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Casual Gongfu Tea Preparation

I needed a break of the “genres of tea” posts I’m doing. They’re getting a little dry to write all at once, and they’re probably getting dry to read, too. For this reason, I want to give you a little variety. I want to touch on something more exciting and lively – casual gongfu tea preparation.

Gongfu shares the name with the martial art kung fu. The name means “with skill and precision” So, the gongfu tea preparation method means “tea preparation with skill and precision”

It’s one the the greatest ways to prepare tea, and I firmly believe every tea drinker should try it. It’s a lot of work and experimentation, so some may be adverse to taking up the art, but if you do, you will most assuredly not be disappointed. You get much better tastes and aromas, in a way cooler atmosphere. Plus, it’s fun.

I say it’s a lot of work and experimentation; however, this post will give you a considerable advantage, and will hopefully start you off in gongfu with a passion and excitement, rather than a frustration.

There are no set directions to do casual gongfu, but I am giving you a good starting point, and you will have no problem adjusting and growing from what this post will leave you with.

So, here goes.

Gongfu Cha

The basic premise of gongfu steeping is: more leaves, shorter steeping time, accurate, consistent temperature, and a small steeping vessel.

You will need a certain couple things for the gongfu steeping method, though not as many as you might imagine. In fact, the only real accoutrements you need are a steeping vessel, and a small cup.

I also recommended a serving vessel to decant your steeped tea into, a cloth, as you will inevitably spill tea (A dark cloth is the best, as stains are less visible,) a tea board, which is essentially a flat surface to put all of your accoutrements when steeping, and a fine strainer, which will catch small tea particles when decanting. There are many optional accoutrements, but none of them are necessary for a casual preparation.

Steeping Vessel:

When choosing a steeping vessel, you should go for a gaiwan or a small tea pot. I use a glass tea pot I got at DavidsTea. I love it, as I can monitor the steep constantly if I choose to. You can get one here. You may want to invest in a yixing tea pot (later post will explain this fully in my own words,) but I would recommend avoiding them until you explore tea and know what you want; you can only steep one kind of tea in a yixing, and is not a good investment for newcomers.

Your steeping vessel should be between 90ml-160ml or so. If you are expecting to only prepare for yourself, a smaller vessel is better. For a group, a larger one. As I mentioned, you only need a vessel and a cup. This is a very small investment. Less than $10 if you shop wisely. My recommendation would be to go to China town and check out kitchenware shops.

To my Toronto readers: You can get a 150ml (or so) gaiwan and a cup for about $7. I can get you the exact shop name, even. It is seriously not a big investment.

Where it can get pricey is in tea. Chinese tea of all varieties is best for the gongfu method. Taiwanese tea is good for gongfu, also. Other growing regions should be avoided, honestly, unless you’re confident/willing to experiment. It may work, but there’s a good chance it won’t. The investment isn’t bad if you go the right shops. Even if it’s an amazing tea, it can be priced $0.50 per steeping session. Adagio Teas has extremely affordable, good quality tea. You can get some of this tea for $0.10 per steeping session.

Water Quality:

Now, at a later post I will go into excruciating detail about proper water quality, but it is too intimidating for this venue, so I will spare you at present. To get a crash course, most tap water is too hard to use for tea. The best water comes from a natural spring source, but obviously that’s not available to most. I would recommend using filtered water or bottled water. Brita filters work lovely as an affordable, quality option.

Now that you have your accoutrements and the water, you need to consider the temperature of the tea. Sometimes the vendor will give you steeping instructions, but sometimes they won’t. If they don’t, fear not! I have prepared a chart for common ranges of temperature. All of these teas are approximate. If your tea tastes too bitter or burnt, your temperature might be too high. Adjust as necessary.

White: 80-90c (176-194f) is a good range for white tea. As I mentioned in the white tea post, it’s a resilient tea to steep, but you will enjoy it more if it’s within that range.

Green: 80-85c (176-185f)  Keep in mind this applies to only Chinese greens. Japanese greens are usually steeped at a lower temperature.

Oolong: 90-95c (194-203f)

Dark tea: 90-100c (195-212f)  I typically like to do 95 degrees Celsius (203f) Dark tea is post-fermented black tea like pu-erh.

All of that is well and good if you have a variable temperature kettle, but what if you don’t? Temperature is extremely important in gongfu, so are you out of luck if you don’t have a fancy kettle? Nope!

There is a way to “read the bubbles” in order to determine the temperature. it’s easier than you might expect (if you find someone like me to do the dirty work for you.) There is an actual Chinese system for determining temperature, but I find it sort of vague. I put together a system for you that I find more accurate, which is based on the Chinese system. No need to spend $100+ on a variable temperature kettle. Please keep in mind that these temperatures are approximate. Also keep in mind that I am not ragging on variable temperature kettles. I use one and I love it.

For this system, you need to be able to look into your kettle. This can be achieved either with a glass kettle, or opening the top of your electric kettle to peer in. You can even do this on a stove top with a pot of water. I hoped to be able to get pictures, but had some issues with lighting. Hopefully I’ll get them at a later date. These descriptions may seem hard to comprehend at first, but I trust you’ll find it easier if you attempt this system. I designed it to be pretty instinctual, so the first time you notice the description, you’re going to be safe to stop the kettle.

80° (176°F): At this temperature, small bubbles are just starting to form on the bottom of your kettle. There aren’t many, and they don’t break the surface. They just sort of appear, then disappear.

85° (185°F): Those same bubbles at 80° are still appearing at the bottom of the kettle, but in a slightly higher frequency. The temperature has been reached when the tiny bubbles are just starting to break the surface of the water. Just a few bubbles, though, not many.

90° (194°F): Bubbles between 85° and 90° are starting to get considerably bigger. All of a sudden, you will notice, there is an occasional few bubbles which appear to be 5x bigger than the first ones. 90° has been reached when the large bubbles have almost entirely replaced the small ones.

95°(203°F): Water at the top is now consistently “wobbly” The bubbles consistently break the surface.

100°(212°F): Usually your kettle will indicate when this temperature is reached, but if not, then get a better kettle. The water is wobbling out of control at this point, and even larger bubbles break the surface. If unsure if boiling has been reached, wait several seconds. If it’s still wobbling out of control, then boiling has been reached.

As a final note on this, it’s a good idea to bring the temperature a few degrees above the suggested steeping temperature. You’d be surprised how quickly tea temperature falls. If you have your kettle near the area you’ll be steeping, then keep the water in the kettle. If not, then decant it into a warmed thermos or teapot. If you’re in comfortable company, use a tea cozy.

Plus they’re adorable.

Amount of Tea:

As a rule of thumb, use 2g-2.5g of tea, unless it’s an oolong or dark tea, in which case use five grams. This is a good starting point. If you don’t have a scale, don’t panic! I have a solution for that, too. Simply, get your steeping vessel and scoop leaves into it, until the bottom is more-or-less entirely covered.

This system is an incredible starting point; almost on par with the weight. Take the leaves out, because it’s time for warming.

Let’s Get It Started:

It’s a nice thing to display the dry leaves to your guests, so they can admire the leaves. Image

It’s kind of a show-off-y thing if it’s an especially good tea, but in a good way. Like a “You’re so important to me, I’m going to serve you this great tea” sort of way. It’s also a good opportunity to do a dry leaf analysis, if that’s your thing. While you are passing the tea leaves around, you need to warm you accoutrements. Warm your steeping vessel, your serving vessel, and your cups. Again, consistent temperature is important in gongfu.

Now, dump the tea in and get r’ going. An interesting thing to note is that the leaves take on a much stronger scent in the warmed steeping vessel. If you put the lid on, make sure it’s secure, and shake it up, it will have a very strong scent. Feel free to pass that around to your guests, and smell the leaves again. You’ll be glad you did.

If it’s an oolong or a dark tea, you’re going to need to do a tea rinse. A tea rinse is where you pour water into the vessel over the leaves, then immediately pour it out. This “awakens” the leaves, and makes it taste way better. You might want to do a tea rinse if your tea is an older one – say, encroaching on a year – but besides that, it is not necessary.

Steeping Time:

This is the place where it gets a little fuzzy. The annoying answer is “it depends.” I’ve tried to give you a better answer than that, though.

The longer version is that it depends on the amount of leaves, the type of tea, and the size of the steeping vessel. Since we’re using my standardized amount of leaves, don’t worry about that part. Also, we’re not going to consider the types of tea right now, either. So, what is left, then, is the size of your steeping vessel. For my 150ml vessel, I steep my leaves for around 1 minute and thirty five seconds. If it’s an unknown tea, I pour a bit out to check how it’s tasting. This is totally acceptable, though if you are in a group, puts some pressure on you because your guests are now expecting utter perfection. Usually it isn’t exactly that time, so I adjust as I see fit. For subsequent steeps, add five or ten seconds. After three steeps, you may want to go steep even longer, as the time will increase exponentially. Basically, use it as a guideline, and practice. This is the hardest part of gongfu, in my opinion.

For vessels not of 150ml, adjust to scale. For instance, for my 90ml vessel, I steep about 55 seconds, and adjust to scale for subsequent steeps. Use this method as a starting point. It won’t always be identical to this scale, but think of it as a recipe. Start to scale, and make notes. Adjust as you see fit.

Serving Time:

Finally it’s time to serve and drink! Decant your tea into your serving vessel. If you’re a show-off, you can do what I do.

Annnnnnnd a video.

Be warned, though. You will probably burn yourself when attempting this for the first little while. Also, not all vessels are appropriate for this, If your tea leaks everywhere (and it wasn’t just because you burned yourself,) then maybe don’t do it the flourish-y way.

Fill their cup up, but not to the very top. They’ll burn their hands if there’s no cool place to grab.

If you do not have a serving vessel, you need to decant the tea directly into their cups. You do this by lining up the cups, and running the stream of tea back and fourth between all of them. You need to do this because otherwise your guests will get a different concentration of tea. You can’t fill up each cup individually. Here’s a video demonstration of what I am blabbing about.

