There is no way that you could leave your dog alone for a few days. However, if you have cats, it’s always tempting to try and find a way to leave them alone at home without getting a cat sitter or sending them off to a kennel.

Read More…

I met Frenchy 3 days ago in a chat room for fat women and the men who love them (those are chubby chasers, darling).  He really is French and really does love fat women – which, oddly, is rare in those rooms.  Most men in a fat girl chat room are really just guys who believe fat women are inherently desperate because we are fat – not always true (most of the time, yes, but not always.)

Frenchy immediately said something about being turned on and I simply laid it out for him.  I said something to the effect of “I’m not in the mood to talk about your penis.”  I’m already thinking this is the end of the conversation and I’ll never hear from him again – but I was wrong.  The next day he messaged me and asked me if we could talk.  He was kind – and sweet the way he asked me so I said yes.

We started chatting and 4 hours flew by – isn’t it weird how people on the internet always say that one – “Time just flew by!” – anyway, I digress.  We were chatting and he didn’t say a single thing about sex.  We talked about goals and dreams and family… life… whatever.  We got to know each other.

So tonight, he asked me if he could call me on the phone.  He said, “Anastasia, I want to hear your voice.”  Simple enough, yeah, but we all know there’s something behind that.  There are common phrases and words that men use to mean “I want to fuck.”  These include, but are not limited to:

• I’m lonely.
• I just want to hold you.
• Do you want to have fun?
• I just want to cuddle.
• We can just lay here with our clothes on.
• Nothing’s going to happen.
• You can just come over and have a beer.
• I miss you.
• Can I ask you something?
• I wish I could touch you.
• What are you thinking about?
• I’ll come over, we don’t have to do anything.
• I want to kiss you.  Just kiss.
• You make me feel (adjective).
• You’re amazing.
• You’re beautiful… so beautiful.
• I wish my wife/girlfriend was like you.
• She doesn’t know me like you do.
• Why can’t we just hang out?
• Haven’t you ever just wanted to hold someone?

and others too numerous to mention without becoming redundant and silly.

So of course I doubted Frenchy’s motives but still gave him my number – which is totally okay.  We started talking and we laughed and it was fun.  It was innocent and sweet and fun.  Then he started speaking in French.  I was donzo. Seriously, totes.  Just… done.  I said I had to go – it was so beautiful… it sounded like music.  I could almost see French on top of me, with his arms around me tight, pushing that cock inside me and whispering to me in breathy, rushed, fevered French.  almost.

I told him I had to go.  Did he listen to me?  Of course Not.

……………………………..Up Next?  S.18~Frenchy

I’ve been having a thought recently on songs I love, that if they came out between ‘77 and ‘81 would be deemed as Punk Classics. To me they all have the right combination of noise and attitude and have carried the musical side of Punk into other genres.

I know that they will not be everyones choice of a Punk tune, and I am not saying that they are…just that they would have been if they had come out in 1977.

Here is my list, let me know if you agree or not. Come up with a top five and I will post it as a seperate topic.

Song 2 – Blur

I can feel myself going absolutely mental as the chorus kicks in. Whoo Hoo.

I Predict A Riot – Kaiser Chiefs

It contains the word riot – always a good start – and the immortal line ‘if it wasn’t for chip fat she’d be frozen’, absolute genius.

Buck Rogers – Feeder

Fuckin stupid lyrics but a great riff, a real jump about tune.

Headshrinker – Oasis

The Gallaghers have a definate Punk attitude and some cracking tunes alongside some absolute shite. Headshrinker is one of their best.

Creep – Radiohead

Sums up my teenage years…or at least what most people thought of me. Still am a weirdo.

Killing In The Name – Rage Against The Machine

Political, Purposeful and Powerful. An amazing tune that builds to a great finale and captures the Punk attitude to life in general.

Richard III – Supergrass

Simply great pogo music.

Fell In Love With A Girl – White Stripes

This song could have been written by Pete Shelley. It would not have been out of place in 1979.

ShortsUP, o iniţiativă Oricum si Feeder.ro, în parteneriat cu Vodafone România, prezintă, pe 27 noiembrie, o selecție de scurtmetraje de excepție în cadrul evenimentului Green Screen. ShortsUP/ Green Screen se desfășoară sub înaltul patronat al  Ambasadei Regatului Unit al Marii Britanii în România.  

