text:
The last 7 weeks have flown by in a blur of sleepless nights, dirty nappies (diapers to everyone in Canada and North America) and feedings, but most importantly getting to know our wonderful little boy (who is still affectionately known as 'Wee One' despite the fact he is not so wee!). So with that in mind I'm sure it comes as no surprise that the arrival of Mini Vanilla put a very swift halt to my blogging! I am hoping however, that since he is 7 weeks old, we are starting to get a little more of a routine and the colic is improving (I say that with my fingers crossed!) I can attempt to return to my recipes and ramblings.
However when there is good news it seems to go hand-in-hand at times that there follows bad news, and it was very unfortunate that with the arrival of such a wonderful little boy came the loss of another wonderful person. It is with great sadness that I must say that on January 12, 2010 Mrs Dobson passed away.
After a month of trying to work out how I can possibly put into words what she meant to me I am still at a loss. The impact and influence she had on my life was enormous and for that I can't thank her enough. My wonderful (and giant!) collection of cookbooks is all thanks to her. Her knowledge of food and the contents of all of the hundreds of books still amaze me. She had watched so many chefs and food writers' rise and fall throughout all of the different food movements and remembered them all along with their trials and tribulations! Her determination and encouragement for me to write and cook will constantly remain with me and inspire me to keep doing it and keep pushing myself until I achieve what it is I am looking for. For everything she has taught and given me, I am forever indebted – thank you Mrs D, you are missed more than you can imagine.
Cook Club – A Tribute to Mrs Dobson
On February 7th Mrs D would have been 87 years old, so in honour of her and to celebrate her birthday I decided to use her and her cookbooks as the inspiration for our cook club which we hosted here last Saturday night. Normally I like to use my own recipes but for this one I used a special book that we both enjoyed reading and have cooked from in the past (a book that we both agreed would be a fun one to work our way through cooking every recipe) –' La Potiniere and Friends' by David and Hilary Brown, the original owners of the La Potiniere restaurant in Gullane, Scotland (unfortunately, as far as I am aware, no longer in print). I have used this book for years (it was my Mum's book which she had received as a Birthday present) for the wonderful crème brulee recipe which had always amused Mrs D after a particular visit from Dad in which he announced when leaving that he was off home to email me the recipe as I was desperate to make it and didn't want to use any other recipe! Of course it wasn't long after that before a copy of the book was sent along to the Manse for me to save Dad from any desperate last minute emails! So with that in mind I turned to La Potiniere for inspiration for both the main course and dessert which undoubtedly had to be the famous crème brulee recipe.
I decided since La Potiniere was a restaurant cookbook I would stick with that theme and used 'Maze the cookbook' by Jason Atherton for my starter and Gordon Ramsay's 'Secrets' for a side dish recipe. The full menu was:
Crab Mayo with Avocado and Sweetcorn Sorbet
(From Maze by Jason Atherton)
Braised Pork with Prunes
(La Potiniere by Hilary & David Brown)
Pomme Puree
(Secrets by Gordon Ramsay)
Green Beans
Crème Brulee
(La Potiniere)
The whole meal was a complete success that would have made Mrs D proud. The starter was a wonderful combination of flavours and textures that melted in your mouth. I have to admit I was a little hesitant about the sweetcorn sorbet, knowing it would either be a complete disaster or exceptional. However, having complete faith in Jason Atherton (who spent time working at El Bulli) and sticking to the fact I had to follow the recipes exactly, I pressed on and was delighted that it turned out to be amazing (bad me for having doubts!!). The combination of the sweet, cool sorbet with the delicate crab mayonnaise and rich, creamy avocado puree created a taste explosion that melted in your mouth.
The main course was equally as good. Mr. Vanilla wasn't at all convinced when I told him that the pork braised in a low oven for 3 hours but after 24 hours of marinating in a brine and then the long, slow cooking in cider he admitted "it was the most tender pork" he had ever eaten. The pork fell apart at just the touch of your fork and was further enhanced by the delicious cider and white wine sauce, perfectly sweetened by the prunes (which I have to admit is not something I would usually cook with or eat!).The pomme puree was a perfect accompaniment adding an element of comfort to an otherwise elegant dinner party dish.
Dessert was my reliable, delicious crème brulee that cannot be topped. The perfect combination of velvety smooth, thick, rich and creamy custard speckled with vanilla seeds and topped with crisp amber sugar, waiting to be tapped with a spoon and broken into shards, is the ultimate in decadence and the absolutely perfect ending to a very delicious meal!
So, after an absence of what I would consider 'proper cooking' (in other words a delicious meal that required some real attention, time and love and not something I have just thrown together in between feedings) for a good two months, my tribute to Mrs D and her cookbooks more than paid off. Not only did I get to raise a glass to her and enjoy a delicious meal prepared from books she has given to me, I got back a renewed sense of inspiration and desire to get back into the kitchen and really enjoy cooking again. Thanks Mrs Dobson, now I just need to find the time!


text:
Hearings and Business Meetings
Jan 24 2007
Business Meeting
SD-366 Energy Committee Hearing Room 09:45 AMThe following items are on the agenda:
Agenda item 1: Subcommittee assignments for the 110th Congress.
Agenda item 2: Rules of procedure.
Agenda item 3: An original resolution authorizing expenditures by the Committee for the 110th Congress.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
BENEFITING: TREE Fund
ORGANIZER: TREE Fund
EVENT: 2015 STIHL Tour des Trees
TREE Fund wrote -
If you'd like to make a donation in Canadian currency, please click here.
Thanks to our sponsors, our event costs are paid for. Every dollar raised on this site supports tree research, arboriculture education for kids, and scholarships for tomorrow's tree care experts.
Science is the urban forest's best defense against pests, diseases, and the perils of urban living. Your donation helps keep trees in your world strong and healthy and their caretakers educated and safe. If you would like to restrict your donation to one of the TREE Fund's Endowment funds, please specify your fund of choice in the comment field.
Please be generous. Thank you!


