Are shadow directors liable in an insolvency procedure?
Company directors are bound by common law and statutory duties when they are appointed and their position is registered at Companies House. For those who are not named a director, but are generally found to be giving instructions or directions to the de jure directors of the company – you could be considered a 'shadow director'. While they may not have the official status, shadow directors are still very vulnerable to legal action should the company face insolvency. This article will outline the definition of shadow directors, as well as the personal risks from an insolvency procedure.
Home / Blogs and News Stories / Blog Post / What is a shadow director and what legislation applies?
What is a shadow director and what legislation applies?
According to the Companies Act 2006, a director includes any person occupying the position of director, by whatever name called. Often, a company will receive advice on the day-to-day running from a person not holding the official position. Those who do not hold the official status of director – commonly called a de facto director or shadow director – are still bound by certain duties. Breach of those duties can lead to severe consequences, outlined later in the article.
While you may provide instructions the company does act upon, you are not solely considered a shadow director for providing advice in a professional capacity.
A shadow director is subject to number of legislative provisions, similar to that of official directors (de jure directors). For instance, you may be liable for wrongful or fraudulent trading, or director disqualification, should evidence suggest wrongdoing during the investigation.
As a director, there are specific duties you must adhere to. You must act in accordance with the company's articles and memorandum of association and work to promote the success of the company. Similarly, you must exercise reasonable care, skill and diligence and avoid conflicts of interest. The director duties are owed to the company and enforcement can be taken if there has been a breach of duty. In an insolvency situation, director's investigations will be carried out to look for any evidence of wrongdoing. You may be liable for offences under the Insolvency Act, so it's important to err on the side of caution.
Alongside the above risks, you could damage your personal reputation if associated with a company facing insolvency. This is even more prominent if you have been seen to act unlawfully to avoid legal repercussions.
Trading on without filing returns with HM Revenue & Customs or paying amounts due.
The insolvency practitioner (IP) will file a report for the Insolvency Service to decide whether to commence disqualification proceedings. If the order is made, you will be unable to act as a director between 2-15 years. In addition, you may be ordered to contribute to the insolvent estate. Where fraud has been identified, you could even face criminal action. More information on the subject can be found here.
There are certain actions available that can reduce the risks of the above procedures. You could allow board members to make the decisions on behalf of the company, and only act on their instructions. Alternatively, you could consider becoming formally appointed as a de jure director, so there is no doubt as to your position in the business.
Ensure simple measures are completed, such as completing and filing company accounts with Companies House. Taking care of these obligations will reduce pressure if the company faces signs of insolvency.
We do recommend seeking professional advice if you are unsure of your position, and need help mitigating the risks. Our business rescue experts have the experience to clarify your position and work to find the best possible solution.
This entry was posted in Blog Post and tagged de fact directo, director disqualification, director's loan accounts, directors advice, directors investigation, shadow director. Bookmark the permalink.


The South, from the Atlantic to the Mississippi River and beyond, featured an economy centered on agriculture. Tobacco was important in Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina. In South Carolina, rice was an abundant crop. The climate and soil of Louisiana encouraged the cultivation of sugar. But cotton eventually became the dominant commodity and the one with which the South was identified. By 1850 the American South grew more than 80 percent of the world's cotton. Slaves cultivated all these crops.
The Midwest, with its boundless prairies and swiftly growing population, flourished. Europe and the older settled parts of America demanded its wheat and meat products. The introduction of labor-saving implements – notably the McCormick reaper (a machine to cut and harvest grain) – made possible an unparalleled increase in grain production. The nation's wheat crops swelled from some 35 million hectoliters in 1850 to nearly 61 million in 1860, more than half grown in the Midwest.
An important stimulus to the country's prosperity was the great improvement in transportation facilities; from 1850 to 1857 the Appalachian Mountain barrier was pierced by five railway trunk lines linking the Midwest and the Northeast. These links established the economic interests that would undergird the political alliance of the Union from 1861 to 1865. The South lagged behind. It was not until the late 1850s that a continuous line ran through the mountains connecting the lower Mississippi River area with the southern Atlantic seaboard.


So that's how they roll on South Park.
I have read many scripts that had exactly that problem: you don't really know _why_ you're reading / watching it!
Stand In: Trey Parker & Matt Stone | mtvU.
Julian Treasure: 5 ways to listen better | Video on TED.com.
I will collect articles on aucoustics in this post.


There does appear to be a connection between weight loss and Paxil use. In clinical studies, people lost about a pound or less, on average, while taking this drug. However, it is also possible for people to lose large amounts of weight while taking it.
Does Paxil Cause Weight Loss?
Paxil® (paroxetine hydrochloride) is a prescription medication used to treat several conditions of the brain. Several side effects are possible with Paxil, and weight loss appears to be one of them. For some people, this may be a good thing. For a lot of people, however, unintended weight loss can be a problem.
How Common Is Weight Loss With Paxil?
In clinical studies of Paxil, up to 9 percent of people taking the drug reported a loss of appetite. On average, people lost about a pound or less while taking it. However, it is possible for people to lose large amounts of weight while taking Paxil. Weight loss may be a desirable side effect for some people; however, losing too much weight can be a problem.
Why Does Paxil Cause Weight Loss?
It is not entirely clear why Paxil can cause weight loss. The medication can often cause loss of appetite, nausea, and diarrhea, which may contribute to weight loss. Often, these side effects go away with time. However, let your healthcare provider know if these problems don't go away over time. Since weight gain can be a depression symptom, treating the depression can lead to weight loss.
If you are experiencing too much weight loss with Paxil, be sure to let your healthcare provider know. He or she may want to look for other causes that may be contributing to this.


text:
Board index » Entertainment » Music Solo Artists and Bands
Emily McMullen
by Tripitaka » Tue Sep 22, 2020 4:30 pm
Emily Alannah was born and raised in Brisbane, Australia. The 18-year-olds inspiration of music stemmed from her Father's love for music. Growing up with inspirations like Michael Jackson, U2, and Shania Twain, then discovering artists like James Arthur, Lewis Capaldi, 5 Seconds of Summer, and Billie Eilish as her palette broadened.
Often being compared to Ariana Grande, and Jorja Smith, these artists along with many others have been instrumental in guiding her towards her desire to make her own distinctive sound. Best described as a pop genre, with the influence of rock, folk, soul and r&b undertones.
Emily Alannah is currently studying a Bachelor of Music at the Griffith University Queensland Conservatorium. She wrote her first single 'Fight For Me' alongside Endpoint in 2019, later releasing a music video following the release of the single. Constantly writing and producing, Emily Alannah hopes to release new music in the future be made available on all music streaming platforms, as well as upcoming live performances.
Has done lots of modelling and is repped by 8Elite Agency - and just gorgeous eyes :)
S 1080x1080 69
S 1080x770 56
M 1080x810 71
Re: Emily McMullen
by Tripitaka » Wed Oct 28, 2020 2:49 pm
Quite tidy indeed.
M 749x915 70

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Svatý Barsimaeus z Edessy také Barsimeus, Barses, Barsamva či Barsamya († 114 Edessa) byl ve 2. století biskup Edessy a mučedník.

Život
Stal se biskupem v městě Edessa v Osroéné. Během svého života obrátil ke křesťanství několik lidí, mezi nimi byli i svatí Sarbel a Bebaia. Nakonec byl za pronásledování křesťanů presidentem Lysiasem a císařem Traianem za svou víru zatčen a umučen. Stalo se tak asi roku 114.

Úcta
Jeho svátek se slaví 30. ledna.

