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Spotlight: Tim Brady Part II
In February of 2019, I was flown up to Montreal to cover composer/guitarist Tim Brady's evening of 150 guitars for Guitar Player. You can read my coverage and interview about that here and see a sample below. Inspired by my conversation with Dither's James Moore, after we finished Tim's GP interview, I restarted the recorder for a wide ranging dialogue about the state of the electric guitar in today's classical world. We covered a lot of ground so I broke it up into two posts. You can start with Part I here, but it is not necessary.
TB: I've been really thinking, and reading, about the history of the electric guitar. You can play it with your fingers, but the core of the electric guitar is generally playing with a pick, so it's a plectrum instrument. What we call European classical music has no plectrum instruments. It appears in Middle Eastern, Indian, or Asian music. That makes the electric guitar part of a way older tradition than the European orchestral tradition, and it's continuous. They've been playing sitar, sarod, and the Japanese biwa, which has this huge triangle pick, for thousands of years. When people say the electric guitar was invented in 1932 and has no tradition, it's like, "Uh-uh folks, our tradition goes back before your tradition." That gives me a sense I'm not the new kid on the block doing this thing.
The whole question of decolonization, among the native people here in Canada, gets lots of press. One of the big talking points is that there are a million Aboriginal Canadians who have been treated very poorly for 450 years. One of the words that keeps coming up is decolonization, which doesn't mean they want 37 million White and Black Canadians to go back somewhere. Everybody realizes that's not really the solution. It's not going to happen. It's not saying that playing with an orchestra is bad. It's not saying there's anything morally reprehensible about it. It's just saying that an orchestra is part of a culture from another place. We've imported it, we've accepted it, we embraced it, but we should accept it's from another place.
And so, one of the things about the electric guitar, which is very interesting, is that from a decolonization perspective, the electric guitar appears to be this North American instrument because it was invented in the United States and clearly had a huge historical impact in the United States. It was very important in black culture, which is in many ways a driving force behind the electric guitar.
I feel we're part of this very large world tradition of plucked string instruments, which means we're part of the solution to decolonization. When you're playing the electric guitar, you're tapping into the sarod, you're tapping into the oud, you're tapping into the biwa, and even if you're playing "European classical music," there's some of that inherent in plucked string instruments. It's not the better nor worse, but it is a very different experience from the European one, which has no plucked string instruments. The last one they had was the harpsichord and it died because it wasn't loud enough. That's getting into the political thing, but invariably music and politics do link up.
I love writing for orchestra. It's great. But the European orchestra was the sonic equivalent of large-scale colonization and capitalism. The fact that the two grew up at the same time was not an accident. The idea of creating this large model musical object, which imposes its sonic will is exactly what colonialism and hard capitalism is all about. So, the two are linked.
Obviously, electric guitar was huge and made tons of money for people from the 1950s until nowadays, but structurally the electric guitar was at the tail end of the massive expansion period of capitalism. Hard capitalism ended in 1945, the Second World War. Then we got into the second phase of capitalism. One could even argue that hard capitalism ended with the First World War.
When you go into a university and start talking about the history of the electric guitar, its relationship to the biwa, the sarod, and the fact that the primary people who drove the electric guitar were black as well as white musicians, you've got to acknowledge Chuck Berry, Bill Broonzy, Jimi Hendrix and Charlie Christian. I'm writing an opera where Charlie Christian is the main character. It's for four electric guitars. That in itself speaks to the decolonization effect of the electric guitar. What it brings up, if we think about it in larger political philosophical terms, is the electric guitar could be this fantastic bridge because it's a North American instrument. It comes from white capitalist culture, and yet has this whole other history. The two are almost perfectly blended in the culture and how the instrument works.
To me, it shows that we can find solutions. It's very utopian, very philosophical, but to me it's quite real. The guitar is still the most common amateur musical instrument. If people say, "I want to learn an instrument," most people go buy a guitar. And so, there's going to be more and more people showing up wanting to play guitar in music schools. The electric guitar in education is already a big-ish, but it's going to become a much bigger thing over the next 30 years.
GM: As a political-cultural thing, I also think of the guitar as being in tied to the whole baby boomer thing. It is a community instrument in terms of the "Kumbaya" aspect. People love when somebody pulls out a guitar and strums. I'm getting the perspective worldwide. Through GM, I'm hearing from guitarists everywhere; Spain, Italy is a hotbed of modern guitar players; there are a bunch in New York.
TB: The concerto that Kenneth did for D. J. Sparr just won the Grammy. D. J. Sparr is in Lubbock, Texas. Fuchs does a lot of new music for electric guitar. The music itself is very pretty; you've got orchestrations that sound almost like Tchaikovsky or Prokofiev. D. J. plays this blue PRS with a whammy bar on top of it. So, it's in an even weirder cultural class than myself, where you get this chamber ensemble playing a Steve Reich, Elliott Sharp, new music thing.
GM: That was another thing I discussed with James Moore. When I hear modern guitar classical music, much of it seems to come out of minimalist school as opposed to any romantic tradition.
TB: That has to do with the fact that we're plucked string instruments. We are basically a percussion instrument. The electric guitar works way better when you're doing this than when you're doing anything else.
GM: I don't know that I buy into that. I think of Jeff Beck playing "Cause We've Ended as Lovers," and there is nothing more romantic.
TB: Exactly, as a soloist. But as an ensemble? Try and imagine five or six Jeff's playing As We Ended as Lovers.
GM: I'd love to imagine that, I'd love to hear that.
TB: It's trickier structurally.
GM: Why is that?
TB: I have seen it done occasionally. It comes to training. Guitar players have very limited training and experience to playing in a romantic, a string quartet where you're doing Brahms string quartets and things like that. There's this sense of blend and the pulse moves around all the time. Classical music has this very different relationship with pulse than minimalist music or jazz or African, pulse-based music. In classical music, the harmony and the pulse are so closely related. To play like that, you'd have to work at this European sense of pulse.
The other thing has to do with attack characteristics. This is why you'll never hear a vibraphone quartet playing Brahms.
Stravinsky sounds pretty pulse oriented, I'll give you that. We have a new Instruments of Happiness CD coming out next month and there's one piece where we use EBows at the beginning of the piece, and it sounds just like a classical string quartet. It is possible.
GM: I hear it in my head. I may have to write it.
TB: You've got a vision. It is possible, and people do use it. We occasionally do it. There are certain sections where we all start using distortion and volume pedals and you're starting to get the warm, romantic thing. People tend to explore the most obvious resources right off the bat. So, you get four guitar players together and we're going to start playing rhythmically. But you're talking about trying to find a more fluid sense of time and a more lyrical linear expression, I would agree with you that there is potential.
GM: I'm a big John Abercrombie fan and his sense of time is very fluid.
TB: Yes. it's not impossible. It's not where we're going for the moment, but I agree.
GM: James Moore seemed to think that some of it just the trend of classical music now is towards minimalism.
TB: Yes, I wouldn't go that far because there's so much going on in contemporary classical music. I don't try to be encyclopedic of my knowledge, but to make a very crass over simplification, I'd say there are four trends. The minimalist pulse stuff, and then romanticism, which doesn't have much currency in hardcore new music circles. But in terms of what an orchestra plays, especially here in North America, it's neo-romanticists like Jennifer Higdon and Kenneth Fuchs that get all sorts of performances. Hardcore European modernism, like Stockhausen, is still a big thing in Europe. No pulse anywhere, no tone
GM: No melody.
TB: That's still a big thing in certain circles. Less so here in North America, but in Europe, if you don't play that, you don't get the gigs. I've lost gigs because of that, quite frankly. And then there's the whole new thing, a combination of new technology and performance practices where people use live sensors, play computers, or performance practices stuff where it becomes almost performance art.
There are those four. The guitar can fit in all of those. There's an American guy in Berlin, named Seth Josel who has made a career for 20 years playing electric guitar parts on hardcore European modernism compositions. He makes a living doing that. He put out a book a few years ago describing his take. He's probably the most active guy in terms of documenting European modernism, chamber music and orchestral music. He's done buckets of it.
The one place guitar probably has its least voice is neo-romanticism. But I would agree with you, any instrument that has a full 12 notes can probably play just about any form of expression.
GM: Well, the Mackey piece that I heard for Frisell in San Francisco, that was definitely in romantic.
TB: Yes, I think I've heard that piece.
GM: Where would Gavin Bryars fall?
TB: Gavin Bryars straddles the line between minimalism and neo-romanticism. He's a bit of both. He's a bit cooler than neo-romanticism as it's not big beautiful melodies, rather a more intimate scale with pulse and simple core progressions coming from minimalism.
GM: And John Adams?
TB: People tend to qualify him as a minimalist, but he's also very important in the neo-romanticism. The thing that Adams does versus say Glass and Reich, is that with Glass and Reich there's a very rigid link between the metric of a piece and the harmonic rhythm. In other words, once Steve Reich gets into a beat pattern, his harmonies always change with that beat pattern; same with Philip Glass.
What neo-romanticism did in the 19th century, and what Adams does, is there will be a pulse going, but the harmony is not linked to his pulse. Adams will have one harmony for four bars then another harmony for two and a half bars, then another harmony for half a bar, etc.
Reich and Glass will almost never do that. If they have a harmonic shift, the shift is structural. The harmonic shift will come back in a structural pattern. In minimalism the link between harmony and melody is structural, not just a superficial or it's not just coloristic. Whereas Adams will shift harmonies sometimes very quickly, almost the way Brahms would, but he'll be doing it with a pulse space thing, which doesn't sound like Brahms at all. The guitar can do all that.
GM: Where would you place the piece from last night?
TB: I have no idea
GM: It has elements of the minimalism don't you think?
TB: Oh, for sure. The second movement is minimal.
GM: I wouldn't call any of it neo-romantic.
TB: No.
GM: But it's not afraid of the occasional melody .
TB: This is why in that concert last night ended with "Revolution 9" and "Good Night." Those two pieces most clearly define what I love about music, and what has often confused critics about my music. To me, "Revolution 9" followed by "Good Night are the same piece, not two pieces. As a teenager, I listened to "Revolution 9" followed by "Good Night" and I kept thinking, "Everybody's saying these pieces are incoherent but they make sense to me."
I was about 19 or 20 when I discovered Charles Ives' Fourth Symphony," historically considered almost unperformable. The second movement is incredibly complex. The original performance required two conductors. There are all these superimpositions of marching bands—it is nuts. It's 12 minutes long, followed by the second movement, which is eight-minutes of a gorgeous tonal fugue.
I realize that when I'm composing a piece of music—and this is a technical and aesthetic distinction— I'm not interested in collage. In other words, using one style and another style. I work with Rene Lussier. He's a very well-known composer here in Montreal. He's written a cool piece for our tour, but we have to play country licks at one point, then we play new chamber music at one point.
GM: It's like John Zorn's Naked City.
TB: Yes, Rene does a bit of that. But I don't do that at all. So, I'm not interested in coding styles. I refuse to limit the nature of my ability to express music through whatever means I choose. And if I want to write a melody, I can write a melody. If I want to write 150 people tapping on the guitar neck incoherently, it is my right.
I believe that if it's done with the proper sense of coherence, logic, drama, pacing, and understanding how humans perceive things, people can understand there is a continuity between people making crazy noises on the guitar and a pretty melody. That they're not divorced, that they are just two ends of a spectrum. There's a whole spectrum you're trying to understand.
It comes down to this utopian philosophical thing of mine where ultimately one has to understand human experience as this complete continuity. Anytime you say the human experience should be this in this box, you generally end up with people who are not very happy, you know? There is a link between how I approach composing music , the aesthetic decisions and this philosophical base.
GM: I've always thought anybody can be "happy" within a closed system because it tells them exactly what to do. As you open the system, it becomes more difficult but much more rewarding. You have to decide every day what to do, what's right and what's wrong, and what works and what doesn't. But that's one side of it. The other side of it is as a bassist I used to play with said, "It's all about the squeezing and the letting go," because it's all about tension and release. Most music narrows that tension and release to a small bandwidth. Whereas you're talking about a much wider bandwidth of the squeezing and the letting go.
TB: Absolutely. It's still the same process. It's just as my width is wider.
GM: That's what I was saying, you're expanding it into a more open system. Speaking of politics, the reason people are comfortable with things like fascism, Scientology, and Orthodox religion—not that I am equating the three—is because they prescribe exactly what they need to do and they don't have to think about it. For a lot of people thinking…
TB: …is dangerous and uncomfortable. I know the historical and philosophical basis of it, but if you look at the sweep of history, oftentimes everybody appears happy in those closed systems, but if it's too closed it can't work.
GM: Because too much stuff comes in from the outside.
TB: You can't live in a completely open system. I like having a house with walls. I like having running water. I like having heat. I like getting paid. I'm not some utopian anarcho-socialist or anything. In the practical details, I like things that work. That's why we had backup click tracks. [see the GP article]
GM: The joy is in seeing how far you can push it before it falls apart.
TB: I completely agree with you. When I talk to most composers of my age—I'm 62—almost all of them started as electric guitar players. And then, 35 or 40 years ago, they said, "I want to be a classical composer," and they all took up classical guitar to get into music school. I said, "I've spent eight years playing electric guitar. I don't want to play classical guitar concerts." I somehow finagled my way into music school playing electric guitar. It was just at the beginning of jazz education, so I went in through that door.
When the others started playing classical guitar and considered themselves classical musicians, they then said, "Okay, electric guitar was the music of my youth, I now reject that music." They still like it, but it's no longer their music. Whereas, I never truly rejected any music.
I listened to The Beatles, became an Allman Brothers fanatic, and became Mahavishnu fanatic. And then I started liking Stravinsky, and Mingus, and Miles Davis. I didn't move through music from one category to the other. I was just constantly expanding. Why this piece works comes down to an ephemeral concept and is virtually impossible to quantify, it has to do with artistic honesty. I have lived and experienced music as the complete expansion of resources. So, when I use a resource, I'm not going, "Oh, I'm going to use a weird resource." It's what I've lived and experienced for the past 50 years playing guitar.
GM: Well, I think you're on the older cusp of a generation that all grew up like you. There's that whole generation of jazz players starting with John Abercrombie who grew up not rejecting the music in their youth: Abercrombie, Scofield, Stern, Frisell, from what I consider the golden age of jazz guitar.
TB: Yes, certainly.
GM: They all grew up with rock and roll and refused to reject it and they became jazz players. Was that was as true in the classical world at that time?
TB: No, it was not at the time.
GM: I think that is now becoming more true.
TB: Here in Montreal there are many other composers my age. But I have so much more in common with composers who are 40 than most composers who are 60. I view myself as the oldest of the young generation, not the youngest of the old generation. Although, there are people who are my exact age who are the youngest of the older generation. When I was in music school 40 years ago, there was a serious orthodoxy.
GM: But now you've got all these music school students coming out and somehow infiltrating even rock bands. Is it The National I'm thinking of?
TB: Yes. The guys in The National have degrees from Yale.
GM: There's just no barrier.
TB: I forget at what point I gave up trying to explain my music. Someone like you has a very broad, detailed understanding of it. A lot of music writers, especially classical music journalists, have such huge gaps in their knowledge of music as a large-scale social phenomena. I have to simplify or just apologize for the way my music sounds Fortunately, that type of music critic is getting rarer, but there are still some people that go, "Electric guitar with classical music, what's rock and roll got to do with Beethoven?" I love your interest in the guitar in its broadest aspects.
It's not difficult, but it's complicated to articulate all these issues. But I think it's important both for the guitar but also for music in general. I always say, you can write any note you want, but you have to believe it. The notes you write are your responsibility. Don't tell me it's because of this guy, or this system, or I want to sound like that. That's not acceptable. Any note is acceptable, a bad performance is accessible, but take responsibility for it. As an artist, that's rule number one, it's your music. If you don't believe it, understand it, care about it, and can present it in a coherent manner, why are we wasting our time listening to it? See, it's really not about technique at all. The students find it fun— "I can write whatever I want? Yay."
This entry was posted in Artists and tagged ambient, avant-garde, contemporary classical, experimental, guitar, Instruments of Happiness, new music, pedals, Tim Brady, Video by guitar moderne. Bookmark the permalink.
1 thought on "Spotlight: Tim Brady Part II"
erin mcsavaney on November 7, 2019 at 2:35 pm said:
wow. there's a lot to unpack here. really fascinating conversation.
thank you for posting this.


