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74 screens of legalese don't protect your data here's a blueprint for new laws that could make a difference
By Fred H. Cate
(THE CONVERSATION) - All over the world, government officials are trying to figure out how to craft laws and regulations about privacy especially for digital data and online activity. The European Union's General Data Protection Regulation took effect in May 2018; about a month later, California's new Consumer Privacy Act did too. Both impose stringent new legal requirements on organizations that collect and use personal data.
In the U.S., lawmakers and an increasing number of voters are starting to wonder if it's time for a comprehensive U.S. privacy law. State legislatures are considering more than 90 privacy-related bills, and Congress has more than a dozen bills of its own. In April, the Federal Trade Commission is holding the latest in a six-month long series of privacy and security hearings.
Everyone agrees something needs to change: Consumers want better protection for their data, and businesses want clear national laws instead of 50 different state standards. Yet there is virtually no consensus about what a broad privacy law should entail.
Fortunately, almost 50 years of experience with laws adopted in other countries and various U.S. states, suggest three key elements that any comprehensive privacy law should include.
Change who's responsible
For decades, U.S. laws have made people individually responsible for protecting their own privacy. Businesses can legally use personal data for almost anything, provided they at least tell consumers what they're going to do, and give people a chance to object. That is why many websites and software packages have long, complicated privacy policies in incomprehensible legalese that customers are required to agree to before they can use the system. For instance, the current Apple privacy notice takes up about 74 iPhone screens.
Consent has never provided strong privacy protection, as privacy regulators around the world have acknowledged. People rarely read, much less understand, privacy notices. They definitely don't keep track of everything they've allowed each company to do with their information, and take legal action to enforce any limits or punish any violations.
Advancing technologies have made the problem much worse, enabling nearly ubiquitous data collection. Cameras, phones, cars, refrigerators, smart TVs, networked thermostats and thousands of other internet-connected sensors record the steady trail of what has been called "data exhaust" that people generate as they live their lives.
It is absurd to expect people to be aware of, understand and make intelligent choices about how their data are used. And it is unconscionable to make those individuals responsible for the consequences of choices they didn't know they made and couldn't have understood if they'd tried.
Require stewardship
Effective data protection laws should require anyone who uses personal data to bear both responsibility and liability for its misuse. The goal is simple: to ensure that companies and government agencies are accountable for how they collect, store, use and share information just like equipment manufacturers are when they make an unsafe product. The threat of legal consequences helps executives and other leaders make sensible choices about how much data to collect, how long to keep it and how to protect it.
The law should also stop focusing so much on data collection. Sure, there are some types of collection that should be regulated or banned like putting hidden cameras in bathrooms or changing rooms, or collecting data after specifically promising not to.
Yet there is almost always a legitimate reason to collect data. Moreover, an increasing volume of data is inferred or calculated like credit scores and machine-learning algorithms' decisions on who should get a loan or be granted bail after being arrested.
The real focus for data protection should be on how data is used and shared. Some uses might be permitted, some might be prohibited. Then people could focus more attention on the hard areas in between.
For example, using data to prevent fraud or conduct research might be freely allowed, and someone claiming to have been harmed would have to meet a high legal bar to prevail. On the other end, using data to harass, annoy or stalk someone might be considered harmful by definition and all a court would need to find out is who did it. The clearer things are at the extremes, where making judgments is comparatively easy, the more people can focus on the middle ground where lawmakers, regulators and judges solve problems every day in other areas.
Personal data has real value, on which much of the U.S. economy has been built, not to mention companies' and entrepreneurs' fortunes. The data will only get more valuable the more of it exists and the more it's stored and analyzed over time. It's important not to overregulate, but that shouldn't prevent policymakers from addressing uses of data that are widely accepted as inappropriate or even dangerous.
Create strong enforcement
Many privacy violations already break existing laws. But there isn't enough time or energy to catch everyone. In the U.S., the primary federal privacy regulator is the Federal Trade Commission, which has only 40 employees working on privacy protection. European countries have more than 10 times as many workers to cover a similar population.
If the FTC had more people, and more authority, it could do more than just bring actions when big companies break promises in headline-grabbing ways. This is especially important in areas where consent is appropriate and does play a role like if a social media platform or smartphone app asks to access your contacts, but then sends them all a spam text.
The goal isn't just catching people and companies who violate others' privacy and misuse their data. The point is to make clear what the public and policymakers agree on: Personal data has real value, and privacy is important, today perhaps more than ever.
Published: Mon, Apr 15, 2019
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Way West Airport (50II) Hotels
Bainbridge, IN
All Airports in Indiana All Airports in United States Home
Hotels near Way West Airport (50II)
Days Inn Cloverdale In (Est. 18 miles away)
Days Inn Cloverdale In is located in Cloverdale.
The hotel serves a complimentary continental breakfast. Days Inn Cloverdale In features coffee in the lobby and complimentary newspapers in the lobby. Wireless Internet access is available in public areas....
Holiday Inn Express Cloverdale (Est. 18 miles away)
Holiday Inn Express Cloverdale is located in Cloverdale.
Recreational amenities include an indoor pool and a spa tub. Wireless Internet access is available in public areas. The hotel serves a complimentary breakfast. Guest parking is complimentary....
SUPER 8 CLOVERDALE (Est. 18 miles away)
- Hotel year Built - 2002 Year Remodeled - 2002 additional Property Description - The Super 8 Cloverdale, In Is Conveniently Located Off Of Interstate 70 At Exit 41 U.S. Hwy 231....
Econo Lodge Cloverdale (Est. 18 miles away)
Econo Lodge Cloverdale is located in the midtown area of Cloverdale.
Those traveling on business have access to a business center at this hotel. High-speed Internet access is available in public areas. Guest parking is complimentary. Additional property...
Comfort Inn Avon (Est. 20 miles away)
Comfort Inn Avon is located in Avon and attractions in the region include Indianapolis Motor Speedway, NCAA Hall of Champions, and Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians. Regional points of interest also include Lucas Oil Stadium.
Recreational amenities...
Comfort Suite Brownsburg (Est. 20 miles away)
Comfort Suite Brownsburg is located in central Brownsburg and attractions in the region include Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Recreational amenities include an indoor pool and a fitness facility. The hotel serves a complimentary breakfast. Guest parking is...
Hampton Inn & Suites Brownsburg (Est. 21 miles away)
Hampton Inn & Suites Brownsburg is located in Brownsburg and attractions in the region include Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The hotel serves a complimentary hot and cold buffet breakfast. Hampton Inn & Suites Brownsburg features shopping on site, self...
Holiday Inn Express Brownsburg (Est. 21 miles away)
Holiday Inn Express Brownsburg is a business-friendly hotel located in Brownsburg and attractions in the region include Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Recreational amenities include an outdoor pool and a fitness facility. Those traveling on business have...
Super 8 Brownsburg/Indianapolis Area (Est. 21 miles away)
Super 8 Brownsburg/Indianapolis Area is located in Brownsburg and attractions in the region include Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The hotel serves a complimentary continental breakfast. Super 8 Brownsburg/Indianapolis Area features RV and truck parking....
Fairfield Inn & Suites Indianapolis Avon (Est. 22 miles away)
Fairfield Inn & Suites Indianapolis Avon is located in Avon and near the airport. Indianapolis Motor Speedway, NCAA Hall of Champions, and Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians are regional attractionsRegional points of interest also include Lucas Oil Stadium and Conseco Fieldhouse....
Baymont Indianapolis (Est. 22 miles away)
Baymont Indianapolis is located in Plainfield and attractions in the region include Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Recreational amenities include an indoor pool, a spa tub, and a fitness facility. This hotel offers audio-visual equipment and business...
Super 8 Plainfield Indianapolis Airport (Est. 22 miles away)
Located in Plainfield, Super 8 Plainfield Indianapolis Airport is near the airport and Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a regional attraction.
Recreational amenities include an indoor pool. The hotel serves a complimentary continental breakfast. The property...
Cambria Suites Airport (Est. 22 miles away)
Located in Plainfield, Cambria Suites Airport is near the airport and Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a regional attraction.
Cambria Suites Airport features a restaurant and a bar/lounge. The hotel serves Buffet breakfasts (surcharges apply). Recreational...
Wingate by Wyndham - Plainfield IN (Est. 22 miles away)
Wingate by Wyndham - Plainfield IN is located in Plainfield and attractions in the region include Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Recreational amenities include an indoor pool, a spa tub, and a fitness facility. This hotel has a 24-hour business center and...
Hampton Inn Indianapolis SW (Est. 22 miles away)
Hampton Inn Indianapolis SW is located in Plainfield and attractions in the region include Indianapolis Motor Speedway and NCAA Hall of Champions.
Recreational amenities include an outdoor pool, an indoor pool, a spa tub, and a fitness facility. This hotel...
The Hampton Inn Indianapolis-Sw/ Plainfield Hotel Is Located just Seven Miles West Of The Indianapolis International airport Off Indiana Interstate 70 At S.R. 267. Our Hampton inn Provides Complimentary Shuttle Service To The Airport. the Shuttle Operates From 600 Am To 1100 Pm Daily. our Indiana Hampton Inn In...
Days Inn Of Plainfield (Est. 22 miles away)
Located in Plainfield, Days Inn Of Plainfield is in the suburbs and attractions in the region include Indianapolis Motor Speedway and NCAA Hall of Champions.
This hotel offers a meeting/conference room, audio-visual equipment, and business services. The...