text:
O brother where art thou — Videos
Down In The River To Pray
O Brother,Where Art Thou? " Three Sirens-,,Go to Sleep Little Baby!"
O Brother Where Art Though – The Soggy Bottom Boys – I Am A
O Brother, Where Art Thou? – Constant Sorrow [HD]
In The Jailhouse Now
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (1/10) Movie CLIP – Yours Truly (2000) HD
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2/10) Movie CLIP – We're in a Tight Spot! (2000) HD
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (3/10) Movie CLIP – Crossroads (2000) HD
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (4/10) Movie CLIP – Baby Face Nelson (2000) HD
The Sirens – O Brother, Where Art Thou? (5/10) Movie CLIP (2000) HD
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (6/10) Movie CLIP – Horny Toad (2000) HD
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (7/10) Movie CLIP – Big Dan Teague (2000) HD
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (8/10) Movie CLIP – Klan Rally (2000)
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (9/10) Movie CLIP – Saved by the Flood
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (10/10) Movie CLIP – The South Is Gonna Change (2000) HD
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
|O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Theatrical release poster
|Directed by
|Joel Coen
|Produced by
|Written by
|Based on
|The Odyssey
by Homer
|Music by
|T Bone Burnett
|Roger Deakins
|Edited by
|Distributed by
Release date
Running time
|107 minutes
|$26 million[2]
|Box office
|$71.9 million[3]
O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a 2000 adventure film written, produced, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, and starring George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson, with John Goodman, Holly Hunter, and Charles Durning in supporting roles. Set in 1937 rural Mississippi[4] during the Great Depression, the film's story is a modern satire loosely based on Homer's epic poem, Odyssey. The title of the film is a reference to the 1941 film Sullivan's Travels, in which the protagonist (a director) wants to film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, a fictional book about the Great Depression.[5]
Much of the music used in the film is period folk music,[6] including that of Virginia bluegrass singer Ralph Stanley.[7] The movie was one of the first to extensively use digital color correction, to give the film an autumnal, sepia-tinted look.[8] The film received positive reviews, and the American folk music soundtrack won a Grammy for Album of the Year in 2001.[9] The original band soon became popular after the film release and the country and folk musicians who were dubbed into the film, such as John Hartford, Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, Chris Sharp, and others, joined together to perform the music from the film in a Down from the Mountain concert tour which was filmed for TV and DVD.[6]
Three convicts, Ulysses Everett McGill, Pete Hogwallop, and Delmar O'Donnell escape from a chain gang and set out to retrieve a supposed treasure Everett buried before the area is flooded to make a lake. The three get a lift from a blind man driving a handcar on a railway. He tells them, among other prophecies, that they will find a fortune but not the one they seek. The trio make their way to the house of Wash, Pete's cousin. They sleep in the barn, but Wash reports them to Sheriff Cooley, who, along with his men, torches the barn. Wash's son helps them escape.
They pick up Tommy Johnson, a young black man, who claims he sold his soul to the devil in exchange for the ability to play guitar. In need of money, the four stop at a radio broadcast tower where they record a song as The Soggy Bottom Boys. That night, the trio part ways with Tommy after their car is discovered by the police. Unbeknownst to them, the recording becomes a major hit.
Near a river, the group hears singing. They see three women washing clothes and singing. The women drug them with corn whiskey and they lose consciousness. Upon waking, Delmar finds Pete's clothes lying next to him, empty except for a toad. Delmar is convinced the women were Sirens and transformed Pete into the toad. Later, one-eyed Bible salesman Big Dan Teague invites them for a picnic lunch, then mugs them and kills the toad.
Everett and Delmar arrive in Everett's home town. Everett confronts his wife Penny, who changed her last name and told his daughters he was dead. He gets into a fight with Vernon T. Waldrip, her new "suitor." They later see Pete working on a chain gang. Later that night, they sneak into Pete's holding cell and free him. As it turns out, the women had dragged Pete away and turned him in to the authorities. Under torture, Pete gave away the treasure's location to the police. Everett then confesses that there is no treasure. He made it up to convince the guys he was chained with to escape with him. Pete is enraged at Everett, because he had two weeks left on his original sentence, and must serve fifty more years for the escape.
The trio stumble upon a Ku Klux Klan rally, who are planning to hang Tommy. The trio disguise themselves as Klansmen and attempt to rescue Tommy. However, Big Dan, a Klan member, reveals their identities. Chaos ensues, and the Grand Wizard reveals himself as Homer Stokes, a candidate in the upcoming gubernatorial election. The trio rush Tommy away and cut the supports of a large burning cross, leaving it to fall on Big Dan.
Everett convinces Pete, Delmar and Tommy to help him win his wife back. They sneak into a Stokes campaign gala dinner she is attending, disguised as musicians. The group begins a performance of their radio hit. The crowd recognizes the song and goes wild. Homer recognizes them as the group who humiliated his mob. When he demands the group be arrested and reveals his white supremacist views, the crowd runs him out of town on a rail. Pappy O'Daniel, the incumbent candidate, seizes the opportunity, endorses the Soggy Bottom Boys and grants them full pardons. Penny agrees to marry Everett with the condition that he find her original ring.
The next morning, the group sets out to retrieve the ring, which is at a cabin in the valley, which Everett earlier claimed was the location of his treasure. The police, having learned of the place from Pete, arrest the group. Dismissing their claims of receiving pardons, Sheriff Cooley orders them hanged. Just as Everett prays to God, the valley is flooded and they are saved. Tommy finds the ring in a desk that floats by, and they return to town. However, when Everett presents the ring to Penny, it turns out it wasn't her ring, and she doesn't even remember where she put it.
- George Clooney as Ulysses Everett McGill, a man who is imprisoned for practicing law without a license. He claims to have escaped from prison so he can find a stash of money he had hidden, though in reality it is so he can get back to his family before his wife remarries. He corresponds to Odysseus (Ulysses) in the Odyssey.[10]
- John Turturro, as Pete Hogwallop, a fellow criminal who reveals little about his past. He believes in being true to one's kin, even when his cousin Washington B. Hogwallop betrays him. He dreams of moving out west and opening a fine restaurant, where he will be the maître d'. He agreed to go along with the breakout, though he only had two weeks left on his sentence.
- Tim Blake Nelson as Delmar O'Donnell, a small-time crook imprisoned for robbing a Piggly Wiggly in Yazoo City; he initially claims innocence but later admits he is guilty. Delmar says he will spend his share of Everett's nonexistent money buying back his family farm, believing, "You ain't no kind of man if you ain't got land."
- Chris Thomas King as Tommy Johnson, a skilled blues musician. He is the accompanying guitarist in the Soggy Bottom Boys. He claims he sold his soul to the devil in exchange for his skill on the guitar. He shares his name and story with Tommy Johnson, a blues musician with a mysterious past, who is said to have sold his soul to the devil at the Crossroads (a story more often attributed to Robert Johnson).[11][12]
- Frank Collison as Washington B. "Wash" Hogwallop, Pete's paternal cousin. He removes the escapees' chains but later betrays the men to the police.
- John Goodman as Daniel "Big Dan" Teague, a one-eyed man who masquerades as a bible salesman and mugs Everett and Delmar. He later reveals the identity of the trio when they are disguised at a Ku Klux Klan rally, but they kill him by cutting loose a burning cross, which falls on him and the Klansmen. He corresponds to the cyclops Polyphemus in the Odyssey.[10]
- Holly Hunter as Penny, Everett's ex-wife, who is fed up with Everett's wheeling and dealing. She divorces him while he is in prison, telling their children he was hit by a Louisville & Nashville train. She is engaged to Vernon T. Waldrip until Everett wins her back. She corresponds to Penelope in the Odyssey.[10] (Penelope is an icon of the faithful wife, as she rejected her many suitors, stalling for time while awaiting Odysseus' return.)
- Charles Durning as Menelaus "Pappy" O'Daniel, the incumbent Governor of Mississippi. He is frequently seen berating his son and his campaign managers, who are depicted as simpletons. The character is based on Texas governor W. Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel.[13](Flensted-Jensen elaborates on the connection between the fictional and the real Pappy O'Daniel.)[10] He corresponds to Menelaus in the Odyssey.
- Daniel von Bargen as Sheriff Cooley, a ruthless rural sheriff who, with his bloodhound, pursues the trio for the duration of the film. It is implied several times that he is the devil incarnate, and Cooley fits Tommy Johnson's description of Satan: Cooley's sunglasses evoke Satan's "big empty eyes." He eventually ambushes the escapees after they have been pardoned by the governor. He intends to hang them nonetheless, but when the valley is flooded, he, his men, and his dog all drown. He corresponds to Poseidon in the Odyssey.[10] He has been compared to Boss Godfrey in Cool Hand Luke.[14]
- Wayne Duvall as Homer Stokes, the reform candidate in the upcoming election for Governor. He travels the countryside with a dwarf, who depicts the "little man", and a broom, with which he promises to "sweep this state clean". He is secretly an Imperial Wizard in the Ku Klux Klan. He falsely identifies Everett, Pete, and Delmar as people of color because they are dirty.
- Ray McKinnon as Vernon T. Waldrip, Penny's bona fide suitor and the manager of Homer Stokes's election campaign. It has been suggested that his name is a nod to novelist Howard Waldrop, whose novella A Dozen Tough Jobs is one of the inspirations for the film.[15] He corresponds to the Suitors of Penelope in the Odyssey.[10]
