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darrentristano
Trends in the Foodservice Industry
Mom-and-Pop Joints are Trouncing America's Big Restaurant Chains
Fazoli's closes only Las Vegas restaurant
Jennifer Robison
http://www.reviewjournal.com/business/fazolis-closes-only-las-vegas-restaurant
There'll be no more free breadsticks on North Town Center Drive.
Italian fast-food franchise Fazoli's has quietly closed its lone Las Vegas eatery. The restaurant, behind the 7-Eleven at Town Center and Covington Cross in Summerlin, shut Feb. 8, 15 years to the day after its 2001 debut.
The closure defies broader market trends, as big, national chains including Chick-fil-A and Cracker Barrel prepare market launches for late 2016 and early 2017.
"Las Vegas is definitely a growth market," said Darren Tristano, president of Chicago-based restaurant consultant Technomic.
So why did operators shutter Fazoli's?
Company spokeswoman Janet Ritter deferred to the franchisee, Las Vegas-based Glencoe Management, and Glencoe Management didn't return phone calls. The company's website said it owns 21 local Burger Kings, including one at 1280 Town Center Drive, next to the former Fazoli's.
But Ritter said Fazoli's, a Kentucky chain with 217 U.S. locations mostly in the Midwest and South, "would like to have a presence in Las Vegas, and we are seeking franchisees to open units in the Las Vegas area."
The Fazoli's closure capped a market foray that never really picked up steam.
Ritter said she had no information on number or dates of operation of prior local stores, but at least two other Fazoli's franchises — one on Ft. Apache Road near Rhodes Ranch and another on Eastern Avenue in Silverado Ranch — opened after 2001 and closed years ago.
The 28-year-old company had as many as 300 U.S. restaurants before it began pruning locations in the recession. Each restaurant typically employs 30 to 40 people, Ritter said.
Competition has hurt Fazoli's, Tristano said.
The U.S. market is saturated with chains, including Panera Bread and Noodles & Co., that serve pasta and pizza. Plus, Fazoli's straddles a blurry line between fast food and the more upscale fast-casual segment, which includes operators such as Chipotle and Au Bon Pain.
"That's not a terrible place to be. The problem is, you're lumped in to some extent with fast food because of the drive-thru and the price points, but the quality is not at the level of a fast-casual restaurant," Tristano said. "That's not to say it's not good quality, but there are so many concepts with customized, prepared-to-order food."
It didn't help that Fazoli's had just a handful of local stores. A franchise needs 20 to 25 locations in a big market to build loyalty and brand awareness, Tristano said.
Still, Fazoli's seems to have righted its ship: The company said in December that same-store sales were up in 65 of the prior 68 months, including a 3.1 percent jump year over year in November. It opened 10 new franchises in 2014 and 2015.
And restaurant operators continue to salivate over the Southern Nevada market, Tristano said.
"Las Vegas has the demographics and growth that many chain brands are looking for," he said. "Not all of the markets in the United States are growing, but you're seeing housing development and population growth there, and that's a big deal. Chains tend to be prioritizing growth markets."
Leave a Comment »	| Fast Casual, Fast Food, Franchise Activity, Future Plans/Announcements, Growth, Growth Opportunities, Italian, Lunch/Dinner, noodles, Pizza, Uncategorized	| Tagged: Au Bon Pain, Chick-fil-A, Chipotle, Cracker Barrel, Las Vegas, Nevada, Noodles and Co., Panera	| Permalink
Posted by Darren Tristano
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Industry experts at LJR Hospitality Ventures, ConStrata Consulting, and FoodserviceResults announced the release of IMPACT! (Immediate, Measurement, Pivot, Actionable, Competitive, Tactics)
The Keys to Guest-Pleasing Fusion Cuisine
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Dunkin' Acquisition Talks Signal Restaurant Real Estate Consolidation darrentristano.com/2020/11/02/dun… 2 months ago
Balducci's, King Foods' Owner Accepts $75 Million Bid for Gourmet Grocery Chains darrentristano.com/2020/08/25/bal… 4 months ago
How C-Store Operators Are Innovating the Fountain – New products, promos offer dispensed beverages a way forward darrentristano.com/2020/08/17/how… 5 months ago
Industry experts at LJR Hospitality Ventures, ConStrata Consulting, and FoodserviceResults announced the release of… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 6 months ago
The Keys to Guest-Pleasing Fusion Cuisine darrentristano.com/2020/06/29/the… 6 months ago
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Technomic


Diagnosis. Recognized by the following combination of characters: body moderately clothed in long sometimes prostrate silky setae; wool-like pile absent; pterostigma extending to apex of the wing; subbasal cell absent; scutellum and 2 nd abdominal tergite (1 st visible) with spine; metanotum with median longitudinal ridge ending posteriorly with a conical tubercle; three-segmented foretarsi; phallotheca with dorsal saddle-shaped sclerotization. The posterior lobe of the pronotum is deeply pitted (almost honeycombed) in the Australian species.
Remarks. Wygodzinsky (1966) suggests that this genus is allied with the Neotropical genus Malacopus Stål, though no phylogenetic framework currently exists to test this hypothesis.


text:
package leetcode

func twoSum(nums []int, target int) (solution []int) {
	expected := make(map[int]int)

	for i, v := range nums {
		if j, ok := expected[v]; ok {
			solution = append(solution, j)
			solution = append(solution, i)
			return
		}
		expected[target-v] = i
	}

	return
}

func TwoSum(nums []int, target int) []int {
	return twoSum(nums, target)
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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These Keddo sandals are the height of luxury. They have a synthetic leather upper material and a genuine leather lining. The buckle fastening allows easy access for the feet while the lightweight and open design allows your feet to breathe on the hot summers days and also makes them perfect for packing in your suitcase and taking on holiday.


With an exceptional crew of fully trained and insured gutter cleaners, Sydney Gutter Clean offers the most professional and reliable gutter cleaning service in Sydney. Offering residential, commercial and strata gutter cleaning services, Sydney Gutter Clean is the team you can rely on to keep your gutters in tip-top condition. For a free gutter cleaning quote visit the gutter cleaning Sydney website.