Externí odkazy
  Catholic Saints

  Santi e Beati

Muži
Římskokatoličtí svatí
Pravoslavní svatí
Křesťanští mučedníci
Biskupové
Osoby s nejistým datem narození
Osoby s nejistým datem úmrtí
Úmrtí v Turecku

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Philip Caputo's 6 favorite travel books
Philip Caputo's latest book is called The Longest Road. Rob O'Neal
The Oregon Trail by Francis Parkman (Dover, $11). Parkman was one of the 19th century's finest historians. His evocation of the old American West, which he glimpsed on an 1846 journey on horseback, is without parallel. Though occasionally marred by the racial prejudices of Parkman's day, his portraits of prairie Indian tribes are largely good-hearted and quite often droll.
Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain (Signet, $5). Twain's wit is as sharp today as it was 130 years ago. The book's first part, depicting his apprenticeship on a steamboat, vividly portrays the romance of life on the river. The latter half, written several years later, has a more elegiac tone. By then the river, no longer the main way to travel the country, has lost much of its allure.
On the Road by Jack Kerouac (Penguin, $17). Exuberant, raunchy, and wild, this book spoke to the Beat Generation much like Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises did to the post–World War I Lost Generation. Read the unexpurgated "scroll" version, which Kerouac wrote on a continuous roll of paper in an amphetamine-fueled rush.
Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck (Penguin, $11). Steinbeck's chronicle of an epic 1960 road trip with his poodle is a traveler's tale, a self-portrait, and a portrait of America at the advent of a tumultuous decade. The chapter portraying "the Cheerleaders" — a band of racist white women protesting a New Orleans school's integration — is devastating in its understatement.
Blue Highways by William Least Heat-Moon (Back Bay, $16). Faced with the loss of his job and his wife in 1978, Heat-Moon (the pen name for William Trogdon) embarked on a 13,000-mile journey across the U. S. His account of it is a marvelous classic of American literature.
The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow (Penguin, $17). Bellow's 1953 coming-of-age novel melds street-smart swagger with literary elegance, and affected me deeply when I first read it, in a sweltering tent in Vietnam in 1965. Augie's journey through Chicago and into Mexico, meeting hustlers, geniuses, and eccentrics of every stripe, becomes our own. I swear it helped me get through the war.
— Philip Caputo traveled 16,000 miles, from Key West, Fla., to Alaska's North Slope, to create a fresh portrait of America for his new book, The Longest Road.


text:
UNESCO » Natural Sciences » Environment » Earth Sciences » UNESCO Global Geoparks » List of UNESCO Global Geoparks » Greece » Lesvos Island
LESVOS ISLAND UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK (Greece)
"The ancient trees of Lesvos were submerged in a sea of volcanic material in an eruption in the Northern Aegean 20 million years ago"
©Lesvos Island UNESCO Global Geopark, Greece
The Lesvos Island UNESCO Global Geopark, former Lesvos Petrified Forest Geopark, is a founding member of the Geoparks Network that brings visitors to an ancient forest preserved by a massive volcanic eruption 20 million years ago.
Lesvos with an area of 1.636 km2 and 370 km of coastline is the third largest Greek island, and the seventh largest in the Mediterranean. Lesvos is located in the NE Aegean Sea close to the coast of Asia Minor. The island has two major gulfs those of Gera and Kalloni. Its highest mountains are Lepetymnos and Olympus and the largest part of the eastern and central part of the island belongs to Natura 2000 Network.
Lesvos belongs to the Pelagonian geotectonic zone of Greece which represents fragments of the Cimmerian Continent. Τhe geological structure of Lesvos Island UNESCO Global Geopark is composed of the Metamorphic basement, the nappe of the ophiolitic sequence, the Miocene postalpine volcanics, the Neogene marine and lacustrine deposits.
The Lesvos Island UNESCO Global Geopark features rare and impressive fossilised tree-trunks. Formed some 15 to 20 million years ago, due to intense volcanic activity, the trees were covered by lava, ashes and other materials that were spewed into the atmosphere. Heavy rainfalls soon followed and saturated the ashes, thus creating huge mudflows of pyroclastic material. These flows moved from east to west with considerable speed and engulfed the trees that covered the western part of Lesvos at that time. Today some of the trunks can still be seen in their upright position with intact roots of up to seven metres, while others are found in a fallen position measuring up to 20 metres. The forest comprised enormous trees similar to those of the Sequoia family found today in North America - as well as pines, oaks, conifers and cinnamon trees. The fossilised trunks have retained fine details of their bark and their interior reveals a great variety of colours. Not only ancient trees were fossilised but an entire ecosystem as well. Branches, fruits and leaves have also been preserved. The Greek state recognised the major environmental, geological and palaeontological value of the area and declared the Petrified Forest to be a preserved Natural Monument (Presidential Decree 443/85).
Moreover in the area of Lesvos Island UNESCO Global Geopark there are findings of the oldest known land mammal (Prodeinotherium bavaricum) 19 million years ago in Greece, impressive fossils of animals that lived on Lesvos 2 million years ago, numerous volcanic sites and thermal springs witnesses of the intense volcanic activity (21.5-16.2 million years ago), faults and landscapes created from tectonism, caves and karstic structures, erosional forms and waterfalls as well as impressive coastal landforms.
The population of the island is 85.410 inhabitants (2011 census) a third of which lives in its capital, Mytilene, in the southeastern part of the Island. Mytilene is also the administrative center of the North Aegean Prefecture and it is the seat for the General Secretary of the Aegean & Naval Policy and for the University of the Aegean.
The local economy of the island is based on agriculture with an emphasis on olive oil production, cattle-raising and fishing. Distillery is developed and its main product is the world famous ouzo. An important component of the Lesvos Island UNESCO Global Geopark management plan is the support of the local economy. Several opportunities have been created through Geoparks activities for tourist enterprises, small hotels, guest houses, restaurants, and other enterprises such as local handicrafts artisans. It is worth to be mentioned that Lesvos Island UNESCO Global Geopark collaborates closely with women's agrotourism cooperatives and every summer organizes an agrotourism festival, which promotes high-quality local products, food, and drinks prepared by the women's cooperatives.
The park includes the Natural History Museum in Sigri that offers visitors a better understanding of the geological evolution of the Aegean Sea, together with a variety of original exhibits. Special guided tours of the area and educational programmes for students can also be organised. Educational activities lie at the core of the UNESCO Global Geopark's operations. Environmental education programs organized for elementary and high school students in Lesvos Island UNESCO Global Geopark cover a broad range of activities such as fossil excavation and conservation, nature observation, and bird watching. School visits are organized all year round, contributing to the local economy through the development of educational geotourism. Educational activities for local schools help raise the awareness of the local inhabitants as to the importance of the natural monuments and the conservation of the earth's heritage.
Global Geopark Network Designated Year: 2004
Localisation: N39°12'42'', E025°51'18''
Area: 1,636 km2
E-mail: lesvospf(at)otenet.gr
Postal address: 8th November 17, Mitilini, PC GR 81100, Greece
Prof. Nickolas Zouros (Director of the Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest), email: lesvospf(at)otenet.gr, tel.: +302251047033