Într-o perioadă în care mesajele eco sunt aproape golite de conținut prin repetarea lor obsesivă, credem că argumentul care ne mai poate schimba atitudinea față de mediu este EMOȚIA. De aceea, ShortsUP a pregătit o colecție de scurtmetraje răscolitoare, integrate într-o experiență complexă ce include documentare, animații, ficțiuni, dar și un concert unplugged cu Alexandrina Hristov și două expoziții de artă. Evenimentul îsi propune să readucă, măcar pentru câteva ore, puțin din paradisul pierdut prin industrializare și consumism.

Între scurtmetrajele lunii noiembrie se remarcă: Carpa Diem, ficțiune pe cât de șocantă pe atât de amuzantă despre risipa de apă, recunoscut de UNESCO drept cel mai bun film despre drepturile omului în 2007, Becoming, un experimental premiat la mai multe festivaluri de gen desfășurate anul acesta sau Milky Way, cel mai bun documentar la Filmul de Piatra în 2009.

Animația Varmints, nominalizată la premiile Bafta 2009, are în centru o creatură fragilă care se zbate să păstreze rămășițele lumii tihnite pe care a cunoscut-o cândva. Cu ce preț va reuși, în fața urbanizării violente? 

Pentru a face mai puternică și mai memorabilă interacțiunea publicului cu tema lunii noiembrie, ShortsUP, împreună cu Muzeul Țăranului Român îi invitată pe participanți, înainte de vizionare, să creeze obiecte din lemn și din lut împreună cu meșteri renumiți, utilizând doar energia produsă de propriul corp.

Tot înainte de proiecția filmelor, de la 20.00, poate fi admirata expoziția de arta digitală a Galeriei 115, «Back to Nature», o selecție de lucrări special concepută pentru ShortsUP/Green Screen. 

Alexandrina Hristov, una dintre cele mai ingenue artiste de soul & indie, va susține de la 23.00 un concert unplugged în cadrul ShortsUP/ Green Screen, și va expune totodată o serie de picturi realizate de ea, care se încadrează în tema evenimentului.

ShortsUP, organizat de Asociatia Oricum și Feeder.ro, împreună cu Vodafone România, aduce în fiecare luna cele mai titrate scurtmetraje din întreaga lume, în cadrul unor experiențe  cinematografice interactive, în care publicul face parte din scenariul evenimentelor.

Biletele sunt disponibile pe www.eventim.ro sau direct la intrare, în seara evenimentului. Prețul unui bilet este de 20 RON și oferă acces la programul întregului eveniment.

Programul complet al evenimentului:
20.00 – 21.00 – GET GROOVING
Expoziție de artă digitală Galeria 115 – “Back to nature”
Expoziție de pictură Alexandrina Hristov – “Lavmitender”
Inveți să faci oale din lut doar cu consum propriu de energie și măști tradiționale împreună cu meșteri autentici
21.00 – 23.00 – SCURTMETRAJE
Proiecțiile au loc în cinematograf și în sala “Spectacole” din cadrul Muzeului Țăranului Român.
23.00 – 24.00 – CONCERT
Alexandrina Hristov

Mai multe informaţii puteţi afla de pe site-ul www.shortsup.ro

Over the weekend I caught an interesting interaction at the feeder down by the pond. A coyote had crept up on a raccoon that was helping itself to some corn. It appears that the coyote was already too close for the raccoon to bail and run for the trees. Unfortunately the camera’s batteries died right after this shot.

Squirrel Proof Sky Cafe Bird Feeder

Watching those squirrels struggle against the Sky Cafe & Mandarin Bird Feeders only to be tossed off again and again brings an entertaining slapstick feature to any backyard.  Dainty birds can be seem fluttering back and forth from the feeders taking as much food as they like, while the squirrels keep tumbling down.  One may find them selves feeling sorry for the furry little fellows.  But don’t feel too guilty for enjoying the defeat of your neighborhood squirrels.  Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders can contribute to keeping the squirrels healthy.  Sunflower seed and Peanuts are bad for squirrels.

