish(Nimono) or salad(sunomono). This product is produced in cold winter. I cooked sunomono with it tonight. I mixed it with carrot, and cut kombu(edible kelp cut tangle). and I boiled down the water that kiriboshi daikon soaked. it become sweeter, because, this daikon includes sweetness. You know, Champagne is added some sugar to go second fermentation. that sugar is made from ond of Daikon. Didn't you know that? I've been told this by champagne winery. Anyway, the liquid became sweeter. and I added su(Japanese vinegar), mirin, nam pla, and Szechuan hot bean paste in the liquid. and I made sure that this sauce tastes okay, and I dressed with it.
I also cooked simmered livers and gizzard with soy-sauce, sake, mirin, and water. and I added little balsamic vinegar.
Tonight drink was Belgian beer, Leff Brune Bruin. Yeah, I knew I loved this beer!
投稿者 hikalu 場所 9/05/2007 10:48:00 PM 0 コメント
ラベル: beer, belgium, kiriboshi daikon, nimono
Sunday, September 02, 2007
I opened a red wine in Loire, Pascal Simonutti, gamay. The wine shop owner tole me this gamay is named gamay-chardonnay or something. that wasn't chardonnay, but sounds like it. It's said one of gamayT relatives. I couldn't find the detail on the net.. Anyway, this wine was gamay. taste naturally. I ate pasta with it. the pasta was Linguine piccole with clams and broccoli sauce. I added a half peace of potato because it was a leftover. the potato get the sauce little thicker. it's not bad.
投稿者 hikalu 場所 9/02/2007 10:56:00 PM 2 コメント
Saturday, September 01, 2007
cozy dinner
I went for dinner with my sister yestarday night. but I completely forgot taking the picture. The food, We've chosen some marinated sashimi, figu and prosciutto ham with cassis mustard, as appetizer. and We ate three pasta, spaghettini with clams and uni(echinus or see eggs?), ricciutelle with pork and dried porcini mushroom, and casarecce all'arrabbiata(that was very hot, but tasty). I should've taken the pictures.. You can't image how they are, can you?
This is the only picture that I took. I tossed off a cup of espresso with dropping grappa flavored juniper. I love this way to drink.
投稿者 hikalu 場所 9/01/2007 12:17:00 PM 0 コメント


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Doug Hanhart needed a new web page design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 35 designs submitted by 6 freelance designers.
CIO TimeSlice offers CIO services to companies not yet large enough to need their own CIO. They tend to be startups or small companies.
I've worked with startups for 15+ years and been a CIO for ten of those.
There are only a few people involved with CIO TimeSlice, so it's a small company.
Executives of small companies, usually tech related companies. They won't have much time, so the images need to be quickly understandable and get the idea across clearly.
Check out the site http://www.ciotimeslice.com. On the home page, there are a series of images in a rotating slider. All of the images are currently the same, but I want the images to match the description on the left of each slider page. They don't need to be complex, the simpler the better. The first slider will retain the current image and the other images will be replaced by images that are better suited to the topic. For example, the topics include: Reduce Costs, Free up some time, Handling Growth, and so on.
The images need to follow the color scheme of the site, and I can provide a palette.
Perhaps the images should be of consistent design, so there wouldn't be stick figures on one and photos on another. I'm willing to consider a well thought-out alternative to this though.


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About the FCSI®
The Fellow of CSI (FCSI®) is the pinnacle financial services credential and the highest honour in Canadian financial services. It is reserved for an exclusive group of financial professionals who demonstrate unparalleled leadership, integrity, commitment and dedication to their clients and industry.
When you earn the FCSI®, you become a member of an exclusive group of financial professionals recognized and respected by clients, employers and the investing public. FCSI's are distinguished leaders, industry ambassadors and mentors to future financial leaders.
Out of 700,000 financial services professionals in Canada, only 3,500 hold the pinnacle credential. Earning the FCSI® not only places you among the industry's finest - it makes you one of the most sought-after professionals by clients and employers alike.
Becoming an FCSI®
To become a Fellow of CSI, you will be assessed under education, experience and ethics categories. Learn more.
FCSI® FAQs
Looking for more information on the Fellow of CSI? Check out our most frequently asked questions.