- Michael Badalucco as George Nelson, a bipolar bank robber who dislikes being called "Baby Face". The real George Nelson died in 1934, three years before the story is set. Nelson died in a shootout known as the Battle of Barrington rather than by electric chair, as suggested in the film.
- Stephen Root as Mr. Lund, the blind radio station manager who records Everett's story in the song "Man of Constant Sorrow" and makes him known throughout the state. He corresponds to Homer.[10]
- Lee Weaver as the Blind Seer, a mysterious railroad man who accurately predicts the outcome of the trio's adventure as well as several other incidents. He corresponds to Tiresias in the Odyssey.[10]
The idea of O Brother, Where Art Thou? arose spontaneously. Work on the script began long before the start of production in December 1997 and was at least half-written by May 1998. Despite the fact that Ethan described the Odyssey as "one of my favorite storyline schemes", neither of the brothers had read the epic and were only familiar with its content through adaptations and numerous references to the Odyssey in popular culture.[16] According to the brothers, Nelson (who has a degree in classics from Brown University)[17][18] was the only person on the set who had read the Odyssey.[19]
The title of the film is a reference to the 1941 Preston Sturges film Sullivan's Travels, in which the protagonist (a director) wants to direct a film about the Great Depression called O Brother, Where Art Thou?[5] that will be a "commentary on modern conditions, stark realism, and the problems that confront the average man". Lacking any experience in this area, the director sets out on a journey to experience the human suffering of the average man but is sabotaged by his anxious studio. The film has some similarity in tone to Sturges's film, including scenes with prison gangs and a black church choir. The prisoners at the picture show scene is also a direct homage to a nearly identical scene in Sturges's film.[20]
Joel Coen revealed in a 2000 interview that he came to Phoenix, Arizona, to offer the lead role to Clooney. Clooney agreed to do the role immediately, without reading the script. He stated that he liked even the Coens' least successful films.[21] Clooney did not immediately understand his character and sent the script to his uncle Jack who lived in Kentucky and asked him to read the entire script into a tape recorder.[22] Unknown to Clooney, in his recording, Jack, a devout Baptist, omitted all instances of the words "damn" and "hell" from the Coens' script, which only became known to Clooney after the directors pointed this out to him in the middle of shooting.[22]
This was the fourth film of the brothers in which John Turturro has starred. Other actors in O Brother, Where Art Thou? who had worked previously with the Coens include John Goodman (three films), Holly Hunter (two), Michael Badalucco and Charles Durning (one film each).
The Coens used digital color correction to give the film a sepia-tinted look.[8] Joel stated this was because the actual set was "greener than Ireland." [22] Cinematographer Roger Deakins stated, "Ethan and Joel favored a dry, dusty Delta look with golden sunsets. They wanted it to look like an old hand-tinted picture, with the intensity of colors dictated by the scene and natural skin tones that were all shades of the rainbow."[23] Initially the crew tried to perform the color correction using a physical process, however after several tries with various chemical processes proved unsatisfactory, it became necessary to perform the process digitally.[22]
This was the fifth film collaboration between the Coen Brothers and Deakins, and it was slated to be shot in Mississippi at a time of year when the foliage, grass, trees, and bushes would be a lush green.[23] It was filmed near locations in Canton, Mississippi and Florence, South Carolina in the summer of 1999.[24] After shooting tests, including film bipack and bleach bypass techniques, Deakins suggested digital mastering be used.[23] Deakins subsequently spent 11 weeks fine-tuning the look, mainly targeting the greens, making them a burnt yellow and desaturating the overall image in the digital files.[8] This made it the first feature film to be entirely color corrected by digital means, narrowly beating Nick Park's Chicken Run.[8]
O Brother, Where Art Thou? was the first time a digital intermediate was used on the entirety of a first-run Hollywood film that otherwise had very few visual effects. The work was done in Los Angeles by Cinesite using a Spirit DataCine for scanning at 2K resolution, a Pandora MegaDef to adjust the color, and a Kodak Lightning II recorder to put out to film.[25]
A major theme of the film is the connection between old-time music and political campaigning in the Southern U.S. It makes reference to the traditions, institutions, and campaign practices of bossism and political reform that defined Southern politics in the first half of the 20th century.
The Ku Klux Klan, at the time a political force of white populism, is depicted burning crosses and engaging in ceremonial dance. The character Menelaus "Pappy" O'Daniel, the governor of Mississippi and host of the radio show The Flour Hour, is similar in name and demeanor to W. Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel,[26] one-time Governor of Texas and later U.S. Senator from that state.[27] W. Lee O'Daniel was in the flour business, and used a backing band called the Light Crust Doughboys on his radio show.[28] In one campaign, W. Lee O'Daniel carried a broom,[29] an oft-used campaign device in the reform era, promising to sweep away patronage and corruption.[29] His theme song had the hook, "Please pass the biscuits, Pappy", emphasizing his connection with flour.[28]
While the film borrows from real-life politics, differences are obvious between the characters in the film and historical political figures. The O'Daniel of the movie used "You Are My Sunshine" as his theme song (which was originally recorded by real-life Governor of Louisiana James Houston "Jimmie" Davis[30]) and Homer Stokes, as the challenger to the incumbent O'Daniel, portrays himself as the "reform candidate", using a broom as a prop.
Music in the film was originally conceived as a major component of the film, not merely as a background or a support. Producer and musician T-Bone Burnett worked with the Coens while the script was still in its working phases, and the soundtrack was recorded before filming commenced.[31]
Much of the music used in the film is period-specific folk music,[6] including that of Virginia bluegrass singer Ralph Stanley.[7] The musical selection also includes religious music, including Primitive Baptist and traditional African American gospel, most notably the Fairfield Four, an a cappella quartet with a career extending back to 1921 who appear in the soundtrack and as gravediggers towards the film's end. Selected songs in the film reflect the possible spectrum of musical styles typical of the old culture of the American South: gospel, delta blues, country, swing and bluegrass.[32][33]
The use of dirges and other macabre songs is a theme that often recurs in Appalachian music[34] ("O Death", "Lonesome Valley", "Angel Band", "I Am Weary") in contrast to bright, cheerful songs ("Keep On the Sunny Side", "In the Highways") in other parts of the film.
The voices of the Soggy Bottom Boys were provided by Dan Tyminski (lead vocal on "Man of Constant Sorrow"), Nashville songwriter Harley Allen, and the Nashville Bluegrass Band's Pat Enright.[35] The three won a CMA Award for Single of the Year[35] and a Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals, both for the song "Man of Constant Sorrow".[9] Tim Blake Nelson sang the lead vocal on "In the Jailhouse Now".[5]
"Man of Constant Sorrow" has five variations: two are used in the film, one in the music video, and two in the soundtrack album. Two of the variations feature the verses being sung back-to-back, and the other three variations feature additional music between each verse.[36] Though the song received little significant radio airplay,[37] it reached #35 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in 2002.[38] The version of "I'll Fly Away" heard in the film is performed not by Krauss and Welch (as it is on the CD and concert tour), but by the Kossoy Sisters with Erik Darling accompanying on long-neck five-string banjo, recorded in 1956 for the album Bowling Green on Tradition Records.[39]
The film premiered at the AFI Film Festival on October 19, 2000.[1] It grossed $71,868,327 worldwide[3] off its $26 million budget.[2]
Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives it a score of 77% based on 147 reviews and an average score of 7.1/10. The consensus reads: "Though not as good as Coen brothers' classics such as Blood Simple, the delightfully loopy O Brother, Where Art Thou? is still a lot of fun."[40] The film holds an average score of 69/100 on Metacritic based on 30 reviews.[41]
Roger Ebert gave two and a half out of four stars to the film, saying all the scenes in the film were "wonderful in their different ways, and yet I left the movie uncertain and unsatisfied".[42]
The film was selected into the main competition of the 2000 Cannes Film Festival.[43]
The film also received two Academy Award nominations at the 73rd Academy Awards: Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Cinematography. Cinematographer Roger Deakins was recognized with both Academy Award and ASC Outstanding Achievement Award nominations for his work on the film.[23]
For his portrayal of Ulysses Everett McGill, George Clooney received the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. The film was also nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:
- 2004: AFI's 100 Years…100 Songs:
- "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow" – Nominated[44]
The Soggy Bottom Boys
The Soggy Bottom Boys, the musical group that the main characters form, serve as accompaniment for the film. The name is an homage to the Foggy Mountain Boys, a bluegrass band led by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs.[45] In the film, the songs credited to the band are lip-synched by the actors, except that Tim Blake Nelson does sing his own vocals on "In the Jailhouse Now." The actual musicians are Dan Tyminski (guitar and lead vocals), Harley Allen, and Pat Enright.[46][47] The band's hit single is Dick Burnett's "Man of Constant Sorrow," a song that had already enjoyed much success in real life.[48] After the film's release, the fictitious band became so popular that the country and folk musicians who were dubbed into the film, such as Ralph Stanley, John Hartford, Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, Chris Sharp, and others, all got together and performed the music from the film in a Down from the Mountain concert tour which was filmed for TV and DVD.[6]


