text:
From Script to Celluloid: The Foundation of Great Film
Over a century ago, motion pictures came to be, and quickly developed into a part of the mainstream, bringing in a revenue of $38.6 billion in 2016 (EFE World News Service). According to Benet's Reader's Encyclopedia of American Literature, "American motion pictures begin in 1893 with the brief films made at Thomas Alva Edison's Black Maria Studio in East Orange, New Jersey, by W.K.L. Dickenson." Starting out as monochrome and silent, the advance of celluloid technology over time has produced the sound and color spectacles of today.
As with all forms of art, the question of what characteristics make a good film has been asked, defined and answer evolved over time. Critics have argued which qualities are of greater importance to good film-making, and which qualities merely support and enhance them. As demonstrated in films like Pleasantville, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Edward Scissorhands, and Thelma and Louise, the vital components necessary to great film-making are plot, character, and dialogue.
The plot is the framework on which the film is built. Plot is the storytelling of the picture; all movies begin on the page. A good plot will involve the viewer in the plight of its characters, cause them to think or view something differently than when they came in, and take them on a journey. The film Pleasantville is the tale of two modern day teens trapped in the idealized world of a 50's television show. When they inadvertently bring change and knowledge with them, it is both embraced and resisted. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is the story of two people who love each other deeply, but decided to have the memories of their relationship erased, as they can't handle the pain of their breakup. Though not a story line often followed in a love story, it's a universal theme of wanting to delete a former lover from memory as a quick fix to unbearable heartbreak. Edward Scissorhands is told in the style of a classic fairy tale; one in which young man hidden away in a castle is brought into the world. During his short time there, he experiences the beauty and ugliness it has to offer. The simple weekend vacation of Thelma and Louise goes awry to become a desperate attempt to outrun the law, as well as their previous lives.
Characters are the heart of a movie. When performed well by an actor, they can become as real as any living person when on the screen, and the audience relates to them in kind. The spectators celebrate their victories, commiserate their failures, care for them, and morn their passing. They can inspire. As the viewer take the voyage through the film, the characters will be their companion and guide. In Thelma and Louise, the audience is presented with two female leads, each representing the effects of men's various abuses of women. Yet, they are more than the standard stereotypical tough woman and meek wife. Edward Scissorhands offers up a sweet, innocent, childlike lead character. This is a role that could have been performed as a caricature, but is made touchingly human by Johnny Depp. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind's characters are well written and multifaceted. The two main individuals, Joel and Clementine are well-rounder, and the audience can perceive them as believable and their attraction to each other plausible. Even the secondary characters are more than just background or flat. They are fully developed; their stories and actions intertwine with our couple's. Mary, as an employee/client of Lacuna, is possibly the most dynamic character of the film. Dynamics is also visualized in Pleasantville, as the characters become physically colorized as they go from being lifeless and idealized, to becoming human and realistic. Betty demonstrates the most dramatic change, as she grows from the picture perfect portrait wife and mother, to wanting to know if there more to her beyond that. David and Jennifer, though not as drastically as the television folks, even mature and become better versions of themselves.
There are many good movies moved along by dialogue. This works due to a couple of factors. First, bad dialogue can take one out of the magical reality the film has created and make one very aware they are watching lights and pictures. Second, it can function in the script to cover background, knowledge and other details an audience may need without slowing down the film. The dialogue in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is used to achieve the later point. As most of the movie either takes place in Joel's memories or in his apartment with the employees of Lacuna, this does not leave much time for physical action. The employees watching a sleeping Joel would be the definition of boring, so the story is moved along by their conversation. Joel is introduced by voice-over narration as he is getting ready for his day. The viewers meet Clementine the same moment Joel does on the train. Their conversation here establishes their characters, why they would be attracted to each other while their banter sounds natural. There's more action in Edward Scissorhands, yet dialogue plays a big part as well. From the topics and the quantity of the housewives' gossip, much can be derived about these characters, signifying how the neighborhood feels at any given moment. Also, it gives the film many of its subtle humorous moments. When not shooting a rapist, robbing a gas station or teaching rude men a lesson, many scenes in Thelma and Louise consist of meaningful conversations. One scene in particular is between Louise and Jimmy in a hotel room. It's quite obvious to anyone listening they have a great love for one another. Through the dialogue in Pleasantville, viewers come to understand George's inability to express his emotions for his family, though he does love them immensely. It is the spoken word that helps to change the black and white television world they live in, whether it's David telling Mr. Johnson he can do things he's never done before, or simply questions being asked with childlike curiosity.
To try to narrow a motion picture down to just a few things that take it from good to great is not always an easy task. This is mainly because a great film has many aspects that go into making it the accomplishment it is. Cinematography, sound, location, direction, music, when all done to the highest-quality, are just a few of those things that make a film spectacular. When everything falls into its proper place and each piece fits right with the others, what's left are moving pieces of art to survived the ages. To get there, the foundation built of characters, dialogue and plot must be firmly intact.
Works Cited
Burton, Tim, dir. Edward Scissorhands. Pref. Johnny Depp, Wynonna Ryder, Dianne Wiest, Anthony Michael Hall, Alan Arkin and Vincent Price. 20th Century Fox, 1990. DVD.
"Global box office reaches record $38.6 billion in 2016." EFE World News Service 22 Mar. 2017. General OneFile. Web. 27 June 2017.
Gondry, Michel, dir. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Pref. Jim Carey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood, Mark Ruffalo and Tom Wilkenson. Focus Features. 2004. DVD.
Konigsberg, Ira. "Motion pictures." Benet's Reader's Encyclopedia of American Literature. George B. Perkins, Barbara Perkins, and Phillip Leininger. Vol. 1. New York: HarperCollins, 1991. 735. General OneFile. Web. 27 June 2017.
Ross, Gary, dir. Pleasantville. Pref. Toby McGuire, Reese Witherspoon, William H. Macy, Joan Allen, Jeff Daniels, JT Walsh and Jane Kaczmarek. New Line. 1998. DVD.
Scott, Ridley, dir. Thelma and Louise. Pref. Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Harvey Kietel, Michael Madsen, Brad Pitt and Chris MacDonald. MGM/UA. 1991. DVD.
© 2017 Kristen Willms


text:
You wear jeans all the time, which is why hacks will certainly come in handy! The video down below will give you some lifesaving advice, like to keep bobby pins in your super small pockets and to use a binder ring when your pesky zipper won't cooperate with you.
Of course, there are plenty more hacks for you to learn about jeans! If you're interested in hearing them, all you have to do is check out this helpful video from BuzzFeed:
Now your jeans will always look amazing, no matter how old they are! What other jean hacks can you come up with?
Please rate this article

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Sand Trooper Conversions
To get the Sandtrooper look I used a GW Warhammer 40K Tau backpack together with some 1 mm Plastic Rods, a small sheet of Plasticard for the neck and shoulder protection and some greenstuff to fill some gaps. Whoops - Sandtrooper done!
The Sandtrooper on Dewback was a different story.
The miniature needed no conversion work, but was sloppy painted and had some terrible mold lines.
So a lot of scratching and greenstuff work.
[Home] [A.D. Publishing] [Miniatures] [Auctions] [Disclaimer]


text:
We are very excited to announce that our newest lodge, Kyambura Gorge Lodge, made Conde Nast Traveler's Hot List!
Situated on the edge of the Kyambura Gorge and Queen Elizabeth National Park, one of Africa's finest national parks, Kyambura Gorge Lodge has stunning views over the Gorge and the lush savannah of the park, with the peaks of the Rwenzori Mountains in the distance.
The main lodge building was originally a coffee store and processing plant, surrounded by coffee plantations. The original structure has been sensitively restored to create a stunning living space, balancing the history of the building with the location and creating a series of distinct luxurious contemporary spaces for guests.
Conde Nast Traveller's Hot List includes 121 properties in 49 countries and we are honored to be listed as one of the best new hotels of 2012!
Contact us now for more information and enquires about our "Hot" Kyambura Gorge Lodge.