Peanuts and Sunflower Seeds are Bad for Squirrels

These common favorites for birds can provide too much phosphorous in squirrels which cause weak bones “diet imposed osteoporosis”.  While we fully understand the desire to keep squirrels out of our bird feeders we don’t hold any grudges towards the squirrels for following their natural instincts to find food.  The constant battle against pesky squirrels can become tiresome, however, the thought of having over run bird feeders and our yards being filled with unhealthy squirrels is even worse.  The squirrels may dislike the bitter taste of defeat but taking the extra measure of getting squirrel proof bird feeder can be a small and easy contribution to helping maintain a healthy ecosystem in your backyard.

"I'll get you next time Sky Cafe!"

Some days you may find your self dreaming of a world without squirrels.  It’s important to always remember the bigger picture.  They’re not “tree-rats” filling their day with plots to make your life irritating.  Well, we’re sure there is some plotting going on, but certainly not with any malicious intent.  Squirrels provide us with a free tree trimming service.  A healthy squirrel diet includes: tree bark, leaves, buds, and the ends of branches.  They also can help us spot a diseased tree in our yard.  Many people mistakenly blame squirrels for “girdling” trees.  This is not true.  Squirrels may girdle a small branch but they generally do not girdle the trunk of a tree, unless, the tree is diseased.

Damaged Tree

If you see squirrels taking part in this activity it is a signal that the tree is sick and you should call a tree specialist to find out how to save the tree.

The squirrel do play a helpful role in our backyards.  Sometimes their instincts can be viewed as troublesome and sometimes it can be difficult to co-exist with the little guys.

He's doing his part!

So the next time you see a healthy squirrel slide off your Sky Cafe or Mandarin bird feeder feel free to laugh and remember he’s not just there for our entertainment, he’s doing his part too.

When you think 2001 there’s really only one thing that sticks in your head, September the 11th. I distinctly remember coming in from school that day and my Dad (with the telly off) saying to me, “Marc you’ll never believe what’s happened?” At which point I felt like saying washing machine’s broke or you’ve got a new partner (he was going through divorce in 2001 y’see) but the telly came on and a picture of what seemed like loads of people covered in a big pile of fag ash and two towers obliterated by two jumbo jets were to scar and shock folk around the world. It was the beginning of the American led war on terror! Many believe it’s a conspriracy, but “The Fear” was here! But then again “The Fear” was already here from that February as Hear’Say were unleashed as winners of ITV’s “Popstars” which went out to spout more of the same rubbish to this very day (JLS excluded!)

Anyway them aside 2001 was actually another very very good year for music and not just for “Bridget Jones’ Diary” and Kylie parading around in a sheet with a hood cut out. With so many (and so many we couldn’t include) quality dance and urban tracks it was a year of discovery for me in terms of music part thanks to my brother, divorce and MTV-over exposure day and very very late night (ta bro) my 2001 was a rollercoaster – enjoy the ride!

—————————————————————————————————————————–

1. WHEATUS – ‘TEENAGE DIRTBAG’

It was NEVER off “The Box” – just NEVER off it! The first of American pop-rock band Wheatus’ 2001 big sellers ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ was taken from the film “Loser” starring “American Pie’s” Jason Biggs. ’Teenage Dirtbag’ was so big that  it also appeared in a car advert (bit fucked up if you remember it!) It’s lost it’s cred now but ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ really did sum up what life was like for us teenagers back in 2001….  i’ve got two tickets to Iron Maiiiiden baaaaby, come with me Friday don’t say maaaybeee (can we play with madness instead?)

WATCH : http://bit.ly/tQP4k / APPEARS ON : Wheatus (Columbia)

—————————————————————————————————————————–

2. MISSY ELLIOTT – ‘GET UR FREAK ON’

When Timbaland wasn’t a complete sellout and Missy Elliott was still a fat mother bitch, ‘Get UR Freak On’ was Missy’s first UK top ten hit  and prodomonently featured the Indian ektara! Complete with a deranged video featuring cameos from Ja Rule, Ludacris(ps), LL Cool J and white black gimps (with kooky eyes), ‘Get UR Freak On’ was one of the essential urban tracks of 2001!