text:
Is Tourbar a Safe App to Meet up New People?
1 What exactly is Tourbar?
2 Does it work?
3 Accounts on Tourbar
4 User safety on Tourbar
5 Privacy Policy and Personal Information
6 What is the community like in Tourbar?
7 Should you use Tourbar? Verdict and other alternatives.
What exactly is Tourbar?
Tourbar is a niche meet-up app targeted towards solo travellers who are hoping to meet a travel buddy or travel partner during their adventure.
The app was created in 2013 and is currently based in London with approximately 1 Million registered users in 2016. Most of the registered users come from developing countries such as Turkey, India, Russia and Ukraine.
The app has been published in several articles being one of the recommended apps to use to find a travel buddy, with success meet-up stories published online.
Tourbar is a geo-location app which tracks user's location and displays in on the app, allowing users to have the chance to meet-up and chat with people in the same area as they are. Besides that, Tourbar also connects people with similar travel plans that they have for the future.
The functionality and features for Tourbar is relatively simple with no extra bells and whistles. Similar to most app, free users are only allowed to chat with each other once they have favourited each other, with limitation to chats per day. Whereas premium users have unrestricted access to app features with additional bonuses, such as making your profile incognito and filtering users based on preferences.
In theory, the app is set-up with same features as regular meet-up, dating apps with a targeted audience. Yet, after signing up for the app and reading user reviews, things seem too good to be true.
Accounts on Tourbar
Observations made when first using Tourbar is that most of the users on Tourbar are male, and that users are mostly speaking Russian, Spanish or broken English.
This is mostly due to the fact that majority of users are from developing countries, which also raises a red flag.
Some users seems like unable to afford constant travel, together with the fact that premium membership. Tourbar is relatively expensive.
In fact, some users asked me how much I can afford if they're going to travel together with me.
Thus, one of the few things that users should be careful of when using Tourbar and chatting with users, is to be aware of fake bots or scammers. Some scammers may be on Tourbar to scam money by asking you for travel favors such as, plane tickets or hotel bookings.
Even if it isn't a scam, there may be issues in regards to communication as not every user on the app speaks English. But for those who are up for a challenge may enjoy the opportunity to meet someone from a different background.
On the other hand, there is also an issue being faced by Tourbar. Albeit the app being marketed with the purpose of travelling in mind, some users have been seen creating fake plans for vacation, but with the actual purpose of wanting to find a partner instead of travelling. This may not be a good factor for people who are serious about travelling across the globe and having fun.
User safety on Tourbar
As written on the website's guideline itself, users are not fully protected and are responsible of their own personal wellbeing as the website does not do full background checks of profiles and that they are not allowed to do so.
Tourbar does provide tools to verify legitimacy of users to a certain extent, such as Phone Verification, Photo Verification and Identity Verification. For example, there has been a user on twitter spreading awareness of a thief that has created an account on Tourbar.
(https://www.twipu.com/Russ22749799)
Therefore, it is recommended for users to background check users who they are talking to before making any further advancements. Undeniably, this is the same for every dating/meet-up apps, but Tourbar seems to be more prone to it.
How does Tourbar plan to solve this issue?
The customer support has not released any plans as to tightening the apps safety or regulations, therefore, the only effective solution as to now is for users to create a safe community for each other by reporting fake account and scammers.
TourBar Customer Service and Replies Report
On the bright side, customer support is quick to action and bans accounts reported speedily. So, if you see any sketchy accounts floating around, be sure to let customer support know.
Privacy Policy and Personal Information
One of the biggest things to be aware of after you make an account is to adjust your privacy settings. This is because your profile will be visible and searchable on search engines when you first sign-up. Users who want to remain hidden and only visible to a registered users should correct their settings. Users who want to remain completely incognito until they reach out to another user should upgrade to premium instead.
(https://tourbar.com/en/privacy)
It is safe to say that user information will not be misused and is stored for the purpose of marketing analysis conducted by the company itself, and user details will not be sold to third-party companies. Thus, user's privacy and information is well protected.
If you really are worried about your information being stored by the company when you want to delete your account, there is an option to delete your information completely, which can be accessed via settings. By doing so, your information will no longer be held by the company and your account will be immediately deleted. It is very likely that you will be unable to reactivate your account.
What is the community like in Tourbar?
The community on Tourbar is heavily straight and there seems to be a very small to non-existent LGBTQ community on the app. A user has mentioned about this aspect of the app and customer support or the creators neither seem to be bothered to be inclusive. Therefore, Tourbar is not LGBTQ friendly.
Should you use Tourbar? Verdict and other alternatives.
Tourbar may seem like a dream from afar, especially for solo travelers who were hoping to find company abroad, but when inspected up close, there are many flaws and aspects to be considered. Given the difficulty to find genuine connections on the site, Tourbar may not be worth your money. Users are recommended to try the app for free instead of immediately joining for a premium account.
There are still a lot of other meet-up apps for travelers, such as.
Tourlina
http://tourlina.com/
Tourlina app is solely for female users who are looking for a travel buddy, which may be a safer and more efficient app to use for women solo-travelers.
Skout
https://www.skout.com/
Albeit not being advertised as a travelling app, the app itself relies heavily on location syncing and allows users to find people close to their surroundings with the 'Shake' feature. Skout app has wide coverage across the globe, which is helpful for those travelling the world.
MizunoSYO
I'm a banker, weekend author, and a person who loves to try new dating apps (looking for a girlfriend!)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Samsung Z Fold 4 durability tests
Samsung's latest foldable mobile phone, the Galaxy Z Fold 4, has passed JerryRigEverything's torture test, which includes exposure to sharp objects like razor blades, lighters, and dirt. Fold 4, like Fold 3 and 2, made it through the test, albeit with many scratches and some burned-out pixels.
The real test of Fold 4 will be how well it ages. Samsung has made substantial advancements in the durability of its foldable product lines, including making them water resistant and incorporating strong screens and a more sturdy aluminum frame. Although Samsung has created videos this year and last to reassure customers of the reliability of its products, these do not reveal how the products would hold up after prolonged use.
Ah ok bottom half not doing so great either pic.twitter.com/6Y8MssXBdv
— Zoe Kleinman (@zsk) August 29, 2022
Users of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Fold 3 from last year said they had problems like cracked displays and prominent creases soon after buying the smartphones. However, some owners report problems with their foldable phones, even if they had no issues when they first bought them last year. British Broadcasting Corporation technology editor Zoe Kleinman tweeted that the crease in her Galaxy Z Flip 3 had cracked, rendering both the bottom and the top of the smartphone useless. Several Reddit users are in a similar position months after making a purchase.
Samsung had gone a long way since 2019, when the release of the first Galaxy Z Fold was considerably delayed due to a malfunctioning screen. Despite Samsung's claim that the Z Fold 4 is "unbelievable technology built to last," the Z Flip 4 is advertised as having "serious durability." While this may be true under controlled laboratory circumstances, it is sometimes more challenging to estimate the effects of everyday use and wear over time.
Samsung has reduced the price of screen repairs for the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Fold 4 to $29, but only for those who sign up for Samsung's Care Plus program, which ranges in price from $8 per month to $11 per month, depending on the model. The Z Fold 4's inner screen replacement will cost $499 without the plan or $357 without warranty coverage. Repairing or replacing the Z Flip 4's internal screen would only set you back $219, compared to the Z Flip 3's $349. On the other hand, if you still have a first or second-generation Flip or Fold device that hasn't broken, you can get a new display for as little as $119.


Mother of a 7 year old gentle soul and a 4 year old princess , Wonder Woman to girlfriends in need and W4W Ambassador for Prevention of Bullying, Current student at Curtin University completing a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Public Relations.
Melissa grew up in country Tasmania with horses, motorbikes and lots of time outside exploring the simple things in life. Moving to the mining town of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia with her parents in her early teens she then packed up to take on the big city of Perth in her early 20's.
Melissa has worked in the legal field as a legal assistant since she was 19 and still works in this industry in short term contracts between study commitments.
Having a passion for education of our little people to help prevent current cultures of bullying seen in children today, she is currently working on a programme that will be released to our schools in the future.


... that today (July 6) Lithuania celebrates the day of its Statehood? On that day back in 1253 the first King of Lithuania, Mindaugas, was crowned. Mindaugas (read min-dow-gahs) was the first to unite the Lithuanian territories into a state, which gave rise to the powerful Grand Duchy of Lithuania - the largest country in Europe at its peak in the 15th century.
Mindaugas remains a well know historical figure - an a popular name for boys up to this day.
On the left you can see a somewhat "Lord of the Ring"-ish artist's impression of the Lithuanian King.
... that basketball is the most popular sport in Lithuania? The passion dates back to when Lithuania competed in two pre-war EuroBasket competitions and won them both (in 1937 and 1939). After regaining its independence, Lithuania won bronze medals in three out of six Olympic tournaments and won the EuroBasket for the third time in 2003. It also won the bronze medal in the 2010 FIBA World Championship.
Basketball championships generate an enormous amount of interest in Lithuania at all times.
... that Lithuanian language is the most ancient living language in Europe? It belongs to the rare family of Baltic languages. Only two Baltic languages survive to date - Lithuanian and Latvian.
Estonia, which neighbors Latvia and Lithuania, is also located next to the Baltic Sea. The three countries are commonly referred to as "the Baltic States". Estonian language, however, is from Finno-Ugric family (same as Finish and Hungarian).
If you are interested in Lithuanian kitchen, culinary traditions, Baltic food or are simply passionate about cooking, you've come to the right place.
Enjoy & hope to see you often!