If it’s a gaiwan, be ready to spill things everywhere while you’re learning.

When serving your guests, hand them their cup with one hand. Psychologically, this is a nice subtly. If you hand them their cup with both hands, many guests will actually pick the cup up with two hands, which is an awkward way to drink. If you have some tea tongs, you may use them instead. They’re nice  to use because your fingers don’t get in what they’re about to drink.

But they’re not necessary.

If you’re wondering what the proper grip for the cup is whilst drinking, by the way… Thumb and index finger go on the lip of the cup, and middle finger supports the bottom of the cup. You may choose to curl your other fingers in, or you may choose to extend them.

Traditionally, men curl their fingers in, and females extend them outward, but in my opinion that’s an arbitrary gender role. Do whatever feels comfortable.

Fill up your guests’ cups whenever they are done with the tea, but avoid rushing it. If you jump every time your guest finishes their cup, they’ll feel pressured and uncomfortable. Gongfu is supposed to be comfortable.

Here’s a nice final note to this section. Your guests might feel obligated to say “thank you” every time you fill up their cup. Since you will be doing this many times throughout your visit, it can really break up the flow of conversation, and break the mood – similar to how it can feel awkward when a waiter comes and interrupts your conversation in a restaurant.

To this, I offer a solution. In gongfu, “thank you” is simply replaced by tapping the table or tea board three times such as this.

You may want to inform your guests of this, as a replacement to a “thank you”.

As a side note, you can do this in traditional Chinese restaurants, as well. You’ll notice Chinese service method is different than that of the Western world. They can seem curt and impersonal to us westerners, but they aren’t. They just don’t want to break the flow of mealtime conversations. So, just tap the table three times if you want to say thank you.

Some Final Notes:

All of my guidelines are simply just that. Guidelines. You will need to troubleshoot your steep, depending on your tea. Standardization does not always apply. That’s why tea is an art and not a science.

To address some common problems, if your leaves taste burnt, try a lower temperature. If your leaves taste bitter and leave an unpleasantly dry taste in your mouth, lessen the steep time. What your tasting are known as tannins, and they’re pretty yucky. If your steep is too strong or not strong enough, and you have already tried the adjusting the steep time, you have a problem with the quantity of leaves. Adjust as necessary.

Oolongs: part 3 (Dan Cong Oolongs)

Guangdong Dan Cong Oolong: In addition to being childishly gratifying to say aloud, oolong tea from this Chinese growing region is truly a treasure. Tea leaves are picked from wild tea bushes; intentionally ill-maintained bushes, sometimes upwards of three hundred years old and twenty feet tall, grown from seed. These teas are a medium to dark oolong, and because of the aged trees, the leaves have many strong aromas and flavours. Ageing tea from this region is not uncommon, and some of the most appreciated oolongs come from this location. Dan Cong translates to One Bush, and it refers to a trait which makes this tea post a challenge to do thoroughly; each tea is processed differently, depending on the tree. In other words, there are as many Dan Cong teas are are Dan Cong trees. For that reason, I am going to list only the most popular ones. These teas are most known for their ability to naturally imitate flavours and scents of flowers. These teas are usually a tricky brew, and I would not recommend trying unless you’re confident in your skills – especially because they can be expensive.

Feng Huang: Translates to Phoenix Mountain. Honestly, this such an umbrella term, it almost covers the whole category of Dan Cong itself. These teas are grown at a high altitude – more than fifteen hundred metres – and apparently, leaves are reserved in advanced by rich connoisseurs with connections. That being said, they are not impossible to come by at all, however, they can be expensive. A good tea will have a strong, lasting aftertaste, and a good Feng Huang meets this requirement if steeped correctly. These teas can be aged, which is something to note, as ageing is usually not done outside of Chinese dark teas (more on these at a later post.) Fragrances and tastes are usually very floral, but a specific flower such as a honey orchid. It all depends on the kind of Dan Cong. I don’t want to discourage any of you, but these types of teas are usually a difficult brew to the point in which you have to start worrying about the water’s PH levels, how long the tea has been aged, and an apt knowledge of water temperature and steeping theory (again, more on all of those in later posts.) A misstep could ruin the steep, leaving you with a bitter taste, and will probably just end up frustrating to you. If you haven’t done a lot of gong-fu style steeping before, I would recommend you start with some Anxi oolongs and work your way up.

Mi Lan Xiang: Translates to Snow Orchid. According to  Seven Cups, this is the most popular Dan Cong. This tea involves a growing method which excites me the greatly. Seriously, I’m pretty sure I tell everybody about this. Because I apparently assume plants excite others as much as they do me. In the winter months, orchids grow right next to these tea bushes. As a result, this tea has a natural orchid fragrance and taste, just because orchids grow in the proximity of this tea bush. This is a dark oolong.

Huang Zhi Xiang: Translates to Yellow Sprig. This tea is usually a bit less expensive, so it’s a good introduction to Dan Congs. It is a champagne oolong, and quite mellow.

Recommended Tea Dealers:

Tea Habitat

Tea Trekker

Seven Cups

Oolongs: Part 2 (Anxi Oolongs)

Anxi Oolongs: Again, similar to the Wu Li Rock Mountain oolongs, Anxi oolongs are grown in the Fujian province. Unlike the Wu Li Rock Mountain oolongs, they are typically on the lighter end of roasting, and as a result are usually classified as green oolongs. Below is a list of the most common Anxi oolongs and their attributes. There are a number of fake Anxi teas hovering around in the market, so be sure to buy from a good dealer. These are exceptional candidates for Yixing teapots and the Gong-Fu steeping method in general (more on those at a later post.) Fortunately, unlike Wu Yi Rock Mountain oolongs, these teas are generally a forgiving steep, and easy to prepare.

Tie Guan Yin: Translates to Iron Goddess. It is the most famous Anxi oolong. It’s a light tea, sometimes mistakenly labelled as a green tea. It can taste crisp, bright, and floral. Sometimes mellow. There are many varieties on this kind of oolong, so it’s almost a subcategory in itself (which as a side note, is the same for many oolongs) It’s among my favourite teas. According to legend, there was a poor farmer who once went on a contemplative walk to a temple. At the temple, there was an iron statue of a goddess standing erect and commanding, amongst the otherwise dilapidated temple. The farmer thought the temple ought to be in better condition, as it was housing a statue of a goddess. He couldn’t afford to rebuild the temple, but went back the next day with a broom and some incense. He swept away all the twigs and the dust; did the best he could without spending money. He then offered the incense to the statue, and went on his way. The farmer repeated this process every so often, almost becoming a caretaker for the temple. One visit, the goddess spoke to him. She told him there was a treasure behind the temple, and he should look to go to find it. The farmer did, and the treasure was a cutting from a tea bush. The farmer planted them, cultivated them, and got filthy rich. The tea, as a nod to the goddess, was named Tie Guan Yin.

Ma Liu Mi: Translated as – and I will say perhaps a bit misleadingly – Monkey Picked Oolong tea. I will firstly say these leaves are not picked by monkeys, despite what the odd mall-boutique tea dealer will try to imply. Often these are blends of various Anxi oolongs, though they may not always be. A good dealer will be able to tell you if it is blended or not. It tastes extremely light, usually, and floral; a descriptor which is common for green oolongs. It is a very green oolong, so it could be a gentle introduction to oolongs, for you green and white tea drinkers out there. According to legend, there was a tea bush on a mountain, which happened to produce extraordinary tea. The mountain was too difficult to climb by themselves, so they decided training monkeys to pick the leaves for them was less effort. I dislike outing specific tea dealers; I instead like to recommend good ones. But I can’t go on with a good conscious without mentioning this. I don’t think I’ll publish it in my book, but I need to say it at least in my blog. I have found that Teavana greatly misleads you about their monkey picked oolong. I have been flat outright told that theirs was officially the best oolong in the world, and have been told monkeys pick this tea. And though they’re tricky with the wording, they also highly imply the same thing on their website. These things simply are not true. They gravely overcharge for this tea, and lead you to believe – quite convincingly if you’re not yet a shrewd judge of tea – that it’s picked by monkeys. I have heard this complaint again and again, and I’ve heard of many a times people are tricked into spending more money than it’s worth. You are able to get much higher quality monkey picked oolong for greatly lower prices at the dealers I list at the bottom of the page. But of course this is just my opinion, and I don’t claim this as fact (he-he-he, try suing for libel now, Teavana)

Huangjin Gui: Translated as Golden Osmanthus, as it tastes and smells similar to osmanthus flowers. Because I like flowery teas, this also goes up on my list of favourite oolongs. Depending on the tea, it has honey notes to them. It’s a green, sprightly oolong that tastes like honey and osmanthus. It tastes as appealing as it sounds.

Li Li Xiang: Translated to Every Leaf Fragrant. Similar to the monkey oolongs, it is often blended with other Anxi oolongs, though that means it usually is a bit less expensive. It makes for a lovely every day oolong tea, which you don’t have to break the bank buying. It usually tastes pretty “standard” for green oolongs, meaning floral and fruity; of apricots or other stone fruits.

Reccomended Tea Dealers

Seven Cups

Tea Spring

Oolongs: Part One (Wu Li Rock Mountain Oolongs)

Though some say oolong tea is oxidized anywhere from 1%-99%, – and given the definition of a semi-oxidized tea, they’d be right – it nearly always ranges from 10%-85%. A green oolong refers to the lighter variety of that range. It’s also known as a light oolong. or jade oolong; however, jade also refers to a particular kind of green oolong, so its usage is not recommended as a synonym to the previously mentioned terms. A dark oolong refers to the darker portion of that range, and less commonly, a champagne oolong refers to the middle potion. The official Chinese translated spelling is wulong, and you will see both spellings when dealing with the tea community. It’s entirely about preference, which seems to be true for many tea terms, as the community is usually a fairly laid back one.

