This post was originally published on InsideSources on June 5, 2022. Inside Sources is distributing it to papers across the country.
By Sarah Chamberain
Early primary results have seen candidates from the fringes of both parties winning and endorsements from party leaders not always having the predicted effect. As we head toward primaries across most of the rest of the country, internal fights over electability and ideological purity will determine who wins and who falls short. But even more, winners and losers will be determined by who shows up to vote.
This year, Americans will decide 435 House seats, 35 of 100 Senate seats, 35 of 50 governorships and countless pivotal local positions. But many voters don’t realize that redistricting has left us with only 33 districts nationally that could flip between red and blue. The rest are relatively secure for the party controlling the seat or who benefited from the redrawing of the district.
But it still matters who is on the ballot in November. In the face of expectations that control of the House and Senate will move to Republicans in November, primary candidates from the far left and far right have beaten candidates willing to govern.
Successful candidates in November may need voters to cross party lines and embrace an agenda that moves the country forward. That means they’ll need support from voters frustrated with political polarization or angry about rising prices and the inability of Congress and the president to work together without crossing ideological lines.
Friends and business leaders are asking, “How could so-and-so have won.” I’m not surprised by their responses after I ask if they actually voted in their primary. It’s often a hard no, punctuated by some variation on “I don’t vote in primaries when there are 10 people on the ballot; I vote in November.”
A Pew Research Center analysis finds that Democrats and Republicans are farther apart ideologically today than at any time in the last 40 years. There are only two dozen members of Congress whose voting records would put them in the “moderate” category, versus more than 160 in 1971-72. The challenge, says Pew, is that Americans at the ends of the ideological spectrum are the most active in national politics.
That makes participation in the primaries particularly important. A small percentage of the electorate is either choosing the presumptive winner of the November election or putting forward a risky candidate who may fall short when voters compare the two candidates’ ability and willingness to govern.
Republicans have taken care of some of the problems during the early primary season, but they have also put relatively safe seats at risk by nominating candidates who embrace extremist views. Democrats are doing the same and risking seemingly secure seats.
Voters from both parties are more likely to swallow hard and support a candidate from the “other” party if they share some common values, particularly — as has already happened — they see an extreme candidate in their state or district as “unelectable” in November.
We need to aggressively call out or vote against the candidates who preach racist or conspiratorial ideas. We should be justifiably concerned that the Republican Party’s name, identity and deep conservative values are being hijacked by the fringe elements wanting to relitigate the past and ignore the future.
Republicans are well-positioned to make substantive gains in November since more than half of voters believe inflation is the country’s most critical issue.
Help from Congress can come only if your representative is willing to work with the other side rather than entrenching in a position. I think we can all agree that we can’t spend more than we bring in, and we must make painful compromises while staying true to our values.
Your vote in the primaries is just as important as your vote in November. Which candidate best represents your views? Which candidate would you be proud to say at family get-togethers that you supported? Which candidate will help you say “yes” in two years to Ronald Reagan’s oft-quoted question, “Are you better off than you were four years ago?”
At this point, two years into a failed Biden administration, getting to yes will be an uphill battle if we sit back and wait until November to pick the best candidate on the ballot.
Sarah Chamberlain is president and CEO of the Main Street Partnership.


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Once again, I’ve fallen behind in my postings on Rustbeltarts.com! I’ve been busy though, writing mostly for the Detroit Art Review and New Art Examiner. Here are some of the things I’ve been writing about:
I wrote about Shapeshifters, at Cranbrook Museum of Art for the Detroit Art Review; an encyclopedic tour of the museum’s collection that includes both the work of international art stars like Donald Judd and Joan Mitchell, as well as the work of many young, up and coming artists working in the Detroit area. To read my review in its entirety, go to: Shapeshifters @ Cranbrook Museum of Art – Detroit Art Review
I also wrote about the new sculpture by Jaume Plensa, recently installed in front of the University of Michigan Museum of Art, as well as an interesting project inside the museum that combines curated artworks from the collection paired with classes as diverse as social work, art, architecture and public health, meant to broaden students’ experience both of the subject matter and of related art. For more: Jaume Plensa Sculpture @ UMMA – Detroit Art Review
I’m particularly pleased to have had the opportunity to write about Essay’d, a unique arts writing project in Detroit that aims to create a crowd-sourced body of writing about the city’s contemporary artists, one by one: Essay’d (newartexaminer.org)
I will be attending this event and after going over to the Library to take whomever is interested in a tour of Precious Objects. The Ohio Arts Council insists I put the statement at the bottom of any publicity this year. I know, sucks to be me. Chuck
Ohio Arts Council Hosts Public Conversation in Toledo
The Ohio Arts Council will host a public conversation at the Toledo Museum of Art and we hope you will join us.
During our time together we will introduce the agency’s new executive director, Donna Collins, and deputy director, Dan Katona. We will share information about the newly adopted State Arts Plan, and hope to hear from you about your dreams and expectations for the arts in Ohio.
April 30, 2015
1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Toledo Museum of Art
GlasSalon located inside the Glass Pavilion
Please RSVP so we can plan for your participation.
Parking is FREE for Museum members and $5 for nonmembers. Guarded lots are available on Grove Place behind both the main Museum building and the University of Toledo Center for the Visual Arts, as well as on Parkwood Avenue adjacent to the Glass Pavilion.
I am been profoundly negligent on getting publicity out on this. This is sort of the year of Toledo for me. The Library is just around the corner from TMA. The interior is filled with Vitrolite architectural glass and is, all in all, a very cool place. Hope some of you can make it to the reception on 4/13 at 6
Thanks to the kindness of ka, you all know that this project is now on exhibit at PUBLIC Gallery in Louisville. It goes next to the Ohio History Connection in Columbus between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Right now I am working on finding a book publisher. Not going to self-publish because the themes, including the Great American Dream and the success of these homes in realizing the Bauhaus ideal of using industrial materials to create affordable housing indicates, at least to me, that there is a wider potential audience than I can reach myself. I also put a video on YouTube which you can see here http://youtu.be/EGmUOdtvHpc
Since many of you get my update email, I will try to not repeat but wanted to briefly mention the presentation. If you remember the four pieces at TMA, they were matted and framed using aluminum. Pretty common for me when I am…
Even not being from Toledo, it was impossible to avoid the flap in the Toledo art community over the changes to this show. Those of us that are in it certainly are feeling pretty good but the shows change has reduced the opportunity for Toledo artists to get seen and receive the imprimatur of being in the “Museum”. Here in Cleveland there has been a similar ongoing discussion about the long gone Cleveland Musuem of Art’s May Show. attached is an article written by the one of the more serious gallerists in town who happens to be a huge supporter of local artists. It is an important topic though the answers are not come from a nostalgic look at the past. http://bit.ly/1x0dJu7
I am working on putting together this blog so that we can all keep in touch about our future activities. It has been a privilege to get to know you all (at least a little) and I’m looking forward to reading more about what you are doing. In this blog you can share news about your shows, residencies, successes in the studio–really, anything about your art practice that will be of interest to your fellow artists in the region.
The blog is in the developing stages, so I have only the most rudimentary elements right now. I would like to add a gallery of works by artists, and I will be contacting you by e-mail to get some images. All artists opting into this blog will be listed as “authors” and you may post at will. If you are interested in dipping your toes into the blogosphere, this is an opportunity!

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Welcome to Cruise Critic! If you'd like to participate on our forums by joining in the conversation, please Register Now! Be sure to visit our FAMOUS Roll Call forums, where you can meet other cruisers sailing with you and share a tour or shore excursion and SAVE MONEY!
I was wondering if you are allowed to wear aqua socks or any type of shoes on the water slides on the Breakaway. I'm assuming that if you wear flip flops they will make you take them off. Any help would be appreciated.

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Time: Two shows- One at 5:30PM and one at 6:30PM
Tickets: No purchase necessary, it is a free event open to the public
Description: As a self taught street dancer, Tina learned the value of self determination at an early age. A native of Sonoma County, Tina earned experience and acclaim in music, break dance, hip hop, and athletics during her school years. While attending UC Davis, she turned her passion for the arts, fitness and wellness into a popular example of master teaching not only to children but people of all ages.
Tina is a natural teacher and role model who truly enjoys using arts education and fitness, as tools to “crack-the-code” in child development that lasts a lifetime.