Ben stayed in the house all day. What's your reason for being here today? Turkish is a difficult language. Trains stopped in consequence of the heavy rain. I won't be getting married this year. So many men, so many minds. He couldn't carry out his first plan. I helped Beverly fill out the application form. Damacus is located in Syria. I saw one just like it in the other room.
How did you support yourself? How's Vice taking it? What can we do for you? Do you want an economy-size car? Neither a borrower nor a lender be. Hotta asked me if I was busy. I haven't yet thanked you enough. The exam results were not what she expected. I need you to set up a meeting for me. Rebecca gets up exceedingly early every day.
Do you have anything cheaper? An architect occupies that office. My mother and father aren't home right now. I wanna see your expression. Love is God's nature in action. I'm in a fricking nightclub, dude! The creations of a great writer are little more than the moods and passions of his own heart, given surnames and Christian names, and sent to walk the earth. Investigators uncovered an assassination plot. I called her office, but no one answered. You may not believe this, but I don't drink at all.
The house was altogether destroyed by the fire. That's never happened before. Are you going to the concert tonight? The manager sat on the bench with his arms folded. I'll be there shortly. Warren might not be as happy as we think he is. Bulgarian is very similar to Russian. Are you going to vote for me? What a pity that she didn't tell me earlier. Look at the picture.
Why didn't you tell me that this woman was pregnant? Max was just trying to be friendly. So where do I go? You can't arrest me for being a clown. TEPCO is looking for "jumpers", workers who will jump into highly radioactive sections of the plant to quickly perform tasks before running out as fast as possible. He argued that the new policy was bound to drive the economy into recession. He achieved his purpose of studying abroad. They wouldn't follow us. A child is never too warmly dressed. If they don't mind, they are welcome to eat the leftovers in the fridge.
We can't tell you anything. He may well get angry with her. If the source is not specified, a quote is not a quote but plagiarism. I'm beginning to miss my girlfriend. The little boy has grown, he comes up to my waist now! I discovered that speaking English was pretty easy. She waited for the bus. Mats and Jef both shouted as loudly as they could. Dan took photographs of his house. You remind me so much of my friend Marina, a great teacher of Russian.
It is not money but time that I want. Promotions encourage translators. Show me your sketches. I left as soon as I had the chance. How would you like your steak done? Your clothes were used. Women seem to like Stephanie. Tim wanted to change. Bernie said he didn't want anything for his birthday. Do you think Linder likes Mark?
It almost made me cry. Jitendra doesn't have a hat on. Per is really quite famous, isn't he? Flap your wings or die. You'd better see a doctor and get a shot. I like the tea more than the coffee. Let's see what's in the box. So, Richard, are you doing anything tonight? She proved an intelligent pupil. He arrived at the age of 40.
Someone is calling you. In my "Agenda for urban mobility", which I am going to present to the Universal City League Congress tomorrow, I will address some of the necessary measurements. It was tough. How did you spend your summer? Indeed, dwarf tossing is an Olympic sport! An expert appraised the value of the watch as two hundred dollars. It didn't last long. Nelken sawed the logs in half. The pilot is only twenty six years old. We must work hard for what we want in life.
I wear short-sleeve shirts in the summer. I cannot moo like a cow. I'm a mare! I asked Mason why he thought that was important. This is quite beautiful. His daughter has become a beautiful woman. How do you account for your absence? The meeting is to be held next Thursday. Please speak more slowly. I was going to talk to Beckie about that. With the T.V. on, how can you keep your mind on your studies?


Please join us to celebrate the work of master photographer Mary Randlett and the fine art jewelry of Jane Penman. Both artists will be on hand 3-5 pm on April 7th. See these photographs and Mary's latest landscapes, and much more.