As my teacher put it, “oolong teas are the most arts-and-crafts” and arguably, he is correct. With a range of 75% oxidation to take in account for, in addition to the already complicated tea production process, you truly have to know what you’re doing in order to make these teas. If tea is an art, then oolongs are one of the most impressive mediums you can use in serving and production.

Oolong tea was invented sometime around 1650 A.D. My favourite origin myth is as follows: a tea farmer was busy picking leaves, and there happened to be a deer wandering around his garden. The farmer was so taken by the deer’s beauty, he got distracted and couldn’t help but observe it for a while. He observed it for such a long time, the tea leaves partially oxidized. Panicked, he fired the leaves immediately after, and thus, oolong was born.

If not by taste, you can usually tell an oolong’s quality based on observation of the wet, unfurled leaf: they should look healthy, fresh, and tender. If the leaves look too old, it probably means the leaves were picked later in the year and aren’t a good quality (note: will do comparison picture before publication.) Oolong plucks are a nontraditional, ranging anywhere from three to five leaves, compared to the standard “two leaves and a bud” pluck in regular tea picking. Oolongs are usually good for several steeps, and are exceptional candidates for Yixing tea pots or gaiwans.

The four most common oolong growing regions, the teas, and their attributes are as follows.

Wu Yi Rock Mountain: This is a Chinese region located in Fujian, which is one of the more renown tea growing regions. I find that all of these teas make wonderful, hearty winter teas.

Da Hong Pao: Translated to Big Red Robe. The most famous oolong for Wu Yi Rock Mountain, and for good reason. This is a dark oolong, and tastes toasty, smooth, sweet, and some traditionally produced da hong pao will taste smoky, as its roasted over charcoal briquettes. According to Wikipedia, a crop of da hong pao once sold for $1,250,000 per kilogram. Usually it’s not quite that expensive, but, there’s an impressive anecdote nonetheless.

Shui Xian: The English name is Narcissus, as the leaves have a flowery aroma and notes in its taste, comparable to that of a Narcissus flower. Originally it’s not from Wu Yi Rock Mountain, but the tea was transplanted to its current location. The tea is a dark oolong, and it’s full-bodied and floral. In Chinese restaurants, they will often have this tea, though it will more often go by the name “Shui Hsien” so be on the lookout.

Rou Gui: Translated to Cassia, which is a type of cinnamon. Good rou gui is a difficult steep to accomplish, but it’s astounding if you get it right. It’s a dark, roasted oolong, and can have chocolate and cinnamon notes to it. To add another level of complexity to serving this tea, you need to age some kinds of rou gui in order to get a better flavour.

Huang Guan Yin: Translated to Yellow Goddess. This is a new tea; only ten years old. It was a hybrid experiment done by tea scientists to combine two different oolong bushes (Ti Guan Yin and Huang Jin Gui.) It has flavours reminiscent of osmanthus and stone fruits such as apricot, all tied together with a sweet flavour and long aftertaste. It is a green-champagne oolong.

Recommended Dealers for Wu Yi Rock Mountain Oolong:

Seven Cups

Jing Tea

Chinese Green Teas

Covering Chinese green tea is a daunting task. It’s the reason why we have tea period. There is so much history behind it, and unfortunately I, nor anybody, can ever truly do its justice, especially because tea history isn’t always documented, so there are many parts which remain lost forever in the past.

With that in mind, the first tea, as we know it, was a Chinese green. Prior to tea as we know it, tea was a convoluted brew. The leaves were crushed up in a powder, similar how they are in Matcha, but the powder was blended with unexpected ingredients, not limited to rice, onions, ginger, and orange zest. After the tea was blended, it was steeped in salt water. This brew was popularized anywhere from 206 BCE – 220 CE. It wasn’t until somewhere between 760-780 CE where tea became more similar to the beverage as we know it today. During this time, a man named Lu Yu was present, and his presence was so important, he was awarded the title Sage of Tea. He came along and improved tea as a beverage, making it less like, in his words “rinsing water of gutters,” and more appealing; taking out all of the added ingredients to the brew. Essentially, the artful simplicity of tea, and the culture surrounding it is largely due to Lu Yu.

In the time of Lu Yu, tea was compressed into cakes. Though the production then was different than the production now, the tea cakes were technically green teas, as the oxidation process was halted immediately, which is a trait unique to the genre.

As mentioned in the white tea post, in 1391 tea cakes were outlawed as they were being used for currency, and a sort of tea black market emerged which had a negative impact on the economy. All existing tea cakes were ordered to be destroyed, which left the tea industry in an awful place for 150 years. Out of this ban, though, modern tea production was invented, and loose leaf green tea as we know it was first made.

Chinese green tea is so vast of a category, it’s a difficult nail to specifically hit. I can’t find the exact number, but most tea estates in China produce green tea. The geography of China makes for much variety in tea, which can make it intimidating for newcomers and veteran tea connoisseurs alike. Here is a list of some of the most common Chinese green teas and their attributes. Note that there are not pictures of all of the teas. This will be addressed when it comes to publish officially, but for now, unfortunately I don’t have my own pictures, nor royalty free ones for all of them.

Long Jing: Translated to Dragon Well. It’s perhaps the most common Chinese green in the Western world. Good Long Jing is processed almost entirely by hand. Its flavour is full-bodied but gentle, sweet and grassy. When being steeped, Long Jing leaves “stand up” straight, rather than float around in every which direction like most other tea. For this reason, you may want to enjoy Long Jing in a small glass teapot or gaiwan; however, it’s said that you will get the most out of the flavour in a Yixing teapot (more on this at a later post.) I have not tried this personally, but apparently you are able to eat Jong Jing leaves after steeping. Pictured below

An Ji Bai Cha: Translated to An Ji White Tea, which is confusing as it’s a green tea. So, I recommend to forget the translation. Most dealers will label it by its Chinese name, anyway. An Ji Bai Cha is said to be some of the most sought-after Chinese green tea. It wasn’t until the 1980s where commercial cultivation began. It’s a green tea with a rich history – possibly originating more than 900 years ago. It has a clean, subtle light steep, and gorgeous aroma. It is a light tasting tea, so some may find it a little tasteless. I think that’s probably why the translation is “white tea,” I would recommend steeping this in a gaiwan.

Huang Shan Mao Feng: Translated to Yellow Mountain Fur Peak, as the processed leaves look similar to a mountain peek, and the leaves themselves are covered in tiny hairs. It’s a great day-to-day standard Chinese green tea. It’s fresh, grassy, and can be mild or strong in flavour. According to legend, a young scholar and young tea picker fell passionately in love. The scholar was murdered by a businessman who wanted the girl for himself, then forced her to marry him. During the night before the wedding, the girl snuck out of the businessman’s house and wept at the scholar’s grave. She cried so much, she turned into the rain. The rain, which was a manifestation of the girl’s longing turned the scholar’s body into a tea tree. The tea tree became the Huang Shan Mao Feng tree, and they are now together in the manifestations of a tea tree and the rain. This tea can be enjoyed to much of its potential in a variety of means; a teapot, French press, gaiwan. Pictured below.

File:Maofeng (medium grade, spring 2007).jpg

Liu An Gua Pian: Translated as Liu An Melon Seed. The processing is unique, as while most good quality Chinese greens utilize the bud of the leaf, this tea utilizes the second leaf on the branch. The centre vein of the leaf is removed, and then the leaves are rolled to shape. This is a rare tea, and possibly my favourite Chinese green. It tastes rich, soft, delicate, and the flavour lingers in your mouth for a long time. This tea is best enjoyed in a gaiwan or small teapot. Pictured below.

File:Lu'an Melon Seed tea.jpg

Tai Ping Houkei: Translated to Monkey Leader. This is an exceptional tea which has won many awards for its qualities. In addition to being a wonderfully tasting green tea, it also looks beautiful when it’s being steeped. It has long leaves, sometimes as long as 8.5cm (3.3 inches), and they gracefully dance around the steeping vessel when water is added to it. Traditionally, it’s picked early in the season, which creates a subtle taste, but a lot of Tai Ping Houkei on the marked is picked later in the season, which causes it to have a heavy full-bodied flavour. Because of the pretty leaves, as well as their size, this tea might not be as well suited for a gaiwan. This tea will be enjoyed in a glassware, to appreciate the visuals as well as the taste. With this tea, you can even steep it directly into a mug or, more romantically, a tall glass.

Bi Lo Chun: Translated to Green Snail Spring as its shape resembles that of snail meat. It is a highly regarded tea in China, with some authorities ranking it the best darn green tea period. It tastes fruity, floral, subtle, and overall is a gentle tea. Now, I’m not sure why this is the origin myth for this tea, but it just is. So bare with me. There once was a tea picker who was exceptional at her job, and filled her basket full of tea leaves in no time at all. She discovered a new looking tree, and figured she should try it out. Unfortunately, she had no room in her basket, so she instead put the tea leaves between her breasts. The body heat from her breasts warmed the leaves, and let out an aroma so unique, so wonderful, that it startled her. Originally, the name, because of this myth, was actually “Scary Fragrance”, but it was changed to “Green Snail Spring” by an emperor who thought the origin myth was too vulgar, and wished not to acknowledge it. Pictured below.

File:Biluochun (high grade, spring 2007).jpg

Zu Cha: Translated to Gunpowder Tea, and you will almost always see it as its translation in the west. There are a few theories about why it’s called Gunpowder Tea in English, as the real translation is “pearl tea”. The first theory is that the tea leaves themselves look like little bits of gunpowder, and they open up or “explode” when steeped. The second theory is that since it has a smokey flavour, us Westerners said “Hey, do you know what else is smokey? Guns!” The third theory is that there’s a phrase in Mandarin which means Freshly Brewed. It’s “Gang Pao De” (say it out loud), and when westerners visited China, they mistakenly thought that was what the tea name was, rather than just a descriptor. I say, why not all three? As mentioned, Gunpowder has a smokey flavour, but has this almost coppery aftertaste to it. It’s thick-tasting, and overall hearty. It is often blended with mint. This is a resilient tea for steeping and can be enjoyed in many ways, similar to the Huang Shan Mao Feng. Pictured below.

