Luke Judge

Whatever happened to children playing with little toy trains? In today’s society, it seems that toy trains have become a thing of the past. Children these days now ask for iPods, video games, and even cell phones before they’re 10 years old. But Thomas the Tank Engine continuously brings smiles and happiness to children all over the world, even in a time where toy trains seem to have been long forgotten.

Thomas the Tank Engine started as a children’s show and has since grown into a variety of toys and merchandise for children. The show focuses on teaching children as young as toddlers to count, spell, and even history lessons they normally wouldn’t learn until elementary school. And because Thomas is a train, children are able to use their imagination and gain an appreciation for the more simple activities that many adults once knew as children.

It’s no surprise that there are many wonderful toy trains made by Thomas the Tank Engine. The little toy trains are specifically designed for small children and have a unique way of grabbing their attention. You can find wooden toy trains from Thomas the Tank Engine, and these trains are most likely to resemble the basic wooden toy trains played with by many adults when they were children. The cars are painted bright shades of red, blue, green, and yellow, and often come with little wooden blocks to carry as “freight”.

You may not consider everything you just read to be crucial information about Toytrains. But don’t be surprised if you find yourself recalling and using this very information in the next few days.

Thomas the Tank Engine also makes a wide variety of accessories to go along with their toy trains. Little ones will have a blast by adding their own village or town to their Thomas the Tank system! The Deluxe Knapford Station is a very popular addition to Thomas trains. This station closely resembles an actual passenger station with two pieces of authentic switch track. Realistic sounds of whistles and movement help the child’s imagination to run free, while the station is brought to life with the built-in microphone. This gives children the opportunity to become a real engineer of their own toy train station! The Lighthouse Bridge allows children to have an imaginary river running through their train and boats can pass through.

Thomas the Tank Engine also comes with several friends children love to play with. Max and Monty the dump trucks help teach children the importance of sharing. Max and Monty are twin brothers who think they are experts in construction, but in reality they cause trouble everywhere they go. They have tendency to boss around the smaller machines, but in the end they always learn to share their space.

Along with several toys and children’s shows, Thomas the Tank Engine makes a variety of merchandise just for children. You can purchase several learning tools such as play mats, art sets, and puzzles to go along with your Thomas toy trains. Children also love Thomas the Tank Engine apparel, bedroom décor, clocks and watches, posters, and furniture. You can purchase Thomas the Tank Engine toys and accessories at nearly any department store or by visiting their website.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO

bracket Clocks happiness, little ones, thomas the tank, thomas trains

Pastiche does not usually demand sleuthing or guesswork on the part of the reader. We tend to be confident, from the first place name or simile or chapter title, which writer or genre is being ribbed, and in what spirit. But D J Taylor’s likeable new novel leaves the reader uncertain, at least on the first count.

At the Chime of a City Clock is set in 1931, the year in which Taylor’s favourite writer, Anthony Powell, published his first novel, but it pays more explicit homage to a younger and less celebrated writer – Julian Maclaren-Ross, portrayed as X Trapnel in Powell’s novel-sequence A Dance to the Music of Time. Trapnel, like his model, is an impoverished and hard-working London freelance, a familiar figure to whom Taylor has always had a romantic attachment, though he prefers, sensibly enough, to live in Norwich.

Taylor’s penniless freelance hero is called James Ross – Maclaren-Ross’s real name – and he appears to be living out the scenario of Maclaren-Ross’s novel Of Love and Hunger (1947). Ross lives in a boarding-house run by a Mrs Fanshawe (the surname of Maclaren-Ross’s hero), sells Abraxas carpet cleaner door to door (Fanshawe sells vacuum cleaners), has dealings with his Uncle George and a man called Roper (as does Fanshawe), and becomes involved with a girl called Sukie (rather than Suzie). Fanshawe, in 1939, receives two pounds a week (“less insurance”), where Ross is on “25 bob a week basic”, but with a better chance of earning commissions – as long as he strays from his Kensal Green beat.

The novel is set at the beginning rather than the end of the 1930s, to bring out parallels between Ramsay MacDonald’s slump and Gordon Brown’s crunch, and to bring in another of Taylor’s penniless freelance heroes, George Orwell, who was down and out in London at around this time. Taylor’s book, like Orwell’s, ranges around London rather than favouring a single territory. Ross appears to share the war record of another salesman, George Bowling, from Orwell’s novel Coming Up for Air (1939), while the sum of 10, at one point pledged to Ross, recalls another novel about a penurious London writer, Keep the Aspidistra Flying (1936). Thickening the brew, Ross is obsessed with an old girlfriend called Netta – a name borrowed, along with Eddie Carstairs, from Patrick Hamilton’s novel Hangover Square (1941).

But despite this play with the comedy of defeat and destitution, the novel is described as “A Thriller”. The chapter “Night and the City” is named after Gerald Kersh’s noir-ish novel, and mention of Lobby Ludd calls to mind Kolly Kibber, from Graham Greene’s Brighton Rock. Ross’s first-person narration, which proses on, in his phrase, about his money worries, occasionally gives way to rather less satisfactory third-person scenes involving the misdeeds of Sukie’s boss, Rasmussen. In a neat reversal, the barely existent thriller plot functions as colour, while the flow of period detail and ephemeral incident powers the novel forward.

