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It takes me a little longer than most to put together my top picture books of 2017 for young readers. The books I review are from the library and are not sent to me from publishers. I have to wait for reserves to come in like everyone else. I did not purposely pick 33. I just went through my reviews and chose the books that still stand out to me, and ones I have bought for my own elementary school library. They are not in any order of preference.
1. Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes; illustrated by Gordon C. James. 2017. Published by Agate Bolden.
Brief summary: A young boy goes to the barber shop to get his hair cut. The barber is the man who will transform him to his highest potential of handsomeness. The barber puts the cape on and starts his magical transformation of the boy that will enable him to do wondrous feats and be admired by all. The boy notices all the other men in the chairs imagining what greatness they behold. The finishing touch of the stinging alcohol completes the feat. The boy admires his sweet self in the mirror. The barber takes off his cape and brushes off any strays. The boy gives him the money and leaves the shop feeling invincible.
Comments: Derrick Barnes truly captures the feel of a great haircut with the humor and metaphorical descriptions of each step of the haircut. Although this book is through the perspective of a young boy, both boys and girls could relate and understand that magic that happens in the shop; the before and after feeling; the magical surge of self-esteem at the end.
There is a note from the author where Derrick Barnes shares his barber shop story when he was in sixth grade.
I love the illustrations and how they capture the energy and excitement of the barbershop. Combined with Derrick Barnes’ ode? A true homage to the barbershop culture. This is one of those books to add to your library.
2. Rapunzel by Bethan Woollvin; illustrated by Bethan Woolvin. 2017. Gouache on cartridge paper. Published by Peachtree.
Brief summary: Rapunzel lives in a tower all by herself except for the witch who visits and cuts bits of Rapunzel’s beautiful hair to buy riches. As the witch leaves, she warns Rapunzel that there will be a terrible curse upon her if she escapes. Rapunzel is not afraid and climbs out the tower using her golden hair as a rope. She secretly goes in and out of the tower with the help of a forest friend. The witch finds a leaf in Rapunzel’s hair and threatens the girl again as she climbs out the window for the last time.
Comments: Another great retelling of a fairy tale by Bethan Woollvin where the damsel is not helpless and is able to get out of the bad situation on her own. Illustrations are done in black, gray, and yellow. I look forward to this author doing more fairy tales.
3. This is How We Do It: One Day in the Lives of Seven Kids From Around the World by Matt Lamothe; illustrated by Matt Lamothe. 2017. Illustrations are digitally. Published by Chronicle Books, LLC.
Brief summary: Seven kids from around the world(Russia, Peru, Japan, Uganda, Iran, Italy and India) share what their lives are like in an average weekday including meals, school, family, and home life.
Comments: Love this book! It is set up to show the timeline of the day and then with each country’s traditional home, family, breakfast, school clothing, schools, meals, play, activities, and so forth. The back has a photo of each family featured in the book. Glossary in the back. Front and back pages have a map with each child’s country pointed out. This would be a great book to share and then to have students write and illustrate those same activities in their lives. Dewey is 305.23 but not a narrative nonfiction. This is a book that will help students understand others around the world and how we do things the same or differently.
Brief summary: Jasper Rabbit is in the underwear store with his mother and is about to buy three packages of Plain White when he notices a display of green creepy underwear. He begs his mother to buy them. She agrees to one pair. Jasper excitedly puts them on for the night and notices the creepy green glow. He keeps getting rid of them but they return. Jasper’s hate-love relationship results with hilarious situations and a surprising ending.
Comments: I read this to my students reminding them of Jasper Rabbit’s first appearance in Creepy Carrots!. They loved the creepy green glowing underwear just as much as the creepy orange carrots. The white, gray, and black illustrations with only green as the color for the underwear worked just as well in the sequel as the orange carrots did in the first. The endpapers of white undies with a green creepy underwear start the mood of the picture book right away.
This book was able to relay a spooky tone which had my students sitting frozen as I read some of the pages and then laughing out loud the next during the humorous situations that Jasper Rabbit experienced. They loved the ending and had several conversations about what it would be like to do that in their bedroom.
5. Silent Days, Silent Dreams by Allen Say; illustrated by Allen Say. 2017. Burnt matchsticks, sharpened stick dipped in soot mixed with spit, wastepaper, cardboard, cotton wads, rags, Q-tips, big nails, toothpicks, brushes, and fingers. Published by Arthur A. Levine Books.
Brief summary: James Castle was deaf, mute, autistic, and believed to be dyslexic, and although he attended five years at the Idaho School for the Deaf and the Blind, he did not learn to write, read, speak or even use sign language. He created his own calligraphy and made hundreds of books and albums. Living in poverty, he drew on what paper was around and created over 15,000 pieces of artwork often using matchsticks and spit. Readers will learn about the harsh life this artist had endured from being different. The bullying. The isolation. The unkindness from his own relatives.
Comments: I suggest reading the author’s note in the back first. Allen Say’s friend, Cort Conley, asked him to create a portrait of a local Idaho artist. Mr. Say agreed to do a portrait drawing after receiving the artist’s photo and catalog of works. Allen Say became intrigued by the artist and his unique style of drawings so researched him more. Many publications and relative interviews about Mr. Castle had conflicting stories. Allen Say wrote this book and created the artwork in the same way James Castle created. The artist’s portrait is in the back. The tools Allen Say used are shown as well. I was impressed that Mr. Say totally submerged himself into understanding Mr. Castle by experimenting and using the same tools as the artist.
I think this would be a superb read aloud not only to learn about this artist but to better understand empathy, perseverance, and uniqueness from another’s life. Can you imagine not being able to hear, speak or communicate with others? What do you think it was like for Mr. Castle to see his works in a gallery? Did the time period he lived in understand him? Did people understand autism more now or then? How did his relatives treat him? How would you feel if your family treated you the same way?
6. After the Fall: How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up by Dan Santat; illustrated by Dan Santat. 2017. Published by Roaring Book Press.
Brief summary: The story begins after Humpty Dumpty gets out of Kings County Hospital and has recovered from his fall, that is physically recovered. Humpty Dumpty tells and shows the reader about his fear of heights that developed from the fall. He is unable to enjoy anything up high. He walks past where the accident happened and really wants to be up high where the birds are, but just can not. He watches the birds from the ground until one day a paper airplane flies by him piquing his interest in flying and being up high. After a lot of perseverance, he comes up with the perfect paper airplane and takes it to the wall to fly. It goes over. He nervously climbs the wall to retrieve it and discovers what his true self is afterall.
Comments: One of my all-time favorites! My students in all grades loved this book and especially the surprise ending. As we checked in books, I had the nursery rhyme on the Smartboard when they came in. (I never assume they know the nursery rhymes). I taught the book as a fractured nursery rhyme and before I read the book to them, explained what are the characteristics of fractured folklore. The students were mesmerized by the story and illustrations. The younger ones had to think a bit more to get the ending and what happened. Afterwards, with the older students, this led to many conversations about their own fears and overcoming them. I could see this being shared by a counselor to talk about fear.
Writing. This could be the beginning of a writing exercise with nursery rhymes and what happened afterwards. What happened after the mouse ran down the clock? What happened to Baa Baa Black Sheep’s wool?
Art connection. Origami. The paper airplane books are now checked out all the time. I had to put out extra paper and was amused how several students would gather in a circle to make airplanes. New rule: No throwing paper airplanes in the library.
7. The Wolf, the Duck & the Mouse by Mac Barnett; illustrated by Jon Klassen. 2017. Mixed media. Published by Candlewick Press.
Brief summary: One morning, a mouse is eaten by a wolf and moans about his unexpected end as it sits in the beast’s belly. “Be quiet!” The mouse is surprised to find a duck in bed. They have breakfast together in which the rodent learns all about the duck’s life inside the belly of the wolf. The mouse asks if he can stay too where there is no worry. The duck agrees. They dance about causing the wolf’s tummy to hurt. The duck suggests he knows how to cure his ache and lists a few supplies he would like the wolf to swallow. A hunter comes along and tries to shoot the wolf. Realizing their safe home is under attack, the goose and mouse come up with a plan scaring the hunter away. In return for saving his life, the wolf grants them a favor.
Comments: Has a fable feel. My favorite line is “I may have been swallowed,” says the duck, “but I have no intention of being eaten.” It made me think of what it would be like to live inside the belly of a beast that I was always being frightened by in my everyday life.
8. Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall; illustrated by Gaia Cornwall. 2017. Pencil, watercolor and collage, then colored digitally. Published by Candlewick Press.
Brief summary: Jabari finished his swimming lessons and passed his test. With confidence, Jabari excitedly tells his dad that he is going to now jump off the diving board. He goes over and stands in line allowing other children to go ahead of him as he watches how high up they go. He begins to climb and decides that he needs to do some stretching first. His father picks his son up, places him on his shoulders, and tells the boy that maybe tomorrow would be a better day. The father shares how sometimes he is scared and what he does to overcome the fear. Jabari regains his courage and determination and goes back up that diving board, loving his new surprise.
Comments: The father is supportive of his son no matter if Jabari decides to dive or go home and try another day. The father does not push his son but stands back and lets the boy decide what to do. The father wisely shares a little advice of how he personally handles fear. I like that the father admits that sometimes he is afraid to do things too. I think THAT is important for children to hear. We all have fear.
9. Big Cat, Little Cat by Elisha Cooper; illustrated by Elisha Cooper. 2017. Black and white illustrations. Published by Roaring Brook Press.
Brief summary: There is a white cat living alone in a house until a black kitten arrives learning all about how to live the house through the white cat’s teachings. The black cat grows to be the same size as his new friend. They spend many years together until the white cat gets older and does not come back. Then one day, a white kitten joins the black cat who shows the new kitten how to live in the house.
Comments: This cat picture book continues in the mind of the reader. The life cycle. This would be a good story for the school counselor to read when a student’s pet dies. One could share this book to help explain death and dying and how we go on.
10. Lost and Found Cat: The True Story of Kunkush’s Incredible Journey by Doug Kuntz, and Amy Shrodes; illustrated by SueCornelison. 2017. Published by Crown Books for Young Readers.
Brief summary: Kunkush, a beautiful white cat, and his family must leave Iraq to find a safe place to live. Sura and her four daughters and son pay smugglers to get them out of the country only being permitted to take food and water. Kunkush is concealed in a basket. The cat stays hidden as they go to one country to another. They arrive in Greece and must all get on a small rubber boat. Once they land though the frightened cat flees into the woods. After searching for hours, the family has to leave. Two volunteers, Amy and Ashley, notice a white cat living with a colony of cats on the island and take it to the vet to get help and cleaned up. They rename him Dias. Amy keeps the cat in her apartment. The two volunteers are determined to find the owner and put up a Facebook page. Amy’s time in Lesbos has ended. She takes Dias back to Germany where some of the refugees traveled. A British couple keeps him. Soon Dias is found by his family who is living in Norway. Doug, a photographer, take Dias to Norway to reunite the cat with his family.
Comments: This is a story that can be shared with students by showing the cat’s journey on Google maps and learning about countries the family traveled through on their journey. Refugees and immigrants can be discussed. What causes someone to flee their country? How would you feel only being able to take food and water with you? This story could be used to discuss feelings. How do you think Sura felt when her husband was killed and she had to flee? What did she think was going to happen to her and her family? How did the family feel while being smuggled? What about when they could not find Kunkush? How did they feel when they were reunited in Norway? There are photos of the cat and map of his journey. This is a picture book that could have several discussions and lessons not only for elementary schoolers but for older students as well. Warning: Kunkush dies in 2016 from a feline virus