File:Grüner Tee Gunpowder.jpg

Jasmine Green Tea: Often it is in a pearl shape, and is such also called Dragon Pearls, Phoenix Pearls, Jasmine Pearls, things like that. Essentially, it’s any green tea which was wafted with the scent of Jasmine flowers. Typically, the green tea base is not a high quality, especially given that the Jasmine will overpower much of the flavour. As such, tea snobs don’t tend to gravitate especially towards this, but if you like jasmine, then I wholly suggest you indulge yourself. It makes a lovely evening tea or a tea to have after a meal. Like Gunpowder, it is a resilient steeper, so feel free to steep it in many ways. Pictured below.

File:Jasmine Pearls.jpg

I have left out many teas. You could write volumes of books on different Chinese Green teas alone, and that’s part of the fun. You could go your whole life touring around China, trying to taste all the different Chinese Greens, and you still wouldn’t get all of them. Listed are just some of the most common ones. Start tasting!

Recommended Dealers:

Seven Cups

Camellia Sinensis


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CIE Spotlight: Utilisation of Intensive Foraging Zones by Female Australian Fur Seals

John A.
John A.

TitleUtilisation of Intensive Foraging Zones by Female Australian Fur Seals

Authors: Hoskins, Andrew J.; Costa, Daniel P.; Arnould, John P. Y.

Source: PLOS ONE, 10 (2), FEB 18 2015

Brief summary of the paper: Within a heterogeneous environment, animals must efficiently locate and utilise foraging patches. One way animals can achieve this is by increasing residency times in areas where foraging success is highest (area-restricted search). For air-breathing diving predators, increased patch residency times can be achieved by altering both surface movements and diving patterns.

The current study aimed to spatially identify the areas where female Australian fur seals allocated the most foraging effort, while simultaneously determining the behavioural changes that occur when they increase their foraging intensity.

To achieve this, foraging behaviour was successfully recorded with a FastLoc GPS logger and dive behaviour recorder from 29 individual females provisioning pups. Females travelled an average of 118 ± 50 km from their colony during foraging trips that lasted 7.3 ± 3.4 days. Comparison of two methods for calculating foraging intensity (first-passage time and first-passage time modified to include diving behaviour) determined that, due to extended surface intervals where individuals did not travel, inclusion of diving behaviour into foraging analyses was important for this species.

Foraging intensity ‘hot spots’ were found to exist in a mosaic of patches within the Bass Basin, primarily to the south-west of the colony. However, the composition of benthic habitat being targeted remains unclear. When increasing their foraging intensity, individuals tended to perform dives around 148 s or greater, with descent/ascent rates of approximately 1.9 m•s‾¹ or greater and reduced postdive durations.

This suggests individuals were maximising their time within the benthic foraging zone. Furthermore, individuals increased tortuosity and decreased travel speeds while at the surface to maximise their time within a foraging location. These results suggest Australian fur seals will modify both surface movements and diving behaviour to maximise their time within a foraging patch.

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CIE Spotlight: Sexual selection predicts brain structure in dragon lizards

John E.

Authors: Hoops, D.; Ullmann, J. F. P.; Janke, A. L.; Vidal-Garcia, M.; Stait-Gardner, T.; Dwihapsari, Y.; Merkling, T.; Price, W. S.; Endler, J. A.; Whiting, M. J.; Keogh, J. S.

Source: JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, 30 (2):244-256, FEB 2017

Brief summary of the paper: Phenotypic traits such as ornaments and armaments are generally shaped by sexual selection, which often favours larger and more elaborate males compared to females. But can sexual selection also influence the brain? Previous studies in vertebrates report contradictory results with no consistent pattern between variation in brain structure and the strength of sexual selection.

We hypothesize that sexual selection will act in a consistent way on two vertebrate brain regions that directly regulate sexual behaviour: the medial preoptic nucleus (MPON) and the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMN). The MPON regulates male reproductive behaviour whereas the VMN regulates female reproductive behaviour and is also involved in male aggression.

To test our hypothesis, we used high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging combined with traditional histology of brains in 14 dragon lizard species of the genus Ctenophorus that vary in the strength of precopulatory sexual selection. Males belonging to species that experience greater sexual selection had a larger MPON and a smaller VMN. Conversely, females did not show any patterns of variation in these brain regions.

As the volumes of both these regions also correlated with brain volume (BV) in our models, we tested whether they show the same pattern of evolution in response to changes in BV and found that the do. Therefore, we show that the primary brain nuclei underlying reproductive behaviour in vertebrates can evolve in a mosaic fashion, differently between males and females, likely in response to sexual selection, and that these same regions are simultaneously evolving in concert in relation to overall brain size.


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Statement Corset

It’s late and I really wanted to post something even though I have not gotten any good pics of outfits or had the umpf to be creative mostly because I have been preoccupied with packing.
But I did see the corset recently online and dragged my loving other half to find it in the store.  Unfortunately, the sales associate said they didn’t receive the item yet in their store fortunate for me I’ve trained my fiancee well and guess what he found one for me in a large.  But I’m pretty handy with a sewing machine and made it work for me.
Two things I absolutely love about it is the texture of the satin and how the corset sits on frame of the body.  It also has the peplum detail in chiffon which adds another layer texture to the piece.  I added leggings that have patches of leather and suede heels to create this look.  It’s such an elegant looking corset with so many elements that it can also be worn casually.
Hope you like!!
 Just got these will let you know how I like them…

A statement necklace also makes the corset look even more rich.

Happy New Years!!!!
Wishing you fun, happiness and peace!

4 thoughts on “Statement Corset

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Home Ent Lucy Popescu Reviews

DVD Review: ‘We Shall Overcome’

Niels Arden Oplev’s (director of the first in the original Swedish The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy and the recent Deadfall) partly autobiographical film We Shall Overcome (Drømmen, 2006) is a tender portrait of a young boy growing up in 1960s Denmark who, inspired by the speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. takes a stand against tyranny. Thirteen-year-old Frits (Janus Dissing Rathke) is the victim of bullying at school but it is his headmaster, rather than his fellow pupils, who is his main tormentor. Lindum-Svendsen (Bent Mejding) rules the school with a rod of iron and strikes terror into the children’s hearts.

Frits’ farmer father (Jens Jørn Spottag, a regular fixture in popular Scandi-crime TV series The Protectors) has suffered a nervous breakdown and is in hospital, so Frits finds solace in the company of the school’s newest recruit Freddie (Anders W. Berthelsen) a hippy, trainee teacher who introduces his pupils to blues music and, more importantly, encourages Fritz in his love of King, Jr. and the American Civil Rights Movement. On the day his father returns home, Frits is punished so savagely by the headmaster that his earlobe is half ripped off. The family decide to lodge a formal complaint against Lindum-Svendsen with the governing board. Soon after, Frits’ mother (Anne-Grethe Bjarup Riis) loses her job as the school nurse.

Meanwhile, Frits decides to change his name to Martin and starts to raise questions in class about Denmark’s involvement in the slave-trade. As a boy on the verge of adolescence everything is magnified in Frits’ life. Beauty and cruelty loom large and are conveyed through Lars Vestergaard’s long shots of the lush landscape surrounding the family’s farm, contrasted with his close-ups of Frits’ despair and his battered face. Similarly, Frits’ joy as he works the land with his father is at odds with his hatred of the pigs’ squealing as they are sent to slaughter. Dissing Rathke brilliantly suggests the accumulative loneliness of a boy taunted by his peers and ruthlessly bullied by an authoritarian figure over which he, and his family, have no control.

Steen Bille and Arden Oplev’s script is a subtle call to rebellion. Frits’ stand against injustice affects the whole school and eventually draws his family closer. Frits’ love for King’s principles is hugely endearing and we share his joy and his sorrow as he negotiates his way through the various hierarchies of secondary school. We Shall Overcome is quietly compelling; a poignant coming of age tale, beautifully shot and acted. Warmly recommended.

Lucy Popescu


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Competition: ‘Bad Neighbours’ on Blu-ray *closed*

The war with next door between married couple Rose Byrne, Seth Rogen and Zac Efron gets ugly in Nicholas Stoller’s Bad Neighbours (2014), the hit US comedy that’s packed to the brim with laugh out loud moments in the outrageous comedy. To celebrate the film’s DVD and Blu-ray™ release on Monday 8 September following its box office success earlier in the year, we’ve kindly been provided with THREE Blu-ray + UltraViolet copies of Stoller’s raucous crowdpleaser to give away to our funny-boned readers, courtesy of the home ent team at Universal Studios. This is an exclusive competition for our Facebook and Twitter fans, so if you haven’t already, ‘Like’ us at or follow us @CineVue before answering the question below.

Mac Radner (Rogen) and his wife Kelly (Byrne) are happily married and blissfully living their suburban dream with new born daughter Stella. That is until Delta Psi Beta, a group of young college boys, led by the charming Teddy Sanders (Efron), move into the house next door. Despite Mac and Kelly whacking on their caps and attempting to see the new guys on the street as an opportunity to get down-with-the-kids, the noise and relentless partying is just too much, sparking a battle for the street between the teenage bros versus a bunch of thirtysomethings, resulting in all hell breaking loose. From the guys who brought you This Is the End (2013) and the director of Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008), the film follows the neighbours on a hilarious journey as they fight for dominance in the ultimate battle across the garden fence.