Anyone that has known me long enough for me to start chattering their ear off about video games knows that I have been a huge fan of the Sims franchise since I was ten years old (would've been earlier but the day before my brother promised to lend me his game disc and show me how it worked, one of our cousins sat on it while they were all hanging out in his room - years later I still suspect there's more to that story...). I've played the game since Sims 1 and excitedly purchased and installed every expansion pack and almost every stuff pack that has ever been released by EA and Maxis who produce the Sims titles. It took me until the first expansion pack for The Sims 4 was released for me to get genuinely excited about all the potential Sims 4 held that went beyond its predecessors - and with the newest Game Pack, Sims 4 Vampires, they have gone above and beyond my expectations!
This newest game pack not only brings the first occult series into The Sims 4 (discounting Aliens - they're not so much occult as they are our neighbors that live in the sky ((or, y'know, right next door, hiding behind human skin)).), but the pack is chock full of new items in CAS (Create-A-Sim), Build & Buy mode, and it even presents fellow Simmers with a whole new world to explore called Forgotten Hollow. But we all know that getting to play as and interact with other vampires is where the real fun starts with this pack, and that's where I thought I'd focus on with this post.
These are a couple of Sims I made to try out the new game pack with, and I'll give you a quick introduction. This is Ebony MacHale, and Erik Waters. The two of them met in the metropolitan city of San Myshuno, where it didn't take long for Ebony to figure out that Erik is a vampire. Ebony is an ordinary sim, but she has grown up around vampires her entire life, though it was never a lifestyle she chose for herself. Despite how the two of them could be incredibly stubborn, and neither were really the monogamous type to begin with, they eventually ended up falling in love with one another.
I apologize if this is too much story, I based these two sims off two roleplay characters that I used to love plotting with! So anyway, long story short, Ebony has come to the decision that she would like to live an eternal life with Erik, but to do that, she needs to be turned into a vampire. Erik can't actually do that himself, because he swore an oath to the vampire that sired him (and because vampires in the pack can't turn Sims into vampires right off the bat (no pun intended); it's a power they have to unlock). So, they actually moved temporarily to a house in Forgotten Hollow so Ebony could transition into a vampire in peace, and so they could pay a visit to the ancient vampire, Vlad.
Erik introduced Vlad to his girlfriend Ebony, and after building up a friendship with him (this is a requirement before you can ask a vampire with the unlocked ability to turn your sim into a vampire), she made the request of Vlad that he might turn her. He agreed, and the process started by Vlad taking a small drink from Ebony.
The last part of the process was for Vlad to make a cut on his wrist with his fangs and to get Ebony to drink some of his blood, and she did what she was told. From there, it takes three sim says until your sim is turned into a vampire. That's right, 3 Sim Days. But don't worry, like I did with Erik, you can create vampires right-off-the-bat from CAS.
Now I'll focus on Erik a bit, so you can learn a bit about what vampires can actually do in this new pack. When vampires are feeling thirsty, they are in need of "plasma" - that's Sims's talk for blood, for they can keep their T for Teen rating :P In previous Sims games, you had to work hard to earn a relationship with sims and ask if you could drink from them, which was always a headache. Now, from the moment you're a vampire, you have the ability to compel regular sims, and you can take either a small or a deep drink from them. Don't worry, it's impossible to kill sims from taking their blood - but a sim will pass out right there on the ground after a deep drink, and any time after compelling a sim, they'll lose a bit of their relationship with you. Also, there's never a 100% guarantee that your vampiric magic's gonna work, so your meal could very well share their head at you and just walk away at the end of it all.
Let's talk vampire powers! Whenever you are using your vampire powers, researching vampire history, doing things like sparring or dueling with other vampires or any of the new socials that have a little bat next to them, you're gaining more vampire experience, which is not only going to help you grow to higher levels as a vampire, but it's also going to earn you more Power Points, which you can earn on all these different powers that you see in the picture above. These powers will allow you to do things like turn into a bat, move at super speeds, expend less vampire energy any time you use your powers, you can even become immune to the sun! But for all these wicked powers you gain, eventually you're going to have to take on weakness as well. Perhaps you're someone that possess an overwhelming anxiety about the sun, even when you're safe indoors. Or maybe you throw up whenever you eat human food. Or maybe you just have a case of uncontrollable hissing. The higher level you reach as a vampires, the more powers - and weaknesses - you unlock.
And would you believe, the first time Erik dueled Vlad as a fledgling vampire, ERIK WON! I was so proud of him! Figured I had to prove it with a picture.
Should also mention that the Sims 4 Vampires came with a couple new Aspirations. Ebony's life's aspirations is to be a Grand Master - she was to learn everything that she can in the Vampire Knowledge Skill, and she wants to be mentored by other vampires who are of a higher rank than her. Even before her transformation into a vampire is complete, she's been working hard at her research and really hitting the books.
After 3 whole Sim days, the time finally came for Ebony's transformation. I did my best to get photographs of the process so you guys could get an idea of what it looks like. I would have gotten a picture of her initial dark form, but... it involved her wearing a cowboy hat, so, no thanks. I immediately headed to a dresser to change up how her dark form looked a bit.
In case you didn't know, vampire sims have the option to have a dark form, which becomes visible when vampires are feeding, when their thirst gets low, when their sparring or dueling, etc. But this is only optional; if your sim isn't interested in blending in with society at all, they can look like a scary, gruesome vampire 24/7, and the design guru's at EA have added a ton of details to make your vampires as hellish as you could possibly imagine.
In case you were wondering, this is what Ebony's dark form looks like. I wanted to go with something more alluring than scary, because it fits more with Ebony's personality.
Let me know if you liked hearing a general overview about the Sims 4 Vampires from me! Also, let me know in the comments or on Twitter @KacieCruise if you'd like to see more Sims-related content on this blog, whether it's game-related or story-related because I'm have fun providing you guys with either one! Keep me posted!


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Get Into March Madness Where The NCAA Was Born
By Diana Lambdin Meyer Published on Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Image source: Flickr - Matt C
The Super Bowl is history and now it's time to get serious about college hoops. One way to do that is take a trip to Kansas City, arguably one of the most passionate basketball communities in the world.
That's in part because James Naismith, the guy who invented the game, began the first college program a few miles away at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. Those Rock Chalk Jayhawks have been a powerhouse since Day 1.
But more importantly, Kansas City is your destination for March Madness because it was here in Municipal Auditorium in 1952 that the NCAA as we know it today was born. Sure, the NCAA headquarters is now in Indianapolis, but the first Final Fours were held here, and over the years Kansas City has hosted more Final Fours that any other city in the U.S.
Pay Respects to James Naismith
During your Kansas City getaway, take a day trip over to Lawrence, Kansas to the Hall of Athletics on James Naismith Drive on the KU campus. This is where you can see James Naismith's original handwritten copy of the rules of basketball. There's an exhibit on Wilt Chamberlain, who played ball for KU, as well as the original court of Allen Fieldhouse, where Naismith coached.
While in Lawrence, you may also want to pay your respects to Mr. Naismith at Lawrence Memorial Park Cemetery. His final resting place is marked with a statue of the man holding a basketball under one arm and a stack of textbooks under another.
Kansas City hotel rooms fill up fast during March, so book early to get a room at the 816 Hotel, a boutique property with themed rooms in Westport. One of those rooms even has a basketball hoop in it! It's the room dedicated to the University of Missouri Kansas City, a Division 1 school with a Kangaroo as a mascot. That's a whole 'nother story, but the cool thing that you'll see and learn when staying in the UMKC room is that Walt Disney, while a student at the Kansas City Art Institute, drew the first kangaroo image for UMKC athletics. Some people say the marsupial looks quite a bit like a mouse.
Explore the College Basketball Experience
Then, get yourself downtown to an attraction called The College Basketball Experience. It's tempting to call this place a museum, but it is so NOT a museum. Do you leave most museums all sweaty and smelly?
The College Basketball Experience, an undertaking of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, brings visitors into the excitement of a college basketball game while fans cheer, coaches shout, and pep bands play. Visitors can choose to be a coach, a player, or a fan in some of the biggest moments in the history of college hoops.
The experience begins as you ride the elevator to the second floor and hear the coach shouting a few last words of encouragement before leaving the locker room. Then the doors open, the pep band plays, the crowd cheers, and your heart starts pumping.
Shoot a 3-pointer, slam a dunk, see how high you can jump, and then read about record-holders and NCAA rules governing such behavior. Practice your free throw and compare your shoe size to Shaquille O'Neal's.
Bring a few friends along and work the court in a friendly or not-so-friendly pick-up game. Cruise the NCAA Coaches Hall of Fame, and take time to read some of the history of the game on the walls and in nearby kiosks.
Here's the fun part that you just can't do on any old basketball court: sit at the anchor desk of the real ESPN Sports Center and read highlights from your favorite game. Although SportsCenter is indeed based in Bristol, Connecticut, the television studio in the College Basketball Experience is for real and capable of live ESPN broadcasts at any time. You can record yourself and a friend bantering about the game, upload it to YouTube, and share your talents with the world!
The College Basketball Experience is in the midst of an entertainment area called the Power & Light District. Filled with great restaurants and dozens of bars, this is the place to be during the tournaments. City officials close Grand Avenue, the major thoroughfare in this part of town, and set up basketball goals and other fun activities to continue the celebration into the wee hours.
It's just how crazy they are about basketball in Kansas City.
Tip: Tickets to any major sporting event can run into the hundreds or even thousands of dollars. If you're planning a March Madness tournament experience, make sure your travel insurance will cover the cost of those tickets if something prohibits you from making it to the game.
What sports destinations have you visited?
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Celebrating New Year's Around the World Like a Travel Expert
Ever thought about spending New Year's Eve in some place different? These expert ideas and tips could get you ringing in the New Year somewhere new.
A Midwest farm girl at heart, Diana Lambdin Meyer caught the roaming bug early in life. Diana married well - to a photographer who also has the travel bug and whose work in still and video complements her words. Now based in the Kansas City area, Diana is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers who makes a full-time living on the road and at the keyboard. Read about Diana's adventures on her blog, Mojotraveler or follow her on Twitter or Google Plus.


