text:
Beware the False Comfort of Conventional Wisdom
When was the last time you asked yourself this question: "What would happen if I did the opposite?". Better yet, when was the last time you actually did the opposite?
Doing the opposite – going against the grain, bucking conventional wisdom – can be scary. It can result in failure. Particularly in the legal profession, it welcomes skepticism. It invites derision. It makes people uncomfortable.
It is also the indispensable action that is inextricably linked to virtually every breakthrough idea that has moved the needle of human progress. "Doing the opposite" is just another term for innovation.
Conventional wisdom is, by definition, a generally accepted theory or belief. Any action or idea that is contrary to conventional wisdom is, therefore, generally not accepted. The person propounding it is considered wrongheaded and countercultural – until the radical is proven right, of course, and the new idea replaces the old. As Albert Einstein said: "The only sure way to never make mistakes is to have no new ideas."
Paradoxically, many think that the time to take chances, buck the system and eschew conventional wisdom as a lawyer is when we are young; that as we age we must accept certain "realities" about life and "responsibilities" about work.
But the exact opposite is true.
It is with time and experience that we become more aware, more attuned and (should) learn to think independently. It is when we are young that we are more susceptible to the conventions of wisdom. Most young people lack the real world experience and maturity to buck the status quo or, as Seth Godin likes to say, "make a ruckus." This is in part due to the fact that educational environment prioritizes memorization and socialization (sit quietly, be obedient) over the need to think critically.
So it is left to the adults, who have seen the world, worked in it, and in many ways been frustrated by it, to change it. It is not a challenge that most accept willingly, however. That's because there is a sense of comfort in convention, but it is false. As Mark Twain said: "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect."
It's easy to go with the flow, play it safe, and wait for the early adapters to innovate before falling into line. But sometimes you need to rock the boat. Indeed, anyone who thinks or acts contrary to conventional wisdom is considered crazy right up until the moment he or she proves it wrong.
Here are some examples that, the next time you're considering following the crowd, may inspire you to do the opposite.
The Fosbury Flop
Dick Fosbury was a scrawny, average athlete who competed on his high school track team in Oregon. By all accounts, and according to conventional wisdom, he wasn't good enough to be competitive in his chosen discipline, the high jump.
At the time, high jumpers utilized a technique similar to a hurdler, jumping over the bar one leg at a time in a scissor action. Fosbury couldn't compete with taller, more athletics jumpers using this technique, so he invented a new one. Instead of going over the bar feet first, he jumped with his back to the bar, clearing the bar face up, back down in what would come to be known as the "Fosbury Flop." He was ridiculed, and even his coach urged him to abandon this weird technique.
It was only a few short years later that Fosbury stood on the podium at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, gold medal in hand, having just set a new Olympic and U.S. record for the high jump. Today, it is conventional wisdom that the Fosbury Flop is undoubtedly the best way to clear the bar…until, of course, it's not.
Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland A's, was presented with a dilemma: How to win games with a fraction of the budget of big market teams like the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers?
Conventional wisdom held that, to win, a team needed position players that hit for a high batting average and flame-throwing pitchers who could rack up lots of strikeouts. But those players cost money, and money was something that Beane didn't have at his disposal.
So Beane turned to Paul DePodesta, a former economics major at Harvard for help, who was a disciple of the self-educated statistician Bill James and his analysis of baseball statistics called "sabermetrics." What they found, and ultimately acted upon, was the fact that the traditional measures of evaluating a baseball free agent or draft pick – measures such as speed, size, athleticism, arm strength, batting average – that had been conventional wisdom in baseball since its inception as a professional sport, were wrong. They were not accurate predictors of success. At a minimum, they led teams to overpay for players.
Beane and his team analyzed statistics from the previous decade and found that certain statistics – such as on base percentage – were much more relevant predictors of success, but greatly undervalued in the marketplace. Accordingly, Beane was able to stock the A's with players who are highly productive despite lacking the gaudy stats – and commensurate price tag – of higher profile stars.
According to Beane, "We can't do things the way everyone else does, because of our payroll. We had to create our own niche and stay disciplined about staying in it."
The strategy paid off as Beane consistently led the A's to the playoffs. While Beane was ridiculed for his approach at the time, today sabermetrics is mainstream. One of the most successful and sought after executives in baseball, sabermetrician Theo Epstein, became general manager of the Boston Red Sox at 28 years old, won two World Series championships, and is now leading the resurgent Chicago Cubs.
The Wright Brothers
Outmanned and out-financed, and faced with the very real possibility that they would die in pursuit of their dream, Wilbur and Orville Wright decided to proceed nonetheless and create the first airplane.
In the early 1900s conventional wisdom held that American astronomer Samuel Langley would lead the breakthrough in manned and powered flight. The U.S. government invested $70,000 in Langley's efforts. The Wright Brothers were but a sideshow, only able to invest $1,000 of their own money into their venture. The "smart" money was on Langley. The Wright brothers soared nonetheless. The rest is history.
It's conventional wisdom that the modern day assembly line is the fastest and cheapest way to manufacture goods. But it was a radical idea when proposed by Henry Ford over 100 years ago. At the time, automobiles were considered a luxury item, and were hand-crafted piece by piece for wealthy patrons. The idea of producing the Model T on a large scale at an affordable price point for the masses was considered crazy.
Ford pushed forward, nonetheless, creating one of the most iconic cars, companies and industrial breakthroughs in history. John D. Rockefeller called Ford's assembly process "the industrial miracle of the age."
Waiting an hour or more for a pizza was standard, it was conventional wisdom – at least until Tom Monaghan and Domino's Pizza came along.
This small, upstart Ann Arbor-based pizza maker upended the industry with its 30-minute delivery guarantee. Using fast cooking ovens and efficient processes that others in the industry had not even considered, Domino's quickly became dominant in the market.
Skadden Arps
My old law firm, Skadden Arps, and its longtime leader, Joe Flom, are great examples of "doing the opposite" and achieving great success in the legal industry. Skadden's unconventional rise was documented in Malcolm Gladwell's 2008 bestseller Outliers.
When Flom began his career at Skadden, it was a second tier firm. The "white-shoe" firms in New York did a certain type of work, and hired a certain type of lawyer (not one like Flom). Gladwell quotes Flom in the book: "What kind of law did we do? Whatever came in the door!".
And what started coming in the door in the 1950s and 1960s was work related to corporate proxy fights and hostile takeovers that the big firms wouldn't touch. Flom honed his craft during these decades (doing the opposite), and when the hostile takeover boom of the 1970s and 1980s rolled around, he and Skadden were positioned to dominate. Everyone else was playing catch up.
When it comes to "doing the opposite" as an individual lawyer, it doesn't mean acting radically or rashly. It just means challenging conventional wisdom once in awhile; trying something new; and being willing to zig when everyone else is zagging. There's often great opportunity just beyond that line that others aren't willing to cross.
Newer PostThe Opportunity of Disruption
Older PostBuilding a Personal Brand Doesn't Require Fearlessness – It Requires Dancing with the Fear


There have been recent reports that ad-break viewing, rather than just programme viewing, is about to be reported in the US for the first time. This is seen as a major development which allows a clearer indication of the actual viewing of commercials rather than of the overall programme.
This has been a feature of the UK market since before BARB was established in 1981. BARB would like to take this opportunity to clarify a number of established features in the reporting of UK television viewing.
BARB reporting of viewing in the UK is available at minute-by-minute level. For the purposes of commercial trading, individual transmissions of advertising spots on a channel are aligned to the viewing figure for the relevant transmission minute (of the spot, for that channel).
BARB viewing includes playback of timeshift material where this is at normal speed only. This is the case for VCR, and PVR/DVR reporting. Fast forwarding of commercials is excluded (this is also true for any programme material).
BARB viewing data are collected electronically using meters that are connected to all equipment attached to a TV set – so that the broadcast or playback material on screen can be automatically identified.
Where people are searching between channels, and do not stay tuned to a particular channel then viewing will not be assigned to a channel.
BARB's definition of viewing, more correctly 'opportunity to see', is based on a person's presence in the room with the television switched on. Viewers leaving the room de-register their presence, and register on entry. The people data are aligned with the data from the TV equipment to produce viewing data by demographic groups.
BARB was set up in 1981 to provide the industry-standard audience measurement service for television broadcasters and the advertising industry. It is a not-for-profit limited company owned by BBC, ITV, Channel 4, five, BSkyB and the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising.
BARB provides in-home TV viewing measurement for the UK. This is obtained from a panel of 5,100 homes. These homes return data from around 11,500 viewers. Viewing from visitors to the home is included (Guest Viewing). Viewing figures are available to subscribers the morning after transmission. VCR and Sky+ playback is incorporated within 7 days of transmission (Consolidated Viewing). Audiences are reported on a minute-by-minute basis.
The panel design is representative of the whole of the UK. People are recruited from across the population. All viewing environments in the home are represented. Multiple TV sets are measured. BARB measures both analogue and digital delivery via cable, satellite and terrestrial distribution.


This website focus on changing Indian retail scenario. Modern retail was a boom for India. In last 10 years India has seen unprecedented growth. Modern Trade also known as organized trade enhance spectrum. With Entry of corporate like Kishore Biyani, Reliance, Birla, Modi and Ruais spectrum was increased multi fold.
Modern trade is going with difficult time, Jumbo electronics is history so is Subhiksha. Croma, The Mobile store, Spice hotspost have one thing is common i.e. heavy losses.