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Voters decide on conservation levy and changing election years.
James W. Maclam was ejected from his car as it flipped over a barrier onto an onramp below.
One will switch some odd-year elections to even years; another is a conservation levy lid lift.
Crashed into the back of a disabled semi June 27 near Tiger Mountain; Maple Valley woman killed
Enumclaw couple Allan and Joann Thomas found guilty of several charges
It appears two rogue Zoom users briefly interrupted the meeting with a recording of the “n” word.
Is it possible for a city to switch counties?
The district is partnering with the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department to rapid test students and staff for COVID every week.
Cascadia Paranormal Investigations is a new research group.
Washington voters will decide fate of controversial bill in the Nov. 3 general election.
The highway is expected to be closed into next week | Sept. 10 update
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ED volumes across the state are falling, but that doesn’t mean people aren’t getting sick or hurt.
The fair has an estimated $5 million impact on the local economy and accounts for a majority of the Expo Center’s operating funds.
“Let’s Play Pretend…” came about when Maple Valley’s Scott Field was traveling away from his family
Social distancing has led to at least a temporary suspension of mobile blood drives.
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Satellite Technology for Rail Traffic Management Completes Testing
The testing of the ERSAT EAV system, the satellite technology for monitoring and safely managing rail traffic on conventional secondary, local and regional lines, has been completed in Sardinia. The last trial journey between Cagliari and Decimomannu (Cagliari – San Gavino line), where the experimental centre was located, was completed on Friday (24 February 2017). Some of the top managers of the European railway and satellite navigation agencies were even aboard the train.
The goal of Rete Ferroviaria Italiana is to have the new technology approved and certified according to the standards dictated by the EUAR on a European-wide scale, and the ANSF on a national scale, with the first line being activated in Italy by 2020.
The new ERSAT EAV system was illustrated by Maurizio Gentile, CEO and General Director of Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI), Carlo des Dorides, Director of the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency (GSA), Joseph Doppelbauer, Director of the European Union Agency for Railways (EUAR), Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, Director of the Union internationale des chemins de fer (UIC), and Libor Lochman, Director of the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER). Specialised engineers and technicians from Ansaldo STS (a Hitachi Group Company) and Trenitalia, a project partner, were also present.
ERSAT EAV System
A first of its kind in Europe, the ERSAT EAV system integrates the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) with the Galileo satellite navigation and geo-location system, and the public telecommunications networks. The new technology locates the trains via satellite, and interfaces with the ERTMS system, which monitors the rail traffic. The ground/train dialogue (data and information) is rendered possible thanks to the devices installed on board the train, and the radio units positioned along the railway line.
In the future, the system will be able to be installed on approximately 28 thousand km of railway lines throughout Europe, and will even be applied on licensed railways. In fact, thanks to the satellite geo-location service and the communications over public networks, the installation and management costs will be reduced, thus rendering the lower traffic regional lines economically sustainable, while at the same time increasing the standards of regularity, punctuality and safety for rail traffic.
Satellite Navigation Systems for Rail
Launched in 2012, thanks to the contribution of the Italian and European Space Agencies and the GSA, this technology platform is the result of a collaborative effort between RFI and Ansaldo STS – the world’s first company to have implemented the ERTMS SIL 4 railway signalling system integrated with satellite geo-location on a railway line dedicated to freight traffic. Ansaldo STS helped to establish the requirements for the integration of satellites and public radio communication networks. It also established the site in Sardinia, where it tested the technology utilised for the Roy Hill Iron Ore project in western Australia.
With the aim of improving competitiveness and sustainability in the field, satellite navigation systems are being increasingly employed within the railway sector. GSA is working to integrate the existing satellite navigation technologies (namely Galileo and EGNOS) within the rail traffic signalling and control systems, thus improving safety and communications between the train and the technology present on the network.
Please click here for the original Press Release © GSA.


Anglia Fire Assessments News
This year there have been two serious fires in care homes in England, we have to congratulate the fire service for their brave and untiring efforts in saving so many residents from the effects of these fires. Unfortunately persons did die in one of the fires despite the best efforts of the emergency services.
It appears from the news broadcasts that the fatal fire started in the roof space and spread throughout the building.
The second fire is believed to have started in a timber smoking shelter that was located adjacent to the outside of the building, it is good practice not to locate easily combustible structures within 6 to 10m of any building for this very reason.
A number of serious questions will be asked during the investigation phase of this tragedy that no doubt will be aired at some subsequent inquest or even a court case.
All Responsible Persons should not forget that they have a duty to ensure that fire cannot spread easily within a property and that there are adequate arrangements in place to be able to evacuate the occupiers without the aid of the Fire and Rescue Service.
The clue is in the name, it is the ‘rescue service and not the evacuation service’ as was once stated at a seminar that I attended on the very issue of evacuation.
Review your risk assessment and take care.
Once again we see that a building under refurbishment has suffered a devastating fire.
Whats so special about that you may ask?
This building in Glasgow famous for its architecture was badly damaged by fire just four years ago and now it and two neighbouring buildings have been severely damaged for a second time.
One has to ask what was learned from the first fire?
What procedures did they have in place to monitor the safety of the building and as they have just spent in the region of 30 million in the refurbishment
who is now going to pay for the rebuild for the second time?
When we train staff in fire safety we always state the ‘Contractors burn down buildings’, statistics show that any building where refurbishment is taking place is at a far greater risk than a normally used building.
Ensure that you have a robust fire safety management fire safety system in place to protect the business and its continuity. this also applies to homes ofcourse.
The Fire Safety Act 2021 (FSA), which is now law in England and Wales, is essentially an update and clarification of the Fire Safety Order 2005. The primary role of the act is to bring fire regulations and standards up to date, taking account of the lessons learnt from the tragic Grenfell fire. Though the act only consists of three primary parts, it has major implications for responsible persons.
So if you are the person responsible for any residential building, you could be held personally liable for any future failures. The Fire safety Act originates from issues with fire safety issues in high-rise structures, but it also applies to any building containing two or more domestic properties, with new or amended rules that apply to the building’s structure, external walls, and any common parts, including the front doors to each flat. Importantly, the act clarifies those references to external walls in the Fire Safety Order order to include ‘doors or windows in those walls’ and ‘anything attached to the exterior of those walls (including balconies)’.
A trading estate landlord from Keynsham has been ordered to pay almost £15,500 for breaching multiple regulations, including fire safety.
Allan Dykes pleaded guilty to five offences under the Building Regulations Act 2010, for which he was fined £13,000 by North Avon Magistrates’ Court on August 26. He must also pay a victim surcharge of £120 and £2,348 in costs to South Gloucestershire Council in relation to the violations at the Bridge Road trading estate in the Kingswood area of Bristol.
Fire safety in remote locations such as the Antarctic is vital as there is no normal fire service to be called upon.Anglia Fire Assessments is therefore pleased to record that Phillip Leeder MiFireE our senior consultant/trainer was asked to travel to this most remote region to carry out a fire risk assessment of Rothera which is the main Antarctic base for the British Antarctic Survey.
Rothera consists of a number of various risks from aircraft hangers to sleeping accommodation and Phillip also reviewed the general fire procedures and the use of breathing apparatus by the small fire crew that is formed from the workforce.
Phillip spent 10 days on this very interesting assignment and was very impressed by the standards displayed by all the staff that he worked with at the base.
A recent inspection of a domestic sized HIMO that is used for student accommodation in Norwich revealed a series of failings on behalf of both the landlord and the letting agency:
- No acceptable fire detection system.
- Three smoke alarms were fitted, two did not work, they were all battery operated and not interlinked.
- Several of the first floor windows did not meet the criteria for escape windows and as a result of that the property should have had fire doors to protect the escape from the first floor.
- There was in fact no door to the kitchen so any fire in the kitchen would have directly compromised the means of escape from the first floor.
- No first aid firefighting equipment and no fire instructions.
- No Portable Appliance Testing
- Most fatalities occur in house fires, HIMOs are a very high risk.
If you are responsible for fire safety in such properties think carefully, its no good having a nice carpet if the occupants are trapped upstairs and are dying!
Contact us for advice on your responsibilities, do not rely on a letting agency that does not understand the principles of fire safety.
The London Fire Brigade have issued a warning about the use of e bikes and scooters and their associated batteries. Many fires have been recorded as having been caused by these devices.
Be careful where you charge these bikes and scooters as if they malfunction the resulting fire can be very serious and potentially life threatening.
Fridge freezers have also been highlighted as being a very potent fire hazard if a fault occurs, be sure to clean the rear of the freezer on a regular basis and do not position it in a place that may compromise your means of escape should it catch fire.
The continuing risk that LIPO batteries present should not be forgotten, treat them with care, do not let them get damp or overcharge them by using the wrong charger. Consider where you charge any LIPO battery and this means your phone as if it should go wrong then a small fire involving the battery can soon become a developing fire if it is close to an item that will burn easily.
I recently received photographs of a fire that started in a kitchen draw because loose batteries had come into contact with a conductor that caused a short circuit resulting in a fire within the draw.
Whilst in most cases fire detection systems are not required in the common areas,the basis of the fire safety management system is reliant on the standard of entrance door that each flat is provided with.
If you would like assistance to manage the fire safety in your premises please give Anglia Fire Assessments a call on 01603 872984
Your fire safety managment system should be robust and self reliant and your staff should be trained to be able to effectively operate emergency equipment or implement procedures that you have provided or established.
Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans or PEEP’s should be formulated for anyone that frequents your workplace.
Generic Emergency Evacuation Plans or GEEP’s should be formulated for members of the public.


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Thousands of couples across the UK try all kinds of weird and wonderful things to boost their sex lives, but the answer could be simpler than you’d think.
It’s estimated that the average couple in the UK has sex two times over a ten-day period.
So what’s the easiest thing couples can do to improve things in the bedroom? The answer is simple – book a holiday to an exotic location together.
According to a survey by Jetcost.co.uk, 60% of people in relationships believe their sex lives improve drastically on holiday.
Rather than the average two times, it’s estimated that the average couple will have sex up to nine times during a ten-day break away together.
2,319 people took part in the study, which overwhelmingly showed that a holiday can drastically improve couples’ sex lives.
But why is this the case? Well, the vast majority of couples believed that time away together makes them “more in touch with each other”.
Alcohol is a pretty significant chapter too, with plenty of the people involved in the study saying: “We drink a lot more alcohol on holiday than we do at home and it gets us in more of a romantic mood.”
So, if you’re looking to spice things up in the bedroom, you know what to do – get booking a romantic break away for two.
It comes after 2,000 people were quizzed about their holiday sex habits, and they revealed the most desirable locations to have sex.
51% said the bed was their preferred place to get intimate, more the adventurous opted for the hot tub (8.2%), the beach (7.8%) and the shower (6.5%).