Discover more about Ubuntu. School yourself on precisely how this plain and simple Linux-based OS has taken the open-source computing universe by force. Know the cause for its worldwide recognition.
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Jeff Seid Wikipedia-Biography, Net Worth, Height, Workout, Diet, Girlfriend, Dating
by eceleb gossip
Jeff Seid is an American bodybuilder. He is the youngest fitness icon in the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB). Although Seid does not compete at the same levels as the likes of his idol Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronnie Coleman, he is still a successful professional bodybuilder. At the time of writing this, the weightlifter is one of the richest fitness personalities in the United States. Jeff net worth in 2018 is estimated at an eye-watering $1.5 million.
Learn more about Jeff Seid's wiki, net worth, workout, diet, dating life, and girlfriends.
Jeff Seid Wiki Bio
Jeff Seid Dating Girlfriend or Married to Wife? Gay Rumors
Jeff Seid Net Worth, Age, Bodybuilding Career
Jeff Seid Workout, Diet
Jeff Seid Body Measurements: Height, Weight
Jeff Seid was born on the 12th of June 1994, in Renton, Washington, USA, according to Wikipedia. He is currently living in Seattle, WA, USA. The bodybuilder belongs to American nationality. He started showing interest in different types of sports at the age of five. Little Jeff played several sports before he started lifting weights at the age of 11.
The fitness personality refers to himself as a nerd. He attended a local school in Renton, Washington. He was always playing World of Warcraft and reading fantasy books. Seid rarely went out with friends. He had low self-esteem and was quite insecure about acne on his face. In school, he was involved in lots of extracurricular activities like baseball, football, track running, and wrestling. His role model was Arnold Schwarzenegger. Hence, he grew up wanting to be like him.
According to Wikipedia, the bodybuilder has two beautiful sisters named Kristina and Melissa.
Talking about his private life, the fitness enthusiast could be involved with countless hot girls. Even so, these are just speculations. Nothing has been disclosed by the award-winning bodybuilder regarding his relationship status.
Bodybuilder, Jeff Seid is currently single
Personal details about his girlfriend or wife cannot be found on the internet. So we don't know about the girl Jeff Seid is dating. The athlete prefers to lead a private life. In the past, there have been false rumors of the fitness icon being a part-time stripper in a gay club.
The king of aesthetics has worked as a personal trainer for many years. There is no doubt he made some good cash. Presently, the weightlifter owns a YouTube channel with over one million subscribers. His total net worth as of 2018 is about $1.5 million. According to him, his earning on a yearly basis is approximately $800,000, making him one of the richest weightlifters in the world.
Jeff Seid net worth is $1.5 million
As aforesaid, he is among the youngest fitness celebrities who earn a lot of money from their career. The bodybuilder has been working out for the past one decade maintaining a complete perfect diet for his body.
He owns a house worth around $1 million that has an inbuilt swimming pool and gym. Also, Jeff Seid owns several luxury autos which are worth thousands of dollars.
The bodybuilder gained a lot of fame from his career. However, he does other things as well. In 2016, he was a model for a couple of magazines. Also, he hosted a reality television show. Since his YouTube channel has over a million subscribers and attracts many viewers, he earns a lot of money advertising products.
When you look at Jeff's Physique, you will notice that he has a great body size. He says he developed a unique workout routine. He has an intense 12-week workout plan that anyone can follow. With his workout plan, you can get bigger arms, stronger legs and great physique in less than six months.
The bodybuilder's weight is around 95kg (210lbs.). His height is 6'0 (183cm.). As you can see, he has a superb body which makes him a good fitness celebrity. His broad chest measures 51. No wonder his millions of female followers are salivating over his sexy body.
Bodybuilder Jeff Seid height is 6'0 (183cm.)
Tags:Bodybuilder