If you're like most people, you have that one sweet tooth the needs to be satisfied at all times.
Luckily, you can get your daily dose of CBD while satisfying that pestering sweet tooth at the same time!
Tasty Hemp Oil CBD Tasty Cocoas are the perfect fit for you!
Available in two fantastic flavors, dark chocolate mint and dark chocolate, these Tasty Cocoas come in packs of 4 with 10mg of CBD per edible!
Not only are these CBD Tasty Cocoas delicious, they offer an extremely easy way to administer your daily dose of CBD!
These 4 packs of Tasty Cocoas can easily be carried in any purse or backpack!
Whether you need relief at the gym, at work, or at the in-laws, you can trust that the CBD Tasty Cocoas by Tasty Hemp Oil will get the job done!
You can take the whole thing at once, or bite off smaller sections so that one piece lasts 2-3 servings.
To preserve the outstanding quality of your Tasty Hemp Oil CBD Tasty Cocoas, please store in a cool, dry place away from excessive heat, light, or humidity.
The Tasty Hemp Oil CBD Tasty Cocoas should not to be used during pregnancy or lactation. If you have a medical condition or take pharmaceutical drugs, please consult your physician before use. Keep out of reach from children.


text:
Matthews scores in OT to lift Maple Leafs past Flames 2-1
Toronto Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews (34) celebrates his game winning goal with teammate Morgan Rielly (44) during overtime against the Calgary Flames in an NHL hockey game in Toronto on Friday, Nov. 12, 2021. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP) Associated Press
Toronto Maple Leafs' Jake Muzzin (8), Justin Holl (3) and Auston Matthews (34) team up to defend as goaltender Jack Campbell (36) makes a save on Calgary Flames' Andrew Mangiapane (88) during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto on Friday, Nov. 12, 2021. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP) Associated Press
Calgary Flames goaltender Dan Vladar (80) watches Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews' (34) game winning overtime goal bounce out of the net during an NHL hockey game in Toronto on Friday, Nov. 12, 2021. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP) Associated Press
Calgary Flames' Oliver Kylington (58) scores on Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Jack Campbell (36) during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto on Friday, Nov. 12, 2021. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP) Associated Press
Calgary Flames goaltender Dan Vladar (80) dives to cover up the puck as Flames' Rasmus Andersson (4), Nikita Zadorov (16) and Mikael Backlund (11) try to control Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Michael Bunting (58) and center William Nylander (88) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto on Friday, Nov. 12, 2021. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP) Associated Press
Calgary Flames goaltender Dan Vladar (80) makes a save as defenseman Nikita Zadorov (16) tries to control Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Michael Bunting (58) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto on Friday, Nov. 12, 2021. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP) Associated Press
Toronto Maple Leafs' goaltender Jack Campbell (36) makes a save as Calgary Flames' Trevor Lewis (22) looks on during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto on Friday, Nov. 12, 2021. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP) Associated Press
Updated 11/12/2021 10:25 PM
TORONTO -- Auston Matthews scored at 2:32 of overtime and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Calgary Flames 2-1 on Friday night.
William Nylander had a goal and an assist and Jack Campbell made 30 saves to help the Maple Leafs win for the seventh time in eight games.
Oliver Kylington scored for Calgary, which has lost three straight (0-2-1). Dan Vladar stopped 35 shots.
Vladar stopped Matthews on a breakaway and Mitch Marner on a follow in overtime before Campbell shut the door on a frantic sequence in Toronto's end. However, Matthews got another chance on his next shift, and beat Vladar between the pads for his sixth goal of the season.
With his goalie shutting the door on chance after chance, Kylington started a break the other way early in the third period. The smooth-skating defenseman passed to Johnny Gaudreau before getting the return feed and beating Campbell with a move to the backhand for his second goal of the season at 4:55 to put Calgary up 1-0.
Vladar, who got the call ahead of regular starter Jacob Markstrom in the second game of a back-to-back following Thursday's 4-2 loss to Montreal, continued to shut the door for the Flames until Nylander blasted home his team-leading eighth on a one-timer with 7:06 left.
The Flames got their first power play when Ondrej Kase went off for tripping with 5:25 remaining, but the Maple Leafs had the best chance when defenseman Jake Muzzin hit the post.
TAVARES RETURNS
Toronto captain John Tavares returned to the lineup after missing Wednesday's 3-0 road shutout of the Philadelphia Flyers.
HALL OF FAMERS HONORED
The Hockey Hall of Fame's Class of 2020 was honored before the game after last year's induction ceremony was postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Jarome Iginla, who served as Flames captain from 2003-13, Marian Hossa, Kevin Lowe, Doug Wilson and Kim St-Pierre are set to go into the hall in the player category Monday, while Ken Holland will enter as a builder.
Flames: At Ottawa on Sunday.
Maple Leafs: Host Buffalo on Saturday night.
More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: How to use the RandomNumberGenerator within llvm? I was hoping someone can give me an example as to how to use the RandomNumberGenerator class within LLVM. All of the examples I am able to find seem to use outdated methods.
I would like to be able to create a RNG within a pass that can be overridden with the '-rng-seed' parameter.
How can this value be accessed if it was provided as a parameter, and how to create the value if it was not provided as a parameter?
Also, I understand that a single RNG is not meant to be shared between threads for a single module. If I am running multiple passes on a module, can they share the same generated RNG?

A: The RandomNumberGenerator class has a private constructor (check its doc and the source file under llvm/lib/Support/RandomNumberGenerator.cpp), so the only way (that I know of, at least) to get a hold of an instance is via Module's createRNG method.
So, assuming that you have llvm:Function pass (and using C++11):
bool runOnFunction(llvm::Function &CurFunc) override {
  auto rng = CurFunc.getParent()->createRNG(this);
  llvm::errs() << (*rng)() << '\n';

  return false;
}

Now you can run this on a module like this (assuming you modified the hello world pass from the documentation):
opt -load ./libLLVMHelloPass.so -hello foo.bc -o bar.bc

Rerunning this, it will give you the same pseudo-random number.
The -rng-seed option becomes available to your pass once you include the header (and link against the LLVM support library, i.e. llvm-config --libfiles support). So, changing the above execution line to something like:
opt -load ./libLLVMHelloPass.so -hello -rng-seed 42 foo.bc -o bar.bc