text:
Ratomate's best cup of tea
29 March 2007 — Nalaka Gunawardene
In another post earlier today, I quoted a doctor turned film-maker in India saying people affected by HIV are dying more from the social stigma attached to the disease than by the disease itself.
Social stigma is a wide-spread problem that confronts people living with HIV in all parts of the world.
But occasionally, we hear some good news: how community has overcome its prejudices and accepted those infected with HIV with affection and care. Usually, it happens after going through the knee-jerk reactions.
It would be very worthwhile for some research to be done on how and when community attitude changes: what are the triggers? what is the tipping point?
Five years ago, we had first hand experience of this through a film that we at TVE Asia Pacific commissioned under our Truth Talking documentary series.
The film, titled Love for a Longer Life (26 mins, 2002) was directed by leading Nepali documentary film-maker Dhurba Basnet.
The best cup of tea in the Ratomate village, in central Nepal, is made by a woman called Laxmi Lama. She works in a tea shop owned by her father. "People tell me my father does not know how to make good tea," she says. "They want me to make tea. The men like their tea strong. When I give my customers strong tea they say one cup is enough for the whole day."
This is nothing unusual – except that Laxmi is living with HIV. A few years ago, no one in her village would have come near her, let along clamour for a cup of tea she makes.
Born into a very poor family, Laxmi was sold off to a Bombay brothel at the age of 14, and worked as a commercial sex worker for nearly three years before returning to Nepal. She married a man from her village and had settled down to a peaceful routine when a health worker tested her blood and found her positive for HIV. That changed everything dramatically: her husband fled, never to return, and everybody shunned her. The pregnant woman sought refuge in her parents' house.
That was the fate of most Nepalis living with HIV – abandoned by friends, ostracised by community and left to their own devices. But thanks to the perseverance of a few courageous people – many HIV positive themselves – community attitudes have changed slowly, and have come almost full circle: being reassured that HIV does not spread through casual physical contact, they have accepted her back into their fold.
The moment of truth is when she makes Ratomate's favourite cups of tea with her bare hands, and men and women flock to taste it. Such a major transformation of community attitudes captured in such a simple, elegant sequence.
Laxmi's neighbour Kumari Shrestha sums it all up: "We have to give her love. If we do that, she will live longer."
It would be wonderful if we can discern how and when this change happens. So that it can be induced in thousands of other villages and communites where persons living with HIV are currently battling the virus within, and stigma without.
View a clip from the film here.
Order the film from TVEAP e-shop
Posted in Asia, Documentary film, film-makers, film-making, Health, HIV/AIDS, Nepal, social justice, Television. Leave a Comment »
HIV: Stigma a bigger killer than the virus?
A doctor turned film-maker in India says people affected by HIV are dying more from the social stigma attached to the disease than by the disease itself.
Dr Jorge Guillermo Caravotta's AIDS documentary Second Life was released recently. Goa-based journalist Fred Noronha's story about this film has appeared on several websites.
An extract from the article:
India has 5.1 million HIV positive people, second only to South Africa. However, the stigma and discrimination associated with this disease are the real enemies, said Mumbai-based Caravotta, an Italian doctor of Argentine origin.
"My source of inspiration was Kamal, the first PLHA (person living with HIV/AIDS) to be my colleague," he said.
Kamal discovered her HIV/AIDS status six months into marriage. After her husband's death and daughter's birth, she completed her medical studies to "live for positive people like her", says Caravotta's film.
"I never thought of making a documentary film about HIV/AIDS before. But after listening to her during a trip to Delhi, I found in her story a lot of courage to empower PLHAs," Caravotta told IANS.
"India acted as an alarm clock for my film-making creativity, boosting my potential," he added. "I would like the message of the documentary film spread all over this country with the same velocity as the virus."
Read full article here: Doctor's AIDS Documentary Focus on Stigma and Discrimination
Posted in Asia, Documentary film, film-making, HIV/AIDS, social justice. 4 Comments »
You got films on YouTube?
Earlier this year, we at TVE Asia Pacific decided to place all our short video films on YouTube.
We are always willing to try out new ways of reaching out to the various – and increasingly fragmented – publics. Any new media format or platform that comes into the public domain is to be explored and exploited to peddle our content.
With this in mind, we launched the TVEAPFilms channel on YouTube in February 2007. We have so far placed three distinctive TV series on this channel:
Digits4Change, which explores how information and communications technologies (ICTs) are changing lives and livelihoods across Asia (6 x 5 min stories)
The Greenbelt Reports, where we revisited tsunami-affected countries in South and Southeast Asia, investigating how communities co-exist with coastal greenbelts of coral reefs, mangroves and sand dunes (12 x 5 min stories)
Living Labs, our latest series which was released this month, which profiles global action research efforts to grow more food with less water (8 x 5 min stories)
Since then, attending film festivals in Singapore and Washington DC, I realised that many documentary film-makers aren't yet convinced about this new outlet.
'You got your films on YouTube?' one film-maker asked me somewhat incredulously. 'How can you be sure someone will not download and manipulate it?'
Well, we can't be sure. But that doesn't prevent us from engaging this new platform. We're willing to take these risks.
Another colleague asked: 'But isn't that a place for all those ameteurs?' Perhaps. But in this digital age, the division between so-called amateurs and professionals is blurring.
Some film-makers have started placing trailers for their longer films on YouTube. Since we produce a fair number of short, self-contained films — all of which come under the YouTube's upper limit of 10 mins — we are able to place our entire films online.
And unlike broadcast television and even passive webcasts, YouTube allows our online viewers to comment on films, and if they feel so moved, even to rank them.
At TVE Asia Pacific, we want our moving images to move people…so they join the conversation. In that sense, YouTube is a good platform to be on, and a good community to be part of.
Do visit TVEAPFilms channel on YouTube. Tell us what you think – whatever you think.
Posted in Broadcasting, Communicating development, Documentary film, film festivals, film-making, New media, Online video, Science communication. 1 Comment »
Thanking a supportive public…
At the end of his public talk at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington DC, Canadian naturalist and TV host David Suzuki autographed copies of his life's story in print, simply titled: David Suzuki: The Autobiography.
Naturally, I lined up. He inscribed it as: "To Nalaka: For Mother Earth".
Suzuki has been one of my heroes from the time I first listened to him in May 1991, at an environmental youth conference in his home town of Vancouver. That was a memorable meeting, thanks largely to the presence of David Suzuki and Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop and an equally passionate campaigner for social justice and environmental causes.
The dedication of his autobiography is moving as it is fitting a man of public science who has done much to critically communicate science, technology and environment issues through radio, television and print media:
I thank and dedicate this book to the general public,
who made my life's work possible.
You watched and listened to my programs;
You read, thought about, and responded to
ideas I expressed in writing.
You support added weight and
visibility to my efforts and carried me past
numerous road blocks and detractors.
That support has been a great honour, privilege,
and responsibility, which I have tried in my fallible, human
way to live up to.
In his acknowledgements, Suzuki goes on to thank many and varied people in his life including his parents, wife, children, grandchildren — as well as 'the dozens of CBC radio and television staff, freelance researchers, writers and media professionals whose efforts have made me look good, a job that Jim Murray (his first producer on The Nature of Things) reminded me was not easy'.
I'm reading the book that is full of fascinating insights. There can't be too many scientists who stripped down to a fig leaf and allowed public photography — all in the name of science (see photo).
If he harboured any doubts whether his life held anything of interest or value to others, he need not have worried. David Suzuki is one of Canada's greatest living treasures.
And his audiences know it.
For more information on the autobiography, go to Amazon.com
For David Suzuki Foundation
Posted in Uncategorized. 1 Comment »
The Nature of David Suzuki
One of my highlights in the recent week I spent in Washington DC, attending the DC Environmental Film Festival, was listening to a talk by the Canadian naturalist and television personality David Suzuki.
In a 90-minute presentation at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, Suzuki talked about his childhood, early influences, academic career and public life. He kept his packed audience – over 600 people – spell-bound, entertained and inspired. It reminded me of the first time I listened to this charismatic geneticist: in the summer of 1991, on my first visit to his home city of Vancouver.
If anything, he had got better with age but, I was happy to note, hasn't mellowed. He still has the same passion that has made him not just a highly successful science communicator, but an ardent activist for the environmental cause and the rights of indigenous people, or First Nations.
Introducing their well-known host, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) says:
"Dr. Suzuki is an award-winning scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster. His television appearances, explaining the complexities of the natural sciences in a compelling, easily understood way, have consistently received high acclaim for over 30 years. He is the only network television science host who was actually a practising scientist."
In his Smithsonian talk, Suzuki reminded us that his show – The Nature of Things with David Suzuki – is the only regular science programme that is broadcast on prime-time TV in North America on a mainstream public access channel. This might partly explain, he suggested, why Canadians are better informed about science and environmental issues that affect their daily lives. (In contrast, programmes like Nova go out on niche channels.)
The Museum of Broadcasting has this to say about the programme:
"One of the longest-running television shows in Canadian history, The Nature of Things has aired continuously since 6 November 1960. An hour-long general science program, the show began as a half-hour series–an attempt, as the first press release phrased it, 'to put weekly science shows back on North American television schedules.'
Suzuki has been presenting the show without a break since 1979, and it is now branded by his name. When The Nature of Things with David Suzuki turned 30 years in l990, Suzuki wrote in The Toronto Star that in the gimmicky world of television-land, where only the new is exciting, "the longevity of a TV series is just like the persistence of a plant or animal species — it reflects the survival of the fittest."
CBC's official webpage for the show
Read a brief history of The Nature of Things
CBC profile of David Suzuki, and selected extracts and interview clips
Posted in Broadcasting, Documentary film, film festivals, film-making, Journalism, North America, Science communication, Television. Leave a Comment »
Living Labs searching for solutions
Today, March 22, is World Water Day. TVE Asia Pacific's latest TV series, Living Labs, was released in Colombo and Washington DC last week in time for this day of significance in the development calendar.
The series — filmed in nine countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America last year — looks at how researchers, farmers and local communities in different parts of the world are trying to grow more food with less water.
This year's theme for World Water Day is 'Coping with Water Scarcity', which resonates fully with the content of Living Labs.
Between 70 and 90 per cent of all freshwater drawn in the developing world is used for growing crops. But this has to change fast: with water scarcity emerging as a global concern, agriculture cannot afford to remain so hooked on water.