As if to obfuscate things further, Taylor throws in a few details from later periods. The novel’s title is taken from Nick Drake’s beautiful song, and one of the chapter titles, “Friends and Relations”, is an allusion to a series of albums by the 1970s band Hawkwind. These are intentional anachronisms – which may or may not be the case with references to the Racing Post (founded in 1986) and a house called Mallory Towers (Enid Blyton’s series about the school Malory Towers started in 1946).

Thankfully, one’s enjoyment of the novel does not depend on unpicking its complicated ancestry. Taylor provides a fragrant imagining of 1930s poverty, a tale of diminishing cigarette supplies and non-paying periodicals, narrated in the idiom of the time. Ross is on his uppers; one of his colleagues is “a long, lugubrious article”; one of his various predicaments is “a bit of a facer”. We read about things seeming queer, and people talking through their hats or being “not quite”. Chapters are preceded by excerpts from the Abraxas Salesman’s Handbook, which provide a sort of running commentary on the action. On three occasions, Ross notices a poster about Skegness being so bracing; his London future is so grim that Skegness and, at one point, Bognor Regis are perceived as exotic locations, out of reach to a protagonist reduced to pawning clothes and books.
The obvious danger is that the novel, so slight and readable, its characters and language and scenarios by their nature second-hand, will seem nothing more than a game or jest.

A handful of name-checks increases this impression. The social historian David Kynaston, acknowledged by Taylor, makes an appearance, in a semi-anagram, as Hermione Kyslant. Rasmussen has a pair of crooked associates called Davenport and Hines, after the historian Richard Davenport-Hines, who unfairly described Taylor’s book Bright Young People as “a chippy social history written with the mindset of a killjoy jobsworth from the Health and Safety Executive”. Taylor might have resisted such impulses. Otherwise, the book provides a fine exhibition of this writer’s unusual speciality – parochialism with panache.

bracket Clocks anthony powell, boarding house, maclaren, romantic attachment, time taylor, vacuum cleaners

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Your sight is not gone—not even close—but you’re finding it harder than ever to read the tiny print in your checkbook register.

Or the numbers on the bathroom scale, your wristwatch or the bedside clock. Take comfort: You’re not alone.

Lots of people in Western New York, as they grow older, are finding themselves dealing not with major problems with their eyesight but with plenty of pesky little annoyances that come with age.

But you don’t need to resign yourself to avoiding certain daily activities because they tax your vision.

One local expert on age-related vision problems counseled that there are products and devices available that can make day-to-day life easier for those with aging eyes.

“Vision aids are not just for the legally blind,” said Ron Maier, who runs the Olmsted Center for Sight at 1170 Main St. “It’s just, could you use some things to make life easier? It’s about quality of life.”

Here’s a sampling of what’s out there to help you—or the aging loved one in your life—see better when it comes to basic life skills:

• Phones with large-button touch pads, especially those with black-white color contrasts on the keys, not muted tones that are hard to see.

• Large-size kitchen timers, clocks, thermometers and other gadgets that help people who love to cook.

• Checkbook “frames” that help people with vision challenges write out their checks neatly and legibly, and large-scale check registers to allow for tracking checks in an easier-to-use format.

• “Talking” wristwatches, clocks— even bathroom scales—that mean users can get the time or other necessary information without having to see small numbers.

• Oversized calendars, large-print playing cards and specialized bingo cards.

These sorts of aids are available and don’t cost a lot, said Linda Wiecek, a staff member at the Olmsted Center.

In Buffalo, one place to look or call is the Olmsted Center’s office on Main Street, where many of these sorts of everyday aids are available for inspection and purchase.

“The very common comment is, ‘I wish I had known about this sooner,’ ” said Wiecek.

Maier, president of the Buffalo center, said that younger people, whose eyesight might be fine, should think about vision aids for older parents and family members who might be struggling to see. Often these older relatives appreciate guidance to an item that can help them better manage daily tasks, he said.

Maier said he learned that lesson from personal experience, when he gave his father a large-scale phone as a gift.

“He’s not blind, but it helps him. Then I got him something to help him read the paper better,” said Maier. “People are living longer. As they’re aging, they’re having problems … if they’re having trouble seeing, maybe we can help.”

bracket Clocks bathroom scale, check registers, little annoyances, maier, playing cards, vision aids

I have written several times lately about a particular clock (for example, see Researching the Angel Clock) but there are other clocks in Islington. It’s only when you take an interest in the subject that you begin to realize how many there are. This is of course true of nearly every urban centre. What follows is just a selection of what is to be seen in Islington.

This morning I went first to Highbury Fields to see a particular clock. The “Fields” are not as grand as the name suggests, being these days a plain park largely dominated by tennis courts and bordered on one side by the grounds of the above church.

The clock I had come to see, known as the Highbury Clock Tower, stands in a quiet cul-de-sac behind the church. Just a glance would surely tell you that this is a Victoria Jubilee clock. A panel tells us that it was “Presented to the Islington Vestry by Alfred Hutchinson in celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of the reign of Her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria 1897”.