text:
In the 1930s, Hollywood placed many actresses on the "goddess" pedestal. There was Barbara Stanwyck, Carole Lombard, Betty Grable, Jean Harlow, Lana Turner and many others. There were other actresses, appearing in hundreds of movies, who never achieved "goddess" status. Clara Blandick falls into this category.
Clara was born in 1876 on a ship, captained by her father, harbored in Hong Kong. Her parents eventually settled in Quincy, Massachusetts and she began her acting career at age 24. After numerous successes in many stage plays, Clara moved to Hollywood in 1929. Though she landed roles like Aunt Polly in the 1930 film Tom Sawyer (a role she reprised in the 1931 film Huckleberry Finn), she spent much of the decade as a character actor, often going uncredited. At a time when many actors were permanently attached to a single studio, Clara played a wide number of bit parts for almost every major Hollywood studio. In 1930, she acted in nine different films. In 1931 she was in thirteen different films. It's impossible to make an exact tally of the films in which Clara appeared. A reasonable estimate would fall between 150 and 200.
Her most famous role was that of Dorothy's Aunt Em in 1939's The Wizard of Oz. Clara filmed all her scenes in a single week, for which she was paid $750. Although it was a small part, the character was an important symbol of protagonist Dorothy's quest to return home throughout the film. After The Wizard of Oz, Clara returned to her staple of character acting in supporting and bit roles. She would continue to act in a wide variety of roles in dozens of films, including a surprised customer in the 1941 Marx Brothers film The Big Store and a cold-blooded murderer in the 1947 mystery Philo Vance Returns. Her final two roles both came in 1950 — playing a housekeeper and a landlady in Key to the City and Love That Brute respectively. Poor health forced Clara to retire soon after.
Throughout the 1950s, Clara's health steadily began to fail. She started going blind and began suffering from severe arthritis. On April 15, 1962, she returned home from Palm Sunday services at her church. She began rearranging her room, placing her favorite photos and memorabilia in prominent places. She laid out her resume and a collection of press clippings from her lengthy career. She dressed in an elegant royal blue dressing gown. Then, with her hair properly styled, she took an overdose of sleeping pills. She lay down on a couch, covered herself with a gold blanket over her shoulders, and tied a plastic bag over her head. Clara left the following note: "I am now about to make the great adventure. I cannot endure this agonizing pain any longer. It is all over my body. Neither can I face the impending blindness. I pray the Lord my soul to take. Amen." Her body was found by her landlady.
After researching Clara and her chosen method and ritual of dying, I have watched her in The Wizard of Oz differently than before.
She will never be remembered as a silver screen goddess.


text:
Firestone Specialty Products is now showcasing a "total system approach" to water management solutions, according to an Aug. 23 press release.
Total Water Management Solutions helps building owners, landscape architects, civil engineers, specifiers, and municipalities maximize their water resources and achieve hydrologic responsibility, the release said.
A key component to Firestone's family of water management products is the Firestone Environmental Passive Integrated Chamber (EPIC), an on-site water management and reuse system designed to collect, filter, retain and distribute water below ground at its source (see photo).
Firestone recently introduced its total water management solutions product line Aug. 23 at StormCon 2011 in Anaheim, Calif.
"The conventional curb-and-gutter system design treats stormwater as a waste product to be moved from one location to another as quickly as possible," said John Goers, general manager at Firestone SP. "The comprehensive water management solutions represent a significant paradigm shift and offer a true on-site water management and reuse system."
Designed for stormwater runoff, athletic fields, parking lots, irrigation and other green spaces, the release stated. Firestone's Water Management Solutions include a fully customizable product line, including more than a half-dozen drainage, irrigation, liner, and paver products.
Firestone Water Management Solutions are well-suited for both salt and freshwater applications and can be used to recycle graywater on-site for subsurface irrigation, according to the press release.


text:
Small Basic: Teaching Girls to Code! -- What are we doing and where are we headed?
Small Basic is focusing on teaching girls to code. As we build improvements like the online version we describe in this video, the improvements are also beneficial as we teach boys as well as girls. This video shows how we're headed toward an online version, more social/collaborative features, and we're building out curriculum to teach girls how to code in workshops. In the nearer term, we're also working on (1) shipping Small Basic 1.3 (Desktop, with bug fixes, new translated languages, and improved error messaging), (2) building a Small Basic certification course for teachers (on Microsoft in Education), (3) creating a Small Basic Coding Clubs curriculum for girls to lead coding clubs at school, and (4) taking Small Basic open source, so that the community can help us improve it.
Here is the transcript:
From 2000 to 2012, there has been a 64% decline in the number of women majoring in Computer Science! In 2014, only 17% of Computer Science graduates were women! And in 2015, the entire tech sector was only 25% women!
We're working together to make this more inclusive, to empower everyone, and to create opportunities for all!
We picked Microsoft Small Basic, a simple but powerful syntax language and IDE that includes a kids version of IntelliSense, and a Help pane that teaches you as you go! You don't need to be a developer to use it. You just start typing... and go!
Small Basic is Gradual. You can click Graduate to move your code into Visual Studio Code, where you can continue learning Visual Basic, JavaScript, C#, Java, Python, and more!
We're updating Small Basic to add tutorials into the UI, to teach girls the way they learn, with a story and content they enjoy. Second, we're creating a Web version to be compatible with all devices, and adding more sharing features to allow girls to share code and collaborate with their friends. With the Small Basic Web version, you don't need to install anything. You can just use your browser. And you can maintain your privacy. You don't need to log in, create an account, or share your identity to share your program with friends.
We offered 3 workshops at Bring Your Kids to Work Day, where we taught kids Small Basic and had a lot of fun! We collaborated with a local professor and learned that women skewed toward a comprehensive information processing style and guided learning experiences. Girls were able to follow the tutorial or experiment on their own.
We picked a language that was easy for parents to learn so that they could help and encourage their kids.
What can a girl be if she starts coding at age 9? (Quotes from girls...)
- A computer engineer
- A builder
- A doctor
- A vet
- A fashion designer
- A nurse
- A computer engineer just like my dad
- The President
- A software developer
- An NHL player
...Anything she wants!
Thank you for joining us on this Small and Basic journey!
- Ninja Ed


text:
Back pain suffers, listen up: Here is something we are REALLY EXCITED ABOUT! Teeter Hang Ups has improved the EP-950 Inversion table with what they are calling the "Ergo-Embrace Ankle System" for improved comfort and feeling of security. We've been shipping the improved table for almost a month now, and have received fantastic feedback from our customers. Of course, we have used the improved table ourselves as well.
Here's the problem they solved with the new Ergo-Embrace System: The EP-950, like the F9000 table that came before it, is designed for those who have back pain to the point where they can not reach down to they ankles to fasten themselves in the table. Gravity Boots, feel fantastic, but have never been compatible with the EP-950. In fact, [Read more…]