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Health Report
HEALTH REPORT - Helping Depressed Mothers - 2004-12-28
Broadcast: December 29, 2004
This is Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Health Report.
A mental health researcher who has studied depressed mothers in Pakistan plans an effort next year to help them. Doctor Atif Rahman is in the Department of Child Psychiatry at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital in England.
Doctor Rahman led a team that linked depression in women with lower weight in their babies during the first year of life. The team studied six hundred thirty-two women from small villages in Rawalpindi. The women were in good physical health and in the last three months of pregnancy.
The study identified one hundred sixty of the women, or one in four, as depressed. They had lost interest and pleasure in normal life. They always felt sad or tired. They had problems eating or sleeping. They felt guilty and thought about killing themselves.
The researchers compared these women with one hundred sixty others who were not depressed. Health workers then weighed and measured the babies of both groups at birth. Re-examinations took place at two, six and twelve months of age. The health workers also re-examined the mental health of the mothers.
Babies whose mothers remained depressed grew less than the babies of the other women. The babies of the depressed mothers were also more likely to get sick with diarrhea. The findings appeared in September in Archives of General Psychiatry.
Earlier studies showed that ten to fifteen percent of pregnant women and new mothers in Western nations suffer from depression. Other studies in South Asia have found that depression affects almost two times as many women in developing countries.
Conditions in poor countries can make it more difficult to care for a baby. Doctor Rahman says depression can make it even more difficult for a mother to do things such as boil water to kill harmful organisms.
For ten years, Pakistan has employed what are called "lady health workers." These women visit new mothers for up to a year. The workers offer advice about things like health and cleanliness.
Now Doctor Rahman wants to add special support for depressed mothers. The idea is that the health worker will listen to the mother's problems and suggest some easy things at first that she can do for her baby. The program will be tested for three years to see how well it succeeds.
This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Jerilyn Watson. I'm Gwen Outen.


Choose blue dinnerware and cookware for traditional kitchens and decor. Tables set with blue and white dishes have long been a traditional favorite in many homes. Most dinnerware designers and manufacturers have at least one blue and white pattern in their portfolio because it's so loved by homemakers and entertainers everywhere.
I have an assortment of blue and white dishes, from fine china to basic crockery. My family uses them as mix and match place settings every day and they have served me well during the 30 years that I've been cooking and serving meals for my family. I suppose I'm considered a quasi-collector of blue dishes. Not that I intentionally collect them but whenever I go shopping for tableware I migrate over to the blue and white section automatically. And now that shopping is more convenient that ever with on line venues like Amazon, all I have to do is type "blue dishes" into google and I can browse for hours. I've assembled some of my favorites here for your viewing pleasure.
Villeroy & Boch started in business in 1748 in a tiny village in France, when the founder Francois Boch began making simple ceramic tableware, and has since grown into an international designer of tableware; bathroom products such as bathroom saunas, whirlpools, and hot tubs; and tiles. The company has over 260 years of expertise the quality of Villeroy & Boch products is second to none. Through the company's history it has moved from France to Luxemburg, and finally to Mettlach, Germany, where the headquarters is today.
I love their dinnerware. They have lines of fine china and porcelain, as well as earthenware. All are made in beautiful coordinating colors and shapes, which lends themselves to mix and match style entertaining. I'm such a fan of blue design china that I love to browse their patterns and plan out table settings I would love to create.
Porteirion Potteries was founded in 1960 by Susan Williams-Ellis in the town of Portmeirion Village, Wales. Her early patterns, Malachite and Moss Agate were unique in design and style for the time and received high acclaim. Susan was able to purchase a pottery making company in Stoke-on-Trent, England, where Portmeirion Potteries is still located. The most popular tableware pattern, Botanic Garden, was created in 1972 and remains a best seller. Susan Williams-Ellis passed away in 2007 but the company is still turning out beautiful and innovative new designs. In 2009 the company purchased Royal Worcester and Spode, and Portmeirion continues to grow internationally.
Portmeirion dinnerware is casual and fits comfortably with today's modern life. It is affordable and has a huge wordwide fan base. The pottery is made with layered glazes and the blue hues in particular are soft and reminiscent of country designs. Tableware sets and gifts come packaged in a Portmeirion hat box, making their storage as beautiful as their use.
Scandinavian design has been popular in the United States since the 1950s, when sleek clean lines and shapes of the Eames era made their way into American homes. The Dansk Company was formed by a couple that recognized the need for casual dinnerware that fit the new less formal tastes of families. Ted and Martha Neirenberg began searching European design houses looking for elegant, yet simple forms and materials in dinnerware that could be exported to America at affordable prices. Danish artist Jens Quistgaard was their choice to create the clean modern dishware in a style that is synonymous with the Dansk Company. For over 60 years Dansk has been making entertaining and dining more enjoyable all over the world.
Dansk now owns the Lenox table top and giftware company, and Gorham silver. The quality of the brands is stronger than ever and the durability and elegance of all the Dansk family of products is second to none. There are many beautiful Dansk blue dishes that can be conveniently purchased on the internet and delivered directly to your home. I like the bright blue patterns against the stark white backgrounds. The look is clean and modern.
50's Inspiration. Modern Sensibility. The Kobenstyle Blue 4-Piece Dinner Set by Dansk is designed to brighten any meal with its mix of gleaming white and vibrant color.
Enjoy the beauty of flowers at every meal with this Dansk Silhuet dinner plate. A graceful floral motif, in a watercolor style, decorates the white-bodied dish.
Polish Pottery from Boleslawiec, Poland are some of my favorite types of dinnerware and serving pieces to use. The brilliant blue and colored patterns are eye catching and functional. And there are so many unique styles and pieces that aren't typically included in traditional dinnerware sets. Take the Bunzlauer Polish Pottery Butter Lady shown here, for example. Her big country farm skirt covers the butter in a folk artsy style. She's sure to be a conversation piece at any gathering.
The inspiration for Polish pottery designs is from the proud peacock. The original designs were used at the tables of Polish farmers to brighten their tables. There are some beautiful holiday designs too. Check out the charming blue dishes for your Christmas entertaining featured below.
Boleslawiec Stoneware - Polish Pottery 16 oz Bubble Coffee or Tea Mug - Eva's Collection "Isabelle"
In your favorite patterns! Cake plate - 9.5" diameter, 5.5" high.
Johnson Brothers China was started in 1882 by three brothers who bought a bankrupt dishware company in England. The developed a durable and inexpensive earthenware called White Granite which became very popular and gave them a good start in the business. Later they created a semi-porcelain that was as durable as ironstone, yet as delicate as fine china. This became their signature line. Now owned by the Wedgwood company, one of the great-grandsons of the original founders still oversees the brand from the Wedgwood board of directors. In 1970 Johnson Brothers China won the prestigious royal warrants of both Her Majesty the Queen and Her Majesty the Queen Mother.
Blue Willow is one of the oldest and most popular patterns and different versions of this classic have been made by dozens of china and earthenware companies. I have Blue Willow by Johnson Brothers along with a few Old Britain Castles and Blue Denmark pieces. My Johnson Brothers dishes have lasted through a large and busy family's heavy daily use and remain one of my favorite dinnerware brands.
LeCreuset is famous for their enameled cast iron cookware. Since 1924 the company has been making brightly colored original pans, cookers, and utensils. The original LeCreuset is located in northern France in a country setting and in the 1970's set up a factory in South Carolina in the United States.
These days Le Creuset is a major manufacturer of stoneware, baking and prep accessories, and storage pieces in addition to a large line of cast iron cookware. The beautiful enamel colors have evolved and there are lots of coordinating pieces, of which the blue is a traditional favorite. I use the serving pieces for everything from baking, broiling, and serving, to storage in the refrigerator for heating the next day.
The Spode Company was founded by Josiah Spode in 1784 in Stoke-On-Trent, England. He was responsible for developing a blue underglaze process and also the formula for bone china. He started his business making creamware, and pearlware, which are high quality earthenware.
Today the Spode brand is owned by the Portmeirion Pottery Company. Some favorite Spode patterns are the Blue Italian, Woodland, Christmas Tree, and Baking Days collections. They also make fine decorative collectibles and Spode antiques are highly sought after collectibles.
Thanks Kimbesa, that means a lot coming from a dishie expert!
I really like blue, and those blue and white china patterns are classic!
My collection includes only the mugs that have a Starbucks Logo or sign somewhere in the painting. See if you recognize the art - and find the Starbucks icon.
Saying goodbye to my charming Starbucks Christmas Coffee Mug collection. Just a few thoughts and photos before they travel to new homes.