Today, painted in its original maroon and gold livery, it is surmounted by a gilded wind arrow but without the familiar compass directions. Perhaps they were never fitted or decayed and have been removed.

Further down the road, opposite Islington Post Office, we find another ecclesiastical clock, at St Mary’s Church. This one is of more traditional form, the dials being flush with the sides of the tower. It has three dials. The ones that look sideways are both the same and seem to be the oldest, with gilded hands and gilded numbers on a black ring. The forward-facing dial is the odd one out, a more recent replacement, no doubt.

Ironically, it is one of the older side-facing dials, looking roughly north, that is the only one working and showing more or less the correct time. As I took this photo, the clock chimed the half-hour. That’s slightly late but in a clock of this age it would be churlish to criticise.

Beside Islington Green, is the clock pictured above. It is on a building currently occupied by a Slug and Lettuce pub but I prefer to call it the Islington Green Clock. It is a rather understatement timepiece, but worthy for all that. Unfortunately, it is not in working order although it does at least still have its hands.

The same cannot be said of this clock, belonging to St Mark’s Church in Mylne Street. Is this timeless clock intended as a symbol of eternity? Probably not. I think it more likely that the clock broke down and decayed and was never repaired, though the dials have obviously been repainted fairly recently.

There are many more public clocks in Islington and you might spot a few if you leaf through my older posts. I have it in mind to visit one of the more famous clock towers in the area and when I do, I will be sure to record my visit and pictures here.

bracket Clocks correct time, cul de sac, majesty queen victoria

(03-25) 07:57 PDT (AP) –

The first two rounds of the NCAA tournament are supposed to give us enough upsets and feel-good stories to tide us over until next season.

The second weekend, the round of 16 and the regional finals, are supposed to be the time the teams from the power conferences remind us why the schools from those leagues dominate the Top 25 all season and fill the upper seed lines in the tournament bracket.

There is one of those pesky “mid-major” teams in each of the regionals.

Davidson had a shot in the air to beat Kansas and reach the Final Four in 2008. George Mason beat three former national champions on the way to the Final Four in 2006 as a No. 11 seed.

It can happen, and three No. 1 seeds and three No. 2s can only hope everything returns to form.

No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 12 Cornell

It would be tough to find a matchup of more different approaches to college basketball. Kentucky comes into the Carrier Dome with a roster full of future NBA players — including freshmen John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe. Coach John Calipari is seeking his third Final Four with as many schools and this group hasn’t shown any signs of being too young to win a national championship.

Cornell starts three seniors and is a true team with a 7-foot defensive specialist (Jeff Foote), a dead-on 3-point shooter (Ryan Wittman) and a steady point guard (Louis Dale). Don’t be misled thinking this team is an Ivy League throwback that uses most of the shot clock and waits until there is a backdoor open. The Big Red do that but they also averaged 82.5 points in winning their first two tournament games by an average of 15.5 points.

Look for talent to take over. Kentucky pulls away for an 87-71 victory.

No. 2 West Virginia vs. No. 11 Washington

All the talk around this game concerns West Virginia’s ability to handle the loss of starting point guard Darryl “Truck” Bryant, who broke his foot in practice Tuesday. Still, the Mountaineers have Da’Sean Butler, who hit two game-winning shots in the Big East tournament title run. Joe Mazzula, a redshirt junior who averaged 2.2 points in 14.9 minutes this season, should get the ball but don’t be surprised if coach Bob Huggins goes with a four-forward lineup.

Washington is one of the hottest teams in the country, having won nine straight, a streak that has allowed the Huskies to change what many considered to be an unsuccessful season. Their NCAA wins were different as they rallied from 15 points down in the second half to beat Marquette and they led by as many as 23 in cruising past New Mexico. Quincy Pondexter and Isaiah Thomas need 20 points combined to become the highest-scoring duo in school history.

West Virginia might take a while to get used to not having Bryant, but the Mountaineers truck on to a 71-64 victory.

No. 1 Syracuse vs. No. 5 Butler

Syracuse wasn’t affected at all in the first two rounds by the absence of center Arinze Onuaku, who hurt his knee in the Big East tournament, and he won’t be there for the regional semifinal, either. Without Onuaku, the back of the 2-3 zone isn’t as tough to navigate and the Orange will be down to a six-man rotation. Although the zone is what most people talk about, Syracuse is among the nation’s best in scoring (81.6) and shooting percentage (51.7).

Butler was a mid-major that spent a good part of the season ranked just outside the top 10. The Bulldogs steamrolled through the Horizon League and then squeaked by Murray State to reach this round. Six-foot-9 sophomore guard Gordon Hayward will be the key man against the zone. He will have to make sure the ball goes inside to come back out and he will also have to find a way to get into the zone and hit the 12- to 15-foot jumper. An explosive scorer such as Shelvin Mack could be the zone breaker.

Even without Onuaku, the Orange will be able to keep up its offensive pace and get away with an 83-69 victory.