To be in with a chance of winning one of THREE copies of Nicholas Stoller’s Bad Neighbours on Blu-ray, just answer the following simple question:

Which comedy regular plays Seth Rogen’s wife in Bad Neighbours?

a) Rose Byrne
b) Natalie Portman
c) Kristen Wiig

To enter, simply fill out the contact form below with your name, email address, subject (‘Bad Neighbours’) answer and postal address.*

*Please note that this is a special competition which only our Facebook and Twitter fans will be eligible to win. If you are not on our Facebook ‘Like’ list, then you can easily join us by following this link: and/or follow us on Twitter @CineVue.

Bad Neighbours is released on DVD, Blu-ray and UltraViolet from Monday 8 September, courtesy of Universal Studios.

This competition closes at 6pm on Thursday 11 September 2014.

Terms & Conditions
• The competition is open to UK readers only.
• Prizes must be taken as stated and cannot be deferred. There will be no cash alternatives.
• CineVue does not accept any responsibility for late or lost entries due to the internet or email problems.
• CineVue reserves the right to cancel the competition at any stage, if deemed necessary in its opinion, and if circumstances arise outside of its control.
• Prizes unclaimed after 28 days will be deemed to have been forfeited.
• ©2014 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.


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Form 5500 Filing Deadline Fast Approaching

Plan Administrators, have you filed your form 5500 for your retirement plan for 2013?  The deadline for the most common reporting period for the form 5500 is quickly approaching.  The 5500’s non-extended due date is 7 months after the last day of the plan year.  Most plans have a December 31 year end, which means
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Clayoquot 2.0

Date(s) - 14/08/2018
8:00 pm - 9:15 pm

Clayoquot Community Theatre

My husband, 13-year old daughter & I attended Clayoquot Action’s free presentation in Tofino. The presentation showcased fabulous photography, and rich content regarding the priceless nature of the rain forest, and the need for its protection.”

Kirsten, Vancouver.

This year is the 25th anniversary of the 1993 Clayoquot Summer mass protests against clearcut logging. Join master storytellers Dan Lewis and Bonny Glambeck of Tofino for a multimedia journey through the visually stunning landscape, wildlife and culture of Clayoquot Sound. Find out what makes Clayoquot Sound’s rainforest ecology so unique, and why local efforts to protect this globally rare ecosystem are far from over.

Clayoquot 2.0 features photographs by many talented photographers including Sander Jain, April Bencze, Kyler Vos, Sam Rose Phillips, Adam Chilton, Marnie Recker, and Paul Levy.

Enjoy a welcome and introduction to Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks.

Don’t miss this entertaining, informative and inspiring evening.

This presentation has been extensively updated since last year.

Doors open at 7:30pm. Show starts at 8pm sharp and ends at 9pm.

Concession by donation—tea, soft drinks and chummus (snacks).

Written by


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Hi, I’m Jaye Rochon…

Meet Jeannine "Jaye" Rochon

…the Mother of Unicorns! A bit of a n3rdy, tomboy goth with a girly streak. I love skater dresses, Chuck Taylors and galaxy-colored hair. I’m a professional video, website and social media designer. I create book trailers and beyond for big publishers and amazing indies. I read a lot, and am trying to write far more. I’m always singing, cooking, doing artsy things and stargazing. My fiance is from England, so I often mispronounce my American words, and dream in colour, not color. I’m on a kick right now where I am re-reading one classic novel, and alternating it with a new(ish) release simultaneously. Kindness is my favorite human quality. Art is my favorite human gift.

I have two decades+ of international creative services experience in television and publishing. Music is my life, too. I’m a performing artist, have been a vocalist in film soundtracks, and am a trained opera singer. I’m known to some as Jeannine, to others as Jaye, in a musical life as NiNi and to Twitter as @ImmortalJaye. U are a work of art, and I’m grateful you stopped by!

Meet Jeannine "Jaye" Rochon

Fueled By

Stardust. Moonbeams. The Performing & Visual Arts. Music. Magic. Books. Coffee. Butter. Meditation. Family. My Cats. Love. Creativity. Vulnerability.
Meet Jeannine "Jaye" Rochon

Choose love & kindness. Dress to express. Make time to breathe. Watch, listen, learn. Give hugs generously. Be U>.
Meet Jeannine "Jaye" Rochon

YouTubers. Keto cooking. Writing. Singing. Animals. My British fiance. Opeth. Tool. HBO. Books. Sweden. Japan. England. Retro-inspired fashion. Sci-Fi & Fantasy. Darklings, freaks & geeks.

Number of Cats

Operas I've Been In

Films I've Sung In

Videos Produced

Meet Jeannine "Jaye" Rochon
Jaye Rochon's Publishing Career Gems

Publishing Career Gems

  • I’ve been a go-to video producer / writer / editor / designer for Tor Books and Sourcebooks, and one of the most requested freelance editors for COS Productions for over five years. My book trailers have premiered with big time buzz on USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Hypable, WattPad, Shelf Awareness and BoingBoing.net.
  • My book trailer for the fantastical Ellen Datlow and her creeptastic anthology, The Doll Collection, premiered in George R.R. Martin’s (Santa Fe, NM) Jean Cocteau Cinema.
  • My book video productions have earned Telly, Davey and Pixie Awards for motion graphics, long-form internet marketing videos and TV commercials.
  • I wrote and sang the theme song (entitled “Home”) for Rachel Caine’s #1 Internationally Bestselling Morganville Vampires Series. I also designed/edited the book trailer.

Jaye Rochon's TV Career Highlights

Hey, I’m On TV!

  • My work was broadcast to 80+ million homes daily and worldwide for fifteen years at TV Guide and Lionsgate Entertainment.
  • Top projects included advertising and on-air promotions production for The Academy, Emmy and Golden Globe Awards red carpet events (to name a few), as well as six to seven-figure billboard sponsorships for national ad sales. I was also head of production on network holiday campaigns and annual re-branding of flagship shows.
  • As a freelance producer, my original TV commercials aired to the tune of 10+ million viewers combined on KTLA (The CW Los Angeles) and KBCW (The CW San Francisco) during The Vampire DiariesSupernatural and The Secret Circle, as well as on AMC during The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad.
  • Fun little bonus: I had a great time creating a book trailer teaser event that aired during The Simpsons’  legendary annual “Treehouse of Horrors” theme week in San Francisco!
Jaye Rochon's Film & Web Series Career Highlights

Film & Web Series

  • I animated the opening titles sequence for feature length film Red Clover, directed by #1 Bestselling Author and acclaimed filmmaker, Drew DaywaltRed Clover premiered as Leprechaun’s Revenge on St. Patrick’s Day to the tune of 3+ million viewers on SyFy Network. It was one of the network’s most acclaimed monster movies, earning a B+ and “What to Watch” spotlight from Entertainment Weekly (who historically, tended to give SyFy monster movies Ds and Fs – LOL). I also animated the amazing drawings of dark artist John U. Abrahamson in the opening prologue. Last, but certainly not least, I was a consultant on the music for composer Gregory S. Burkart. I also wrote music, played percussion, and sang in the soundtrack, as well as the incidental music in several key scenes.
  • Speaking of singing, you can hear me perform quite possibly the strangest operatic aria ever (centered in the world of Mario Kart) on the soundtrack to Kart Driver, a Daywalt Horror entry in G4 Films’ first Epictober online film festival.
  • Another creative film collaboration I dearly loved (again, with the incredible Drew Daywalt) was contributing my singing and songwriting to the online horror series Camera Obscura, which was legendary actor Jack Klugman’s grand finale on screen and in this life.

*My stage name at this point in my career was NiNi, my (now former) married name, Burkart. I am credited on all Daywalt Horror film projects as NiNi Burkart. I sang with the goth metal band Corvo as NiNi.

Let's Hang Out on Instagram!

Let's Get on The Horn!

Ready to talk about your project? Feel free to fill out this brief, time-saving quote questionnaire, and I will be in touch with you soon! Interested in a different topic? Feel free to contact me with the below form instead.

Please note: This is a simple contact form. Your name, email address and message is only utilized and retained for private correspondence via secure email servers. This information will not be used for marketing, advertising or newsletters, nor will it be shared with a third party. For this site's general cookies usage information and privacy policy, please click here. By filling out this form you agree to the terms of my privacy policy, and give me permission to respond to your message via email. Thank you!

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Skype: immortaljaye_1

Summer Hours: M-F 11a - 7p / CST

Available by Appointment

Feed Your Unicorn!

Well-crafted inbox magic = Unicorn Food! Get exclusive discounts on my services, fun geekery speakery & random presents.

Yay! It is ON.

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text: Get people talking. Marketing campaigns have a life of their own — even on a small scale. We hunger to learn and share information. Educate your customer. Relate to their interests. Offer solutions. Our marketing research and creative team will get your message to the right people at the right time through the right channels.


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Sliding Windows(Clifton, NJ)

1010 Clifton Ave, 07013 (973) 828-8395 Mon-Sat 10 a.m – 6 p.m All cc, cash Are you in the market to renovate your home and add new windows? Have you considered adding sliding windows to your home? Not only can we furnish you with a top-notch installation, you can rest assured that our cheap prices are as good as it gets. We're a licensed contractor in NJ with extensive experience, and we know what it takes to see a sliding windows installer job all the way from start to finish. We've been in this business a long time, and we know that it matters to get the details right the first time. If you're looking to install a series of sliding windows, we can handle the job - guaranteed. Whether it's simply a window replacement or a refurbishment of an existing sliding window installation, we're prepared to take it on and see it to its conclusion. Rather than fret over prices, you can rest assured that you're getting the best possible quality with cheap rates. Our installer teams are bonded and certified, and we've spent years honing our craft. Not only is a window replacement a smart option as a homeowner (considering the added value that new, higher-technology windows provide to a home), it's also smart from an efficiency perspective. If you're an NJ homeowner looking to install sliding windows, you're in the right place. Not only can we offer you a broad spectrum of window offerings (with attendant treatments, glazes, and features), we can also help you to improve your home's energy efficiency in the process, which will bring down your heating and cooling costs in time. We want to offer you the best: the best deals on sliding windows in NJ and the best quality of installer work. We've made it a point to concentrate on individual customer satisfaction, and our dozens of customer testimonials will confirm that. There's no reason to settle for anything less than the best - it's your home, and you deserve to know that you've selected sliding windows that will retain value and will add to your home's total worth. Let us assist you with this process - we'll walk you through every step and ensure that you're getting the best deals on NJ sliding window installations. We can't wait to help you make your home shine.