DAYS INN PLAINFIELD (Est. 22 miles away)
- Hotel year Built - 1990 Year Remodeled - 2004 additional Property Description - Newly Renovated 63 Rooms. Business Or Pleasure, At The Days Inn Of Plainfield Hotel, Youll Find The Warmth And Charm Combined With The Comfort And Efficiency Of Modern Accommodations....
Homewood Suites by Hilton Indpls Airport / Plainfield IN (Est. 22 miles away)
Homewood Suites by Hilton Indpls Airport / Plainfield IN is located in Plainfield and attractions in the region include Indianapolis Motor Speedway and NCAA Hall of Champions.
Recreational amenities include an indoor pool, a spa tub, and a fitness...
Comfort Inn Plainfield (Est. 22 miles away)
Comfort Inn Plainfield is a business-friendly hotel located in Plainfield and attractions in the region include Indianapolis Motor Speedway and NCAA Hall of Champions.
Recreational amenities include an indoor pool and a fitness facility. Complimentary...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Student Stories: Sylvie Lukala
Sylvie Lukala has a message for the people of Congo. Well, really for the world.
"I do not want to see them underestimate women. We need to trust women at school or in different environments they work. I want to say to women and girls never to be underestimated in life, because all people have their potential…their qualities, and are able to do something. If not to say a word, maybe to dance, if it is not to dance, maybe to walk well."
As the new secretary of Women's Voices, Lukala is passionate about lifting up women and encouraging them to pursue their dreams. And, she has a dream of her own – to one day start a fashion business that provides employment opportunities for women.
"Fashion is a passion for me. Even from a young age, my parents told me I was too into clothing and dress up too much," she said with a laugh.
Born in Bukavu, her family arrived in Beni because of her father's work with the international organization, Oxfam. In her family of 11 (6 sisters and 4 brothers), education was always encouraged and prioritized. Though Lukala is not the first to attend a university, she believes UCBC is different and provides a unique opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve her goals and dreams.
"For my future life I have goals, but before UCBC I did not know how I can make them concrete. But now, I understand that we must not only have dreams, but we must also know how to accomplish them. Once we limit ourselves only to dreaming and not to accomplishing, we risk dreaming forever while not accomplishing anything," she explained.
Lukala is aware that throughout society in general, but also at other universities, women face an uphill battle when it comes to achieving their dreams. This is why UCBC plays an important role in her life and why the student-led group, Women's Voices, continues to act as a foundational support.
"Other universities tend to reject a woman's opinion and underestimate her. You also do not see a lot of women staff or faculty members. But, here at UCBC, this is not the case. UCBC offers a space where women have opportunities to get positions. We can even notice it by seeing women in the offices and in the classroom," she said.
Sylvie and Adephine Angemito
One of these staff members is UCBC alumna, Adelphine Angemito(13'), now serves as the Human Resource Officer for Congo Initiative. Angemito played a key role in establishing Women's Voices and continues to mentor student leaders as they continue to promote gender equality. Lukala found her footing through Angemito's mentorship and the group.
"Mrs. Adelphine Angemito taught us a lot just by the way she carries herself professionally and encourages other women to dream and to go after those dreams. Before being a part of the Women's Voices group, I did not know that I had leadership qualities in me. Women's Voices helped me discover who I am, where I belong, and what is possible to achieve as a woman," Lukala said.
But, Angemito shares her own admiration and appreciation for Lukala.
"Since she arrived at UCBC, she dedicated herself to serving the group and enhancing its communication. She even dreams of starting a Women's Voices print magazine, radio broadcast, and web presence. She is a great leader who is committed to expanding Women's Voices presence in the community," she said.
Following the footsteps of past leaders like Angemito, Lukala finds strength in faith and calls for unity and collaboration when it comes to promoting equality.
"Every woman is called to discover first who she is and what she can do. She can discover her identity in Christ as a model, trusting in herself, and being the one to define her life. For men and women in my family and in the community, I want them to live in unity, and men to accompany and trust women to accomplish something good."
Written by Justin Hubbard · Categorized: Student Stories, Women's Voices


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Everything we know about M4 car fire as footage shows flames rising into sky
Pictures show a heroic coach driver running towards the blaze holding a fire extinguisher
Updated 07:39, 16 APR 2018
Traffic was thrown into chaos on the M4 after a vehicle fire closed all lanes westbound.
The fire broke out in a car which was being towed on top of a trailer – witnesses reported seeing both car and trailer engulfed in flames.
Emergency services were called to the scene at around 8.45pm on Sunday, April 15 and the westbound carriageway was closed while fire, police and ambulance crews made the area safe.
While emergency services were on their way to the scene, members of the public attempted to fight the flames. Pictures on twitter show a heroic coach driver running towards the blaze holding a fire extinguisher.
Chef at Bristol restaurant Severnshed which charged £13 for £1.15 Asda camembert has been sacked
Pictures show hero coach driver running up hard shoulder with fire extinguisher towards M4 car fire
Twitter user @nerdscreate posted these pictures and said: "Respect to the hero letting it up the hard shoulder with a fire extinguisher."
The whole westbound section on the M4 was closed between junction 18 near Bath and junction 19 near Bristol.
Traffic England reported queues as long as 8 miles, with traffic static from the bath junction as far back as the Leigh Delamere Motorway Services near Chippenham.
Two westbound lanes re-opened shortly after 10pm and traffic began to flow again. Some drivers were trapped on the carriageway for over an hour while emergency services and highways England made the scene safe.
Woman charged over £100k for crossing the Severn Bridge
Avon Fire and Rescue said in a statement: "We received a call at 20.47. Crews from Yate and Bath responded to a vehicle on fire following a road traffic collision.
"A rescue pump from Avonmouth also attended as we were unsure if anybody was trapped in a vehicle.
"On arrival we found nobody was trapped. The fire involved one car on a trailer – when we arrived it was well alight.
"The fire was extinguished using three high-pressure hose reels and fire crews using breathing apparatus.
Close up picture of M4 car fire scene (Image: @nerdscreate)
"The M4 was completely closed. Police and ambulance personnel were also at the scene.
"Police have arranged recovery of the vehicle and crews have now made the scene safe."
A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Constabulary said: "We were called to reports of a vehicle fire on the M4 between junction 18 and 19 on the M4.
"A vehicle was towing a trailer with another vehicle on top of it, the trailer and the vehicle being carried have caught alight.
"We are at the scene along with fire and ambulance crews. All three westbound lanes are currently closed."
South West Ambulance Foundation Trust reported that there were no patients at the scene.
Traffic England said one lane of the motorway would remain closed while repairs were carried out.
Highways England has confirmed that one lane remsins closed.
Normal traffic conditions are expected between 11.15pm and 11.30pm.
Inrix traffic monitoring points out that this crash is in the in the roadworks area and "It is believed once the road re-opens, lane four will remain closed to carry on with the repairs."
It adds: "Some traffic is trapped. This is in the stretch where lane four (of four) had been closed for ongoing barrier repairs. It is believed once the road re-opens, lane four will remain closed to carry on with the repairs."


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It's almost eerie watching those old "West Wing" episodes. (Image via Google Images)
Screens x September 24, 2019
'The West Wing': Predicting Politics for a New Era
Whether the rest of us knew what was in store, Aaron Sorkin seemed able to predict it.
By Kathryn Milschewski, Carthage College
Any list of influential television shows is bound to include "The West Wing," Aaron Sorkin's political drama masterpiece. Sorkin's masterful dialogue, high-stakes plot lines and lovable characters make the show worth watching on it's own, but Sorkin's insights into the political arena make this show truly unique.
Focusing on the Democratic presidency of Josiah Bartlet and his close staff, the show chronicles the major issues that face the staff both personally and professionally. Starting on the air in 1999, some have argued that "The West Wing" deals with politics in a simpler time, one before the world of Donald Trump and extreme political divisiveness.
On the contrary, "The West Wing" gives insight into the issues and problems that were yet to face the country. The predictive nature of the show demonstrates not only the political insight of the writers and creators, but one of the major turning points in American politics.
Privacy and the Issues of Facebook
In the episode "The Short List" in the first season of the Emmy-award winning television show, Deputy Communications Director Sam Seaborn makes a speech about privacy. Seaborn claims that privacy is the defining issue of the next decade, and that every argument, debate and issue will in some way hinge on the idea of personal privacy. The internet, health records, gender identity and abortion are all specifically mentioned in the show, but Seaborn is right about how privacy has shaped our perspectives as a nation.
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Recently, Facebook's possible misuse of personal information has been all throughout the news. People are beginning to question the amount of information that is available online, from Amazon tracking your purchases to Google dictating advertisements based on your search history; privacy has become a concern central to many Americans. What the show didn't predict is the country's unwillingness to deal with issues these companies have created. Despite many of us knowing that the internet is full of privacy traps and phishing schemes, we all continue to live our lives as usual.
Although most of Donald Trump's decisions have been controversial, nothing has been quite as divisive as Brett Kavanaugh's appointment to the Supreme Court. Throughout the show, the characters deal with a variety of struggles in regards to Supreme Court appointments. Not only does the show predict the number of justices that will need to be replaced soon (Obama nominated three), but it predicts the volatile nature of these decisions.
Obama faced great opposition with his choice of Merrick Garland and was unable to get him on the court. Bartlet faces the same quandary, with vast opposition to his decision; he is only able to fill the position by having another justice resign and giving that seat to the opposition party. Although this is by no means how Brett Kavanaugh made it on to the Supreme Court, "The West Wing" showed the level of aggression and controversy that would begin to revolve around those seats.