domain: sociology


MALCOLM GRAY, president of the International Cricket Council, has told the Indian home minister that he has grave doubts about the integrity of the one-day tournament in Sharjah.
His suspicions could lead to Paul Condon, head of the ICC's anti-corruption unit, focusing his attention on the tournament, due to start later this month. India's ban on their players appearing in Sharjah has resulted in Asif Iqbal, the cricket coordinator there for 20 years, resigning his position. He told me: "I am a cricketer, I deal with cricket balls not politicians. This is a political decision and I don't want any further part with Sharjah cricket."
It was following Gray's comments that the Indian government banned their team from the triangular tournament against Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Gray spoke to L K Advani, the Indian home minister, in Delhi during his recent visit.
The Indian government used Gray's opinion to justify their ban, and the Indian ambassador to the United Arab Emirates told the ruler of the UAE that this was the reason.
The Indian government would like their law minister, Arun Jetley, to take over as the president of the Indian cricket board. Although the Indian board are said to be the wealthiest cricket authority in the world, fuelled by the insatiable appetite for cricket among India's growing middle classes, there is impending chaos, caused by internal disagreements, including the on-going battle between former presidents I S Bhindra and Jagmohan Dalmiya.
Dalmiya, who was Gray's predecessor as president of the ICC, is facing an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation, India's version of the FBI, into the alleged way he organised television deals for the ICC. Income tax officials have raided his offices in Calcutta. Dalmiya denies any wrongdoing and claims that income tax raids are part of business life in India.
The current board president A C Muthiah is facing CBI charges not in relation to cricket but to his other business activities. Jetley, who is president of the Delhi Cricket Association, would be the ideal successor, but whether he can put the Indian cricket house in order is debatable and how he will repair India's relations with Pakistan is even more difficult to imagine.
Pakistan, reacting to the Indian ban, have threatened never to play India again. The ICC could now move the ICC knockout tournament, due to be held in India in 2002, to Brisbane. India's ban has threatened to destabilise Asian cricket, and a meeting of the Asian Cricket Council due to be held next week has been postponed. The much heralded Asian Test championship due every two years - the next one should be played later this year - is now in peril.
The Sharjah organisers, keen to salvage their cricket, have offered new deals to India and Pakistan, which should see each country make more than £1 million from tournaments.
Sharjah have also argued that their cricket has provided enormous benefits to former India and Pakistan cricketers, raising about £3.5 million for them in the last 20 years, but Gray's comments have cast a shadow over the whole tournament and could widen the ICC inquiry.
Sir Paul Condon has expressed interest in extending his inquiry. Condon's office contacted Wisden, the game's almanack publishers, to seek assistance on details of cricket matches which may have been suspect. Condon's men were particularly interested in a list of 53 matches drawn from mention of these matches in various cricket corruption inquiries.
The list accompanies an article I wrote for this year's Wisden almanack, and Condon's office wanted the list as a source material for their inquiries. It lists four Sharjah matches, two of them featuring England.
England will propose that the next president of the ICC should be Eshan Mani, from Pakistan, who now heads the ICC finance and marketing committee. Mani, who lives in St John's Wood and has an English wife, was the man who masterminded the bundling of television rights for the next two World Cups and other ICC tournaments fetching a record sum for cricket.
The ICC presidency rotates every three years, and Pakistan was the nomination. However England's decision to propose Mani is seen as a signal that relations between the two countries are now on the mend.
THE International Cricket Council, I understand, decided to appoint Malcolm Speed as their next chief executive after Peter Leaver had turned them down.
Speed, the Australian Cricket Board's chief executive, takes over from David Richards, another Australian, in June. Leaver, the former chief executive of the Premier League, was approached two months ago when he was on a visit to Singapore, but felt he did not know how much power he would have and could not risk it.
PETER LEAVER's successor at the Premier League, Richard Scudamore, is yet to announce the firm who will take over from Carling as the league's sponsors from next season. Carling, who pay £9 million a year, were willing to carry on and even increase their yearly payments to £13 million from next season.
But with Scudamore looking for £20 million and with talks with Budweiser going on, Carling's overture was rebuffed. Carling, miffed at this withdrew, and soon after Budweiser pulled out followed by Coke and others.
Since then, with Scudamore hunting for sponsors, there has been renewed contacts with Carling and even some talk of splitting the domestic and overseas sponsorship. So it could remain Carling Premiership at home, while it could be Siemens Premiership abroad.
However, a Premier League spokesman insisted that there was no chance of a split sponsorship and instead talks are well on their way to find one sponsor and that sponsor would not be Carling.
But there is no date for the announcement or any indication how much the new sponsor may pay. If the amount proves not much above the £13 million Carling were willing to offer, some Premier league chairmen will want to know why.


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2 edition of Curious Chick (Push, Pull and Pop) found in the catalog.
Curious Chick (Push, Pull and Pop)
Ana Martin Larranaga
October 2000 by Polka Dot Pr .
Written in English
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About The Curious Chickpea. Hi I'm Eva, the face behind The Curious Chickpea. My favorite animal is the tiger, but I'd rather hug a chicken. I love to cook and bake and want to share that passion with you. Recent Recipes. Reader Favorites. Curious Chick (Push, Pull and Pop) Board book – December 1, by Richard Powell (Author), Ana Martin Larranaga (Illustrator) out of 5 stars 1 rating.
See all formats and editions Hide other formats and editions. Price New from Used from 5/5(1). Curious George Good Night Book (CGTV Tabbed Board Book) by H.
Rey and Margret Rey | out of 5 stars Board book $ $ 7. Get it as soon as Thu, Apr FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon. More Buying Choices $ ( Vegan recipes for everyone from the curious chickpea's kitchen. Recipes inspired by cuisines around the world, % plant based.
New Listing 4 Chick-Fil-A Kids Meal Toy Bear Book Series, Snores, More, Friend, Thanks. Curious Iguana. 4, likes talking about this 1, were here. An independent book store with a global focus/5(88). Received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads Curious: How to Get Your Mojo Back Curious is the must-read everybody needs to get their hands on: with a quiz to measure your own curiosity levels at the beginning and Curious Chick book seven-step guide to success (that is, curiosity) its a godsend to all the students, parents, teachers and curious 4/5.
Kitty and the Moonlight Rescue by Paula Harrison /Illus. Jenny Lovlie. A Curious Beginning is the launch of Raybourns newest series featuring amateur sleuth, adventuress, lepidopterist, and lover of foreign men, Miss Veronica Speedwell. Veronica has just buried her spinster aunt, her last living guardian, and shes ready for another adventure.4/5.
An emperor penguin lays an egg on the Antarctic ice. In the bitter cold, miles away from the only source of food, how can the chick survive.
Story time with Miss Jenni and Jaslyn. The story of the day is "The Chick Book" by Richard Scarry. Following the story Little Peep asks Jaslyn to. Chick-fil-A Kids Curious George at the Aquarium Board Book and "Eat More Chikin" Plush Cow Gift Set.
1 " plush "Eat More Chikin" plush Rating: % positive. Learn to read with The Little Red Hen read along storybook written by Pail Galdone. For more great books, download the Curious World app that.
The book sort of washes over you as it immerses you in absurdity and then it lets you go, but the film achieves something more profound. It's about the elusive qualities of life and love, and about the inevitability of loss and many of the images and scenes.
Curious Book Shop is a used and rare book store located in downtown East Lansing. Originally started in a basement inthe store has since expanded to three floors of o well-organized books, magazines, and other paper items. We take great pride in supplying books to the community - everything from recent paperbacks to scarce.
Synonyms for curious at with free online thesaurus, antonyms, and definitions. Find descriptive alternatives for curious. But, two Curious Chick book you absolutely know when you visit my blog for the first time: I am a chick and really curious to know everything.
View all posts by curiouschick Author curiouschick Posted on J J Categories Basic Python tutorials Tags comments, python, python programming language, python tutorial, python variables.
Before Curious George premiered in Septemberthere was a test pilot of Curious George that was screened to preschoolers in J The test pilot was never seen; as it was only seen by preschoolers.
It is never seen at all. But, some pictures and screencaps had an early version of Zeroes to Donuts, and the hugging image of the logo.
Parents need to know that Curious George at the Aquarium is one of the new adventures of Curious George, written after the death of authors H.A.
and Margret this installment, the man with the yellow hat takes George to visit an aquarium. George sees lots of sea creatures and wanders into the penguin exhibit, where he rescues a penguin chick (though there's almost no suspense or 4/5.
On the way to the book store. Then, we went to the airport to come back to Vietnam. It is really a fantastic trip that left lots of memories on me and my friend. Good bye Singapore and see you again. From an unforgettable experience, Curious Chick.
Curious Book Shop, East Lansing, MI. 2, likes talking about this were here. Stop in and browse our massive selection of affordable used books. We have rare, collectible, and /5(70).
Lincoln, NE () Today. Mostly cloudy. High 62F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Tonight. The contents of George's Busy Day online features were developed under a grant from the Department of Education.
However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.
Goodreads: The Curious Heart of Ailsa Rae Publish date: 29 October Publisher: St. Martin’s Press Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Chick Lit, Women’s Fiction Panda Rating: Ailsa Rae is learning how to live. She’s only a few months past the heart transplant that – just in time – saved her life.
Life should be a joyful adventure. But. Various writings from a curious mind. Various writings from a curious mind. Diary of a Smart Chick. Various writings from a curious mind. Home; Here are some of the things I learned and thoughts I had while reading this book.
Videocracy: About the Book First I’ll tell you a little bit about the book Videocracy. It is all about YouTube trends. Read BOOK I from the story CURIOUS ━ Jacob Black by stxrmborn (˗ˏˋ khaleesi vic ˎˊ˗) w reads. werewolf, breakingdawn, twilightsaga. I guess to themi Reviews: Unlike most young birds, Barred Owls fledge before they can fly.
On average, they leave their nest when they are around eight weeks old, and don’t master flight until they’re about 12 weeks old. Fledging for a Barred Owl consists of climbing up out of the. Becoming Curious A Spiritual Practice of Asking Questions by Casey Tygrett InterVarsity Press IVP Books Christian, Religion & Spirituality Pub Date 07 May I am reviewing a copy of Becoming Curious through Intervarsity Press and Netgalley: In this book we are reminded that just as Christmas comes differently to children, with curiosity and.
Chick-n-Strips™ Kid's Meal. $ Cal per entrée Grilled Nuggets Kid's Meal. $ Cal per entrée Imagination Starters Activity Pads-Collect all 5 pads. Imagination Starters Activity Pads. Scribble, color and play with these mess-free chalkboards and erasable crayon sets.
Chick Publications is best known for Chick cartoon tracts. The gospel tracts that people actually like to read. These gospel cartoon tracts are available in over languages and are. After the Reys escaped Paris by bicycle in carrying the manuscript for the original Curious George, the book was published in America in More than Curious George titles followed, with 75 million books sold worldwide.
Curious George has been successfully adapted into a major motion picture and an Emmy-winning television show on PBS.1/5(2). Common Loon Chick Update. The fluffy, black loon chick that was the subject of Naturally Curious posts a couple of weeks ago is a month old this week (original photos were taken several days before posting), and it has undergone several transformations.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (U.S., ) directed by David Fincher, 2 hrs., 40 minutes Two things motivated me here to see the film. Perhaps name them lust and its better bred cousin literature: Brad Pitt as the character of Benjamin Button and the writer F. Scott Fitzgerald who wrote the original story that the film was based on.
Jazz For Curious Listeners Chick Webb was the first great virtuoso jazz drummer/bandleader. Please join us to celebrate his th birthday anniversary with live music and discussion, courtesy of jazz biographer Stephanie Crease (currently at work on book about Webb), NJMH Senior Scholar Loren Schoenberg, and Grammy Award winning drummer.
About Curious Our History. Curious Book Shop owner Ray Walsh started selling books out of his garage in while studying at Michigan State University (class of ). Soon he moved to a location in the basement under the old Paramount News Center, creating what may have been the. Curious, Chick started to create comics based on Evangelical Protestant themes, and designed for small booklets that could be printed and distributed en masse, anonymously, if need be.
(Although the man has never admitted it, another inspiration for Chick’s tracts might have been the so-called “Tijuana Bibles.”Author: Michael Marinacci. Nonfiction DRA2 options are available for Lev 28, 38, 40, **40 is listed 3x and 50 is listed 2x.
The goal is to become a stronger/higher scorer at each assessment point and to also give the student an opportunity to be assessed in fiction and nonfiction at the 40 and/or Little Chick, by Amy Hest, is a curious, wayward, striding fledgling who is learning about life from a calm hen.
Forget fluffy. And the book's sweetly executed intention is also to teach that Author: Kate Kellaway. High quality Curious gifts and merchandise. Inspired designs on t-shirts, posters, stickers, home decor, and more by independent artists and designers from around the world.
All orders are custom made and most ship worldwide within 24 hours. Curious Faith Rediscovering Hope in the God of Possibility by Logan Wolfram David C Cook David C.
Cook Christian, Religion & Spirituality Pub Date Mar 1, Curious Faith is about rediscovering hope in the midst of trials and tragedies. The author talks about the heart wrenching grief of loosing babies.
We are reminded too that the brokenness. Salliby discovered another curious thing. Of the words or verses which he found omitted in the NIV, were also left out of the New World Translation of the Jehovah's Witnesses! This is the Bible which they carry while trying to convince you that Jesus was just a manifestation of Michael the archangel in human form, a mere created being.
Shish Tawook (or Shish Taouk) is a traditional Middle Eastern marinated chicken dish. These grilled chicken skewers are incredibly popular in Lebanon, but they are also commonly found in Turkey, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and Israel as well.
Shish Tawook: Turkish Origins. To look at where this widely popular dish comes from, let’s first take a look 5/5(2).Newberry Medal books - Books about young children - Music for Children. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, Caldecott Medal. 25th anniversary Edition, Hardcover, ; Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.
Hardcover, The Complete Adventures of Curious George by Margret Rey, Madeleine L'Engle and H. A. Rey. Hardcover, pages, Synopsis: Curious George, the monkey with.