Today's crowded world needs to produce more food using both less water and land. This calls for smarter, thriftier methods of increasing water's productivity in agriculture. And it must be achieved without damaging the environment, or threatening people's food security, health and jobs.
Living Labs looks profiles a major global effort looking for solutions through action research: the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF).
Read TVEAP news item on Living Labs
See all 8 short films in Living Labs series on TVEAP's channel at YouTube.
Posted in Africa, Asia, Communicating development, Documentary film, food, Latin America, United Nations, water. Leave a Comment »
A girl named Nan Nan…
Nan Nan is a young girl living in Guo Zhuang Village, in China's Anhui province. Her parents died of AIDS sometime ago, and she now lives with an older sister — and HIV.
After her parents' death, the two girls were shunned by relatives and left to live without adult care. "Little Flower," Nan Nan's teenage sister, is about to get married. She vows not to tell the groom about her sibling's disease.
Nan Nan is one China's estimated 75,000 (and growing) AIDS orphans. She is one of several children whose depressing story is captured in a documentary film, The Blood of the Yingzhou District (China/USA, 40 mins, 2006).
I watched this film last afternoon at the Woodrow Wilson Centre in Washington DC as part of the DC Environmental Film Festival. For me, it was one of the highlights of the festival. After all, this film won the Oscar award for Best Documentary, Short Subjects (while Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth won the Oscar for best documentary feature).
Notwithstanding the giggly woman moderator provided by the host institution, and even in the absence of any representative from the film's producers – China AIDS Media Project — the audience managed to have fairly good discussion with a representative from Family Health International who was panelist to discuss the issue of AIDS orphans.
Accoring to FHI, some 15 million children worldwide have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS — and the numbers continue to grow as the pandemic consumes men and women of child-bearing age.
But the millions and billions don't make much sense to most people. It's hard to visualise more than a few thousand, let alone millions. This is something that UN agencies – all claiming to be serving the poor and disadvantaged – often forget: they dabble in the abstract, theoretical and statistical matters far removed from real people, real issues.
In that sense, films like The Blood of the Yingzhou District take us close to the unfolding human tragedies behind big numbers.
This is just what we tried to do in our own Children of Tsunami media project, in which producing a documentary film was one of many outputs across different media platforms and formats.
A question was asked how the film has been received in China. The giggly moderator informed us that it is allowed to be screened in China, which is encouraging. But the Chinese response to the film has been mixed, as can be expected. See this interesting exchange online.
What impressed me the most was the film's subtle yet powerful use of soundtrack – a good mix of music, natural sounds and spoken voices. Some featured children did seem a bit like acting at times, but that didn't detract the film's value too much, at least for me.
Truly a moving image creation that moves people!
See trailer on YouTube.
Posted in Asia, children, China, Communicating development, Documentary film, film festivals, film-making, HIV/AIDS, Iraq. Leave a Comment »
Attacking the Messenger…again!
The Pakistani police attack on the popular, independent TV network Geo TV made international news during the weekend. Here in Washington DC, I read a half-page news features in the Washington Post, and was dismayed by this attack by law-enforcers on a reputed media organisation that operates within the law.
The Washington Post item read:
The Lahore protests on Saturday followed a clash in Islamabad on Friday in which police fired rubber bullets into crowds, detained key opposition leaders and stormed the offices of Geo TV, Pakistan's most popular independent network.
The government has generally defended its reaction to the protests as the only way to maintain law and order. But Musharraf apologized for the raid on Geo TV in an interview with the station and indicated that the action had been executed without his approval. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz also visited Geo TV's studios Saturday to express his regret, and the government fired 15 officers involved in the raid.
But Hamid Mir, the station's bureau chief in Islamabad, said that was insufficient.
"They wanted to destroy this newsroom," Mir said Saturday afternoon, his words punctuated by frequent coughs, the result, he said, of inhaling large amounts of tear gas Friday. "They were trying to send a message to the whole media by attacking Geo TV."
The station was broadcasting live images of the protest Friday afternoon when it was attacked. Journalists filming from the roof reported that police fired rubber bullets and tear gas in an attempt to knock out their cameras. Video footage of the raid showed police smashing in windows and doors inside the building. Broken glass lined the lobby floors Saturday.
Mir said he was encouraged that the media did not appear to be giving in to what he described as government intimidation tactics. "This is the first time the media is showing a lot of resistance," he said.
There we go again….South Asian governments never seem to learn! We have good friends at Geo TV, and are relieved to hear from them that they are unharmed and that they continue to broadcast. Our thoughts and solidarity are with them, in the weeks and months ahead, when they stand for the public's right to know and for the freedom of expression.
Posted in Asia, Broadcasting, Journalism, Media freedom, Political violence. 1 Comment »
Kicking the oil addiction: Miles to go…
On Saturday 17 March, over 10,000 people coming from all over the United States marched on the Pentagon in Washington DC protesting the fourth anniversary of the war in Iraq.
They braved freezing temperatures – and lots of rain, sleet and snow. I could only admire the resolve of these people, some of whom I saw on my way to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History for an afternoon of film screenings.
As The Washington Post reported on Sunday: "The march, part of a weekend of protests that included smaller demonstrations in other U.S. cities and abroad, comes as the Bush administration sends more troops to Iraq in an attempt to regain control of Baghdad and Congress considers measures to bring U.S. troops home."
Meanwhile, the DC Environmental Film Festival was taking a closer look at one major reason why the US went to war in Iraq: oil.
Addicted to Oil is the title of a new documentary on Discovery Channel. This one-hour documentary, reported by Pulitzer Prize-winning foreign affairs columnist Thomas L. Friedman of the New York Times, explores his ideas for a "geo-green alternative" — a multi-layered strategy for tackling a host of problems, from the funding of terrorist supporters through America's gasoline purchases, to strengthening US economy through innovative technology.
See interview extracts on Discovery website
Watch the first few minutes of Addicted to Oil:
I missed his panel discussion because of exceedingly cold and damp weather on Friday evening. But this is a topic that will continue to dominate the environmental and security agendas for years to come.
And it's something that I myself have written about. When the US and its 'Coalition of the Willing' were about to move into Iraq in March 2003, I wrote an op ed essay titled "Oil, Iraq & Water: Will The Media Get This Big Story?". It was globally syndicated by Panos Features, and appeared in quite a number of newspapers, magazines and websites at the time.
The full essay is found online on, of all places, the Sri Lankan government's official website! Here's a short extract:
It's not just the United States that is addicted to oil – we all are. Addicts tend to lose sight of the cost of their dependence, as we have. On 24 March 1989, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground on in Prince William Sound in Alaska and a fifth of its 1.2 million barrels of oil spilled into the sea, causing massive damage to over 3,800 km of shoreline. Investigations implicated its captain for grossly neglecting duty. Shortly afterwards, Greenpeace ran a major advertising campaign with the headline: 'It wasn't his driving that caused the Alaskan oil spill. It was yours.'
Greenpeace continued: 'It would be easy to blame the Valdez oil spill on one man. Or one company. Or even one industry. Too easy. Because the truth is, the spill was caused by a nation drunk on oil. And a government asleep at the wheel.'
A nation drunk on oil is waging a war that has more to do with oil than anything else. Our news media are behaving just like cheer-leaders.
Read the full essay here.
Posted in climate change, Documentary film, Fossil fuels, Iraq, Journalism, war, water. Tags: Addicted to Oil, Exxon Valdez, Greenpeace, Iraq war, New York Times, Thomas Friedman. 2 Comments »
Remembering Thillainayagam Theeban (1990 – 2007)
Thillainayagam Theeban (1990 – 2007)
Since we started Children of Tsunami media project in early 2005, as a citizen media response to the Indian Ocean Tsunami, I have introduced it to dozens of audiences of many and varied kinds in different parts of the world. But presenting our documentary, Children of Tsunami: The Journey Continues to the 15th DC Environmental Film Festival at the World Bank headquarters yesterday (16 March 2007) was perhaps the most difficult of all.
No, this was not a cynical audience – far from it, they turned out to be a very appreciative one, as I describe in my other post. But this was the first public introduction I had to make after we lost Theeban, the Sri Lankan boy who was one of eight children whose recovery story we tracked and filmed for much of 2005.
Theeban was murdered by unidentified gunmen who stormed into his 'temporary' tsunami shelter on 3 March 2007. The death is linked to spiralling political violence that is once again sweeping across Sri Lanka.
When the shocking news reached us three days later, our Sri Lankan camera team at Video Image and we at TVE Asia Pacific just couldn't believe it. We were all in tears, and some of us were also angry. Theeban, who survived the killer waves 26 months ago (but lost his mom and kid brother in the disaster) suffered many indignities in displacement. And now, he is gone.
It's now two weeks since Theeban was killed, but I still can't speak about it without a lump in my throat.
That's why I was nervous in introducing the film yesterday at the festival: I knew I was just seconds away from being stuck for words, and overcome with emotion.
My friends in the audience later said I had managed reasonably well. This is what I said as I ended my brief introduction:
"We ran out of funds to sustain our monthly filming beyond end 2005. By then we found that our film crews and we ourselves had become attached to our participating families, and especially the children who worked so closely with our film crews. We remain interested in their personal progress, even if we can no longer publish their stories.
Earlier this month, we received the devastatingly sad news that the Sri Lankan boy we filmed has been murdered –- by unidentified gunmen, right at the 'temporary' camp in Eastern Sri Lanka.
Thillainayagam Theeban survived the killer Tsunami waves and endured 26 months of extreme hardship in displacement — only to be swept away by the wave of political violence currently sweeping Sri Lanka.
We still don't know who killed Theeban, and for what reasons. He was abducted by an armed group a few months ago, from whom he escaped earlier this year. It is believed that Theeban was killed as a punishment — and as a warning to all others.
He was 16 years at the time of his death. We don't know if his killers would ever face justice.
I want to dedicate this screening to Theeban — and thousands of young people like him who are still languishing in temporary shelters, struggling to rebuild their futures."
After the screening, there was some sympathy and empathy in the audience about Theeban. But on the whole this particular development didn't inspire too many questions or remarks. The predominantly American audience seemed more intrigued by our journalistic documentation of how evangelical Christian groups rushed to tsunami-struck Asia, offering relief support coupled with religious conversion. (Find out more about this by watching the film online.)
Ah well, everyone takes away something different from a film like Children of Tsunami. It has so many facets and elements mixed together.
We set out asking lots of questions, and found only a few answers. We still have lots of questions in search of answers…and new ones emerging.
TVE Asia Pacific official statement on Theeban's death
My personal tribute to Theeban, published by MediaHelpingMedia, UK
My tribute to Theeban, published by UCLA Asia Media
Posted in Asia, children, Documentary film, film festivals, film-making, Political violence, Sri Lanka, Tsunami. 1 Comment »