11. Caring for Your Lion by Tammi Sauer; illustrated by Troy Cummings. 2017. Artworks was created digitally. Published by Sterling Children’s Books.
Brief summary: A boy has been waiting for almost a month for his new kitty to arrive. He has all of the pet supplies ready. The pet delivery truck arrives with a giant wooden crate with a note on it. “Congratulations on your new lion! We know you ordered a kitten, but we ran out of those.” There is an instruction sheet of ludicrous fourteen steps to follow.
Comments: Be sure to look the front end pages where the story begins. Troy Cummings’ hilarious 50s/60s cartoon style brings the story alive with one humorous step to the next. I would use this book as a writing exercise. Students could think of a wild animal that they would receive in the mail and what steps they would need to take to care for it. Drawings could be included.
12. The Lost Kitten by Lee Sakai; illustrated by Komako Sakai. 2017(translation). Arylic colors and oil pencils. Published by Gecko Press.
Brief summary: Hina and her mother open the front door to find a sickly kitten with a mama cat and her other kittens standing aside. The mother cat meows and nods her head as to ask for them to take care of her baby before leaving. Hina’s mother agrees to keep the kitten and brings it inside. She gently wipes the goo from the kitten’s eyes explaining to her daughter that they will take it to the vet tomorrow to make sure the little feline is okay. Hina learns how to take care of the tiny kitten as it explores the house. Her mother must go to buy cat food leaving Hina with her sleeping Grandmother. Hina tries to come up with a name for the new family addition and realizes the kitten is no longer in her sight. She searches all over the house becoming very upset recalling the time she was lost in a store and wanted her mother. She felt the little kitten must have felt the same way and must be found immediately. Not seeing it anywhere inside, Hina concludes the kitten must have slipped outside when her mother left to go for food. The girl opens the closet door and starts to put on her coat when she looks down finding the kitten on the bottom of the closet floor safe and sleeping. The little girl begins to cry relieved to have found her new lost baby. Her mother comes home learning Hina has come up with the name for the newest member of the family.
Comments: This book was originally printed in Japan in 2015. The unique illustrations of Komako Sakai stand out with this book through her soft and muted brushstrokes and black pencil. I could not find a lot of information about this author and illustrator but hope to have more books translated in the future.
13. Little i by Michael Hall; illustrated by Michael Hall. 2017. Digitally combined collages of painted and cut paper. Published by Greenwillow Books.
Brief summary: Little i’s dot fell off, rolled down a hill, over a cliff and into the sea. Little i swims across the sea to an island where he discovers !s, *s, and ,s. He finds the dot but is confused about why it does not fit anymore and goes home without it to tell his alphabet friends how the journey has changed the letter.
Comments: So stinking cute! The ending is adorable. I plan to pause a lot while reading this book to my students to make sure they see how the letters are on the page and get the little puns and play on words and punctuation. The letters spell out their words and conversations several times as well, so I suggest that the young reader is able to see the pages.
14. Read! Read! Read! by Amy Ludwig Vanderwater; illustrated by Ryan O’Rourke. 2017. Created in Adobe Photoshop. Published by Word Song: An Imprint of Highlights.
Brief summary: Twenty-three rhyming poems sharing the various ways and places we read in our lives.
Comments: Loved this book! The poetry has rhythm and rhyme. Some are short; some are longer. The author wrote a poem each of the many things we read in our every day lives: a magazine, a birthday card, a cereal box, sports page, road signs and so on. The illustrations fill the pages with several two-page spreads.
15. Princess and the Peas by Rachel Himes; illustrated by Rachel Himes. 2017. Acrylic, pencil, watercolor, collage, ink. Published by Charlesbridge
Brief summary: Ma Sally cooks the best black-eyed peas in South Carolina. She says anyone can marry her son if the woman can cook as well as she. John wants to decide on who he will marry. She ignores that. Ma Sally decides to spread gossip that her son is ready to marry and for any interested women to come to her house that Sunday. Three women show up but do not like that Ma Sally wants them to cook. A fourth arrives later named Princess who says she heard there was a competition and would like to try. She cooks black-eyed peas well enough that the mother approves. Princess is not so sure if she wants John though and challenges him to wash the pots and pans. Will they marry?
Comments: This is a Princess and the Pea variant that takes place in the 1950s. There is an author’s note and a black-eyed peas recipe in the back of the book. There are several double-paged illustrations. I feel like I really want to try those black-eyed peas they are cooking.
16. Drop by Drop: A Story of Rabbi Akiva by Jacqueline Jules; Illustrated by Yevgenia Nayberg. 2017. Published by Kar-Ben.
Brief summary: Akiva, a poor shepherd, takes care of a wealthy man’s sheep. Rachel, the daughter of the wealthy man, notices how kind Akiva is to the sheep. Although Akiva cannot read or write, Rachel sees that he is smart. The two marry without the blessing of Rachel’s father. After many years, Rachel lovingly encourages her husband to learn how to read and write. Akiva protests that at forty, it is too late to learn. She does not share his doubt. He decides to try by sitting with the children in a classroom and begins to learn to read a little at a time just like the drops of water he notices making a hole through the stone he saw next to the stream. His wife, once again, encourages her husband to further his education by going to study the Torah where he excels and becomes famous for his wisdom. Meanwhile, Rachel, works hard to keep a home for them upon his return.
Comment: What a wonderful story to teach perseverance, growth mindset, and sacrifice to reach a goal that may seem unattainable. This book is based on Rabbi Akiva, a great sage of the first century.
17. All Kinds of Friends by Shelley Rotner and Sheila M. Kelly. 2017. Photography. Published by Millbrook Press.
Brief summary: Through simple text, this book explores all kinds of friends one can have.
Comments: This teaches how there are different types of friends. It talks about the characters a friend could have like funny or tall. The book talks about where you may have different friends like at school or in a family. It explores the fun activities friends like to do like dress up or pretend. I liked that it explained that sometimes we can be sad or mad at our friends. I will definitely be buying this book to share with my elementary students. The photographs really caught the true facial expressions of the friends.
Brief summary: This book explains how if the sharks, apex predators, were eliminated, the ocean would become unbalanced. Sharks typically eat the weak. This allows the healthier animals to reproduce. But if sharks become extinct, then many other marine life will have higher populations, causing them to eat all the fish. Those fish eat plankton, but if there is too much plankton, the water would be a thick sludge. Many land animals rely on the ocean for food, and they would start to starve and die too. This cause and effect pattern could continue spreading across the globe.
Comments: This narrative nonfiction book did a great job of explaining trophic cascade with simple terms and illustrations. I recommend this book for science units as well as teaching the importance we, as humans, have to keep the earth balanced. There is a glossary, Sharks Are In Trouble, How You Can Help Save Sharks, and Author’s Note. The end pages have drawings of various sharks. There is one fold out.
19. Diana’s White House Garden by Elisa Carbone; illustrated by Jen Hill. 2017. Pencil, gouache, and digital. Published by Viking.
Brief summary: Diana Hopkins lived in the White House with her father, Harry Hopkins, who was the chief advisor to President Roosevelt. This ten-year-old girl wanted to do her part for her country during the second war and was trying to figure out a way to do so. Diana did get into a lot of mischief while living in the White House often accompanied by the Roosevelts’ black Scottish terrier, Fala. Diana heard the President tell her father that he wanted the food our farmers grew to go straight to the soldiers to make sure they were fit and for civilians to start growing gardens for their own food in their yards and empty lots. Diana volunteered to help. The President wanted to be an example for others to follow, so Mrs. Roosevelt, Diana, and George (the groundskeeper) planted a garden in the lawn of the White House with all three tending to it. Diana felt good being able to sit at the table with her father and the Roosevelts knowing they were eating food from the garden.
Comments: This is based on a true story. Diana Hopkins’ photo is in the back holding hands with Mrs. Roosevelt. There is an author’s note and illustrator’s note explaining why Victory Gardens were needed. I did not realize that there was not enough steel and tin for fighter planes and to be used for canned vegetables. Classes were being offered to teach canning with glass jars so that people had food during the winter. The gardens were growing everywhere: city parks, apartment rooftops, urban yards, and suburban yards.
This book could be used for science units of study and also for teaching how if we all work together, we can make a difference as a whole.
20. Apex Predators: The World’s Deadliest Hunters, Past and Present by Steve Jenkins; illustrated by Steve Jenkins. 2017. Torn- and cut- paper collage. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Brief summary: Apex predators are “creatures too tough, too big, or too well-armed to be hunted by other animals.” The reader will be wowed going through this book learning about the mightiest hunters of the past and present day. Steve Jenkins explains how each of the hunters were/are the top of their food chain with no natural enemies.
Comments: This is one of those nonfiction books that one student checks out and sits down with a circle of friends sharing and pointing facts about each page. Not only are there interesting facts of why the apex predator was the best but a chart comparing the beast’s height to a man. The tab on the upper part of the page tells the reader when the creature exists or existed. Steve Jenkins never lets me down. This is a must for every library–home, public, or school. He is one of the best torn/cut paper artists able to make the illustrations pop off the pages
21. Transportation!: How People Get Around by Gail Gibbons; illustrated by Gail Gibbons. 2017. Holiday House. Mixed media.
Brief summary: This is a nonfiction transportation book with all the traffic heading to the right as the reader learns about various modes of transportation. All vehicles are labeled, and there is informational text on the bottom of the pages. The categories are cars and other vehicles, trains, aircraft, and boats. There is an “important signs, signals and navigational aids” page in the back.
Comments: This is another one of Gail Gibbons’ gems to add to any library’s collection. This was classified for the 388 section, but it could go in the 620 area as well where I have the other engineering books. I think it may be missed in the 300s. The boys are always going to the 629s for car books in my elementary library.
22. Home in the Rain by Bob Graham; illustrated by Bob Graham. 2016 (Walker Books Ltd; London, UK). 2017 (Candlewick Press Mass. USA). Ink and watercolors.
Brief summary: It is pouring rain as Francie and her pregnant mother leave Grandma’s house and drive away in a little red car. The window wipers are going back and forth with rain coming straight down as the car moves along the crowded highway. Francie notices the farmland on either side. Wildlife live on both sides of the highway up in the hills and along the coast. The car windows are fogging up. Francie writes her name on one window, Mom on another, and Dad on another with just one window left blank. Her mother pulls over so that they can eat lunch inside the car. Francie asks what her baby sister’s name will be so she add it to the back window. Her mother is not sure yet. They pull back into the traffic with the relentless rain still pelting the car. Her mother pulls into a gas station where there are several other cars and people. Francie splashes in a rainbow-colored puddle. Her mother realizes the name of the baby sister and gives Francie a big hug as they head back towards home now with the back window displaying the baby’s name.
Comments: I liked the quietness of this story that matched the quietness of the rain coming down. Although Bob Graham is Australian and the book was first published in the U.K. before making it to the US, there are no language differences that would hinder with the story and characters. This would be great to read aloud to young students during one of those days when it is raining all day.
23. 7 Ate 9: The Untold Story by Tara Lazar; illustrated by Ross MacDonald. 2017. Colored pencils, watercolor, and 19th-century wood type with all composed digitally using Photoshop. Published by Disney Hyperion.
Brief summary: Detective I is waiting for his next case when 6 comes into his office nervously explaining he is worried about 9 going after him. I takes the case and goes around town asking letters and numbers about 9. The case is solved by Detective I with all becoming friends at the conclusion.
Comments: Based on the old riddle: Why is 6 afraid of 7? Because 7, 8, 9(seven ate nine). Hilarious puns about numbers and letters. A great book to read to all ages especially though to intermediate students who will get all the jokes and homonyms. Told in the first person narrative mode like an old detective movie. This is one of my new favorites.