No. 2 Kansas St. vs. No. 6 Xavier

Kansas State has been a quiet No. 2 seed, just cruising along with easy wins to reach this round for the first time since 1988. The backcourt of Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente has attracted attention, but the frontcourt of Dominique Sutton, Curtis Kelly and Jamar Samuels has allowed the Wildcats to outrebound their opponents by almost six a game while holding them to an average of 67 points. Pullen’s defense on BYU’s Jimmer Fredette in the second round was one of the best individual efforts of the tournament.

Xavier is in the round of 16 for the third straight year, a feat only Michigan State can match. The Musketeers are definitely a major team, having lost the mid-major label many years ago. First-year coach Chris Mack has kept the system in place that has made the school so successful for so long. Jordan Crawford has become much more than the kid who dunked on LeBron James over the summer. The sophomore transfer from Indiana is averaging 20.2 points this season and has upped that to 27.5 in the tournament.

There doesn’t have to be an upset in this round, but Xavier gets one here, 79-75 behind Crawford.

No. 5 Michigan St. vs. No. 9 Northern Iowa

Michigan State heads into the round of 16 with several injuries. Kalin Lucas, the Big Ten player of the year in 2008-09, ruptured an Achilles’ tendon during the second-round win over Maryland. Chris Allen, the team’s best 3-point shooter, has been limited because of an injured right foot and forward Delvon Roe has been bothered by a bad right knee. The first of the replacements did just fine as Korie Lucious stepped in for Lucas and hit the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer against Maryland to send the Spartans on to this round for the third straight year. Coach Tom Izzo’s .750 winning percentage in the tournament ranks third among active coaches.

Ali Farokhmanesh and Jordan Eglseder weren’t known outside Northern Iowa until last week’s wins over UNLV and overall top seed Kansas. Farokhmanesh hit the traditional game-winning 3-pointer in the first game and buried a 3 few would have taken to give the Panthers a four-point lead over the Jayhawks in the final minute. He was 9 of 19 from 3-point range in the first two rounds and averaged 16.5 points. The 7-foot Eglseder averaged 11.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in the two games that have made Northern Iowa a team everybody knows.

Since Izzo had five days to find a way to convince his team the injuries won’t affect their play on defense or how they rebound, look for the Spartans to shut down the Panthers’ run, 67-58.

No. 2 Ohio St. vs. No. 6 Tennessee

Ohio State won its first game despite Evan Turner having an off game. The Buckeyes looked like a No. 2 seed when Turner returned to form with 24 points, nine rebounds and nine assists against Georgia Tech. They are more than just Turner, with sharpshooter Jon Diebler and veteran forward David Lighty both making big contributions in their nine-game winning streak.

Tennessee held off San Diego State in the opening round, then looked more like itself in taking care of Ohio University, the team that upset Georgetown. The Volunteers shot 56.7 percent from the field and outrebounded the Bobcats 41-33 with Wayne Chism and Brian Williams grabbing 12 each. The one thing Tennessee has to do is cut down on turnovers — it had 16 against Ohio.

The Buckeyes, and more specifically Turner, have found a way to handle what’s thrown at them. That’s what happens here in Ohio State’s 78-76 victory.

No. 1 Duke vs. No. 4 Purdue

While everyone has been concentrating on Duke’s 3 Ss — Kyle Singler, Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith — the Blue Devils have been playing their best defense of the season. They have held 10 of their last 13 opponents — including the two in the NCAA tournament — to 61 points or less. They outrebound teams by six per game and are no longer just a perimeter team with no inside presence.

Purdue was supposed to be out of this tournament a couple of rounds ago. The Boilermakers weren’t given much of a chance to advance without second-leading scorer and rebounder Robbie Hummel, who injured his knee and is out for the season. Everyone else has stepped up to fill the void, especially 6-3 Chris Kramer, the Big Ten’s two-time defensive player of the year who has lived up to his mantle of emotional leader in Hummel’s absence.

Duke is just too good on the defensive end. Blue Devils win 73-58.

No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 10 Saint Mary’s

Baylor boasts one of the country’s best backcourts in LaceDarius Dunn (19.4 points per game) and Tweety Carter (15.1), and the two are complemented by forward Ekpe Udoh, who almost averages a double-double (13.9 points, 9.7 rebounds). The Bears liked to score during the Big 12 season, but they have taken things down a notch in the NCAA tournament, mostly because of a combined 13-of-40 effort from 3-point range.

Omar Samhan has moved up the big man charts with a bullet since the start of the NCAA tournament. A solid player all season for Saint Mary’s, the 6-11 Samhan has turned it on in the post against Richmond and Villanova, averaging 30.5 points and 9.5 rebounds while shooting 75 percent (24 of 32) from the field. Samhan’s presence inside has allowed the Gaels to shoot 41.1 percent from 3-point range, led by Mickey McConnell’s 51.7 percent.

Samhan will muddle the middle and the Gaels are good enough around him to advance with a 75-68 victory.

bracket Clocks ncaa tournament, power conferences, regional finals, shot clock, tournament bracket, true team

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NCAA Bracket Update 2010: Northern Iowa Pulls An Amazing Upset

Northern Iowa has done something that other teams have always dreamed of doing. They upset the number one seed Kansas team during the NCAA tournament. The final score the game was 69-67. This is also the first time in a while that a number one seed fell in the second round. This has not happened since 2004 when Kentucky and Stanford both fell to their underdog opponents. This year’s tournament has been filled with upsets, but none perhaps as big as this one. You can bet on all of the March Madness games online at BetUs.com and enjoy 155% in bonuses to kick start your account.