text:
Christmastime 1939: images
Published on September 27, 2019 October 7, 2019 by Linda Mahkovec - Author6 Comments
For all my books, I've created corresponding Pinterest boards to provide readers with a glimpse into the worlds I write about. The boards for the Christmastime series capture the charm of an old-fashioned Christmas, and a few black and white photographs help to provide a historical context.
Below are images for the introductory book in the series, Christmastime 1939: Prequel to the Christmastime Series. I hope you enjoy them!
In the prequel, we are introduced to the series' main character, the young widow Lillian Hapsey, and her two sons, Tommy (8 years old) and Gabriel (5 years old). Many of the scenes involve Lillian's determination to give them a happy Christmas.
The theme of transformation runs throughout this book, and I've woven in threads of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol to emphasize this,
as well as other Dickensian themes of struggle, home and family, and general Christmas merriment.
Other images evoke Lillian's recent Thanksgiving visit with her sister, Annette, in upstate New York,
the cupcakes Tommy and Gabriel see in the window of the German bakery,
holiday toys and candies,
and the excitement of New York City at Christmas.
Come! Step into the world of Christmastime!
The Christmastime series is available on Amazon, Kobo, B&N, iTunes, and Google and in libraries by request, on Ingram and Overdrive
Amazon — https://amzn.to/2xFgnt0
(Christmastime 1945: A Love Story, the final book in the series, will be available in October.)
Categories Christmas, Holiday, My Books, New York City•Tags A Christmas Carol, Brooklyn, Charles Dickens, Christmas, Christmas books, Christmas classics, Christmas decorations, Christmas reading, Christmas series, Christmas traditions, Christmastime, December, family, friends, history, holiday merriment, holidays, home, literature, Manhattan, New York City at Christmastime, NYC, old-fashioned Christmas, seasonal happiness, winter
The Romance of Travel — Scotland (Part 2) The Highlands
Published on September 17, 2019 September 27, 2019 by Linda Mahkovec - Author4 Comments
(The Old Man of Storr on the Isle of Skye — image from Pinterest, Anne McKinell Photography.)
"Wherever I wander, wherever I rove / The hills of the Highlands forever I love." –Robert Burns
(Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness)
To the north of Edinburgh, beyond the Firth of Forth, lies the Scottish Highlands — mountains, valleys, glens, lochs, rugged coastlines, and islands: the Inner and Outer Hebrides, Orkney, and farther north, Shetland. (In all, Scotland has close to 800 islands)
The Highlands is a land filled with castles, history, legend, and lore: Loch Lomond, Loch Ness, the northern city of Inverness, the Isle of Skye, Iona. A two-week driving tour through Scotland was an eye-opening experience to the breathtaking beauty of the Highlands.
(The charming village of Tobermory on the Isle of Mull.)
The Isle of Mull, part of the Inner Hebrides, is famous for being the location of the Monastery of Iona. A short ferry ride from Mull takes you to the small windswept island of Iona.
"In 563, Columba came to Iona from Ireland with twelve companions and founded a monastery. It developed as an influential center for the spread of Christianity among the Picts and Scots." (wikipedia)
A seat of learning, the monastery is associated with the illuminated manuscript, the Book of Kells. "It is generally accepted that the book was begun in the monastery of Iona at some point after c. 740." (www.historyireland.com)
We chose to stay in the town of Oban because it's one of the main places to catch the ferry to Mull. We were pleasantly surprised by its charm and lively harbor. It proved to be an unexpected find.
The port town has a waterside promenade lit by tiny lights, perfect for strolling after dining at one of the town's wonderful restaurants.
Leaving Oban and driving north to Skye, you'll be tempted to stop and admire the glens, castles, rivers, and lochs along the way. A few hours exploring the much-photographed Eilean Donan Castle was well worth the detour.
The Isle of Skye is the largest of the Inner Hebrides and has some of the most beautiful and dramatic sites of the Highlands: the Old Man of Storr, the Quiraing,
Neiss Lighthouse, and the Fairy Glen.
Stopping in the tiny hamlet of Dunvegan on our way to the lighthouse, we came across the Giant Angus MacAskill Museum and caught a glimpse of "Old Scotland."
Crossing the Highlands and driving north takes you to Inverness, "the largest city and the cultural capital of the Scottish Highlands." The River Ness runs through the middle of the town and is crossed by several bridges, one of which takes you from one side of the river to the other, crossing through a pretty wooded island on the way.
Day trips from Inverness include driving along Loch Ness and touring the battlefield of Culloden, site of the final Jacobite rebellion.
Continuing a few hours north takes you to the northernmost town on the British mainland — Thurso, located on the North Sea.
It's the perfect place for stopping over before taking the morning ferry to Orkney. A beach walk after dinner offers beautiful views of Thurso Bay.
From its harbor at nearby Scrabster, you can take the ferry to the town of Stromness in Orkney. The 90-minute journey takes you past some stunning scenery.
(The Old Man of Hoy seen from the ferry to Orkney)
On the ferry to Stromness, I was struck by the quotes by Orkney poet George Mackay Brown (1921-1996), which prepare the traveler for the beauty of Orkney — a beauty both subtle and rugged.
"There was a fitful gleam of cold sunlight as we climbed aboard the Hamnavoe."
"On the salt and tar steps, herring boats, puffing red sails, the tillers of cold horizons, leaned down the gull-gaunt tide."
"The essence of Orkney's magic is silence, loneliness, and the deep marvelous rhythms of sea and land, darkness and light."
Though Orkney has the jagged coastlines and rocky landscape of much of the Highlands,
it has a different feel to it. In part, due to the remnants of the deep layers of history found throughout Orkney — in Neolithic archaeological sites, such as Skara Brae; in the stone rings of Brodgar and Stenness; in prehistoric mounds, and the remains of Viking settlements.
More recent history is found in other ruins throughout the islands,
and in WWII sites — reminders of the importance of this remote location during the war: Scapa Flow (home of the British Fleet during both world wars), the Italian Chapel (built by Italian POWs),
(the Italian Chapel)
and the Churchill barriers (rocky man-made causeways), among others. There's a museum in Stromness that is a trove of WWII and local history.
Stromness, the main seaport, embodies the essence of Orkney. Its buildings are solid and strong, built to stand against fierce North Sea storms. Its streets are rocky and steep and overlook the expanse of the sea. "Fitful gleam[s] of cold sunlight" cast the town in "marvelous rhythms of … darkness and light."
An evening stroll along the harbor anchors you in its maritime presence — with bracing winds, the smell of "salt and tar," and the sound of gulls.
With touches of charm and homey warmth found in its narrow streets.
As we left the Highlands and drove back south, we spotted a rainbow over a pot-of-gold mustard field — it seemed the perfect image for the close of our Highland tour.
Categories travel•Tags beauty, Book of Kells, castles, European travel, George Mackay Brown, Great Britain, Highland culture, history, Inverness, Iona, Isle of Mull, Isle of Skye, Loch Lomond, Loch Ness, neolithic villages, northern cities, Orkney, Outlander, poetry, ring of stones, romance of travel, Scotland, Stromness, the Highlands, The Inner Hebrides, The Orkney Islands
Christmas in July (and seeking book reviewers)
Published on July 18, 2019 August 5, 2019 by Linda Mahkovec - Author15 Comments
I've always found the idea of Christmas in July a challenging one. After all, summer is the time for picnics on the grass, reading at the beach, backyard cookouts, vacations, lemonade, hammocks…
However, I know there are many people who start to plan — and shop? — for Christmas in July — people who, though perhaps reluctant to admit it, feel a mild frisson to know that in a few short months, they will be wrapping presents, decorating a tree, and baking Christmas cookies. So for those people, I give you the opening paragraphs of the final book in my Christmastime series: Christmastime 1945: A Love Story (available this fall).