text:
Dosia McKay
New Album of Music for String Quartet
Follow the latest on the album
I am pleased to announce my collaboration with
in the upcoming recording and release of a new album featuring my music for string quartet. The album is set to record at the end of February 2014 in Poland with a tentative release date in late spring or early summer through major digital retailers, such as iTunes and Amazon, and on CDs.
About the music
Stylistically, I tend to write in the post-classical idiom and with background in film scoring, I am drawn to tonality, jazz, and pop allusions, as well as ambient sound. My music is modern, yet very audience friendly, reaching to people who appreciate traditional classical music and beyond. This album will explore a wide range of the emotional spectrum, from beautiful and tender nostalgia, through Schoenbergian outbursts, and placid, ambient soundscapes.
About NeoQuartet
NeoQuartet, featuring Karolina Piatkowska-Nowicka, 1st violin, Pawel Kapica, 2nd violin, Michal Markiewicz, viola, and Krzysztof Pawlowski, cello, are great enthusiasts of modern art, often combining contemporary classical music with visual arts, modern dance, and electronics. Their repertoire highlights compositions by Reich, Crumb, Schnittke and contemporary Polish composers, such as Penderecki, Stulginska, Czerniewicz and Kosciow. The Quartet's 2008 recording of the music by Stulginska released by DUX was nominated to the Fryderyk Award in the Contemporary Music Category and was included in the album commemorating the 60th Anniversary of Gdansk Music Academy. In 2009, NeoQuartet participated in the Gaudeamus International Competition in Amsterdam, achieving the semi-final level, becoming one of the ten best contemporary music ensembles of that edition. In 2010, NeoQuartet recorded their debut album released by DUX feauring a diversity of contemporary classical music by Lason, Hosokawa, Janssen, Stulginska, and Czerniewicz. In 2012, NeoQuartet was nominated to the Sztorm Roku Award, the Pomeranian Artistic Award, and the Fryderyk Award (Polish Grammy Award) for the debut recording. The Quartet performed in the "Voices of the Mountains" in Lausanne, Switzerland marking the state visit of the President of the Republic of Poland Bronislaw Komorowski. NeoQuartet is the organizer of the NeoArte Festival aka. the New Music Spectrum in Sopot, Poland. The idea of the festival is to popularize contemporary classical music among a wide range of audiences.
About Pawel Nowicki, vibraphone
Pawel Nowicki studied percussion performance in Gdansk and Strasburg. He is a laureate of international competitions of contemporary music; Gaudeamus in Rotterdam (1999) and Clarment-Ferrand (1999). Since 2002 he has been a part of contemporary music ensemble Kwartludium, who participated in festivals of contemporary music in Poland (Warsaw Autumn), Radio Festival WDR in Cologne, and Unsound Festival in New York. Since 2003 the artist has been collaborating with the Warsaw Autumn festival as a soloists, premiering solo and chamber works. As a member of Kwartludium, he is a multiple recipient of grants from the Office of the Speaker of the House, the Town of Gdansk, and the "Young Poland" of the Ministry of Culture. Since 2004 he has been collaborating with an ensemble "Kobiety", garnering important awards in the world of pop and rock music. The artist regularly collaborates with such ensembles as Ecstasy Project, Pink Freud, and Kwadrofonik. He has performed throughout Europe and in Carnegie Hall and Symphony Space in New York.
Photos by Katarzyna Bartoszewicz and Michal Patron
All web content, images, scores, and music files © Dosia McKay.


text:
21st Century Slip Testing. Protect your business from slip risks...
The HSE recognise SlipAlert as an accurate portable slip assessment tool. It has a very high correlation with the Pendulum, the de facto industry standard.
The HSE STEP website looks at other slip test machines including trundle tests such as GMG, FSC200, and Tortus. HSE conclude that these machines cannot measure wet slip risk. The reason that SipAlert is one of the few machines that can accurately measure wet slip risk because it travels at the equivalent speed of a real slipping foot and creates the same squeeze film effect aqua-planing that causes the slip accident.
written over 3 years ago. Since then, the HSE have growing evidence that SlipAlert is robust, practical and the best portable floor testing tool. Comments on slip test machines on the new HSE e-learning website.
The UK government agencies the Health & Safety Executive and Health and Safety Laboroatories have formally tested SlipAlert and the report says...
"The extended testing of SlipAlert showed a
good correlation with the Pendulum test..."
"SlipAlert should be regarded as a good indication of available friction,
lending itself to risk assessment, monitoring of floor surfaces and evaluating & monitoring
cleaning regimes"
"SlipAlert tends to give fail-safe readings"
We'd like your help to prove the value of gathering real data on floors and the changes over time. Some floors remain safe for many years, others change from being quite safe to quite dangerous depending on the cleaning regime, treatments, coatings and polishes applied, the level of pedestrian use, other wear (trolleys etc), contamination, how people interact with the floor etc. Many factors can affect the risk of slips and many factors can contribute to the changes in your floors. We believe that every customer who regularly tests "at risk" floors and collates the data will help to build a knowledge base that will help prevent slip accidents. If you'd like to help us to gather data, then please contact us.
Read what the HSE and HSL thought of SlipAlert strengths...
The visual effect is important. As you will find when you use SlipAlert, it is easy to see if an area of floor has a slip risk.
SlipAlert is the best portable device we know of that will detect contamination on a floor. Contaminants change the slip resistance of a floor and many slip accidents are caused by contamination or poor cleaning. With SlipAlert you can prevent serious accidents.
"SlipAlert should be regarded as a good indication of available friction, lending itself to risk assessment, monitoring of floor surfaces and evaluating & monitoring cleaning regimes"
In 2008 the HSE Shattered Lives Campaign remind us that slips are the biggest cause of accidents and that businesses have a duty of responsibility to keep floors safe.
The HSE / HSL use SlipAlert. They have conducted in depth research to prove that SlipAlert works and now each region has access to a SlipAlert.
Contact us on +44 (0) 1923 858323 for full details.
If your customers care about floor safety then you and they may benefit if you demonstrate the value of SlipAlert and how it can improve cleaning, and improve floor safety.
Contact us
You can use SlipAlert to prove the effectiveness of your cleaning regime or to test a new floor surface or test a floor treatement. Most importantly you can use slipAlert to unshatter lives.
if you'd like to try slipAlert please contact us.
SlipAlert proves our floor treatment really works
Search Page
Click on the image to watch the video. Be sure to watch the wet and dry tests and see how the slip risk increases dramatically. Click for HSE video of SlipAlert.
New British Standard slip test. Manage out slipping accidents in your business. www.slipalert.com


text:
As we dive into this popular passage of scripture, we see the storms are coming, not if they come, but when they come. We are faced with what do we believe about our God in times...
Posted by
Laura Sommons
on 01/08/2019
no thanks!
I'd rather share your site with her directly


text:
All episodes The Widow is now available on Amazon Prime Video for streaming. The show follows Georgia Wells, a widow who lost her husband in a plane crash and goes into a mission to find him after she sees him on TV.
Here are screen captures, posters and stills from the show:
Television Shows > The Widow (2019) > Episodic Stills
Television Shows > The Widow (2019) > Screencaptures