Description en-US: When light or longer wavelength electromagnetic radiation is absorbed in matter, it is generally converted into thermal energy (heat). Shorter wavelength electromagnetic radiation (ultraviolet, X-rays, gamma rays) can ionize atoms and cause damage to living cells.
ASN was funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
ASN is now owned and operated by D2L.
D2L Brasil Soluções de Tecnologia para Educação Ltda.


Your website is created and you are looking to increase your SEO ranking and increase organic traffic.
Lets take a look at the information that you have on your website. Now how to maximize the contents potential for increased traffic.
What's the importance of having great website content?
There must be a connection between your company and your audience that you want to attract. People want good quality content to read that is informative, educational, entertaining, or highly engaging. These types of content is how you will attract your readers and keep them on your page.
People don't want to jump from one website to the other to find the right content. If your website has quality content then you will gain a reoccurring viewer and possibly a new lead.
3 Important facts to keep in mind when your planning the content for your website.
What do you want your customer expect on your website?
Is the content going to be relevant to your brand and interesting to read?
How will the content be presented to the target audience?
Don't try to reach everyone. There is a specific market for your services or goods. Whether your in the fitness, tattoo, contractors, medical industries, you must understand your audiences interests and needs. Understanding your target market will increase your chance of reaching the right audience.
2. What is considered quality content?
Keep your sentences short and do not have them run on. If you do create sentences that are to long and commas are used. Toss the commas and break the sentence into two.
Paragraphs that have more than four sentences in them get to be to much for the reader. Keep your paragraphs short and give the reader time to understand. Making paragraphs short is easier for the reader to navigate your page.
When creating content for your website, be original and keep your information up to date. Skim through your content every three months and update to keep up with your industry norms.
3. How do I prioritize my content?
Now you know how to create quality content and its time to structure your page. Here is a few key points to keeping your information structured.
Headers are extremely important for the Google bots when skimming your page. These are the (H1 – H6) headers tags. Keep your character count between 10 and 70 for a good title/header.
Use bullet points, icons, or tables when it calls for it. Listed bullet points are easy to read and keep the information short. I mentioned the icons only for your readers to identify the paragraph right away. It's like a marker on the page where you know to navigate to.
Keywords are still important when creating content but don't use it out context. Using to much keywords or phrases through your page will cause more harm than good. But don't forget to incorporate them throughout.
Hyperlinks are great to use. This is considered back-links to other pages or to an outside source. TIP: don't overdue it with the hyperlinks. Stay on point and don't focus on just links, titles, and keywords. Write out the content and then sort it out later.
4. I am ready to publish my content, what's next?
Your ready to publish your website content and let it run its course. There is a few things you want to do before you click that publish button.
Editing: The first draft is ready for proof reading. Go through this copy with a fine comb. This will take some time to go over. Furthermore, read and re-read this copy and don't worry about throwing out some content or fixing misspellings.
Read your content out loud a few times. This will help you understand how your readers with interpret your content. When you read your own material, you have to be excited about as this is how you will entertain or educate your readers.
Feedback: Send a copy to a couple of people to proofread your content and ask for some feedback. Getting constructive criticism is great for any material you prepare for the future.
Now your ready to submit your website content!
Your work is now done and time to kick back and see how your site ranks with search engines.
Your work is not done as of yet. SEO is a consistent job that does not end. The website could lose rank status due to being inactive.
Go through your website and update your pages and post every few months and add more content or update. Adding additional content will be considered Rich content.
It does not matter what industry you are in, there will be new advancements and then your existing material will become obsolete. Update your website content that will keep up with your industry norms.
If you like the material that is written and would like to see something specific. Send me message on the subject and also leave your URL to include as a backlink to your website.
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Our range of surface mounted distributions boxes are available in 4, 6, 8, 12, 18, 24 and 36 pole. We don't keep every size in stock at the moment, however we can order these in should you need them. If you require one of the 'out of stock' items below, please call us and we can order these in for you.