Free Tickets to ASLAN 2019. Meet Sipwise on Stand 87!
"Enabling Digital Transformation" – at ASLAN 2019. The congress focuses on the latest trends, ranging from hybrid cloud systems to security and artificial intelligence.
Sipwise offers different solutions for the Spanish market. With the turn-key and carrier grade VoIP system, the product C5 Softswitch supports different types of access technologies such as Cable, xDSL or Wifi, and makes real-time communication possible. Supplemented with further products of Sipwise such as Cloud PBX or WebRTC, Sipwise provides companies with an aligned solution of various user needs.
For those who want to enjoy the GOLDEN access to this event, worth € 200+ each, Sipwise is happy to upgrade your tickets. Interested? Send an email to sales@sipwise.com. *Disclaimer: limited amount of Golden Tickets.
Sipwise 's Business Development Manager responsible for the Spanish market, Rute Sacramento, will do a conference at the Cloud & Innovation Area.
"As per James Redfield's famous quote: 'History is not just the evolution of technology; it is the evolution of thought'. This is the motto for the conference, and it is going to help our customers understand the importance of investing in Sipwise´s new and sustainable technology and how it can impact their businesses in terms of growth and profit." Rute explains.
For the schedule, please check ASLAN's program page.
With many years of expertise in VoIP and UC solutions, Sipwise works with clients on all continents and is servicing over 65 Telcos in 25 countries worldwide. Sipwise offers an unbeaten price-to-performance ratio to communication service providers, with ease of integration towards their technical, OSS and BSS infrastructure, as well as outstanding flexibility.


"We firmly believe that the rebates drugmakers provide insurers and other middlemen should be used to lower what patients pay out-of-pocket for prescriptions. This proposed rule, if finalized, would be a significant step forward in achieving our desire to ensure patients are the beneficiaries of at least some of the $166 billion in rebates, discounts, and other price concessions our member companies, and the biopharmaceutical industry at large, annually pay into the healthcare system in the United States.
Making clear that "pharmacy benefits managers" or "PBMs" cannot restrict patients' access to medicines if drugmakers do not want to purchase other services offered by the PBM or its affiliated businesses.
Clarifying that all changes in the rebate proposal are prospective in nature only and will not be applied retroactively to activities preceding its effective date, which would otherwise have the effect of severely limiting patient access to certain medicines as current agreements are unwound.
Providing enforcement discretion for stakeholders as they work to address implementation challenges that may arise during the good-faith implementation of a final proposal.
To read BIO's full comments on the rebate rule, click here.
Brian Newell is Director of Strategic Issues Campaign Communications for the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO). Prior to joining BIO, Brian spent 10 years working for various offices in the U.S. House of Representatives, including the last seven years at the Committee on Education and the Workforce. Brian is a native of Maine, and he graduated in 2004 from the University of Maine in Orono with a degree in political sciences.