This may be confused with an earlier book with a similar title: Seven Ate Nine (2012) by Stan Resnicoff.
24. The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Jerry Pinkney; illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. 2017. Watercolor. Published by Little, Brown and Company.
Brief summary: (Traditional version). A small billy-goat wants to get over the bridge to the grassy hills on the other side of the bridge. A troll living under the bridge hears TRIP, TRAP! TRIP TRAP! and jumps out from underneath threatening to eat the little goat. The troll decides to let him go, because the next goat would be a bigger and better meal according to the little goat. The middle-sized goat is in the same situation and tells the troll to let him go and eat the biggest goat. The greedy troll lets him go too and shortly meets the largest billy-goat. The largest goat rams the bridge’s gate open. The troll yells that he is going to eat the goat right up. The goat dares him. The troll is charged and rammed over the bridge in which it encounters a surprise. The goats and herd go back and forth on the bridge eating the wild, green grass.
Comments: I have never been disappointed with any folklore Jerry Pinkney retells and illustrates. His watercolor illustrations are superb and so detailed. There is an artist’s note in the back of this book and a left hand/ right-hand foldout. I urge new librarians to try to purchase all of his folklore books as an excellent addition to the library’s collection: The Lion and the Mouse, The Tortoise and the Hare, The Grasshopper and the Ants, Puss in Boots, Three Little Kittens, Little Red Riding Hood, The Little Red Hen, The Ugly Duckling, and many more. Everything he touches is gold. One of my favorite illustrators.
25. Dad and the Dinosaur by Gennifer Choldenko; illustated by Dan Santat. 2017. Pencil, watercolor, ink, acrylic, Photoshop. Published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers.
Brief summary: Nicholas is afraid of many things while his dad is not. The boy carries around a toy dinosaur in his pocket for courage to whatever activity he does. Nick has the toy plastic dinosaur with him even when he swims, tying it to his swim shorts. That evening, Nicholas takes it to his soccer game tucking the dinosaur in his sock. He scores a goal but loses his toy. His mother asks what he is doing walking all over the grass, but he does not tell her as they drive back home. He sleeps with the light on. His father comes home from work and asks if Nick is having a nightmare. His father tells him it’s okay to be afraid. Nick tells his dad about losing the dinosaur. His understanding father takes him out to the soccer field that night, and they find the dinosaur. Nicholas regains his bravery and is glad his father agrees not to tell his mom.
Comments: Wow. I can’t imagine my father going out of the house at night after working all day and actually go looking in the dark for a small toy dinosaur on a soccer field. This gesture tells the reader that the father really gets the urgency to find his son’s charm. I could see this book being shared at the beginning of the school year or when a child needs to do something a little scary or challenging. I have students show me their good luck charms a lot at the beginning of the school year. Sometimes they show me a photo of their mom all crumbled up having been hidden deep in a pocket. I show them the photos of my family and cats on my desk. We can all learn that there are different things/events that we may need a little extra reassurance.
26. Make the Earth Your Companion by J. Patrick Lewis; illustrated by Anna and Elena Balbusso. 2017. Published by Creative Editions.
Brief summary: A gentle poem advises the reader how earth elements can teach about life; how nature can teach mankind to live in harmony with life and one another. “Let the River remind you that everything will pass.”
Comments: One of my new favorite poems of J. Patrick Lewis. The rhythm of the poem and softness of the words with the beautiful illustrations of the Balbusso sisters are both aesthetically pleasing to hear and see. This would be an excellent addition to any library. I would use it in the school setting for Earth Day and to teach imagery. Very well done.
27. Ice Boy by David Ezra Stein; illustrated by David Ezra Stein. 2017. Mixed media on watercolor paper. Published by Candlewick Press.
Brief summary: Ice Boy has a normal ice cube life in the freezer with his family and friends. Sometimes, someone goes to a person’s drink which is considered an honor. Although his parents warn him not to go outside, he leaves the freezer. Ice Boy goes to the beach and even surfs on the waves. He sinks to the bottom of the ocean becoming Water Boy. He is later knocked out of the sea landing on someone’s beach towel becoming vapor in the hot sun. Vapor Boy plays in the clouds until he becomes Ice Boy again falling to the earth and landing in someone’s drink where he meets his parents. The person throws them into the yard leaving the reader with the hint of what will happen next.
Comments: What a fun and imaginative way to explain the water cycle! Teachers will love to use this book paired with a nonfiction water cycle book. There are many laugh-out-loud situations. This is a good edition to any elementary library.
28. Little Wolf’s First Howling by Laura McGee Kvasnosky; illustrated by Kate Harvey Mcgee. 2017. “Color work in Photoshop with a digital palette and brushes.” Published by Candlewick Press.
Brief summary: Little Wolf is excited as he and his father climb up the hill. It will be his first howling when the full moon rises. His father calmly demonstrates the “proper howling form.” Little Wolf has his turn but does not quite sound like his father’s howl. Big Wolf praises but also gives some constructive criticism to his son. Little Wolf tries again adding his own special touches. His father kindly tells his son all of the things he is proud of about him but ends with that he does not have “proper howling form.” He demonstrates for his son again. Little Wolf listens and howls again knowing it was not the form but really wants to howl with his heart. His father joins now in his son’s howling form.
Comments: Big Wolf realizes that this form of howling was something that Little Wolf wanted to be creative with and make his own style. The father wolf does not yell at him or tell him he is not listening. He does not berate him. His father lets him howl in the way that is unique to his son and stops demonstrating the proper technique.
This would be a good book for the art teacher to read that would encourage students to do art with their hearts and not always with the “proper form.” It is important for children to know how to do something properly, but is also good to let them do some things their own way.
29. Graduation Day by Piotr Parda; illustrated by Piotr Parda. 2017. Watercolor, monoprint. Published by Ripple Grove Press.
Brief summary: First scene. There is a student dressed in a graduation gown and mortar looking out of a school window smiling. The wordless story continues with the setting through a bird’s view of a city block all in gray with a schoolyard in the center. Closer look. There are cracks all over the school building and concrete grounds. Next is a large graduation day banner. Then we see where the plot begins. The student is a victim of a group of children jeering at her, and one shoots a sunflower seed through a straw hitting her in the neck. She picks up the seed. They all go to the graduation ceremony, hear the speech, and throw their hats in the air. Kids are happy and go home with family members.
She walks alone down the school’s gray halls to her locker one last time where there is a jar full of sunflower seeds revealing to the reader just what type of life this young lady endured. She takes the jar and goes about the empty school grounds planting sunflower seeds in the cracks creating a beautiful bright yellow space.
Comments: Wow. So many words and emotions for a story without words. Not the usual happiness on someone’s graduation day. This is a story of a person who has been bullied many times made evident of all the sunflower seeds collected in her locker’s jar. She was able to take that hate and meanness and loneliness to create the only bright color in the book…a sunflower garden. This is a resonating story without words that is not a preachy bullying message of “do not bully; it’s wrong.” This is about a victim who, despite it all, is able to create hope and beauty where there must have been a lot of heartaches. The symbolism of the sunflowers can be understood by even younger readers.
30. The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors by Drew Daywalt; illustrated by Adam Rex. 2017. Published by Balzer & Bray.
Brief summary: Rock, from the Kingdom of Backyard, is a warrior without defeat and is looking for a worthy opponent. Paper, from the Empire of Mom’s Home Office, is also a warrior without defeat and looks in his empire for a worthy adversary. Scissors is from a small village from Junk Drawer and is also a warrior without an equal challenger. All are the best and bravest warrior in their land. The three slowly encounter each other, battling to see if they can be defeated thus creating the legend of Rock Paper Scissors.
Comments: This is a huge hit at my elementary school. I played the book trailer to build excitement and read the book the following week except for the kindergarteners. I had to read it right after the trailer. Next week seemed like a year to them.
The words and illustrations go so well together; one of the better pairs I have seen in a while. Drew Daywalt scored big time with the students bytaking thiss simple deciding game to a whole new level of imagination.
Adam Rex’s hilarious illustrations of Rock, Paper, and Scissors are a delight to the students’ funny bone. The various fonts and sizes he uses capture the movement and energy of the warriors. Some words are half as large as the page to indicate shouting. Smaller sized words are read in a regular voice. Readers–I suggest practicing various volumes and voices ahead of time. I practiced in front of my cat until he left the room, because I was shouting like the wrestling-match announcer voice indicated in the book with the large bolded words.
I brought in a pair of big scissors, a sheet of stock card paper, and a rock all with super-glued googly eyes on them. You could also go as far as bringing in all of the opponents that these three challenged. Props make the story even more fun to act out.
Children related to the humor and the personification. They all know the game but will play in the future with those three illustrated characters in mind.
Warning: You will hear students all over the library shouting “Rock paper scissors shoot!” “Rock paper scissors shoot!” “Rock paper scissors shoot!” until you feel like you have lost your mind, but well worth the joy of reading you just shared with future lifetime readers.
31. Little Fox in the Forest by Stephanie Graegin; illustrated by Stehani Graegin. 2017. Published by Schwartz & Wade.
Brief summary: A young girl takes her plush fox to school for show & tell. At the end of the day, she sets her fox down and swings. A real fox comes along taking it into the forest. She and her friend follow the fox but lose track of it. They come across several forest animals along the way and ask if they have seen the fox doll. They come across a little village of animals. The girl shows the picture of her fox to several more animals finally leading them to where a little fox kit lives. The fox’s mother tells her daughter to give back the plush fox, but she is heartbroken. The little girls sees how much the fox wants the plush fox, so decides to give her doll as a gift. The fox kit gives the human girl a unicorn plush in exchange. The two human friends leave the forest and go home. The last page shows each sleeping with their new stuffed dolls.
Comments: The colors are grays, whites, and blues at the beginning and end of the story with brilliant colors when the two children discover the magical animal village. This is a story without words. Children will pore over this book delighted by the characters, plot, problem, and resolution. This will make a great addition to any elementary library.
32. PoPo’s Lucky Chinese New Year by Virginia Loh-Hagan; illustrated by Renne Benoit. 2017. Pencil and watercolor. Published by Sleeping Bear Press.
Brief summary: PoPo comes to visit her Chinese-American granddaughter to teach the little girl about Chinese New Year. The child learns the rules to prepare for a lucky year which means preparing for fifteen days and also celebrating for fifteen days.
Comments: Chinese New Year’s rules are written on the top or bottom of the pages as the story unfolds. I learned many superstitions and traditions about the new year I was not aware of before reading this picture book. Each ritual’s symbolism is explained by the PoPo. The story is written with light humor as the little girl learns about the holiday’s customs. This is a great addition to any elementary library’s holiday and customs section.
33. Still a Family by Brenda Reeves Sturgis; illustrated Jo-Shin Lee. 2016. Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company.
Brief summary: A young homeless girl sleeps on a cot next to her mother in a shelter for women and children only. Her father is in a shelter for men. Too young to attend school, she stays at the shelter and shares her doll, Molly, with the girl next to her. The parents take turns caring for their daughter while the other looks for work. They do things together like eating at the soup kitchen and playing in thepark.. Months go by. Even though they are in different shelters and under different roofs, they are still a family.
Comments: This is one of those books that will create great conversations and discussions with children about homelessness. How would you feel if you lived in a shelter? What would you miss the most? If you could only take one toy with you, what one would you choose? Although this is a difficult subject, the author wrote it in a way that the young reader of the story will get of a glimpse of children who live in homelessness and not be exposed to some of the harsher situations that could occur. This would be a good addition for elementary school library collections.