domain: literature


Against a backdrop of numerous discrimination complaints by employees against the Missouri Department of Corrections, a former corrections officer has filed a lawsuit alleging he faced race and disability discrimination on the job.
John Dominguez, who worked at the Women’s Eastern Reception Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Vandalia, filed a lawsuit in December claiming he faced a different standard than co-workers because he is Latino and has disabilities, including lower back disk degenerative disease and adult attention deficit disorder.
His co-workers, who he alleges committed violations such as mixing dog food into an inmate’s meal and having sex while on duty, were not punished as harshly as he was, the lawsuit says.
Dominguez said the mistreatment began after he took unpaid leave to address his health. He was placed on a performance improvement plan after being told he was not meeting the expectations of an officer because of his “use of leave without pay.”
He was told by a supervisor to justify his use of unpaid leave, a request that he alleges is against department policy. The supervisor told him, “I don’t care about Department policy. This is how we do it here,” according to the lawsuit.
Dominguez said that officials made false complaints against him, threatened him to “be careful when there is a target on your back” and ignored one of his complaints of discrimination.
Days before he filed his lawsuit, Dominguez was terminated.
Karen Pojmann, a spokeswoman with the Missouri Department of Corrections, said she could not comment because the case is pending.
Dominguez alleges he was further retaliated against for reporting misconduct by his co-workers.
The violations committed, according to the lawsuit, include:
▪ A corrections officer mixed dog food into an inmate’s meal. The incident was mentioned in a federal lawsuit filed in 2016 by the inmate in which she alleged the officer had a history of treating inmates in a “harassing and dehumanizing manner.” Dominguez said in his suit that the officer received a one-day suspension after the incident.
▪ Another officer had “sexual relations” with fellow officers while on duty and pleaded guilty to assault charges. But the officer was not reprimanded until later, when he sent nude photos to a fellow officer via his work email. The officer was initially terminated, but then the decision was reversed and he was only demoted.
▪ A supervisor retained his position for 10 years after pleading guilty to a domestic assault charge.
▪ A corrections officer received a one-day suspension for physically and verbally abusing an offender.
Nimrod Chapel, who is representing Dominguez, said a recently enacted law in Missouri eroded protections for individuals facing discrimination, making it more difficult to win lawsuits such as Dominguez’s.
Dominguez’s allegations come on the heels of dozens of lawsuits filed against the Department of Corrections in past years.
In December, two complaints — one for race discrimination and another for sexual harassment — were filed.
That same month, a white prison worker won a $1.4 million racial discrimination lawsuit.
Dominguez said the “severity and heinous nature” of the details in some of the lawsuits against the Department of Corrections amazed him.
“I never thought it would happen to me,” he added.
Dominguez seeks damages and punitive damages in his lawsuit.


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By Dr. Charles Omole
I don’t think our labour unions understand their roles anymore but have become political activists and loony leftists. How do you justify a National Strike based on assault on one person in one state based on local political situation.
Why should workers in 35 states and FCT become victims of what happened in one state. I believe it’s time to reform our labour laws as a matter of urgency.
Key elements should include some of the following:
1. There should be a democratic threshold from labour members mandating action before any strike is allowed.
2. Strikes should be restricted only to the union in dispute. The idea of solidarity strike MUST be abolished. Why should a union embark on strike simply to support another union; when itself have no dispute in its sector.
3. Notice of a legal strike should be extended to at least a month. In some countries; labour strikes are announced months in advance.
4. No work no pay must be rigorously enforced.
5. The strike action of a union should only be binding of its members. Workers should retain the legal right not to join a union. As such; non-members should be free to work on strike days.
6. Violent and disruptive Picketing must be made unlawful. While standing with placards by office gate is ok; union members must not be allowed to obstruct or prevent others from entering the premises on strike days. My right to work must not be obstructed by your right to strike. It is very common to see labour activists going from office to office chasing out workers in the name of enforcement of strike.
7. There should be automatic jail sentence for labour leaders who do not call off a strike after valid court orders barring the strike.
A few of these provisions already exist in our laws but a robust enforcement is required. Labour unions have become fiefdoms for radical activists who see themselves as an alternative to democratic government.
In law; there is a settled doctrine of proportionality. That is why there is no death penalty for stealing a bicycle as that will be disproportionate. To throw an entire country into chaos; disrupt millions of lives because of an assault on ONE man is disproportionate.
Enough is enough of these largely self serving disruption by tin-god labour leaders. Where were the unions when CBN threw the nation into chaos and misery early this year? For unions that represent at most 20% of our total labour force to hold the entire nation to ransom is unreasonable and unacceptable.

domain: law


On this episode we discuss the PS1 Classic and why we have no competition from Nintendo, we also swoon over the announcement of the live-action Avatar series from Netflix. We also talk about clam-flavored candy canes, a Hello Kitty cafe, Pop Tarts cereal and Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream from 7-11 on Fat Shack and the best film of 2019...Stan and Ollie!
On this episode of Boldly Going Nowhere, we're recording live from the Baltimore Podcast Festival 2018! We discuss the Playstation 4 Spider-Man Game and the next-gen console war we didn't know still existed (FB blocking, Todd, really?) We also talk action figures available exclusively at Rite-Aid (wait, what?). Last, and least, Waluigi fails to make the cut of the latest Smash Brothers, but the secretary from Animal Crossing does?
BOLDLY GOING NOWHERE
The Internet...the final frontier. These are the travels of Boldly Going Nowhere. Our on-going mission? To explore the strange new realms of nerddom, join hosts Colin Caccamise, Brian Massey and Sean Holmes for a weekly podcast that blends pop culture and the week's latest nerd news.