The snow fell softly over Manhattan as Lillian Drooms hurried home. She was still smiling from her meeting with Mrs. Huntington and the art director of children's books. Her drawings had been well received and Mrs. Huntington hinted that Lillian had a good chance at being selected to illustrate a children's adventure series – she would love nothing more! Happiness and Christmas were in the air, and wanting to catch even more of the holiday spirit, Lillian decided to walk up Fifth Avenue and then cross through Central Park on her way home.
The crowds thickened as she neared and then turned onto the Avenue. All around her the sense of excitement was palpable – in the carolers and newspaper boys, in the honking and braking of traffic, in the calls from the vendors: "Hot chestnuts! Pretzels!" Workers rushed from jobs, couples walked arm in arm, shoppers ducked in and out of stores, their arms laden with packages and shopping bags, and groups of servicemen explored Manhattan while they awaited their final train or bus ride home.
Lillian took a moment to look around her at the bustling city, so alive! And this was just one avenue. She knew the harbor and piers, and Grand Central and Penn Stations bustled with returning soldiers. The roads into and around New York City were crowded as never before – the city was bursting at its seams with life and happiness. At long last, the war was over! And this first Christmas after the war was sure to be a memorable one.
Bumped and jostled by the throng of people, Lillian tucked herself into a doorway to take in the post-war Christmas euphoria. The very air tingled with promise and future, and she smiled out at the swirl of commotion. She observed the faces passing by, all united by a sense of cheerfulness and gratitude. A soldier and a young woman passed by, briefly stopping to embrace and kiss. Across from her, a family, with the father in uniform, stopped to buy bags of roasted peanuts from a street vendor. An older couple laughed as they nearly collided with a ho-ho-hoing Santa Claus bell ringer. Down the block, a cluster of sailors pointed and gawked at the skyscrapers, and across the avenue, a group of WACs – such smart, confident women – chatted with a group of soldiers.
Lillian stepped back out into the stream of people but continued to look all about her. The signs of Christmas were everywhere – wreaths and decorations appeared in nearly all the windows and doors, along with red ribbons and garlands of shimmery tinsel. After the gray of war, everything seemed to be in color. Was it her imagination? Was it her own happiness coloring the world? No, indeed, the dresses in the department store windows boasted brighter shades, and young women sported bolder makeup, brighter lipstick that suited their flashing smiles. And the lights! Strings of colored bulbs shone everywhere – outlining windows and doorways and awnings. It was the first time Christmas lights were used freely since before the war and no one was holding back.
The war was over, Christmas was in the air, and Charles would be home soon! Lillian took a deep breath, checking herself, not trusting to such perfect happiness. She would muster the calm and pragmatism that had gotten her through the war years. Charles was not home yet – in fact, she hadn't heard from him for several weeks. It could be January or February or later before his arrival. But he would be home – and he would never have to leave her again.
https://amzn.to/2NYcA5a
I hope you enjoyed this bit of Christmas in July.
If there are any readers, book bloggers, or book clubs who would be interested in writing reviews for my series, please let me know (email me at Linda@LindaMahkovec.com) and I'll send you a link to my ebooks. My goal this year is to increase my reviews, especially on Amazon. To those followers who have already left reviews, THANK YOU!! and let me know if you would like to review my other books — The Garden House, The Dreams of Youth, and Seven Tales of Love.
I hope the rest of your summer is lovely, relaxing, and filled with much happiness.
Categories Christmas, My Books, Seasons - summer, Uncategorized•Tags 1945, Amazon, beach reads, book bloggers, book clubs, book reviewers, books, celebrations, charm of life, Christmas books, Christmas classics, Christmas in July, Christmas reading, Christmastime, family, good reads, goodreads, happiness, history, holidays, literature, love stories, loveliness, Manhattan, New York City, NYC Christmas, summer reading, summertime, WWII
Published on December 28, 2018 January 10, 2019 by Linda Mahkovec - Author5 Comments
In the Christmastime series, Lillian collects Victorian cards and displays them on her mantel for the holidays. Below are a few cards that might have been part of her collection, along with a few Victorian sentiments ushering in the New Year.
"Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow…"
"Only a night from old to new! Only a night, and so much wrought!" ―Helen Hunt Jackson
"So may the New Year be a happy one to you, happy to many more whose happiness depends on you!" ― Charles Dickens
Categories Holiday, My Books, Seasons - winter•Tags art, beautiful mantel, Best wishes for the new year, creativity, Happy New Year, history, Lillian, literature, old-fashioned cards, poetry, the Christmastime series, Victorian, Victorian New Year
The Pyrenees and Pilgrimage, Part 1 — Lourdes
Published on November 30, 2018 January 10, 2019 by Linda Mahkovec - Author4 Comments
The beautiful town of Lourdes, France is located in the foothills of the Pyrenees. Two structures dominate the town and its history — the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Lourdes, situated on the wide, flowing Gave de Pau, and the thousand-year-old fortress, the Chateau-Fort de Lourdes, built on a high rocky bluff.
Lourdes has a rich and varied history. Artifacts dating from the prehistoric times to the Roman have been found in the area, and "the town and its fortress formed a strategic stronghold in medieval times." (www.Britannica.com)
However, the town is best known as a place of pilgrimage for Catholics the world over, visited by millions every year.
The identity of Lourdes as a market town, mountains crossroads, and fortified stronghold forever changed in 1858 when a young girl, Bernadette Soubirous, experienced numerous visions of the Virgin Mary in a grotto near the river.
"The visions were declared authentic by Pope Pius IX in 1862, and veneration of Mary as Our Lady of Lourdes was authorized. The underground spring in the grotto, revealed to Bernadette, was declared to have miraculous qualities, and Lourdes became a major pilgrimage site." (www.britannica.com)
Lourdes is an international destination, a place of hope for many who cannot walk or are battling sickness or a chronic condition. They line up to hear mass given in front of the grotto, and fill up bottles with the sacred grotto water from numerous taps. Behind the cathedral, alongside the river, are private bathing rooms where pilgrims line up to bathe in the waters, hoping for a cure or improvement.
Even in the offseason, the shops and crowds can make the place seems touristy, but the solemnity with which the pilgrims pray and believe, and the sheer beauty of the place, preserve the sense of the sacred.
The Gothic-styled cathedral, with its soaring spires and long narrow windows, was built above the grotto in 1876. It is made of the same gray stone as the rock beneath it and seems to have risen directly from it.
The chateau-fort, which was never conquered, sits high above the town and is today a museum. Like the cathedral, it is made from the gray granite of the Pyrenees and appears to be a continuation of the thrust of rock on which it was built.
From the fortress top, you can see that the village itself is nestled in the strong arms of the valley mountains. The vantage point offers spectacular views of the town and valley below.
"The château fort de Lourdes is strategically placed at the entrance to the seven valleys of the Lavedan. The castle's origins go back to Roman times….The oldest remains date from the 11th and 12th centuries" and were reinforced several times in later centuries. (www.wikipedia.com)
"Within its walls there is a botanical garden at the foot of the 14th-century keep, and the Pyrenean Museum." (en.lourdes-infotourisme.com)