should give a different sequence.
Lastly, AFAIK, LLVM passes via opt are run sequentially in the context of a PassManager (certainly for the legacy one). I believe one should adhere to that advice when building a custom standalone LLVM tool using multi-threading (in other words, not intended to be run by opt). For relevant examples of standalone apps using the LLVM API have a look into the unit tests source subdir (one hint is to look for .cpp files that have a main(), although they are not always set up like that).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Singles Rankings
Doubles Rankings
About the IRT
13th Annual Ghost of Georgetown KC Pro/Am Kicks Off 2012-2013 IRT Season
2012-2013 IRT Season, International Racquetball Tour, IRT
The 13th Annual Ghost of Georgetown KC IRT ProAm is in the books, with Kane Waselenchuk and Rocky Carson taking it to a four-game final. By the end of the two-hour match, Kane once again came away with the title, demonstrating why he continues to dominate the ranks of men's professional racquetball. Click to read more about how the event played out.
Click HERE to view the pro draw.
Finals Results
#1 Kane Waselenchuk d. #2 Rocky Carson 7, (9), 9, 7
by IRT Intern Kathy Geels
As expected, the finals of the IRT's season-opener went to Kane Waselenchuk, who has totally dominated the men's racquetball tour for the past four seasons. However, an upset by the number-two seed Rocky Carson appeared possible until late into the match. Game one was tightly contested until about mid-point when Waselenchuk was able to break free of Carson, who then rebounded to take game two, 11-9. Game three went back to Waselenchuk, with another 11-9 score, who then finished game four fairly quickly, 11-7.
Carson, who has held the number two ranking for four seasons and is Waselenchuk's closest rival on tour, has been in the top ten for more than thirteen years. In the nearly two-hour long match his conditioning and craftsmanship showed he is still ready for younger threats, but his renowned control of tempo only managed to needle Waselenchuk, not disrupt his rhythm. Waselenchuk is also a tour veteran who took over the number-one spot in 2003. His offensive risk and execution – which seem to continually improve – were nearly flawless by the fourth game, implying another undefeated record-breaking season is within his reach.
Semifinal Results
Kane Waselenchuk WBF (5) Alvaro Beltran
Kane Waselenchuk won by a forfeit from Alvaro Beltran, who appeared on the court and attempted to warm up, but cited back spasms in a follow-up interview. Waselenchuk advances to play the winner between Rocky Carson and Jose Rojas.
#2 Rocky Carson d. #3 Jose Rojas – 8, (7), 6, 5
With ten years difference in age, 33-year-old veteran Rocky Carson and Jose Rojas, 22, looked equally fresh coming into the bottom semis of the season opener. Carson captured an early five point lead in game one before Rojas narrowed the gap to a single point, but Carson recaptured the serve and finished off the win. Rojas seemed less restless in game two, but after a few scoreless turnovers Carson was first on the board, as both players warily changed up serves and seemed to search for vulnerabilities. Rojas eventually inched his way to a 5-2 lead, called a time-out when Carson tied it up 5-5, and made a final lunge to close game two, 11- 6. Carson started game three by attacking Rojas' left side with a fierce drive-serve for three early points, while Rojas continued to mix up his service game. The score stayed close until 6-6, at which point Carson's tactic seem to give him an edge. In spite of numerous fault serves, he powered his way to a final score of 11-6. In game four, Rojas' showed a dwindling sense of offensive purpose and despite incredible marksmanship (including a winner from between the legs) he contested only the early points of the game. As Carson's momentum increased, he seemed to manage Rojas in subsequent rallies, positioning him around the court off the serve-reply, and keeping him off his lethal shooting rhythm. At 4-4, Carson broke away for good, allowing Rojas to score only once more before ending the game and match at 11-5 (on two skipped return of serves). The win put Carson into the finals against Kane Waselenchuk.
Quarterfinal Results (recaps by IRT Intern Brendan Giljam:
(5) Alvaro Beltran d. (4) Ben Croft (1),8,7,(2),8
(3) Jose Rojas d. (6) Chris Crowther 11,11,(6),(6),2
Game one between the giant Chris Crowther and the small and fast Jose Rojas began very quick with both players going back and forth with their points. Both move very fast for their respective size and both can hit the ball extremely hard. This led to fast paced, kill shot heavy game. They played into extra inning with Chris losing his earlier lead and eventually the game by a score of 13-11.
In almost the same fashion, Crowther started off the second game playing very smart and passing Rojas well. It helped that Jose couldn't work his wide angle shots as far away from Chris as he needed, which allowed Crowther to take a step over and put the ball down. But Jose was relentless in his determination and didn't give up. He took the game one at a time and just like the first game, brought the score to 11-11 after being down. He kept making great shots and after a couple mistake set ups in a row from Crowther, Jose won the second game by the same score of 13-11.
In game four Chris carried over his momentum from the win in the third. They played each other really close once again and were tied at 6-6 until Chris was able to break through and take over the game winning it 11-7.
With the memory last years match against Crowther in Stockton fresh in his mind, Rojas came out in game five firing on all cylinders. He took a huge early lead, forcing Chris to take both time outs, and then finally pushedhrough to win the game and match in a barn burner, 11-2.
(2) Rocky Carson d. (7) Shane Vanderson 8,6,9
(1) Kane Waselenchuk d. (9) Tony Carson 1,2,1
Tony Carson won a hard fought battle earlier in the day against Andy Hawthorne, but Kane proved to be too much later on, putting on an absolute clinic in his defeat of him. From the very beginning of game one, Waselenchuk was putting away almost every shot from all over the court, leaving Carson with no room for any error. It appeared as if Kane wanted to come out strong to start the year off to show that he has no intent of going anywhere. Carson became more and more frustrated, not only with himself, but with Kane's sheer prowess on the courts as the game went on, which ultimately led to him losing all three games. While Tony gave it all he could, in the end it just was not enough, as Kane rolled through the match, 1,2,1.
Round of 16:
After a big win against #11 ranked Anthony Herrera in the previous round, #22 ranked New Yorker Nick Montalbano's tournament run is over in the Round of 16, falling to #6 ranked Chris Crowther from San Diego California 11-5, 11-5, 11-4. The match was closer than the scores depict, as the games were tight until Crowther pulled away through in the middle of each game.
So far, the upset of the day occurred when #9 ranked Tony Carson of Pueblo Colorado overtook Andy Hawthorne of Seven Hills, Ohio. But is it really an upset when #9 beats #8? The match was tight all the way through, going the five-game distance with Tony pulling away 11-6. Final scores: 7-11, 11-5, 5-11, 11-5, 11-6.
The round of 16's in underway, consisting of the fastest match of the season (19 minutes), with Shane Vanderson of Tampa Florida besting Charlie Pratt of Portland Oregon 11-3, 11-4, 11-0.
After coming out strong, Rocky Carson of Ladera Ranch California struggled to finish his second game against David Horn of Stockton California and wound up closing it out 12-10. The third game was a mirror of the first, with Carson pulling away early and never looked back. Final scores 11-1, 12-10, 11-0.
The Kane train keeps rolling, as #1 ranked player Kane Waselenchuk of Austin Texas rolls over up and comer Jose Diaz of Stockton California 11-6, 11-1, 11-0. Diaz came out strong the first game, going point for point with the champ, scoring 6 in the first. After that, it was Kane putting his foot on the gas, scoring 22 of the next 23 points.
13th Annual Ghost of Georgetown KC Pro/Am
Preview by Becky Wiese
Novice to collegiate champions to the top pro players in the world will participate in the 13th Annual Ghost of Georgetown KC Pro/Am Racquetball Championships. "The event is really two separate tournaments running concurrently," explains Mike Wedel, Tournament Director. "The International Racquetball Tour (IRT) hosts the men's professional matches and the Ghost of Georgetown event includes amateurs in 20 divisions for men and women."
The tournament gets its name from the original site of the tournament—the Georgetown Racquetball Club. "When that club closed, The Athletic Club in Overland Park carried on the tradition of holding the amateur tournament—hence the 'Ghost of Georgetown,'" says Wedel. The Athletic Club provides a great venue for the event, as it is one of the few facilities in the country that was originally built with a focus on racquetball and handball.
"The Athletic Club has nine racquetball courts; most health club facilities only have two, maybe three courts," Wedel clarifies. "For this tournament, we remove a large section of workout equipment and put in bleachers so that we can seat 250-300 spectators in the pro match court area." In addition, the facility hosts an expo area in the gymnasium where spectators and players can find vendors, health product and service providers, and racquetball-related products.
This will be the eighth year that the tournament has included the IRT. "This is one of the largest Tier 1 level tournaments in the country, and we're excited to have so many of the top-ranked professional players signed up to play," states Wedel. Pro players include #1 ranked Kane Waselenchuk, who is looking to extend his top ranking for an 8th season. Three-time and current IRF World Champion Rocky Carson, ranked #2, and former collegiate champions #3 ranked Jose Rojas (Delta College) and #4 ranked Ben Croft (Colorado State University), are on the roster. Rounding off the top five is Álvaro Beltrán, who experienced a great season last year after coming back from a knee injury.
Another player of note is Ruben Gonzales, who is currently ranked #16. "Ruben will turn 61 this year," says Wedel, "which is impressive since most of the top ranked players are 30-35 years younger." Gonzales is hoping to achieve a top-10 ranking before he retires later this year.
Professional player appearances, in addition to matches that begin with the round of 64 at 3 p.m. on Thursday, September 13, include a junior clinic and Q&A session on Saturday, September 15 at 10:30 a.m. and a "Party with the Pros" event at 8 p.m. Saturday evening.
The draw of seeing professionals play as well as participating "strictly as an amateur" at the Tier 1 tournament that kicks off the season are just a few of the reasons Bart Miller, CEO of Novasors, (a company providing businesses the ability to reach customers more effectively) decided to sign on as a sponsor three years ago. "I've played racquetball for fifteen years and found that it's a great way to make personal and professional contacts," he explains. Sponsoring the tournament provides a win-win situation through widespread marketing and name recognition for Novasors and other sponsors, and more importantly, makes the Ghost of Georgetown/KC Pro/Am one of the most anticipated events in the country for amateurs, pros, and spectators alike. "This tournament has a great atmosphere and generates a lot of buzz in the racquetball world," says Miller. "People from all over really look forward to coming to Kansas City to see great racquetball."
Rosco Halsey, an Edward Jones financial advisor and tournament sponsor, agrees that the Ghost of Georgetown/Kansas City Pro/Am tournament stands out as one of the best. As a competitor who has played racquetball for forty years, Halsey thoroughly enjoys the challenge of playing in the open bracket against the toughest players. "I try to set an example of never quitting and working harder than most people are willing to work," he says, modeling an attitude that works well in life as well as on the racquetball court.
Halsey feels the reason the tournament is one of the best boils down to the people involved in putting it together. "Everyone is so hospitable and genuinely nice—I think it's got a lot to do with Midwestern hospitality. Families can bring their kids, and the players are very approachable—kids can walk right up and get an autograph. There's always a good turnout. At the end of the day, sectators and players alike genuinely know that we love having them here."
Tags:Becky Wiese, Edward Jones, Ghost of Georgetown, Kane Waselenchuk, Kansas, Kathy Geels, Overland Park, Rosco Halsey, The Athletic Club in Overland Park
Pickleball: The Not so Distant Cousin of Racquetball
The Benefits of Playing Individual Sports
Suivant Consulting Pro Am Presented by Zurek Construction Recap
Coming Back after a 9-Month Layoff Due to COVID-19! – Fran Davis
Suivant Consulting Pro-Am, presented by Zurek Construction Racquetball Tournament
Founded in 1990, the men's professional International Racquetball Tour (IRT) features 300 players competing in over 20 Top-Tier and more than 50 Satellite tournaments in Latin America, the United States and Canada.
International Racquetball Tour
13050 Farthingale Drive, Herndon, VA 20171
© Copyright IRT 2020. All Right Reserved. Created by WiRe Innovation


Personal events make your life special! Make it exceptional!
Today we launch a Lovely Contest with Lyona, where you can win a pack of 4 pin badges of her last artworks.
Do cute monsters exist? And pills for the heartbroken? Would you face anything for love? Even the meanest monsters? Show us what you are made of and win Lyona's most romantic pins!
We can define this as a real love history between two artists: the provocative Marina Abramovic and the german perfomance artist Ulay. They met first time in 1976 when they started to work toghether in several performance acts. It was love at first sight. They worked togehter creatively for 12 years, devoting body and soul to make performances with a specific focus: the conceptualization of the human. In 1988, Ulay and Abramović decided to make a spiritual journey which would end their relationship. Each of them walked the Great Wall of China, starting from the two opposite ends and meeting in the middle. Ulay started from the Gobi Desert and Abramović from the Yellow Sea. After each of them walked 2500 km, they met in the middle and said "good-bye". This was their last performance titles "Lovers". An idea, that everybody recognize truly amazing to end a relationship.
Last week we reached 1500 followers on twitter and we thought it was a good idea to share with all of you this result, so we decided to propose a flash contest on twitter leaving the opportunity for all to express through the 140 characters a dedication of love for #Camaloon. We received several messages and we apreciated all the love you gave us, all the messages came straight to our heart, to all our team!
For all the love and time you have shown we thought to a present, to all participants will want to give a coupon discount in our products, write us here!
And if you you have lost all the tweets sent to us, you can read here!
Thank you all for your love and for all these details!
@camaloon Si original y diferente quieres ser, los articulos de #Camaloon tienes que ver. ¡¡Aciertas si o si!!
@camaloon #Camaloon Pins y chapas podrás comprar, con todo el amor podrás regalar, y con todo el cariño podrás recibir a tus seres queridos.