text:
WASHINGTON, May 5, 2020 (by Michael Dickens)
Best buddies on the WTA Tour, Tennis United co-host Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Julia Goerges recently shared a laughter-filled WTA InstaLive chat in which they shared their thoughts on handling the ongoing COVID-19 sabbatical from competitive tennis and what each been doing to maintain their mental and physical wellbeing as well as to stay motivated.
Mattek-Sands, 35, was at home in Phoenix, Arizona (in the United States), while Goerges, 31, a native of Bad Oldesloe, Germany, checked in from her home country.
"It's a bit different than the usual occupation; it's a different life right now," the 38th-ranked Goerges explained. "I've never experienced being that much at home and not hitting."
Goerges, who has only played 11 singles matches this season (going 6-5) and none since Doha in February, said she went five and one-half weeks without hitting after beginning her quarantine in Germany. There, she has received special permission to travel to Munich from her home – some 300 kilometers round trip – to practice. "It's quite a long trip, going once a week, hitting balls. Fortunately, my gym does its job at home, too."
Meanwhile, Mattek-Sands, who is ranked No. 20 in doubles (with an 8-4 win-loss record) and like Goerges hasn't competed since Doha, said the weather was good in Phoenix, where she lives and trains with her husband, Justin. "The weather is pretty good. I have some private courts I can practice on. I'm not not trying to practice five days a week, especially when you don't know what you're training for. I'm just trying to feel the ball and enjoy the weather outside."
Goerges and Mattek-Sands were in agreement that the long layoff from tennis has made it seem awkward to go on a practice court. "You feel like, 'when is the next match happening? What am I doing here?'" said Goerges. "I've hit enough tennis balls in my life. When you're on the court, its like what the hell is that? It just feels different.
"Usually you go on a court to work on something or play for something," she added. "Now you are just like, 'Okay. A tennis racquet and a yellow ball and the rest.'" At this point, Goerges can't hold back her laughter.
"We're so used to having a schedule," said Mattek-Sands. "Even in our off-season, you know how many days off you're going to have, when were going back. How are you handling it?"
Goerges replies: "I still have my schedule. It's just a different schedule now. For me, its different. But I still schedule time for my program, otherwise I'm not surviving.
"The first week it was strange, to be honest. Waking up in the morning and you don't have this adrenaline going. You're not in a tournament where you have matches and pressure. Now, its like you're so loose, where's the pressure gone?
After three or four weeks, I kind of adjusted better."
Mattek-Sands said having a regular schedule helps her. "It is important to your sanity. Whether practice, having food at the right time. I like having a schedule. … I have my lists."
By this time in the conversation Mattek-Sands admitted, "I like watching Netflix. I rearranged my backyard. I'm curious what other people are doing," she said. So, she asked Goerges about what the German has been doing to spend her down time from tennis.
Unlike her buddy, Goerges doesn't have Netflix. However she's been cooking, cleaning her house, doing things she doesn't have time when she's on tour, which she has found to be satisfying. "I like to relax, too." Goerges admitted her favorite thing to cook is a halloumi burger, which is best described as comprised of a buttery brioche bun with crisp lettuce, onions, tomatoes and creamy mayonnaise layered around crispy halloumi cheese from Cyprus.
Both agreed, they are enjoying taking things easier than usual. Mattek-Sands and Goerges know that one day they will go back to playing tournament tennis, again, but for now they are appreciating going through a personal reset in the comfort of their respective homes.
"I try to entertain myself with a book; I don't watch much television," said Goerges. "I enjoy going for a walk, observing nature." Added Mattek-Sands: "It's a good time to slow down, do a personal reset, figure out my priorities."
View this post on Instagram
Behind The Racquet – Fabio Fognini
Fabio Fognini admits his first passion is football. "There were time I rather play football than tennis but it is tough to say that when tennis gave me this life," he wrote in a recent first-person essay for the Instagram series Behind The Racquet. "It is difficult because tennis is a job now, not a sport. Football is my favorite sport and I watch as much as I can. It was when I was younger when I decided tennis was for me. Football was amazing but tennis gave the responsibility I wanted. If I lose it is on me just like it is if I win."
View this post on Instagram
"The worst time of the year for me is between December and January when I am really close to flying again. I have a long pre season, see friends, some good dinners, and then I get back on the road. I always get sick days before I am about to leave. Sometimes a fever or a cough, and I just tell myself it is going to be okay. it has been like this for about 10 years. It happens because after having the chance to be at home, close to family and friends, it is almost like I am part of another life. I am still practicing but to have the chance to catch up with everyone doesn't really happen during the season. I remember my first child being eight months old, and Flavia and I were in Miami again for pre season. That time was unique. I was about to fly out to Australia and I began to cry like a baby. I just couldn't imagine leaving them. It was two years ago and I started off the season really poorly. I started the clay season with a couple first round losses and no confidence. During the three months before I kept telling myself that I needed time off to rest. That I should practice and just get ready for Monte Carlo. I was alone during the South American swing and also Miami. I felt lonely and the little time I got to see my family in between wasn't enough. I kept asking myself what should be doing. I found some motivation and told myself I should stay and fight. I was down 6-4, 4-1, break point during the first round of Monte Carlo. I not only managed to come back in that match, but I won the tournament. I pushed harder than I have before to get myself through that first match and ended with the best result of my life. My first passion was football. There were times I rather play football than tennis but it is tough to say that when tennis gave me this life. It is difficult because tennis is a job now, not a sport. Football is my favorite sport and I watch as much as I can. It was when I was younger when I decided tennis was for me. Football was amazing but tennis gave me the responsibility I wanted. If I lose it is on me just like it is if I win." @fabiofogna Go to behindtheracquet.com for extended stories, podcast and merch.
What they're saying
Marco Trungelliti of Argentina, best known for being a whistleblower in a big match-fixing scandal, is blasting tennis authorities over its management of the coronavirus crisis. In an interview with the Spanish-language EFE News Agency based in Madrid, the 231st-ranked Tungelliti criticized tennis's governing bodies for showing a lack of support to non-players who are working in the sport. "The only bad thing is that there are many people who make a living from this sport and not just players that we have stopped producing. All the work team behind it stops charging. The tennis bodies are painful and the only way they handle the situation is to say that it is poor. The whole system is quite loose and they don't take into account the trainers, the physical trainers."
Further, Tungelliti, 31, is critical of a lack of communication, saying those who are lower ranked or not a top name tend to get turned aside or – worse – ignored. "Each time you go down the ranking it is worse, it is evident, but the one who is 120 in the world has trouble reaching the end of the month. It is a reality," he said. "At the moment, there is a lot of anger between players and coaches. More than anything, people are angry at the lack of support. In tennis there is no information and you do not belong to anything. Neither financial or mental aid. The lack of communication is terrifying."
What they're writing
Joel Drucker, Tennis.com writer and historian, from "Underrated Traits of the Greats: Roger Federer – Winning Ugly": "Consider that the Swiss maestro, the man who has elicited more swooning than any tennis player in history, might best be understood via Brad Gilbert's 1993 tactical classic, Winning Ugly. As Gilbert wrote:
"'Study and build. Deploy and destroy. Does anyone in tennis history do this with as much technical and tactical acuity and diversity as Federer?'
"'When you play tennis, you play to a rhythm,' says Tennis Channel analyst Jimmy Arias. 'It's instinctual. You're used to a similar pace. Roger doesn't let you do that. He does so many things to take time and space away from his opponents.'"
What they're sharing on social media
Simona Halep, Romania, currently ranked No. 2 / There's no place like home
There's no place like home ❤ pic.twitter.com/9nAWmRIKHZ
— Simona Halep (@Simona_Halep) May 4, 2020
#TheRealHeroes / WTA to celebrate National Nurses Day on Wednesday
🎾WTA Fans 🎾
Join us and the world of sports this Wednesday, National Nurses Day, to thank all the frontline healthcare heroes.
Make a "jersey" in their honor. Tag it with #TheRealHeroes. pic.twitter.com/6DCun5sph1
— wta (@WTA) May 4, 2020


text:
Penalties for Immigration Marriage Fraud
If you or a partner is considering a fake marriage to enter the United States through a lawful permanent residency status, you are committing a serious crime that can have consequences. Known casually as the "green card" marriage, this form of marriage is a direct violation of the United State's immigration laws. People often use it to bypass the limitations of traditional visas and entrance into the country.
The Requirements of a True, Legal Marriage
In many cases, marriage is legitimate. However, the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) may become suspicious of a fraudulent marriage. For your wedding to be valid under immigration laws, it must:
- Include a real marriage ceremony;
- Have a marriage certificate complete with government stamps;
- You and your spouse must live together in a marital relationship;
- The marital relationship begins immediately after the wedding ceremony.
USCIS makes it their top priority to seek out fraudulent marriages for immigration. Therefore, a USCIS may question you about your intentions and your marriage — even if it is a legitimate one – at the adjustment of status interview.
Unfortunately, you will be required to provide evidence that your marriage is valid, which could include documentation from family members, extended personal interviews with a USCIS agent, a two-year testing period, and more.
USCIS will not follow or closely monitor your marital life. Instead, they rely on the documentation of your marriage and bona fide relationship you provide and personal interviews. However, you might be visited by an investigator from the Department of Homeland Security. The investigators could interview friends, family, neighbors, and your employer about your relationship.
What are the Penalties for a Fraudulent Immigration Marriage?
If you are guilty of marriage fraud, you will spend up to five years in prison, face fines of as much as $250,000, and you will lose all benefits whether you are the individual seeking a green card or the United States citizen.
Also, you could be charged with visa fraud, harboring an illegal alien, conspiracy, and more. Each of these charges carries subsequent prison sentences that could result in years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines.
If you're thinking of sponsoring your non-citizen spouse, please contact an immigration attorney to assist you. Speak with a lawyer from Udall Shumway, PLC immediately.
This blog should be used for informational purposes only. It does not create an attorney-client relationship with any reader and should not be construed as legal advice. If you need legal advice regarding Immigration Marriage Fraud, or other Immigration Law matters, please feel free to contact Phil D. Ortega at 480.461.5330, log on to udallshumway.com, or contact an attorney in your area. Udall Shumway PLC is located in Mesa, Arizona and is a full service law firm. We assist Individuals, families, businesses, schools and municipalities in Mesa and the Phoenix/East Valley.