domain: library


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I found these photos taken at the Alameda Antique Fair a couple of days ago and I fell in love. They were all taken by the multi-talented Rebecca of BananaSaurus Rex, a home and fashion accessories shop that uses recycled and reused materials.
My Dad lived in Alameda for a short time, so these images remind me a little of my time there. Don’t you love how photos can bring old memories rushing back? So special.

domain: geography


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We are pleased to introduce this new 2021 Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 finished in Paint to Sample Oslo Blue over a black leather interior. Equipped with a spectacular mid-mounted 4.0 L flat-six engine, this new 718 Boxster GTS was specially configured with an abundance of exclusive options including extended deviated stitching, extended leather upholstery, painted logos, carbon-fiber interior trim, seatbelts in Racing Yellow, illuminated door sill guards in carbon fiber, and much more. With only 24 delivery miles showing on the odometer, this GTS remains as new and is now being offered for auction by its seller out of Portland, OR.
This GTS was custom ordered in the historical Paint to Sample color of Oslo Blue, a nonmetallic shade originally debuted on the 356 model. Exclusive details include brake calipers in high-gloss black, a model logo in high gloss black, a satin black rear Porsche logo, and supplemental safety bars in aluminum-look. Other features include GTS-specific fascias, side skirts, sport tailpipes in black, and 20” 718 Sport wheels painted in Silver.
Inside, this GTS showcases a black leather interior with carbon fiber trim and extended yellow deviated stitching throughout the cabin. Among the other exclusive details are illuminated door sill guards in carbon fiber, seatbelts in Racing Yellow, sun visors in leather, a fuel cap with aluminum-look finish, and the dashboard trim package in leather. A complete list of factory specifcations is provided below:
Mounted in the middle of this 718 is a naturally aspirated 4.0 L flat-six engine rated at 395 HP and 309 lb.-ft of torque. The rear wheels are driven by way of a 7-speed dual-clutch PDK transmission allowing this Boxster to reach 60 MPH from a standstill in as little as 3.8 seconds. This GTS model also comes equipped with Sport Exhaust, the Sport Chrono Package, and PASM Sport Suspension with a 20mm lowered ride height as standard.
This sale will include a set of two keys, owner's books, and a clean title. Now is your chance to skip the waiting list and secure a beautifully appointed 2021 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 in a sought-after Paint to Sample color.