We have been providing Computer Training and Consulting Services since 1981.
You can reach us at 508-202-7078.
Our primary goal is to meet or exceed the needs and requirements of our clients by providing solutions which immediately improve users' computer productivity.
Each student uses their own computer to maximize the hands on training experience.
Small class size insures that participants receive individualized attention by our instructors.
The learning experience includes a large-screen projection system of the instructor's computer, workbooks, and practice disks.
Our Instructors focus on work-specific applications and then communicate concepts in a jargon-free language that participants can understand, course content is frequently customized.
Participants learn the concepts behind the key strokes and return to work with the skills they need to be more productive.
Well trained professionals produce a significant return on investment on expensive hardware & software by being more knowledgeable and productive.
Most software products are presented in a convenient one-day format thus minimizing out-of-work time.
" I learned all of the shortcuts that I couldn't figure out on my own! "
" Very informative - went above and beyond what I expected to learn. "
" I found everything to be relevant to the work I have been doing. "
" It would have taken weeks to learn what I learned in just one day with Dimensions! "
" Best class yet! All classes should be as fun and informative. "
" I really enjoyed the Introduction class...can't wait to take the Advanced "
Q: What is offered in each class?
A: Take a look at our extensive computer course outlines.
Q: What if I want a topic that is not listed in the course outline?
A: Speak with the Instructor and she/he will be happy to try to cover this topic.
Q: Can I bring files to class that I need help with?
Q: How long has Dimensions In Productivity been in business?
A: Dimensions In Productivity has been in business since 1981.
Q: When does class begin and end?
A: Typically, group classes are from 9am to noon and 1pm to 4pm.
A:One-on-one training (private lesson) is scheduled at the mutual convenience of the student and instructor.
Q: Will I get to use my own computer in class?
A: At Dimensions In Productivity's classroom, yes.
Q: Will I receive a diploma after class?
Q: Will I be tested?
Q: What if my skill level is "in-between" two classes?
(i.e. I am too advanced for the Intro class, but not ready for the Advanced class)?
A: Then you can have a custom class of "in-between" topics.
Q: My company can't take time away from work for full-day classes?
A: Your company can split full-day classes over two half days.
Q: My company uses special templates. Can you teach us how to use them?
A: Yes! We are experts in this area.
Q: My company has PC and Macintosh users. Can you train both?
we can teach the same class on both platforms simultaneously.
Q: My company needs training, but we are not sure what levels of courses are needed.
A: We have pre-class surveys that you can fill out to help determine your skill level.
Q: Are your classes lead by an instructor with their own computer?
A: Yes, and the instructor's computer screen projects onto the wall.


text:
Tony Webster/Flickr
West Town Drive-By Shooting Wounds Man, 45, Police Say
The shooting happened late Wednesday in the 1500 block of West Huron Street, police said.
Published on Apr 11, 2019 7:06AM CDT Wicker Park, Bucktown, West Town Primary category in which blog post is published
Kelly Bauer	@BauerJournalism
kelly@blockclubchi.org
CHICAGO — A 45-year-old man was shot and wounded late Wednesday in West Town, police said.
At 11:10 p.m., the man was walking in the 1500 block of West Huron Street when someone in a passing car shouted gang slogans at him and fired shots, police said.
The man was hit in his foot and he was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition, police said.
The gunman was in a gray or silver SUV, police said. No description of the attacker was available.
No one was in custody and an investigation was ongoing.