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Cake Knife & Server, highest quality stainless steel.
Double-sided knife with pointed tip: one side has a straight-edge blade, the other a serrated-edge blade. Both are razor sharp and designed for slicing and serving cakes, pies and desserts.
Overall knife length 12", blade length 6 3/4"
Stainless steel blade with blue plastic handle
Made in Germany


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Category Archives: Black & White
This women was sitting at St Pancras International train station when a few of us went in there to grab some photos.
I imagine she was waiting for a train, and found this nice comfortable spot to listen to some music, check emails and perhaps play a little Candy Crush on Facebook.
Quite liking the scene, I of course took a picture – though wish I had gone ahead and switched from my 14mm to something with a bit more zoom. I cropped a lot out of the image to get what you see here, and I think a different lens with different compression may have made the subject stand out a little better. I ended up moving the couch off center as well so that I could get both plant pots in.
In fact, in the future I think I may not only change the lens, but attempt to get in there and change the location of different items in the scene as well. I guess that would lose some of the spontaneity of it though.
Meanwhile, I’m off to Berlin today for what looks to be a rather wet weekend. Hopefully I’ll get some breaks in the weather; though photography will be taking a slight backseat on this trip it would be nice to capture some of the iconic stuff out there. Have a good weekend all.
Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in Brussels, Belgium.
I was recently given a reviewers copy of B&W Effects 2 by Topaz Labs, but having been busy for the past 6 weekends, and mostly travelling, I haven’t been able to actually put my thoughts on this software down on paper – until now. I’ve also recorded a video of myself working on the above image, so feel free to check that our also; it’s 18 minutes long.
I’ve tried a couple of black and white plugins previously…but have never really got on with any of them. However, I find that I’m consistently returning to B&W Effects 2 when processing my daily images, and it’s now become a part of my workflow. I had only really used Topaz Denoise previously (on 90% of my images, to be honest), so this is a welcome addition to the collection.
First up, the interface is nice and simple and easy to use – it was pretty intuitive to just dive right in there and start using it. It was natural to start at the top left of the screen where I could select a ‘collection’ to work from; follow that down by selecting a preset which is part of the collection, and then when I’ve settled on one of those simply head over to the right hand navigation panel to tweak the image how I require. Simple.
However; there were a few too many options for me when it came to the final tweaking. I’m used to doing many things in Lightroom and CS6, so features such as dodging and burning or curve adjustments just didn’t seem necessary in a plugin as far as I was concerned.
I’m rather short sighted, however, as I have no idea what other image hosts may have as features, and it may be that you require these additional features from directly within the plugin.
My biggest issues with the software are that it needs to generate previews of the image each time you select a collection, and sometimes it can appear to be a little unresponsive – mostly because it’s catching up on a previous action before moving on to the next. If that’s all I have to complain about though, then that’s not a bad thing. The former can be overcome over time simply by adding your most used presets to your ‘favourites’ collection as these will all load at once and so it’s likely you’ll only need to load the presets once.
I didn’t use the original B&W Effects so can’t say how this one differs from the previous version, but I’m happy enough with the features this one does have, and the control it allows you over the final adjustments.
Convert your image to black and white in under 30 seconds
Large selection of presets available
Ability to finely adjust selected presets
Apply finishing effects from within the plugin
Reasonable price point ($60)
Preview load times are noticeable when they should be instantaneous
Cannot be used as a standalone application
A versatile package with a vast array of presets which will suit many images. Topaz B&W Effects 2 has become a part of daily workflow, allowing me to create a new look to my images within seconds.
In China there is a wall, and it is long. I spent some of my time in China walking it.
All of it.
Okay, when I say ‘all’ I mean ‘all I would care to do’. I spent about 3 hours up there, with a bit of sun, and a large backpack. It was pretty tiring to be honest.
Now, I know it must have taken a long time, and it is a stunning piece of work when you think about just how long it is. However I have to wonder why there isn’t consistency in the way it’s built. Part of it features ramp, part of it feature small steps, part of it features really big steps. I don’t know why they just couldn’t use small steps the whole way.
Still, I’m really pleased that I decided to make the trip out there to see it, and would certainly advise that if you’re opting to go for the easy to get to touristy spots, then you go on a weekday and do so very early in the morning.
Before my rececnt trip, the last time I was in Brussels was a few years ago and it is at the location you see in today’s image that I spent all of my time. I remember it was during a football event, so think it was probably in June of 2010. I think I was stood on an exhibit stand for most of the day, and that it was only a day trip.
It sure wasn’t enough to get a feel for the city, which is what my latest trip was great for. I was pleased to return to this spot though, so I could at least put this building in context with the surrounding area and establish how it fits into the landscape.
I sure was pleased not to have to go in there again though.
While in Beijing, ‘pamhule‘ was kind enough to take a few hours out of his day to meet up with me for a photowalk. It was great to meet someone with local knowledge, and so we checked out some of the hutongs in the Dongcheng District. I had seen the entrance to a hutong near the Forbidden City a few days previous without realising that’s what it was, and though the scene was interesting and almost begging me to go into it, I opted not to due to a lack of knowledge on what it was and if it was private property. I’m all for stepping over a line in the UK, but not so in China (at this part of the trip anyway; I did check out an empty building later on in my trip).
Hutongs, as well as being a fun word to say, are little neighbourhoods that center round a courtyard and feature a few residencies and several twisting alleyways. Opening a door onto one of these and stepping inside provides you a fleeting glance into the lives of those who live there, and all seemed to offer something very photogenic. I think all hutongs must contain clothes hanging up randomly, some sort of vegetable either growing or simply sitting there, and of course a bicycle covered in dust.
It was while working our way from one hutong to another that I found this bike sitting in front of this simple wall. I processed it using B&W Effects 2 by Topaz Labs, and bushed in elements of the Low Key filter from Nik Software.
Thanks again to Jens for taking the time out to meet up and show me a few sights, be sure to check out his awesome work over at blog.pamhule.com.
We’re back to the Elephant & Castle in South London for this image, which is where we’re both starting and ending this week’s posts.
The Strata Tower is visible from many places within London, and is most easily recognised by the three large fans that can be found on the top of the building, built to harness the wind and provide energy savings for the building itself.
It was a stupidly windy day when I was here, but my 3 Legged Thing tripod seemed to stand up to that admirably, even while doing a long exposure with a B&W filter.
No matter how strong the wind blew, however, those fans on the top did not move at all which leads me to question the overall usefulness of them.
Processing was a straightforward affair; I sharpened a little in CS6 and then ran it through one of the filters in B&W Effects 2 by Topaz Labs – simple.
I hope everyone has had a good week.
This is an automated post, as I am currently in Beijing; therefore my responses will be slow – if at all.
Thank you to everyone who showed their support of me after my April Fool joke yesterday. I was touched by the comments and emails received showing concern for my giving up the photography game, and felt a little guilty about having fooled a few people in the end. All is well though; I’m 2 years in to weekdaily posts and hoping to go strong for another 2 years from here. Though some of my post was true, I’m not in this to get the traffic and views and favourites, but because I enjoy doing it. Comments and shares are very nice, and much appreciated, but not a big part of the plan. Not that I have a plan, really.
So, back to normal service as expected. St Paul’s Cathedral is my favourite building in London, and I love shooting it from various angles and indeed various rooftops. I dislike two things about it though.
1. I do not like the new spotlights that they have in place, which are far too bright at night time and do not compliment the magnificent dome at all.
2. I have posted so many images of this subject that thinking of new titles for photoblog posts is becoming difficult.
In other, yet related, news the nice folks over at Topaz Labs have been in touch with a few photobloggers asking them to review their B&W Effects 2 software, of which I’m pleased to say that I am participating. I’ve used it on a few images now, and this is one such example. I’m still getting used to the software; there are things I really like with it, and a few things that I feel can be improved. You can expect a proper review of it once I get to grips with it more, and also once I return from Beijing.
Oh, by the way, I’m going to Beijing.
Even with the cold and wet weather I managed to make it out of the cottage this weekend and take a walk over the beautiful ‘Seven Sisters’ on the South East Coast. I’ve been here a few times now with various people, and I always find it fascinating to see how people respond to walking close to an unprotected cliff edge…and also how differently the perception of ‘close’ can be for everyone.
I must admit that it always seem to be the photographers who get the closest to the edge, or scramble down the sections that aren’t really meant to be scrambled down, and who stand on the precarious spots that look like they have a crack but it’s likely the crack has been there for some time and ‘it’ll be fine’.
It’s not that we have a different view on mortality than everyone else, we just want to go that one step further to make the shot a little bit better.
I’m not sure, is it safer to be stood on the edge of this naturally eroding cliff that could technically give way at any time, or to be stood on the edge of 30 storey building that is being constructed in the heart of London? I guess both have their own inherent risks.
Oddly I feel safer on the cliff edge, but more comfortable on the building.
After my meetings were done, and before meeting up with Scott Wood for a few drinks, the Space Needle was the first location in Seattle that was on my to visit list, and luckily it was nice and close to the hotel.
I managed to get up to three different vantage points during my short trip, and though this one wasn’t my favourite in the end it was certainly the only one which I knew I wanted to do…the other two, Colombia Tower and Smith’s Tower, just kinda happened.
I couldn’t see Mount Rainier from any of them.
I was having a good processing night the other evening, which was a good job as I had a few images to get through in order to maintain my one post per week day. As such, this image was processed in quick succession from yesterdays, which is why they are both from the same location.
Two very different images though.
I don’t remember exactly where within City Hall this image was taken, but I feel it was one of the locations at the top of the building. I did very simple processing on this one, a little sharpening and then I ran it through a filter using Perfect B&W by OnOneSoftware.
Speaking of processing, do check out the new Google+ community called ‘The Photo Post Processing & Stylization Center‘ which has been set up by Brian Matiash and Christopher Germano. It’s going to be interesting to see how communities develop within Google+ and I’m hoping they are a to be a location to share and learn, and not a breeding ground for pure self promotion.
I don’t take too many photos of people, but when I do I quite enjoy catching someone going about their business and in the natural state of not knowing that they are being photographed.
Sometimes people simply ‘feel’ that they are being watched though, and look around just as you’ve set up to take the shot – and that’s exactly what happened in this particular shot.
Jim Nix and I were a few hours into our day of shooting around London and we had dropped into the Maritime Museum in Greenwich. I had never been there before and on this occasion just wanted to try and use it as a shortcut through to the side of the park that I wanted to be on. I took the opportunity, however, to have a brief look around – hoping to find a nice bit of architecture that may have remained unknown by the masses. Alas, nothing of that there, but while I was standing on an upper level I saw this woman sitting alone on the seats below and thought that her quiet contemplation would be a nice thing to grab a shot of.
I composed the image, and just as my two seconds countdown had done she looked straight up at me.