domain: hobby


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Bitcoin vs. Government: It's the Technology, Stupid ... Sep 29, 2017 · Bitcoin vs. Government: It’s the Technology, Stupid Bitcoin is less important than blockchain, a demand that cross-border trading costs come down. What to Know About Cryptocurrency | FTC Consumer Information If you store your cryptocurrency in a digital wallet provided by a company, and the company goes out of business or is hacked, the government may not be able to step and help get your money back as it would with money stored in banks or credit unions. A cryptocurrency’s value changes constantly. A cryptocurrency’s value can change by the hour. The Difference Between Fiat Currency and Cryptocurrency ... The government controls the supply and you can pay your taxes with it. Cryptocurrency is not “legal tender” and it is not backed by a central government or bank (it is decentralized and global). Its form is more like bank credit sans the bank (in that it is represented digitally, but not backed by a bank or government).
Aliant Payments - Cryptocurrency vs. Traditional Money
Aliant Payments - Cryptocurrency vs. Traditional Money There are currently more than 900 cryptocurrencies available over the internet, and new cryptocurrency can be created any time.? Bitcoin, Ripple, Ethereum, and Litecoin are some of today?s bigger players that you may have heard of. Cryptocurrency vs. … Why Governments Are Afraid of Bitcoin - Investopedia Nov 01, 2019 · Bitcoin is the first decentralized peer-to-peer payment network and cryptocurrency. Its value is determined by users and not central governments or banks. Why Governments Are Afraid of Bitcoin What happens when governments get into cryptocurrency Jan 09, 2018 · Russia is working on a government-run cryptocurrency. And they're not alone. Governments around the world — including the U.S., China, Japan, Canada, Venezuela, Estonia, Sweden, and Uruguay Bitcoin, Cryptocurrency And The Government Regulation Paradox
25 Oct 2018 Governments are wary of cryptocurrencies, and few international standards have emerged to tame extreme price volatility, regular thefts from
The Future Of Cryptocurrency - Investopedia Jun 25, 2019 · A cryptocurrency is a digital currency that is created and managed through the use of advanced encryption techniques known as cryptography. Cryptocurrency made the leap from being an academic Cryptocurrency vs. Censorship | Libertarianism.org Cryptocurrency vs. Censorship. Of course, government still have a monopoly on force, which means that if they’re very stubborn about it, they could very well still impinge upon you and abuse you, and so on, but they’re gonna have a hard time justifying to the outside world that what they’re doing is actually legitimate, because you Cryptocurrency World: Different Types And Merits Vs Demerits A cryptocurrency is a virtual form of currency which is digital in nature that is used as a medium of exchange between participants in the same network. It is different from traditional methods of payments because it is not regulated or controlled by the government or financial institutions but rather is controlled by computer algorithms.
11 Aug 2018 But the emergence of “sovereign” cryptocurrencies — backed by Petro, cryptocurrency developed by the government of Venezuela, was
Government cryptocurrency policies are very different in each country, even varying by region. For example, “Asian Tigers” have no regulations on crypto Much like governments around the world that fund various projects by selling government bonds, the government of Antigua and Barbuda allows the funding of Cryptocurrencies vs. U.S. Dollars. The fact that cryptocurrencies are digital is not the only important difference Find out how cryptocurrencies (like bitcoin, ethereum and ripple) and ICOs work and the risks you face if you invest. 12 Jul 2019 Libra is a digital coin, anchored in the same blockchain technology that underlies cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and Ethereum. The virtual currency
22 Jul 2019 Government Panel Recommends Ban On Cryptocurrency RBI Ban On Trading In Cryptocurrency: 10 Points · Bitcoin Identity Crisis Currency
Cryptocurrency World: Different Types And Merits Vs Demerits A cryptocurrency is a virtual form of currency which is digital in nature that is used as a medium of exchange between participants in the same network. It is different from traditional methods of payments because it is not regulated or controlled by the government or financial institutions but rather is controlled by computer algorithms. Cryptocurrency Vs Central Banks: Bitcoin Versus Federal ... B.E.G. Editorial Team is a gracious group of giving cryptocurrency advocates and blockchain believers who want to ensure we do our part in spreading digital currency awareness and adoption. We are a team of over forty individuals all working as a collective whole to produce around the clock daily news, reviews and insights regarding all major Have a Cryptocurrency Company? Bermuda, Malta or Gibraltar ...
10 Dec 2019 Three Men Arrested in $722 Million Cryptocurrency Fraud Scheme Anyone who believes they may be a victim may visit www.justice.gov/usao-nj/bitclub or the Department of Justice's United States vs Goettsche, et al. 23 Jul 2019 In a setback for cryptocurrency enthusiasts and start ups, India seems currency and is not issued by or under the authority of a government.". 22 Jul 2019 An Indian government panel on Monday recommended ban on cryptocurrency and penalties for any dealing in digital coins. The panel's report

domain: finance


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Lindsay Lohan had a wardrobe malfunction while filming one of her first scenes in the Lifetime movie “Liz and Dick.”
Lohan was snapped yesterday aboard a boat in Marina Del Rey, California, filming a fight scene with her co-star Grant Bowler for the film about the tumultuous relationship between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. The set recalls the couple’s trip to the Bay of Naples in Italy in 1965 a year into their first marriage.
In the physical scene, Lohan wears a chevron striped sundress with a halter top, along with hoop earrings and a matching bandana. Bowler drags her out of a doorway, kicking and screaming. As the top-heavy starlet tussled with Bowler, she popped out of her flimsy dress.
Lohan stayed in the scene, her face continuing to show both anger and fear. But after the take, she tucked backed through the door to readjust her dress. The “Mean Girls” star re-emerged laughing.
The first day of filming the movie, Lohan’s first project since her legal woes ended, has gone well according to executive producer Larry Thompson.
“A little first-day jitters for everyone, but it went well,” he told E! News. “When you see both of them in full hair and makeup, it is the definition of movie magic.”

domain: artistic


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This decoration package for a destination wedding at Taj Aravali Resort and Spa, Udaipur, Rajasthan, looks like paradise. An awesome couple stage has a diaphanous chandelier in the middle, surrounded by superb crystal décor. The background of the stage is covered with crimson roses to fill the whole space with love and aroma. The bar setup is extremely classy with the gold, black and white décor.
White lanterns bring a rare charm to the décor while the candles give a rustic impression. The whole ceiling is covered with royal crystal chandeliers and amazing hanging bulbs. This unmatched deco is ideal when the Mehndi and Sangeet décor is equally beautiful.
Open-air arrangement with unique colour combination and creative décor is an unparalleled beauty. The naturally vibrant marigold flowers are excellent to have in your wedding décor. They are also considered a good omen for happy events and also thought of as divine. These vibrant colors when matched with the pastel hues, give an ethereal and outstanding outlook. A checkered board with superb décor with flowers is exceedingly charming.
The outlook hence created with all these inclusions makes your wedding event a truly unforgettable one.
A stellar night event with neon lighting and alluring candle décor is excellent for a reception party. This irresistible décor awaits you to make your big day even bigger with this arrangement.
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domain: design


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Berlin – SMP's Benjamin Ullrich and Martin Schaper have advised early-stage investor and operational VC Project A on its investment in the AI platform Pactum as part of its recent Series A financing round. US co-counsel was Raoul Duggal of Buhler Duggal & Henry. Pactum, incorporated in Mountain View, California, and with its operations based out of Estonia, has raised another $11 million (approx. €9.1 million) of venture capital in this round to fund its further expansion. The round was led by London based VC Atomico. Among Project A, also the investors Jaan Tallinn, Ott Kaukver, Taavet Hinrikus and Sten Tamkivi participated.
Pactum was founded in 2019 by Kaspar Korjus, Martin Rand and Kristjan Korjus and is an artificial intelligence platform that enables companies to automate personalised commercial negotiations.
"Having seen the impressive IPO of Uipath from Romania just a few days ago, Pactum is on its way to become another Eastern European success story. It is great to see tech companies from this region continue to thrive on the global market – which also benefits investors from early financing rounds," says SMP Partner Benjamin Ullrich.
Project A is an operational VC that provides capital, network, and exclusive access to a wide range of operational expertise. The Berlin-based investor with $500 M assets under management backs early-stage companies in the digital technology space.
Pactum is an Estonian-founded artificial intelligence platform. Its AI automates contract negotiations between businesses and their suppliers and solutions providers. It can complete complex negotiations in just a few clicks and find an agreement for both parties in as little as 15 minutes.
SMP is a boutique law firm for tax and business law which is active in the core fields of Tax, Funds, Corporate, Litigation and Transactions. The attorneys and tax specialists at SMP represent a broad client base, which ranges from emerging technology companies and family-run SMEs to large corporations as well as private equity and venture capital funds. Founded in 2017, SMP has become one of the leading players for venture capital, private equity and fund structuring in Germany. The firm and its partners have been recognized nationally and internationally by JUVE, Best Lawyers, Legal 500, Focus and Chambers and Partners. Today, SMP has more than 60 experienced lawyers and tax specialists in three Offices in Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne.

domain: news


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Newlyweds, Yasmani and Heather Grandal surprised everyone, during their first dance together. The tradition of the first dance, took on a twist, with the couple, dancing to, classic songs from the, not so distant past. The songs in this video, will bring back some good, fun memories from the past.
This video is so much fun! This is what all weddings should be like, foot stompin fun! The newlyweds Yasmani and Heather Grandal, really rock it out and I love their selection of music. But, what makes this video so fun, is the dance moves, these kids have come up with! It Makes you, want to dance with them. Great idea, because weddings are somewhat nostalgic and traditional.
The selection of music includes everything from slow dancing music, Electronica, Backstreet Boys, Vanilla Ice, Country and old Rap.
The wedding is set in a beautiful building and the newlyweds, are surrounded in a circle by the guests. The bride and groom are dressed beautifully, his black tux and her, in the traditional white wedding dress. What is really cool in this video, is that the newlyweds have their Nike and high- top tennis shoes on, LOL! The pair also pull off some great dance moves! You need to check out these slick dancers. I believe they had a well-planned choreography. They start out slowly, with some country music, that sounds like, a traditional Bruce Springsteen song; “Hey Little Girl”.


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This super simple cranberry sauce comes together in ten minutes so there’s no excuse for using the canned stuff!
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup orange juice
2/3 cup sugar
12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries
2 tablespoon Mulled Spice Balsamic Vinegar (or Aged Balsamic Vinegar)
2 tablespoon Blood Orange Olive Oil
In a medium saucepan, combine water, orange juice and sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add cranberries, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil and return to boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally until cranberries have broken down. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate until ready to serve. Can be made 3 days ahead.

domain: food


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This adorable artwork display sign is made from solid pine wood, stained and painted in your choice of color combinations and has two D-Ring hooks attached on the back. It can be made with the word "I" or "we" as shown in the pictures. Please specify at check out which one you would like. If no message is attached, one will be chosen for you. It measures 5.5" x 36" and comes with the jute twine and 5 mini clothes pins.
Is this item a gift? Let us know! We'd be happy to include a short note to your gift recipient so they know that it's from you!
Each and every wooden sign in my shop is hand selected, cut, sanded and hand crafted by Dovetails&Sash. You will find each piece to have it's own imperfections such as knots, indentations, imperfections etc. therefore each sign is unique and different in its own way. Colors may differ due to lighting, screen resolutions and wood. Brush strokes may appear as the sign is hand crafted. One coat of sealer is applied to the wood to help protect the sign therefore it is not recommended to use the sign for prolonged periods of time outdoors.