text:
Jammer swimwear
The assortment of the ZAGANO online store is extremely diverse in terms of swimwear and sportswear. All products available in the offer are made of high-quality materials with excellent utility values, as well as an interesting design. ZAGANO products are characterized by durability, durability, as well as antibacterial and quick-drying properties. ZAGANO clothing items are intended primarily for active people who appreciate the functionality of their outfits and the comfort they offer. The offer includes men\ Jammer Zanto swim trunks, which are perfect for both amateur and professional swimming.


text:
The Three Stooges Dizzy Detectives.
After an attempt at installing a door with mishaps galore, the boys are recruited by the police chief to be police officers. The head of the citizen's league, Mr. Dill (John Tyrrell), warns the police commissioner that he must capture the ape man that is terrorizing the city, or he will have his job.


text:
Belfast's Queen's University has become the first organisation to achieve a Gold Standard in a new international Cycle Friendly Employer accreditation (CFE-UK).
The scheme has been launched by EU project 'Bike2Work', with the charity Cycling UK the recognised provider for the UK.
CFE-UK is the only international standard for workplace cycling, working in partnership with countries across Europe. Site auditing and advisory work is also provided by charity Sustrans for organisations in Northern Ireland.
Sustrans is promoting the scheme as part of a €4.4m (£3.9m) EU-funded project, working with European partners, to reduce car traffic and promote sustainable transport, such as cycling in east Belfast.
The university demonstrated an active commitment to improving conditions for cycling, across all sites.
To achieve accreditation, organisations must meet a range of measures, including communications, training and incentives for staff as well as physical facilities such as secure cycle parking, shower provision and changing rooms.
Wendy Galbraith, interim registrar and chief operating officer of Queen's University said: "I am very pleased that Queen's University Belfast is the first organisation to be awarded a gold standard in Cycling UK's Cycle Friendly Employer accreditation.
"The university has put significant efforts into creating a more cycle-friendly environment for our staff and students over the past number of years and we are delighted to have been recognised in this way."
Matt Mallinder, director of influence and engagement for Cycling UK, said: "We are delighted to officially accredit Queen's University as a Gold standard Cycle Friendly Employer. We've been very impressed with the university's facilities and the cycle-friendly culture that has been created, as well as their ongoing commitment to improve their surroundings, increase sustainable travel throughout the organisation and make the university cycle-friendly for all staff and students."
Gordon Clarke, Sustrans Northern Ireland director said: "Northern Ireland has piloted this Cycle Friendly Employer scheme which we hope will become a much sought-after accolade for all workplaces throughout the UK. It is appropriate that a prestigious seat of learning like Queen's University Belfast should be the first recipient and has set the bar high for other employers to aspire to."
TransportXtra is part of Landor LINKS
© 2022 TransportXtra | Landor LINKS Ltd | All Rights Reserved
Subscriptions, Magazines & Online Access Enquires
[Frequently Asked Questions]
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com | Tel: +44 (0) 20 7091 7959
Shop & Accounts Enquires
Email: email@example.com | Tel: +44 (0) 20 7091 7855
Advertising Sales & Recruitment Enquires
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com | Tel: +44 (0) 20 7091 7861
Events & Conference Enquires
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com | Tel: +44 (0) 20 7091 7865
Press Releases & Editorial Enquires
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com | Tel: +44 (0) 20 7091 7875
Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | Advertise
Web design london by Brainiac Media 2020


text:
We asked some of the city's leading artists and creatives to tell us about how they decided to pursue an artistic or creative career. We've shared some highlights below.
Andy Humphries | Model, Actor & Business Owner
I feel that working a 9-5 for the rest of my life just isn't for me. I've always been more of an artistic person so it was an easy choice to decide to start my own business and work for myself. I also do modeling and acting as well so I feel that I'm very passionate about the entertainment industry as well as being a creative person. Read more>>
Angela Zancanaro | Jewelry Designer & Metalsmith
Growing up in rural Oregon my mom often prompted me to build fairy cages, make candles with my crayons, or draw for entertainment. I would sit in my room and draw for hours and let my imagination run wild by creating new characters and creatures. Both my parents were entrepreneurs and always instilled in me that I could be anything that I wanted to be, so from a very young age I knew I wanted to pursue an artistic career. It took me many years of school to discover just what type of art would be my medium. Evolving from architecture to drawing and painting and picking up photography along the way, I finally discovered my passion for metal in college. I promptly switched majors graduating with a BFA in jewelry and metal arts from the Academy of Art University and haven't looked back since. Read more>>
Andrew Carson III | Architect
Architecture is a very challenging field, there are no right or wrong answers in design, so exploring the many opportunities to meet the clients programmatic needs is a wonderful adventure. Read more>>
Patricia Carberry (Tyser)
I never made an active to decision to have a career as an artist. I feel as if it pursued me. I've been fascinated with glass for as long as I can remember. As a student at a nearby college in Rochester, NY, I took a stained glass class and was instantly hooked. After a time, I was commissioned to created custom, one of a kind and limited edition windows for commercial and residential establishments. After 25 years I began to work in warm or fused glass, and continue to work in hot glass, creating beads and jewelry. Texture and fiber continue to intrigue me, and I am spending some time during the quarantine to experiment with textured pieces. Read more>>


text:
Once called pink slime, Cargill will label it 'finely textured beef'
Cargill says it will let consumers know when the ground beef they're buying contains the ingredient that critics have dubbed pink slime.
Cargill plans to begin using a label that reads "Contains Finely Textured Beef" before next summer's grilling season, the Associated Press reports. The story explains that the ground beef is made with a technology that allows the use of meat scraps and trimmings that once would have been sent to rendering plants. The AP notes that the beef meets federal safety standards and no label is required.
But in making its announcement, Cargill says its research found overwhelmingly that consumers think meat containing the product should be labeled.
According to a Reuters report, publicity about the processing method and the negative public reaction that followed led to an 80 percent drop in the demand for the product, which Cargill sells to supermarkets and restaurants. Sales have rebounded somewhat since then, the report says.
The Pioneer Press reports Cargill feels it was unfairly slimed last year. The paper quotes Ryan Cox, a University of Minnesota assistant professor of meat science, who said of finely textured beef: "It is for all intents and purposes ground beef. It has just been separated in a different manner."


text:
Inland Grizzly and Black Bear Combo
April 20 - June 30, 2022
This hunt is conducted within our two guide exclusive areas in the Wrangell St. Elias Preserve. A spring Interior Grizzly Bear and Black Bear hunt, located on prime glassing knobs to spot boars emerging from denning country, looking for sows in heat. With long daylight hours to hunt, this makes for an amazing experience and chance at harvesting an Interior Grizzly Bear and Black Bear.
Alaska-Yukon Moose
September 1 - September 30, 2022
Focusing on high trophy quality combined with a very customized personal hunt, we offer a few moose hunts in our exclusive concession each year. The Wrangell St. Elias Preserve harbors excellent trophy moose with a longer season running September 1 – 30, which makes this hunt easily combined with other species (Dall Sheep and Grizzly Bear).


text:
Dr. Gregory Kivett IN Show Me The Ozarks Magazine
Dr. Kivett has been featured in Show Me The Ozarks Magazine. The best part of the job for Dr. Kivett? "...watching patients see their new smile for the first time." We are proud to be serving the fine people of Joplin and the surrounding area. We love to see you smile.