When in Washington DC I stopped by the White House a few times. I say ‘stopped by’, but it’s not as if I was invited in for tea or anything. The closest I got to Obama was when a look-alike gave a presentation at one of the events I was at. No, I ‘stopped by’ meaning I stood outside the fence and peered at the building from afar like all of the other tourists. I took a few shots, but they are for another day.
Very near to where I stood looking through the fence I found this hydrant.
Fun fact – it’s pretty difficult to write an interesting blog post about a hydrant.
As soon as I started to process this shot I knew that it would only really work in black and white, so I used a few filters in ColorEfex and PerfectEffects to boost up the contrast and such so that it would pop a bit when turned to black and white. I also had to do a lot of correction of the lines as the street was pretty slanted and looked funny.
Have I mentioned before how poor the light was in Austria due to the extreme heat, cloudless skies and nothing but the harsh sun bearing down on us? Yes…I thought I had. Just once or twice.
Well, when that happens you can take to the shadow areas, shoot at night or process in black and white. For this shot I did two of those things.
John and I were in Halstatt and were trying to find a place to have lunch; there are plenty of little alleys and little streets, and this one lead up to an Italian place that we didn’t bother going to. I was taking a few shots of this tunnelled archway when John started walking into view; I told him to walk towards me a few times, snapping away as he did so, and found a usable shot back home.
As with my Transition shot from Central Park I blew out the light areas in post; I also added John’s shadow to the scene.
I’m on the fence with this one, but it has grown on me since doing it – hope you like it, and if not, come back and view it again in case it does grow on you too.
This was the final shot I took on the day trip out on Sunday.
I had managed to find myself travelling without a shutter release cable so I was stood on the beach as the sun was going down and using black glass, for which I had to manually hold the shutter down for several minutes. By the time I got around to this shot the sun had pretty much gone and I was able to remove the filter and simply use the usual AV for 30 seconds which had the desired affect.
I guess you don’t need fancy filters sometimes, you just need the right light as they say.
I’ve never really taken one of these minimalist shots before, but follow a few people on Flickr who specialise in them. I have a lot to learn about the process. I also feel that the composition on this could have worked out much better, which I guess was my fault entirely.
I’m off to Austria tomorrow for a long weekend so will schedule a few posts for Friday and Monday while I’m absent.
Last week the whole of London was treated to a spectacular laser show from the Shard.
Well…that’s what we were meant to be treated to. Instead we had a very mediocre show, which went on for a very long time. It was quite repetitive and pretty darn boring.
Saying that, perhaps it was just the spot I was on. I think if I wasn’t stood directly opposite the building, and instead opted to go somewhere high, or a place like Primrose Hill, then the view on offer would have been that little bit more spectacular as I would have seen the lasers hitting several of the iconic London buildings.
I didn’t take very many shots that evening, and towards the end I tilted the camera to get a few with the Shard in various colours at this angle. In the end, and after seeing Inauguration by Giles McGarry* I ended up processing this in black and white anyway, so the colours were unnecessary.
I can’t help think but a few fireworks set off in line with the 60th or so floor of the shard would have made for better images, and more of a celebration. Still…they have New Year to get that right I suppose.
*After taking the Inauguration shot, Giles decided to go for a ‘last shot’ from the Thames bed as the tide was out. Wet steps meant a slip was made, a lot of gear was busted up and a few ribs were also victims of a fall with a bit of cracking. Best wishes to Giles for a speedy recovery, and shiny new gear.
When visiting the Statue of Liberty, how could I refuse to take a photo of one of these lovely contraptions. I see fellow photographers taking these all the time, but have never had a decent opportunity to do so previously.
Perfect Effects 3 seems to open up with a default B&W filter preview in place and when I saw it in a colourless version I really liked it, that’s really my only deciding factor in the way I processed this shot.
Did I mention that New York was hot when I was there? Well it was. I spent the Saturday morning walking through Central Park, with a hangover, trying to scurry from one patch of shade to another in order to avoid getting sunburn. Thankfully I wasn’t rushing anywhere during my trip so I could just relax to get to wherever I wished to go.
After my first burrito in the Flatiron district I felt a little sleepy myself to be honest, but I had places to go and things to see so no time for snoozing. Not like the fella. I bet he had a burrito too, and then the satisfied belly plus sun overhead meant he could do nothing but try and catch 40 winks as the tourists and cars passed by.
I took the opportunity to grab a few photos, hoping that the clicking of the camera would not stir him from his slumber. For him to wake up and catch me aiming a camera at him while he slept….awkward!
Have a good weekend all.
Phew, this shot took a while to work on and get something I was happy with!
It was taken at an underpass area in Central Park. On such a bright and sunny day I liked how the people walking towards steps on the far side were slightly silhouetted and thought that would make a nice shot. Once looking at the images I had taken in Lightroom the only thought I had was that I wanted it to be in black and white…and then the fun began.
I tried tonemapping three brackets a few times, starting several weeks ago and with a final attempt last night. Each attempt meant spending a lot of time on deghosting the images, but there was so much movement and so much variant in the light that this was never 100% successful; though the image looked fine in Photomatix it was never quite right when opening it up in Photoshop and looking at it in detail.
In the end I decided to use just one of the brackets with a few virtual copies set at different exposures, thus eliminating the need for deghosting.
I sharpened the image up a little and added a low key filter using Nik Color Efex Pro, then I opened it up in Perfect Effects by OnOne Software and applied the ‘Secret Formula’ black and white filter followed by ‘Kryptonite’ at around 85%.
Back in CS6 I found the process so far had blown out quite a lot of detail, especially in the patterns on the walls in the foreground. Quite a bit of burning here, and dodging there, I managed to get the levels back to something decent. I selected the two main characters in the images, saving the selection for ease of use, and blew out the steps in the background using a lens flare. Loading up the selection again I reintroduced the two characters into the image by masking through to the layer they were on, along with pulling back the two central columns that the flare had blown out. There was also a woman in the image that I didn’t like so I got rid of her, leaving in the three figures on the left and one girl on the right.
Finally I added a second low level filter from Nik Color Efex, brushing this in to really bring out the shadows, and followed this up with brushing in a dark vignette.
The original bracket I had is below, and feels like quite a difference. The essentials are converting to black and white, removing the figure on the left, and the removal of all of the people on the steps, and indeed the steps themselves, by completely blowing that area out.
As I say, I had some sort of silhouette scene in my mind when taking the shot – and feel I managed to achieve that. On such a busy day I had no real chance of getting the scene without people everywhere, and so waited until the couple came into the central view before taking it – the post processing did the rest. I am pretty happy with the result.
This wonderful block in the heart of London is currently offices, but plans are afoot to make it residential.
On a residential note, today is moving day and I have a lot to do before I’m ready, so I can’t stay and chat – have a good day all.
I’m enjoying taking shots around the passageways on the London Underground just now; there are many places which provide excellent symmetry and some interesting features. When it comes to the tube tunnels themselves I always thought if you had seen one of them you had seem them all, however I bet they are just as unique when you start looking around them, especially as many tunnels have been built at different times.
This particular shot was done from a platform looking in to a tunnel on one side; I haven’t got the know-how or the inclination to actually wander around the system itself.
If you have been following my blog at all this year you’ll likely know that this shot was taken on the South Coast on an overcast day, at the same place all of my other black and white shots recently published have been from
I was walking along a country path doing a little handheld work and quite liked this tree, so managed to grab it without the surrounding noise and opted to leave quite a lot of negative space at the top as it was the only thing I could think to do to, oddly, add to the scene.
I’ll sometimes give a shout out here to a blog that I follow which I feel should get a little more traffic than it currently does, and admit this may often just be friends who are starting out with blogs. There isn’t much advice I would give to someone who is starting a photo blog, and I know that there are several of my contacts who are starting to do so or are contemplating it, but here is one thing that I think is important.
Try to be consistent.
You don’t need to post daily, but if you only post 2 images a week try to do so on regular advertised days so your readers know when to expect new content. There’s nothing worse that sitting at a PC thinking ‘oh, I’ll just check out that blog where I saw that great image last week and see what’s new’ to find that there is nothing new there and no expectation on when you’ll see something new.
On that note, Dylan has been posting to his new blog for a month now and deserves a little love. There are several great images in that short space of time and I for one am looking forward to seeing what else is produced throughout the year, and for attempting to come up with different shots during our photowalks. Check out his website at dfacer.co.uk.
On a recent trip down to East Dean I popped over to Hope Gap to take a few shots of the beach and cliffs in that area. On my walk back from there to the Golden Galleon in Seaford where I was due to have a spot of lunch I stopped to take a photo of these cottages.
The other shots I had taken of these cliffs from this area pretty much had no focal interest to the right of them due to the fact it was nothing but sea, so it was nice here to be able to get a glimpse of them and use the cottages as the main area of interest, and to squeeze in the bench for that little something else.
Although there is still quite a bit that is not really doing anything, the sky and the grass, I still feel that there are three very separate areas of interest at different depths with the bench, cottages and then cliffs.
Again the overcast day was doing nothing for the colour in this image so turning it to black and white seemed to do the trick for me.
This weekend I trundled off to the coasts to try the new camera in an nice rural environment. I must admit to being a little bit lazy, as usual, though as I didn’t get up for a sunrise, nor venture out to see a sunset. Instead I just moseyed around during the day, in weather which wasn’t the best when it comes to photography…but in many ways could have been worse.
Due to the lack of colour in the sky I opted to shoot a few images knowing that they would eventually be processed in black and white, which was the case with this one.
The title comes from the small area I was in, if indeed my memory serves me well and that is the name of the location. It was a nice little beach area with easy access down steps from the cliff side, and offered some nice formations when down there. I think a sunrise from here looking towards the Seven Sisters would be lovely.
A couple of weeks ago I went to ‘Winter Wonderland’ in Hyde Park with John, James and Dylan. It was a very cold night as we stood around taking a few photos, and though I didn’t take a lot that I liked it was good to be able to play with the new 24-70 2.8 as this was the first time I had really been out with it. It was also nice to finally meet up with YorkshireStacked and mattomatto who kindly popped down to say hello; hopefully we’ll get to go on the long overdue photowalk soon (even if you do shoot Nikon).
Outside one of the rides was the pirate you see above. I have no idea what the ride was, but I liked the way he stood out and allowed the background lights to fade away. However once I was processing the lights were actually a little distracting from the subject so I opted to process as a black and white instead.
This is a shot of the Royal Exchange in London, taken at night at a lovely long exposure to really get the flare of the lights and movement of traffic in the shot. The colour version did nothing for me so I turned it into monotone, and this did nothing for me for a long time, however looking back at it today I think I’m pretty happy with how it did turn out in the end – it’s always funny how a fresh look at something often leaves you liking it when you didn’t shortly after processing.
I haven’t been able to get out with the camera much lately, nor process any of the images in my archive really – the mojo is lost at the moment so I’m relying on those images which I’ve already spent time on. Hopefully I’ll be back into the swing of it sometime soon.
I guess I should start thinking about buying Christmas presents also…