CJ Cregg and #MeToo
Bartlet's vice president, John Hoynes, ends up resigning due to a sex scandal and the fact that he cheated on his wife repeatedly. When he tries to make a political comeback by writing a book, Hoynes has some very interesting conversations with the president's press secretary, CJ Cregg. A fiery, independent and incredibly intelligent woman throughout the show, it is clear that there is some history.
Although somewhat covertly, Cregg tells one of her co-workers that she went up to his hotel room with him and the audience is meant to assume the rest. Although it appears that the relations were consensual, it does raise questions about the influence of powerful men and how they treat women in the workforce. In an era where major political figures and commentators have been brought down for their systemic and continued improper behaviors, it seems that the fictional John Hoynes may have been the first.
Speaker of the House Haffley
Later in the fifth season of the show, the speaker of the house is replaced with Jeff Haffley. Haffley is not only more conservative than his predecessor, but he is less likely to negotiate. Many of the House staffers are frustrated by this new leadership and struggle to get along with him and his staff in any capacity.
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It would be easy to say that this is simply a shift to show a different side of politics, but this is indicative of the rise of conservatism. In the past two decades, moderate politicians have been pushed out of the process in favor of more liberal and more conservative leaders. The show predicts this shift by showing the difficulties of this type of leadership.
Government Shutdowns
In dealing with Speaker Haffley during budget negotiations, he is unwilling to compromise on the budget. He, along with the president, end up shutting down the government because they cannot come to an agreement about budget cuts.
Although government shutdowns are by no means new, the show does predict the challenges that would face upcoming politicians. Government shutdowns were not necessarily intended to be used when politicians couldn't agree, yet they have been happening more frequently in the modern era.
The Challenges in Diverse Leadership
In the final season of "The West Wing," Matthew Santos, a Latino from Texas, runs for president. Although there are innumerable similarities between Santos and the future campaign of Barack Obama, the show deals with the issues that many people of color deal with in the political sphere.
As the RNC Pushes for Division, Memes Unify the Masses
During his campaign, he is often asked to speak on behalf of the entire Latinx community. In the episode "Undecideds," Santos faces these issues head-on, discussing that he is tired of being the spokesperson for every Hispanic person in the country.
Since the show, the country elected the first African American president, has steadily worked to diversify the House and Senate and has made some real steps toward diversity. Not only does the show preface this change in America, but it chronicles the unique challenges that these politicians will face.
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Casino Games to Play for Fun Offline
By Alan Donahue
The Internet has thousands of games that players can play in their browsers, but graphics are limited and a computer must be constantly connected to enjoy the games. For fans of casino games, there are plenty of free casino game downloads that do not need an Internet connection to play. The casino games vary but include slots, poker, bingo and blackjack.
Bodog Casino
The Bodog Casino is available as mini Flash games online, but the offline download offers a lot more for players. The software features every standard table game, such as roulette, blackjack and three-card poker, but it also features variants such as war and Spanish blackjack. The casino also has keno slots and a slot called "Bonus Bingo Slots" where rapid bingo games are played. Click on the "Casino" link in the center of the page. Make sure you download the casino and not the "Poker" link, because that is a separate program. Wait for the program to download and create a username before playing.
Golden Casino brings players a realistic casino experience with its free casino download. The casino features realistic sound effects for all of the games, but some of the best graphics are seen with their dice game. The dice roll realistically on the table, and basic 3-D effects are perfect in re-creating a real craps table. The casino also offers slots, roulette and other table games. Click on the "Casino Download" link located in the upper right-hand corner. Follow the installation instructions, and after a minute or so, the casino will automatically download.
Pogo.com
Pogo.com is an online gaming website, but the website offers a large collection of downloadable games as well. The casino games are more cartoonish than other sites' offerings but are fine for casual players. Games include "Lottso Express," "Big Shot Roulette," "Showbiz Slots" and "No Limit Texas Hold 'Em." Click on the "Casino" category located on the left side of the website. When choosing a game, select the "Download" version for offline play.
Free Slot Machines Casino
Players looking exclusively for slots should download the software from Freeslotmachinescasino.com. The website's software has more than 100 different slot machines that re-create real casino types. Players can enjoy classic reels featuring fruits and sevens, six-reeled slots with multiple themes or video slots with different themes and bonus games to give players more to do. Visit the company's main website and click on the "Download" link located on the left side of the website.
Alan Donahue started writing professionally in 2003. He has been published in the Norwich Free Academy "Red & White," UNLV's "Rebel Yell" and on various websites. He is an expert on wrestling, movies and television. He placed second in the NFO Screenwriting Contest and received filmmaking awards from Manchester Community College and Norwich Free Academy. He currently attends Academy of Art University.


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Subject: Killer Klowns from Outer Space
Anyone here heard of Killer Klowns from Outer Space? It's probally the most weirdest movie ever! ;D
Subject: Re: Killer Klowns from Outer Space
Written By: woops on 01/20/06 at 5:32 pm
Saw it on Sci Fi a years ago and thought it was very awful... :P
Written By: Skippy on 01/20/06 at 7:45 pm
Was it supposed to be a comedy? I found nothing much too scary in it, and the "special effects" were anything but.
Written By: lorac614 on 01/20/06 at 8:14 pm
Was that the one where they had cotton candy egg sacks or something to that effect?
Written By: snozberries on 01/21/06 at 10:18 am
That movie sucked and you're right... the special effects weren't very *ahem* special ;)
Written By: Bratpac on 01/21/06 at 10:21 am
That was a baaaad movie. :o
Written By: NozmoKing on 01/27/06 at 9:06 pm
I have it on VHS... Its hysterical... sure its cheesey, thats what makes it so great to watch.
NozmoKing
Written By: Starfleet on 09/11/06 at 10:57 pm
I loved that movie. You need a sense of humor to enjoy a film like this. In the special features on the DVD, the director said it best when he stated that most people who have a problem with the film are generally not nice people (something like that). Most people who hate the film are probably a-holes IMO.
I remember seeing this film on cable at three in the morning... couldn't believe how cheezy it was!!! ;D


One of the main things that people complain about when it comes to modern living, especially those with families, is that there is simply not enough space for all of the things you need in your daily life. Many people start to feel bogged down by clutter and can start to feel like hoarders, when in reality, there are a lot of storage options at your disposal to help relieve some of the burden. Below are some creative ways to add storage space to every room.
One of the largest unused storage spaces in the bedroom is the vertical space below the bed. Some beds are elevated enough that there is room to shove a couple things underneath, but to really make the best use of that space, you need to invest in a storage bed. These beds have ample built in storage space right underneath that give you a ton of extra room to store whatever you like.
Storage chests don't have to look out of place. Many of them are elegantly designed to add style and ambience to a room while also being functional. A storage chest can double as an ottoman or a coffee table. It can help you maximize living room space minimizing clutter.
One of the rooms in your home that is bound to take the most damage is the mudroom. Constant coming and going, scuffs and dirt on the floor, shoes, jackets and umbrellas all over the place. A good way to keep the mudroom in order is with a mudroom bench. This can be tastefully placed adjacent the door and become the home for seasonal clothing like toques, scarves, hats, etc. that you don't need out in the open all year round.
For many people, the TV becomes the focal point of the living room and we dedicate quite a lot of space to it and its accessories. This is especially true if it's a traditional cabinet-with-the-tv-on-top arrangement, where the TV takes up a ton of valuable vertical space. Try rearranging the setup and investing in a wall-mounted cabinet to house your TV, leaving you with a bunch of additional storage space underneath.
It's easy to take a look around your home and feel as though you have maxed out your storage space. This, however, is often not the case. With a bit of creative thinking, and an eye for unused vertical space, you can easily add some very useful square footage to your home and find room for those items that were previously cluttering things up.


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The Danger of Desire
Book three in the sexy Sinful Suitors series is a heart-pounding story about a high society darling whose shocking secrets are discovered by an enigmatic rakehell and the game of cat-and-mouse that ensues as she tries to protect her risky plan
From The Sinful Suitors Series, Book 3
Named one of the Five Best Romances of 2016 by Library Journal
Named a Hottest Upcoming Historical Romance by Amazon.com
To root out the card cheat responsible for her brother's death, Miss Delia Trevor spends her evenings dancing her way through high society balls, and her late nights disguised as a young man gambling her way through London's gaming hells. Then one night, handsome Warren Corry, the Marquess of Knightford, a notorious member of St. George's Club, recognizes her. When he threatens to reveal her secret, she's determined to keep him from ruining her plans, even if it means playing a cat-and-mouse game with the enigmatic rakehell.
Warren knows the danger of her game, and he refuses to watch her lose everything while gaining justice for her late brother. But when she starts to delve beneath his carefully crafted façade, can he keep her at arm's length while still protecting her? Or will their hot desires explode into a love that transcends the secrets of their pasts?
"With its irresistible combination of witty banter, well defined characters, and a wonderful surfeit of breathtaking sensuality, the latest in Jeffries' Sinful Suitors series is a straight flush."—Booklist, starred review
"There's nothing quite like Jeffries' Sinful Suitors, and perhaps this scoundrel is her most appealing yet. Blending sensuality with poignancy and a bit of a mystery, Jeffries hits on a storyline that captivates with memorable characters (including one fussy cat) and witty dialogue. Readers are left with a deep sigh and a smile at the story's conclusion."—RT Book Reviews, 4½-stars, Top Pick
Thanks to you wonderful readers, the book hit the following bestseller list:
#14 on New York Times
#18 on Publishers Weekly
When Warren Corry, Marquess of Knightford, arrived at a Venetian breakfast thrown by the Duke and Duchess of Lyons, he regretted having stayed out until the wee hours of the morning. Last night he'd just been so glad to be back among the distractions of town that he'd drunk enough brandy to pickle a barrel of herrings.