Northern Iowa seemed to be very relaxed as they played the powerful Kansas team. The defining moment of the NCAA Bracket Update 2010: Northern Iowa Pulls An Amazing Upset was with Northern Iowa up by one, Ali Farokhmanesh had the ball and should have let some time elapsed on the clock, but instead chose to take a three point shot. His three pointer was nothing but net and gave the underdog one of the biggest upsets that people can remember. He did this with just 34 seconds left on the clock.

Kansas still had a shot to beat Northern Iowa but an offensive foul was called on Kansas’s player Tyrel Reed. Northern Iowa will now have to wait for the winner of the Michigan State Maryland game to see whom they will play in the sweet 16 round of action. At one point in the game, Kansas was losing by 12 points. They were able to come within one point with 44 seconds left in the game, but the three pointer definitely put them in a horrible position. The NCAA tournament continues today to determine the rest of the second round winners.

Related posts:

1. NCAA Bracket Update 2010: Northern Iowa Wins
2. NCAA Bracket 2010 Update ESPN & Sweet 16 Bracket
3. NCAA NIT Bracket 2010 Update: The Sweet 16 Bracket
4. The Latest NCAA Bracket Update 2010
5. NCAA Basketball Games Preview: Old Dominion vs. Northern Iowa 02/20/2010

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bracket Clocks defining moment, pointer

I was sorting through the mail when the return address caught my eye. Amid the many postcards inviting my 18 and nearly 21-year-old sons to consider blowing off college and instead, joining The Few and The Proud as well as The Army of One, was a bright orange envelope containing the return address of one of our favorite couples.

No big deal, really, except that the last piece of correspondence I had received from either one of them was an announcement that the husband had become a partner in his law firm. It had arrived only a few months before and had been engraved on tasteful antique white linen paper. So what, pray tell, was this seemingly cheesy piece of fluorescent junk mail from a classy pair who reside in a town that “The New York Times” recently referred to as “the New Greenwich?” I ripped it open: “Uh-Oh. Come and celebrate our big 5-0 with a keg party…”

I affixed the invitation to the fridge with a magnet and stared at it. It looked like the type of notice we used to pass around high school cafeterias and locker rooms, the ones that subtly advertised that Mom and Dad were going away for the weekend and naively thought their teen was responsible enough to be left on their own. In reality, however, said offspring celebrated their brief emancipation by throwing a bash for 75 of their closest friends, who partook of a cheap keg while dancing to the tunes of an ear-piercing garage band. If the party was successful, it culminated with a crescendo of neighbor complaints and, with any luck, a visit from the cops.

I picked up the phone and called the wife. “What’s up with the keg party?” You’re lawyers for heaven’s sake. Couldn’t you just host a dinner at Morton’s?” I was selfishly thinking of a classic little black dress I had recently picked up on clearance at Loehmann’s that would be perfect for such an occasion.

“Well, we were feeling a bit wistful about the whole midlife thing, so we decided to throw ourselves a party just like the ones in high school. But the thing is, we can’t have it at our house. Our town’s pretty sticky about their noise ordinances. It’ll be just the same, though. I’ll e-mail you directions to the yacht club. It’s casual, so wear cords,” She enthusiastically chattered on.

Who was she kidding? I mean, really. A dress down party at a yacht club? And “cords” as in “corduroys?” I remembered owning at least a dozen pairs back in the day. It made me laugh now (after several decades and two kids) to think how we used to strut about in our Levi cords, purposefully advertising our measurements, which were printed on the rectangular patch just above the right rear pocket. Frankly, the whole party sounded like a sad attempt to recreate the past.

A few weeks later, Brian and I arrived at the yacht club feeling a bit skeptical. As we entered, the former “garage” band (now middle-aged) was playing Jimmy Buffet’s “Margaritaville” as the guests milled about the bar. I noticed the beer from the keg was Sam Adams

bracket Clocks army of one, crescendo, keg party, white linen

A jumbo digital wall clock is a great addition to larger rooms or not so large rooms for people with visual impairments. They are digital and the time digits are bigger than 2 inches normally. These clocks can usually be read from 30 feet away easily. Few clocks come with temperature display too in addition to time and date.

They are controlled by radio signal from NIST in Colorado when they are atomic and it adjusts automatically to the precise time. It can be shown as 12 hour AM/PM or 24 hour international time. Temperature readings can be selected in Fahrenheit or Celsius. They also come with humidity display, daily alarm, snooze function etc.

These clocks can be mounted on the wall or can be mounted on a table or shelf with the built-in table stands. No matter whether it is wall-mounted or free-standing, it looks equally great at home or office.

These jumbo atomic digital clocks can monitor the temperature both indoors and outdoors and you can view outdoor temperature trends in its LCD temperature display. Weather forecasts are possible with icons indicating sunny, cloudy, partly cloudy, snow or rain. Some digital wall clocks have atmospheric pressure trend icons which indicate Rising, Falling or Steady.