WATCH : http://bit.ly/3A3GzV / APPEARS ON : Miss-E So Addictive (Warner Music)

—————————————————————————————————————————–

3. THE AVALANCHES – ‘SINCE I LEFT YOU’

A pile of records mashed up on two samplers and a bunch of turntables sound mad enough? Doesn’t to us as Australian act The Avalanches make our Super 7 with “Since I Left You.” The duo’s two singles of that year reached the top 20 and with two uber cool and stunning videos to match the soundtrack, for lovers of credible dance music like myself (bit hard to imagine that is it not) it was a bit hard pushed not to include one of their records in this list!

WATCH : http://bit.ly/2fDKXU / APPEARS ON : Since I Left You (Modular)

—————————————————————————————————————————–

4. iiO – RAPTURE

Seeing as Destiny’s Child ‘Survivor’ was our favourite album of 2001, ‘Bootylicious’ got a last minute boot from the list to makeway for this drunken slur (sounds it!) The neo-dance gem ‘Rapture’ was a #2 hit in November 2001 for the New York dance act and unfortunately they were pretty much a one hit wonder, but then again only if you go by the names Eric Prydz or Fedde Le Grand then you tend to get more than one hit through the Ministry Of Sound offset label Data….. (anybody else noticed?)

WATCH : http://bit.ly/3A5P3 / APPEARS ON : NOW Dance Anthems (EMI TV/Ministry Of Sound)

—————————————————————————————————————————–

5. FEEDER – BUCK ROGERS

He’s got a brand new car, looks like a Jaguar, it’s got leather seats, it’s got a CD player-PLAYER-PLAYER-PLAYER-PLAYER-PLAYER-PLAYER-PLAYER-PLAYER-PLAYER-PLAYER… but I don’t wanna talk about it anymore… *nuff said*

WATCH : http://bit.ly/mImif / APPEARS ON : The Singles (Echo)

—————————————————————————————————————————–

6. BASEMENT JAXX – ROMEO

Jaxx go Bhangra-Bhangra-Bhangra! ‘Romeo’ is one of the standout dancetracks from 2001 and features the vocals from the extremely talented Kele Le Roc on the track! Add to that a full blown Bollywood dance affair video and the result was a top 5 smash and huge airplay anthem for the Jaxx in the summer of 2001!

WATCH :  http://bit.ly/2ahmTv /APPEARS ON : The Singles (XL Talent)

—————————————————————————————————————————–

7. KYLIE MINOGUE – CAN’T GET YOU OUT OF MY HEAD

It’s minimalist heaven written by Cathy Dennis and Rob Davis, ‘CGYOMH’ is Kylie’s biggest selling UK single to date! But forget the song it was the video that made us drop our jaws at this dance genius as Kylie wore what seemed like a sheet of cloth with a hood attached, to this day we’re not sure about those red men and women though! A mashup was serviced with New Order’s ‘Blue Monday’ in 2002 and was featured in her Brit awards performance that year. Random music fact time - Kylie’s metallic dress featured in the video is “apparently” a tribute to Roisin Murphy’s similar outfit in the video for Moloko’s 99′ hit “Sing It Back”… cool eh!

WATCH : http://bit.ly/3u2Pvj / APPEARS ON : Ultimate Kylie (Parlophone)

—————————————————————————————————————————–

BONUS TRACK :

> EVE FEAT. GWEN STEFANI – “LET ME BLOW YA MIND”

Dup-dup-doop-doop-dup-doo-doo-doop… far too good to let slip off our Super 7, it’s the BEST bassline of 00’s written by none other than Dr. Dre (yes Dr. Dre!) ‘Let Me Blow Ya Mind’ raped the nations urban/pop dancefloors in late 2001 and was the first outing for the unlikely pair.

WATCH : http://bit.ly/1xIS2U / APPEARS ON : Scorpion (Polydor)

—————————————————————————————————————————–

GUILTY PLEASURE :

> SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR – “MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR”

‘Take Me Home’ or ‘Murder On The Dancefloor’… hmmm! Off the back of 2000’s huge selling “Groovejet”, SEB’s solo career started with two pop anthems, the second of which was the Xmas party anthem “Murder On The Dancefloor.” “Murder” was written by none other than the New Radicals lead singer Gregg Alexander, who also responsible for Ronan Keating’s ‘Life Is A Rollercoaster.’ The track featured a video that’d put Strictly to shame (sorry Alesha) and a killer remix package, take it away Sophie!