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Dominos 7/Jessica's End Game
Posted on May 10, 2019 June 5, 2019 by Xavier
Jessica was about to Orgasm.
She could feel his heat growing inside of her body. Stretching her open from the inside out even as her mouth opened wide to meet his tongue in space. She wanted him to cum now! Jessica could feel him swelling wider inside of her body. Pushing her even further. Even as she didn't believe her body could afford to take any more of an invasion.
She had almost forgotten his wife was in the room until she felt the warm length of her tongue. Slick against her anus. And considering their symbiotic relationship? That was a testament to her newfound lover, Jerrod. Wanting to focus only on the smooth rhythmic motion of the man between her thighs from the moment he invaded her slit. Jessica was beginning to quiver deep inside of herself immediately, and perhaps it was because he was the most famous person she had ever fucked. As far as she knew. Not knowing where the sensations were emanating from made her feel as if Jessica's whole body was on fire! And her constant wetness was an attempt to put it out!
She had spent many years in Europe planning her return and next move. Transforming the Family's fortune into terms, she could easily manage from afar. While spending nights trying to find herself and feel something she never had since that night. Alive. Jessica decided to return once she surmised there was only one way to face your demons. Head on.
As Jerrod loosed her from her perch on top of him. Jessica. Her ample bottom and bosom seemingly slid off of him onto the floor. His wife, lover, and confidant Jane replaced him at her pulsing nexus. Armed with a warm cloth used to wipe away the younger woman's shameless display of lust. While occasionally running her adept tongue between the folds. Licking and twisting the appendage to seemingly Jessica's advantage. Women were never her thing. But she could get used to this! As Jane's crafty tongue eased the joyful but slightly painful sensation of her husband thrusting inside of her. His big cock still resonated against the new sensation Jane now provided. As Jerrod sat back in his chair now solo.
"We are so happy you accepted our invitation. Do you still feel up to some role play?"
Jerrod spoke as Jane's hands began to explore Jessica's body further. Like her husband. She really appreciated the female form and enjoyed mapping women's reactions to her touch. Almost as much as she enjoyed watching Jerrod fuck them senseless. Knowing how he made her feel every time they were together as husband and wife. Only a woman who was with him too could understand and appreciate the real power of Jane. Especially after she had her way with her.
"Would you mind if we tied you up now like we discussed?"
Jessica had picked up some habits and desires that the brilliant young woman hadn't figured out how to control yet. All based upon the excitement she felt when completely out of control. And the danger of Bondage suited her new nature perfectly. Unable to make any decision about how her own body could or would be used and sometimes? Even by who. A suitable penance for what she had done to Ron.
There was also an affinity for much older men with Big cocks. Most of whom were very married men she found somewhat reprehensible. Nasty old fuckers who had no right touching a woman of her quality without paying the enormous sums they eventually would for her time. Jessica's habits had become obsessions, and the only way she could break the chain was to finally face her demons.
"Please do." She replied.
Jane used the woman's verbal cue to slap her Jessica's pussy with her open hand roughly. Eliciting a shriek from the unexpected blow. And releasing a calming thought into her head. She wasn't afraid of pain. On the contrary, she welcomed it. Jessica's fear was of her weakness of sin. Feeling that she may still owe a debt to Jane for removing her Father from her life years ago. And wondering if under the stress of the pleasures or torture she would feel compelled to admit it. And be in no position to defend herself.
"You liked that a little too much. I think we have a winner hun."
Jane began roughly exploring Jessica's insides as she spoke to her husband and noted his cock's appreciation of her work. It stood tall and mighty like a Mandingo Warrior's staff. Ready to fill her when she asked.
Jane began to attach the spreader bar to the ankle cuffs already fastened around each of Jessica's legs. And Jessica started regress immediately into her submissive self. Where she was both most comfortable and deadly. Feeling the areolas on her chest pucker up as Jane began to pinch them hard between her fingers and kissing her in the same manner simultaneously. As she began to fall back onto the floor unable to both keep her balance as well as protect the sensitive nubs. That was the moment she knew the night's games had begun. And decided to use her elbows instead to allow her new Mistress access to her swollen breasts.
"And she is a quick learner." Jerrod chimed in.
Jerrod then stood and walked to the table behind her. Opening a draw, she was unable to see in her current state. Jerrod began to kneel on the floor opposite Jane. Balls and dick sitting directly in front of her forehead. Just beyond the reach of her wanting tongue.
"Eat her pussy again lover."
Jerrod reached out and dragged the bar with one hand. Curling the woman up in a semi-ball and lifting her up into the air slightly. Allowing his wife to dig into the young snack with no limitations! Jessica's hands reached out and around Jerrod's thighs and clutched his ass forward. Allowing her mouth and tongue access to at least one side of his stick. Which she flicked her tongue at wildly. It was a position she couldn't remember ever being in before and combined with the expert licking she was receiving from Jane? Jessica felt another Orgasm welling up inside of her body. This one more powerful than the last! Jessica felt herself dripping down. Outside of the folds of her beautiful and recently underused pink pussy. Between the folds of her ass and spread around liberally by Jane's tongue occasionally. Until it felt so good? Jessica thought that she would erupt all over her face like she had on Jane's Father's long ago. The thought alone fueling her wanton feelings.
"Fuck her babe."
Jessica felt the plug being pushed into her tiny ass as Jerrod pulled the Bar closer to him. Exposing it a bit more. She hadn't seen him pass his wife the tool and screamed in pain as she began to work the tool around inside of her. Jessica's Orgasm had been thwarted by the thickness of the toy stretching her ass. But she wasn't complaining about how she felt at all!
"I think she likes it."
Jane began to nibble at her clit whenever she parked the plug inside of Jessica in a way no man ever had tortured her before with his mouth. Knowing exactly how to play with her hardened, exposed puffy piece. Alternately licking and biting the pleasure point into a state of euphoria and to the precipice of her pain's limits. She felt relieved when the couple flipped her over onto her knees and began to take turns spanking her. After finally cuffing Jessica's hands together, behind her.
This went on for almost an hour until Jessica could feel her ass relax around the plug and a different sensation began to build inside of her. One that Jane knew all too well. After being teased and pleasured. Tortured and taken to the edge. Nothing short of a good, vigorous fucking by Jerrod's ten inches would sate her! She was well past the point of taboo or concern and only wanted one thing. And when the plug was released from her as, she just knew it would be next! As long as she begged for it.
"Can I have some more cock, sir."
Words that usually got Jessica exactly what she wanted fell on deaf ears. Until Jane answered.
"You mean my cock?"
Jessica was so used to dominate men having their way with her. It never occurred she would have to defer to a woman to sate her appetite. But in her horny state? Jessica didn't hesitate to mirror the request to Jane.
"Mistress Jane. Can I have some more cock please."
Jane looked at the woman angrily now. Her bare pussy pulsing inside of her firm body as she considered the request.
"You haven't even tasted my pussy yet."
Pulling a chair from the corner of the room. Jane sat down on the edge of it as she grabbed the slightly younger woman's hair and pulled her face into her snatch.
"You think I am going to let a bitch like you come in my house and take what's mine? And not be properly compensated for it?"
Jane spread her legs wider as she pulled Jessica in closer. Jumping as the desperate young woman darted her tongue into Jane as deeply and quickly as possible.
"Just like a fucking Freshman."
Jerrod sat in a chair on the other end of them both. And as Jessica's round ass circled and full tits hung down? He was playing with both as well as occasionally usingJessica's own juices to keep her asshole moist and ready for his fingers to invade. Mixed in with the occasional hard smack. Jessica was beginning to enter into her own happy place. Where pain and pleasure become one without any risk of thought interfering! Her penance would be over soon. And she could leave this all behind her?
"Fuck this murderous bitch like the dog she is baby."
Jessica hadn't heard every word clearly that night. Especially with her ears pinned between or underneath one or the other of her host's thighs! But she knew that perhaps she was in real danger as she felt the knob of Jerrod's bulging dick touch her anus and push right through any resistance. Even as she screamed for him to stop.
Jane had wrapped Jessica's hair in her fist and lifted her head until the two women were face to face.
"Did you really think I didn't know who you are or what you did?"
Jerrod began to push harder and deeper into Jessica. Causing twenty times the pain as the type she had enjoyed earlier in the evening. When he was tightly inside of another of her orifices. When he finally slammed himself as far as he could go Jessica began to drool from her mouth. The pain was so exquisite!
"It's going to be a week before anything enters your pussy again. If even then." Jane continued.
Slapping the woman across the face paled in comparison to the damage Jerrod was inflicting with each stroke! Her body felt like it was being split in two! Even if it did feel delicious to be in such exquisite pain! As Jessica looked into her tormenters eyes, she could see her Jane's father embedded in them. Watching her shamelessly get fucked in the ass like the many times he had watched Jessica's mother endure the same at the hands of a stranger. And finally, she understood why.
"How did you know?"
As the words left her lips, she at the same time realized the answer. Her mother, Irene. That weak bitch probably confided her feelings about what really happened to Ron to Jane! And why wouldn't she? This was the most exquisite torture Jessica had ever experienced in her short but satisfying exploration of the BDSM world! Her slut mother would probably say anything exposed to these two!
"Why did you do what you did?" Jane asked.
Jerrod was beginning to tire of holding back but, he knew he couldn't let his wife down and cum in her yet. She needed to be interrogated further. And his black cock and the texts between them indicating that Jessica was a willing participant meant she couldn't claim she was forced to do anything. But once the sex ended? Whatever else happened between the three of them would probably not be the consensual affairs the two of them customarily engaged in.
"If you let Jerrod cum in me I will tell you everything. Please, Mistress! The pain is too much but, I can't stop myself from cumming!"
"No. You are fucking pathetic! How did my father ever let his guard down with a pain slut like you."
The feeling of pain had subsided so much Jessica began to push back onto the intruder in an attempt to massage his cum from him less willingly but, to no avail. All she did accomplish was another Orgasm. And a laugh from the two of them at her feeble attempt.
"I am my Mother's daughter," Jessica replied.
The fact Jessica was able to ascertain how she knew what Jane knew only made Jane more determined to coerce a full confession from her. They both knew it was an admission of guilt and still, both weighed the option of ending this game and charade that consisted of two beautiful, naked white women and one extraordinary BBC was just as important as a dead man neither of the women really liked.
"I will tell you but, not this way. It's too fucked up."
Jane's answer was short and to the point.
"Suck his dick clean after he pulls it out of your dirty asshole. Or we will have words."
Jerrod came inside of her with a fury! His balls. Having been teased earlier erupted in a first spurt which was steady and thick. Leaving the damaged orifice to marinate and repair itself immersed in his helpfully warm DNA package.
Jerrod held off on his second spurt just long enough to shoot most of it into Jessica's open, waiting mouth with the rest deposited onto her makeup. And at that moment? Jessica felt both exhilarated as well as Humiliated. With streams of his love juice everywhere on her face and streaming down toward her naked tits as Jerrod used the spreader to flick Jane onto her back to admire his handy work before feeding his dick to her orally.
"Oh…my..god."
Licking and tasting herself on him as cum dripped down her otherwise beautiful face was so demeaning and fulfilling simultaneously, she almost came again! The sensations of relief were flushing over her body as she framed what she was going to tell Jane next carefully in her head to the best of her abilities. As any girl who experienced such a powerful series of Orgasms knows? Formulating thoughts was nearly an impossible task at the moment. And only truth was possible.
"I left because Ron tried to take me on my 15th birthday. He wanted to share me with his friends. Like my mother"
Reaching her tongue down onto Jerrod's semi-soaked balls and past them onto her perineum. Jessica could feel no inhibitions holding her back. No boundaries or Taboos were too dark to explore. Her tongue reached his hole and began to lovingly lick him hard again as Jane watched. Still shocked at what she had said.
Jerrod sat down and opened his legs wide to allow the young slut's tongue access to him. His flaccid cock slowly stiffening on top of her head as his wife watched. Silent for the first time. Was it true? Could it be possible that the man who had given her life and left her so much money she didn't need her famous husband at all. Who encouraged and raised her to be tough and strong. Was a predator? She had read his journals but thought them to be so much fiction more than fact. And had come to the position he would never do to her what was in his journal. Just the depraved musings of a sexual man. But Jane knew he was capable of what Jessica claimed and much more. And she knew in her heart if he had planned it? Ron wouldn't have stopped until it was finished. Jane had never considered Jessica had a reason to do what she did. Survival.
Jane knew the rest. The way, he treated Irene and disrespected her husband in his own home on many occasions. The multiple arranged gang bangs and his sadomasochistic tendencies towards Irene as well as other well-heeled women in their community. They were all consenting adults and willing participants. She had resolved already in her mind that he was a deviant and to some, a monster. For as many women and men sought him out? He had destroyed five times as many by connection. Looking at Jessica, she realized that her Father had raised her somewhat to be this way. Like Jane. And both women just wanted to be free of him forever.
As Jessica completed her thorough cleansing of Jarrod's hole and began to slide her mouth over his now hardened cock. Her thoughts of what would happen to her next no longer mattered. She was free for the first time of the secret. And if she was never going to leave this room? Neither would her truth unless Jane decided to carry it with her. Her childhood had been cut short, and Jessica had lived so much there was nothing she was afraid of in this world or the next. She only cared for the moment.
"Mistress Jane I am ready for anything you to exact any punishment you see fit. Including calling the authorities and admitting what I did. But I need you to understand what your father made me first."
Jane walked over to Jessica and pulled her by the hair off of her husband. The combination of lust and terror inside of Jessica's eyes made Jane feel powerful. But the woman's sickening display of sluttiness somewhat repulsed as much as excited Jane! She slapped the engorged tits aiming directly for the nipples and watched as Jessica shook and quivered in response. So she slapped them again. And again. And again until the weight of Jessica's body was being held up strictly by Jane's own hand and a head of hair.
"You really don't care if you live or die do you? As long as it hurts a little?" Jane asked.
"No Mistress. I don't anymore." Jessica sadly replied.
It was the truth. In all of the ways, Jessica had been molded and sculpted over the years to be something different than what she had circled back to. A more reserved version of her own Mother. Despite the men in her Family's attempts. First, by her Father. Then her Grandfather. She was doomed to never escape from what her mother Irene and Jane's father, Ron, had made her witness. It was a reverse Clockwork Orange. With the images of men with her Mother becoming more appealing to her subconscious mind over time. She was being primed her to replace her Mother as his plaything. Or maybe to join her. Either way? Jane recognized that her father had painted Jessica into a corner that eventually she wouldn't escape.
Eventually, Jessica would have probably ended up being someone's slut. Considering her Mother's hyper-sexual genes the right man would have pulled it out of her like Jerrod had Jane. But Ron, Jane's Father had been psychologically priming her with charms even fully grown women couldn't resist. How else could she end up like this? Tits up in the air and legs spread wide for access. Wanting to please a stranger as penance is if that was ost of what Jessica had to offer. It was in Jessica's panting weakness that Jane felt an emotion she rarely did. Compassion.
Jarrod looked directly into his wife's eyes and knew what she was thinking. Which only made him love her more. The anger she had felt was no longer justified. They both knew what her Father was capable of and surmised that had Jessica not acted? Eventually, Ron would have controlled and destroyed Jessica's entire life. To do Jessica harm out of anger would make her no different than him and that was not what Jane or her marriage was about. Jane knew to keep Jessica against her will would be an act of contrition that was not justified by the circumstance. Even if Jessica would enjoy it.
The word was screamed at the top of Jane's lungs, and she released the woman from her grip. Allowing Jessica's face to hit the carpeted floor with a thud. As her hands were unable to break her fall due to them being fastened behind her back. Jarrod stood up and immediately went to hug his now sobbing wife as Jessica felt the flush of pain across the side of her face from the fall. Jessica's admission had brought a halt to their session with a reality bomb. And Jane needed to process her motives for being there.
Jane released her embrace from her husband and leaned in front of her once more. Looking deep into Jessica's eyes once more. What she saw was not an evil, twisted murderer. But a kindred spirit and fellow survivor. They were both in many ways, raised by the same man. And both had somehow, escaped his clutches only to be brought together now. A part of Ron lived inside of them both, and it was deviant and somewhat sadistic. But, it wasn't in control of either of them anymore. As Jane kissed her newfound sister gently on the lips this time, she knew she had no choice other than to forgive her. They needed each other now more than ever.
Posted in Author's Favs, BDSM, DIRTY THOUGHTS, Family Matters, Group Sex, Interracial, SUBMISSION, The Domino Theory, The Ladies
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If there was ever an example of the increasing danger of extremists trying to turn kindness into weakness, and in so doing to tear away the social fabric that helps society function, take a look at this article describing how far-right populist politicians in Italy are trying to demonize and diminish kindness. While there may be valid reasons to support or oppose any particular policy, the underlying mood across our world is gravely concerning. We have a huge job ahead if we are going to prevent this from unraveling into an ugly and lasting divide with serious consequences for global security and stability. Dehumanization is the first step in desensitizing society to tolerate atrocities.
It was an honor to be inducted into the Horatio Alger Society alongside such remarkable individuals. I was particularly moved by the story of fellow awardee Vance Cryer. He was the first person to have received a Horatio Alger scholarship and later become inducted into the society. I admire the way that he serves our nation and our community and has risen from challenges in such a noble way. Watch this beautiful note that he wrote to his younger self.
The need for greater transparency in the food industry is not just in the US.
Two years ago, we announced the launch of Feed the Truth, an independent organization with a mission to improve public health by making truth, transparency and integrity the foremost values in today's food system. To uphold the organization's autonomy, I have not been involved in Feed the Truth's strategic planning since pledging the initial funds. However, I'm pleased to see that they are making progress by convening an esteemed board of directors and kicking off the process to recruit an Executive Director. Special interests continue to plague society by pursuing profit at the expense of public health – directly through lobbying and indirectly through campaigns that mislead consumers. My hope is that Feed the Truth will play a role in ensuring that science and facts counteract their undue influence. Wishing best of luck to the board on their endeavors!