The clock displays are large and the time displays are extra large such that you can easily view them anywhere across the room. Time is displayed in 12 hour format as hours and minutes with seconds as an option which is an alternative to calendar weekday. The calendar display shows month and day with weekday. You can view both indoor and outdoor temperatures in Fahrenheit or Celsius. The remote sensor displays local temperature in either Fahrenheit or Celsius.

A jumbo digital wall clock is very accurate and requires no human intervention. The time updates take place automatically and you do not need to worry about having any special hardware or software. These clocks have flexible power options and some of them have static display with no flickering which is gentle on your eyes in addition to providing the large display units.

The installation in a jumbo digital wall clock is very easy while the maintenance is also simple. They have maintenance free operation too. These large display wall clocks are suitable for not only homes but also any other place wherever you need to have time display. They serve as an ideal gift for those with vision difficulty.

A few of the jumbo digital LCD wall clocks display the correct time from the moment the batteries are inserted and the time zone is selected. Even after you change the batteries, it continues to display the correct time. This jumbo digital wall clock also automatically adjusts as per the daylight savings time. There is no adjustment required to be done by the user.

Author: Ali Mulyadi
Source: ezinearticles.com

bracket Clocks clock displays, digital clocks, pressure trend, room time, temperature trends, weather forecasts

Presented by Townshend Auction Gallery

Takes place on 3/6/2010

At Townshend Auction Gallery, Route 30, Townshend, VT, 05353

An extra exciting auction featuring antiques and quality vintage/modern furniture & great country accessories from an Athol Mass. home,Williams ville estate residuals and other area homes. Additionally there will be lots of high quality glass and china, fancy silver plate and good copper, several clocks, lots of fun and unusual collectables, decorative artwork and much more. Be sure to check our website for photos and other details.

Exhibition is from 2-5pm on Friday and at 8:30am on Saturday? A very nice Queen Anne highboy on cabriole legs by “Charak” furniture—A pretty little mid 19th century walnut davenport desk—A fine federal inlaid Tambour writing desk—A super nice one drawer wash stand w/cookie corners An early set of five carved Victorian walnut and rosewood parlor chairs—A formal cherry tip-top breakfast table on pedestal base—Carved Victorian occasional table w/drawer and a nice Federal demilune card table— There are several nice pieces of custom and quality mahogany including an exceptional inlaid five drawer tall chest and a matching two-over-two chest w/mirror—A fine pair of pineapple poster twin beds—A pretty ladies vanity w/Queen Anne feet—Regency style 19th century inlaid chiffonier—Another superior quality chest-on-chest–A quaint Queen Anne fan back ladies bedroom bench–A fancy pair of French style carved lamp tables—A nice federal mahogany server—A pretty pair of wing chairs and a fine custom love seat in blue upholstery—Fancy Victorian parlor chair and a classic parlor side stand—Nice cherry pie crust tea table “Haden”—Some great country including a wonderful antique Amish style cradle—Perfect Windsor oak comb-back sack-back arm chair–Federal maple two drawer lamp stand—Fancy oak one drawer side serving table–Ornate bent wood hall tree–A nice barber shop mug cabinet–A Vict. sofa in red velvet upholstery—Three drawer oak dresser w/fancy yoked mirror and a nice tiger oak commode—Wrought iron Victorian bedstead—Sheraton one drawer wash stand on turned legs–Great period Empire bachelors three drawer chest—English corner chamber stand—Quality modern harvest table and a set of compatible “Townshend Furniture” dining chairs—Early country bakers bread rack—Early pine wall cabinet and another w/fitted interior—Pretty golden oak paw foot farm table w/extra leaves—A gorgeous birch and birds-eye slant lid secretary/book cabinet—Country drop leaf kitchen work table—Other furniture includes a classic 1950′s three part dining room hutch/ china/ linen press—An extra pretty maple formal hutch w/serpentine base—Several clocks including a Mahogany bell chime grandfather clock, made in Germany (super nice)—Also Adamantine Conn. Eight day mantel clock; a mahogany cased German shelf clock; Waterbury carriage clock; Welch rose wood cottage clock; Terry & Andrews Bristol Ct. Beehive clock; Seth Thomas drop Octagon, Charles Stratton Worchester Ma. 1840 shelf clock and others–Lots of fine crystal and glass including fine Baccarat Remey Martin crystal cognac decanter in fitted case-Interesting Scottie Dog “Black & White Scotch” bottles—Victorian glass stemware—A gorgeous pair of Austrian decanters–Lennox sectional serving dish and covered bowl—Oyster plate—Allertons English butter safe—Four Royal Daulton character mugs—Pretty amberina covered dish w/American Eagle motif—A gorgeous extra large lead cut crystal standing compote and a super nice crystal standing fruit bowl-Large Edwin Knowles platter—A pair of “Walker” mustard pots—Fancy decorative pitcher & bowls–Pair of cranberry candle lamps—Floral Concorde china plant holder—Caledonia Pottery “Staffordshire” toast rack—Adderly bone China placard stands—Set green depression plates—-French crystal Crown royal pitcher—Republic of Ireland “Swanlake” demitasse service for four inc. creamer & sugar—Black amethyst footed bowl—Early pressed spooner—Small collection of Wade figures—A fine pair of Mikasa chamber sticks—A cobalt blown crystal bird signed “Ron Ray 1993″—Pretty paint decorated Lefton pitcher and two fruit plates—Antique horse & wagon candy containers—Yellow Fiesta oval platters—Westmoreland milk glass footed candy dish—Small collection of snow globes—Stoneware marked “Athol inc. 1762″—Purple and blue drip glaze pitcher signed Neher 2006—Other items of interest include a wonderful wooden ship model “The Brasil” in glass & oak case (@ five feet long)—A special brass mounted powder horn—Horseman doll and others—Asst. cast iron cookware inc. “Lodge” griddle; #9 donut kettle; Wagner #0 fry pan and lots more—Lots of brass and copper decorative items—Wire chicken egg baskets–Gorham sterling lemon fork and two sterling oyster forks; sterling ladle and a strawberry spoon; sterling carving set, coasters and serving pieces; sterling candle sticks; also sterling jewelry inc. two charm bracelets; chains, bangles rings necklace etc.–Two very nice Rogers’ Daffodil plated flatware sets in fitted cases—An antique “Ukeline” w/bow—Alabaster shell dresser box—A pair of Bushnell “Ensign” binoculars—A great little country counter top showcase—Two beautiful individual butterfly and feather art—A rare Marthas Vineyard milk bottle w/green lettering—A vintage silk wedding gown w/veil—Two Hummel Werk boy/girl dolls—Eight gal. stoneware crocks and others— Artwork includes a fine detailed print of sailboat at sea “Montague Dawson 1932—Boussod Valadon print “Engagement De Cavalerie” and oak framed Goupil print Avant-Poste Arabe” (both after Adolf Schreyer)—”Swan Boats at Boston Public garden” by R.E.Kennedy—”January” botanical print by H. Fletcher—”Looking Down Hyde St.” Litchfield NH—”Vase of Flowers” Mary Lou Goestzen—1871 Currier & Ives “Just My Style”—Pair of square convex framed Victorian portraits—John J. Audubon “Gold Winged Woodpecker” print—Kinkade prints “The Victorian Garden” and “The Garden of Prayer”—Books. inc. A Treasury of American Prints (100 etchings and lithos)—J.M.W. Turner 1923 by Harry Townsend (Master Painter of the World)—”The Time less River” (A portrait of life on the Mississippi)–1927 Nov. 5th Flood-Turners Falls Mass. and many others great thing