text: A serious and rare form of poisoning resulting from eating improperly canned or preserved foods contaminated with a toxic produced by the bacterium clostridium botulinum. Disturbances of the central and peripheral nervous systems as well as progressive muscular paralysis is caused by this toxin. Clostridium botulinum produces spores that resist salting, boiling, smoking and some forms of pickling. The spores thrive in canned or poorly preserved food in the absence of air. Ingestion of even tiny amounts of the toxin can lead to severe. The symptoms of botulism will first occur within eight to thirty six hours of ingesting the contaminated food. They include difficulties in speaking and swallowing; vomiting and nausea; and double vision. Immediate treatment is vital. In children, the toxin can form in the body after the ingestion of foods contaminated with the bacterium; such as honey.


text:
It's not that this kind of thing is reducible to "the rules" themselves. In a sense, getting things done is as much a function of temperament and personality as the steps to take but there are a lot of things we can do to maximize effectiveness and achieve goals.
Here are a few:
1. Make a list.
I know it seems simple enough but all of them are going to be simple. It's not figuring out hidden strategies for success that's on point but planning steps in such a way as to get them done. The simplicity of "the list" might mask its importance and power as a tool for self and time management. It is a powerful tool but one you can make with a pencil, software or in your own head. It's my experience that people that make lists and apply them get a lot more done than people that have a jumble of ideas and a vague recollection of the things they wanted to get done that day, week or year.
Here's a great business note or planning app that's free and effective: http://evernote.com
Remember, you only get out of a tool what you put into it.
2. Get Clarity: Clearly define what you want to get done and plan reasonable steps toward its accomplishment.
You must know what you want to do.
What do you want out of life. What does God want for you. What does God want for you to want.
Almost anything is easier to do if you have a clear idea of what you're trying to achieve before you start. If you're already on a path and you find out you need to change course during the walk, it's a lot more difficult.
In simpler or lesser things the principle still applies. I want to grow a nice garden or I want to learn to cook are probably too vague for a reasonable expectation of success. What kind of a garden and cook what are things you should explore early and deeply.
3. Count the cost: Everything has a cost and everyone pays the toll.
This is perhaps the hardest aspect of getting things done but also the most fruitful. If it's a complicated task like "get a degree" or "learn a language" or "become the world's greatest whatever" there will be clear, identifiable, achievable steps to complete that task. Your job is to find out what they are and measure your available time and resources against the completion.
Google it. Research. Ask around. Read a book. Do some searches and find out what the big, main issues or concerns are in achieving the goal at hand. If it's unfathomable then pass it by but if it's doable then maybe you take a run at it.
Anything can be done but not everything should be done.
This is the biblical maxim of "counting the cost". Jesus uses it as an analogy of the Christian life when he says, ""Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won't you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?" We're not one to try to use a scripture out of its context but if the principal wasn't true to life in general he wouldn't have used it as a teaching tool for this issue in specific. We need to know what we're getting ourselves into.
Search engines like Ask.com http://www.ask.com and Google.com are places to start researching almost anything but remember you're not just looking for what you want to achieve but the intermediate steps between wanting and achieving.
4. Time management:
The most valuable resource in life that you'll never have enough of is time. It's always running out. This goes back to making lists and gaining clarity but when planning, whether getting the groceries or climbing Mt. Everest we need to know how much time is should take, how much time it could take, and when to just stay home. Remember the old maxim time is money? It's because the amount of time that something takes is directly related to how much it will cost you and thus how much you will gain or lose through achieving it.
Everything in your schedule has a reasonable amount of time that it should take and should be scheduled accordingly.
It's incredible the transformation that happens in some peoples lives when they start to apply time management principles to daily or weekly activities. It's not that they need to remove every "fun" thing or hobbies or social events, they find that they have more time for all of those things when they sharpen the amount of time they spend in necessary but time absorbing tasks.
Things like blogging, Facebook, reading, etc are things that you can and should set an amount of time for, and discipline yourself toward those ends. If we don't the mindlessness of the activity (and I mean that in the good way) can make minutes and hours disappear that we will never see again.
If you Facebook in the morning for example, set a five minute time limit; if you can't do it or lose track of time, set an alarm. If you still find that you can't drop it and not check it again till lunch time or after dinner, lose it. There is nothing in there that is that important to your own or another person's well being. You are quite literally giving a chunk of your life away that should be being spent somewhere else doing something else.
"You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath" Psalm 39
If you're 16 and you play video games for hours on end, maybe you get a pass. If you're 26 and have a wife, kids and duties in the community and you spend your time playing video games instead of dealing with your home life and catering to the needs of family, career and community (please insert any of a number of time-wasters like working on your car restoration project, fishing, bowling, watching T.V., reading fiction, whatever) you probably aren't dealing with a potentially serious problem. If history serves us well you can expect that it will catch up with you and hurt. It's as inevitable as the ticking of the clock.
Life is short. You won't get another one. At the end of it you are not going to list trivia as a worthy object of the cost you paid with your seconds, minutes and hours.
5. Manage fatigue: Anything worth doing is generally hard to do.
With that there are usually a lot of un-glorious, boring, monotonous things to do in the process of achieving any good thing. To raise children we change diapers. To get through law school we brief cases. To win a race there are a thousand intermediate steps before a finish line.
If you just want to manage your house better that's easy in theory but hard in practice. The sheer number of actions that are needful each day can wear you out. It's not the big things, it's the small ones multiplied over and over again.
When I'm working on a big project and under the gun I still take ten minutes out of every hour for a brain break, do something else, check my email, call my kids… anything that resets the intensity and keeps you working harder, faster and more effectively through the next 50 minutes. Fatigue is inevitable if you're doing anything that carries the glory of painful labor (which is its own beauty), it's all in how you manage it.
Adopt a conscious mental stance that you will not be defeated by the drudgery of doing toward the glory of succeeding. Consciously deciding is better than hoping for an automatic or unplanned resilience. If you're trying do anything worthy of doing the thought of quitting might come to mind more than once along the way. Be ready for that, and when it comes hit it with something heavy.
Do you know what sets doctors and lawyers apart from most folks? People usually think it's natural intelligence. It's not. Lots of very intelligent and and skilled people drop out/flunk out of medical or law school and find something else to do. It's bruising, tenacious, unyielding, unforgiving focus and tenacity coupled with the willingness to do the heavy lifting and back-breaking labor. Success at most things boils down to the willingness to do the hard work. If you already know you're not willing then you've already found a reasonable limit to what you're really willing to achieve.
Socrates was not wrong when he said, "Know thyself". It's a painful lesson so learn early to get it over with.
Is what you want to do something you want to do bad enough to actually do it? Are you willing to suffer and dig deep? Are you willing to risk failure for the hope of success?
At this point you might be thinking, geez I just wanted to learn how to tango and this conversation and suddenly gotten all heavy, and that would be true. You don't need to lean this heavy on the inner workings of the soul to learn the macarena, but if you want to do something heavy you'd better get used to thinking heavy thoughts. Heavy thoughts are heavy for a reason.
6. Value good advice:
The Proverbs teach that "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed."
How many people, when they were 17, thought their parents were complete idiots but by the time they're 37 think their parents are geniuses? It's pretty common. Wisdom hangs out where it wants too; you can't choose where to find it. If you need to know how to fix your marriage you go to a marriage counselor; if you want salvation get thee to church; if you want money see the banker. It's not rocket science. It's obvious. Get some counsel.
When you get contrary counsel choose between them as best you can.
People that aren't willing to take the wisdom of those that have already walked a few miles rarely do anything very interesting. Yeah, every once in a while you get an Albert Einstein but he was Albert Einstein. The rest of us are just trying to get things done.