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Conservation: Cleaning Hiram Powers' Greek Slave
Chris on December 18, 2014
Allison Rabent is a pre-program volunteer at the Lunder Conservation Center. She is working with conservators on a variety of activities. Allison, along with the project's lead, Conservation Technician Susan Edwards, recently investigated an ongoing treatment of Hiram Powers' Greek Slave and shares their findings with us below. American Art's sculpture curator, Karen Lemmey, contributed to this post.
This is a full scale plaster cast of one of the 19th century's most famous and popular artworks, Hiram Powers' Greek Slave. In March 1843, Hiram Powers finished modeling the Greek Slave in clay and soon after his studio made a plaster mold and this plaster cast of the sculpture. The plaster cast was a tool that was used by the artist or a workshop to create a marble copy of Powers' original sculpture. The Greek Slave was one of this artist's most famous artworks and five marble replicas of this size still exist today. Along with this life-sized cast, American Art has a three-quarter marble version on display on the second floor of the museum. The cast has a series of metal studs, known as point marks, and graphite X's on its surface. Each of these points indicates a location of measure that would have been taken by a pointing tool. A pointing tool was a popular device for sculptors in the nineteenth century. It was used to take a series of measurements from a cast, such as this, that could be transferred to a block of marble. The tool would be moved hundreds of times from the fixed points on the plaster to the corresponding locations on the block of marble from which the replica was being carved. Each time, the tool would be used to measure location and depth on the marble block, thus creating a three dimensional guide for the carver. By chiseling along the measured guidelines, the marble carver could replicate the artist's original form with much greater ease and in much less time.
The Lunder Conservation Center is cleaning this plaster cast in anticipation of its display in the museum next summer. It will be the center piece for a discussion of Powers' work and the materials and methods used to create sculpture. Considering its age and its function in Powers' studio, the work is in good condition, and its treatment will only require cleaning of the surface. The conservators began with a light vacuuming in order to gently remove any loose dust and dirt. This was followed by a dry cleaning using vulcanized rubber sponges, which are suitable for the safe removal of particulate matter on dry surfaces, and especially useful for treating porous materials.
Extensive testing was done beforehand in order to determine the best method for cleaning, while facilitating the most control over the process. This was especially important because it is crucial that the small graphite X's covering the surface of the sculpture are not faded or removed during cleaning and that the evidence of the sculpture's purpose as a guide for the creation of the marble sculpture remains intact.
In order to complete the treatment, conservator, Hugh Shockey determined that a gel cleaning system would be the best course of action. This system was chosen because it allows for a cleaning mixture to be suspended on the surface without exposing the plaster to too much moisture. Once the gel is applied, it is lightly agitated with a brush around a small area. This action helps expedite the drawing of the dirt up from the plaster and into the gel. Once the area is cleaned, the gel is removed with dry swabs, and then any remaining residue is cleared with water.
Visitors can watch the Greek Slave being cleaned over the next few weeks on the fourth floor of the Lunder Conservation Center. In addition, American Art's sculpture curator, Karen Lemmey, will be writing a series of blog posts beginning in the spring of 2015, illuminating Hiram Powers' process and connecting it with contemporary 3D and computer graphics modeling processes.
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The contrasts of Italy can be striking. Nerve-jangling cities, pressed close and gesticulatory. Pastoral, ambered countryside as much Etruscan as modern Italian. Verdant beauty, industrial squalor, living history, the fleeting whims of modern fashion. But always, always, always overlaid with the intensity of the Italians themselves. Hands in flight, mach 5 language in simultaneous eruption, pressing any and every point until it has been flattened or pierced, and never, ever yielding. Faster and more intense there, more restrained here…the regional and cultural differences show…but if there's any sort of national unity in this dubiously unified country, it's this.
And it's so here in the Piedmont, too. Parts of it almost impossibly beautiful, reclining peacefully amongst vine-covered hills. Wines both royal and common, as richly conceived a cuisine as one will find. History. And, it must be noted, wealth, which does not always factor into the Italian equation. Every predicate, it would seem, to a peaceful, self-satisfied existence.
But illusions are no less illusory for their patina of gentility. No face can hide roiling passions forever, and those passions are what define this tenuous national culture. The Piemontese may be slower to it, at least outwardly, but eventually it will out. All the argumentative, confrontational glory of those passions, unleashed. Perhaps first on targets external…but then, inevitably, turned inward. Not just because there's disagreement and discord – though of course there is – but because no one is better at passionately-engaged disorder than the Italians. Why waste time bickering with lesser practitioners?
We're in the Foro Boario in Nizza Monferrato for yet another – another? yes, another! – tasting. More Nizza-labeled wine, more pressing of an organoleptic point that seems increasingly elusive in the glass, but ever clearer when viewed cynically. That cynicism is, admittedly, helped along by the fact that this is a (beautifully) refurbished cattle market. Well, the cattle have arrived. Let the slaughter begin.
Outside, it's snowing. A fluffy, blanketing snow. The din of the city is muffled. Peace descends. Piedmont is quieting.
Inside, amongst the cattle? Not so much.
After the tasting, there's a speech. A long one, chockablock with grand statements of intent. Not unexpected, of course, but after a lunchtime speech that was drier but had actual oenological research to report, something that's purely marketing-driven may contribute to pushing the cattle's tasters' moods into the reddish hues. There's material – and perhaps it's intentionally vague, but at any rate it's unsatisfactory when paired with the organoleptic evidence we've just finished expectorating – justifying the existence of the Nizza sub-appellation, and a fair amount of satisfaction expressed at the style and quality of what we're tasting.
This is a little odd, to be honest. It wouldn't be had the day gone differently up to this point; one hardly expects that the producers, here to promote their product, would be anything other than enthusiastic. But immediately after a largely hostile post-lunch Q&A in which the clear dissatisfaction of some of the assembled has been communicated, a bland reassertion of the party line might be heard in a different context. Could that be a note of defensiveness that we hear? No? Well…why not? These are producers who were pretty harshly attacked, earlier in the day, and though most of them weren't physically present at that event, the news has to have been communicated by now. Where's the counter-argument? Where's the preemptive defense? Where's the passion?
Yet all this is still mere prelude. And had we moved directly from tasting and post-tasting speech to dinner, this post wouldn't exist. As at lunch, the actual controversy-catalyzing event may be a more basic one: opening the floor to questions.
Matters start pleasantly enough. Here's a Danish audient, well-pleased and happy to report same. "To be honest, I didn't used to like barbera, but now it's a truly interesting wine, and now I enjoy it." To this there is some nodding from the producers, perhaps even a faint smile here and there, but far from universal approval. This is revealing because it betrays a clear and pervading sense that if some agree with this sentiment, some do not, or at least are on the fence about it.
Or, maybe, it's that they found the old wines unsatisfactory for reasons other than personal taste. Could that be?
Near the end of the just-mentioned speech, we are treated to a fairly passionate defense of the current wines. What's strange is that it comes not from the producers, but from a writer for Gambero Rosso. Not, it must be added, an unbiased source when it comes to championing the tools of internationalization, as their triplicate bicchieri have long-demonstrated. Moreover, it's a very odd synergy of effort, like a Pentagon official handing the microphone to an allegedly disinterested reporter and asking her to defend a military decision. Shouldn't there be some separation between the two camps? Is it really Gambero Rosso's job to promote the wines of Nizza?
And then, the fun begins. Several things should be noted in advance. One is that much of what follows (though not all of it) is translated. Translation is a hard enough job to begin with, but translating heat – both directions – has to be draining. It is, as always, possible that certain nuances and senses have been lost in that translation. It is also worth mentioning that as tensions escalated, the translator's tone took on a decidedly aggrieved tenor, at times seeming to do so without prompting; the clear sense was that the translator herself was getting her back up, for reasons that weren't entirely clear. This is fully understandable, given the tenor of the room, but it may have contributed to an escalation of tensions…adding a second layer of upset when, before translation, there may have been only one.
Another is that what follows is not all from the Q&A in Nizza. At times – and it will become obvious why – it seemed necessary to include words from other times and places. Those intrusions have been clearly noted, but it's worth mentioning to head off potential confusion.
The first volley of contrarianism comes from an Italian attendee, apparently not on board with Gambero Rosso's enthusiasm. The Nizza wines, he says, are "very structured but lose drinkability," and in fact are "so structured it's hard to drink [them]." He then suggests that they're more like Amarone than barbera. It's an on-point charge, especially as we've already visited a producer who uses an appassimento-like procedure, but the concentration and density of these wines is, I think, coming mostly from the more usual methods.
Now, I've noted before that, sometimes, the answers to questions asked of winemakers here (and elsewhere) can be confusing and contradictory. If I may presume to divine intent, I don't think it's usually because the producers don't know what they're talking about, or that they're lying but not very good at it. Either is possible, of course, but I'm hesitant to jump immediately to the worst possible interpretation when more charitable alternatives exist. I think, instead, that the producers are themselves sometimes conflicted on these issues. Or if they're not, they're cognizant of debate with their peers over controversial matters; they "hear" this internal narrative of dissent and uncertainty while they're trying to express a coherent philosophy. Not necessarily trained as public speakers, and sometimes attempting these formulations in languages other than their own, consistency can fall by the wayside. And there's no blame in that.
But there's also no answer in that. For example, one producer's response to this initial challenge is that alcohol "is a problem with these wines," but that producers are "trending towards" making more elegant wine. But then, he changes his mind. "I don't see higher alcohol as being a problem." (This is the same person speaking, remember.) He then finishes with a reiteration that "we do need to go towards more elegance." So: alcohol isn't a problem, but we're trying for more elegance because it is a problem. Got it.
OK, so maybe there's at least some agreement, from some quarters, that these Nizza wines have been muscled up a little too much, and that maybe their alcohols contribute to a sense of mass that doesn't serve them well. But then, the answer moves to address another structural complaint, this one regarding a lack of acidity in these modern barberas.
Note that the charge is neither refuted nor challenged; assent is inherent in this response. But that's not what strikes me about the answer. What does hearkens back to Kermit Lynch's brilliant Adventures on the Wine Route. In it, there's an encounter (I may get some of the details wrong; this is from memory) in which a producer defends his decision to start aggressively filtering based on potential new markets in places like Africa. The reasoning is that these far-flung locales couldn't handle the immeasurable shock of sediment (or worse, instability if the wine is treated poorly in transit), and thus the entire world must be subject to the shipping conditions and theoretical naïveté of one new – and probably very small – market. Those familiar with Lynch's position on filtration can probably guess his opinion of this defense.
And so, here is the suggestion that if no one knows barbera used to be a high-acid wine, no one will miss the acidity. Well, maybe that's true for these mysterious new markets (though I think pretty much anyone can guess who's being talked about), but it's a little insulting to everyone else. If, next year, barbera is sold to us as a sweet white wine because someone in Bhutan doesn't know that it was ever otherwise, are we supposed to embrace that as well? Is no one listening to Professor Vincenzo Gerbi, the university researcher who presented our lunchtime lecture?
The fun – the real fun (by which, of course, I mean red-faced confrontation and controversy) – starts with the ever-cantankerous Belgians. No, really.
That's the end of this, then? It's just a simple divergence of opinion, right?
Well, wait. Here's a slide (pictured at right) from this afternoon's Hastae presentation, backgrounding the wines that were produced to determine and demonstrate differences between pruning methods. The Hastae organization, remember, is suhbeaded by the names of its founding producers: Berta, Braida, Chiarlo, Coppo, Prunotto, and Vietti. So unless these are absentee directors…and they can't all be, since Michele Chiarlo was most definitely present while this slide was being projected a few feet behind him…they are almost certainly aware what was done to the wines.
So here's my follow-up question: does Lodovico Isolabella have any concept of what his peers are doing? Do they have any idea what they are talking about? Maybe he should direct his ire at them.
So who's craving these woody barberas? I suspect most readers suspect who's going to receive the blame, eventually, but the journey to and around that point is intriguing.
That seems like an odd thing to say when one is near-simultaneously moved to tout the extreme popularity of wood in one's export markets. If one really isn't crafting wine for the market, then the proper answer is some variation on "I make wine the way I want to make wine." Whether or not it's true, the needs of marketing are served and it's difficult to gainsay.
Now, let's go back to that earlier discussion regarding acidity, and why we're told its diminution in these wines isn't a problem. The markets being referred to can't be Europe, because these wines have long been available there. And it can't be the U.S., either, because they're no strangers on our shores, either. Looking around the room at the attendees and the regions they represent, or just employing simple common sense, it's clear who's meant: Asia. It's the Asians who, according to these producers, don't care about barbera that lacks its signature acidity.
It's not important to know, at this stage, whether or not this contention is true. It might be, and it might not. Asia's an awfully big market. What's important is that a market and its preferences have been identified. And now, over another issue, we have more geographical subdivision: successful European markets like Germany, Switzerland, and Belgium apparently prefer unwooded barbera. (To this one could likely add Scandinavia and much of the rest of Northern Europe.) And the Americans are believed to want fruit and wood.
So…are we sure no one is making wine for the market? Maybe it's as simple as the fact that our anonymous owner is (and admits same) and that Michele Chiarlo isn't. But there seems to be an awful lot of identification of market preferences going on, that by pure coincidence happens to coincide with a massive upsurge in new oak (and a concomitant downgrade of acidity), resulting in wines that by pure coincidence happen to serve the perceived preferences of those markets.
Me, I'm a firm believer in coincidence. But not appellation-wide coincidence.
I have a question, though. Are the producers of barbera right? Are fruity, woody wines what the Yanks crave?
Not so fast, objects Charles Scicolone, who is becoming somewhat of a professional Asti antagonist today. He has a problem with the idea that Americans like oaky wines; in fact, he counters, Americans are turning away from oak. "I'm tired," he insists, "of hearing 'we made this wine for the American market.'" He's tired of tasting allegedly American-style wines at producers around the world, wines so heavily-barriqued that they're "not the wines that locals want to drink." He then gestures towards the row of bloggers of which I'm a part (six sevenths of whom are Americans) and points out that we're obviously examples of Americans who do not, in fact, like big, fruity, oaky wines…and have been rather stridently saying so.
Scicolone is right, but it's worth bringing some nuance to this issue to clarify the bounded sphere in which he is right. "Americans" is an awfully big, Hydratic market with a lot of different preferences. If the American market in question is the one that buys the lower echelons of the Constellation Brands portfolio (.pdf) and its Australian/Chilean/Argentinean/South African/etc. counterparts in supermarkets and corner liquor marts, then yes…that American market probably does want fruit-forward, oaky wines.
But those are also inexpensive wines. The barberas that live that price realm are not fruit-forward, oaky wines. They're the steel or old-wood versions in all their traditionally lean, razored sharpness. In other words, the "classic" barbera that we're alleged to not want. And this cannot really be otherwise, because new wood and other heft-inducing techniques in the vineyard and the cellar are expensive. Pricing that's competitive with mass-produced, industrial wines is unlikely at best.
No, these wines carry a higher cost…in some cases, significantly so. As such, they are attempting to capture the interest of an entirely different market. One with a much greater diversity of options from pretty much everywhere in the world, and one that can afford to make stylistic choices based on that diversity. This market has fragmented, and anyone who was actually familiar with it would be quick to say so. Yes, there are those who prefer fruit and oak. But there are also those who crave fruit without oak, and those who prize elegance and austerity, and those whose preferences are more philosophical than organoleptic. There are lovers of high-acid wines and those that find acid shrill. There are embracers of conformity and adventurers after diversity. There is, in other words, no one market.
What, then, is the pitch to be made for these wines? For it is no easy task to grasp and hold the attention of consumers who have as many choices as any wine lover throughout history has ever had. And it's even more difficult when working with somewhat-unfamiliar grapes from previously-unknown places…like, say, barbera from Nizza. If the pitch is the singular character of barbera, which those who know the wines' history will expect and seekers of difference will require, then a deluge of wines that have been reconceptualized in an anonymously international style will be eminently ignorable. And if the pitch is that fruit-forward and oaky style, then what's the compelling reason for a lover of such wines to divert funds from any of the dozens (hundreds?) of wine regions already making exactly this kind of wine? What does barbera from Nizza (or anywhere in the Piedmont) have to offer that's unique?
The "American market" that loves and wants these wines exists, I'm afraid, only in theory. It may have existed fifteen or twenty years ago, and the Piemontese might have captured it then with the work they're doing now. Or it might come back again; wine trends can, of course, sometimes be cyclical. But right now, absolutely the last thing one should be doing to attract a cash-strapped, ever-more-fragmented American market is to be making wine-a-likes in a style that is already fading from majority favor.
All this unsolicited (and, let's be honest, potentially wrongheaded) strategic marketing advice aside, I'm less certain than the winemakers we've heard from that Americans and their quercal tastes are really to blame. I think the entire foundation of the decision to remake wines in this fashion comes from something else: an obsession with importance. Or, to write it in the reverent terms with which it is regularly employed by winemaker after winemaker here, IMPORTANCE.
Were it only so, Signore Chiarlo. Were it only so.
as someone in Neive once told me, the color of money guides the evolution of taste.
Speaking to The Wine Mule's comment, I think that that the Barolo-inspired inferiority is in part true. But I also think we need to consider how Barolo and Barbaresco eclipsed a centuries-old tradition of Barbera (particularly Barbera del Monferrato), a legacy which once enjoyed international acclaim and now is largely forgotten.
Hoke: it made my head hurt, too. But then we had dinner and drank, and it was all better.
Mule: that's part of it, yeah. But they're also listening to the wrong voices…both external and in their heads.
2B: …and in any case, the Monferratos were by a fair margin the "best" collection we tasted. Not necessarily the best when compared with the best single bottles from elsewhere (at Brovia, for example), but certainly the least reflective of misguided aims.