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Tuesday, April 17th, 2007 at 10:03 am in Uncategorized.
Atherton Councilman Charles Marsala may have just found a new gig: driving Rudy Giuliani around.
Marsala played chauffeur to the Republican presidential candidate and former New York mayor on March 23 when Giuliani visited the Bay Area for a couple of fundraising events.
“It was amazing,” Marsala said.
Marsala rented a Lincoln Town Car and picked up Giuliani at San Francisco International Airport (as shown above in a picture signed by the famous visitor).
Also hopping on board Marsala’s rental were Bill Simon, a former Republican candidate for California governor and longtime Giuliani friend, and a retired New York police detective serving as a security officer for the presidential hopeful. Another car followed with the rest of Giuliani’s campaign staff.
Marsala first drove Giuliani to Oakland for a speaking engagement. But since they were ahead of schedule, Marsala said, “we stopped by a deli on Broadway and 10th. I think it was a Filipino deli.”
Giuliani grabbed a sandwich and ate at a table outside while Marsala waited in the car.
“People were doing a double-take, and some talked to him,” Marsala said. “He was just hanging there, and I thought it was pretty cool.”
The group then headed out, but Marsala took a wrong turn into the Webster Street Tube to Alameda.
Giuliani sensed something amiss and politely asked, according to Marsala, “Where are we going?”
But Marsala quickly righted his course and got Giuliani to his scheduled program in good time.
Marsala next drove Giuliani to an event at the Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco before taking him back to the airport. Giuliani was off to Monterey for yet another fundraiser.
“It’s a pretty intense life getting around the country campaigning,” Marsala said.
It was actually the second time Marsala served as Giuliani’s driver. Three weeks earlier, Marsala picked him up at the Mineta San Jose International Airport and brought him to Menlo Park for a fundraising speech.
Marsala volunteered to drive Giuliani around when the South Peninsula Area Republican Coalition, of which the former Atherton mayor is a board member, asked if anybody wanted to do so.
Meanwhile, Marsala is heading up another kind of drive for Giuliani. He was recently named chairman to coordinate local campaign activities for Giuliani in the 14th Congressional District, which is currently controlled by U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto.


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Human rights groups must sharpen communication strategy – study
MANILA, Philippines — After being called conspirators against the government, human rights (HR) organizations need to “take back the political narrative” and step up their communication strategies to win the so-called information warfare, according to a new study highlighting the movement’s struggle to better connect with the public.
Among the findings of the study titled “Human Rights in Survival Mode” is that many of these groups still lack effective communication strategies—with some seeing it as mere “peripheral” work to their advocacy and grassroots campaigns—that have left them more vulnerable to targeted disinformation and attacks.
The Asia Foundation-funded report by US-based Filipino scholars Jonathan Ong, Jeremy Tintiangko, and Rossine Fallorina reached this conclusion after interviews with workers from 41 local and Philippine-based international human rights groups and sectoral allies from December 2019 to March 2020.
The study published by Harvard Kennedy School is also a rare scholarly glimpse into the perceived gaps of the human rights movement, which is experiencing an “unprecedented crisis” of legitimacy in a highly polarized society.
While attacks against them are not exactly new, there’s “something about this current moment that’s different in terms of being attacked and harassed,” Ong said in an interview with the Inquirer.
Take control of narrative
But even while caught in the crosshairs of the “information warfare” launched by pro-Duterte supporters, human rights organizations simply “have left this battle, have not participated [in] this warfare, or not coped with it enough. They mentioned being attacked but if you look at their investment [in terms of expertise or workers], it’s really lacking,” he added.
This is also why their messaging often starts strong but tapers off, allowing disinformation agents — troll farms and pro-Duterte influencers — to take control of the narrative and mislabel human rights work as a “conspiracy” to destabilize the government.
“We even have examples of [organizations] who have stopped using the term human rights because it has too much baggage,” Ong noted. “But if you stop using it, you’re allowing the [administration] to set the terms of what human rights is.”
Among others, the study found that many human rights groups treat communication “as a set of disparate tools, activities and platforms rather than as a long-term and cohesive strategy to take back control of the broad political narratives and reshape the public engagement with, and perception of, human rights.”
In fact, only 16 out of the 30 organizations they interviewed have a full-time communications staff member. Often, this work is given to the advocacy or community officer.
Many of these staffers, the study found, are also “rarely supported with additional training and equipment.” Many groups struggle to divert funding for stronger communications work while others maintain that their responsibility is to “help the most vulnerable.”
Shift in public trust
Unsurprisingly, this has left them just as exposed. Due partly to President Duterte’s unsubstantiated rhetoric against human rights workers—accusing them of being organizations of demons and supporters of criminals, addicts, or communists—the movement has seen a sudden and dramatic shift in public trust.
Many social and development workers interviewed for the report, for example, occasionally felt unwelcome in villages and schools. Often, they said, the military had warned residents against interacting with the “activists” who supposedly wanted to indoctrinate them in communist thought.
Online, human rights workers are also subjected to a smear campaign by trolls and disinformation networks which has taken a massive toll on their mental health. Among other things, they are accused of being more sympathetic to criminals and being beholden to foreign funders, thus casting doubt on their integrity and criticism of Duterte’s policies.
Even so, Ong said, many organizations have yet to invest in cybersecurity infrastructure and resources to empower and protect many of their front-liners.
Some, especially veteran advocates, do not feel the need to innovate their campaigns which mostly rely on stoking anger and indignation—the “-ismos: pasismo, imperyalismo, kapitalismo,” as Ong describes it—and thus fail to capture broader audiences.
“Sometimes human rights organizations are so focused on their principles and -ismos and jargon, but they have to be understood by the masses, too,” he said. “They need to be following these conversations using the language that most people can understand and resonate with.”
Of course, the movement is not without pioneers. The study shows, for example, that groups like Metro Manila Pride and Child Rights Network have defied the “doom-and-gloom” traditional campaigns by using a positive and creative communications approach.
These initiatives, it said, were less about jargon and more about human stories of success and empowerment. By making the advocacies for gender equality and children’s dignity more relatable, the groups made waves in mainstream campaigns and were more successful in legislative lobbying.
Human rights organizations also have to face the public’s real feelings of disenfranchisement — which hold them captive to a populist president—instead of just “staying above the fray,” Ong said.
Specifically, the study called for advocates to “speak their language and meet them where they are” rather than dismissing their fears and anxieties.
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Print Reading: Mounting Wedge
By Jessie Lloyd
2D and 3D views used to help convey information from a drafter or designer to the welder are provided. This activity will focus on a mounting wedge. A short quiz to test your ability to correctly read this information follows.
Students view a video that shows the correct methods for starting a GTAW weld pool and adding filler. It focuses on the two problems that many students have – adding filler too soon and angling the torch so that the filler melts prematurely on the filler rod. Note: This activity is 3.6 mb.


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domain: entertainment


Legendary basketball player Michael Jordan tied the knot with his long time girlfriend, former model Yvette Prieto, over the weekend at the Episcopal Church of Bethseda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach.
It was a moderately intimate setting with 300 guests and the first photo (above) hit the Net late yesterday.
According to the Associated Press, the bride wore a French silk voile corseted sheer sheath gown byJ’Aton Couture. It had handmade silk lace decorated with Swarovski crystals, and cascaded into a dramatic cathedral train with accents of a peacock-feathered design; while the groom looked debonair in a tux.
Photos reveal the eight bridesmaids wore strapless lilac dresses.
Among the audience members spotted at the church were former teammate Scottie Pippen and fellow NBA stars Patrick Ewing, Toni Kukoc and Ron Harper. Also, former NFL player, Ahmad Rashad andTiger Woods were there. Spike Lee was also spotted.
The reception was the place to be, with more than 2,000 guests at the Bear’s Club, a private golf club where Jordan owns a house nearby.
The guests were served with a 7-layer white rum wedding cake covered in white fondant and sugar crystals, and adorned with crystal brooches and the couples’ monogram on top, says AceShowBiz.com.
DJ MC Lyte, 18-piece band The Source, and singers K’Jon, Robin Thicke and Usher provided entertainment for those who came to congratulate the couple for their wedding. When the night came, fireworks lit up the place as part of the celebration.
Instead of purchasing wedding gifts, the couple asked guests to donate to the James R. Jordan Foundation. The flowers for the wedding were also donated, to the Jupiter Medical Center.