WATCH : http://bit.ly/1ec54M / APPEARS ON : Read My Lips (Polydor)

______________________________________________________

MGS

Check out my video on the Munchkin Fresh Food Baby Feeder! …

Shopping store: buy cheap NECA & discount

Munchkin Fresh Food Baby Feeder

by ExpoTVKidsandBabies (Category: Entertainment)

Tropical Mockingbird (only for reference - not a photo of my mystery bird)

Yes, I know, two totally different birds, it would seem, yet both are quite unfamiliar to me.

A wonderful day of mixed clouds and rain, and a surprise visit at the feeder.  I have what looks like a mockingbird or thrasher (maybe a cuckoo because of the long tail) in my yard but it doesn’t match any descriptions in the guide books. It seems to match the Tropical mockingbird except for the breast colour.

Here’s the description:

a single bird, looking like a mockingbird or thrasher, with very conspicuous white in the tail (rather like a White-tipped dove, it seems) when flying.

It sat next to a Baltimore oriole at my feeder (bananas), allowing a size comparison. It was very much bigger than the oriole, so I calculate at least 10 or 11 inches. It then flew off into a eucalyptus tree.

I saw it only briefly at the feeder, which is in a guayabo tree. It has a conspicuous yellow eye with a black line or mask through it, and a long straight bill. It is grey in colour overall, but the belly is white. I was unable to check for wing bars. It did not call. It seemed to cock its tail.

The main problem with this bird is that it has a dark, muted yellow breast. I assumed it was a bird I’d never seen before (I am unfamiliar with Tropical mockingbirds, but know Northern mockingbirds very well, but I was astonished not to find a bird matching the description in Garrigues or in Stiles and Skutch. It might match the Tropical mockingbird except for the breast coloration. Could it get stained somehow, or is there some South American vagrant of which I am ignorant? I observed it in good light but only for about 15 seconds from a distance of about 15 yards. It reappeared very briefly, and I was able to confirm the main points of identification. My wife says she saw it also on Friday but assumed it was a bird I knew. I failed to get a photograph but hope to get one if it reappears tomorrow. This seems fairly likely, I would say.

In retrospect, and searching through the guides for the nth time, I hit upon the Striped cuckoo.  I have looked at numerous photos both of the Tropical mockingbird and the Striped cuckoo.  Some photos look nothing like the bird I saw, others (of either species) look possible, if the cuckoo doesn’t raise its crest.  When I finally get to see the cuckoo, yet another supposedly common bird in the Caribbean lowlands, I will know if that’s it.

If anyone can help, my telephone number here in San Antonio, near Santa Cruz, Turrialba, is 2 538 64 57.

October 25, 2009 8:02 PM

Well, a week away from release, and the data is still being gathered that will allow the SCFLinFM10 project to work. One thing that I did want to dois have a set of badges for the game – and, thanks to assistance, we will have.

So, who will see their Logo displayed in game?

Well, hopefully, everyone – certainly all County One, Two and Three sides. There are currently a few gaps below that, so if you support or play for an East Sussex Premier, West Sussex Premier, Mid-Sussex Premier or Brighton, Hove & District Premier side – get in touch, and get me a badge!

RSS adalah sebuah file berformat XML(Extensible Markup Language) untuk sindikasi yang telah digunakan (diantaranya dan kebanyakan) situs berita dan weblog (wikipedia)

Rss (Really Simple Syndication) atau juga dikenal dengan Feeder (umpan). Rss ini merupakan cara untuk berlanggunan artikel/tulisan/post/update dari suatu website tanpa kita harus mengunjungi website tersebut.

Website yang menyediakan layanan Rss Feed biasa akan muncul icon rss di kolom address(alamat webiste) browser

RSS Feed

Icon RSS

untuk menjadi pelanggan RSS website tersebut pilih “Subcribe this feed Using” ada pilihan goolge, my yahoo atau bloglines, misalkan kita sudah mempunyai account Google, pilih google, nanti akan ada 2 pilihan yang ditawarkan Goolge untuk berlangganan RSS feed tadi, bisa memakai iGoogle (google homeopage) atau Google Reader, terserah mau pakai yang mana, intinya kedua bisa membaca RSS Feed tsb.

iGoogle

Here’s some music i’m diggin lately.  That i think should be shared with the world. ya know? lot of different genres, rock, hip hop, alternative, acoustic.
title–artist–album.