text:
Merry Christmas - Back Travelling in February
I hope everyone has a happy and peaceful Holiday Season.
We're now back in the UK for around 2 months (with a week in Spain to thaw out for a bit) and won't be cruising again till February 20th, when we rejoin the Silver Wind in Cape Town. We'll be cruising round South Africa and Mozambique for 3 cruises, and then sailing up the West Coast of Africa to the Canaries and ending up in Lisbon in April.
See you then unless I can think of anything interesting to say in the meantime!
December 21st – Flying Home For Christmas (Hopefully)
We got up at 5am for what was always likely to be a stressful and frustrating day of will-we-won't-we be able to get home. At Dubai airport, Tracy decided to be cheeky and hunt out the BA desk to see if there was any way that we could avoid our trip to Jordan.
We found that the 2am BA flight to Jordan was actually flying, but it was so delayed that in fact there was tons of space on it, and she sweet-talked the lovely man into letting us sneak onto it, which would mean that we got back about 10 hours earlier than scheduled without any waiting around – hooray!!!!
Once we got back, it was straight to hospital for Tracy for them to confirm that she had indeed broken her wrist and she was put in a cast – so a Christmas of immobility for her and one of being a carer for me, but at least we were home.
December 20th – Unscheduled Break in Dubai
So, we don't really know when (or perhaps if) we'll get home, but seeing as the ship was moving on, we had to book ourselves into a hotel; however, if there's one thing Dubai does well, it's luxury hotels – there's an enormous choice of hotels, so we picked one at random – the Grand Hyatt (very nice indeed).
Seeing as the UK was locked in winter weather, we decided that we'd show solidarity by having the quintessential desert experience – iceskating!
Every time we've been to the Mall of the Emirates (the largest mall in the world), the ice rink there has been virtually empty, so we thought it would be nice to have a bit of space to perfect our ice skating skills ready for a skating experience we have booked in the UK for Christmas Eve (if we get back in time).
Unfortunately, an enormous party of ex-pat kids had also decided to get into the Christmas spirit too, so for once the rink was pretty busy. One particularly wobbly child flailed around too close for comfort and managed to spook Tracy into falling to the ice with a clatter. Unfortunately she landed very painfully on her wrist and it seems quite likely that it's broken – imagine the sympathy that she's going to get when she gets home. You were in Dubai, and you broke your wrist ice skating?
Anyway, she gritted her teeth through the pain, and after a soothing swim in the hotel pool, we went to one of the world's most expensive buffets at the over-the-top opulence of the 7 star Burj al Arab Hotel. This was a buffet like nowhere else I've been – enormous amounts of gorgeous Middle Eastern food. Resisting the temptation to "get our money's worth" in quantity consumed (impossible at these prices), and ignoring the eyewatering cost of drinks (£10 for a small bottle of water), and attempting to ignore the painful wrist – we had a lovely, frivolous and decadent dining experience that we are highly unlikely to ever repeat again.
December 19th – Finishing The Cruise on a High in Dubai
After 2 days sailing across the Indian Ocean and a day of relaxing in Muscat, we have reached our final destination and the end of the cruise – Dubai.
Unfortunately, our sail into the port wasn't as relaxing as we'd hoped, because overnight we'd got an email from British Airways to say that our flight home tomorrow was cancelled because of the snow chaos that's shut Britain down. So, after finding that their website was no use whatsoever, and trying to get through on the phone for an hour and a half, I finally got to speak to someone. The only alternative that they could offer us was a flight via Amman on Royal Jordanian, on the day after, so we would be spending at least one day extra in Dubai. As there is no way of guaranteeing that Heathrow airport would be open, it looks like we might be spending Christmas in Jordan!
Ignoring all these uncertainties, we carried on with our Dubai exploration as planned. We'd booked some tickets to go up the world's highest building, the phenomenally tall Buj Khalifa – at 160 storeys, it's half a mile high, and twice the height of the Empire State Building.
So, we virtually flew up to the world's highest observatory ("only" on the 124th floor) in the world's fastest elevator, and marvelled at the amazing views below us – it was literally like looking out of an aeroplane window. As you look down at the toytown city below you, you get an impression that Dubai is just a temporary city – everything is brand new or half-finished, and built on sand, with the desert stretching out for miles behind the sprawling skyline that hugs the coastline. Again, you can't help but be impressed at the scale and ambition of the city, even if you know that half of the office space in this building and in a lot of the newer buildings is unoccupied.
Then, we changed our perspective, and went to the bottom of this intimidating "superscraper" to gaze up at its hypodermic-needle-like profile as the sun set, and the dancing fountains display began. To a background of Arabic music and shoots of flames, the enormous jets of water swayed gracefully, splurted powerfully and took on beautiful organic shapes and movements.
Again, while you might question the taste of having these enormous fountains in a place of less than 100mm of rainfall a year, it made for a thrilling and ingenious spectacle.
December 15th – Mangalore
Mangalore in Karnataka province is not really on the tourist trail, so for us it was a place to try to delve into India's temple scene in a bit more depth, and to experience an environment where they're not fed up (or paranoid) of tourists taking photos.
Our first task was to negotiate with a taxi driver to get us from the unattractive port area at New Mangalore and into town. Once a price was agreed, as ever, you're left with the feeling that you were being totally overcharged; but I suppose you just have to make yourself feel better by thinking that a taxi in the West driving you around for 6 and a half hours would cost a whole lot more than $20.
So, we bounced into town along Mangalore's terrible pot-holed roads, and visited a few relics of European life – this is another place where Catholicism is fairly deeply ingrained from the century of Portuguese rule, 400 years ago, so there was an impressive array of colourful Catholic churches, Cathedrals and schools to explore.
But the best thing that we liked about Mangalore was the access to its atmospheric Hindu temples, without having to pass through oppressive security, and where the worshippers weren't at all camera shy – in fact they positively encouraged us to photograph them. It was fascinating to see the complex rituals going on at the huge Kadri Manjunatha Temple, where the worshippers chanted and rocked devoutly as they huddled together in little groups, and then threw cocoanuts at a rock and smashed them into smithereens with great aplomb. We then went up to the bathing pools above the temple, where groups of men and their boys washed themselves down before prayers – the little boys splashing around in the water were adorable. All-in-all, it was a very spiritual but welcoming atmosphere to experience – lovely to be in a relaxed and informal place of worship without a hint of fanaticism.
After visiting another impressive chapel attached to a Catholic high school, our taxi driver insisted that we went to modern Mangalore's pride and joy – a big multi-storey shopping mall. It was hardly anything to rival Dubai's malls, but the prices were much more reasonable, and the stuff on offer was more original and authentic.
Our verdict on cruising to Mangalore? Although quite a few people were put off by the ugly industrial docks, and also the fact that it was a place of few set pieces; we found it an interesting place to explore. an ordinary provincial town that was India in a microcosm – chaotic streets, predatory taxi drivers, a colourful cosmopolitan environment, atmospheric temples, friendly people, great food, increasingly modern and western yet without losing its exotic soul.
For once, the tourist board isn't exaggerating – "Incredible India" just about sums it up. We can't wait to come back to this incredible country.
December 14th – Cochin Day 2
When we went to catch the ferry to Mattancherry, even the tuk tuk drivers couldn't be bothered to repeat their lines about the ferry not working today or the shops we were headed to being shut for the day – we must now look like hardened India travelers. Instead, we chatted to them about cricket as we waited for the ferry – they told us that tourist numbers are down quite heavily this year (I don't think that this was a sob story).
When we got across, we peaked into the International Pepper Exchange – disappointingly the dealing rooms are calm affairs carried out on computers, rather than a sweaty mass of people shouting at each other. I guess that's progress.
Then we visited the beautiful old 16th century synagogue, its floor covered with hand-painted blue tiles imported from China in the 18th century. Once it was the centre of a vibrant Jewish community, now it's an almost obsolete relic of one of the most exotic journeys of the Jewish Diaspora.
Next we went to the "Dutch Palace", the former palace of the local Rajahs, built by the Portuguese as a bribe for trading rights, and then renovated and embellished by the Dutch who superseded them. It made for an interesting mix of styles between East and West, and summed up Cochin's cosmopolitan roots.
We were now getting worn down by the oppressive heat, so the only way to revive ourselves was to have a curry, and so we headed for a recommended restaurant, to try all our favourite dishes that we eat in the curry houses of England and see how they tasted in their genuine environment – delicious as it turned out (not too surprisingly).
From here, we wandered through Fort Cochin again, and caught the ferry across the harbour over to the mainland, where we suddenly realised that time was now running a bit tight, so we got the ferry back to Willingdon Island again, to enjoy some air conditioning back onboard.
Cochin in beautiful Kerala, is the most culturally rich part of India – within the space of an hour you can see so many influences from the East and the West. As well as Hindu temples, you can visit whitewashed Catholic Churches (from Portuguese times), gabled 18th century Dutch houses, an English Village Green (complete with cricket matches fought out by the locals), Jewish synagogues, Muslim mosques, and of course, the famous Chinese Fishing Nets that feature in any tourist brochure of Cochin.
We caught the ferry from Willingdon Island where we were docked to Fort Kochi, to explore its laid back historic streets. We passed the constant activity of the Chinese Fishing Nets, looking like giant alien spiders being lowered into the water, as a great team of men beaver away and pull the nets up to reveal a tiny catch of little silvery fish.
We visited St Francis Church, built back in 1502 by the Portuguese and adapted by the Dutch and then the English who followed them. The reason all these foreign powers were interested in this part of the world was because of the spices that came from here, so we perused the many fragrant spice stalls, mouths watering at the delicious curry smells – we will be cooking some classic curries when we get back.
We then headed over to Jew Town, the atmospheric part of Cochin which once had a thriving Jewish community, that has lived here for around 2,000 years – these days, after mass emigrations to Israel, only about 10 Jewish people still live here (most of them fairly old).
At the end of the day, we headed back to the ship for a colourful Kathakali performance – a dance form unique to Kerala that's hard to fully appreciate for Westerners, but obviously means a lot to the locals. The performers are made up with vivid colours (even the whites of their eyes and their tongues are dyed pink), and they perform a tragic-com of a soap opera full of illicit sexual advances and murder, to a background tune of wailing, drumming and singing. To me, it was all quite fun, but to many of the audience it was fairly impenetrable and slow moving – I guess that if you forced a bunch of Indians to sit through "The Bold and the Beautiful", or "The Marriage of Figaro", they might struggle to appreciate them too.
December 12th – Lightning Raid on Goa
We had just over three hours to explore Goa's remarkable legacy of Portuguese relics – the result of 450 years of Portuguese rule here, and the domination of the Catholic Church in Goa.
From the port at Murmagao, we drove for about an hour to Old Goa, the former capital of Portugal's imperial possessions in the East, and once one of the largest and richest cities in the world. As a result, there's an amazing array of huge whitewashed churches to see here, but what makes it even more interesting is that this boom-town of a city was totally abandoned in the 18th century (because the river silted up, so no ships could land here and then the city was hit by plagues and diseases).
So, the city of Old Goa was taken over by the jungle, as most of its buildings either fell down, or were demolished for their building materials, leaving just a few ghostly relics of a once-great city. It's remarkable to walk around the cavernous churches that are left, and see no sign of the houses of the people who would have worshipped at the churches.
As time was very short, we had a fast-paced trail around three of the grandest churches, the Church of St Cajetan (modeled on St Peter's in Rome), the Se (this enormous Cathedral was once the largest church in Asia), and the baroque Church of Bom Jesus (the home of the powerful Jesuit order). Perhaps the most interesting was the Church of Bom Jesus, because it houses the tomb of the great missionary priest, St Francis Xavier – a man whose work is still going strong here in Goa, where about a third of the population are Catholic.
At the end of this whirlwind tour, you were left with the feeling that you wanted 3 weeks in Goa, ot three hours, but at least it was a good taster for a wonderful and incredibly culturally rich art of the world.
December 11th – Mumbai Day 2
On the way back to the port last night, a taxi driver got us to agree to let him drive us around for the day – he said his name was John, and he guaranteed his honesty. His car was just about held together by gaffer tape, you could see the road through the floor, the engine had all the power and the roar of a lawn mower, and it was very cramped in the back – but we entrusted our lives to him. He somehow managed to be totally laid back, whilst driving in the most incredibly aggressive manner. He cut people up with abandon, routinely ignored red lights, drove on the rong side of the road whenever he fancied it, and left a trail of disgruntled drivers hooting uriously in his wake. At first the constant feeling of being near death was alarming, but after a while it just felt normal, and we enjoyed the constant theatre going on outside, along Mumbai's incredibly busy streets.
We were heading for the Haji Ali Mosque, but on our way we stopped for a brief photo stop at the frenzied cleaning activity going on at the Dhobi Ghats, Mumbai's largest public laundry. In a city of 20 million people, then the laundry system is going to be on a large scale, but this is still a spectacular sight, as the Dhobi Wallahs thrash the clothes and hang them in colour coded groups on huge washing lines.
We then made it to the Haji Ali Mosque, Mumbai's most holy Muslim shrine. It sits out in the sea on the end of a causeway, which floods when the tide is in, and which makes its way over the mud flats when the tide is out. The tide was well and truly out today, which meant a pungent sulphurous stench was emanating from the mud, as a few people waded around knee deep in the stinky flats, looking for anything of any value. The peeling white domed mosque looked like it had seen better days, but it was still fascinating to see the religious devotion of the worshippers.
Next we headed to the colourful Mahalaxmi Temple to see how Mumbai's Hindu majority worship. There seemed a more relaxed atmosphere here than at the mosque, although you had to pass through fairly heavy security to get in, and it was great to watch the ceremonies and devout prayer rituals.
By the time we finished, Honest John's car was beginning to give up the ghost and refused to start, so he press-ganged a couple of passers by to give him a push start. He wouldn't let us help, or even get out of the car, so we had the embarrassing scenario of us weighing down the car that these poor people were trying to push start. Anyway, we got going and made our way to the Chor Bazaar, Mumbai's so-called "Thieves Market", a place where supposedly, if you buy anything there, it was probably stolen from you in the first place. Here, in this busy market, you could pretty much buy anything – bric-a-brac, antiques, souvenirs, car parts, machinery, anything you wanted (or mostly didn't want).
By now, the heat, dust and crowds had finally worn us down, so we told Honest John it was time to take us back to the ship; so more people were forced to give us our push start and off we weaved through the traffic again. Honest John sensed that it was time to start the campaign for weadling more money out of us, although he ignored the usual sob story of describing his poverty stricken enormous family, and instead went for the "I've just got a big parking fine while I was waiting for you while you took some pictures". This was done with such an apologetic look on his face that he didn't even argue when we told him that we knew it wasn't true, so we settled on a price of £10 for 6 hours of driving – everyone was happy.
As ever, we had a great time in Mumbai, it's a place which has so much energy that it drains your energy reserves, but it always leaves us wanting more.
Getting out of Mumbai's port is always a trial, as you run the gauntlet of Mumbai's voracious taxi drivers, and try to negotiate a reasonable price to get into the city – they start at $40, when you know that if you can manage to get them to put it on the meter, it should be no more than $2.
So, we finally got someone to agree to take us to the Gateway of India, for us to catch the ferry to Elephanta Island, a peaceful island retreat about 6 miles away (an hour on the ferry) from the chaos of Mumbai's breathless streets. The Island is home to a wonderful Hindu temple carved into the caves, decorated with some of the best rock carvings in India. As you climb the many steps up to the caves, you again have a gauntlet to run, this time from the pushy souvenir
salesmen, but more alarmingly from the monkeys who run around the island like they own it. Tracy has a well documented monkey phobia, which wasn't helped by the fact that the first monkey we saw was sitting on the railing, looking directly at us while he nonchalantly pleasured himself – welcome to Elephanta Island!
Ignoring this lewd welcome, we explored the caves and marveled at the excellent quality of the statues of Shiva and fellow deities, which were around 1,500 years old. Then, we braved the monkeys on the way down, and found that the ferry that we were heading for had already gone (early…… in India…. really?!?), and so had to wait around for the next one. Trying to get information on timings was another reminder that it's virtually impossible to get a straight answer from anyone in Mumbai – either they don't really understand you and just tell you what they think you want to hear, or they just brazenly lie to you to get you to spend more money than you have to.
Having successfully made it back to the mainland, it was time for food – being away from the UK for a month meant that we were by now desperate for a curry, so we found a backstreet place to have a good feed. So, we stuffed ourselves with a delicious thali in a friendly place full of local workers where no-one spoke English. The bill came in at a massive $4, and it was way more than we could eat.
Scarcely able to move, we waddled over for a bit of culture at the Prince of Wales Museum – Mumbai's best museum, housed in a wonderfully grand Victorian building, topped with extravagant onion domes and Moorish features, and full of ancient artifacts and paintings. In a good example of Indian bureaucracy and overstaffing, our tickets were checked 4 times by different people on our way into the Museum, and our bags were checked 3 times.
Unfortunately, wandering around a non-air conditioned museum with a full stomach does not make for a body or mind totally receptive to culture, and so we maybe our lethargy didn't allow us to do the museum justice, but it was interesting nonetheless.
Undaunted by our lack of energy, we went across the road (never an easy undertaking in traffic-clogged Mumbai) to the Modern Art Museum, for a quick perusal of the post-colonial art scene in India – as you'd expect, the art was very colourful and full of energy. By now, we were in dire need of a shower, so we caught a taxi back to the port (the fifth one we hailed was finally able to
understand us – he even spoke enough English to try to rip us off).
Refreshed and rehydrated, we saw a show by a great show by a local dancing troupe who came onboard – so much energy and vitality – and then headed off to dinner in a restaurant that had been recommended to us, Khyber. This is an upscale restaurant, so none of the bargain basement prices you get in the grungier restaurants, but the quality of the food was excellent, although our lunchtime over-indulgence meant I didn't eat as much as I'd have liked – probably a good thing given my ever expanding waistline.
December 9th – Diu
In my lecture on Diu the day before, no-one had actually heard of this tiny former Portuguese colony in India. And this laid-back little island full of historic churches and forts, beautiful sandy beaches and wonderfully friendly people, has got to be one of India's best kept secrets. Diu is a tiny version of Goa, an island that was ruled by Portugal for 450 years up until 1961, and it retains something of the atmosphere of a Mediterranean town; but one that's been taken over by a population of friendly Indians who revel in a sense of unthreatening chaos.
In amongst the hooting traffic of mopeds and tuk tuks, Diu Town's charmingly run-down narrow streets are wandered by languid cows that look like they own the place, and untended herds of goats heading off purposefully to who knows where. It's a colourful place – women in bright saris wandering past multi-coloured houses painted in different pastel shades. As you explore, you come across centuries-old whitewashed Churches, whose tiny and impoverished Catholic population that remains, is out of all proportion with their sheer size and grandeur.
Diu's massive fort that guards the port, and the huge stone wall that encloses the town are potent reminders that this was once an incredibly important place 400 years ago – the West's first toe-hold on India, which briefly flared as one of the world's great boom towns, before the ports of Goa and then Bombay took over as the new gateways to India.
We had a wonderful time in Diu, a really charming relic of Portugal's once-great empire; and one the best things about it was that it was a gentle introduction to India, for a boat load of people that are likely to get blown away by the force of nature that is Mumbai tomorrow.
December 7th – Muscat's Markets
Today was just a leisurely day of exploring Muscat's markets – many people rate the souks here as the best (or at least most genuine) souks in Arabia. We stopped in at the fish market to see more slicing up of bodies than Freddie Kruger could manage (even witnessing a fight on the way – presumably a rare sight in somewhere as peaceful as Muscat). Then we meandered around the main souk, which was an Aladdin's Cave of stuff I didn't want – but, if you wanted to buy some Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh for a Christening, then this is the place to do it.
Whilst I wasn't around, Tracy was chatted up by a charming local lothario. He introduced himself, "My name is Mohammed. What is your name?".
"I'm Tracy", she replied.
"Hello I'm Tracy, I am very pleased to meet you".
He's going to have to work on his chat up lines a bit more if he's going to have any success with Western women.
December 6th – Exploring Beyond Muscat
Today I ventured into Oman's bleak interior, to visit the town of Nakhl – a green oasis of palms in a sea of barren gravely desert. The town is protected by yet another 17th century fortress – I'm endangered of getting "fortressed-out" on this cruise, but actually this was one was quite interesting, because it's very well preserved, and it has an imposing position, perched high up on a rock 200 feet up, dominating a view of the palm plantations and town spread out down below it.
On the way there, we visited the coastal town of Seeb, to visit its fish market. As soon as you get there, you get a good idea of how fertile the seas are off Oman – there was an amazing variety of fish on offer. The whole market made a good contrast to the sanitised atmosphere you find on the manicured streets of Muscat. Stinking piles of fish covered in flies were stacked up on the beach, while in the market itself, the floor ran with more blood than a Quentin Tarantino film, as the fishmongers hacked up their produce and scooped off the blood and guts into piles by their feet.
As ever in Oman, everyone was very friendly and welcoming – in my unofficial surveys of the passengers, almost everyone rated Oman as their favourite country in Arabia.
December 19th – Finishing The Cruise on a High in ...
December 5th – Going Round the Bend in Khasab
Saturday December 4th - Fujairah
December 3 - Abu Dhabi
December 1 - Dubai
November 30th – Bahrain
November 29th – Close Encounter With The Axis of Evil
November 28th – Royalty Spotting in Muscat
November 27th – The Rocky Road to Fujairah
November 26th – Abu Dhabi On Foot
November 26th – Dubai in a Day
November 25th – 7 Star Luxury in Dubai