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Lyfecycle: Matured |  Fair Value: Sign-in

BNP Easy Express Certificates G 120.5 - 17.06.2016

This is a Bonus Cap paying in Euro issued by BNP Paribas with strike date at 1/31/2014 and maturing at 6/17/2016 and it is linked to the performance of Assicurazioni Generali SPA. The capital is exposed to the negative performance of the underlying when it falls below the barrier level of 95% at maturity. Otherwise the product will pay the maximum between the notional plus the underlying performance and the bonus level of 120.5% up to a cap of 120.5%

 Key Investment Document (KID)

Recorded Performance

The product has matured at 6/15/2016. Investing in this product at issue price would have resulted in a total return of -27.92%

Product Sheet

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This product have been mapped on /Italy/2014 and have been modelled using the template /Structured Products/Bonus Cap

Disclaimer: this product sheet has been created by Fairmat Srl and its partners using public available information, hence it represents our interpretation of the product. The information displayed in this page does not represent any recommendation to buy or sell the displayed product.


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Foot stompin’ and entertaining, the Austin Steamers tell the story of hard living with a noteworthy reference to a crow leaving tracks all across one’s face. Checking around into the historic symbolism of the crow, it seems it has been a symbol of transition, transformation and death. Leaving the self that holds one back instead for the authentic self.

“Everywhere I go I seem to be in the same damn place.  Every inch I go ahead, I fall a foot behind.  Hard livin’s going to be the end of me . . . .”
So today, Sunday, seems a good day to reference some down home bluegrass with some down and dirty banjo picking, as for some reason, Sundays and bluegrass seem to go together. The chosen song is featured in Richard Linklater’s movie Boyhood, the Old Black Crow stands out as a unique song from the soundtrack. The version in the soundtrack has a quicker tempo than the posted version, if you can imagine.

Warning: if foot stomping is not in your musical repertoire, you have come to the wrong post. 🙂 Enjoy.

on the day that I was born I started growin’ old
no one told me life would be so lonesome and cold
I had a gray hair by the age of twenty-three
this life hard luck living is going to be the end of me

the old black crow leavin’ tracks all across my face
and everywhere I go I seem to be in the same damn place
hard livin’s going to be the end of me

well I dropped out of school before I leaned to think
cause all I wanna to do was play the guitar and sing
and everything I know I learned out on the road
I’ve been damned near everywhere but got no place to go

Hard livin’s goin’ to kill me one day at a time
every inch I pull ahead I fall a foot behind
and I’ll never be a gambler ’cause I don’t get the cards
and you can’t take it with you to the old graveyard


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Boater Rescued off Pillar Point After Freighter Reports Orange Smoke

SAN FRANCISCO — Coast Guard Sector San Francisco received a call from the commercial container ship, the Hanjin Dallas, reporting a sighting of orange smoke and a possible vessel in distress off Pillar Point just before 2 p.m. yestoday.

The Coast Guard Cutter Tern and a Coast Guard 47-foot motor lifeboat from Station Golden Gate, responded to the call.

The only person on board was recovered by a rescue boat deployed by the Hanjin Dallas and taken to the ship’s medical quarters where he was found to have suffered no injuries. The rescued boater will stay on the ship until the Hanjin Dallas pulls into the Port of Oakland later this evening.

The Tern and the 47-foot motor lifeboat patrolled the area in search of debris and sheen on the water from leaking fuel and oil. An HH-65 helicopter was also deployed to do an over flight of the area. No evidence of debris or pollution was found in the area.

The Coast Guard reminds all boaters to maintain proper safety equipment on their vessel, including flotation devices, flares and or smoke signals and a marine VHF radio. The Coast Guard also urges all boaters to leave a float plan with friends or family in case of an emergency.

“The Coast Guard greatly appreciates the exceptional response actions of the motor vessel Hanjin Dallas this afternoon to quickly resolve this potentially life threatening case,” stated Captain David Swatland, Deputy Sector Commander for Coast Guard Sector San Francisco.

If you have any problems viewing this article, please report it here.

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One Comment

  1. Meyer says:

    please note that the Hanjin Dallas is a German Containership managed by NSB.

    Kind Regards


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Protect Your Dental Practice from Employment Law Violations

Available Immediately | 60 minutes | Price: $197

URGENT: New employment law REQUIRES you to modify how you pay some of your full-time salaried employees, or fall victim to expensive lawsuit nightmares.

Effective Dec. 1st, the way you pay some of your salaried employees will change. The new Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) has revised the salary threshold for these employees. In a nutshell, this means you could be among the thousands of dental practices REQUIRED to pay overtime to full-time employees making less than $47,476 a year. And, noncompliance really isn't an option.

This new law demonstrates just how easy it is to be at serious risk of an employment law violation, unless you take action to protect your practice.

Nationally recognized dental-specialized attorney, Brian Hatch, Esq., will walk you through specifically what you must do to be employment law compliant during his training session. Brian specializes in helping dental practices just like yours to overcome employment law issues quickly and efficiently.

In only 60 minutes, you’ll get a real-world breakdown of which employment laws are most pertinent to your dental practice (including the new FLSA law going into effect in just a few weeks).

Here are just some of the proven, step-by-step compliance advice you’ll receive by completing this training:

  • Employment Law Protection for Your Dental PracticeAvoid these key words when hiring or risk serious lawsuit (it’s not what you think)
  • Raise salaries or switch to hourly … Learn when and how to draw the line to comply with new FLSA law
  • Head off contractor employment contract mistakes that will come back to haunt you
  • Master key policy and procedure additions every dental practice handbook must include
  • Stop compensation issues from ripping your practice apart
  • Squash unfounded discrimination and harassment charges before they land you in court
  • Head off OSHA and HIPAA Whistleblower Laws from leading to serious financial penalties
  • Implement a social media policy to protect your patient information and your practice bottom line
  • Successfully terminate employees and avoid potential future legal payouts
  • And much more….

You may be thinking that even if you are in violation, why would you ever get singled out. Well, sometimes it’s beyond your control. All it takes is one employee complaint, or a random audit, and you are going to wish you had spent more time on this critical issue.

Don’t take the risk your dental practice isn’t employment law compliant. Invest just 60 minutes of your time, and get dental-specific advice that you can use right away to protect your practice. Don’t wait, order today.

Meet Your Expert: Brian Hatch, Esq.

Brian HatchAttorney Brian Hatch has been involved in the dental field since 1995 and employment law since his graduation from Boston College Law School in 1984. His law practice, Hatch Legal Group, founded in 2003, is a dental specialty law firm located in Attleboro, Massachusetts. He has spoken on dental practices and employment law at a number of dental conventions, dental society meetings and dental schools, including the Yankee Dental Congress in Boston, Massachusetts, the Southeastern Massachusetts District Dental Society, Boston University Dental School, and Tufts University Dental School. His monthly newsletter, Dental Practice Legal Update, is distributed nationwide to all those in the dental industry, and he is the author of the reference book Dental Practice Law Guide. Attorney Hatch holds a Masters Degree in Labor Relations and Human Resources from the University of Rhode Island and graduated from Colgate University in 1981. He resides in Attleboro, Massachusetts.


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Tag Archives: music

Maximum Balloon- “Groove Me” – Dir.: Carlos Lopez Estrada

Seaquence is an experimental musical petri-dish. Adopting a biological metaphor, Seaquence allows you to create and combine musical lifeforms into unique, dynamic compositions.

The screenshot is of this seaquence. It looks like the beginning of the game Spore, which I have fond memories of. The later part of the game got pretty boring for me.

Tame Impala, “Lucidity” dir. Robert Hales

via antville

Oval – “Ah!” (director: Darko Dragičević)

LCD – Soundsystem – Home
André Obin – Front Runner by Moodgadget

Link: Shazam

Allows you to identify a song by using a simple cell phone app.

How does it work? Check out an article on Kottke.

Tim Sanders

Microscopic Vinyl Record Grooves

[This is how audio data is stored on a vinyl disc)

Love the art Sougwen is creating for Sepalcure.


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That FIRST step is the BIG one

riverfloodDo ever wake up and see just one thing out in front of you – impossibility?  The difficulties pile up like a wall of boulders. You know you should tackle the task of finding a way but sometimes the temptation comes to say, “I’m done. I quit.” I met a man living on the streets who once had a family, a job, a life; then he ran head-long into some really hard times and he just dropped out. Now he exists, by choice, sadly in the grip of addiction’s haze. That is a radical example.

Most of us will not choose to abandon life, but too many will resign inwardly. There is a better choice which we learn in an ancient story about God’s people. He led them to a place where they had to rely completely on Him.

That is why faith is so very important to me!  I claim no insight into all of the mysteries of life, but I hold onto the promise that I never walk alone, that those things that appear ‘impossible’ to me, are God’s opportunities to shape my life and faith.  So, I pray for courage, for steady faith, for a willingness to let Him lead as He wills.

After Moses died, Joshua prepared to lead God’s people into Canaan, the Promised Land. They were ready to move but there was one BIG problem. Right in their path flowed the Jordan River. To complicate matters, the Bible  says it was ‘at flood stage.‘  Joshua, who was an old man with a lot of experience in ‘walking by faith’ told the people –  “Think of it! The Ark of the Covenant, which belongs to the Lord of the whole earth, will lead you across the Jordan River! Now choose twelve men, one from each tribe. The priests will be carrying the Ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth. When their feet touch the water, the flow of water will be cut off upstream, and the river will pile up there in one heap.” (Joshua 3:11-13, NLT)  It is a great challenge but I want us to take note of one little line … “when their feet touch the water.”   They had to step into the river before the miracle happened!