The Dräger Flame 2300 detector provides flexibility with its numerous output modes and advanced design features ensure reliability in the detection of fires whilst at the same time providing excellent immunity to potential false alarm sources.
The detector is available in either Aluminium or Stainless Steel housings. There are also various cable entry options available. The detector is easily installed with a stainless steel mounting bracket, which is included with the supply; this can be rotated to ensure optimum positioning of the detector in relation to the potential fire source. Angular markings allow the positioning angles of the detector to be recorded for future reference.
As well as a 4 to 20 mA signal output and 3 relay outputs, an optional RS 485 output is also available, which can be multi-dropped to a central location. This provides a number of options for detector monitoring and the triggering of the necessary control action upon the detection of a fire.
Complete flexibility enables the detector to be operated from a separate power supply (as a 4 wire device) or as a 3 wire device where there is no requirement for an isolated signal output.
Automatic checks of the detector electronics and optics ensure no fault goes undetected. Additionally, the test can be triggered manually at anytime. The Dräger Flame 2300 provides the highest level of false alarm immunity. This is because the detector requires both IR and UV sensors to alarm before the detector will itself output an alarm condition and such action ensures that false alarms are all but non-existent.
The Dräger Flame 2300 comes with a factory issued IECEx approval, which should lead to a smooth installation process in hazardous classified areas.


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The World Boxing Association (WBA) will again make history when arriving at an unexplored destination for world championship fights. George Groves will defend his WBA Super World Super Middleweight Championship against Callum Smith this Friday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which will mean the first fight for a global belt in the land of the sacred mosques.
The oldest body of boxing, under the presidency of Gilberto Jesus Mendoza, has been committed to expanding the discipline of boxing throughout the world and reach places where nobody has arrived. In this sense, he is pleased by the achievements made in recent years and specifically in stepping on a historical terrain such as Saudi Arabia.
Groves will fulfill the third defense of his championship against the Englishman Smith, in a fight that will represent the final of the World Boxing Super Series. The champion won his crown by beating Fedor Chudinov last year and has successfully defended the title twice against Jamie Cox and Chris Eubank Jr., respectively.
The event will be of high importance and the King Abdullah Sports City will be the stage in which it will take place. Groves and Smith have the opportunity to become the first boxer to be crowned in Saudi Arabia, while the WBA belt will take them to the highest level in the world within the division.

domain: geography


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Chemical engineers can work in a variety of industries including consumer packaged goods, which is the industry that I have worked in for the last 16+ years. I've worked in a variety of settings including manufacturing sites, corporate offices, pilot facilities, and yes, even a lab.
If you want to learn more about the field of chemical engineering, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers may be able to help. (https://www.aiche.org) I attended weekly AIChE sessions while in school, which gave me a better idea about the types of careers I could pursue after graduation. These sessions also covered topics like how to prepare for interviews.
When applying to college, I declared that I wanted to major in chemical engineering without really knowing what a chemical engineer did. I knew I had done well in high school chemistry and physics, and I knew that I didn't want major in mechanical or civil engineering.
My co-op job in college was working in a lab for a flexible packaging company. While I did not pursue a career in lab work, I did learn that working in a lab did not feel the same as doing the lab assignments required for my classes. I also discovered that I liked being able to show my family real life examples of the things I tested in the lab.

domain: chemistry


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The Rise and Rise of Co-working: Here to Stay?
Recent research undertaken by Hicks Baker has revealed the extent to which the serviced and co-working offices sector has grown in Reading over the last 18 months, mirroring a UK wide trend that saw the UK serviced office market expand by over 150% in 2017.
Just under 170,000 sq ft. of new serviced and co-working space has been created in Reading in 7 buildings, all of which are in the town centre. The total amount of space in the sector in Greater Reading now exceeds 569,000 sq ft. with the availability of such accommodation now divided almost equally between the town centre and the business parks, bringing back into balance a market sector that was previously heavily skewed towards out-of-town locations.
This growth is being driven by a number of key factors:
- The emergence of different ways of doing business which is being met by new working environments which encourage collaboration between companies.
- The serviced office market is evolving. Established providers are upgrading and, to some extent, reinventing their accommodation to meet these new demands. Regus’s new Spaces concept, which has been rolled out at 9 Greyfriars Road, is one such example.
- Many landlords have taken advantage of Permitted Development Rights to converted tired office buildings which would otherwise have required substantial capital investment to keep them relevant to the modern office occupier. This has undoubtedly created a dearth of good quality smaller spaces for SMEs; the serviced and co-working operators have positioned themselves to fill some of this void.
- Developers of major office development have, in some instances, sought to widen the appeal of their buildings by retro-fitting serviced/co-working space to improve the amenity on offer to tenants. This has happened at R+, The White Building, The Blade and, most recently, at Thames Tower.
Business needs are changing. There are two main factors driving this change which, on the face of it, appear to be slightly contradictory. First is the growth of new start-up businesses which consider themselves to be ‘agile’. They are uncertain how quickly they will grow and frequently operate in business sectors where there is rapid change.
Secondly, in any dynamic market, there is uncertainty but this is being exacerbated by the still unresolved issue of Brexit and the UK’s future relationship with Europe. Modern businesses need to be able to adjust quickly- to be able to expand or downsize as their needs dictate. In an increasingly competitive marketplace with pressure on margins, there is a constant drive for efficiency and no CFO wants to be paying for unwanted or underutilised office space.
In short, an increasingly diverse range of companies is looking for flexibility, efficiency and simplicity. This is no longer the domain of start-ups and small entrepreneurs only. Offices are increasingly viewed as a service, not just as a space. ‘Front of house’ is key to the success of any serviced or co-working facility. Companies will value concierge facilities; the availability of meeting rooms, desk sharing and access to communal break-out areas facilitating interaction with likeminded companies are attractive options.
Choosing the right location is vital so it is no coincidence that the recent explosion in serviced and co-working space in Reading is taking place in and around the station. Transport links such as the new Elizabethan Line (Crossrail) services, an attractive urban environment and easy access to the usual town centre amenities are all important factors. If you are looking to invest in this sector, getting expert advice from a specialist commercial property agent that knows the local area, economy, and the changing dynamics of the office market would be a sound investment.
If you are thinking of investing in office accommodation, or if you’re a new business looking for the best place to locate, give the team at Hicks Baker a call on 01189 596 144.