So on Sunday afternoon I went up to my Gramma's and managed to to take a few outfit pics. As always, I'm in love with all the light and shadows. And the glimpse of real(not built up) Florida in the background is always a breath of fresh air for me.
Since it's been kinda cold I decided to don one of my favorite red wool coats. I always feel a bit like a cardinal when I wear it, which is a always a good thing.
p.s. I just went thrifting and got some amazing things, among them an amazing 70's maxi that I will be doing a post on next week, so stay tuned! Also I'm wondering if any of you know what phrase I drew the name of my title from.
Update: Ariel got the phrase right, 'red letter day'. I definitely recommend you all check out her blog it's full of art and color and is one blog that I enjoy immensely. Check out her blog here.
LOVE THIS OUTFIT TOO! WOW! You really have great style girl! I love the red, the pants and the blouse! Great mix of color, print and lines! AWESOME!
Hey pants again! Love that second shot.
loving the red blazer – fabulous !!
love thrift store shopping! thanks for the comment girl! hope you follow and if you find something on the site you love let us know for a discount coupon!
i love the leopard shirt and the red blazer! such a great combo!
I love that shirt. Leopard and red work amazingly well together!!!
I've always loved the combination of leopard print and red!
how cute do you look?!?
if you love vintage clothing and I think you just might, you should come check out our website! we add new stuff each week!
Loving the leopard & the red! Such a classic gorgeous combo! you look great!
Red Letter Day?? Perfect combination!!


You did it! You obtained your home mortgage authorization and youre prepared to schedule your closing day. If there is anything the vendor agreed to do prior to closing, now is the time to subsequent and also ensure it obtains done.
i want to sell my house now Centerville - are you prepared for a good thing?
During the examination the residence examiner will make notes on all essential findings and will certainly create a comprehensive written record for the buyer to reference and examine. For those people who participate in the assessment, the house inspector will verbally present the problems as well as any kind of concerns they may have found. This info is essential as it makes it possible for a house customer to make a decision concerning a residence acquisition and also whether to tackle completing the purchase or otherwise. It also offers purchasers the details to determine what does it cost? out of commission and also remodellings will certainly have to be done after seizing your home.
Residence Inspection The structure issues as well as inspection factors noted in these write-ups also direct house owners and also house purchasers to developing locations that warrant cautious attention and commonly point areas of security issue or essential repair and maintenance tasks.
What To Offer On A Home With A Price Array Asking that the vendor adds in the direction of these costs might be a good way to reduce the expense of acquiring the property as well as save hundreds or potentially countless extra pounds - also if you do not manage a reduction because actual residence price.
As we waited for the phone call from our Realtor, we distracted ourselves over a bowl of Pho at a neighborhood VietnCentervillee dining establishment that we dragged ourselves to in an attempt to avoid remaining on the couch in silence. We ran through the options in our head and convinced ourselves the house need to be ours, however in the end, the call began and also ended with, overbid by $80,000. In the beginning, we werent truly dismayed. We assumed, Well, they can have it! But over the following week, I started to undergo the whole range of emotions from passiveness, to being depressing concerning it, to puzzled, to where I find myself now: in a state of suspension. I had begun imagining myself there; waking up and having coffee on the back deck off the kitchen; working in the upstairs loft. It really felt unusual recognizing that another person would be staying in your house that I had a lot of intimate photos of on my apple iphone.
Purchasing A House To Rent If buying a residence is like browsing a barrier course, then buying a foreclosure resembles going across a minefield. Make certain your eyes are open and youre educated (concerning the procedure), says Centerville, who is the National Organization of Realtors vice head of state for the area of South Carolina, Centerville as well as Guam.
The financial investment approach for Wolfe Partners consists of a remodelling for every home acquired. Clearly, homes that could be bought well below market value with hardly any repair work needed are maximum investments, however challenging to discover. It is expected that every house will certainly require at least aesthetic enhancements to bring the home approximately optimal value and also enable it to be offered quickly.
South Carolina Association of Realty Investors - Centerville http://www.carei.com Call: Stacy Gurule [email protected] Telephone: (303) 398-7035 When: Fourth Wednesday of monthly, 7:00 pm as well as different Saturday conferences Where: Radisson Hotel I-225 & Centerville Rd., Centerville.
Obtaining A Home Loan With A Guarantor The USDA home loan originates from a financial institution, as well as there is no mortgage insurance policy. Rather, the USDA levies a 1 percent upfront guarantee cost, which can be rolled into the lending amount, and a yearly assurance fee of 0.35 percent of the car loan equilibrium.
Real Estate Investor Site But customers have to act quickly to get a brand-new apartment. Of the 64,000 apartments in Centerville, Randolph told us only around 10% of that market is considered brand-new advancement (residential or commercial property constructed in the last 5 years).
Purchasing A Residence With Bad Credit report If the trustee does not force out the current proprietors, you might be liable to do this. If expulsion is necessary, you can contact a local realty lawyer or the county constable for the correct procedure.


The SALT DOUGH is a material that can be easily used for many small craft projects, like to make an unusual Christmas brig.
But, what is the Sald Dough exactly? and how do you prepare it?
TO MAKE THE SALT DOUGH is not difficult. It is a material that, although its origins date back to the dawn of time , IT can be considered as timely as ever.
To mold various kind of figurines and objects, normally are used materials considered more 'noble', like Das, terracotta, clay, plasticine or chalk, but perhaps, not everyone knows that one of the most popular materials used as today is just the salt dough which is the same 'poor' material used by our grandparents in the past. The reason of the choice of this type of material is to be found in its low cost and easy production.
In fact, to prepare the salt dough for the creation of figurines, characters or gifts is pretty simple, just need to make sure that the mixture has the right consistency.
To prepare the mixture to make the dough Salt you should mix all the ingredients, making sure to dissolve completely the salt into the water and then add to it, little by little, the flour to make the mixture homogeneous (same your mom does when she prepares a cake), at the end add the glue and the oil (the latter is not strictly necessary, but many suggest it, in order to make more workable the dough).
Mix, knead and knead and mix and knead again with patience and making sure that your hands are always wet, keep it up until you obtain a homogeneous mixture.
At this point it would be preferable to divide the dough into loaves of 7 to 12 ounces each and then wrap them in plastic wrap so to preserve the material from drying out. With this you can use the dough also at a later time.
first paint the paste of salt and then held divided the various quantities of different color to be used for modeling the parts of the figurine according to the colors you need.
first you may mold the figurines or objects and paint them in a second time.
Once the work is finished the objects can be cooked in a microwave at 122-140.00 ° F, ensuring that reaches the right consistency without going overboard to avoid the formation of cracks.