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- Published on Monday, 30 June 2014 15:39
- Written by Tangara - Guest House & Tours
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A walking tour in downtown Guayaquil gives us a chance to know the city with a local guide, getting a closer look to the life and culture in the city; visiting the main sites and monuments, enjoying the river view and the most traditional neighborhoods, churches and parks, such as the Centenario and Seminario or Park of the Iguanas. The walk may also focus in some specific interests, such as visiting the local markets looking for fruits or handcrafts, explore art galleries, visit the local cemetery to enjoy sculptures, mausoleums and trails; go up over 400 steps to the top of Santa Ana hill to watch the river and the city from above, or visit one of the local museums that ofer exhibits of pre-Columbian indigenous cultures, as well as colonial and contemporary art.
The panoramic city tour, with private transportation, covers other areas like the traditional Barrio del Centenario, as well as newer neighborhoods of the city, mainly residential and comercial centers that joined the urban landscape during the last fifty years.
Crossing the bridge over the Daule river, you will get to the Historical Park in Samborondón, where you may take a glimpse of life and nature in Guayaquil during late XIX century. A chance to get close to the original flora and fauna of the area and visit some restored traditional houses. Cultural performances during weekends.
Heading south on the way to Machala, (90 km from Guayaquil), we will find an agricultural area, mainly dedicated to cocoa, plantain and banana plantations. Cocoa was the main economical source of income for the country during early XX century and one may still witness the folklore and culture built around this activity. Opportunity to learn about the process of planting and harvesting, and more phases involved in the cocoa industry.
Proud of having one of the longest and widest beaches of the country, Its location one hour away from Guayaquil made it a preferred destination for internal tourism. Excellent surfing spots or simply enjoy seafood and calm seas for relaxing or sun bathing.
The main coastal city destination for ecuadorians is a spot surrounded by beaches and salt ponds; full of opportunities for watersports and with a very active night life during the coastal holiday season (December-April).


Liverpool and Chelsea are reportedly still keeping tabs on the 24-year-old midfielder, Matheus Nunes despite his club-record move to Wolves this summer.
The Portuguese playmaker completed his big-money move to Molineux from Sporting Lisbon earlier last month for a fee believed to be around £38m (€45m) plus £4.2m (€5m) in add-ons.
Wolves managed to fight off competition from the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool to secure the services of the midfielder on a five-year deal, and he has since started in each of their last four Premier League matches.
Despite his move to Wolves, Portuguese news outlet UOL reports that Liverpool and Chelsea still hold an interest in the eight-cap Portugal international.
The report claims that the midfielder’s agent Jorge Mendes has an “increasingly close and trusting relationship” with the Merseyside Reds new sporting director Julian Ward, which could favour both parties if they decide to enter talks over 24-year-old midfielder’s future.
Jurgen Klopp’s side initially put plans to recruit a new midfielder on hold earlier this summer, however, the club eventually decided to enter the market late in the window following to their increasing list of injuries in the midfield area.
Instead of splashing the cash on top targets such as Nunes, the ended up by signing Arthur Melo on a season long-loan.
Meanwhile, Chelsea new boss Graham Potter keen on to strengthen his midfield area and alongside with Nunes, Brighton’s midfielder Caicedo has been on his radar for the winter transfer window.


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1. Mix flours and salt together. Add nut butter and Date Lady Pure Date Syrup to mixture and stir until nice and smooth.
2. Add chocolate chips and roll into balls. Stick balls in freezer for 30 minutes to set.
This is a fun cookie dough recipe that is a quick snack fix for hungry munchkins after a hard day of play, or for adults looking for a healthy way to satisfy a sweet tooth. Refrigerated balls will stay fresh for up to a week. There are many variations you can use with this recipe, such as mixing in nuts, fruits, or even cocoa. Enjoy!


PDF Design of Impact stone crusher machine - ResearchGate
The main objective is to design impact stone crusher. Impact stone crusher involves the use of impact rather than pressure to crush materials. The material is held
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Jaw Crushers. 2. 4. Cone Crushers. 20. 5 Most crushers employ a combination of all these crushing methods. Impact. Impact refers to the sharp, of wear parts, follow the recommendations given in the operation and maintenance manu
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Designed as a primary crusher for either quarried stone or recycling concrete, PA crushers offer advanced features to deliver dependable, low


Kelly Clarkson has proven to the world that she is a singer who can also do talk shows, and she is doing pretty well at it.
Since the premiere of "The Kelly Clarkson Show" on Sept. 9, 2019, the "A Moment Like This Singer" was able to keep the ratings high than what people expected it to be the first time they announced it.
Clarkson seemed to have a "secret formula" aside from starting the show with a song number -- famously dubbed as "Kellyoke" (where she covers pop and classic songs) -- and her engagement with her audience by talking about wide-range of topics, from relationships to personal problems.
Before starting the "The Kelly Clarkson Show", she sought for pieces of advice from the most successful presenters like Jimmy Fallon and Ellen DeGeneres, whose shows are among the most-watched TV programs up to this day
The "Breakaway" songstress opened up to Fallon, saying that talking and communicating with people are her leisure activities and she turned them into her strengths now. In fact, she was compared to him right after the first episode and her fans told her that she was a better talk show host than Fallon.
Aside from Fallon, she was also compared to Rosie O'Donnell who has a six-season-old show. The "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" host is renowned for being "excited" to have guests on her show, which is the same quality that Clarkson has been successfully displaying since day one.
Her style in conversing with her guests, as well as with the live audiences, drew more viewers than expected.
During the episode 1 premiere, with Dwayne Johnson as guest, the 'Fast and Furious' actor didn't have a hard time talking to Clarkson and easily shared his intimate wedding photos with wife Lauren Hashian. The Rock even told stories about his everyday life with his wife!
The discussion between the actor and singer was smooth-sailing and doesn't feel forced and scripted compared to other shows, and it was all thanks to Clarkson being so natural. The studio, in fact, almost felt like home because of her.
According to media consultant Bill Carroll, "The Kelly Clarkson Show" brought success to daytime TV after years of being silent. He also added that if the show can maintain its ratings, it will turn into a long-term success that the singer deserves.
With the Clarkson show's ratings being noteworthy right now, its current number of viewers is almost impossible to beat for a daytime TV show.
Based on Nielsen Data, the show has now an average of 1.9 million viewers per episode, which makes Clarkson stand in fourth place of the most-watched daytime talk shows. What makes it even more notable and outstanding is the fact that the show was produced and distributed by NBCUniversal Television, who is the brain and heart behind the most successful talk shows including "Ellen" and "Live with Kelly and Ryan."
"The Kelly Clarkson Show" is a breakthrough that aims to interact with "everyday people" and celebrities through Clarkson's way of storytelling. It also aims to help charities, communities and the less fortunate, so fans can easily connect and watch with a purpose


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Duke is about 1.5 years old and neutered. He is so sweet and loves to play and cuddle and lick our faces, the only issue is just that he will nip our hands and arms if he wants to play but we are not in the mood, like at bedtime or waking up in the morning. However, being 75lbs, those nips hurt! But it is always in play and he never growls or does it out of aggression so I’m sure we can train that out of him with the help of the professional trainer we’re working with. He seems to be friendly around other dogs but does jump on people which we’re also working on so not quite ready to be free reign around kids. He doesn’t chase neighborhood cats but the opossums make him crazy! He’s basically a giant puppy and we enjoy spoiling him with chew toys which he lovingly destroys, haha.
For more information on Virtual Fostering, please check out our Ways to Help

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 of what in their inmost souls they felt to be their sacred and inalienable birthright. Traitors and rebels verily they were not. They were true-hearted patriots, worthy to rank with the noblest souls that ever battled for freedom. They fought for home and country, and to maintain the fundamental principle of all free government—that the right to govern arises from and is coexistent with the consent of the governed.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.


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Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Schifflers Liquor, Bar, 38909 County Road 153, Albany, MN.
Operating as usual
GOOD NEWS !!
ALL OF NOVEMBER
$2.50 BUSCH LIGHTS
New Apparel in!!
Ladies long sleeve $20
10TH ANNUAL OKTOBERFEST!!
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!
ALWAYS A GREAT TIME!!
Stearns History Museum
Stearns County Spotlight: St. Anthony, Minnesota and Century Farms
It’s a challenge to keep anything going for over 100 years, much less a family farm. The Stearns History Museum recently installed 15 new and replacement Century Farm signs to its annual program celebrating the milestone. Thanks in part to the efforts of Holly Christie and her work with the St. Cloud Diocese, this year we concentrated on St. Anthony, a small farming community located north of Albany on Minnesota Highway 238.
St. Anthony’s charm remains rooted in its predominately Slovenian and German settlers who settled there in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. These families worked hard to establish farms including this year’s recipients such as Malley, Linn, Urbashich, Pogatchnik, Gogala, and Rademacher. As these operations grew, so did the town’s support businesses such as a creamery, blacksmith shop, grocery store, and bar.
But only one has survived from those days, Schiffler’s, providing a gathering place for local residents to talk about the trials of life while enjoying a cold brew. Erv Schiffler knew this community well. In a 2001 Minnesota Public Radio article he commented, “The Schiffler name has been here forever. My dad was a really great guy and a lot of people knew him, and it’s more like we’re bringing people in because they know us, and we try to treat people fair.” This commitment was and continues to be significant.
St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, the other town centerpiece, provides the spiritual and social needs of the area. “The church plays a pretty important role, I guess, in keeping a small community like St. Anthony together,” said Randy Klasen in that same MPR piece. Ruth Linn added, “Oh, absolutely. Without it, there wouldn’t be St. Anthony.”
Al Zeis summed up what this area means to local residents. “Just look here tonight,” he said on that Saturday night in Schiffler’s. “These are real people here. You’re not going to BS any of these people here. They work hard. I mean, look at their clothes, look at their hands.”
Perhaps this sentiment reflects what it takes to keep a farm in the family. The Stearns History Museum salutes its farmers, especially those enrolled in our program in 2020. Congratulations!
Do you believe your farm is eligible for a Century Farm marker?
Please contact us at: [email protected]
Here are some images of our Century Farm program, 2020.
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Romsey Mill's team of 15 trekkers, who took on a Welsh mountain challenge at the end of June have raised £12,000 towards the charity's work with disadvantaged children, young people and families.
Teams comprising and volunteers walked over Snowdonia’s highest peaks to help raise much needed funds to support the work of Romsey Mill. Each year, the charity works with 3,500 children, young people and families, in and around Cambridge, many of whom are facing significant challenges in their lives.
One group of five trekkers successfully took on the complete Welsh 3000s Mountain Challenge route in one go; starting at first light and walking 35 miles, scaling all 15 Welsh mountains over 3,000ft, in just 18hours!
Poor weather conditions and time pressures meant that the groups taking on the 2-day trek were not able to reach the top of every summit; but were instead completed various bespoke challenges set by their mountain guides – including tough climbs and ridge walks.
Romsey Mill’s Chief Executive, Neil Perry – who was one of the trekkers said: “There was a great team spirit in evidence. We held on to the rock through bad weather and reached considerable heights. The achievement of the 5 guys who trekked non-stop from dawn until nightfall, in appalling weather, was amazing!”
Neil added: “I want to say a big “Thank you” to those who have sponsored us, for their support, which will help Romsey Mill to continue to be with young people, children and families through the highs and the lows, particularly in the tough life-challenges that they face.”
People who made onine donations to the team of trekkers helped to raise over £10,000 directly; and additional sponsorship from local companies Johnson Matthey (Royston); and Open Air (Green St., Cambridge), pushed the figure towards £12,000.
If anyone would like to add to the amount raised, you can make a donation on Romsey Mill’s online giving page: https://romseymillwelsh3000s.everydayhero.com/uk/romsey-mill-trekkers