Oh, my: Mediaite has a clip of a clever gentleman calling into C-SPAN to inquire about the size of Mitt Romney's member. Yes folks, the primary season has barely begun (although doesn't it seem like it's been going on forever?) and we are already here. No word on why the caller thought C-SPAN would be in possession of this kind of info. To read the full post and watch the clip, click here.
Geekosystem reports that Facebook is on track to exceed 1 billion users this summer. That is 1/7th of the world's population. Or wait, is it 1/8th now? Either way, that is roughly equal to the population of the world's largest countries, no? Is this where we're headed? The Republic of Facebook? You can read the full post here.
On Styleite: Taylor Tomasi Hill has come under fire for possible replicating designs from Marc Jacobs and Comme des Garcons for her Lane Crawford collection. Even more embarrassing is that there is a photo of Tomasi Hill wearing one of the garments she allegedly ripped off. For shame! To see photos of her "designs" versus the originals, click here.
On Sportsgrid today: Who is the most popular athlete in America today? Go ahead, guess. Here are a few hints: "Saturday Night Live." "Virginity." "Jesus." If you guessed Tim Tebow, you are a genius! It seems like so long ago that he was just another particularly devout NFL player. Now we are living in 2012, which historians will call "the Tebowian epoch." To read the full post, click here.
Gossip Cop has the trailer for the new movie "Friends With Kids," which is directed by Jon Hamm's longtime partner Jennifer Westfeldt, who also stars in the film. She has assembled quite the all-star cast, including Megan Fox? Huh? You can see the trailer for yourself here.
Wow! The Mary Sue brings us the news that Disney has plans to bring the Stephen Sondheim-penned musical "Into The Woods" to the big screen, which is an…interesting choice, given that the musical upends the kind of fairytales that are Disney's bread and butter. And is sort of mean about them in the process! To read the full post, click here.
On Mogulite: a senior at Harvard is receiving some attention for her senior sociology thesis, which aims to answer the question "Why don't venture capitalists fund women?" Naturally, Forbes and other publications are very interested in her findings. To read more about her project and the reaction to it, click here.


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Each member of our team brings unique experience, professionalism and integrity to the sell side M&A advisory process.

Lawrence (Larry) Schumann
Managing Director, M&AMI, CBI
As he ascended to CEO of a NYSE listed company, Larry participated as the buyer or seller in nineteen merger & acquisition transactions, of companies with sales from $2,000,000 to $250,000,000. With over 25 years of actual deal-making experience, Larry brings an in-depth understanding of the dynamics of the merger & acquisition process to his sell-side engagements, resulting in maximum value to the business owner. Larry is a former Executive Vice President for the Texas Association of Business Brokers, and is an active speaker on mergers and acquisitions.
Larry is a Series 7, 66 and 79 Registered Securities Representative, licensed through Statesman Corporate Finance, LLC, a FINRA member firm. (www.statesmanbiz.com)

As an entrepreneur who built and sold a successful wholesale distribution business serving the grocery industry in 16 states, Phillip understands the business sale transaction from both the buyer's and seller's perspective. His "Big 8" public accounting experience, coupled with experience in completing transactions in the manufacturing, distribution, printing, service, and numerous other industry sectors over his career provide him with insight into the merger & acquisition process. He is an active speaker and writer on business transaction and valuation topics, and received the industry's highest designation, Merger & Acquisition Master Intermediary, held by less than 80 professionals, in 2005. Phillip is also a Certified Business Intermediary, and holder of a Texas Real Estate Salesperson's License.
Phillip is a Series 7 and 66 Registered Securities Representative, licensed through Statesman Corporate Finance, LLC, a FINRA member firm. (www.statesmanbiz.com)

Senior Associate, CBI, BCB
As an entrepreneur with over thirty years of experience, John relates well to owners/shareholders and is motivated by helping others achieve their success through business divestitures, mergers and acquisitions. John was a founder in a startup company that grew to 50 million dollars in revenue in a five year period and he managed five of the business locations in the southwest. After the business sold to a Fortune 500 company, John provided sales and marketing consulting. John then bought a business from Corporate Investment and later merged the company with a larger entity that served clients in over forty states and several foreign countries. His experience in business operations, marketing, sales and business divestiture, merger and acquisition earned him knowledge useful for business owners considering selling their companies.