text:
Dreams are illustrations from the book your soul is writing about you. Marsha Norman
Daily Archives: July 27, 2012
Legally blind archer Im Dong-hyun set the first world records of the London Olympics, breaking his own record in the 72-arrow mark and helping South Korea set a team record in the ranking round on Friday.
Im broke the record he had set in Turkey in May by three points with a score of 699, hours before the 2012 Games official opening ceremony.
"This is just the first round, so I will not get too excited by it," said Im, who has 10 percent vision in his left eye and 20 percent in his right.
Find out more about Im Dong-Hyun, the legally blind archer who set the first two world records of the London Olympics.
He combined with Kim Bub-min and Oh Jin-hyek, smashing the record for 216 arrows with a total 2,087. That was 18 better than the mark South Korea set in May.
The 26-year-old Im has said that when he looks at the targets, he sees colors with blurred lines between them. He does not wear glasses in competition, saying he relies on distinguishing between the bright colors of the target.
He won gold medals in the team event at the 2008 Beijing and 2004 Athens Olympics.
Spectators hoping to catch a glimpse of the action were turned away from Lord's cricket ground.
Preliminary rounds were listed as non-ticketed, so several thousand spectators showed up at the venue expecting to get in for free.
A spokeswoman for the London Games organizing committee said tickets were not advertised or sold for the qualifying events and "we have always made it clear" that the early competitions were not open for spectators.


text:
Orpheus 47k wrote:There is no right and wrong only what we are told whether it be from religion ,parents, other authority figures media, friends and other influences a example in some cultures it is wrong to eat types of food others say differently. For instance some people believe that everything a hackers does is wrong because what they hear from the media but to a hacker some things they do is right to them because it is there way of making information free right and wrong is just a state of mind.
sanddbox wrote:, why not have an interesting discussion on it?
Orpheus 47k wrote:sanddbox wrote:, why not have an interesting discussion on it?
I said that your morels are made from outside influences,( family, friends ect). Do you believe that this is true with all of your morels or do you believe that some morels are made at birth threw instinct?
sanddbox wrote:... remove threats with no hesitation
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests


text:
The following is a little bit of snark that ends with a genuine complaint.
Conductorless! Avoids Danger by Focusing on the Music
I am so glad that Conductorless! is both italicized and punctuated exclamitorily. I am also glad they avoided danger!
It was natural that an orchestra founded by musicians for musicians would get around to trying to fly on its own.
Most orchestras are founded by and/or for…not musicians?
In Conductorless!, the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra made its first foray into the rarefied realm of performing an entire program without a conductor. Saturday's performance at
Macho? Really?
Throughout much of the millennium-old history of classical music, pieces involving more than a handful of musicians ended up needing some kind of leader, even if it was as simple as the head of a choir tapping a finger to keep the group together when chanting a psalm. We still encounter that kind of work in, say, a concerto performance directed by the soloist.
The arm-waving, pelvis-thrusting, leaping man we now think necessary on the podium was a latecomer, arriving less than 160 years ago. Certainly a lot of core orchestra repertoire now needs somebody to sort the music out and impose a unified idea.
ROCO got around that by choosing music — and a style of interpretation — that never put the group in real danger.
Danger of…? Thrusting? Not being macho? What's the subtext here?
It opened with a piece of chamber music for eight woodwinds: Decet by Rumanian George Enescu.
Um. It, uh. Decet. For eight woodwinds. Eight? Octet? What?
Decet is for ten. Quartet = four. Quintet = five. And so forth. Up to ten. Which is a decet. For ten woodwinds. You can look it up. I would even venture to say you should have looked it up.
But you did not.


text:
The Delaware State Board of Education approved an application Thursday for charter school First State Military Academy, which is looking at locations in the Smyrna-Clayton area.
Board member Randall Hughes II abstained from the vote.
The board approved the application for the charter school following a recommendation of approval by Secretary of Education Mark Murphy. The Charter Accountabilities Committee previously recommended approval with conditions for First State Military Academy.
First State Military Academy will be a charter school that follows the model of Red Clay School District's Delaware Military Academy. The school's initial enrollment for the program will be 200 students with ninth and 10th grades. The school expects to reach the absolute enrollment of 500 students for grades nine through 12 by the end of the fourth year.
Before the approval, BOE members addressed issues raised by local JROTC programs. Members of JROTC programs in Kent County voiced their concern about the proposed charter school at a public hearing in May.
"There was concern around whether or not a school like this would have an adverse effect on programs elsewhere," said BOE board member G. Patrick Heffernan. "I guess my opinion on that is right now according to current (regulations) and statutes, that's not really a consideration."
BOE President Dr. Teri Quinn Gray thanked Heffernan for acknowledging the concerns brought up during the public hearing. Gray said it's difficult to see a possible impact on high school JROTC programs without any data and supporting evidence.
"Clearly this is driven by a choice process where you have individual parents and families making a decision to consider an alternative charter like First State," Gray said. "It'll be interesting to see how it plays out."
Giving students an option
First State Military Academy board Chairman C. Scott Kidner said the board is very excited their application was approved.
"We believe that this is going to provide a great opportunity for kids in the lower part of the state in Kent and Sussex counties and the lower part of New Castle County," Kidner said.
The school will blend a traditional JRTOC culture with project-based learning, which is also something Kidner and the board are excited about.
"We're really looking forward to bringing this educational model to Delaware," Kidner said. "This is a win-win for everybody."
Now that the charter school application has been approved, there's quite a bit of work for the board to do including securing a site, finding funding, hiring teachers, and building infrastructure. They're in the process of wrapping up the hiring of a commandant, which is the school leader. Moreover, there are requirements due to the state at the end of June and the end of the year to show the group is making progress.
Kidner said the group is still looking at potential sites in Smyrna or Clayton because the location makes sense when thinking about potential students. It would give students in the central and southern part of the state an option and it will also give students wait-listed from DMA an opportunity as well.
"We still don't want to go into specifics about it but we are looking at that neck of the woods," Kidner said. "We think that's a good area but quite frankly if someone walks over to us and says, 'Hey we've got this great piece of land, why don't you take a look,' in the general Kent County area, we'll absolutely do it."
Email Jennifer Dailey at email@example.com.


text:
Happy Friday, PurseForum Roundup readers! Summer flew by in the blink of an eye, and here we are looking toward the beginnings of autumn. This week, we wandered around The Playground and Celebrity subforums for a bit, and then visited Coach, Chloé and Gucci. There are plenty of bags and accessories to be enjoyed and lots of conversations to join!
This week, we head right to The Wardrobe to catch some of summer's last looks in our Outfit of the Day thread. We loved the breezy street style shot from meowmeow94, who pairs up an inexpensive dress with a fabulous bag for a result that is lovely, accessible and fun.
Our members are also keeping eye out for the latest Target designer collaboration and discussing the launch in the Altuzarra for Target thread. In the General Shopping section, we found a busy thread that asks an interesting question: Is the resale market dying? Our members know a great deal about shopping for new and previously owned bags, clothes and accessories, and this thread makes for a very good read.
In Chloé this week, we found this beautiful Marcie at the top of the page, and what a bag! Katran26 added this sharp satchel to her collection, and we are sure this purse will see a lot of action this fall. The color is excellent, and it's a pure perfection with the gold hardware.
Daphane showed off her first Chloé, a gorgeous coral wallet that she was able to get for a steal. Also, Marcie fans will absolutely love this reveal of an elegant grey crossbody and matching wallet from KaseyHK. You can find plenty of Marcies and other Chloé styles in our Chloé in action thread, which may soon have you wondering what your next purchase will be.
Over in The Playground, we caught up with our food-loving fashionistas in The Kitchen, where we stopped by our favorite thread, I Ate This, where new member CreativelySwank posted these luscious shrimp fajitas and a prickly pear margarita, which strike us as a perfect pairing. We also want to share something that will warm up your fall mornings–nerimanna's scrumptious scones and the recipe to make them at home!
Also in The Playground, the Television and Cinema subforum has been buzzing with the latest on our favorite movies and shows, including the final season of True Blood, the new Starz series Outlander, and return of The Good Wife. If you enjoy deconstructing plot twists and character development, drop in–we have a thread for just about every show and franchise!
By the way, did you know that the PurseForum has a special section dedicated to all things celeb-related, including special sections for gossip and style? These are among our busiest and liveliest destinations, and this past month we all shared our feelings over the sad passings of Robin Williams and Joan Rivers. We also caught up with Beyonce and Jay Z, Mariah and Nick and, of course, the exciting news of the wedding of Brad and Angelina. Our members tell it like it is, and you will love their special brand of celebrity dish!
We make it a point to drop into threads with colorful titles, and in Coach this week, we found plenty to love in the Happy Early Purple Birthday thread. Hollywoodbadgrl showed off her new bag and phone case; a perfect pairing to ring in September.
Finding your Holy Grail bag is always cause for celebration, and when we dropped into jadis4783's Holy Grail reveal thread, we certainly didn't expect to find this impressive rainbow! It turns out that the blush Mini Tanner pictured at the far left was not only hard to find, but also essential to rounding out this amazing collection. Congratulations jadis4783–this is an impressive array of bags!
For more wonderful reveals, don't miss the Coach Secondhand Bargains thread; you will be amazed at the treasures our Coachies find every single day!
PurseBlog readers know that the Gucci bamboo handle bags have a special place in our hearts. This week, we found a beauty revealed by arviereyes, hidden in a thread simply titled Reveal. And what a reveal it is! This splendid, classic bag steals our hearts every time, and this is a terrific color combination.
We love when our gentlemen share their style and their new purchases, and this week, ujili rounded off a world-class shopping trip with a pair of iconic Gucci horsebit loafers. You will not want to miss his reveal of the entire haul, but these stylish shoes certainly deserve special mention, and attention! By the way, the ladies love the feminine iteration of these classic shoes, and ShariLee showed off her newest addition along with a family photo in her Addicted to the Horsebit loafer thread.
Well, Roundup readers, that finishes off our first Roundup of September. We hope you enjoyed this little taste of what goes on over at our sister forum. We look forward to bringing you these snippets each and every Friday and look forward to seeing you in a week's time. Meanwhile, enjoy the weekend and the week ahead!