The tenets that have built the shooting sports into what it is today evoke passion, advocacy, nationalistic pride and tradition. There is no greater representative of those values for the shooting sports than the members of America's Shooting Team, both past and present.
With a 2020 vision and beyond, we call on the shooting industry once again to help USA Shooting's Pistol Program fulfill its potential. Despite the vast array of opportunity to compete and showcase skills valued by gun owners, the gold standard of marksmanship resides with the USA Shooting Team and their pursuit of Olympic and Paralympic medals.
Having earned just three Olympic medals since 1984, it's time to return that standard to America's pistol ranks through better coaching, grassroots development and shooting industry support.
The USA Shooting Team carries on the proud tradition of medal-winning success and shooting skill unlike any other country in the world, exemplifying the greatest defense possible for protecting, preserving and promoting the shooting sports legacy of this country.
Representing a sport misunderstood, underappreciated and overlooked, USA Shooting athletes don the Red, White and Blue across this country and around the globe in pursuit of Olympic and Paralympic glory. This pursuit happens in the shadows of a gun culture more interested in different guns and events. But collectively, we need to come together and address the problem and reignite American glory in Olympic Pistol Shooting.
The bottom line is this: Our athletes are the story. Collectively they represent everything that we love about the shooting sports. Their story can't be told enough and as we embrace their 2020 vision, we hope the shooting sports community will take the time to recognize what opportunity this next year provides to help change the narrative and to give the gun culture something to be proud of and stand behind. Go USA!