From left, Anya Taylor-Joy, Sarah Paulson, James McAvoy, Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson attend the "Glass" New York Premiere at SVA Theater on January 15, 2019, in New York City.
The psychological thriller "Glass," from Universal Pictures and director M. Night Shyamalan, opened as the top film of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend in the U.S., collecting an estimated $40.6 million in North American theaters in the first three days, Comscore said.
January is one of the slowest months for theaters, and that's not lost on major studios, which set a light release schedule after the busy holiday season. "Glass" was made for just $20 million, according to Box Office Mojo, suggesting the movie will enjoy a profitable run.
The schedule can give a movie a chance to stand out and offers older releases an opportunity to extend their run. It's also a time when fans can catch up with awards hopefuls. Last weekend's leader, "The Upside," with Kevin Hart and Bryan Cranston, landed in second place with $15.7 million in sales. Box Office Pro was predicting $16.3 million for the STX Entertainment release through Sunday, while Box Office Mojo was forecasting $19 million through Monday.
Bloomberg's Hailey Waller contributed to this report.


text:
Rosemary Nokuzola Capa , also known as Zoleka Capa, is a South African politician who has served as the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform since August 2021. She was Deputy Minister of Small Business Development from May 2019 to August 2021. A member of the African National Congress, she has been a Member of the National Assembly since May 2014. From June 2014 to May 2019, she was the chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Social Development.

Early life and career
Capa was born in Flagstaff in the Cape Province (now part of the Eastern Cape) during apartheid. She qualified as a nurse and midwife while a trainee at the Holy Cross Hospital in Flagstaff. After the end of apartheid, she spent two terms as the Executive Mayor of the OR Tambo District Municipality. In late 2010, she joined the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature and was appointed to the Executive Council of the Eastern Cape as Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Rural Development and Agrarian Reform.

Career in national politics

Committee chairperson
Capa was elected to the National Assembly of South Africa following the general election on 8 May 2014. She was sworn into office on 21 May 2014. The ANC soon announced that Capa was their candidate for chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Social Development. She was elected chairperson on 25 June 2014.

Capa served as chairperson of the portfolio committee until the dissolution of the term on 7 May 2019.

Deputy Minister
Following the general election of 8 May 2019, Capa returned to Parliament on 22 May 2019. On 29 May 2019, President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed her Deputy Minister of Small Business Development. Capa was sworn in the next day.

On 5 August 2021, she was appointed as Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform.

Personal life
She is married to politician Ndumiso Capa.

References

External links

Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
Xhosa people
People from the Eastern Cape
African National Congress politicians
Members of the National Assembly of South Africa
Women members of the National Assembly of South Africa

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


No. It was 9 of the top 10.
Apple is losing marketshare, so they say. Or, Flickr fans are mostly just iPhone users?
Correct. The non-iPhone: "The Canon 5D Mark III placed 9th in the Top 10 Devices on Flickr of 2017."
I don't care about Flickr because Flickr doesn't care about photographers. It's a snapshot sharing site who's functionality and design has sucked for years and who's management attitudes have probably always sucked.
Where do you find the list ?
Oh, and just for clarity: the "top photo" accompanying the article was NOT taken with a smartphone.


text:
DePaul Journal of Health Care Law
Home > Law > DePaul Journal of Health Care Law > Vol. 21 > Iss. 2
Volume 21, Issue 2 Fall 2019
Must A Physician Treat A Disruptive Or Abusive Patient Or Can The Doctor Fire That Person?
Samuel D. Hodge, Jr.
Are Vape Pens the New Cigarette? The FDA's Impending Quest to Regulate the E-Cigarette and its Effect on Society's Youth
Addison J. Morgan
Kelly Bauer
Authorities Editor
Shprintza Block
Executive Text Editor
Elisabeth Volk
Lead Article Editor/Symposium Director
Krisha Yadav-Ranjan
Managing and Business Editor
Amal Hasan
Sarah Kamensky
Hannah Sullivan
Laura Travis
Jeremy Castro
Brewer Dakin
Palak Desai
Gabriela Illa
Katherine Kettering
Milica Kosanovic
Jessica Leusch
Marcus Logan
Ryan Morris
Taylor Pankau
Chloe White
Director of the Jaharis Health Law Institute
Kate Schostok
Max Helveston
All Issues Vol. 21, Iss. 2 Vol. 21, Iss. 1 Vol. 20, Iss. 2 Vol. 20, Iss. 1 Vol. 19, Iss. 3 Vol. 19, Iss. 2 Vol. 19, Iss. 1 Vol. 18, Iss. 3 Vol. 18, Iss. 2 Vol. 18, Iss. 1 Vol. 17, Iss. 2 Vol. 17, Iss. 1 Vol. 16, Iss. 2 Vol. 16, Iss. 1 Vol. 15, Iss. 2 Vol. 15, Iss. 1 Vol. 14, Iss. 3 Vol. 14, Iss. 2 Vol. 14, Iss. 1 Vol. 13, Iss. 3 Vol. 13, Iss. 2 Vol. 13, Iss. 1 Vol. 12, Iss. 2 Vol. 12, Iss. 1 Vol. 11, Iss. 3 Vol. 11, Iss. 2 Vol. 11, Iss. 1 Vol. 10, Iss. 4 Vol. 10, Iss. 3 Vol. 10, Iss. 2 Vol. 10, Iss. 1 Vol. 9, Iss. 3 Vol. 9, Iss. 2 Vol. 9, Iss. 1 Vol. 8, Iss. 3 Vol. 8, Iss. 2 Vol. 8, Iss. 1 Vol. 7, Iss. 2 Vol. 7, Iss. 1 Vol. 6, Iss. 2 Vol. 6, Iss. 1 Vol. 5, Iss. 2 Vol. 5, Iss. 1 Vol. 4, Iss. 2 Vol. 4, Iss. 1 Vol. 3, Iss. 3 Vol. 3, Iss. 2 Vol. 3, Iss. 1 Vol. 2, Iss. 4 Vol. 2, Iss. 3 Vol. 2, Iss. 2 Vol. 2, Iss. 1 Vol. 1, Iss. 4 Vol. 1, Iss. 3 Vol. 1, Iss. 2 Vol. 1, Iss. 1