Bad idea, since the duke and duchess had decided to hold the blasted party in the blazing sun on the lawn of their lavish London mansion. His mouth was dry, his stomach churned, and his head felt like a stampeding herd of elephants.
His best friend, Edwin, had better be grateful that Warren kept his promises.
"Warren!" cried a female voice painfully close. "What are you doing here?"
It was Clarissa, his cousin, who also just happened to be Edwin's wife—and the reason Warren had managed to drag himself from his bed at the ungodly hour of noon.
He shaded his eyes to peer at her. As usual, she had the look of a delicate fairy creature. But he knew better than to fall for that cat-in-the-cream smile. "Must you shout like that?"
"I am not shouting." She cocked her head. "And you look ill. So you must have had a grand time at St. George's club last night. Either that, or in the stews early this morning."
"I always have a grand time." Or at least he kept the night at bay, which was the purpose of staying out until all hours.
"I know, which is why it's really unlike you to be here. Especially when Edwin isn't." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Wait a minute—Edwin sent you here, didn't he? Because he couldn't be in town for it."
"What? No." He bent to kiss her cheek. "Can't a fellow just come to a breakfast to see his favorite cousin?"
"He can. But he generally doesn't."
Warren snagged a glass of champagne off a passing tray. "Well, he did today. Wait, who are we talking about, again?"
"Very amusing." Taking the glass from him, she frowned. "You do not need this. You're clearly cropsick."
He snatched it back and downed it. "Which is precisely why I require some hair of the dog."
"You're avoiding the subject. Did Edwin send you here to spy on me or not?"
"Don't be absurd. He merely wanted me to look in on you, make sure everything was all right. You know your husband—he hates having to be at the estate with Niall while you're in town." He glanced at her thickening waist. "Especially when you're . . . well . . . like that."
"Oh, Lord, not you, too. Bad enough to have him and my brother hovering over me all the time, worried about me getting hurt somehow, but if he's sent you to start doing that—"
"No, I swear. He only asked that I come by if I were attending this. I had to be in town anyway, so I figured why not pop in to Lyons' affair?" He waved his empty glass. "The duke always orders excellent champagne. But now that I've had some, I'll just be on my way."
She took him by the arm. "No, indeed. I so rarely get to see you anymore. Stay awhile. They're about to start the dancing."
"Just what I need—to dance with a lot of simpering misses who think a coronet the ideal prize."
"Then dance with me. I can still dance, you know."
No doubt. Clarissa had always been a lively sort, who wouldn't be slowed by something as inconsequential as bearing the heir to the reserved and rather eccentric Earl of Blakeborough.
Clarissa and Edwin were so different that sometimes Warren wondered what the two of them saw in each other. But whenever he witnessed their obvious affection for each other, he realized there must be something deeper cementing their marriage. It made him envious.
He scowled. That was absurd. He didn't intend to marry for a very long while. At least not until he found a lusty widow who could endure his . . . idiosyncrasies.
Clarissa stared off into the crowd. "As long as you're here, I . . . um . . . do need a favor."
Uh-oh. "What kind of favor?"
"Edwin would do it if he didn't have to be in Hertfordshire helping my brother settle the family estate, you know," she babbled. "And Niall—"
"What's the favor?" he persisted.
"Do you know Miss Trevor?"
Miss Trevor? This had better not be another of Clarissa's schemes to get him married off. "Fortunately, I do not. I assume she's one of those debutantes you've taken under your wing."
"Not exactly. Although she was just brought out this past season, she's actually my age . . . and a friend. Her brother, Reynold Trevor, died last year in some horrible shooting accident, and she and her sister-in-law, Mrs. Trevor, have been left without anything but a debt-ridden estate to support. So Miss Trevor's aunt, Lady Pensworth, brought the two of them to London for the Season."
"To find them husbands, no doubt."
"Exactly, although I think Lady Pensworth is more concerned about Miss Trevor, since the late Mr. Trevor's wife has already borne him a child who will inherit the estate, such as it is. To make Miss Trevor more eligible, Lady Pensworth has bestowed a 500-pound dowry on her, which ought to tempt a number of eligible gentlemen."
She looked startled. "I wasn't thinking of you, for heaven's sake. I was thinking of someone less wealthy, with fewer connections. And decidedly younger. She's only twenty-four, after all."
Decidedly younger? "Here now, I'm not that old. I'm the same age as your husband."
"True." Her eyes twinkled at him. "And given your nightly habits, you apparently possess the stamina of a much younger man. Why, no one seeing you in dim light would ever guess you're thirty-three."
He eyed her askance. "I seem to recall your asking me for a favor, dear girl. You're not going about getting it very wisely."
"The thing is, I'm worried about my friend. Miss Trevor keeps receiving these notes at parties, which she slips furtively off to read; she falls asleep in the middle of balls; and she seems rather distracted. Worst of all, she refused my invitation to our house party next week, which I had partly planned in hopes of introducing her to eligible young gentlemen."
"Perhaps she had another engagement."
Clarissa lifted an eyebrow at him.
"Right. She needs a husband, and you're nicely trying to provide her with a selection of potential ones." He smirked at her. "How ungrateful of her not to fall in with your plans."
"Do be serious. When was the last time you saw any unmarried woman with limited prospects refuse a chance to attend a house party at the home of an earl and a countess with our connections?"
He hated to admit it, but she had a point. "So what do you want me to do about it?"
"Ask around at St. George's. See if anyone has heard any gossip about her. Find out if anyone knows some scoundrel who's been . . . well . . . sniffing around her for her dowry."
The light dawned. During her debut years ago, Clarissa had been the object of such a scoundrel's attentions, and it had nearly destroyed the lives of her and her brother. So she tended to be overly sensitive about women who might fall prey to fortune hunters.
"You do know that if I start asking about an eligible young lady at the club," he said, "the members will assume I'm interested in courting her."
"Nonsense. Everyone knows you prefer soiled doves to society loves."
That wasn't entirely true. He did occasionally bed bored widows or ladies with inattentive husbands. There were a great many of those hanging aboutone reason he wasn't keen to marry. He had a ready supply of bedmates without having to leg-shackle himself.
"Besides," she went on, "that is the purpose of St. George's, is it not? To provide a place where gentlemen can determine the suitability of various suitors to women?"
"To their female relations," he said tersely. "Not to the friends of their female relations."
Clarissa stared up at him. "She has no man to protect her. And I very much fear all of the signs lead to her having found someone unsuitable, which is why she's behaving oddly. I don't want to see her end up trapped in a disastrous marriage. Or worse."
They both knew what the "worse" was, since Clarissa had gone through it herself. Damn. He might not have been her guardian for years now, but she still knew how to tug at his conscience.
"It would be a very great favor to me," Clarissa went on. "I tell you what—she's here. So let me just introduce you. You can spend a few moments talking to her and see if I'm right to be alarmed. If you think I'm overly concerned, you may leave here with my blessing and never bother with it again. But if you think I might be right . . ."
"Fine. But you owe me for this. And I promise I will call in my debt down the road." He grinned at her. "At the very least, you must introduce me to some buxom widow with loose morals and an eye for fun."
"Hmm," she said, rolling her eyes. "I'll have to speak to my brother-in-law about that. He has more connections among that sort than I do."
"No doubt." Her brother-in-law used to use "that sort" of women as models in his paintings. "But I don't need you to talk to Keane. So I suppose I'll settle for your promise not to be offended if I also refuse your invitation to your house party."
"There was a possibility of your accepting? Shocking. But since I've never seen you attend a house party in your life—unless it was to some bachelor's hunting box—I didn't bother to invite you."
"Good," he said, though he was mildly annoyed. Marriage had obviously changed her. A year ago, she wouldn't have stopped plaguing him until she'd convinced him to attend. Surely she had not given up on him already.
Unless this was her sly way of once again trying to get him married off. He'd best tread carefully. "So where is this woman you wish me to meet?"
"She was right over there by the—" Clarissa scowled. "Oh, dear, that's her by the fountain, but what the devil are those fellows doing with her?"
She stalked off across the lawn and he followed, surveying the group she headed for: a woman surrounded by three young gentlemen who appeared to be—fishing?—in the fountain.
He recognized the men. One was a drunk, one a well-known rakehell, and the third a notorious gambler by the name of Pitford. All three were fortune hunters.
No wonder Clarissa worried about her friend.
He turned his attention to the chit, who had her back to him and was dressed in a blue-and-green plaid gown with a pink-and-yellow striped shawl.
Good God. Any woman who dressed that way was bound to be a heedless young twit, and he disliked that sort of woman. Unless she was sitting on his lap in a brothel, in which case intelligence hardly mattered.
As they approached the group, Clarissa said, "What on earth is going on here?"
The jovial chap with cheeks already reddened from too much champagne said, "The clasp broke on Miss Trevor's bracelet and it dropped into the fountain, so we're trying to get it out to keep her from ruining her sleeves."
"I would prefer to ruin my entire gown than see you further damage my bracelet with your poking about," the chit said, her voice surprisingly low and throaty. "If you gentlemen would just let me pass, I'd fish it out myself."
"Nonsense, we can do it," the other two said as they fought over the stick wielded by the drunk. In the process, they managed to poke Miss Trevor in the arm.