text:
Your Basket
Your basket is empty.
Added to Basket
$ USD (United States dollar)
¥ JPY (Japanese yen)
$ CAD (Canadian Dollar)
€ EUR (Euro)
$ AUD (Australian Dollar)
Advanced Search
Please enter a search keyword
Advanced Search
Please enter a search keyword
Shop by Category
Shop by Category
Tableware, Cutlery & Crockery
Tableware, Cutlery & Crockery
Alto pure white tableware
Alto pure white tableware
Adiago & Cinder
Cadenza Plates Bowls & Platters
Mezzo Planet & Staccato
Arcoroc and Chef & Sommelier
Arcoroc and Chef & Sommelier
Chef & Sommelier
Arc Opal Glass and Porcelain Table Items
Artisan perfectly crafted tableware
Artisan perfectly crafted tableware
Artisan Crockery
Artisan Crockery
Andromeda Shore, Kernow & Serene by Artisan
Creme Coast Onyx & Pebble
Cove Elm & Trevone Stoneware
Ocean & Ember Collection
Onyx Crockery
Jouet, Matisse, Monet, Renoir & Russeau range
Cezanne, Esprit, Galerie & Impressions range
Great White cheap entry level crockery
Great White cheap entry level crockery
Great White cups & saucers
Great White Bowls & Dishes
Great White Plates
Great White table accessories
Superwhite cups saucers plates and dishes
Superwhite cups saucers plates and dishes
Bowls and dishes
Cups saucers and mugs
Superwhite Plates
Superwhite oven to table ware
Superwhite table accessories
Bone China and Fine China
Bone China and Fine China
Elia Fine China Tableware
Royal Crown Derby
Royal Doulton Bone China
Wedgwood Bone China and Fine China
Churchill Crockery
Churchill Crockery
Plates & Buffet items
Beverage Items Cups Saucers Jugs etc
Bowls and dishes
Art De Cuisine
Art De Cuisine
Plates and platters
Bowls & Dishes
Cups saucers mugs and table sundries
Profile range of cups saucers plates and dishes
Patterned cups saucers plates & dishes
Stonecast & Studio Print Cups Saucers Plates & Dishes
Stonecast & Studio Print Cups Saucers Plates & Dishes
Bowls and Dishes
Cups Saucers and Mugs
Plates and Platters
Super Vitrified White Cups Saucers Plates & Dishes
Super Vitrified White Cups Saucers Plates & Dishes
Plates & Platters
Plain Table Items Condiments, Teapots Etc
Dishes & Bowls
Cups saucers and mugs
Victorian Lace & Vintage Cups Saucers & Plates
Churchill other items
Misc. Crockery Items
Oven to Tableware and Counter Service
Polycarbonate Tableware
Polycarbonate Tableware
Antibacterial Range
Dishes and Bowls
Jugs / Trays / Serving Items
Tumblers / Cups and Mugs
Revol French Porcelain
Steelite Crockery
Steelite Crockery
Steelite Craft Range & Scape Range Tableware
Distinction Range Monaco, Neo,Koto
Distinction Range Monaco, Neo,Koto
Plates Dishes and Bowls
Beverage items
Patterned cups saucers plates and dishes
Other Steelite products
Finer China
Alvo range of table ware by Steelite
Oven to Tableware
Oven to Tableware
Porcelain Gastronorm Dishes
Porcelain Oven to Tableware
Freedom & Dignity Range
Performance Range
Performance Range
Steelite Colour Ranges
Steelite Freestyle Taste Range
Plates and Dishes
Beverage Items Cups Saucers Jugs etc
Terracotta, Ceramic and Stoneware
Genware Crockery
Genware Crockery
Terra & Vintage Range
RG Crockery
Genware Coloured & Forge Range
Arthur Price
Cutlery for Children
Plastic / Polycarbonate Cutlery
Caroline, Jasmine, Oxford, Nottingham, York
Plain Cutlery
Dubarry, Kings, Harley, Jesmond, Bead, Baguette
Specialist Healthcare Cutlery
Steak Knives
Cutlery from other Suppliers
Cutlery Storage Etc
Misc Cutlery Items
Glassware & Barware
Glassware & Barware
Cash registers tills and money counters
Wine glasses
Crystal & Fine wine glasses & Goblets
Hot drinks glasses
Shot Glasses, Sherry, Port & Liqueur Glasses
Plastic and disposable drinking vessels
Old Fashioned Tumblers & Whisky Glasses
Polycarbonate & plastic jugs and decanters
Bottles, jugs, decanters and pitchers
Polycarbonate hiballs & tumblers
Crystal and Lighter Hiballs & tumblers
Brandy Glasses
Beer Glasses
Champagne Glasses
Cocktail Glasses
Hi-balls and tumblers
Bar Knives & Boards
Bar Mats, Shelf Liners & Drip Trays
Bottle Brackets & Stands
Bottle Openers, Sealers & Cork Screws
Cocktail Shakers, bar strainers, mixology
Coolers & Stands
Ice buckets, ice scoops and accessories
Dessert glasses and dishes
Dispensers & Bar Caddies
Trays, Flight & Paddles
Glass Hangers
Jiggers & Measures
Misc. Barware and Cellar
Mixing Spoons
Notices and Signs
Ash Trays
Speed and freeflow pourers
Store & Pour & Speed Rails
Table Service & Buffet
Table Service & Buffet
Take Away Food Items
Airpots & Beverage Servers
Airpots & Beverage Servers
Beverage Stations
Cafetieres & Coffee Decanter
Drink Dispensers & Pitchers
Economy Tea & Coffeeware
Premier Tea & Coffeeware
Tea & Coffee Accessories
Hot Drinks Glasses
Vacuum Beverage Servers
Insulated Beverage Servers
Ice buckets & wine coolers
Plastic Drinkware
Baskets & Boxes
Baskets & Boxes
Presentation Baskets
Stainless Steel Baskets
Bill Presenters & Tip Trays
Buffet display dishes
Buffet display dishes
Mirage Melamine Buffet Platters and Dishes
Metal Buffet Display Dishes
Melamine & Plastic Buffet display dishes
Wood, Bamboo & Cane Buffet dishes
Ceramic Buffet Display Dishes
Glass Buffet Display Dishes
Stainless Steel Buffet Display Dishes
Display Stands
Double Walled & Acacia Bowls
Display Baskets & Cotton Bags
Melamine Platters & Boards
Polycarbonate Buffet Utensils
Polycarbonate Covers
Tulip Deliware
Black & White Melamine Bowls
Service Counter
ABS Trays
Wooden Boxes/Risers & Crates
Buffet Display Stands
Blackboards & accessories
Cake Service
Cafetieres, Coffee and Beverage Supplies
Candles & Holders
Chafing Dishes & Fuel
Cruets & Condiments
Display and Serving items
Display cases and stands
Displays / Serveries
Dispensers- Cereal, Juice, Milk, Yoghurt
Food Warmers, Hot & Cold Plates, Hot Tiles
Griddles, Grills, Skillets & Sizzlers
Menus, Signs,Displays
Menus, Signs,Displays
Chalk Markers & Accessories
Menu Holders
Paddle & Clip Boards
Pavement Boards
Signs & Sign Holders
Table Boards
Wall Boards & Frames
Wine Bottle Displays
Table Service
Table Service
Galvanised Steel Cans & Tubs
Sharing Buckets & Platters
Sharing Buckets & Platters
Serving Trays
Serving Trays
Plates & Sheets
Mini Presentation Items
Olive Wood Serving Boards
Greaseproof Paper
Serving Cups & Cones
Acacia Wood
Oak Wood Serving Boards
Ramekins & Sauce Bottles
Glass Jars
Enamel Tableware
Glass Tableware
Sundae Cups
Cast Iron & Accessories
Serving Buckets
Stainless Steel Presentation Items
Table Presentation Extras
Butler Trays
Darkwood Mahogany Trays
Fast Food Trays
Laminated Wood Veneer Trays
Lightwood Birch Trays
Stainless Steel Serving Trays
Tread Trays
Tray Stands
Vases,Tea, Coffee, Milk & Sugar Sets
Table Numbers - Signs & Stands
Table Mats & Coasters
Napkins, Linen, Dispensers
Oven to Table Ware
Menu's, Covers, Bill Presenters & Display Cases
Kitchen Equipment
Kitchen Equipment
Kitchen Ware and Utensils
Kitchen Ware and Utensils
Allergen products
Blow Torches & refils
Bowls & Jugs
Butchers goods and meat accessories
Cook & serve utensils
Can Openers
Cream Whipper & Cream Gas Bulbs
Cake, Pastry, Baking & Accessories
Cling film, Foil Greaseproof & parchment
Colour Coded BuffetPro Utensils
Cutting Boards & Racks
Fast Food Accessories
Floor Matting
High Heat Utensils
Hollow Handle BuffetPro Utensils
spoons, Scoops and Portioners
Knife Box & Magnetic Racks
Ladles. Slices etc
Meat Utensils
Mixing Bowls & Measuring Jugs
Rolling Pins & Brushes
Sieves & Shakers
Salad Spinners & Colanders
Skimmer & Lifters
Whisks & Mashers
Miscellaneous Kitchenware
Probes and timers
Probes and timers
Probe & Sanitising Wipes
Cookware and Bakeware
Cookware and Bakeware
Aluminium Bakeware
Aluminium Cookware
Aluminium Cookware - Heavy
Non-Stick Aluminium Cookware
Cookware made from other materials
Black Iron and Blue Steel Cookware
Professional Non-Stick Bakeware
Mats & Wire Trays
Oven Mitt & Cloths
Pizza Pans
Pizza Accessories
Screens & Peels
Stainless Steel Cookware
Squeeze Bottles
Storage and Gastronorms
Storage and Gastronorms
Bain Marie
Colour Coded GN Storage Boxes
Large Clip Handle Storage Containers
Polycarbonate & Polypropylene Gastronorm Pans
Polycarbonate & Polypropylene Gastronorm Pans
Polypropylene Gastronorm Pans
Stainless Steel Gastronorm Pans
Storage Containers
Thermo Boxes
Chefs Knives
Chefs Knives
Colour Coded Chef Knives
Garnishing Tools & Peelers
Carving Forks
Giesser Chefs Knives
Global Chefs Knives
Victorinox knives
Misc Professional Chef knives
Knife Sets & Cases
Knife Sharpener & Steels
Clothing and Footware
Clothing and Footware
Waiting Clothing
Bib Aprons
Waist Apron
Beanies & Neckerchiefs
Basic Jackets
Standard Jackets
Superior Jackets
Coolback Jackets
Tea Towels & Glass Cloths
Unisex Safety Clogs
Unisex Safety Slip On Shoe
Toffeln Ezi-Clogs
Unisex Safety Shoes
Disposable Kitchen Apparel
Check Order Pads
Food Storage Labels & Dispensers
Safety and First Aid
Safety and First Aid
Safety Goods & First Aid Miscellaneous
First Aid Kits
Cleaning and Waste Management
Cleaning and Waste Management
Glass Racks
Buckets and Bins
Peek Polish
Cleaning & Scouring
General Racks & Accessories
Outdoor Products
Outdoor Products
Entrance Mats
Barrier Systems
Clothing Footware Aprons and Headware
Clothing Footware Aprons and Headware
Safety and Protective Equipment
Gloves and Oven Cloths
Aprons and Headware
Footwear boots and shoes
Cleaning & Safety
Cleaning & Safety
Refuse and Recycling Bins and Sack Holders
Signs & Notices
Health & Safety
Bathroom and Baby Accessories
Electric hoovers and floor cleaners
Brooms, Brushes, Mops & Buckets
Cleaning Cloths & Brushes etc
Catering Appliances
Catering Appliances
Beverage / Coffee machines hot and cold
Beverage / Coffee machines hot and cold
Cold drinks mixers and cocktail blenders
Juicers Juice Machines
Water Boilers
Dishwashers Glass Washers Pot Washers
Dishwashers Glass Washers Pot Washers
Ware Washing
Food Preparation Machines
Food Preparation Machines
Gelato Ice Cream Maker
Blenders, stick blenders, food prep machines
Blenders, stick blenders, food prep machines
Vegetable Preparation Machines
Juicers, Blixers & Stick Blenders
Bowl Cutter & Veg Prep Machine
Discs and Blades
Vegetable Preparation Machines
Electric Range of Catering Equipment
Electric Range of Catering Equipment
Bain Marie Top Hot Cupboards
Fryers & Chip Scuttles
Griddles & Toasters
Bain Maries and soup kettles
Ovens & Hobs
Displays & Fast Food
Pie Cabinets
Grills & Salamanders
Beverage machines
Plain Top Hot Cupboards & Banquetting Trolleys
Plate Warmers
Gas Range of Catering Equipment
Gas Range of Catering Equipment
Barbecues BBQ's
Gas Heavy Duty Hot Cupboards
Ovens and Boiling Tops
Griddles & Chargrills
Bain Maries
Pie Cabinets
Water Boilers
Ovens Combi, Bakery, Microwave
Ovens Combi, Bakery, Microwave
Pizza ovens
Combi Ovens
Convection & Bakery Ovens
Convection & Microwaves
Refrigeration and Ice Machines
Refrigeration and Ice Machines
Bar Refrigeration
Blast Chiller / Freezer
Chest Freezer
Counter Refrigeration
Foster FlexDrawers
Foster refrigerated counter cabinets
Ice Machines & Glass Frosters
Refrigerated Wall Cabinets
Refrigerated Food Preparation Counters
Upright Refrigeraters and Freezers
Refrigeration delivery options
Tables & Sinks
Tables & Sinks
Sinks & Taps
Warewash Tabling
Shelving, Storage & Trolleys
Shelving, Storage & Trolleys
Cupboards & Drawers
Dunnage Rack
Racks, Shelves & Trolleys
Racks, Shelves & Trolleys
Trolleys & Accessories
Racking, Chrome, Veg etc.
Solid Shelving
Kitchen design and installation
Nursing Homes
Nursing Homes
Other items of interest
Antibacterial Range
Cups, saucers and mugs
Plates and Dishes
Sale Items
Table Service & Buffet
Butler Trays
Darkwood Mahogany Trays
Fast Food Trays
Laminated Wood Veneer Trays
Lightwood Birch Trays
Stainless Steel Serving Trays
Tread Trays
Tray Stands
Sort by
-- Please Select --
Name (Z-A)
Name (A-Z)
Date Added (Newest First)
Date Added (Oldest First)
Price (High-Low)
Price (Low-High)
Aluminium Coupe Tray 10"
Aluminium Coupe Tray 10"
Inc VAT
Add to Basket
Aluminium Coupe Tray 10"
Inc VAT
Add to Basket
Aluminium Coupe Tray 11"
Aluminium Coupe Tray 11"
Inc VAT
Add to Basket
Aluminium Coupe Tray 11"
Inc VAT
Add to Basket
Aluminium Coupe Tray 12"
Aluminium Coupe Tray 12"
Inc VAT
Add to Basket
Aluminium Coupe Tray 12"
Inc VAT
Add to Basket
S/St. 12" Round Tray 300mm
S/St. 12" Round Tray 300mm
Inc VAT
Add to Basket
S/St. 12" Round Tray 300mm
Inc VAT
Add to Basket
S/St. 14" Round Tray 350mm
S/St. 14" Round Tray 350mm
Inc VAT
Add to Basket
S/St. 14" Round Tray 350mm
Inc VAT
Add to Basket
S/St. Round Tray 16"
S/St. Round Tray 16"
Inc VAT
Add to Basket
S/St. Round Tray 16"
Inc VAT
Add to Basket
Featured Product
Genware Squeeze Bottle Clear 24oz/71cl
eCommerce by