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ROMANCE! ADVENTURE! GERSHWIN! WHO COULD ASK FOR ANYTHING MORE! In post war Paris, romance is in the air and youthful optimism reigns. Gershwin's soaring melodies are matched by gravity-defying dance as the world rediscovers the power of love in this breathtaking production.
Blue Man Group On Tour
More than 35 million people around the world have experienced the smash hit phenomenon that is BLUE MAN GROUP and now it's your turn! Join the Blue Men in a joyful experience that unites audiences of all ages.
A powerful and stirring reinvention of this beloved favourite, celebrated the world over for its Grammy award-winning score and the thrilling energy and passion of its Irish and international dance. Fall in love with the magic of Riverdance all over again.
Experience the acclaimed new production of the legendary musical Miss Saigon, from the creators of Les Misérables. This is the epic story of a young Vietnamese woman named Kim. In a bar run by a notorious character called The Engineer, Kim meets an American G.I. just before the fall of Saigon. That encounter will change their lives forever. Featuring stunning spectacle, a sensational cast of 42, and a soaring score including Broadway hits like "Last Night of the World," "The Movie in My Mind," and "American Dream," this is a theatrical event you will never forget.
Jesus Christ Superstar is set against the backdrop of an extraordinary series of events during the final weeks in the life of Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of Judas. Reflecting the rock roots that defined a generation, Andrew Lloyd Webber's legendary score includes 'I Don't Know How to Love Him', 'Gethsemane', 'Heaven on their Minds' and 'Superstar'.
Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story
BUDDY – THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY tells the true story of Buddy's meteoric rise to fame, from the moment in 1957 when 'That'll be the day' hit the airwaves until his tragic death less than two years later on 'The Day the Music Died." The incredible legacy of the young man with glasses, whose musical career spanned an all-too-brief period during the golden days of rock & roll, continues to live on in BUDDY.
Broadway & London's award-winning smash comedy, THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG, is "MADCAP MANIA WITH MONTY PYTHON IN ITS BLOOD" (Associated Press). This classic murder mystery gone awry is "A GUT-BUSTING HIT" (The New York Times) and "TONS OF FUN FOR ALL AGES" (HuffPost)!
A BRONX TALE, Broadway's hit crowd-pleaser, takes you to the stoops of the Bronx in the 1960s, where a young man is caught between the father he loves and the mob boss he'd love to be. The New York Times hails A BRONX TALE as "A Critics' Pick! The kind of tale that makes you laugh and cry."
Tony®-winning director Bartlett Sher brings his fresh take on a beloved masterpiece to life as FIDDLER ON THE ROOF begins a North American tour direct from Broadway. A wonderful cast and a lavish orchestra tell this heartwarming story of fathers and daughters, husbands and wives, and the timeless traditions that define faith and family. To love! To life!
NAC EntertainmentCollin Bigart2019-04-01T15:05:12+00:00
NAC Entertainment
Specializing in the presentation of National Touring Broadway shows, NAC Entertainment brings Broadway season series to parts of New York State and Pennsylvania.
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Show Times: Mar. 29 at 3pm & 7:30pm The Broome County Forum Theatre
BUDDY – THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY tells the true story of Buddy's meteoric rise to fame, from the moment in 1957 when …
Show Times: May 5 – 6 at 7:30pm Broome County Forum Theatre
Audiences across North America are toasting a new production of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF!
Rich with musical hits you know and love, including "Tradition," "Sunrise, Sunset;' "If I Were …
Show Times: Jun.7 at 3pm & 7:30pm Broome County Forum Theatre
ROMANCE! ADVENTURE! GERSHWIN! WHO COULD ASK FOR ANYTHING MORE !
In post war Paris, romance is in the air and youthful optimism reigns. Gershwin's soaring melodies are matched by gravity-defying …
Three years ago, Academy Award nominee Chazz Palminteri teamed up with Academy Award® winner Robert De Niro, Tony® Award winner …
Show Times: Feb 22 at 7:30pm The Warner Theatre
BUDDY – THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY tells the true story of Buddy's meteoric rise to fame, from the moment in 1957 when 'That'll be the …
Show Times: Mar. 24 at 7:30pm The Warner Theatre
ROMANCE! ADVENTURE! GERSHWIN! WHO COULD ASK FOR ANYTHING MORE!
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Famous Artists Named CenterState CEO Economic Champion
SYRACUSE, NY – CenterState CEO's Economic Champions Luncheon, presented by Engie Resources and Fust Charles Chambers LLP, brought together ...
Magic 93 Radio Interview with Nick Fradiani of A Bronx Tale
https://nacentertainment.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/A-BRONX-TALE-NICK-FRADIANI.mp3 Frankie Warren interviews American Idol winner and star of A Bronx Tale on tour Nick Fradiani ahead ...
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Created by artist Georgia Saxelby, To Future Women marks the one year anniversary of the Women's March. The project will invite participants throughout America, and the world, to write a letter to women in twenty years time.
Part art and part history, these letters will be archived for twenty years in Washington DC and re-exhibited in 2037 on the 20th anniversary of the Women's March by participating national cultural institutions. To Future Women will use the platform of art to historicize one of the largest national and globally-networked protests in American history while creating a time capsule for the next generation of women.
This project will launch on 21st January, 2018 in Washington, DC and continue for six months as a pop-up installation in cultural institutions and public locations throughout DC. Anyone is welcome to add their voice to this conversation between eras by posting the artist a letter to be archived.
To Future Women is supported by Halcyon Arts Lab, IA&A at Hillyer and Stable.
Sign up below to stay informed about contributing a letter in person or by post.


As police in Barcelona search for those responsible for ramming a van into a crowd Thursday in the Las Ramblas tourist area, Twitter users are showing solidarity by sharing images of cats.
Thousands of social media users have been using the hashtag #FuerzaBarcelona, meaning "Barcelona strength," which is a slogan used by fans of the city's world-famous football team. Other hashtags include #TodosConBarcelona, literally meaning "Everyone with Barcelona," and #ÁnimoBarcelona, which is another expression of encouragement.
Several of the posts feature photos and videos of kittens. Some users say the purpose is to prevent graphic images of victims from being spread on social media. Others say it is to avoid spreading information that could help the suspects avoid capture.
It isn't the first time felines have been used to comfort internet users in moment of emergency or crisis.
In November 2015, after the attacks in Paris, the Belgian capital of Brussels was in lockdown as police carried out a counterterrorism operation. The authorities has asked social media users to refrain from posting any pictures or posts that may reveal information about the operation.
The Spanish police have confirmed they are treating the vehicle crash as a terrorist attack.
One Twitter used chose instead to share a picture of his dogs, saying: "I hope this photo brings joy among so much sadness. I don't have cats but here are my dogs."
At the time of writing, authorities have confirmed that one person is dead and 32 injured, of whom 10 are in serious conditions.
The White House says that White House Chief of Staff John Kelly is keeping President Donald Trump informed of the situation in Barcelona.


(C)1954 by Paramount Pictures Corporation. All Rights Reserved.、(C)1956 by Paramount Pictures Corporation. All Rights Reserved.、(C)1961 by Paramount Pictures Corporation and Jurow-Shepherd Productions. All Rights Reserved.