40 years earlier, their parents had come to a similar moment, faced with the difficulty of possessing the Promised Land. That generation refused God’s invitation to let Him lead and they died as wanders in the wilderness. Joshua knew that lesson, one of the few survivors of that generation. So, he pressed them. What did they do?  They choose to believe God. And sure enough, when they stepped into the water, the river stopped flowing! Joshua summarizes the occasion saying, “This was so that everybody on earth would recognize how strong God’s rescuing hand is and so that you would hold God in solemn reverence always.” (Joshua 4:24, The Message)

Honestly, I wouldn’t have wanted to be the first priest to step into the water. I wonder how far in did he wade before the water receded? Knee deep? Waist deep? Why wouldn’t God have just stopped the river’s flow that morning so they could just walk across? We have no answer for that question but there is a life lesson here for you and me. When God says, “Go,” and it appears that there is no way, it’s time to step into the water! Obedience will open a way forward – from where we are into a new and wonderful place of His purposes.

Is God leading you toward a flooded river place?
Are you following obediently or screaming protests?
Follow faithfully.
Keep your focus on the Lord who goes before you.

When you are on the other side of that ‘impossible’ situation, you will look back with new faith. This word from the Word is a song for the tested, one that anticipates the fulfillment of His promises.
Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has done wonderful deeds.
His right hand has won a mighty victory; his holy arm has shown his saving power!
The Lord has announced his victory and has revealed his righteousness to every nation!
He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel.
The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.”
(Psalm 98:1-3, NLT)

To God Be The Glory

To God be the glory great things He has done
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin
And opened the life gate that all may go in

 Praise the Lord praise the Lord
Let the earth hear His voice
Praise the Lord praise the Lord
Let the people rejoice
O come to the Father through Jesus the Son
And give Him the glory great things He has done

 O perfect redemption the purchase of blood
To every believer the promise of God
The vilest offender who truly believes
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives

 Great things He has taught us
Great things He has done
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son
But purer and higher and greater will be
Our wonder our transport when Jesus we see

Fanny Jane Crosby © Words: Public Domain

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One response to “That FIRST step is the BIG one

  1. Gail David

    Thank you

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Coindelite | Latest Bitcoin Cryptocurrency News and ICO Press Release

Bitcoin is a huge topic of discussion nowadays. On one hand, countries like Japan considers bitcoin as a legitimate delicate, while on the other, JP Morgan Chase CEO James Dimon calls bitcoin is more than "a fraud”. Investors or traders of Bitcoin confronted disrupted circumstance after Shanghai-based BTCChina, a great Chinese bitcoin exchange, on Thursday said it would quit exchanging the cryptocurrency from September 30 last year, referring to fixing regulation, while small bitcoin brokers ViaBTC, YoBTC and Yunbi on Friday announced similar terminations. This sent a negative flag to the world in connection to Bitcoin.

what-is-bitcoin | Coindelite

What is Bitcoin(BTC)?

One of the definitions can be "Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency, or a digital currency, that uses principles of cryptography for control and generation of units of currency. Bitcoin falls under the extent of cryptocurrency and was the first and most profitable among them. It is usually called a decentralized digital currency." Let's simplify it, Bitcoin is decentralized, what does that mean? Anything which is not centralized means it is not controlled by a person, a group, an organization, a business or not even a country or a government; can be called decentralized. But, if it is not controlled or governed by anyone, then how does Bitcoin work?

Let's understand, How Bitcoin Works?

The makers (programmers) of Bitcoin, programmed a cryptographically secured currency in such a way that all its parameters are pre-defined. Like they defined what will be the maximum number of Bitcoins in the circulation, what will be the mining process, how the difficulty of the mining process would increase over a period of time and so on. So, Bitcoins are totally virtual coins intended to act naturally 'contained' for their appreciation, with no requirement for banks to move and store the cash. They also defined how the transaction will take place, and how the ledger will get updated, where the ledger is stored and if the ledger can be modified or not. Now, the programmers wanted this program to run on a secured server, which can not be tampered, hacked or crashed by anyone in the world. They wanted to make such a trustless system where once the program is deployed, even the programmer can not edit or modify it. Blockchain technology answered their question.

What is Blockchain Technology?

A blockchain, originally blockchain, is a continuously growing list of records, called blocks, which are linked and secured using cryptography. Each block typically contains a hash pointer as a link to a previous block, a timestamp and transaction data. By design, blockchains are inherently resistant to modification of the data. The Harvard Business Review describes it as "an open, distributed ledger that can record transactions between two parties efficiently and in a verifiable and permanent way." For use as a distributed ledger, a blockchain is typically managed by a peer-to-peer network collectively adhering to a protocol for validating new blocks. Once recorded, the data in any given block cannot be altered retroactively without the alteration of all subsequent blocks, which requires collusion of the network majority.

In simple words, it is a secure database, stored on multiple devices which are linked together in a network of devices. The network is secure itself because multiple copies of the ledger are stored each device and if a hacker tries to hack into one or few of the devices in the network, the network throws that device out of the network without affecting the functionality of that blockchain. That's the primary reason why people believed such first attempt at making a decentralized cryptocurrency. Slowly, Bitcoin gained acceptance from people all over the world and the demand increased, but the supply is limited. Based on the concept of demand and supply, the value of Bitcoin appreciated so much that today is worth more than $15000 per Bitcoin. When you claim bitcoins, they have appreciation and exchange similarly as though they were chunks of gold in your pocket. You can utilize your bitcoins to buy products and ventures on the web, or you can store them and expect that their appreciation increments throughout the years. Bitcoins are exchanged from one individual 'wallet' to another.

What is a Bitcoin Wallet?

Just like a little wallet in your pocket, A digital wallet is a little individual database that you store on your PC drive, on your cell phone, on your tablet or someplace in the cloud.


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Rose R. Holocaust testimony (HVT-1625) interviewed by Trudy K. Turkel and Estelle Kandel

Oral History | Fortunoff Collection ID: HVT-1625

Videotape testimony of Rose R. who was born in Luxembourg in 1927. She recalls her family's candy factory; attending Catholic school until Jews were expelled; her father's belief that the Germans were just passing through; her older brother's emigration to Chile; the family's move to Brussels; attending school there for a year; her sister being hidden by priests; the family's flight to Roubaix, France; and her arrest (she was about twelve). Mrs. R. recounts deportation to Majdanek; being brutally beaten; a guard who saved her from being gassed; forced labor in coal mines for a year; having an appendectomy in the infirmary; the public killing of a girl from Luxembourg; another girl from Luxembourg who gave birth to a baby which was immediately shot (the mother survived); liberation by Soviet troops; transport to Odessa, where she was reunited with her brother; their return to Marseille; reunion with their parents; the family's emigration to Israel, then the United States; and her return to Luxembourg. She shows a picture of Mauthausen survivors that includes her brother.

R., Rose, 1927-
Baltimore, Md. : Baltimore Jewish Council, 1990
Interview Date
May 15, 1990.
2 copies: 3/4 in. dub; and 1/2 in. VHS with time coding.
Cite As
Rose R. Holocaust Testimony (HVT-1625). Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies, Yale University Library.
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Record last modified: 2011-05-05 11:11:00
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Learn About The Holocaust

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Oral history interview with Mikhail Aronovich Vayntsel'boym

Oral History | Accession Number: 1995.A.1287.1 | RG Number: RG-50.226.0001

Some video files begin with 10-60 seconds of color bars.

Mikhail Aronovich Vayntsel'boym, born in 1928 in Berdychiv, Ukraine, describes the arrival of the Germans on July 7, 1941, and the establishment of the ghetto in Berdichev; how 900 Jews were shot during the first days of the ghetto and that his mother and sister were killed early on in the occupation; being hidden on the day the police came for the action; how he survived a second occasion in which Jews were marched to be killed; being taken to another family where he lived for half a year; working for a local man taking care of livestock; going to a nearby village and working on a Kolkhoz until the Soviet liberation in December 1943; and his return to Berdichev after the war and his post-war life.

Mikhail A. Vayntsel'boym
1994 August 11  (interview)
2 videocassettes (U-Matic) : sound, color ; 3/4 in..
Credit Line
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, courtesy of the Jeff and Toby Herr Foundation
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Record last modified: 2018-01-22 10:36:57
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Advanced Search

Learn About The Holocaust

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Object | Accession Number: 2000.588.1

Wool blanket or"cergi" typical of Maramures region, formerly Transylvania composed of dark brown and light brown stripes. Blankets were taken to Auschwitz with Abraham Weissner (donor's wife's grandfather) and his daughter Gizela Naday. Abraham died of starvation in Auschwitz and Gizela took both blankets to an airplane factory in Mittelstein and to Weisswasser where she was liberated. She returned to Baia Mare after the war. The shorter blanket belonged to Abraham

Furnishings and Furniture
Household linens
Object Type
Blankets (lcsh)
Credit Line
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Nachman Salic
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Preview 2018: Akron Zips. Somehow, It Gets The Job Done

Preview 2018: Akron Zips. Somehow, It Gets The Job Done

2018 Preview

Preview 2018: Akron Zips. Somehow, It Gets The Job Done

Preview 2018: Previewing and looking ahead to the Akron Zips season with what you need to know.

Preview 2018: Akron Zips

Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
Top Players, Key Game, Fun Stats
What Will Happen & Win Total Prediction
Recruiting Class AnalysisSchedule Analysis
– Akron Previews 2017 | 2016 | 2015

How the heck did that actually happen?

Akron was awful.

The coverage teams were miserable. The offense was the second-worst in the MAC and 121st in college football. The defense finished 103rd in the country and was also the second-worst in the conference.