text:
A domain portfolio of the following OLEO branded names is for sale:
oleo.de (Germany)
oleo.at (Austria)
oleo.eu (Europe)
Brandable short domain names are in high demand and rarely are you able to buy a complete portfolio of a 4-letter brand from significant markets. With many associations (greetings, oils, soccer) and a very positive friendly sound this brand is able to save your company or startup from massive marketing expenses, as you need to spend significantly less until the customer remembers your brand.
Get in contact, if you are serious about acquiring this brand.


text:
Whenever a need to back up data arises, you can plug an external drive such as this into a spare USB port, and move your data quickly.
You don't have to hunt for a spare power socket and the device is lighter and less bulky than a 3.5in equivalent. Our testing software lives on such a device, and our hardware testers would find their tasks more difficult without it.
Evesham's 100GB drive ticks all these boxes, and offers a capacity greater than many similar products, although being 2.5in it has far less bang for your buck than 3.5in internal drives. Still, Evesham hasn't created a visual monstrosity; it has a shiny metallic case with a blue activity LED on the front.
Sadly, the transfer speeds weren't great, letting down what would otherwise be a superb hard drive. However, all 2.5in disks spin at a slower rate than their larger relatives, so this to be expected - bear this in mind when buying.


text:
What are the specific goals?
The goals of the Indiana CREP are to:
Enroll 25,250 acres of eligible cropland and marginal pastureland, including frequently flooded lands, into CREP to establish buffer practices and
Protect at least 3,000 linear miles of watercourses by installing buffer practices;
Reduce by 8 percent the amount of sediment, nutrients and agricultural chemicals entering watercourses within the targeted watersheds;
Enroll 30 percent of farmed riparian acreage in the watersheds in accordance with statutory and regulatory rules;
Enroll 8 percent of eligible acres in voluntary ten-year contract extensions in the Tippecanoe watershed; and
Enroll 10 percent of eligible acres in voluntary state permanent easements in the Tippecanoe and Upper White River watersheds.
Increase the acres of wetlands in the watersheds for erosion control, sediment reduction, storm water retention and nutrient up-take.
Enroll 15 percent of the eligible watershed's cropland subject to normal CRP acreage limits by county.


text:
Samsung Galaxy Victory 4G LTE is not a new smartphone for the folks living in the US. This handset was launched last year for the Sprint subscribers. Now, Virgin Mobile has introduced this Android powered smartphone for its no-contract customers. Samsung Galaxy Victory 4G LTE is Virgin Mobile's first LTE device. This handset is shipped with the Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) Operating System.
Mark Lederman, Director, Virgin Mobile USA, said,
"With the phones customers want, unlimited data and messaging included on all plans, and now 4G LTE capable devices, we continue to provoke customers to ask themselves why they haven't switched from postpaid to a better deal with Virgin Mobile."
Samsung Galaxy Victory 4G LTE features a 4 inch touchscreen display, sporting a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) OS, TouchWiz UI, 5 megapixel rear camera with auto-focus and LED flash, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera for video chat, 1 GB RAM, 4 GB internal memory, MicroSD card slot, 32 GB expandable memory and so on.
It also comes with a 3.5 mm headset jack, FM Radio with RDS, DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance), Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, 4G LTE Connectivity, GPS with A-GPS, Bluetooth 4.0, Samsung Hub, Google Play Store, NFC (Near Field Communication), Samsung Media Hub, Android Beam, 3G/4G LTE mobile hotspot capability, up to 9 hours of talk-time and a 2100 mAh battery. This handset measures 121.9 mm x 63.5 mm x 12.7 mm and weighs 138.9 grams.
Virgin Mobile subscribers can get the Samsung Galaxy Victory 4G LTE for $299.99 without any service agreement. However, you will need to subscribe to the Virgin Mobile's No-Contract Beyond Talk unlimited data and messaging plans which start at $35 per month. This handset is currently available at Virgin Mobile's official site and it will be available in retail outlets from next month.