"Ow!" she cried and attempted to snatch the stick. "For pity's sake, gentlemen . . ."
Warren had seen enough. "Stand aside, lads." He pushed through the arses. Shoving his sleeve up as far as it would go, he thrust his hand into the fountain and fished out the bracelet. Then he turned to offer it to the young lady. "I assume this is yours, miss."
When her startled gaze shot to him, he froze. She had the loveliest blue eyes he'd ever seen.
Though her gown was even more outrageous from the front than from the back, the rest of her was unremarkable. Tall and slender, with slim hips and no breasts to speak of, she had decent skin, a sharp nose, and a rather impudent-looking mouth. She was pretty enough, but by no means a beauty. And not his sort. At all.
Yet those eyes . . .
Fringed with long black lashes, they glittered like stars against an early evening sky, making desire tighten low in his belly. Utterly absurd.
Until her lips curled up into a sparkling smile that matched the incandescence of her eyes. "Thank you, sir. The bracelet was a gift from my late brother. Though I fear you may have ruined your coat retrieving it."
"Nonsense." He extended the bracelet to her. "My valet is very good at his job and will easily put it right."
As she took the bracelet from him, an odd expression crossed her face. "You're left-handed."
He arched one brow. "How clever of you to notice."
"How clever of you to be so. I'm left-handed, too. So I generally notice another left-hander because there aren't that many of us around."
"Or none that will lay claim to the affliction, anyway." And he'd never before met a lady who was.
"True." She slipped the bracelet into her reticule with a twinkle in her eye. "I've always been told it's quite gauche to be left-handed."
"Or at the very least, a sign of subservience to the devil."
"Ah yes. Though the last time I paid a visit to Lucifer, he pretended not to know me. What about you?"
"I know him only to speak to at parties. He's quite busy these days. He has trouble fitting me into his schedule."
"I can well imagine." Pointedly ignoring the three men watching them in bewilderment, she added, "He has all those innocents to tempt and gamblers to ruin and drinkers to intoxicate. However would he find time to waste on a fellow like you, who comes to the aid of a lady so readily? You're clearly not wicked enough to merit his interest."
"You'd be surprised," he said dryly. "Besides, Lucifer gains more pleasure in corrupting decent gentlemen than wicked ones." And this had to be the strangest conversation he'd ever had with a debutante.
"Excellent point. Well then, next time you see him, give him my regards." She cast a side glance at their companions. "He seems to have been overzealous in his activities of late."
When the gentlemen looked offended, Clarissa said hastily, "Don't be silly. The devil is only as busy as people allow him to be, and we shall not allow him to loiter around here, shall we, Warren?" She slid her hand into the crook of his elbow.
"No, indeed. That would be a sin."
"And so are my poor manners," Clarissa went on. She smiled at her friend. "I've forgotten to introduce the two of you. Miss Trevor, may I present my cousin, the Marquess of Knightford and rescuer of bracelets. Warren, this is my good friend, Miss Delia Trevor, the cleverest woman I know despite her gauche left hand."
Cynically, he waited for Miss Trevor's smile to brighten as she realized what a prime catch he was. So he was surprised when her smile faded to politeness instead. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. Clarissa has told me much about you."
He narrowed his gaze on her. "I'm sure she has. My cousin loves gossip."
"No more than you love to provide fodder for it, from what I've heard."
"I do enjoy giving rumormongers something to talk about."
"No doubt they appreciate it. Otherwise they'd be limited to poking fun at spinsters, and then I would never get any rest."
He snorted. "I'd hardly consider you a spinster, madam. My cousin tells me this is your first season."
"And hopefully my last." As the other fellows protested that, she said, "Now, now, gentlemen. You know I'm not the society sort." She fixed Warren with a cool look. "I do better with less lofty companions. You, my lord, are far too worldly and sophisticated for me."
"I somehow doubt that," he said.
"I hear the dancing starting up," Clarissa cut in as she released his arm. "Perhaps you two can puzzle it out if you stand up together for this set."
He had to stifle his laugh. Clarissa wasn't usually so clumsy in her social machinations. She must really like this chit. He was beginning to understand why. Miss Trevor was rather entertaining.
"Excellent idea." He held out his hand to the young lady. "Shall we?"
"Now see here," Pitford interrupted. "Miss Trevor has already promised this dance to me."
"It's true," she told Warren. "I'm promised for all the dances this afternoon."
Hmm. Warren turned to Pitford. "Lord Fulkham was looking for you earlier, old chap. He's in the card room, I believe. I'll just head there and tell him he can find you dancing with Miss Trevor."
Pitford blanched. "I . . . er . . . cannot . . . that is . . ." He bowed to Miss Trevor. "Forgive me, madam, but I shall have to relinquish this dance to his lordship. I forgot a prior engagement."
The fellow scurried off for the gates as fast as his tight pantaloons would carry him. Probably because the wretch owed Fulkham a substantial sum of money.
Pitford's withdrawal was all it took for the other two gentlemen to excuse themselves, leaving Warren alone with his cousin and Miss Trevor.
With a smile, he again offered his arm to Clarissa's friend. "It appears that you are now free to dance. Shall we?"
To his shock, the impudent female hesitated. But she obviously knew better than to refuse a marquess and quickly recovered, taking the arm he offered.
As they headed toward the lawn where the dancing was taking place, Miss Trevor said, "Do you always get your way in everything, Lord Knightford?"
"I certainly try. What good is being a marquess if I can't make use of the privilege from time to time?"
"Even if it means bullying some poor fellow into fleeing a perfectly good party?"
He shot her a long glance. "Pitford is deeply in debt and looking for a rich wife. I should think you would thank me."
She shrugged. "I know what Pitford is. I know what they all are. It matters naught to me. I have no interest in any of them."
Pulling her into the swirl of dancers, he said, "Because you prefer some fellow you left behind at home? Or because you have your sights set elsewhere in town?"
Her expression grew guarded. "For a man of such lofty consequence, you are surprisingly interested in my affairs. Why is that?"
"I am merely dancing with the friend of my cousin," he said smoothly. "And for a woman who has 'no interest' in the three fortune hunters you were just with, you certainly found a good way to get them vying for your attention."
She blinked. "I have no idea what you mean."
"The clasp on that bracelet wasn't broken, Miss Trevor." When she colored and glanced away, he knew he'd hit his mark. "So I can only think that you had some other purpose for dropping it into the fountain."
As they came together in the dance, he lowered his voice. "And if it wasn't to engage those men's interest in you personally, I have to wonder what other reason you might have to risk losing such a sentimental heirloom. Care to enlighten me?"
More in the Sinful Suitors series
Regency folks loved card games, and many of those were either precursors to games we play now or are actually still being played. Whist, for example, became our present-day Bridge. Patience is our modern Solitaire, and Vingt-un (which is what the Brits called it; only the French called it Vingt-et-un) is actually our Blackjack. And Piquet (Warren and Delia's game of choice) is still being played as it was centuries ago. In fact, the term carte blanche came directly from Piquet. It's a very complicated game, so I haven't attempted to master it, but you can find tutorials on the internet if that interests you.


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/ William M Kime
William M. Kime
bill.kime@fticonsulting.com
About William
William Kime is a Senior Managing Director at FTI Consulting and is based in Rockville. Prior to joining FTI Consulting in February 2008, Mr. Kime was a Senior Shareholder at Rubino and McGeehin. Mr. Kime provides consulting services to a wide variety of clients. Those services include litigation support and consulting services related to pricing of construction and government contract damages, analysis of accounting systems, and documentation and cost recovery in environmental cleanup cases. More specifically, these services have included assistance to contractors in contract closeouts, estimation and calculation of damages resulting from such actions as terminations, change in contract requirements or differing site conditions, and late exercise of contract options. This work has involved review of available documentation, pricing of damages, and preparation of a claim or Request for Equitable Adjustment due to delay or disruption. In the past, he has provided these services to public and private owners, and both large and small construction firms and government contractors.
His experience also includes assessing the adequacy of accounting systems and records of corporate clients and governmental units; determination of cost allocability and allowability under certain contracts; and assisting in negotiation of disputes. Mr. Kime has provided expert testimony in both Federal District and State Courts, the Maryland Board of Contract Appeals and numerous arbitrations and mediations. He has also provided assistance to government contractors for pre-award, cost incurred, and final close-out government audits. The public owners for which Mr. Kime has worked include the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the states of Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina. Mr. Kime has also provided accounting and pricing services for large national and international contractors and small private companies.
Mr. Kime is extensively involved with environmental cost recovery actions prosecuted by the DOJ. As part of these efforts, he provides consultation to various government agencies including the DOJ and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on a variety of cost accounting and financial matters. He has also implemented computer-based cost accounting systems, including the system used to accumulate DOJ costs for Superfund cases based on the conversion of DOJ information provided in electronic format. He has provided these services in over 70 environmental cases.
Mr. Kime is a CPA. He received a B.S. in accounting from the University of Scranton.
B.S., Accounting, University of Scranton
Suite 1000 (10th floor)
Forensic Accounting & Investigations
Litigation Support & Consulting Services
Construction Environmental Public Sector & Government Contracts


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Every Artist Is Illuminated By Their Own Light
20 November 2016 İrem Gökbudak Interview, Local Jazz Heroes comments 1518
"As long as you keep your internal hope ablaze, you emit that light to those who surround you. I believe that every artist is illuminated by their own light. That is why I try to follow my own path."