text:
President Rouhani's visit to Moscow roadmap for furthering ties
EghtesadOnline: The two-day visit to Moscow by President Hassan Rouhani and his delegation is expected to see the signing of 10 cooperation documents and drawing the roadmap for furthering future ties.
On the itinerary of President Rouhani's Monday trip to Moscow, are a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin as well as a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
President Rouhani is scheduled to attend a dinner banquet and visit a group of Iranians living in Russia, IRNA reported.
The president is also expected to lay a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the vicinity of the Kremlin and to receive an honorary doctorate degree from a Moscow state university.
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Minister of Information and Communications Technology Mahmoud Vaezi, who accompany President Rouhani during the trip, are scheduled as well to hold talks with their Russian counterparts.
Putin and Rouhani have met six times in the past during international meetings held in third countries.
They have also met once in the Iranian capital Tehran and once in Ufa, the capital city of the Republic of Bashkortostan in Russia.


text:
If you're chasing aloo gobi in London, or are surrounded by Mumbaikars and Delhiites in a popular biryani joint in Hyderabad, you're on the wrong track. Food blogger Kalyan Karmakar of Finelychopped.net tells you how to savour real local flavour.
One of the biggest challenges any traveller faces is how to eat well in a strange, unfamiliar country. How can you learn local culinary secrets? What are the best places to eat? What should you order? How do you ensure you don't leave without trying out the best food that the city has to offer?
It would be ideal to have a local take you around and show you where and what to eat. You could hope for a stroke of luck, that a friendly local finds you. Or you can find your own way around. Here are five simple rules to help you if you decide to do that.
#1 Go where the locals go
At my hotel in Penang, Malaysia, I asked the staff to point me to places where they would go to eat themselves. A gentleman called Hanif happened to hear me, and offered to take me around.
Thanks to him I discovered the magical world of nasi kandar. This is the local Malaysian curry and rice (nasi)-based cuisine, which was brought to Malaysia by 'Mamaks' or Indian immigrants.
He suggested a pigeon curry, which was delightful, and then a soya sauce-based 'Indian' dish called ayam nigar which was delicious followed was an afternoon of letting my guard down. Egged on by Hanif, I tried durian—a fruit that is feared for its noxious odour. That afternoon, as I took in creamy bites of durian (with my nose covered), I discovered why people in the archipelago are crazy about the heady taste of this fresh fruit.
#2 Tweet before you eat
Twitter is a great place for good food tips. For instance, when I was headed to Hyderabad, I tweeted, "Going to Hyderabad and want to check out the biryani. Is there more to it than Paradise?" By the time my flight landed in Hyderabad, I was flooded with tweets from locals who said adise was for tourists.
Thanks to them, I went to Paradise and Cafe Bahar, and then to Shadab in the old city. All of them had wonderful renditions of the Hyderabadi biryani. Then there was that wet evening in London's Soho, far from Shadab. With nothing to do, I sat at Starbucks, using the WiFi to tweet about my lack of plans and of my quest for a dinner option. Robin Majumdar, one of the earliest food bloggers in London, and a friend, retweeted my tweet. The responses to his tweet led me to Bone Daddies and an ethereal pork belly ramen soup which warmed thecockles of my heart.
#3 Take a food walk
The New York Times recently referred to city insiders who conduct food walks as 'food sherpas'. In Seville, Spain, we met Shawn Henessey, whom we began interacting with even before we landed there. She sent us to a quaint inn called Las Theresas, which was devoid of tourists. Luckily, she texted us the names of dishes we should order, since the owners didn't speak English. She later took us on a tapas tour, which covered a variety of places. Her suggestions on what to order were peppered with stories of families who ran the restaurants.
#4 Keep your eyes open
Sometimes it helps not to plan a trip down to every meal. There is a lot to be discovered by just ambling around and keeping your eyes open. While returning from the Matterhorn ski ramp at Zermatt in Switzerland, we decided to walk the last level down instead of taking the lift. We stumbled upon a village fair, and there were some food stalls as well. We decided to follow the crowd and tried out some amazing sausages. We then went to another stall where someone put a slice of cheese into a grill and then served the crisp slice with gherkins. That was our first introduction to the world of raclettes. I realised that day that there was more to Swiss cheese than fondues.
#5 Write a food blog
There are no substitutes to building your own food social network. My food blog, for instance,helped me explore Melbourne. I had just landed in the city and switched on my phone, when I saw a Facebook message from Kunal Dhume, a chef in Melbourne. Thanks to him, I discovered the world of Irish pubs in Melbourne and then a quaint Chinese place called Supper Inn and the Vietnamese settlement of Footscray, with their ephemeral rice spring rolls and hot pots of pho.
Then there was Carmen in Barcelona, whom I connected with through my blog. She tweeted suggesting that we meet. The next evening, Carmen, joined by her father who was visiting from out of town, took me to a delightful tapas bar called La Plata, which had just four dishes on offer and was packed with diners.
Those are my rules. Explore. Seek hosts. Tap social media. Let your guard down. When you step out of your comfort zone, you will eat well.


text:
Varsity Softball Moves On To "Elite Eight"
Varsity Softball progresses to their second round of playoffs Oct. 8, learn about their first victory.
October 8, 2020
Oct. 8, Varsity Softball will play against Grand Junction Central in their second playoff game. They advanced after their 11-1 win Oct. 6 against Legacy. Overall, the team's record is 16-1, with them ranking first in the state for a 5A team with a record of 10-0 in their League.
Last season, the team was eliminated in their first round of playoffs against Ralston Valley 6-3, Oct. 25, 2019.
"I feel really good about [the first playoff game], obviously it was kind of a challenge for us that we needed to get over [last year's loss]. We needed to climb that mountain," Audrey Burt '21, Team Captain and pitcher, said. After realizing their win Oct. 6, the team ran together and celebrated.
They will play in the "Elite Eight" (their second round of playoffs) against number eight-slated team Grand Junction Central Oct. 8 at 3:30 p.m. at home. You can view the CHSAA 5A Softball bracket here. Additional seating is located in outfield.


text:
Beautiful tables
We are talking food menus, place names, cocktail lists, table numbers and cake signs you thought all the stationery options were done with once you got your invites out but no now you're spoilt for choice with your on the day stationery.
Need some inspro? We thought so, feast your eyes on some of our bespoke ideas and pre-designed options which are super easy to order.
Place names
So many different options and shapes but here are some of our fav:
What everyone is looking for after they find their name...the food! We design per-table or per-person and you can even have the names added so you don't have to have the places names separately:
Cake signs
Beautiful ways to show guests what's in your multi-layered cake with allergy info included:
For more inspro see our full blog list or if you want to have a chat through on the day stationery feel free to book in a 30min chat here.


text:
Happy Thursday! I've posted this swing dress so many times on Instagram but hadn't gotten around to posting it on the blog. It's a little bit of a splurge but I can't even tell you how many times I've worn it! I've also seen it styled with skinny jeans and booties and absolutely love it. I decided to pair it with one of my favorite pairs of booties for a boho-like look. Added in a lot of dainty accessories (see below for all product details) and called it a day!
It's been a super long week and I can't wait for it to be over. To say I'm mentally/physically exhausted would be the understatement of the century. Being a 21-year-old is hard. Being a student is hard and being a blogger is hard. But I love it all! We can't always have perfect weeks, right? Hopefully next week will be so much better.
Anyways, if you've been debating picking up this dress, I definitely think you should! There's nothing better than a swing dress that's comfortable, versatile and so cute. 🙂
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by! Remember to enter to win $50 to Marshalls two posts back. xo!


text:
Sad news with the announcement of the sudden death of serving Watch Manger Alan Brown. Details of the funeral, when confirmed, will be posted here via the Latest News page.
Detailed below is the announcement in full from the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service website.
Area Manager John Dickie, Senior Officer for the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said:
"We were devastated to learn of the sudden death of our colleague and friend Watch Manager Alan Brown.
"Alan, who was 46 years old, had been off duty and on a night out when he was discovered fatally injured in the early hours of Friday morning (4 April).
"Crews from Tollcross and Newcraighall fire stations were mobilised to the incident following reports that a man had fallen into a basement at William Street, Edinburgh. Firefighters used line rescue equipment to recover him and move him to the waiting ambulance but tragically Alan was pronounced dead at the scene
"Alan joined Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service (as was) in January 1995. He was a well-known and very popular member of staff, a larger-than-life character, with many good friends across the service.
"Our thoughts and sincere sympathies are with Alan's family, friends and his colleagues who will be devastated at his loss."
Alan's wife, Sarah Brown added:
"Alan was a beloved husband and father. He will be greatly missed. As a family we now need time to come to terms with this tragic event and grieve Alan's loss."