Associate, CBI, BCB
Combining an entrepreneurial background with a strong track record in negotiation, mediation and deal-making, Robert offers a keen insight in assisting clients with the preparation and sale of their businesses at the best price and terms possible. His prior experience from building and growing two transportation companies provides him insight into helping clients with their unique needs related to the transfer of their business. Deep experience in multiparty negotiations has honed his ability to successfully bring buyers and sellers together and attain mutually beneficial outcomes. He is a Certified Business Intermediary and a Board Certified Broker.
Robert holds an MBA from Auburn University, a Master of Arts in Dispute Resolution from Southern Methodist University and a BBA in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin. He also served as an officer and aviator in the U.S. Air Force, operating from 2002 through 2005 in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Ready Player One romanticizes '80 pop culture and computer gaming (of all decades). So no wonder that my son Casper and I both found something to enjoy in this (audio)book.
He understood the game references, while I explained him the '80s references. The two of us could picture a future in which life has become largely virtual.
Listening to the audiobook was a requirement for Casper to be able to see Ready Player One - the movie. Which we also enjoyed, though takes a decidedly different turn. Some of the most fun '80s cultural references that came to life in the book are not part of the movie.
All in all, an enjoyable book if you like pop culture and computer games. Stay away when that isn't your cup of tea.


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The San Antonio Spurs could be facing their steepest postseason climb yet
The Lakers' big win against Nuggets comes ahead of a brutal final set of games
'Consistent' is perhaps the best word to describe the San Antonio Spurs over the last two decades. Their five NBA championships over that span of time could only be matched (or eclipsed) by the Los Angeles Lakers (six NBA championships), Real Madrid (13 UEFA Champions League titles) and Tom Brady (seven Super Bowl titles).
The Spurs making the postseason has been so commonplace that it was more surprising when they missed out on the 2020 NBA Playoffs. Since entering the NBA in 1976, San Antonio has only missed the playoffs five times and never in consecutive years.
WE HAD TO SIT HERE AND WATCH THE SPURS FOR 15 YEARS YOU WILL WATCH THE PLAY IN AND YOU WILL LIKE IT
— jason c. (@netw3rk) May 3, 2021
This season may be the first time the Spurs go through their own version of a "postseason drought" as the team is clinging to the final spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament. It may also well be Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich's toughest season considering the circumstances surrounding his squad.
Even as the NBA landscape has changed, San Antonio remains to be one of the most deliberate and careful teams in the league. Their 11 turnovers this season is the best in the NBA and they are perhaps the most 3-point averse team in the league as their 28.8 3-point attempts per game is the lowest mark in the league. The Spurs thrive in sharing the ball, but it has not been as effective as in past seasons as their assists per game are smack in the middle of the NBA at 24.6 assists per game, while their offense is among the bottom half of the league.
Popovich has normally coached older teams, but now his current roster has an average age of 25.41, which is almost a year and a half older than the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have the youngest roster in terms of average age at 24 years old. The ages of the San Antonio players, however, belie their experience as on average, Spurs players have five seasons under their belt, which is near the Lakers' league-high mark of 7.36.
Currently, San Antonio is 31-33 on the year and are on a four-game losing streak, with two losses coming against the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers coming in overtime. The defeat against the Celtics was particularly tough as they were up by as many as 32 points only to be on the wrong end of a 60-point outburst from Jayson Tatum.
Based on the games they have left, the Spurs also have the toughest schedule in the NBA and a deeper look into their last seven opponents provides context as to what San Antonio has to go through over the next two weeks.
Opponent Date of Next Matchup Current Seed in Conference 20-21 Season Series Result of the Last Matchup
Utah Jazz May 05 1st (West) 0-2 Loss, 110-99
Sacramento Kings May 07 12th (West) 1-1 Win, 120-106
Portland Trail Blazers May 08 7th (West) 1-1 Loss, 107-106
Milwaukee Bucks May 10 3rd (East) 0-1 Loss, 120-113
Brooklyn Nets May 12 2nd (East) 0-1 Loss (OT), 124-113
New York Knicks May 13 4th (East) 1-0 Win, 119-93
Phoenix Suns* May 15 and 16 2nd (West) 1-0 Win, 111-85
*The Spurs will play the Suns twice to close out the regular season.
Source: Basketball-reference
The Spurs will play four games in five nights to close out the regular season, and while they have a 2-1 record against those three teams, they are facing the Brooklyn Nets and the Phoenix Suns, both of whom have been among the league's best. Meanwhile, the New York Knicks aren't pushovers this year so going through them won't be a cakewalk.
The rest of the schedule is daunting as well as Portland Trail Blazers are trying to avoid the play-in tournament, while the Utah Jazz and the Milwaukee Bucks are looking to improve their seedings and develop the rhythm needed for a prolonged playoff run.
San Antonio is 1.5 games and a game behind the eighth-seed Golden State Warriors and the ninth-seed Memphis Grizzlies, respectively, but their slate of opponents over the next few days may make overtaking them difficult. They do, however, hold a 2.5-game lead over the New Orleans Pelicans (who have the sixth toughest schedule) and also have an extra game in hand they can use to pad their lead.
The San Antonio Spurs have arguably been one of the model organizations in all of professional sports thanks to their championship success and the way Popovich, the rest of the coaches, and team management have run the organization. The current circumstances the Spurs are facing, while stormy to say the least, can serve as another opportunity for them to stamp their class as a top-tier organization, especially if they qualify for the postseason.
greg popovich


text:
FRIENDS OF WATERFRONT SEATTLE TO HOST 2nd ANNUAL LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION ON PIER 62
Featuring a Lion Dance by Mak Fai Kung Fu Club, an art installation by Seattle artist Monyee Chau, local food trucks, and the unveiling of a new fire pit on Pier 62, Friends of Waterfront Seattle is excited to ring in the Year of the Rabbit/Cat with its program partners and the public.
Seattle, Washington (January 22, 2023) —
The Second Annual Lunar New Year on the Pier will take place on January 22nd, from 2pm to 4pm, on Pier 62 at Seattle's Waterfront. Friends of Waterfront Seattle (Friends) is excited to be partnering once again with Mak Fai Kung Fu Club to present a traditional Chinese lion dance performance from 2pm to 2:30pm, along with an art installation by local Seattle artist Monyee Chau, and local food by Kathmandu Momocha and Gourmet Noodle Bowl.
The day also marks the unveiling and inaugural lighting of a fire pit on Pier 62. This custom fabricated piece will bring a festive ambience and warmth to the waterfront during the winter months. Multiple fire pits will be lit every Sunday evening during the winter months by Friends staff.
"Last year, our Lunar New Year celebration was such a surprising success- hundreds of folks came out to watch the amazing drumming and dancing by Mak Fai Kung Fu Club and ring in the new year. We're so excited to be adding to this new tradition with Monyee Chau's work celebrating the diversity of cultures that observe Lunar New Year, as well as our first ever lighting of our new fire pit on Pier 62!" said Yoon Kang O'Higgins, Director of Public Programs at Friends.
About Friends of Waterfront Seattle: Friends of Waterfront Seattle is the nonprofit partner to the City of Seattle responsible for helping to fund, steward, and program Waterfront Park — today and into the future. Friends is conducting a $200 million fundraising campaign for park construction and to support public safety, operations, and free public programming. The first pieces of the park — the rebuilt Pier 62 and Union Street Stairs and Pedestrian Bridge— are now open while the rest of Waterfront Park is under construction. Visit waterfrontparkseattle.org for more information on Friends of Waterfront Seattle and upcoming public events and programs at Pier 62.


text:
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     PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN"
     "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">

  <title>File: README.txt</title>
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README.txt

      Path:
      examples/failing/README.txt

      Last Update:
      Mon Jun 15 12:13:21 -0500 2009

"Why have failing examples?", you might ask.

They allow us to see failure messages. RSpec wants to provide meaningful
and helpful failure messages. The failures in this directory not only
provide you a way of seeing the failure messages, but they provide
RSpec‘s own specs a way of describing what they should look like and
ensuring they stay correct.