These words belong to one of the most unique voices of jazz—Şenay Lambaoğlu, whom we know through her lyrics and interpretation. Şenay Lambaoğlu is a rare artist who illuminates her surroundings with her own internal light. She knows what she wants and she does everything in her power to get it. She has to believe in the single comma or the dot in the songs she sings. That's why her songs feels alive when she sings.
I saw Şenay for the first time, except for her photographs and videos, when she accepted my invitation and came to the studio. She was emitting so much light and I couldn't help but tell her "You talk as if you are singing" when we were chatting. That's how our friendship started.
We will learn about Şenay Lambaoğlu's story, as well as many things about jazz in general and jazz musicians in Turkey in this interview.
During this session of my 'Bizim Cazcılar' program on NTV Radio, Şenay Lambaoğlu played "Uçurtma", "Başka Türlü Bir Şey" and "Sensiz Olmaz" from her Başka Türlü Bir Şey album, "Kalbim" from "Zarf Tümleci" and "İçimde Aşk Var" from her album with the same name. If you wish, you can play one of these pieces to accompany this music journey of Lambaoğlu. It will be enjoyable.
Now, let's embark on Lambaoğlu's music adventure…
I Started Singing With A Hairbrush Instead of a Microphone
I was a kid who lived in her own world of imagination. Music has always been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.
I grew up in Germany. The most memorable moments were probably listening to opera during Sunday Concerts when I was 3 years old.
Kendi hayal aleminde yaşayan bir çocuktum. Müzik, kendimi bildim bileli hayatımın içindeydi, hayatımın bir parçasıydı. Of course, in Istanbul there are concerts, especially during Sunday mornings, conducted by Hikmet Şimşek. That's when music entered my life. School orchestras… But even before that, I started playing the classical guitar in Germany when I was 10 years old. Playing an instrument never felt that interesting to me (maybe due to my impatient nature and unruly character).
I did the childhood rituals girls sometimes do, like singing in front of the mirror. I was a kid who would wear her mother's morning robe and sing in front of the mirror, while using a hairbrush instead of a microphone. But I can say that I had a talent for making up songs.
Radio Years
My father gave me a small radio as a gift when we moved to Istanbul. I would listen to it in the background when I was studying, there were no private channels. An hour of Classical Music and and an hour of 'Jazz Kuşağı' programs would be broadcasted on TRT Radio 3. So, it wasn't at a later age when jazz entered my life.
Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, John Coltrane during my middle school years… That music I would listen to on the background drew me in. I couldn't help but form a repertoire. I even recorded some. There were cassettes back then, I would record the pieces I liked on those.
Milliyet's music competitions were very popular when I was in high school. Our teacher was a bass guitar player who used to play with pop jazz orchestras. There was a song called Nah Neh Nah by Vaya Con Dios, it used to be very popular. We decided to participate in the competition with that and got through the preliminaries. We got a good result. We inevitably formed a jazz repertoire after that.
University, Masters, Building Blocks
There was a place called Gramofon on İstiklal Street when I was studying in the university. Önder Focan, Şenova Ülker and Neşet Ruacan. I was a child compared to them back then, but it was very valuable to perform on the same stage in the same jazz club with them. I was singing in Selçuk Sun's orchestra, with his quartet. These were the factors that contributed to my building blocks.
I graduated from Yıldız Technical University's singing department. I did my graduate studies there as well. I went to the States for a while, to Boston. I participated in vocal workshops of Sheila Jordon and Pragdit as a guest student. Those took place in Harvard. But I believe that you learn by performing on the stage. Even if you decide to pursue an academic career, the circumstances are so that a mentor-protoge relationship ultimately leads to good results.
Şenay Lambaoğlu (Photo: Muhsin Akgün)
Life Changes Lanes
I didn't stay in Boston for too long. Even if you have a scholarship, you are ultimately a student and the circumstances are tough. Working as a student is tough as well.
If you aren't lucky and something isn't happening in spite of your pushing, life changes lanes. One door closes and another opens. That's what happened to me.
I met Randy Esen when I returned to Istanbul. I took classical singing education from Yıldız Dağdelen in school, and I practiced vocals and style knowledge with Randy. So it was a comprehensive learning period. Then I found myself right in professional music life while performing with orchestras and Big Bands while working on projects.
My family supported this adventure. However; we didn't have anyone around us who did a living with a career in jazz. That's why they saw this as a hobby, just like photography or painting wood. One is never offered their dreams on a silver platter, but I have always felt their moral support. They have always been respectful of my choice. It is way more important to meet the right people in the right time and to push your luck. Because even the most conservative family gives in when they see your consistence and excitement. Sometimes young people tell me "My parents aren't giving me permission, they don't support me so, the circumstances…" and ask me what to do. I reply "If you really want this, you will surely find a way."
Time To Record An Album
I have been involved with music professionally for more or less 15 years. It took time for jazz to find its place in the music market in Turkey. This might be why I was so late in working on an album. Because there is a structure in the music industry lead by big names. Even radio programs are like this. There aren't studios involved in this, the venues to play are limited, the TV and radio channels, newspapers that you can present with your work are limited. Everything is limited. My first album "İçimde Aşk Var" was released through Ada Müzik. My musician friend Ercüment Orkut has been a great source of support. The arrangements belong to him. We did this project as we felt like it, without planning much or worrying about whether it would be liked. It was received really well. I think that album brought me luck, because we were able to meet many listeners during Istanbul Jazz Festival and Akbank Jazz Festival 'Campus'.
"Freedom Is In The Essence of Jazz"
We released the second album by combining the songs that didn't make it to the first album with some others that we thought would fit the concept. I worked with 5 arrangers for this album, called "Zarf Tümleci". Every arranger picked pieces that would suit their character. I like to submit to people I work with during albums in this sense. The end result becomes something collectively achieved. Even if it is my project, the product is all our work. We are talking about the freedom in the essence of jazz.
"Başka Türlü Bir Şey" is my latest album. I start with names, they come first. At least when I am making the albums. Doing so feels like writing an essay under a title. This might be a habit due to my affinity to literature.
I Did Something Different
Maybe I should have taken a break after the second album, but I am excited about creating and building new things again. I cannot hold it in. I wanted to bring together my favorite authors, lyrics writers, stories and compositions. These were all coming from our own geography and have touched my life somehow. There are those like Sevinç Tevs. These are really really valuable musicians. Their musics are actually very international in nature. I wanted to compile the names who provided me with examples while I was writing poems, composing, especially when I was writing lyrics during my youth. That's how "Başka Türlü Bir Şey" (meaning "Something Different") was born. So when I am asked "What to do?" or "How to define this album?", I reply by saying that we tried to do "Something Different".
Dear Can Çankaya is both the producer and arranger of the album. Some of my valuable musician friends contributed to the album. Okay Temiz is one of those guests. Berke Özgümüş on the drums. Kağan Yıldız played the double bass. Selim Saraçoğlu played the acoustic guitar and Volkan Polat played the electric guitar. Cafer Nazlıbaş played 'kabak kemane' (a string instrument used in Classical Turkish Music).
When it comes to the songs, there are Can Yücel's and Füruğ Ferruhzad's poems. There are Ömer Hayyam and Nazım Hikmet Ran, Fikret Kızılok, one of my favorite lyrics writers Vedat Sakman, there is İlhan Şeşen. It was a great pleasure working on their material.
Music Shouldn't Be Confined In Narrow Boxes
I cannot say that I follow new things coming out. I even asked a very popular musician who works with the same label and logo as I do "Are you involved with music too, do you work here?"; I didn't know them. I felt bad about it afterwards.
My popular culture is weak in that aspect. But Neşet Ertaş is very valuable for me. Erkan Oğur is a real music connoisseur. Aside from those, I look up to Zeki Müren when it comes to Classical Turkish Music. The names who were influential in their own periods should be researched. I don't want to confine music in narrow boxes. We would be no different than the previous generation if we do that. Now we can talk about an integration of different genres. Being single minded would be a great injustice to music and it affects creativity too. Even if you say you only listen to jazz, the jazz musicians aren't closed to the world. The reason why they are well known is their openness. I also listen to classical music. I try to follow concerts as much as I can. I like Birsen Tezer among the popular names, for example. She isn't actually that popular but she is proves that existence in those alternative platforms is possible. Or the songs of Müzeyyen Senar; they are so special.
Here, I see that jazz world is very closed minded. We cannot naturally break those walls down while communicating with other people. The musician doesn't even want to, so the listener isn't enthusiastic as a natural result.
Sincerity and Love
The albums with Turkish lyrics are more popular so that might be why those reached bigger audiences. However; this really isn't an obstacle. Instrumental music can reach big audiences. For example, Okay Temiz (ultimately he focuses on percussion and drums) reaches those audiences. Because there isn't a space that sincerity and love cannot touch or reach.
Jazz musicians have certain characteristics that differentiate them from musicians of other genres. I see that we are generalized into certain moulds when people who produce and those who listen to jazz are concerned, because our space of operation is limited. There isn't space to grow as a listener as well. We could be having problems resulting from defence mechanisms we developed concerning creating music, because of jazz musicians are having trouble reaching large audiences. However; a classical jazz musician has the opportunity to collaborate with a popular music artist and thus reach larger audiences. Even then, there are concerns about who is helping who. Ultimately, you can be a part of something when your music reaches a bigger number of people. You can be a part of the advertisement. There is a very fine line.