Be sure to check our website for updates and photos?????.. townshendauctions.com

ANOTHER QUALITY AUCTION PRESENTED BY TOWNSHEND AUCTION GALLERY Where honesty & integrity count 802-365-4388

AUCTIONEERS: H.K. “KIT” MARTIN ART MONETTE VISA/MASTERCARD

12% BUYERS PREM. (2% DISC. CASH/CHECK)

bracket Clocks country accessories, decorative artwork

We find the most interesting Antique Clocks For Sale. Here are the best deals we found for Antique Gustav Becker 2 weight wall clock at 1910 for sale on the Internet.

Antique Gustav Becker 2 weight wall clock at 1910 Picture(s) and Description:

Welcome to my little web page on eBay. Many thanks for your interest. In case you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me via e-mail. I will get back to you as soon as possible. Shipping Free to:Americas, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, United Kingdom, Asia, Australia, Japan, Israel, Spain, Italy.(other countries – please ask) Shipping by DHL Priority Mail _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Antique German2 weight wall clock ” Gustav Becker ” approx. 1910 . Ancient clocks are a safe investment without risk or loss of value. Origin: Schlesien Maker: Gustav Becker Date: 1910 Measures approx.: High: 57.09 inches / 145 cmWidth: 20.47 inches / 52 cmDeep: 8.27 inches / 21 cm Condition: The case is in good condition in line with the age.Apart from the usual traces of use and age is nothing marring the beauty of this antique clock. The case has old, inactive wormholes. Dial / Movement: The dial is in very good condition, no cracks, no tears. Both the 8 day clockwork as well as the striking mechanism are fully functional.The striking mechanism chimes once every half hour and fully on the hour using a melodic spiral gong.The movement is signed: Gustav BeckerFreiburg in Schlesien Medaille D’or 2290710Recently cleaned and oiled. Incl. key Some clocks must be adjusted after the dispatch. Here you can purchase a clock set, the value of which appreciates from year to year and that can be passed on from generation to generation – a family heirloom of the highest technical perfection. Important: As the clocks offered by me are exclusively antique originals, a certain amount of traces of natural, everyday use is expected. This, however, does not lower the value of the antiquities. Most clocks offered by us are around 100 years old, many even older.These clocks have survived wars, moves etc. and were then often stored in attics or forgotten in basements. This can, quite naturally, lead to the clocks showing normal traces of wear and tear,wormholes, small color differences in the wood or even damages in the veneer. We have the clockwork cleaned and clean the case myself. If you wish to buy a clock which looks new and unused, please do not buy an antique clock. Because as we said, we do not remove traces related to age since for us they are an integral part of an antique clock. We also can not answer questions about whether all parts of a particular clock are still original. It is always possible that something was exchanged or supplemented years or even decades ago. Thank you for your understanding Packing and shipping I guarantee you the best possible packing.All clocks will be wrapped in several layers of bubble wrap and surrounded by a thick layer of packing chips. Shipping Free to:Americas, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, United Kingdom, Asia, Australia, Japan, Israel, Spain, Italy.(other countries – please ask) Shipping by DHL Priority Mail ______________________________ Payment: I accept only following payments: Paypal, Transfer to my bank account in Germany ( Iban and Bic/Swift ) ______________________________ Thanks & Happy Bidding ______________________________ Please Check out my other items! Be sure to add me to your favorites list! Powered by eBay Turbo ListerThe free listing tool. List your items fast and easy and manage your active items.