Let It Happen–Jimmy Eat World–Chase This Light
The District Sleeps Alone Tonight–Postal Service–District Sleeps Alone tonight
8.18–Feeder–Silent Cry
No One’s Gonna Love You–Band Of Horses–Cease to Begin
So Much–Newton Faulkner–Rebuilt by Humans
If This is It–Newton Faulkner–Rebuilt By Humans
Kids–MGMT–Time to Pretend
Knocked Up–Kings of Leon–Because of the Times
True Love Way–Kings of Leon–Because of the Times
The Prayer–Kid Cudi–Man on the Moon
Up Up And Away–Kid Cudi–Man on the Moon
Soundtrack to my life–Kid Cudi–Man on the Moon
Pursuit of Happiness–Kid Cudi–Man on the Moon
Little Bit–Drake–So Far Gone
Already Home–Jay Z–Blueprint 3
Forever–Drake–So Far Gone
Whiskey and Fish–Joe Purdy–Julie Blue
Coffee Shop Soundtrack (Acoustic)–All Time Low–So Wrong, It’s Right
Can’t Get It Right Today–Joe Purdy–You Can Tell Georgia
Boy With A Coin–Iron and Wine–Our Endless Numbered Days
Iron Maiden–Ghostface Killah–Ironman

Tonight’s band to watch are the Norwich based trio Apollo 101, they take elements of indie, rock and pop along with the occasional eighties synthesiser line to create a dense mix that oozes feel good melodies – there is no doubt that this band will get you up and moving.

Apollo 101

With their debut single out in November their appealing songs and catchy melodies are attracting all the right attention.

Comprised of Josh Rayman and brothers Chris and Andy Walker – all three members have varied musical backgrounds, having previously played in various bands both together and apart.

Chris Walker’s ability to write songs that are naturally relatable and catchy is quite formidable when layered alongside the array of sounds multi-instrumentalist Josh and drummer Andy bring onto the sound-field.

Since coming together earlier this year, the band have developed a strong and diverse sound, combining elements of contemporary pop rock alongside cues from the world of melodic rock, making it easy to compare this band to a slew of others out there including Feeder and Bloc Party…  but wait don’t write this band off as just another ‘Indie’ band!

There’s a uniqueness about Apollo 101 that makes comparisons with other acts quite useless, in this case I think you need to take a listen yourself :

http://www.myspace.com/theapollo101

Now after a myriad of electrifying live performances across the East of England including an invigorating appearance at the esteemed Waterfront venue – Apollo 101 will release their debut single – ‘One More Chance’ on November 15th through Jigsaw House.

To coincide with this – Apollo 101 are stirring up publicity with a string of dates across Norwich, and soon after – I hope, a UK wide tour.

If you like what you hear  you can catch them at any of the following:

 UK LIVE DATES

07.10             The Twist, COLCHESTER

10.10             Oxjam Busking Event, NORWICH

25.10             Oxjam Festival, NORWICH

26.10             The Birdcage, NORWICH

03.11             B2, NORWICH

15.11             Single Launch @ The Birdcage, NORWICH

18.11             The Miller’s Arms, ST. NEOTS

24.11             B2, NORWICH

28.11             The Waterfront Inn, DISS

10.11             Norwegian Blue, NORWICH

18.12             The Mayfair Club, LOUTH

SEA over and out!

It’s strange where a morning can take you without you even realising it.

Earlier today, whilst doing my usual trawl of Google Reader, email and the usual areas of successful work avoidance, I noted on one of the mp3 blogs I subscribe to (Remember kids: Piracy is a crime blah blah etc don’t rape the elderly blah I bum foxes blah blah thanks) a new album by American pop-rockers Everclear, which contained acoustic versions of some of their older songs.

Once upon a time this might have excited my swollen pop glands but in 2009, it’s a good decade since Everclear and their shiny preppie pop ilk truly permeated my brain. Whilst never popular in Britain for no doubt the same reasons the Americans went a bundle for them, I was a huge supporter around the time of their third album “So Much For The Afterglow”, which I decided to buy on a whim after learning they’d be at a gig I was attending some months down the line.