I Am Happy That I Am A Jazz Singer
I try not to use the words "if only" in my life. I am glad that I am involved with music. I am happy that I am a jazz singer. That I spend time with people who produce music. I want to include journalists like you to this list. Because we really are leading tough lives in tough times. What we are trying to achieve is tough. We try to stand up straight against all the odds. That's why it is great to have lives surrounded by people who love us. We are thankful that we do what we love. We start the day smiling, go to work with a smile on our faces, and leave work smiling. These are really priceless treasures.
That's why I consider myself lucky. Aside from that, people who entered my life, my family, my mother, my son, my dear Deniz… We live life learning from our mistakes, always going forward. When I hear similar stories from people I work with or somehow meet, I feel that I am not alone. This thought puts me at ease and renders me strong. That's why nothing is too hard.
As long as you keep your internal hope ablaze, you emit that light to those who surround you. I believe that every artist is illuminated by their own light. That is why I try to follow my own path. When things sometimes don't go my way, I think "There must be a message in this, what am I doing wrong?" and try to go back to my essence. I might sound like a life coach but these are things that everyone knows about. We can sometimes forget them. That's why I wish everyone sentences that start with "fortunately" instead of "if only".
Başka Türlü Birşey
İçimde Aşk Var
Şenay Lambaoğlu
Zarf Tümleci
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Chef's Table, Chester
I don't know when it was exactly that London lost its monopoly of great places to eat in the UK. As with so many things, change is gradual - perhaps when l'Enclume won the Good Food Guide's Best Restaurant award back in 2012 it signalled a certain shift away from the capital, but then the odd fine dining establishment has always existed nestled in well-heeled countryside - the Manoir aux Quatre Saison in Oxfordshire, for example, or Gidleigh Park in Devon. L'Enclume was different, of course, because it made more of the bounty of its location and its partly foraged, rustic-yet-refined menu was genuinely groundbreaking, but even so, back then London was usually still where you first went to open a serious restaurant.
So what changed? Well, rents didn't help - to turn a profit owner/operators have had to really think hard about their margins and the creep out of zones 1 and 2 into newly be-restauranted areas like Lewisham and Leyton is well documented, but then when have London rents ever not been an issue? The grabby mitts of the Shaftesbury Estate have been around much longer ago than 2012. And Brexit has surely made a lot of the people who might be cooking and serving your dinner feel like they might be better off in a non-racist country that isn't about to detonate 40 years worth of trading networks for no good reason, but show me any member of the hospitality industry that's ever found hiring staff easy and I'll show you a liar. Brexit was, is, and always will be, a disaster, but restaurants have shuttered for want of decent personnel well before 2016.
The simple reality is, London restaurants got more boring - becoming increasingly gimmicky and superficial, relying on (that awful word) Instagrammable signature dishes and unusual interiors - at the same time as independent gastropubs and high street bistros came to realise that the availability of top producers and a nearby field full of wood sorrel is something very few places near a tube stop could use to their advantage. This is, of course, a brutal generalisation - there are still great restaurants in London, but a vast majority of the most exciting meals I've had in the last few years have been in locations up and down the country, far outside the M25, serving food with the kind of immediacy and honesty that you rarely see in the big smoke.
And so to Chester, where a little high street bistro called Chef's Table is serving fantastic food, with a smile, at prices that would make a London restaurateur weep. First of the 'snacks' were these frog's legs, cutely trimmed into mini drumsticks, breadcrumbed and fried, and resting in a thick pea soup. They were lovely, every bit of them, the peas having an incredible flavour (they own a kitchen garden not far out of town, apparently) and the protein full of tasty fat without being greasy.
And further evidence that Chef's Table aren't afraid to offer unusual ingredients, a lamb's tongue "yakitori", bronzed with ponzu and accompanied by a colourful coleslaw of pickled cabbages, carrots, and sesame oil. Asian seasonings and sauces abount on the Chef's Table menu, but are never clumsy or jarring - this is a kitchen in supreme command of its influences.
A generously proportioned cube of tonkatsu, full of melty fatty pork and dressed in more of that zingy ponzu - just enough to offset the pork but not enough to set your teeth on edge - was one of those things that you wish you could eat forever, free-flowing arteries be damned. Those on the top, by the way, aren't strings of saffron but finely-chopped smoked chilli, which was a clever little touch.
Kitchen Garden Salad was quite breathtakingly pretty, a medley of miniature vegetables and shoots all woven in and out of each other, with croutons for texture and bound with a large poached duck egg. It was all good but I was particularly taken with a bit of what I think was turnip pickled in beetroot juice for colour, a little nod to Middle Eastern comfort food.
Chef's Table put just as much emphasis on vegan dishes as non-vegan, with a whole separate plant-based menu to choose from. This is, in fact, how all restaurants should approach veganism - as you're probably more than aware, simply removing dairy from a vegetarian dish is a surefire way to end up with something inedibly bland. This mushroom and avocado crostini didn't suffer at all from lack of animal product - mushrooms cooked in oil provided an earthy, meaty base note while whipped avocado played the role of mayonnaise admirably. And although I didn't order it (obviously), I would happily have eaten it, which tells you all you need to know.
Given that everything that had come before it was so artful and precise, the vegan main - a huge falafel burger and chips - came as a bit of a shock. I suppose we only had ourselves to blame in ordering a burger and underestimating the generosity of Northern restaurant kitchens, but nice though it was there's only so much falafel and bread you can wade through before waving the little white flag. That said, the romesco sauce was cracking, and the triple cooked chips utterly brilliant - golden brown and crunchy on the outside, and creamy within.
My own main was chicken, and though beautifully presented with a nice golden brown skin, it was rather underseasoned and strangely unsatisfying, which was a shame. But I loved the stuffed courgette flower, and the girolle mushrooms, and the sharp saffron-spiked hollandaise sauce, so all was not lost at all.
A second vegan main of pea and lovage risotto got us back on track though. Full of late summer colour and enhanced with something called "tomato essence", much like the crostini the lack of dairy was a complete non-issue, and unlike the falafel burger the portion size was spot-on. And isn't it a pretty thing?
Desserts were highlights of a meal not short on highlights. A raspberry a white chocolate delice, sat in a fruit syrup, had a beautifully balanced flavour, and a sorbet made with anise hyssop was soft and smooth.
And finally honey and lavender steamed pudding is absolutely the best thing to happen to honey and lavender, so rich and comforting it drew gasps from all at the table. It was topped with "apple crumble ice cream", which is probably the best thing to happen to apple crumble as well. Just brilliant.
The bill, with plenty of booze but without service which they didn't even ask for, came to £40 a head, which I hardly need to point out is pretty astonishing value considering the amount of thought and care that had gone into the dishes. True, I had my issues with a couple of bits and pieces but it's worth stressing that, cosseted by attentive and knowledgeable staff in that cosy little room, we left Chef's Table with our spirits in the clouds. Very, very few restaurants are quite this joyful an experience, and quite so easy to enjoy.
So, another point for the North West, and yet another fantastic restaurant Not In London. I can unhesistatingly recommend a meal here in much the same way I can unhesitatingly recommend the Parkers Arms or indeed Sticky Walnut just around the corner - in short, if you don't enjoy Chef's Table then eating out just isn't for you. They are absolutely nailing on the head everything that makes a good restaurant, and most of what makes a great one, and is a reason to visit Chester all by itself. Lucky, lucky Chester.
Labels: Chester, Modern British, Vegan
Wynyard Hall, Teesside
Strolling through the vast walled gardens attached to Wynyard Hall, with its acres and acres of bedding groaning with all kinds of very healthy looking fruit and veg stretching almost as far as the eye could see, I naturally assumed that a large proportion of the produce would be offered in the garden shop or sold to a number of local restaurants. There seemed to be enough growing to singlehandedly feed most of Darlington - I mean just look at the scale of the place from space - and even though the hotel itself is hardly a small operation - everything about Wynyard is exaggeratedly grand and imposing - it seemed unlikely they'd need quite this amount of onions, kale, carrots etc. just for themselves.
So that night, settling down for dinner in a dining room so vast the ceiling seemed to be above the cloud layer, I brought up the subject with one of the very affable front of house. What happens to all the fruit and veg the restaurant doesn't use?
"Oh, we use pretty much all of it," came the reply, "there's very few bits left over for the shop."
Which, when you think about it, is quite extraordinary in what it implies for any other restaurant with the ambition of growing all of their grocery needs on-site. Wynyard Hall's dining area isn't tiny, but it's not exactly stuffed full of covers - the tables are nicely spaced out and there's plenty of room to move about - but even this medium-sized operation requires a kitchen garden the size of a football pitch to keep it stocked. It's great for them, obviously, that they have the space and the gardening expertise to do it, but I certainly came away with a newfound appreciation for anywhere attempting such an ambitious control of their ingredient offering.
And speaking of which, as you might hope, the ingredients at Wynyard Hall are absolutely blinding. The first bite to eat is this, a little potato that had been in the ground mere hours before, soaked in butter and topped with what I think was a lovage purée. I can honestly say I've hardly eaten a better potato in my life, it was that good, and so from the very first morsel served that evening, it became very clear that all the trouble and effort of the kitchen garden had been absolutely worth it.
In fact the next dish was not just supplied by the garden, it was actively inspired by it. The "Walled Garden Salad" contained a bewildering number of flowers, vegetables and herbs, each treated according to maximising their potential (fennel bulb was braised, I think, while a mini courgette was lightly grilled) and artfully presented. What's the point in having a vast walled garden if you can't show off the results of it, and though it's probably fair to say the kitchen's intervention here was deliberately minimal, the odd blob of clever sorrel mayonnaise and some kind of (quince?) jam added a few reminders that they can be serious and cheffy when they need to be.