Communist China's military buildup against Taiwan continues: As the gigantic Hainan naval base gets more attention (Newsweek), the Communists are increasing their military presence in the Taiwanese straits (Taipei Times). Fighter planes in particular have been up to four times as active as ten years ago, and the number of Communist missiles pointed at the island democracy stands at roughly 1,300.
Russia sues Communist China for piracy: Russia is set to sue the cadres for stealing the plans for the Russian Su-27SK fighter aircraft and using it to make the J-11B, which Russia calls "an absolute copy" (Weekly Standard). This could - stress could - finally separate Communist China from its biggest arms supplier (Russia), which has now become the regime's biggest piracy victim.
On the Long Arm of Lawlessness in Canada: Patrick Donnelly (Calgary Herald) details how Communist Embassy officials seized and tortured a Canadian citizen in Alberta and the regime's financial machinations to take over PetroKazakhstan.
Dental work from Communist China has lead in it: The stunning revelation came from ABC, whose Washington affiliate conducted an investigation. One representative for a Communist exporter put it this way - "We follow this military 'don't ask, don't tell' policy."
Will the Dalai Lama be invited to the Beijing Games? The cadres, desperate to avoid an August repeat of the torch relay fiasco, are considering the idea (Weekly Standard Blog).
More on Communist China and the rest of the world: The Bush legacy on Communist China is not good, according to Joshua Kurlantzick at The New Republic (via the Uyghur American Association). Meanwhile, Peter Worthington laments the "misguided political correctness" (Toronto Sun) of the folks who banned a Falun Gong music group from the Canadian Tulip Festival. Finally, Romeo Dallaire calls on his fellow Canadians to "use the Olympics to pressure China and enlighten its people about what is happening in Darfur, and why the international community is outraged" (Globe and Mail via Boycott 2008).
Another land seizure, another set of peasants attacked by hired thugs: This time the victims are thousands of farmers in Yingkou, Liaoning (Epoch Times - the pictures include victims of graphic violence).
Ignorant Comment of the Day: Siegfried S. Hecker and William J. Perry acknowledge the pitfalls of negotiating with Stalinist North Korea, then propose more of the same in the Washington Post.
News on "another Chinese province": The United States is about to ensure that the Stalinist regime is well-fed (One Free Korea), whether the people of northern Korea get relief is another matter.


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Enjoy a scenic Gondola ride up the side of Mt Ngongotaha to the top complex to enjoy an incredible buffet breakfast.
The buffet features all your breakfast favourites from hashbrowns, bacon, eggs, hotcakes to fresh fruit, cereals and freshly made smoothies.
Set in Stratosfare with early morning views over Lake Rotorua and the surrounding city.
*For Gondola Annual Pass holders only. Passes will be inspected upon arrival.

domain: travel


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2/14/2017 » 3/21/2017Nonprofit Finance Fund Winter Webinar Series (2017)
3/8/2017Nonprofit Governance (Wilmington)
3/21/2017Board Recruiting & Onboarding (Wilmington)
3/22/2017Board Recruiting & Onboarding (Dover)
3/23/2017Board Recruiting & Onboarding (Georgetown)
An April 15 conference, the first of its kind in the state,
will focus on ending hunger in Delaware. The Delaware Anti-Hunger Coalition, an affiliate of the
nonprofit Food Bank of Delaware, will host the "Ending hunger! (through Citizen
Service) Conference” at the Christiana Hilton at Churchmans Crossing near
Stanton. (Click to read more)
100 W. 10th Street Suite 1012, Wilmington, DE 19801Phone: 302.777.5500Fax: 302.777.5386Email Us »


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Talk on immigration
Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan held a discussion on “Legal Information for Muslims and Other Immigrants” at the Weston Library on Feb. 10 as the first in the lecture series for the Nazda Alam Foundation.
With her desire to prevent crime and her passion for protecting vulnerable populations, Ryan worked her way through the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and was elected DA in 2014 and re-elected in November 2018. Focusing on her office’s dedication to marginalized communities, Ryan highlighted the cultural competency training in which all her employees participate. She also explained the relationships her office has built with a range of community partners, including ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) tutors and various religious congregations to spread initiatives that serve immigrant communities.
Ryan ended with a discussion of the efforts taken by her office to address the increasing number of hate crimes and the impact of changes in immigration policy on the prosecution of cases.
The Nazda Alam Foundation's next event will be May 4 at the Islamic Cultural Center of Medford. Middlesex Sheriff Peter Koutoujian will discuss the prison system and its related services.

domain: law


Thursday, October 18, 2018
Wrestling With Horror - S01E03 - Bobby Moore
This week, host Rev. Dan Wilson chats with "Hit for Hire" Bobby Moore, a veteran of the independent scene, child of the 80s and a man who will carry his Friday The 13th fandom to his grave. Bobby is a man of few words, but couldn't contain his excitement here on Wrestling With Horror.
Watch here: https://youtu.be/tqXTzCNTzWk
"Flesh is a trap...and magic sets you free". Join us this week on Seeking Human Victims as we discuss the final directorial effo...
Be our "friend to the end", as we dissect Child's Play (1988) this week on SHV starring Brad Douriff, Katherine Hicks, C...
Enjoy this free digital horror comic courtesy of Ryan Haddock and Todd Johnston from Whose Comics and The Chattanooga Comix Co-Op...


The Nokia E7 has a tilting 4" AMOLED touchscreen with nHD resolution and a four row slide-out QWERTY keyboard. It's got high-end connectivity - 10.2Mbps HSDPA, 2Mbps HSUPA, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, A-GPS and Cell-ID positioning along with USB On-The-Go.
The Nokia E7 highlights list continue with an 8MP camera with dual-LED flash, 720p video capture, and 16GB of built-in storage. Unfortunately though, it turned out that the promising shooter is lacking autofocus, which takes some of the fun out.
There's HDMI port with Dolby Digital Plus surround sound support. The Nokia E7 weighs a hefty 176 grams - but that's because it's made of anodized aluminum.
The Nokia E7 display uses the new ClearBlack technology, which promises darker blacks, better sunlight legibility and lower power usage. The E7 is expected to cost around 495 euro (637 USD) before taxes and subsidies.
Having already spend some time with the E7 we can easily agree with the description of Anssi Vanjoki - this thing is BIG. But luckily those bits about its great build quality and sleek design turned out true, too.
By the way, here's a hands-on video of the Nokia E7 that we shot at the event.
The Nokia E7 is certainly not easy to handle if you have smaller hands but it certainly is great to look at. The keyboard feels very comfortable as one would expect from a device that claims to succeed the omnipresent Nokia E90 communicator. Just how can the successor sport a resolution lower than its predecessor is a whole different question, which we can't answer at this point.
The resolution aside, the Nokia E7 Clear Black display does look pretty good. Its viewing angles are comparable, although not quite as good as the ones on the iPhone 4. The typically high for AMOLED screen contrast makes everything go live on the screen and the display doesn't seem to have too many reflections, which suggests that it will be easily visible under direct sunlight.
Finally, a quick thought about the user interface. It does seem to do everything they promised at the announcement - fix most Symbian^1 flaws, but retain the same structure. Now depending on how you look at it that second part could either be good news or bad news but we would rather stay positive at this stage.
After all Symbian is still the most popular smartphone platform out there so people are quite used to it. And that means they will be able to find their way around the Symbian^3 OS quite easily too.
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Massive Disneyland Attraction Database
The Pip and Gale's Smokehouse attraction, rapidly considered to be the finest retro attraction at Disneyland
Pip and Gale's Smokehouse
March 3, 1958
Avg. queue length:
Nobody can figure out what the goal of Pip and Gale's Smokehouse is. It used to have interesting activities, but overprotective parents had it taken away to make trouble.
- If traveling with teens , they'll whine extra loud if you walk past this attraction when their friends are looking.
- The model of heralds is a bad joke.
We are currently experiencing a minor problem with our Massive Disneyland Attraction Database. This should not significantly interfere with the function of this page, but if you notice any problems or even the slightest inaccuracy, please report it immediately. Thank you for your prayers.