Listening to it again now, I still get a huge kick out about two thirds of the LP, including the insanely upbeat title track, dual-tempo tribute to teenage time-filling Amphetamine and the poor boy plea of I Will Buy You a New Life. All of it very unoriginal and radio friendly by many people’s standards but when you’re 17 years old, such things are really less important. (Don’t believe me? Check out Paramore at the top of the UK album charts this very week.)

The gig I ended up seeing them at was fairly landmark for me. Whilst not my first, Everclear were playing a double-header tour of UK universities with the still relatively unknown Feeder and bottom of the bill was the equally forgotten yet incredibly good fun Carrie, whose singer Steve had a rather unfortunate habit of dropping his trews mid-song.

The whole night was tremendous, doubly so if you were in your mid-teens and leaping around like a lunatic next to actual real life girls. Of course, my careful planning and dubbing off of “So Much For The Afterglow” for my pals ended up being completely for nothing as the band played all of about two songs from it which may possibly explain why the UK campaign bombed soon after.

Several months later, our local rock club played “Amphetamine” which sent me and my best friend into near hysterics. Halfway into the song, I realised that the usually 100-capacity dancefloor was somewhere short of that, to the deficit of somewhere in the region of around 98 people.

But the memories remain as strong as ever and it was a nice treat to be reminded of that period in my life where Everclear were an important part. And as such, I was filled with good cheer and the possibility that maybe they could mean as much to be now as they did then. So I hurriedly downloaded this new album and immediately gave it a listen to for old time’s sake. And you know what? It was bloody awful.

Thanks for nothing, Everclear.

People often ask us “What is the difference between the Sky Cafe and the Mandarin Bird Feeders?”

It all began with the Mandarin back in 1975.  Designed by the St. Louis architect Jim Fisher and the plastics engineer, Frederick Taussig, the Mandarin Bird Feeder or Tin Woodsman Bird Feeder or Witch’s Hat Bird Feeder, became an instant classic.  It had a large one and a half gallon bucket with four ports and perches for birds to land on, and for some 15 years, that is what we made and shipped to our customers.

Then, as the birding industry grew, so did people’s wishes regarding how their bird feeders worked.  They wanted feeders that attract the maximum number of birds, hold the maximum amount of seed, and appealed to cardinals who love a platform to sit on, so we designed the Sky Cafe with a wide tray surrounded the hopper.  It was an immediate success, not just with cardinals, but with all feeder birds.  The Sky Cafe is easy to clean and hang.  It’s also a breeze to fill.

The Sky Cafe Bird Feeder

We figured that its sales would eliminate interest in the Mandarin Bird Feeder, but soon learned the Mandarin Bird Feeder has a very loyal following.

The Original Mandarin Feeder

If you are hanging your feeder from a swing-arm extension off a deck, and need it to be just that much more squirrel proof, the Mandarin Bird Feeder with its 4 narrow perches, is difficult for a squirrel to manage to land on, even when leaping from a nearby deck rail.  The Mandarin Bird Feeder also is more conservative in the way it dispenses seed.  Because birds reach into a port to pull out a seed, there is less chance that seed will end up on the ground.

So there you have it!  A need for both feeders, as similar as they are, they’re really more like fraternal twins, which makes each one unique.

Hummingbirds are astronomically small. If you’ve ever seen one up close, say in somebody’s hand, then you cannot really realize how small they are. Now why am I beginning this post with a random fact about hummingbirds? It’s because I went hummingbird banding at the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory or GCBO which is located in Lake Jackson, TX. I volunteered to work there today because on every Saturday during the month of September they what is called the Xtreme Hummingbird Xtravaganza. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are netted and banded while they are on their way across the Gulf of Mexico to Southern Mexico and Central America. These tiny birds travel thousands of miles to their wintering grounds. If that’s not amazing, then I don’t know what is.