text:
St. Clair County real estate: Now's the time to sell
Brian Fitzpatrick and his wife found the perfect Fort Gratiot house for their young family in the past month.
As soon as he walked through the house, he knew that was the home he wanted to raise his five-year-old daughter in. It was a family neighborhood with ample room for a growing child to ride their bike around.
He immediately put his smaller Fort Gratiot home up for sale and it was swooped up at full price within 11 days of its listing.
Now all Fitzpatrick, 47, has to do is finish painting the new home, pack up boxes and move across the township.
Fitzpatrick's realtor, Dave Simpson of Keller Williams Port Huron, said it's a seller's market right now and real estate keeps increasing in worth.
"Home prices rose quite a bit last spring and plateaued off over the summer," Simpson said. "I expect them to peak again this spring."
The housing market at all angles is on an upswing in St. Clair County – the real estate market is active and new homes are being built.
Multiple area realtors and home builders said they had a record year in 2016 and expect the coming year to surpass those numbers.
Real estate
Between the Keller Williams Real Estate offices in New Baltimore and Port Huron, both of which cover St. Clair County, the company has had a record year.
"I had the best year in real estate last year that I've ever had," said Dianna Maxwell, Keller Williams realtor. "The first week of this new year is starting off very well too."
Maxwell said she projects that 2017 will be even better.
"Every month we have been topping our year-to-month numbers," she said. "In December we closed on over 300 homes at our company in just that one month. We don't see things slowing down at all."
Maxwell's client, Theresa Miller, 57, of Fort Gratiot, recently put her home on the market. She wanted to downsize to a smaller house with fewer rooms to take care of.
Miller said the real estate team hosted an open house on the snowiest day of the year and still she had interested buyers walking through her home. The first young couple to show up immediately said they were interested in the home and the sale is now pending.
"Everyone was floored when they said they wanted it," Miller recalled. "But ranches are one of the top things that are selling in our area right now."
Simpson said it's a seller's market right now, with the best months to sell in Michigan spanning from March through May. He said by June the market gets flooded, upping competition and driving down home prices.
He said St. Clair and Fort Gratiot Township are hot spots to sell right now. There isn't much inventory in either municipality, yet there's a high demand which is driving up home prices in both places.
But while St. Clair County is on the rise again, Simpson said it still doesn't compare to the tri-county area.
In 2016, Oakland County saw closings on 21,015 homes, Macomb County say 15,217, while St. Clair County saw 2,464, according to Realcomp, a data collection company that focuses on real estate numbers.
"Macomb (County) is just booming again," he said. "Like they were 10 years ago. Houses are going up left and right. Macomb and Oakland (counties) are both like that and their houses are selling for twice as much, if not more."
Simpson said in addition to homes, he has had an increase in vacant lots sales to people interested in building new.
New builds
The current new builds typically result because there's not enough inventory of homes for sale or because the cost it would take to remodel a client's current home is practically as much as the cost of a new build.
In St. Clair County the majority of new builds are initiated by individual people who want a specifically designed house as opposed to a developer who wants to build 15 homes to create a new subdivision.
New home builds started to accelerate over the past 18 months, said Mike Stoskopf, Home Builders Association of Southeastern Michigan director.
"Of all nine counties in the southeastern Michigan region, St. Clair County is still the lowest," Stoskopf said. "If the county can get back to issuing 200 to 250 building permits for new homes a year, than things will be going pretty well."
In St. Clair County, 65 building permits for new home builds were issued in 2013. That number reached near 125 in 2016.
But in Oakland County, 1,913 permits were issued while Macomb County saw 1,337 permits issued.
"St. Clair County is still trying to climb back up there," Stoskopf said. "Back in the day before the recession you would expect a yearly average in St. Clair County to be close to 875 a year. It's tough to say if we will get back there though."
It's hard to compare St. Clair County's growth to the tri-county area though because even at its most robust building boom, it was still far behind the more populated and developed counties. In 2000, St. Clair County issued 825 new build permits while the other counties issued more than four times that number.
New home construction is expected to continue increasing slowly by five percent each year for the next few years, said Janet Mocadlo, Southeastern Michigan Council of Governments planner.
Mocadlo said the types of new developments built will need to change to meet the needs of the prospective buyers. More affordable, yet nice, starter homes for young millennials will become more in demand as well as apartment complexes geared toward the region's aging population.
In Port Huron, one developer is already stepping up to meet the demand of the older residents. Bluewater View Condominiums, slated to be built on the old YMCA property in Port Huron, is being marketed to older residents who no longer want to take care of a large house and yard.
"We have young people with small budgets coming in and older people with disposable incomes who want to get out of the houses," Mocadlo said. "That's the demand our builders will need to meet."
Local builders agreed that the challenges to building more new homes in the St. Clair County area is both the lack of skilled builders and market prices that haven't caught up with price of construction.
Richard Niemietz, of Richard L. Niemietz Inc. design and building company, said he has had to recently turn down jobs to build new homes because of lack of labor.
"We can't keep up with the pace," he said. "But because of the demand, builders are going to go where they will get paid the most and that's not in St. Clair County, so we have lots of builders that have left for Oakland and Macomb counties."
Rick Mills, East Lake Builders owner, agreed that he has had to turn away work.
"There's so much of a demand that we are even getting calls from clients outside of the St. Clair County area because people are having a hard time finding available builders everywhere," Mills said. "But we have less labor now because there were a lot of years where construction outlook was abysmal so they didn't want to go into the trade and now our schools have even taken those shop classes out of the curriculum."
But the other challenge is the market value of a newly built home versus its appraisal value.
In order for a bank to finance a new home build, an appraiser must assess the worth of the potential home. Appraisers do this by comparing the potential home to homes of similar size in the neighborhood. Banks feel safe loaning out sums of money that the home could potentially sell for on market. However, that market value has not kept up with inflated construction, lumber and concrete prices.
"The problem we are having is the appraisal industry has not kept up with the increased price of new construction," Niemietz said. "I built my own house recently and invested over $200,000 in it and when the appraiser came out he appraised it for $130,000. So we are still playing catch up there."
This means that clients who want a new home built in St. Clair County must have the cash to balance out the difference that a bank loan will not cover.
Mills said that homes were selling at such low rates in the county that the comparable data that shows what homes are worth – whether newly built of not – is not competitive.
"A lot of people we work with are self-funded," he said. "Banks won't lend money for the projects when they will cost $300,000, but the market is saying they are only worth $150,000."
More new builds won't pop up until the appraisal values catch up, but the appraisal values won't catch up until there are more new builds to compare value to or until the current homes on market increase in value.
Craig LaDuke, owner of LaDuke Construction, said the majority of his clients contracting for new homes are those who are building their final legacy home that they will remain in for years.
LaDuke said those clients are able to finance the project themselves and don't care if their home is too expensive to sell because they don't plan on selling.
"That's the market that is moving forward right now," LaDuke said. "The jobs that we turn down are the ones that just can't get the financing from the banks because the appraisals haven't caught up yet."
Rob Patterson, an appraiser from Mid-West Appraisal Company, said he agreed that appraisal values need to catch up to the actual cost of constructing a new home. But he said as an appraiser, he is stuck comparing values to old homes because that's the only current data out there.
"We are lacking the data to back up the numbers to say this is what a house is worth," he said. "There's not a lot of new construction out there for us to compare to. At this point in our area the cost of constructing a home is still over and above what the market is willing to pay."
Contact Nicole Hayden at (810) 989-6279 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow her on Twitter @nicoleandpig.