bracket Clocks antique Clocks, antique originals, antiquities, asia australia, e mail, many thanks

The Athens Garden Club will hold its annual Spring Plant and Bake Sale on April 17 from 7 a.m. until all plants are sold. This long-awaited preamble to spring will be held in theback parking lot of Bank Independent at Market Street East and North Beaty Street.

You will find an array of plants, delicious homemade baked goods, compliments of the AGC members, and their fantastic cookbook, A Taste of Tradition, all for purchase. The cookbook is also available atPablo’s on Market. Proceeds from the cookbook sales support the annual college education scholarship program for graduating seniors from any high school in Limestone County.

The Athens Garden Club is also requesting applications for its annual scholarship. This year they will offer two scholarships in the amount of $500 each to graduating seniors in Limestone County who plan to major in horticulture, agriculture or other related fields. Scholarship applications are available through the counselor’s office at all high schools in Limestone County. Applications are dueMay 1. For more information, contact AthensGardenClub@live.com.

More opportunities

Parents and Children Together began in 1978 as a joint venture between Junior League of Morgan County and Decatur Charity League for the prevention of child abuse. Through the years, this phenomenal organization hasbranched out in numerous ways throughout our community with school programs, promoting healthy marriages, bringing encouragement to expectant and new mothers, and so much more. Under the leadership offounder Gail Hurst, PACT thrived as it became one of the foremost resources for improvements between parents, children and families.

PACT has now established a scholarship in honor of Hurst and her contributions to the organization. Applicants must be permanent residents of Morgan County and a junior or higher at an accreditedcollege or university enrolled in a human service major. Graduate students are also welcome to apply. Applications are available at the PACT office at 245B Jackson Street between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Mondaythrough Friday. Applications should be mailed to: Gail Hurst Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 1247, Decatur, AL 35602.

Thedeadline is April 9. Call 355-7252 for more details.

Chi Omega tea

ChiOmega alumnae, actives and pledges in the area recently attended anannual tea at the Carnegie Visual Arts Center.

Theguests of honor were the Chi Omega pledges, who include TaylorCain and MadisonCain, both of Hartselle,who attend Troy University; MaggieGray of Decatur, whoattends The University of Alabama; HayleyCollins of Decatur, whoattends Southern Mississippi University; and ElizabethPettey and LetaWoller, both of Decatur,and MeganGoggans of Athens, whoall attend Birmingham-Southern College.

AlumnaePresident MaryPettey and alumna M.M.Tweedy presented thepledges with gifts. Other alums in attendance included KathyLittrell, Ruth McKenzie, Sally Smartt, Carolyn Stewart, Jane Rowe,Susan Conner, Jennie Marie McMasters andJanetSouth. Alumna LauraPhillips, Carnegieexecutive director, coordinated the tea. Several active membersattended. Actives representing Auburn were AnnaCurl (new vice presidentat Auburn) and KatyMac Tweedy. LindsayCaliff, Shelley Pensworth, Erica Cain andBlairCain representedMississippi State. VirginiaSeale fromBirmingham-Southern and MorganDuffy, who just finisheda busy year as president at Alabama, also attended. Decatur activeswho weren’t able to attend, but who are officers in theirchapters are: Alabama’s immediate past vice president and newrecruitment chairman MeredithGray; Alabama’s newpresident JenniferNeill, and MaryCatherine McAnnally, newrecruitment chairwoman from Birmingham-Southern.

Antiques

Getyour antiques appraised Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at theTurner-Surles Community Center, west of the old train depot. GloriaArthur and JamesF. Reeves will beavailable to appraise antiques as a fundraiser for the Decatur PublicLibrary Foundation. Each appraisal will be $10.

Accordingto MargaretMarsh of the foundationboard, you might want to appraise antique clocks, family jewelry,paintings from yard sales, old chairs, china, glassware, vases, urns,posters, prints, kitchen utensils, smaller pieces of furniture andCivil War relics.

Arthurowns Bank Street Antique Mall, while Reeves once owned McCormickHouse Antiques in Huntsville. For more information, call the libraryat 353-2993, ext. 100.

Don’tmake me guess what’s going on with you! E-mail me atchatterbox@decaturdaily.comtoday.

bracket Clocks baked goods, county applications, spring plant