Smoked eel had a meaty texture and strong, salty flavour, and came in a lovely subtle fresh pea and milk "soup" which complimented it very well. There's not much else to say about this really - it wasn't uninteresting, but just uncomplicated, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Next came a scallop, with another tasty little morsel from the garden (a tiny young shoot of baby gem lettuce) topped with bacon. Bacon and scallop is of course a time-honoured match, but this bit of seafood had been topped with a fiercely sharp citrus glaze, which took a bit of getting used to. Once all the flavours settled down in the mouth, though, it worked rather well. And what a good strong dark crust on the scallop, too, which I always like to see.
The last of the savouries was a lamb chop, meltingly tender and blushed pink, with a number of elements lamb should always come with, namely a mashed potato consisting of mainly butter, some glossy vegetables and herbs, and most importantly of all a thick, dark, glossy sauce to bind it all together. Needless to say, this dish ticked every single one of my personal pleasure points and I completely demolished it - it's essentially all of the reasons I go to restaurants, on one plate. There was even a bonus piece of sweetbread in there, and although I wasn't completely in love with the "molasses butter" it was cooked with, I still ate it quite happily because hey, sweetbread.
"Toffee Apple Parfait" was a delicate little thing, sweet and summery and laced with just enough salt on the pastry to make the tastebuds tingle. In a grand old hotel such as this, afternoon tea is obviously a major part of the experience - most tables on the terrace overlooking the lake were occupied by families tucking into cakes and scones on the Saturday we arrived, and there are fully two (huge, naturally) other rooms inside serving the same - so it's probably no surprise the pastry section know what they're doing.
Finally, a strawberry tart - colourful, seasonal, flatteringly accessible and yet, with its blob of slickly-Pacojetted marscapone ice cream and swoops of gorgeous strawberry jus, clearly the work of a kitchen that has produced many such elegant offerings before. Have you got the picture by now? Wynyard Hall is good.
True, I was hardly likely to travel all the way up to Darlington without being pretty sure I was going to enjoy both dinner and a good night's sleep (the beds are super comfy, by the way, and they give you a little vial of "sleep aid" room spray which I can confirm really works - I slept like a log) but even so, none of this is inevitable. Hotel restaurants, ambitious hotel restaurants like this at least, have a very difficult job to do in keeping your average honeymooner or wedding guest happy whilst also serving the kind of food that gets you noticed on sites like these, and they could have very easily, under a lesser kitchen, fallen awkwardly between two competing philosophies and satisfied nobody.
Instead, Wynyard Hall is that rarest of things - a palatial country hotel set in hundreds of acres of stunning surroundings that doesn't just let the décor do the talking. For your money (and it's not even super expensive, £55 for the tasting menu) you do, admittedly, get quite a bit of jaw-dropping scenery but you also get the kind of ambitious, ingredient-led Modern British food, supported by top suppliers and a record-breaking kitchen garden, that any corner of the country would be exceedingly proud to call their own. And for aiming so high and getting so much of it so right, Wynyard Hall should be very proud indeed.
I was invited to Wynyard Hall and they wouldn't let me pay for so much as a glass of brandy (though I did offer) so many thanks to them for everything. Lovely people, lovely place.
Posted by Chris Pople at 10:35 No comments:
Labels: kitchen garden, Modern British, North East, tasting menu
Siren, Victoria
Workplace management training always advises 'bookending' employee criticism between two elements of good news or encouragement. "You've always got nice clean shoes," you would start, before moving on to "...but your mislabelling of laboratory chemicals yesterday led directly to the deaths of 300 people. That said, it should be a lot easier to find a seat on the bus home from now on!". And so on. The bad news is still bad, but cushioned so closely by the psychological props of the good news, you're less likely to take it to heart.
I'm going to try that trick in this post on Siren, a seafood restaurant in Goring Hotel, because although - sorry to say - the main event proved a bit of a letdown, there were, and forgive the corporate-speak, positives to take away from the experience. First of all, it's impossible not to be completely smitten by Siren's dining area. Constructed partly of reclaimed former Goring bar area, and partly by building a conservatory out into the garden, they've ended up with a bright and beautiful space with - weather and time permitting - nothing to separate you from the manicured lawns below. Unfortunately, mid-evening the windows get shut - probably something to do with neighbourhood noise levels - and I think I'd feel a bit miffed if, like the couple arriving at 9pm, they had fully 2 minutes to soak up the view before that amenity was removed.
I wasn't a huge fan of the Grasshopper cocktail - it tasted rather like mouthwash, and looked like it too - but although the Garden Negroni had a similarly dentist-y look it managed to taste pretty normal so that was a relief. Staff, both in the bar and the restaurant (is there a distinction? I couldn't work it out) were enthusiastic, and friendly, and win points for advising us not to order too many chips and mix up the sides a little. But whether from inexperience or the sheer unworkability of the concept generally, they struggled when it came to making sense of the main courses.
But before that, starters. I may as well admit now that I didn't get to try all of them - this monkfish tartare with fennel and ginger looked the part and was declared "nice" but I can't give you any more detail than that...
...and lobster and pea tart, which also looked very pretty, was in fact slightly less well received. A bit subdued in flavour, by all accounts, though again I can't confirm.
Of the ones I did get to try, the scallops with rosemary and orange butter would almost certainly have benefitted from a more confident crust, and I don't think I'm being too unreasonable in thinking £11 per scallop is a little on the dear side, even for a 5 star hotel, but they had a nice sweet flavour and weren't terrible.
And it's hardly Siren's fault that just a week previously I'd been given one of the greatest sardine dishes of my life, although you might expect a dedicated seafood restaurant in a 5 star hotel in central London to take at least as much care over their product as a £39 tasting menu in the Calder Valley. The flavours were nice enough - the toasted hazelnuts made a great foil for the oily fish, and I enjoyed the faintly pickled, julienned veg - but there were so many tiny bones that they fair shredded my tonsils, which just seems sloppy to me.
The way Siren present their fish options tableside is presumably a nod to steakhouses that do the same with their different cuts of beef. I've never really been very comfortable with the practice - it seems wasteful to parade the same bits of slowly-expiring meat around the shop floor all day, and I don't really know how you're supposed to make any kind of judgement on what a steak will taste like based on looks alone anyway. It feels even more disconcerting when applied to an arrangement of sad, floppy, cloudy-eyed fish, their ice bed melting into a foetid puddle, especially alongside the cheerfully-announced news that 1/3 of the species on offer - slipsole, and weaver - had "already sold out". Here's a tip - if a fish is sold out take it off the bloody platter - we'd have been none the wiser if they hadn't been waved under our noses like we were unsuccessful gameshow contestants.
The next bit of weirdness was in the portion sizes. I don't know if you can tell from the photo - I should have probably tried a bit harder to get a better angle, sorry - but from what I remember the plaice (2nd left) the megrim sole (3rd left) and John Dory (4th left) all looked very similar sizes on the tray. But while Siren decided to serve the plaice and sole whole, the John Dory had been divided into two pretty miserly steaks. And they gave no indication that was going to happen when we ordered.
In the end, bizarrely, the John Dory was the nicest of the fish - a great, firm texture like this fish often has, with a fantastic salty, spicy skin laced with plenty of chilli. Just, you know, look at the size of it.
Plaice was also perfectly edible, and just as well as there was plenty of it, falling off the edge of the plate and drowning in butter and capers.
Now I have to be careful throwing around words like 'overcooked', as Google tells me that megrim sole does have a softer flesh than dover sole. Perhaps this texture was entirely deliberate. But if megrim even at its best has all the form of wet tissue paper then I'd suggest they probably shouldn't be serving it at all, as this really was fairly unpleasant.
Sides were inoffensive - tomato salad could have done with more salt and there was something unsatisfyingly "soily" about the "crispy potatoes", Perhaps they'd left the skins on, I didn't look closely enough. I'm afraid by this stage I'd run out of steam a bit.
To be fair, desserts were pretty good. My raspberry choux bun was a damn sight better than a version I'd been served at Le Gavroche a few months back, and even nicer drowned in all the chocolate sauce they gave me in one go. Yes, I am a child.
Brownie was decent, too, with a nice soft ice cream and plenty of salted caramel. This is me finding nice things to say after six paragraphs of whingeing, although I'm not sure it's really going to make up for it, is it?
No, overall I found more to complain about at Siren than I liked. In this price range its competition are seafood restaurant stars like J Sheekey's, or Bentleys, where the portion sizes are sensible, sole is offered off as well as on the bone, and the menu is bulked out by genuinely exciting shellfish selections. At Siren there were no langousine, no clams, no whelks, crab (except in a risotto), razors or crayfish, no seafood platters at all, just a fairly standard offering of dayboat fish, not always cooked very well. Perhaps at half the price and set outside of a Leading Hotel of the World I could have forgiven some of the issues, but certainly not all of them. Siren, from the menu to the service, feels like a neighbourhood restaurant that's somehow found itself trapped inside a luxury hotel.
I've failed at offering the bad news in between the good news, I know. This is almost certainly the reason I could never be a manager. But all I can do, in the end, is point out that there are better ways of spending this amount of money (about £140/head) on seafood, and go and find something else to moan about. So I'll do just that. There are, after all, plenty more fish in the sea.
Labels: Cocktails, fish, Seafood, victoria
Mr Wong's, Holborn
The Moorcock Inn, Yorkshire
Alyn Williams at the Westbury, Mayfair


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