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NBA Playoff Pick 'Em: Conference Finals: The Raptors will take on the so far unbeaten Cavaliers and the (surprise!) Thunder face off against the Warriors. Standings and picks for the conference finals inside.
Rockies SS Jose Reyes receives 52-game suspension for domestic violence incident: Reyes was arrested in Maui, Hawaii for an incident that occurred in October of last year. His wife told police that he pulled her off of a hotel bed, grabbed her by the throat, and slammed her into a sliding glass door, after which she was treated at a local hospital. However, criminal charges were dropped after she refused to testify against him.
SpoFi NBA Pick 'Em Round 2.: Although two first round series in the East are still up for grabs, OKC and San Antonio start their second round match up tonight at 8:30 Eastern Time. Go ahead and make your pick for at least that series here.
SpoFi NBA Playoff Pick 'Em 2016 is a go!: Step right up and get your first round prognostications in. First game tips off at 12:30 PM (Eastern) on Saturday.
Ranking all 30 NBA court designs: Art and sports meet on the playing surfaces of the NBA, where court design has evolved considerably over the past few decades. We asked four experts -- RedEye designer Sara Amato, Chicago Tribune data visualization editor Jonathon Berlin, Gameplan Creative chief creative officer Tom O'Grady and art critic Lori Waxman -- to rank the design of all 30 NBA courts. As you might expect, they don't always agree, but here are their reviews, ranked by aggregate points from worst to first.
Texas Rangers take game one 5-3 against the Toronto Blue Jays: in a game that sees Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista, and Adrian Beltre leave with injuries. David Price has lost six straight post-season starts (four of those losses coming against Texas) and Rangers 2B Rougned Odor became the 2nd youngest player* to score three runs in a playoff game, twice after being hit by Price and once via a solo home run in the top of the 7th inning. Game two features a pitching match-up of trade deadline acquired Cole Hamels against late-season-emerging-after-tearing-an-ACL Marcus Stroman.
James Blake reportedly thrown to the ground, cuffed and detained by several NYPD officers.: Blake, retired for the past two years, is in NYC to appear at US Open related events. NYPD officers say they mistook him for a suspect in a fraudulent credit card operation. James, who has cuts and bruises as a result of the event stated "To me it’s as simple as unnecessary police force, no matter what my race is. In my mind there’s probably a race factor involved, but no matter what, there’s no reason for anybody to do that to anybody. I was just standing there. I wasn’t running. It’s blatantly unnecessary. You would think at some point they would get the memo that this isn’t O.K., but it seems that there’s no stopping it.”
The End of the Hoop Dream: A Journey to the Extreme Fringe of International Basketball. Fueled by desperation and long-shot hopes, a twentysomething huckster agent leads 10 end-of-the-line players on a European exposure tour. It could be their final chance at basketball glory, but will anyone buy what he’s selling?
The IOC announces Beijing as the host of the 2022 Winter Olympics.: Beijing, which hosted the Summer Olympics in 2008, barely squeaked out a 44-40 win over its only competitor, Almaty, Kazakhstan. Pointing at the fact that a Beijing hosted Olympics would require relying on artificial snow, Almaty's campaign slogan was "Keeping It Real".
Miracle on ice goalie Jim Craig auctioning off his memorabilia: Seeking to secure his family's financial future, Craig is seeking $5.7 million for 19 items, including his gold medal, jerseys worn during the semi-final and gold medal games, and the flag that was draped over him after the US defeated Finland.
The Justice Department has ended its criminal case against Barry Bonds.: The U.S. Department of Justice will not appeal a court ruling that cleared baseball player Barry Bonds of obstruction of justice in a probe over steroids. The DOJ's move effectively ends the long criminal prosecution of the sport's career home run leader. The slugger was convicted on one obstruction charge in 2011, and the jury deadlocked on three perjury counts. His sentence of two years of probation and 30 days of home confinement was put on hold pending his appeal.
Zach Lowe's NBA Free-Agency Winners and Losers: Now that Marc Gasol and Robert Pera have come down from their tapas-and-wine bender across Barcelona, the last big-name free agent outside the LeBron Show is off the board. The first free-agency period of the NBA’s new money era mostly unfolded over a whirlwind 90 hours, starting with Al-Farouq Aminu’s move to Portland and ending when LaMarcus Aldridge broke away and headed to San Antonio. Even when most players re-sign with their old teams, free agency jolts the league’s balance of power and explodes new trends in the player-sharing economy.
SpoFi NBA Pick 'Em final results: congratulations to grum@work and ic23b who tied for first place. (more inside)
WTF MLB? Baseball Strikes Out With Its Streaming Policies.: Iowa is supposed to be heaven for baseball fans – 'Field of Dreams' and all that. But if you want to stream MLB games, it's a virtual hell.
SpoFil NBA Playoff Pick 'Em: Finals Edition. Picks must be in before game one starts at 9 PM Eastern on Thursday night.
SpoFi NBA Pick 'Em: Round Two results and Conference Finals Picks. Picks need to be in by 9:00 PM Eastern on Tuesday (tomorrow) before game 1 of the Rockets/Warriors tips off.
The Cleveland Cavaliers catch heat for in-game promotional video.: The video features a couple re-enacting the final performance scene from Dirty Dancing; however after the male catches his girlfriend he proceeds to slam her into the ground when it's revealed she's wearing a Bulls t-shirt.
SpoFi NBA Playoff Pick 'Em: Round Two. First game tips off at 1 PM Eastern tomorrow, so hurry up and get your picks in.
Chris Rock on baseball losing the Black market: HBO's Real Sports offers up this seven-minute monologue featuring Rock's memories of growing up a Mets fan in the 80's and his perspective on the (fairly commonly accepted) idea that MLB is failing to keep the attention of African-Americans.
Sources: Billy Donovan will coach the OKC Thunder: The University of Florida men's coach will replace Scott Brooks, who was fired last week after an injury-riddled season that ended without a playoff berth.
Charles Barkley: Rick Carlisle should bench Rajon Rondo permanently.: Rondo's game 2 performance at Houston featured a first-half uncontested 8-second violation which he followed by drawing two personal fouls and a technical foul in the first 34 seconds of the third quarter. Rondo didn't see the court again and declined to speak to reporters after the game. He is widely rumored to sign a free-agent contract with the Lakers in the off-season.
The NFL free-agency period begins with a slew of major moves: Including the New Orleans Saints trading TE Jimmy Graham to Seattle, the Eagles and Rams swapping quarterbacks and...
Baseball's fight with fatigue: Last year, less than 9% of position players appeared in 150 or more games. That is the lowest such percentage in major-league history, according to Stats LLC. Run scoring in September last year was 7% lower than it was during March and April, twice as steep a decline as the historical norm. So, as full squads report to spring training in Florida and Arizona this week, teams aren’t worried so much about hitters being ready for Opening Day. They’re worried about keeping them fresh for the stretch run, and they’re exploring myriad new ways to boost their endurance.
“I got a big charge out of seeing Ted Williams hit. Once in a while they let me try to field some of them, which sort of dimmed my enthusiasm.”: A Futility Infielder tribute to Rocky Bridges (1927-2015), one of the game's most colorful characters - When Don Zimmer passed away last June after 66 years in baseball, I called him the ultimate futility infielder. Allow me to amend that, for Rocky Bridges, who died last week at the age of 87, was every bit as worthy of that title, and every bit as much an inspiration for this site. The secret of futility infielders is their ability to thrive despite their shortcomings in talent, thanks to persistence, flexibility and a command of fundamentals that go well beyond the playing field. They’re the laces that hold the leather together, the very soul of baseball.


Seattle, are you are ready for the 2014 Deck the Hall Ball at Key Arena? Tickets just went on sale on Friday, Oct. 10, 2014, via Ticketmaster and general admission seating, reserved seating and premium experience tickets are still available. This annual holiday rock music event is always held at the Key Arena at the Seattle Center and for 2014, there is one hell of a music line up scheduled with Imagine Dragons, Weezer, Cage the Elephant and more!
The 22nd annual Deck the Hall Ball is being sponsored by Seattle's local radio station, 107.7 THE END (KNDD) and AEG Live and is one of the most popular holiday events in the Seattle area. This year's band lineup is going to be one of the best in Deck the Hall Ball history and showcases the enormous talent in the alternative rock music genre. Additional bands billed to play at the 2014 Deck the Hall Ball include TV On The Radio, Young The Giant, Kongos, Royal Blood and Vance Joy. The 2014 music line up comes as a result of 107.7 THE END listeners providing the radio station executives with a list of bands they wanted to see most. So the band roster is in essence a reflection of favorites of Seattle 107.7 THE END radio station listeners.
Weezer is one of the headlining bands that has been around the longest, first coming onto the rock music scene in 1992. The band just released their ninth studio album, Everything Will Be Alright in the End, on Oct. 7, 2014. Overall, Weezer has sold more than 17.5 million albums worldwide, with over 9 million being sold in the United States alone. Throughout Weezer's 20-plus-year career, the band won a Grammy Award in 2009 for the Best Short Form Music Video for the song/video "Pork and Beans," and they won two MTV Video Music Awards in 1995 in the categories of Best Alternative Video and Breakthrough Video for their hit, "Buddy Holly."
Imagine Dragons is another alternative rock band who burst onto the music scene recently in 2012. The band's debut album, Night Visions, garnered a great deal of attention, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 Chart in 2013. Billboard also named them "The Breakthrough Band of 2013," while Rolling Stone listed the band's single, "Radioactive" as the "biggest rock hit" of 2013. In the same year, MTV named Imagine Dragons 2013's "biggest breakout band." The band's debut album has already won include a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance, five Billboard Music awards, an American Music Award for Favorite Alternative Artist and a World Music Award. For 2014, Imagine Dragons was nominated for 14 Billboard Music awards, including the Milestone Award and Top Artist of the Year.
AEG Live and 107.7 The End present: Deck The Hall Ball with Imagine Dragons and Weezer
Event Date/Time: Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014, at 3 p.m.


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AEA ONE is a continued exploration of form and material by designer, Adrienne Alaimo. Each piece stems from the iconic architectural shapes of the AEA precious metal collection, forming an innovative line of futuristic, ultra-modern jewelry that merges the worlds of technology and style. Each piece is 3D-printed in a lightweight nylon material that has a matte finish and is integrated with the designer's signature use of color inlays. AEA ONE is made in the United States for you to enjoy, now and forever. Embrace the future.
from New York, NY
Jewelry made in the future.