To see the types of messages you can expect, stand in this directory and
run:

../bin/spec ./*.rb

[Validate]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


It was a sunny but windy Friday evening at downtown Los Angeles, which played host to this Top Rank/ESPN card.
Outside of the Staples Center, young NCAA players were participating in the fan awards jam where players were in attendance with an eager look to reach super stardom one day. Inside the Staples Center, there was a fight card which was headlined by one of the top pound for pound fighters in the game.
The main event featured Vasiliy "Hi-Tech" Lomachencko (12-1) going up against Anthony Crolla (34-6-3).
This fight card was originally scheduled to be a unification bout between Lomachencko and IBF champion Richard Commey but an unfortunate hand injury in Commey's last fight derailed those plans so the mandatory challenger stepped in, which was Anthony Crolla.
With Loma looking to secure a victory in order to pursue a unification and Crolla looking to pull a big upset, this had the recipe for a very intriguing evening in Los Angeles. Let's see how the fights played out.
Lomachencko came into this one with questions looming from his last fight. Those questions were answered as "The Matrix" proved to many that he is still fighting at the elite level. In the first round, there was plenty of chess playing as both men feinted and used angles to try to gain position. In the second round, Loma had enough and started to really pour it on as combination punching was coming from a variety of angles. Crolla just didn't have an answer for Loma's offense and in the third round, Loma scored a knockdown. Loma looked to finish it in the fourth as he came out of the corner with the determination in ending Crolla. Loma landed a huge right hook that knocked out Crolla. Vasiliy Lomachecnko wins by fourth round knockout.
In his first fight at light heavyweight, "Zurdo" Ramirez started it off patiently and established a good left hook to the body during the first round. In the second, it was more of the left hook to the body but Ramirez followed it with a right hook to the head which lead to a greyish mouse underneath the left eye of Karpency's eye. In the third and fourth round, Ramirez was busting up Karpency and the corner knew that the end was near. Karpency did not come out of the corner after the fourth round so Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez wins by fourth round knockout in his debut at light heavyweight.
In front of a hometown crown, Arnold Barboza Jr. seemed extremely motivated coming into the ring. In the first round, there wasn't too much going on as both fighters were trying to figure out distance. In the second round, Barboza Jr. started to get going setting up his shots with that lead left jab. In the third round, Barboza Jr. started an onslaught with a left uppercut and finished it with a straight right hand that knocked down Mike Alvarado, who could not get up to continue. The winner is Arnold Barboza Jr. by third round knockout.
This was the opening bout which was for the USBA Welterweight title. The southpaw Besputin came into the first round pumping that right jab and staying composed while Blanco was trying to throw him off with his herkie jerky style. In the middle rounds, Besputin was landing some hard left hooks to the body then coming right back upstairs with a left hook to the head. This combination stunned Blanco a few times but not enough to get him down. In the end, Besputin cruised to a unanimous decision victory with the judges seeing this one 100-90,100-90 & 99-91.
Janibek Alimkhanuly gave Cristian Olivas a boxing clinic. In the first round, both men were just feeling each other out although Alimkhanuly was landing a good lead jab. In the fourth round, it was a straight left and a right hook that stunned Olivas but he was able to make it through the round. From the fifth to the tenth round, it was Alimkhanuly offense composed of using good boxing skills, setting up combinations and landing a uppercut that was finding a home each and every time. In the end, the judges saw this one 100-90,100-90 and 99-91 for the winner Janibek Alimkhanuly by unanimous decision.
Guido Vianello came in with a gladiator themed outfit and he fought like one right out the gate. In the first, Guido waited and waited and when the time was right, he landed a crushing overhand right that sent Lawrence Gabriel down for the knockdown. Gabriel got up but the referee called the fight as he could not continue. Guido Vianello with an impressive first round knockout.
Ruben Rodriguez is a bright prospect that hails from Indio, CA and is trained by Robert Garcia. Rodriguez showed good poise as he was leading with the jab and landing some big shots upstairs in the first round. The left hook in the second round nearly decapitated Snegur but he was able to hold on without getting knockdown. Rodriguez applied a ton of pressure in the third and fourth rounds leading him to a majority decision (30-30,39-37,40-36) victory.
Tonight, a crowd of ten thousand one hundred were in attendance to see the man called "Hi-Tek". The crowd was energetic and supportive of not only the main event but also the undercards as well since there were Southern California fighters billed on this event. Whoever is next for Lomachenko, one thing is for sure, there will be a big crowd to support the fight and it will be one hot ticket.


Operating since 1995, Destination Florence Convention and Visitors Bureau is the official destination promoter, with the mission to increase quality and importance of events, destination weddings and luxury market in Florence. Our company is proud to have nearly 300 members, representing the top-quality offer of the destination and this, together with the official partnership with the Florence Municipality, allowed us to open the doors of the city for our clients.
The activity of promotion of Destination Florence CVB is heading for M.I.C.E., destination weddings and leisure markets.
The aim of the M.I.C.E. division, called Firenze Convention Bureau, is to increase quantity, quality and importance of events, conferences to be held in the city, finding and suggesting the best services and rates thanks to the support of our partners. FCB offers expert services for corporate, associations and independent meeting planners in order to support them on the venue selection process as well as in planning and producing successful meetings, incentives, conventions, exhibitions and events. FCB can provide a wide range of information about the city, including: accommodation and transportation facilities, lists of local suppliers such as Professional Congress Organizers (PCO), Destination Management Companies (DMC), hotels and party service suppliers such as AV, interpretation services, sightseeing companies, unique venues and tourist resources, stand contractors.


Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, announced orders worth over £70 million to supply large thrusters for offshore drilling vessels. These latest orders, which include options for additional thrusters, are from a variety of customers who are expanding their drillship fleets and are driven by greater demand in oil and gas exploration in deep water and harsh conditions.
Rolls-Royce Senior Vice President Offshore, Helge Gjerde said: "Numerous drillships with Rolls-Royce thrusters have been delivered in the past few years, making Rolls-Royce the clear market leader for this type of propulsion. We are very pleased to see that customers in this industry continue to have confidence in our abilities to support their business with mission-critical systems, products and services."
These high specification drillships operate in dynamic positioning (DP) mode, using satellite technology to automatically maintain position without anchoring. This places a heavy responsibility on thruster performance and reliability. Highly efficient propulsion during transit moves to a drilling site, and closely controlled position keeping when drilling operations are in progress are key requirements of these giant thrusters. Seadrill has specified Rolls-Royce thrusters again for three drillships to be built by Samsung in Korea. Each vessel will be equipped with six azimuth thrusters, each rated at 4,500kW. A similar thruster order is specified for a drillship ordered by Pacific Drilling, while more powerful thrusters of the same design have been ordered for an Ensco drillship, both to be built at the same Samsung yard.
Rolls-Royce thrusters are also to be used on drillships previously contracted in Korea by Rowan, Noble and Fred Olsen at Hyundai and by Attwood, Transocean (Aker) and Vantage at Daewoo.


text:
#region License Header

#endregion

using System;
using Xunit;

namespace Quantler.Tests.Fund
{
    /// <summary>
    /// TODO: set unit tests
    /// </summary>
    public class QuantFundTests
    {
        [Fact(Skip = "To Be Implemented")]
        [Trait("Quantler.QuantFund", "Quantler")]
        //Basic functions
        public void Basics()
        {
            throw new NotImplementedException();
        }

        [Fact(Skip = "To Be Implemented")]
        [Trait("Quantler.QuantFund", "Quantler")]
        //Basic functions
        public void AddEventHandler()
        {
            throw new NotImplementedException();
        }

        [Fact(Skip = "To Be Implemented")]
        [Trait("Quantler.QuantFund", "Quantler")]
        //Basic functions
        public void AddModuleSucceeded()
        {
            throw new NotImplementedException();
        }

        [Fact(Skip = "To Be Implemented")]
        [Trait("Quantler.QuantFund", "Quantler")]
        //Basic functions
        public void SendLogMessage()
        {
            throw new NotImplementedException();
        }

        [Fact(Skip = "To Be Implemented")]
        [Trait("Quantler.QuantFund", "Quantler")]
        //Basic functions
        public void OnBarEvent()
        {
            throw new NotImplementedException();
        }

        [Fact(Skip = "To Be Implemented")]
        [Trait("Quantler.QuantFund", "Quantler")]
        //Basic functions
        public void OnDataEvent()
        {
            throw new NotImplementedException();
        }

        [Fact(Skip = "To Be Implemented")]
        [Trait("Quantler.QuantFund", "Quantler")]
        //Basic functions
        public void OnFillEvent()
        {
            throw new NotImplementedException();
        }

        [Fact(Skip = "To Be Implemented")]
        [Trait("Quantler.QuantFund", "Quantler")]
        //Basic functions
        public void OnOrderEvent()
        {
            throw new NotImplementedException();
        }

        [Fact(Skip = "To Be Implemented")]
        [Trait("Quantler.QuantFund", "Quantler")]
        //Basic functions
        public void OnOrderUpdateEvent()
        {
            throw new NotImplementedException();
        }

        [Fact(Skip = "To Be Implemented")]
        [Trait("Quantler.QuantFund", "Quantler")]
        //Basic functions
        public void SetCorrectPortfolioManager()
        {
            throw new NotImplementedException();
        }

        [Fact(Skip = "To Be Implemented")]
        [Trait("Quantler.QuantFund", "Quantler")]
        //Basic functions
        public void SetCorrectPositionTracker()
        {
            throw new NotImplementedException();
        }
    }
}