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Hurricane Dorian hits home for former LeMoyne-Owen athletes
The damage from Hurricane Dorian has devastated the lives of six former LeMoyne-Owen athletes. Here's how the school, and you, can help them.
Hurricane Dorian hits home for former LeMoyne-Owen athletes The damage from Hurricane Dorian has devastated the lives of six former LeMoyne-Owen athletes. Here's how the school, and you, can help them. Check out this story on commercialappeal.com: https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/sports/columnists/mark-giannotto/2019/09/11/hurricane-dorian-bahamas-gofundme-lemoyne-owen-penny-hardaway-memphis/2270386001/
Mark Giannotto, Memphis Commercial Appeal Published 6:00 a.m. CT Sept. 11, 2019
William Anderson heard about the devastation from Shandera Gardiner first before he ever saw images of the destruction.
As Hurricane Dorian ravaged the Bahamas last week, Gardiner had been powering her cell phone off and on to save the battery. And during one of those on moments, she sent a Facebook message to Anderson, her former women's basketball coach at LeMoyne-Owen, and Sherry Painter, LeMoyne-Owen's division chair of natural and mathematical sciences.
She was alive. But that was about the only good news.
Her one-story house in the Bahamas had washed away into the ocean. When she sought refuge in a two-story house, that house washed away. At last, she found safety on the third floor of a three-story house.
"It was crazy because I've actually been over there. I've been to her home," Anderson said. "I've been to the Bahamas and actually sat down with the families, so I was literally just blown away and really concerned just for their life. Just praying that they would make it through the storm. It was really nerve-wracking, what she was posting."
Once the hurricane finally moved past the Bahamas, Gardiner texted Anderson and Painter to let them know she survived. But her family lost everything. Their home. Their possessions. To a certain extent, their hope.
"We need help," Gardiner wrote back, and Anderson set out to provide some.
A look back at the best of the Bahamas trip for the Memphis Tigers Baske...
Memphis Tigers center James Wiseman runs a drill during a basketball clinic for young children at the Bozine Town Community Park in Nassau, Bahamas on Friday, August 16, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal
Memphis Tigers guard Damion Baugh dunks the ball during pregame warmups before their game against the Bahamas National Team game at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar's New Providence Ballroom on Saturday, August 17, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal
Memphis Tigers center James Wiseman greets his mom Donzaleigh Artis after their game against Raw Talent Elite at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar's New Providence Ballroom on Sunday, August 18, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal
Mario Bowleg, 11, shoots the ball during a Memphis Tigers basketball clinic for young children at the Bozine Town Community Park in Nassau, Bahamas on Friday, August 16, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal
Memphis Tigers guard Alex Lomax lays the ball up against Raw Talent Elite during their exhibition game at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar's New Providence Ballroom on Sunday, August 18, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal
Memphis Tigers guard Alex Lomax, left, and D.J. Jeffries celebrate with teammates pregame before taking on Raw Talent Elite for an exhibition game at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar's New Providence Ballroom on Sunday, August 18, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal
Memphis Tigers guard Boogie Ellis lays the ball up against Raw Talent Elite during their exhibition game at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar's New Providence Ballroom on Sunday, August 18, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal
Memphis Tigers guard Damion Baugh lays the ball up against Raw Talent Elite during their exhibition game at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar's New Providence Ballroom on Sunday, August 18, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal
Abraham Burrows, 2, looks off in the distance as the Memphis Tigers players and coaches hold a basketball clinic for young children at the Bozine Town Community Park in Nassau, Bahamas on Friday, August 16, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal
Memphis Tigers forward D.J. Jeffries, right, celebrates with his teammates before they take on Raw Talent Elite at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar's New Providence Ballroom on Sunday, August 18, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal
Memphis Tigers forwards Lance Thomas, left, and D.J. Jeffries dance at tcenter court after their game against Raw Talent Elite at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar's New Providence Ballroom on Sunday, August 18, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal
Memphis Tigers guard Boogie Ellis and Lester Quinones help up Alex Lomax after he was knocked to the ground against the Bahamas National Team during their exhibition game at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar's New Providence Ballroom on Saturday, August 17, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal
Memphis Tigers guard Alex Lomax lays the ball up while being fouled from behind against the Bahamas National Team during their exhibition game at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar's New Providence Ballroom on Saturday, August 17, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal
Memphis Tigers center James Wiseman greets fans after their exhibition game win over Commonwealth Bank Giants at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar's New Providence Ballroom on Wednesday, August 14, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal
Shanwar Stuart, 9, waits to play on the court, without shoes, with Memphis Tigers players and coaches during basketball clinic for young children at the Bozine Town Community Park in Nassau, Bahamas on Friday, August 16, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal
Memphis Tigers guard Damion Baugh dunks the ball pregame as his teammates celebrate with him before they take on the Bahamas National Team at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar's New Providence Ballroom on Saturday, August 17, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal
Raynia Russell, 11, picks up a T-shirt before the start of a Memphis Tigers basketball clinic for young children at the Bozine Town Community Park in Nassau, Bahamas on Friday, August 16, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal
Memphis Tigers players huddle up before playing Bahamas Select during their exhibition game at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar's New Providence Ballroom on Thursday, August 15, 2019. Joe Rondone
Memphis Tigers Head Coach Penny Hardaway draws up a play against Bahamas Select during their exhibition game at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar's New Providence Ballroom on Thursday, August 15, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal
Memphis Tigers forward D.J. Jeffries dunks the ball against Bahamas Select during their exhibition game at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar's New Providence Ballroom on Thursday, August 15, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal
Memphis Tigers guard Alex Lomax shows off his wounded chin after receiving a hard foul in their game against Bahamas Select at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar's New Providence Ballroom on Thursday, August 15, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal
Memphis Tigers guard Alex Lomax lays the ball up against Bahamas Select during their exhibition game at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar's New Providence Ballroom on Thursday, August 15, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal
Memphis Tigers Head Coach Penny Hardaway greets fans after their exhibition game win over Commonwealth Bank Giants at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar's New Providence Ballroom on Wednesday, August 14, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal
Memphis Tigers guard Jayden Hardaway signs a jersey for Memphian Charlie Winfield after their exhibition game win over Commonwealth Bank Giants at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar's New Providence Ballroom on Wednesday, August 14, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal
Memphis Tigers Head Coach Penny Hardaway high-fives fans after their win against the Commonwealth Bank Giants during their exhibition game at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar's New Providence Ballroom on Wednesday, August 14, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal
Memphis Tigers guard Lester Quinones high-fives teammates as he is introduced as a starter against the Commonwealth Bank Giants during their exhibition game at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar's New Providence Ballroom on Wednesday, August 14, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal
Memphis Tigers fans await their game against the Commonwealth Bank Giants at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar's New Providence Ballroom on Wednesday, August 14, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal
Memphis Tigers Head Coach Penny Hardaway greets children after the team held a basketball clinic at the Bozine Town Community Park in Nassau, Bahamas on Friday, August 16, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal
Memphis Tigers players and coaches hold a basketball clinic for young children at the Bozine Town Community Park in Nassau, Bahamas on Friday, August 16, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal
Memphis Tigers center James Wiseman works with kids on their dribbling skills during a basketball clinic for young children at the Bozine Town Community Park in Nassau, Bahamas, on Friday, Aug. 16, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal
He set up a GoFundMe page, in conjunction with LeMoyne-Owen's national alumni foundation and the Jerry C. Johnson Foundation, to raise money on behalf of everybody connected to the university in the Bahamas who has been devastated by Hurricane Dorian. The goal, Anderson said, is to raise at least $30,000.
Because it's not just Gardiner suffering right now.
She's one of six former LeMoyne-Owen athletes from the Bahamas and living in the Bahamas at the moment. Karen Barr, Lenor Adderley and Gardiner played for the women's basketball team. Sergio Storr played for the men's tennis team. Ariel Fox played women's tennis. Asheka Culmer played softball.
And here's the scary part: Anderson still isn't sure what happened to Storr and Fox.
"Everybody that we know that knows them, nobody's saying that they've heard from them," said Anderson, who is currently the LeMoyne-Owen men's basketball coach but coached women's basketball and both tennis teams at the Division-II college from 2000 to 2009.
"I'm getting worried."
LeMoyne-Owen men's basketball coach William Anderson hopes to raise $30,000 to help former Magicians' athletes living in The Bahamas who have been affected by Hurricane Dorian. (Photo: Brad Vest/The Commercial Appeal)
As he should.
Hurricane Dorian is the most powerful storm on record to hit the Bahamas, with winds that topped 200 mph, according to NBC News. The storm surge reached nearly two dozen feet. There were at least 50 confirmed deaths as of Tuesday and thousands remain missing.
Like Gardiner, Barr lost everything. Her home. Her clothes. Her possessions.
Adderley was luckier.
When Anderson finally got in contact with her earlier this week, she was trying to dry out all her family's clothes and mattresses outside in the sun. Her house might be salvageable, but the damage from flooding might have ruined everything else.
"I thank God that he spared my life," Adderley wrote in a Facebook message.
"Once I saw the devastation" on television, Anderson added, "I was like, 'Oh my God.' It's just unbelievable."
A Facebook post from former LeMoyne-Owen women's basketball player Lenor Adderley (Photo: Courtesy of William Anderson)
Consider that it was only about a month ago the Memphis men's basketball program, and hundreds of Tigers' fans, trekked down to the Bahamas for four exhibition games in Nassau. Most of the destruction from Hurricane Dorian occurred on the Grand Bahama Island, not where the Memphis contingent stayed, but it still makes you think.
It still makes you realize how lucky we are that the city of Memphis has largely avoided these sorts of natural disasters over the years.
Penny Hardaway, for one, said last week he was "so saddened because the Bahamas is a great place."
"They've always been great to me. I've used it as a vacation spot for 20 years. I'm going to try to think of something to do for them, for sure. Maybe through the university and personally, and definitely our hearts are with them."
But here's something we can all can do right now, Memphis.
We can give some hope to these recent LeMoyne-Owen athletes who badly need it, former Magicians who were among us not that long ago and need more than magic to bounce back from this tragedy.
Anderson wants to be able to donate $5,000 to each former student. It's not enough to rebuild a home, but "at least that would be a start," he said.
"Knowing that we've got six out there that actually walked this campus, put on LeMoyne-Owen uniforms and represented this institution," Anderson added, "we're trying to do everything we can to help them."
Donations can be made through LeMoyne-Owen's GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/f/lemoyneowen-college-bahamas-relief-fund or can be sent directly to the school at this address:
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