text:
Publication Date: 01/2010
Here are thoughts on some of the trends that will ensure public relations remains one of today's most dynamic professions. The PR community can expect that 2010 will be the year that:
o Social media will become a part of every PR professional's daily routine, and will emerge as the primary vehicle for thought leadership initiatives, surpassing traditional tactics like speaker placements and bylined articles.
o PR people will be able to exercise long-dormant writing muscles as they answer the call for blog content, podcast and viral video scripts and other forms of self-published digital media content.
o The collision of social and mainstream media will continue, with social media becoming the focus of more mainstream media reporting as the general public comes to understand and embrace platforms such as Twitter.
o Content-rich news releases will become the norm — a shift from traditional announcements toward releases that are packaged much like news stories for editorial placement.
o Media consolidation will continue, and more journalists will turn to their own blogs, vlogs and podcasts as a channel to report on the areas they monitor.
o Businesses will hire a larger number of former journalists to provide content for corporate blogs, Web sites, newsletters and other self-publishing initiatives.
o Terms such as "press conference," "publicist," "press tour" and "embargo" will rarely enter the conversation — replaced by "tweet-ups," "Google Analytics" and "RSS readers."
o Mobile devices will emerge as a channel for a broader base of PR campaigns — and a platform for an explosion of new products and applications for PR professions to promote.
Tony Sapienza is the co-founder and principal partner of Topaz Partners, a Boston-based technology PR and social media relations firm. Prior to co-founding Topaz in 2002, he served as president of Miller/Shandwick Technologies, one of the world's leading tech PR firms, and was global technology practice leader for Weber Shandwick Worldwide. Paula Slotkin, founder and principal partner of Topaz Partners, has more than 20 years of experience in planning, managing and implementing communications programs.


text:
Hello there,
My name is Thomas Lissington and I am a Masters student in Innovation and Commercialisation at Victoria University of Wellington.
I have kept chickens myself for more than 25 years mainly Silver-Penciled and Birchen, Pekin bantams. About half a dozen bantams stay with me in Wellington while the rest live in Marton with my parents who also keep Hyline laying hens, a Black Orpington rooster, and some ducks. My current favourite birds include a Birchen rooster called Hackles, Silver-Penciled hens named Millie, Penelope, Beyoncé, Rose, and a Birchen Hen called Flo.
Through my study I am exploring the relationships between human owners and their chickens and aim to develop and commercialise a series of modular housing products that will improve the lives of both chickens (the domestic laying hen gallus gallus domesticus) and those who take care of them. As part of this research towards my thesis I am conducting interviews with current and potential chicken owners, poultry and sustainability specialists, and related organisations.
If you are interested, I would like to meet you for an interview which should take approximately half an hour. I will provide you with a detailed information sheet and consent form prior to the interview itself. With your permission I will record the interview. If we are meeting at your property, I would like to take photographs of your backyard setup and birds. Alternatively, we could meet at a café and you could send me photographs that you have taken yourself. I will be in Christchurch from the evening of Tuesday the 23rd and flying to Auckland on the Sunday (28th) before returning to Wellington on the 2nd of February so if you living in either of those areas and are available for an interview please let me know what day and time would be most suitable for you and where you would like to meet. If you are unable to meet during these times, or live outside those areas, we may be able to arrange a different time to meet or even conduct the interview via Skype or phone.
This research has been approved by the Victoria University of Wellington's Human Ethics Committee (Application #0000024911) and my supervisor is Dr Rachael Shaw from Victoria's School of Biology.
You can register your interest by emailing me at my university address: firstname.lastname@example.com, sending me a private message or replying to this post here. If you have any questions please ask.
I look forward to meeting both you and your chickens!
Kind regards,
Thomas Lissington


text:
- Home
- Automobile Injury Chiropractic
- Back Pain Chiropractic
- Carpal Tunnel Chiropractic
- Fibromyalgia Chiropractic
- General Chiropractic
- Neck Pain Chiropractic
- Neuromuscular Therapy Massage
- Pediatric Chiropractic
- Personal Injury Chiropractic
- Pregnancy Chiropractic
- Sciatica Chiropractic
- Scoliosis Therapy
- Shoulder Pain Chiropractic
- Spinal Decompression Treatment
- About
- Photo Gallery
- Specials
- Testimonials
- Videos
- Contact
Proactive Chiropractic
Serving Conyers, GA
- Home
- Automobile Injury Chiropractic
- Back Pain Chiropractic
- Carpal Tunnel Chiropractic
- Fibromyalgia Chiropractic
- General Chiropractic
- Neck Pain Chiropractic
- Neuromuscular Therapy Massage
- Pediatric Chiropractic
- Personal Injury Chiropractic
- Pregnancy Chiropractic
- Sciatica Chiropractic
- Scoliosis Therapy
- Shoulder Pain Chiropractic
- Spinal Decompression Treatment
- About
- Photo Gallery
- Specials
- Testimonials
- Videos
- Contact
General Chiropractic
Chiropractic Care in Conyers, GA
When you want Conyers, GA, chiropractic care, please call or visit Proactive Chiropractic. At our office, we work hard to learn and utilize the latest, most effective treatments, focusing on both general and neuromusculoskeletal health so that each of our patients can find relief from back pain.
Proactive Chiropractic are skilled and experienced chiropractors and can help diagnose and treat a wide variety of ailments. We use the most effective techniques to help manage your pain, including:
- Traction
- Exercise
- Strength training
- Therapeutic massage
When you seek out Conyers, GA, chiropractic care, you will finally begin to feel relief from unwanted back pain. There is no need to suffer needlessly when we can work together to find a treatment plan that finds the root of your discomfort and minimizes your pain. If this is something you are seeking, please contact our office to set up an appointment.
Friendly people, clean and appointments.
Love this guy and his team, always smiling and making you feel comfortable. You can tell he really cares that you get better. I love that he takes x-rays on you before he even starts so that he knows exactly what needs work. The massaging water table is heated. Very nice and clean facility.
Knowledgeable doctor. Great staff. Easy parking. Highly recommend
Excellent chiropractor!
I take my 11 year old daughter and everyone in the office is extremely nice and friendly.
Best ever
Great results!
They were very nice and profression
My wife and i both use DR. V. And love it! Would recommend him to anyone!
He is the best
Doctor v is the best gave me free xray and the honest truth if he could help me and was the only one to ask me if i was doing ok i recommend him over any chiropractor and best price around
Dr. V IS THE BOMB
Knowledgeable, humorous, informative, and attentive are just a few words that come to mind when describing my experience at Proactive Chiropractic. I was drawn to this facility simply due to the fact that don't accept insurance. I thought maybe they can actually help me, rather than try to prescribe meds or commit me to 3x a week for pain relief. Best chiropractor I've ever been to. Can't wait to go back!
If you haven't visited with Dr. V you're doing yourself a disservice. I highly recommend this practice. Simply the best!
Dr. V and his staff are really great. They can usually always fit me in on short notice when I'm having pain. He isnt like one of those pushy chiros who tell you to come 3x a week for 6 weeks. He will tell you to come back when you need to and always offers advice on exercises to do to get relief at home. I have been coming here for 5 or more years and have had really great experiences every time.
Very nice doctor and staff with state of the art equipment. Office is decorated very nicely also.
These are the best chiropractors I've ever used. Professional, caring and very knowledgeable. So easy to deal with and always the best care.
I absolutely LOVE Proactive Chiropractic!!!! Dr. V. is wonderful. I was unable to sleep due to severe shoulder and arm pain but Dr. V. worked his magic and I am able to sleep again!! He truly cares about his patients and it shows!! Thanks for all you have done for me Dr. V.!!!!!!!
Absolutely love Dr.V! He is so friendly and I usually end up laughing before I leave.He has always acted so concerned about any pain I may be having, and answers any questions I have.I am amazed at how he pinpoints exactly where my pain is coming from and why.I have suffered with neck and back problems due to my job for years and wouldn't be able to function without his help.
Awesome staff very relaxing atmosphere.
I absolutely love Dr. V, from the first appointment he was concerned until my last , I hope that anyone that can will go to him, I give another 5 stars if I could. Thanks Dr. V
Since my two new favorite doctors have been able to help relieve the pain in my lower back, right leg and right foot I have been able to move more with a lot less pain. Consequently, I have lost four pounds. These two are great.
I have been seeing different chiropractors for the last 30+ years. Theres always been something that kept each chiropractor from having everything that I was looking for. Proactive feels like home! Ive only been adjusted by Dr Vincent once but I will def see him again. Dr Rachel is a sweetheart with such a gentle soul and hands and I can feel that she is doing everything she can to give me a better quality of life. I am currently being adjusted every week so the low rates is definitely keeping me from breaking the bank. I am slowly adding all members of my family to this practice because I know they will be made to feel as comfortable with this office as I have.
Dr V and his is staff are amazing they cater to you every need and do whatever they can possible to make you feel comfortable and safe. I would 100% recommend them to anyone I know awesome service and very very nice people to be around!
I've been going to Dr. Veneziano for over a decade. He has always been an constant rock that I've always been able to count on . Throughout so many medical issues. He has went beyond treatment researching my medical conditions when I felt I was at my ropes end. PROACTIVE chiropractic has an excellent office staff. They are very accomodating and efficient . Whenever a patient is having a bad day they always are met with a smile. He is the best chiropractor I've ever been to . Carole Thomas
Great place!! Been going there over 4 years, great service and very clean and comfortable!!
Best chiropractor ever. I love how much he explains everything. Dr. V remembers his patients and cares for our questions and concerns. He is super kind and friendly. All around, always a pleasant and informative experience. Also, his massages are the bomb.
I became a patient of Dr. V's about 4 years ago. He and his staff are the best! While Dr. V has your best interest at heart and is never pushy about his services. If you need adjusting give him a call.
Dr V has always been great at explaining what needs to be done as well at taking different forms or treatment. Thanks for all you do sir.
Dr. V is one of the best Chiropractors I have seen. He is efficient, listens well and fixes your problem.
Love this practice!!! Marcy went above and beyond today helping me with my insurance when she didn't have to. Love DR. V.. highly recommend this practice 😊
Great doctors and staff. They all helped alleviate my pain and I was able to lose alot of my stiffness. Will continue to see them
Best Chiropractor around. Love these guys. And they don't play the insurance scam game either.
They are friendly and caring. The best.
Dr.Berry is amazing
Dr. Barry is awesome. What a great practice!
I'm on my 2nd visit for lower back pain! I'm so glad I found them. Dr.Barry is the best & the staff is amazing!!! Clean office & a comfortable atmosphere!
Whole body wellness and care. This is what encompasses Proactive Chiropractic. Doctors Vincent Vinzeanno and Dr. Berry are gifted with the talent of healing touch. They have been treating my family for years. They and their staff really care about your well being. Also the message therapist, Kathy, is the best in the area. Kathy and the doctors work together to help alleviate the pain. Using a group effort you should see amazing results from the team at Proactive Chiropractic. Don't let the pain stop you from living your life to the fullest. Come experience the healing that they can help you achieve.
Today was my very first time at a chiropractic office.... I was kinda scared/nervous I had heard mixed options. I have have suffered from migraines for months. When I came into the office today I saw Dr. Berry. Marcie in the front office was so sweet and helpful! The office was so nice! Very clean, calm atmosphere, smelled good and relaxing. Dr. Berry was super informative! Explained everything he was doing and why he was doing it! He even called and checked on me tonight after hours.... Wow!! I was super impressed!! I would recommended the office to anyone looking for chiropractic service!!
The staff is friendly and willing to work with their patients!
Friendly front office staff and very knowledgeable doctors. Dr Berry has been very gentle with my many issues and extremely helpful at relieving some of my daily chronic pain. I would definitely recommend the practice to anyone with any type of issue, they can handle it!
I was struggling with neck pain for several months. I showed up to my appt. and was greeted with a smile. I left with no pain in my neck and eager to come back.
Best ever - like a spa day for me!
Very caring staff. Works with you to help identify problem areas and seek resolution
Today was my first visit to this office and they made me feel so welcome the second I walked through the door. Dr. Berry was extremely informative and explained everything so well. He was very nice, funny and just had a great personality overall. I will be back!
Dr. Veneziano is "hands" down the person one needs to get you "back" on track. Compassionate, professional and seems to never close - but really they do! Highly recommend!
Amazing massage and chiropractic services.
Winner hands down. Patient, informative, innovative, affordable and trustworthy. I can't thank him enough. Great staff and most of all- he cares. Thank you Dr. V! Rhonda
Does X-ray's on the first visit. Always very flexible with scheduling great service over all. No insurance required just $30 a visit.
Dr. V is by far the most compassionate Dr. that I have ever met. You are not treated like a patient, you are treated like his family. I can't say enough good things about Dr. V!!
Very caring treatment. Wonderful calm environment. I highly recommend him and his staff
He does a great job
First visit today and I loved it. Dr. V helped relieve so much pain and pressure in my back. Can't wait to go back next week.
Can't say enough about Dr. V and his staff. Professional and affordable while providing top shelf care.
I have been using Dr. V for over 2 years now. I would highly recommend him. He is a great chiropractor and he and his office staff are always friendly and accommodating.
He helped me out tremendously with my shoulders I'm definitely going back soon.
Dr. V's knowledge of the neuro, muscular and skeletal systems is amazing. When I went to him, I had limited range of motion in my legs and I was limping. I couldn't run, play golf, or do much sports at all. Now I'm walking without pain and every week I get stronger. What I thought were ruined knees and hips were actually deep muscular misalignments, so I credit Dr. V. with saving me from surgery down the road. And he makes me laugh and he has an awesome staff, all for a price I can afford. He has really been a godsend!
high quality, friendly and professional
Dr. V.has been keeping my neck and back in great shape.
They take care of me here. Love all the staff Thank you
Very professional and helpful staff! The chiropractors are knowledgeable and caring! Would highly recommend them!!
Always pleased
Dr. Veneziano always does a thorough adjustment, and always listens carefully to my concerns.
Professional and friendly
Dr V and his is staff are amazing they cater to you every need and do whatever they can possible to make you feel comfortable and safe. I would 100% recommend them to anyone I know awesome service and very very nice people to be around!
Professional, Friendly, and Knowledgeable
Dr. V helped me with a back problem that troubled me for almost a year. Dr. V doesn't just treat the issues, he tells you what is causing it and how to help correct it. The staff is friendly, the place is always spotless, and I highly recommend it.
Love, love, love this tight knit group. They listen and respond in the correct way to make my visit the best it can be every time. I highly recommend Proactive to everybody that asks me.
A great group of people and they really know what there doing.
High quality and professional care and services at Affordable Prices
I visit twice a month to get adjusted and am provided with care and services that exceed my expectations every time. Education is also provided on ways to keep your targeted areas on point with less pain. I really love the care and concern that I receive from these people.
Proactive Chiropractic provided the best care and they have the best staff. They were very professional, knowledgeable, courteous , on time and they made me feel welcomed. Dr. Veneziano and his staff are amazing !!!!.
Limited Time Offer!
Free Consultation, Exam & X-rays
Proactive Chiropractic
2434 Wall Street Southeast Suite A
Conyers, GA 30013678-813-1862
Medicare & Personal Injury Excluded
Offer Ends July 19, 2020
Your offer has been sent to your email.
Request an Appointment
Contact Us
Message Sent. Thank you for contacting us. We will be in touch with you shortly.
Business Hours
|8:00am - 7:00pm
|8:00am - 1:00pm
|8:00am - 7:00pm
|8:00am - 6:00pm
|By appointment
- Certified Chiropractic Sports Practitioner
- Certified Neuromuscular Therapist
- Post Graduate Degree In Rehabilitation
- English