Hello! Happy Thursday! Apologies for the lack of post last week, and the fact that this is being posted on a Thursday....things have been a little crazy around here. BUT it does mean that we have lots of upcoming shoots to share with you all over the summer!
Todays post is all about Resources...in particular books that have really helped me on my calligraphy journey.
First up it is the first calligraphy book that I bought when I first started and one that I have mentioned previously-Modern Calligraphy by Molly Suber Thorpe. Getting this book was such a breakthrough for me as it finally gave my learning some structure. Molly was one of the first calligraphers I discovered on Instagram and I did and still do find her book immensely useful. There are so many different variations of the letters that you can really play around and find your own style. She also explains the basics of nibs and pen holders perfectly and after you've done all the practise there are some great little projects to try. Definitely recommended!
Next up is a newish release, Nib and Ink by Chiara Perano of Lamplighter London. I will be the first to admit that I am the biggest fan girl when it comes to Chiara from Lamplighter. She was my first introduction to calligraphy in the UK and I think her work is flawless. So needless to say I was very excited to get her book. The look, feel and design of the book is absolutely gorgeous. She introduces the art of modern calligraphy and the tools needed and then there are examples of her gorgeous alphabet and style and pages to practice (I have not used the book for practice and am unsure how easy it is to write in though.) at the end there are some fun quotes and sayings to try out as you grow with confidence if you are a beginner. This book is probably aimed at someone who is more of a beginner than me but I like to dip into her alphabet ocassionally to try and find new ways to write.
Now we move away from the more modern scripts and onto books looking at Copperplate Calligraphy with Mastering Copperplate Calligraphy by Eleanor Winters, Calligraphy in the Copperplate Style by Herb Kaufman and Geri Homelsky and Script Lettering for Artists by Tommy Thompson. These books are proper workbooks and they are great for learning the rules of calligraphy. All the letters are broken down into strokes and examined and everything is really well explained. I must admit I probably skipped over the 'learning the rules' part of teaching myself calligraphy a little too fast and now I wish my copperplate skills were better. However, it is something that I am planning on practising more and these books will be my go-tos.
I have linked all these books so you can go and examine them on amazon and maybe purchase them if you fancy some extra learning! My main recommendations would be Modern Calligraphy by Molly Suber Thorpe and Mastering Copperplate Calligraphy by Eleanor Winters. Go treat yourself and enjoy!
This weeks post is all about my favourite basic calligraphy tools. To start off with I am keeping it simple, the ultimate basics kit that you need to get you started and the items that I still use day in day out. I will extend on these in future posts about other tools that I use frequently. But for today let's start at the beginning.
When I first started to teach myself calligraphy I was using a little calligraphy kit that I bought in an art shop which was full of squared off nibs (the kind used for traditional calligraphy) so I wasn't getting the modern look that I wanted. I then went on a hunt and bought a load of vintage nibs off eBay, very pretty and I still have them in little jars, but not the most practical. It wasn't until I started Molly Jacques Skillshare course and bought Molly Suber Thorpes book that I finally found the tools that worked for me and to this day, I still pretty much stick to these basics.
The Nikko G is my absolute favourite nib EVER. I have a box full of different nibs, which I will go into further detail in another post, but I always go back to the Nikko G, it is without a doubt my number one workhorse. The Nikko G is a strong but flexible nib making it great for beginners and those with a slightly heavier hand, myself included.
I have a whole pot full of nib holders yet it is this cheapy one that I always pick out. Light and comfortable to use you really don't need anything else from a nib holder. From the beginning I have always used a straight nib holder over an oblique one. It is what I started with and it just works for me, but this is purely a preference thing. Many calligraphers prefer an oblique holder. They are cheap enough so I would advise trying both out once you are more confident with your calligraphy skills. To start with I personally would recommend a straight holder, it's less scary and complicated!
My ultimate favourite ink has always been Higgins Eternal however recently I have fallen in love with Sumi Ink, it has such a shiny finish and looks great. However, Higgins is still my go to as it dries much much quicker than Sumi. So if I am doing envelopes or place cards that I can leave to dry then I will use Sumi, however if I need to scan soon then I will use Higgins as it just saves time! For drills and practising, I would recommend Higgins-less chance of smudges everywhere.
Gum Arabic is great and essential in my opinion for beginners and day to day calligraphy. At the beginning of your calligraphy journey you may come across some ink flow problems, I definitely did, and Gum Arabic was my saviour. If you are and you have made sure that you have first prepped your nib by cleaning it with some toothpaste, saliva, or running it through a flame quickly (new nibs come with a film on them to stop them rusting) then dip your clean nib in gum arabic, then in clean water and wipe off with kitchen roll this should help with your flow problems.
Both of these papers are really smooth and easy to write on as well as being really great for scanning in if you are going to digitalize your work. Generally there is no bleeding or catching and both types of paper are thin enough to put guidelines underneath and see them through. Rhodia pads also come in gridded and dot paper which are really useful for sketching out and practising letter forms.
Also always good to have to hand is kitchen paper, pencil and eraser.
So there you go, that is a list of my absolute favourite essential items and those that I would recommend for beginners, armed with these tools your calligraphy journey will hopefully be easier. Sign up on the homepage to receive emails when I post new blogs about further tools and other insider information!
Hello! Hope you are all well on this Sunny albeit slightly chilly Spring day. Todays blog post is about mixing calligraphy inks. I am by no mean an expert - and most of what I know and do I have learnt online and through trial and error - but I have got a bit of a process at the moment that seems to work well for me! I will split this post into metallics and flat colours, as the process for mixing these inks is a bit different.
When it comes to actual calligraphy inks I only really use black ink (find out which ones in next weeks posts about tools!). I have a couple of other colours but I never seem to use them as I don't feel that I get a great look out of them - maybe it's me, maybe it's the inks. When it comes to making custom colours for inks I use Gouache. My go to brand is Winsor and Newton, but I also like Daler Rowney (especially for metallics-the copper is the bomb). I tend to order them online as and when I need them in the hope that it doesn't feel like I am spending quite all my money on paint...and I can slowly build up to having a pretty broad spectrum and the ability to make most colours.
Gum Arabic Solution - You can also get powder but I always use the fluid.
Containers - I use these from Lakeland, you can also steal mini jam pots from hotels (I do this too..ssssh) there are also other options online go for at least 30ml in my opinion.
Firstly get an empty container, I love mini jam jars - they just look cute - but you can use anything as long as it does up tightly, you don't want any spillages.
Squeeze in your gouache colours, if you are doing a light colour then put the white in first and add the colour a tiny bit at a time, you'll be surprised how little you need of a bright colour if your making a pastel.
Add a tiny splash of water and mix the paints thoroughly so they are totally combined then you can see if your close to the colour you want and what else you need to add. **Tip: Paint a little bit on your test paper and see what it dries as it will dry darker than it looks in the pot.** Continue doing this until you have desired colour.
Now its time to add a bit more water and then pour a little bit of gum arabic in...I tend to eyeball it but it is probably better if you start off with a pipette. Mix in thoroughly.
Add more water until you get a good consistency, I tend to aim for cream consistency, but it is quite a personal choice. I always use a Nikko G nib which is quite a hard nib so my ink is probably slightly thicker than someone that uses a softer nib like a Gillot 303. But experiment and youll soon find out what suits you. **Tip: If you add too much water then leave the lid off for a bit and it will evaporate.
Metallic Inks are a bit of a different ball game. The basics are still the same but thanks to a wonderful wonderful invention called Pearl Ex powders you can make them EXTRA sparkly and metallic and all in all just bloomin gorgeous! I have always found it a bit tricky to find metallic inks that I loved, I have the finetec palette but find it a totally pain to use a brush (Lazy i know) so I much prefer making my own.
Start with your metallic gouache. For the pale gold pictured I used silver as the base, and for the copper it was copper gouache.
Little bit of water and mixing to get it super smooth.
Add a bit of Pearl Ex, using a small spoon (I use a 1/4 teaspoon one). For pale gold I used brilliant gold and for copper I used a mix of super copper and pink gold. Add a little spoonful at a time and mix thoroughly. You will need to keep adding drops of water so that it doesn't get too thick and hard to mix. Keep testing on paper, this is essential!!! Keep doing this until you get desired colour.
Add Gum Arabic and mix in thoroughly.
Add water until you get to the correct consistency for you.
Mixing calligraphy ink is all about trial and error and finding what works best for you. If you want to get started on your calligraphy journey straight away, I'd recommend a modern calligraphy starter kit.
If you want to mixing inks yourself, make sure that you have a load of scrap paper on hand so that you can keep colour testing. Once you think your ink is at the right consistency, grab a pen and try it - sometimes it takes a while of adding drops of gum arabic and water for me to get it to the right consistency. Also, remember that if you store the ink and go to use it after a while, you will need to add more water as some of it would have evaporated.


text:
Report: Garth Brooks to Headline Stagecoach Festival
Garth Brooks has signed on to headline the 2018 Stagecoach Festival. It's his third announced date for next year, in addition to two slots at RodeoHouston.
Billboard confirmed the news, although there has been no official word from the festival. Brooks has typically stuck to headlining his own tour stops. In fact, he's exclusively done just that — the magazine reports that Stagecoach will be the first time he's every played a dedicated music festival (he made a surprise appearance at CMA Fest in summer of 2017).
Dates for the 2018 Stagecoach Festival are April 27-29 in Indio, Calif. Shania Twain was the surprise artist in 2017, although Kenny Chesney and Dierks Bentley helped round out an impressive three night bill. The lineup is traditionally announced in September.
Who's Country Music's Highest Paid? Take a Guess and Look at the Top 10
The announcement proves Brooks isn't totally finished with North America, even though he'll wrap the North American leg of his world tour in Nashville later this year. He's expected to begin touring throughout Europe and perhaps Australia in 2018, although no dates have been announced. During a three-year run in Canada and America he has sold more five million concert tickets, typically playing two or more shows per city, often two in one night.
The reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year and "Ask Me How I Know" singer came fully out of retirement in 2014 and has since delivered two studio albums plus a Christmas album to fans. "Baby Let's Lay Down and Dance" is the other single from his Gunslinger album, which dropped last fall.
Stay up to date with all country music festivals scheduled for 2017 and 2018 at ToC's country music festival hub.
Next: See the Top 10 Garth Brooks Songs
We Promise You've Never Seen a Cover Quite Like This!
Categories: Country Music News, Festivals, Live Country Music


And so The Food Philosopher's wonderful journey begins….
With an unwavering demand for healthy, seasonal and all-natural ingredients Greece continues to cement itself as a small-batch food-lovers' paradise. Over the past few years we have combed Greece's gorgeous countryside to find the very best boutique producers in the land, developing a deep bond with each by immersing ourselves in all stages of harvest and production.
And so it is with great pride that we bring you our inaugural 'The Food Philosopher' product offering. You will find each carefully-selected item within this range to be of exceptional and unparalleled quality with a strict emphasis on the sourcing of all-natural ingredients with minimal and traditional forms of processing.


Assure freshness for any environment with this convenient spray. Just one spritz of the concentrated formula is all you need to rejuvenate any space, while its compact size makes it the perfect on-the-go fragrance companion.
Glade® Touch & Fresh® is both compact and convenient — one spray of this concentrated formula is all you need to rejuvenate any room of your home. It's the ideal solution for on-the-go freshness; keep it in your purse or desk drawer in case of scent emergencies!
Extremely flammable. Harmful to aquatic organisms. Keep out of the reach of children. Keep away from sources of ignition — No smoking. Do not breathe spray. In case of contact with eyes, rinse immediately with plenty of water and seek medical advice. Use only in well-ventilated areas. Protect from sunlight and do not expose to temperatures exceeding 50°C. Do not pierce or burn even after use. Do not spray on a naked flame or any incandescent material. People suffering from perfume sensitivity should be cautious when using this product.
Remove overcap and press down on actuator. To assemble: Do not direct towards the eyes. Take the fragrance cartridge and gently slide it against the back of the unit until you hear a "click". Close the cover and press on the center part of the lid to release the fragrance. To use: Spray away from face. Press the front of the unit once to release a burst of freshness. If using as free-standing unit, squeeze unit together carefully at arms length.


On behalf of Michael J. Gaffney, Attorney at Law posted in Car Accidents on Thursday, November 22, 2018.
Hearing the sound of sirens from emergency vehicles is a part of living in New York City. Since it is such a busy municipality, it is unavoidable that there will be accidents and incidents that require emergency services. That can include an ambulance to help those who are injured, law enforcement vehicles heading to a scene and fire department vehicles rushing to assist others. Coming across these vehicles generally leads to people moving their vehicles to the side to let them pass. However, there are instances when two vehicles are in the wrong place at the wrong time and are unable to react quickly enough to avoid an accident. This is when there can be injuries and fatalities.
Did a cognitive, visual or manual distraction cause your injury?
On behalf of Michael J. Gaffney, Attorney at Law on Tuesday, November 20, 2018.
When you get behind the wheel of a car to drive on New York roadways, you are legally obligated to adhere to traffic and safety laws. Doing so not only keeps you in good standing with the state, it also helps improve your chances of safely arriving to your destination. Your own driving skill, caution and alertness, however, may not be enough to keep you out of harm's way if another driver is cognitively, manually or visually distracted while driving.
On behalf of Michael J. Gaffney, Attorney at Law posted in Car Accidents on Thursday, November 8, 2018.
In New York and across the nation, opinions will inevitably vary as to the usefulness of daylight savings time. Moving the clocks forward in the spring and back in the fall might seem like it is simply a part of life, but there are certain issues that can arise because of it. Safety on the roads is one. Legislators and law enforcement are making sure to let people know about the dangers that accompany the sudden differences that go along with moving the clocks back. For those who are in auto accidents during or right after the clocks have been changed, it is important to know what research says about crashes related to the time adjustment.