The team struggled to score, had the MAC’s worst running game, was the worst in the sport in first downs allowed, couldn’t throw the ball, couldn’t convert in the red zone, couldn’t rush the passer and couldn’t protect the passer.

But it won the MAC East and played for the conference title.

Give head coach Terry Bowden his due. He might not get the top-shelf talent at Akron, and his team might have had a whole slew of problems, but it led the MAC in turnover margin, was terrific on both sides of the ball on third downs, and more than anything else, it just found a way to get the job done.

Ohio was the best team in the East, and probably the MAC. Akron came up with the 37-34 win it needed, and  – to keep with the theme of the old school concert to kickoff the season, like Big Daddy Kane it gets the job done.

Yeah, the MAC East was down and the schedule wasn’t all that hard, but the Zips beat Western Michigan by one on the road, beat a good Buffalo team 21-20, and did what they had to do.

This year’s team, though, might have the same toughness and clutch ability, and it has the experience, too.

Depth is an issue, but the starting 11 on offense will be good enough to win with. Kato Nelson is a good-looking young quarterback, the receiving corps should be fine, and the line won’t be any worse.

Nine starters are back on defense including everyone in a secondary that led the MAC in interceptions. Ulysees Gilbert might be the best player in the conference – not just the best linebacker – leading a group that, again, knows how to do what’s needed.

And then there’s Bowden. Going into his seventh season at the helm, he’s got to two bowl games, had three 5-7 close calls, and all after a rough first season having to rebuild the program.

It might not always be pretty, and it might seem like it’s being done with smoke and mirrors, but Bowden and Akron will somehow find a way to be interesting again.

NEXT: Offense Breakdown, Defense Breakdown, Top Players, Final Prediction & What Will Happen

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The Dating Scene

Ever since I was sixteen, I’ve dated college guys. Yes, in my one moment of teenage rebellion, I dated a college guy when I was in high school. My mom thought he was a college freshman which was kind of the truth…but instead of being an eighteen year old, wonderful, upstanding college freshman like my best friend, he was actually twenty one and had started college late. Oops.

While I probably spent loads of time complaining about how complicated things were, there were plenty of things that made dating a fellow student super easy. You live on the same campus (maybe even the same floor) and you’re both on the same work hard, play hard, sleep is for the weak college student schedule.I remember diner dates at three in the morning, sleeping in until noon, and being able to walk to each other’s places in under five minutes.

Granted sometimes your boo might see you like this…but that’s okay.

For some reason, I thought that dating after college would be easier. I don’t really know why. I thought there wouldn’t be homework and tests to get in the way. I thought there would be real dates. And I definitely thought roommates would not be a problem. I was wrong.

First, there’s the issue of how to meet people. In college, there were always theme parties. Sure, they had different themes, but they could all be summed up with “Something and Scantily Clad Women”. It was perfectly acceptable to meet someone at this type of function. Not sure if they’d be in it for the long haul, but hey, it’s college. Right? Anywho. I’m not saying that these sort of events don’t exist after graduation (I’ve been to a few ugly sweater parties!) but they’re harder to find because you know, you live in a new city and don’t have friends to invite you to these sort of things. Seriously, getting out there and meeting ANYBODY is hard, let alone someone you’d like to date.

Between work and all the time I spend putting off things like doing laundry and grocery shopping, I don’t have time to get out there and meet people.

If you’re lucky enough to find somebody to date, there are a bunch of other issues to get in your way. People might not have homework and tests anymore, but they may have projects to do for work or business trips to go on. Oh wait, they still might have homework and tests – I know plenty of people choosing to go to graduate school part time while they work full time.

Speaking of work, work schedules are another thing to contend with! Depending on the type of work your significant other does, he/she might not be available the same times that you are. You might only be left with a small window of time between when you get out of work and he or she needs to get ready to go to sleep. Also, we’re old now. Five drinks gives us hangovers. After working 40+ hours in a week, WE’RE TIRED.

Why can’t eating take out in bed while watching Breaking Amish be considered a date?

Climbing the career ladder can also be a roadblock on your way to true love. At least when we were students, we kind of knew when people were going to leave – graduation. On one hand, dating after college is nice because there isn’t this set time that your person is DEFINITELY going to leave. On the other hand, your person could leave at any time! If one of you gets a job offer 500 miles away, you have to think about each other’s career plans before accepting (if you’re in a serious relationship – I do NOT think dropping everything and moving across the country for someone you just met is ever a good idea).

Oh, and remember how I thought there wouldn’t be roommates? Oh, there are still roommates. More and more people are moving home to save money AND THAT’S FINE. But, that might mean following rules that you haven’t had to follow since you were eighteen. Also, it means meeting the family a lot sooner than expected. This can be both good and bad. And awkward.

Moving back into one’s childhood home can also lead to a situation like this.

Working in student affairs, I have a few other tricks up my sleeve that makes my dating life oh-so-complicated. First off, people barely understand what I do for a living. Second, between being on call and student events, my work schedule is CRAZY. Yes, I can go out when I’m on call, but I might have to leave in the middle of our fun plans! No, I can’t go to that restaurant it’s too far away. Yes, we better take two cars in case I do have to leave. Also, my living situation. I don’t have roommates, but I do have an entire building full of residents and RAs that just loooovvvee to gossip. It’s like living in a middle school sometimes, I swear.

And one more thing…even though all twentysomethings are the same AGE, people can definitely be in different places in their lives! Some are looking to settle down NOW, others don’t see that happening until they are older, have more money, or have their career established. Before you get serious, you need to make sure that you are both on the same page!

I never expected grown up dating to be this complicated. It almost makes me wish I was back in high school, when dating involved going to the prom and holding hands in the hallway. Almost.

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Here at CollegeRecon, we spend a lot of time pouring over college and university descriptions. Some days we feel like they all run together. Other times, there’s a school that really stands out and our ears perk up.

For this week’s School Spotlight post we are featuring one of those schools that really stuck out for us. We think by the end of this post you will see why too.

This week’s spotlight is…

D’Youville College

Location: Buffalo, New York

Accreditations: The College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, a regional accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

Undergraduate Enrollment: 1,963 (Veterans, spouses and dependents make up nearly 20% of D’Youville’s total student population and they are enrolled throughout all academic programs at the college.)

Duration: 4 year

College Type: Private

D'Youville student veterans

(Courtesy: D’Youville College)

-Application fees are waived for ALL Veterans and dependents.

-The D’Youville Student Veterans of America chapter manages the Veteran and Military Aligned Students Ambassador, Peer Mentoring and Tutoring Programs. The. The  D’Youville Veterans Outreach and Support Services (VOSS) Centerhouses: The SVA & Work Study Office, The Captain Eleanor Grace Alexander Memorial Veterans Lounge, The Ann Wood Kelly Memorial Veterans Learning Center, & The Veterans Affairs Office. The VOSS Center is staffed with a Full-Time Veteran Affairs Director & Assistant Director, VOSS Program Coordinator, and a full staff of counselors and coordinators.

Leave of Absence Policy

D’Youville offers a liberal military leave of absence policy. We will work with you to plan your degree program’s course schedule around any known exercises and deployments. We’ll also help adjust your course schedule if you receive orders.

Academic Programs

Wanting to explore a bachelor’s degree? Here’s a full list of all they have to offer as well as links where you can learn more.

Joint Degree Programs

Start as a freshman and earn a bachelor and graduate-level degree in less time and at less cost than pursuing them separately. Their joint degree programs are a great way to get two degrees in a cheaper and faster manner.

D'Youville student veterans

(Courtesy: D’Youville College)

D’Youville College has all of the following veteran/military support programs in place:

Campus SVA Chapter

Full-Time Veteran Counselor On Campus

Signed VA Principles Of Excellence

Club/Association For Veterans

8 Keys to Veterans’ Success

Offers ROTC Program

Member of S.O.C

Offers College Credit for Military Experiences

Awards Credit For CLEP Exam

Awards Credit For DSST Exam

Comply with The Veteran’s Choice Act

Approved for TA Funding

Yellow Ribbon Program

Scholarships for Military

Reduced Tuition for Military

**To learn more about each of these programs & why they are so important, click here.

“We are committed to supporting those who have so selflessly served our nation as members of the armed forces and their family members. We recruit, prepare and support active, reserve, guard and veteran students and their families, and help to navigate the collegiate journey. While recruitment and retention of veteran and military aligned students are important goals, our primary focus is to ensure the success of all our students academically, professionally and personally.” — D’Youville College Mission.

Ranked #5 in Best for Vets Military Friendly Schools

Not that rankings are everything, but once you dig into why D’Youville ranked so highly, you’ll see this one really does mean something.

Benefits For Military at D’Youville

Tuition Benefits for Military

Veteran Waiver Grant Program

The Veteran Advantage at D’Youville College

Sound Like a Place You Could See Yourself?

Start a conversation with D’Youville College today through this free portal. It allows you to converse with admissions counselors without giving out your personal contact info. Maybe you too will become a D’Youville student veteran and soar through your degree program!


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FAFSA Deadline For 2015 – 2016

Q: What is the FAFSA deadline for 2015 – 2016, and when can or should I start to apply for federal financial aid via FAFSA if I will need it for the 2015 and 2016 school year?

A: The earlier you can file your FAFSA the better! Filing your FAFSA as early as possible will help to ensure that you receive all of the federal financial aid that you are eligible for, and will leave you with the most options for federal aid. FAFSA is used for an entire academic school year, so you will only need to file once per academic school year. For example, the 2015-2016 FAFSA is used for Fall 2015, Spring 2016, and Summer 2016.

The FAFSA is available for completion every year on the first day of the calendar year (on January 1st). The sooner you can file your FAFSA after January 1st of any given calendar year is in your best interest. You do not want to put off filing your FAFSA until the last minute, and you certainly do not want to miss the FAFSA deadline. For the 2015 – 2016 academic year, FAFSA on the Web applications must be submitted by midnight Central Daylight time, June 30, 2015.

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