text:
- About Us
- Contact Us
- Upcoming Events
- Directions
- Our Blog
- Our Current Catalogs
- In-Store Personalization & More
- Just Released
- Sale Bestsellers
- Bargains
- Baby Gifts
- Bible Study & Small Group
- Bulk Discounts on Books & Bibles
- Christian Book Award Winners
- Dove Awards Winners
- First Communion & Confirmation
- Gifts for Her
- Gifts for Him
- Graduation Day
- Greeting Cards
- LifeWay Resources
- New & Bestselling Fiction
- Resources for Love & Hope
- VeggieTales
- Wedding & Marriage
Read A Sample
Golf's Sacred Journey: Seven Days at the Links of Utopia
by David Cook
Learn More | Meet David Cook
How can a game have such an effect on a man's soul?
It was a scene all too familiar. I had entered this tournament with high hopes. This was going to be my breakthrough. Finally, after years of hard work and practice, my time had arrived. I entered the last round of this mini tour event within two shots of the lead. With an errant shot here, and a poor club selection there, and a three putt on the par five that I hit in two, I came to the back nine needing to make something happen. A 36 on the front left me three back with nine to go.
I began to press as I headed into the final nine. I knew better, but the adrenaline seduced my logic. Unbeknownst to me, I had just engaged the melt-down sequence.
On the tenth I pulled my shot slightly into the trees left. I pulled it because I feared the water hazard to the right. I found my ball in a small thicket of oaks. I figured I had to make a move on this nine so I decided to take a risk. After all, half the field birdied this hole on the previous day.
I saw an opening between the trees, so I tried to hit a low hook and get home in two on this short par five. Instead, it caught a limb and kicked deeper into the trees.
I couldn't just chip out now. I would be giving two shots to the field. My playing partner stood in the fairway with an iron in his hand seeming to be irritated that I was taking so long. I made a quick decision to thread the needle one more time. If I hit the green, I would still have a chance for birdie. My swing was fine but the grass behind the ball flipped the club head slightly shut, and my shot hammered a big oak, ricocheting into an area of deep grass left of the thicket. I was still out, so I hurried to find my ball. I knew it was there. I felt a panic brewing when I couldn't quickly find the ball. The grass was well above my ankles.
My playing partner was looking back at the group pushing us from behind. He was becoming angrier by the moment, not wanting our group to be put on the clock. I motioned to him to go ahead and hit. He did, and walked off in a huff after missing the green to the left. Like I had anything to do with it. He didn't come over to help. He couldn't have cared less; it wasn't his problem. His job was to beat me.
I looked back at the tee. There were two groups waiting now. I was holding up the entire field. I could feel my heart racing, the cotton was gathering in my mouth. My time was up. I had to return to the trees and drop another ball. Hurriedly, I dropped the ball without scouting out the best scenario for my drop. It landed on bare ground and bounded a few feet, resting in front of an exposed root. From my vantage point, the ball looked as if it had rolled more than two club lengths, allowing me to drop again. But I wasn't sure.
I heard the guys behind me yelling to hurry up. I saw my partner up the fairway gesturing to a rules official. I quickly grabbed a club, a seven iron, and proceeded to punch out. I picked a large opening, and without a plan in mind, hit the shot for the narrow neck of the fairway. I caught it a little thin, sending the ball scurrying across the fairway. Surely it would stop. It caught a burned out area and continued to roll toward the water hazard. I was crumbling inside. Surely this must be a dream.
The official drove up and asked why I was taking so long. Before I could answer, he said that I was on the clock and it was ticking. We went to find my ball. There it was inside the hazard, slightly nestled in greenish-brown slime at the edge of the lake. I had about 175 yards to the green. I knew I could advance it, and I felt like I might be able to get it to the green. The question was where to stand. It was wet and marshy where I needed to take my stance. On any other day I would take my shoes off and get after it, but the clock was ticking and the official had no sympathy. I grabbed a six iron and went in after it. My shoes were sinking in the mud, but I felt that I had to hit this shot. I wasn't going to wimp out now. As I took the club back my right foot sank up to my ankle. My balance was off, but I couldn't stop the swing. I tried to compensate, but there was no chance for a recovery. The club hit two inches behind the ball, catching the slime and mud. I felt the pain shoot through my left wrist all the way up to my shoulder as the club came to an abrupt stop in the thick goo. The ball moved forward a couple inches slowly sinking in the slimy water.
My shoe came off as I tried to step out of the mud. There were now three groups on the tee behind me. I was so embarrassed I wanted to quit. The official said to drop a ball and hit while he graciously helped retrieve my shoe. My shirt was covered with slime, my six iron was caked with mud, my right foot was shoeless, and I was still 175 yards from the green. My caddie threw me another ball. I dropped it and took a swing almost before it had stopped rotating on the ground. My barefoot slipped causing the ball to go low and left. It wound up in the left bunker, with a left-tucked pin. It didn't matter at that point; I was just trying to keep my sanity.
The official gave me my shoe, which was covered in dark brown muck and felt as heavy as a brick from all the water it had absorbed. I threw it to the caddy and continued to walk up the fairway with one bare foot. My playing partner had putted out for birdie and was waiting impatiently on the next tee, letting me know from his body language that I was ruining his day.
I hurriedly reached my ball in the bunker. I had a downhill lie with the green sloping away. The pin was tucked close in on the left, and a lake stared at me across the green. I was numb except for the sensation of tears building in my eyes, clouding my vision. I gave it my best shot, barely avoiding the lake. I took three putts to get home from there. I couldn't hold it in any longer. I slammed my putter into the ground, snapping it in two. The head buried deep into the earth. I screamed an obscenity and left the putter head in the ground. I was way too proud to try to dig it out in front of the gallery.
The rules official met me on the tee box and assessed me one shot for slow play and two for the tirade he just witnessed.
A couple of old college buddies saw me and ran up and asked how I was doing. They had come out to watch because they had seen that I was near the lead after day one. I yelled at them to leave me alone, not knowing they had just arrived and had not witnessed my previous hole. I was out of control. Any psychiatrist would have committed me at that moment. I had all the symptoms of a suicidal maniac. I had lost all sense of reality. In my mind I had entered a world as near to hell as you could describe.
I finished the round in what felt like a coma. I bogeyed every hole coming in. That was amazing, considering my state of mind. I didn't have a putter, and I only had one shoe on. I had no feeling. My head was swirling. I was dying inside. I stared at my scorecard for a long time, wondering how I could disqualify myself to avoid having to post my score. But I couldn't. My dad had taught me early in life to never quit, never ever quit. There it was for everyone to see, a 15 on the hole, 12 of my shots plus three strokes tacked on by the rules official. This on the shortest par five on the course. My final score on the back was 54, to go with my 36 on the front. A 90, the worst score in the history of this tournament. That score represented me. It was my identity. I was a failure, a choke, and soon to be the butt-end of a bunch of jokes.
I jumped in my car and left the scene of the accident. I had to leave, had to drive. I was looking for an escape. I headed west out of San Antonio on a small farm-to-market road, not having a clue where it would lead me. I just knew it would be better than here, because no one would know me there. I began to cry—a grown man! I began to yell at myself, the game, and even God for allowing such a stupid game to be invented.
Mile after mile went by. I saw nothing, noticed nothing about the beauty of the Texas Hill Country in early spring. I was angry. I was despondent. I was absorbed in self-pity. It was a pathetic state of mind.
Up ahead was a fork in the road. I had to make a choice. I was in no mood to have to make a choice. The thought of it was almost overwhelming given my state of mind. I stopped. The sign's arrow pointed right, toward the small village of Vanderpool. The other arrow pointed left, toward Utopia. I read the sign again. It did say Utopia. I was desperate for anything positive to happen. I turned left, knowing it was just the name of a town, but hoping for more. I needed help. Even if it was just a name, I projected more. I was looking for an escape. So I took the road to Utopia. At the time it felt like nothing more than a fork in the road on a drive to nowhere.
A few miles and several curves in the road led me to Utopia, a small Hill Country town situated in the middle of what is known as the Sabinal Valley. The valley was cut out over the centuries by the clear, spring-fed Sabinal River. It is encircled by the hills of the Texas Hill Country, providing a rugged, awe-inspiring setting for a community that time has left alone. The population says 373, but my guess is they had to throw in a few deer to get the number that high. The big live oaks indigenous to that part of Texas and a traditional, small-town main street defined the town. The basic mom-and-pop businesses of grocery, mercantile, and lumber set the stage. The Lost Maple Cafe was the centerpiece.
I turned into the dusty parking area for the cafe and turned off the engine. I noticed that mine was the only car; all the other vehicles were pickup trucks or jeeps. They were all caked with the dust of the caliche roads that crisscrossed the valley from ranch to ranch. I looked into the rearview mirror to check my face for signs of tears. The last thing I needed was for some ranch-hand cowboy to see that I had been crying.
When I caught my own eyes in the mirror, time stood still. I stared into those bloodshot eyes, wondering how a man with such promise could have sunk so low. I was looking into a lost soul, empty of life. I was in a sad state of mind. How could a game affect the soul of a man so deeply?
As I opened the door of the cafe, I was enveloped with smoke and the sound of country-and-western music coming from a corner jukebox. Circles of smoke rose from half-finished cigarettes in ashtrays on most of the tables. The smoke billowed through the serving window to the kitchen, where the exhaust fans were inadequate to ventilate an establishment committed to deep-fried food.
A waitress clearing a table in lightning speed motioned to me to come in and be seated. I didn't ask for the no-smoking section. I knew enough not to be laughed out of town. The place was packed, and every cowboy seemed to be looking at me. My Birkenstock sandals, khakis, and mud-stained golf shirt told everyone I was not from Utopia. Not wanting to draw additional attention to myself by standing and waiting for a table, I moved to the counter, where four old-fashioned spinning stools sat. Plastic tape held the stool's aging yellow vinyl in place. I could stare from here into the kitchen, keeping my back to the locals and the self-perceived inquisition at bay.
The waitress motioned to the blackboard for the specials of the day and asked if I wanted coffee. Before I could answer, she began to pour me a cup, saying that I looked like I could use it. She asked if I wanted a menu or wanted the special. I ordered the special, therefore avoiding further personal interaction or decision-making. The waitress turned toward the kitchen, shouting out my order, leaving me with my own thoughts.
I stared into my coffee cup, thinking back to how it had all begun. I was a twelve-year-old kid when Mr. Lux sold his land. It consisted of three hundred acres of hay and woodlands where he had raised cattle for years. Our Texas suburb sort of grew up around it, leaving an island of ranchland for my dog and me to hunt and explore. Because of numerous moves in my early years, I was somewhat of a loner still trying to find my niche. I enjoyed long afternoons in this undeveloped land with my dog. Although I had heard of unconditional love in church, my dog was the only one who expressed it.
Mr. Lux's property was bought by developers and turned into a low-budget golf course that our family quickly joined. My dad had introduced me to the game of golf several years before when I shagged balls for him at a field near the city park. He needed me to shag because the weeds were pretty thick out where I stood. I got fairly good at it using my baseball glove to catch them. I quickly learned to catch them in the web and not the palm of the glove if I wanted to use my hand the next day. While I can't say I enjoyed the scorching Texas sun, shagging balls was great practice for little league baseball. And I got to spend time with Dad, besides. When he finished practice, he always let me hit a few, patiently teaching me the fundamentals of the swing.
Dad was tough but fair. He worked extremely hard to provide the basics for our family. I knew that I was well loved. He gave my brothers and me many opportunities to participate in sports and other activities. Joining the Huaco Golf Club turned out to be a turning point in my life. I spent every waking hour at this club hitting practice balls and playing golf with an intermittent dip in the pool to cool off. I became a fixture at the club, befriending the old guys who played every day. They used to argue about who would get me on their team. I loved playing with them because they always bought me a Frosty root beer at the end of the round. I thought I was in heaven. They even paid my buddies and me to break in their new leather golf shoes. The blisters were worth every cent, because for a few days we wore the coolest shoes at the club.
As my golf game got better and better, I became the talk of the club, the kid who couldn't miss. I became somebody. I thrived on this attention and practiced harder and longer than any of the other kids. I not only wanted to be great, but the best. The people at Huaco were proud of me.
My parents saved enough to take me around to some of the area's junior tournaments. I quickly became one of the best in the region. My winning became commonplace, even expected. On the days I didn't play well, I felt people were surprised, even a little disappointed, especially around the club. I hated to disappoint anyone, so I would practice until my hands would bleed. I hated failure. It seemed that everyone thought that I was more special when I succeeded. I didn't realize it then, but I had traded unconditional love from my dog to a life of conditional acceptance based on my golf score.
The waitress slid a plate of food in front of me, along with a fork wrapped in a paper napkin. The chicken-fried steak was as tough as a boot, but the black-eyed peas, cornbread, and mashed potatoes made up for it. I was famished, and this greasy-spoon dinner was hitting the spot.I had entered college on a golf scholarship with much anticipation. My college golf career was filled with ups and downs as I met with a new level of competition. My emotions seemed to rise and fall with my scores. If I had a good day at the course, I would be too high to sit and study. On the other hand, if I failed at the course, my mind was consumed with the mechanics of the swing. I could often be found late at night under the street lamps in the dorm parking lot practicing my swing while smacking June bugs down an imaginary fairway. Many of my phone calls home revolved around golf scores. I could sense my parents' hearts rise and fall along with my golf score. Oh, how I hated to disappoint them. They had sacrificed so much to give me the opportunity to succeed.
"Hun, do you want another cup of coffee?" My mind was a hundred miles away. I nodded. She returned with the coffee and a big piece of chocolate meringue pie that came with the special. While it looked impressive, most of it was fluff. Kind of like a girl I used to date.
My past was littered with broken relationships with girls. Golf always came between my girlfriends and me. They couldn't understand how I could be so high and low because of a game. In retrospect most of my relationships had revolved around golf. Golf was my life.
I won just enough in college to give me the confidence to turn pro. I didn't know if I could make it at the highest level, but I did know I could make it at some level. I didn't have much money, so the old men at Huaco threw in some sponsor money, as did my parents. It wasn't much but it provided a start. There were various mini-tours to choose from to get started. My ultimate goal was to play in at least one PGA Tour event someday. I wanted to tee it up with the best in the world. Maybe I would earn a spot by fourspotting. Maybe I would receive a sponsor's exemption. Lord knows I sent enough letters to tournament sponsors.
Over the past few years I drove across much of the country playing in state opens and other mini tour events. I didn't win anything of significance, but I was improving. Putting was the one skill that I knew I needed to improve to reach my dream. I was a good putter, but to make it as a pro you had to believe you were a great putter.
Every time I was about to run out of money, I would place in a tournament, earning enough to keep me going. Every time I wanted to give up, someone would offer encouraging words and tell me to hang in there. And I would hang in there, mostly because I feared what might become of me if I couldn't play golf.
This year had been a breakthrough year. I was leading the Texas Tour in earnings, which qualified me to play in the San Antonio Open at the Alamo Golf Club, an old PGA Tour stop of days gone by. The San Antonio Open was a part of the PGA Tour's developmental tour, with the winner receiving a sponsor's exemption into the Texas Open, a PGA Tour event up the road in Austin two weeks later. I was playing well. I felt like destiny was on my side. This was to be the week that I would earn my berth into a PGA event.
I arrived at the Alamo Club full of confidence. My first big junior golf victory came here at the Texas State Junior when I was sixteen. It was also the scene of my greatest golf achievement to date. I played in the state championships here my senior year in high school, shooting a 65 on the final day to win by one. It still stands as the lowest round in state championship play. The media got hold of my record at the Alamo Club and were making it a big deal. The local paper featured a story about the central Texas kid returning to the course he "owned."
I played well enough to be in contention through the first three days. I was on a high. I just knew I would make up the two shots on the last day. The front nine was shaky because of a couple of three putts. However, I still believed that I could make up the strokes on the back. My ball striking was really on. I had already written tomorrow's sports page article myself. "The kid makes up three shots on the back nine, a repeat of his high school state championship. Where was he during the Alamo?"
And then disaster struck at the tenth. Surely that was a dream, a nightmare. No one could choke that bad. Please, God, let this be a bad dream.
"Hun, can I get you anything else? Here's your check." I was in a stupor as I got up and walked to the cashier to pay. It took a few minutes for the waitress to arrive. I noticed on the wall to my left an old-fashioned bulletin board. One with several yellowed business cards that were stapled there only God knows how many years ago. Next to the cards were tacked other notices. One was for a flea market down in Sabinal. Another from a rancher who needed a ranch-hand. Another sheet was advertising a deer lease.
As the waitress appeared, my eyes caught a final notice. It was a handwritten message on a plain piece of paper. My heart stopped as I read the words. "The Links of Utopia and driving range: Find Your Game." At the bottom were directions: "Take 187 south to the Waresville turnoff. Go right and follow this for a half-mile to the cemetery. We are located next to the cemetery."
As I paid my bill, I asked the waitress if she knew anything about this course. She laughed and said that she didn't know much about golf, but a few of her regulars affectionately referred to it as Goat Ranch Country Club.
As I got into my car, I felt an inexplicable attraction to the Links of Utopia. How could a man who despised golf so much right now be remotely interested in taking a look at this course called a goat ranch by such undiscerning golfers? I felt as pitiful as an alcoholic who just wanted to smell the whiskey, knowing good and well things wouldn't stop with the sniffing.
Search Chapters:Browse More Chapters