The Catching of the Birds

If you have never seen a bird being banded, then try to. It’s a very interesting experience. Though, to band birds you have to be certified bander, but that doesn’t mean you can’t watch. First off, they have to catch the birds and they do this in two different ways. They set up a hummingbird feeder in bird cage and the door is attached to a string. When a hummingbird flies in the string is pulled and its captured. It is then picked out and put into a mesh bag to be taken to the bander. Another way to catch birds is through a mist net. It’s a bit difficult to describe, but is a net with about five levels and each level has an excess amount of very fine netting. The bird will fly into the net and be caught by the excess netting in the bottom, making a sort of sack. Not many hummingbirds are caught this way, but they did catch two female blue grosbeaks, a chickadee (didn’t get to see which kind), to male cardinals, a female cardinal, about ten or so hummingbirds, and a northern mockingbird. All of these birds were banded.

The Banding of the Birds

After being caught the birds are taken to the bander, where he puts a tiny hummingbird band into special pliers, takes the hummingbird out of the bag, and puts it on. The pliers have ring in them where is small enough to squeeze the band around the bird’s leg, but big enough to not squash the bird’s leg. That would not be good and rather defeat the purpose of banding. The bander then takes a straw and blows on the belly of the hummingbird to see its fat content. The fat content is rated and recorded. The bird is then put into a small tube to be weighed. It weighs about 3 g, which is tiny. The bander then removes the bird and feeds it from some sugar water. The tongue of a hummingbird is so small. They caught a few new hummingbirds, meaning they were born this passed spring or summer, a few males and a female.

The same procedure is used on all the other birds caught today.

Not too many hummingbirds were caught today, which is a bit unfortunate. They caught 45 hummingbirds this passed Tuesday. That would have been amazing to see. Today was awesome because everybody I met wants the same thing I do – to conserve birds. They love birds and don’t want them to go extinct – they actually care. The one bad thing about today was the mosquitoes. They were horrific. So bad that it didn’t matter how much bug spray you put on – they still bit you – even through jeans. They’re monsters. One tip – don’t go into the woods where there is standing water right after a rain. You will be swarmed in a cloud of vicious blood-sucking beasts. But after you get passed that, bird banding is really fun, well to watch anyway. If you can watch it somewhere around you, then by all means go and volunteer or go and watch. You will not be disappointed.

Here are some pictures from today:

‘Till next time – enjoy!

Metro feeder bus drivers call off stir after fare hike
(Source: IANS)
Published: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 at 18:35 IST

New Delhi: The Delhi Metro’s feeder buses were back on roads Friday after four days as the driver called off their strike after the company got Delhi government’s nod to hike their fares.
Thousands of commuters faced a harrowing time since Monday when scores of Delhi Metro’s feeder buses, which help passengers reach designated Metro stations, went on a strike.

“We have pacified them. The Delhi government has agreed and the fares would be hiked shortly,” DMRC chief E. Sreedharan said.

Although the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) procured these feeder buses, the operator – Rajasthan Bombay Transport Company – manages the revenue and operations of the 120 buses. The drivers had gone on strike without any prior notice to the DMRC.

The reason given was that the operator was running into severe losses and had been under pressure from drivers demanding better wages and a bonus. But this was not feasible with Rs.5 and Rs.8 fare slabs.

However, the drivers called off their strike late Thursday and buses were plying on routes Friday after the DMRC got clearance from the state government agreed to raise the fare slabs to Rs.7 and Rs.10.

Feeder buses run on 14 routes across the city. Commuters on eight routes including Shastri Park, Welcome Colony, Janakpuri East and West, Dwarka and Kirti Nagar suffered the most.

Every day, around 950,000 people commute via Delhi Metro. The feeder buses play a major role in ferrying people to and from the Metro stations.

Foreverliving India Worlds Best Aloe Vera Products.
AppleDiet Works
Join ForeverLiving
Investment Free Business
ForeverLiivng Santacruz

The Sky Cafe & Mandarin Bird Feeders thrive because of their effective design and ability stop squirrels from getting to the precious birdseed.  Since 1975, Arundale’s bird feeders have successfully deprived squirrels of dignity and bird seed.  Through the years we have sold thousands of Sky Cafes & Mandarin bird feeders with posters and ads that make light of the daily struggle squirrels have at breeching our feeders.  We now have two more additions for our gallery of silly squirrel tactics.

A plan designed under the doctrine of  Wile E. Coyote that will undoubtedly have the same degree of success.  We will be sending these out as posters for stores and individual customers.

The more they keep trying, the more we’re entertained.   See the Original Sky Cafe & Mandarin Bird Feeders at www.skycafe.com