The museum is filled with artifacts and offers a glimpse into local life of the past centuries. Several exhibits are dedicated to marriage customs, clothing, farming and husbandry, and day-to-day living.
As daytime draws to a close, the crowds disperse, the sounds of the day shift to the soft sounds of evening, and a tranquil beauty pervades Lourdes.
From one of the bridges over the river, you can look back and see the cathedral and, in the distance, the fort. These two main structures of Lourdes — perhaps representative of two opposing human impulses — today rest comfortably together in the valley town.
With the church bells ringing, the grotto candles lit, and the lights coming on in the town, you realize that Lourdes is unique — a sacred site of hope and prayer, rich in layers of history — a town born of the awe-inspiring beauty of the Pyrenees.
Categories Seasons - fall, travel•Tags autumn, beauty, belief, Bernadette Soubirous, cathedral, Chateau-fort de Lourdes, dusk, France, Gothic cathedral, grotto, history, hope, life, Lourdes, Marian site, Medieval, middle ages, MMusée Pyrénéen Ville de Lourdes, mountains, November, pilgrimage, Pyrenees, Pyrenees museum, rivers, sacred places, tranquility, travel
The Romance of Travel: Carcassonne
Published on October 28, 2018 November 8, 2018 by Linda Mahkovec - Author6 Comments
For many years I had longed to see the beautiful medieval city of Carcassonne and recently I was able to make that dream come true. Carcassonne did not disappoint.
Located in the Languedoc region of southern France, Carcassonne is famous for its medieval citadel, La Cité, the largest walled city in Europe, with numerous watchtowers and double-walled fortifications. Languedoc is also famous for its wines and the hilltop city sits high above the surrounding vineyards.
I arrived Carcassonne in the evening under a near-full moon. The hotel I stayed at was located at the foot of the hill, and I had a magnificent view of the fairytale city from my balcony.
Every day, I crossed the footbridge over the river Aude, climbed the steep cobblestone streets to the top of the hill, and entered the citadel through the lowered drawbridge. I spent hours wandering around the labyrinthine village, climbed the ramparts and spiral stairs of the towers, walked the walls which provided magnificent views of the valley below, and then rested and recharged at its many outdoor cafes.
Carcassonne was occupied by the Romans and later the Visigoths. Its strategic hilltop location was fortified over the centuries with walls, towers, drawbridge and moat, a fortress, and a cathedral — the Basilica of Saint-Nazaire. Layers and layers of history pervade the stones and gargoyles, the slate roofs and worn steps.
Today Carcassonne relies heavily on tourism and has several hotels, restaurants, and shops — even a small museum on the history of the French school system.
The heraldic Occitan cross, which dates back to the 12th century, and the fleur-de-lis hearken back to its medieval history and can be seen throughout the city.
In the fall, Carcassonne has a particular beauty — pensive, tranquil, a bit wistful — and despite the tourists, a few quiet areas can always be found.
It is at night when the magic of Carcassonne can most be felt — when the years of history fall away and you step into the past. The crenelated ramparts and rounded towers take on an architectural sharpness, accentuated by light and shadow.
Crossing the drawbridge you can imagine the creak and clang of its chains, and you notice that the sounds inside the walled village are different — quieter, sometimes hushed. The interior of La Cité is softly lit by lampposts. Gold light pours onto the stone walls and archways and illuminates the curves of the cobblestone streets. It becomes a place of shadows and textures, mystery and beauty, drawing you further up into its heart.
Even in the off-season of late October, the hilltop is surprisingly alive at night and the sound of conversation and laughter fill the outdoor cafes that ring the small square at the center. Wandering through the narrow streets, you come across several restaurants and hotels that bid a warm welcome.
Carcassonne sets one to dreaming. Its deep history and beauty inspire, shift your perceptions, and bring about a silent exchange with the past. For many, it is representative of the unattainable — something actual, yet ever elusive. In 1887 Gustave Nadaud wrote a poem called "Carcassonne," in which an old man dreams of seeing "fair Carcassonne" before he dies. To him, the city embodies the longing for an ideal, a place of profound meaning, an experience that could be his — yet it remains beyond his reach. The final line is "each man has his Carcassonne" — a beautiful distant dream.
Carcassonne — medieval city, hilltop fortress, fairytale village, a step back in time.
Categories Seasons - fall, travel•Tags autumn beauty, beauty, best European cities, Carcassonne, cathedral, dream city, fairytale city, fall, France, historical city, history, Languedoc, longing, medieval history, medieval village, middle ages, mysterious citadel, Occitanie region in France, October, October in Carcassonne, poetry, travel, travel Europe, Unesco site
The Making of a Book Cover — Christmastime 1939: Prequel to the Christmastime Series
Published on October 10, 2018 October 28, 2018 by Linda Mahkovec - Author10 Comments
I was lucky to find a great book cover designer, Laura Duffy, for all my books. The Christmastime series, in particular, required several drafts.
Christmastime 1940: A Love Story
Laura patiently added snow, made streetlights glow, erased modern buildings, and cropped and colored and added details until I had the image I wanted.
Christmastime 1943: A Wartime Romance
The cover for Christmastime 1939: Prequel to the Christmastime Series posed the most challenges. Early on, we decided that it would have a few subtle differences. As a prequel, it would not be part of the color sequence of the other books — green, red, blue. And Laura suggested that the "photograph" be vertical rather than horizontal.
I wanted the cover to evoke a sense of happiness and hope, with just a hint of the shadow cast by the war in Europe. After searching and searching for a photograph that would capture the main character's (Lillian Hapsey) longing to move to Manhattan and start life anew, I found an image that might possibly work — with a little magic from Laura Duffy.
The photo had certain elements I was looking for: snow, a source of light (a lamppost), and it was immediately recognizable as Manhattan, with the Empire State Building in the center of the photo.
But it needed some work.
First, the lamplights needed to be "turned on." It took a few attempts to get the right shade of soft gold. Then we looked at several Christmas wreaths, pine boughs, and red ribbons to attach to the lamppost. We decided on the one below. I purchased the photo and Laura added and aged it.
Next, the Empire State Building needed to be more pronounced. The original photo depicted a foggy day (I wanted snow), and the outline of the building was obscured. So Laura found and superimposed a clearer photo of the Empire State Building and added a light snowfall.
We were getting closer, but it didn't yet capture the charm and promise of new beginnings. I imagined a scene at dusk, people hurrying home after work, the Christmas season in the air — and Lillian pausing to look at the view of the Empire State Building and having a visceral feeling of connection — Manhattan embodied everything she wanted.
So Laura turned day into evening, showing lights in the office windows, and patiently adjusting my requests for "less blue, a little grayer, more dusk-like, a little darker, more snow?" — until finally, it clicked — and I entered the world of Christmastime.
The image captures a moment in the story when Lillian becomes a part of the city she so loves. I could see her dressed in 1930's shoes and coat, her face raised in happiness, knowing that her two little boys would also love the magic of the city. I felt the image now had charm, a sense of excitement, and the feel of Christmas.
Check out the variety of Laura's covers here: https://www.lauraduffydesign.com/
Christmastime 1939 is now available (the softcover will be available any day now).
(The final book in the series, Christmastime 1945: A Love Story, will be published in 2019.)
Categories Holiday, My Books, New York City, Seasons - winter•Tags 1939, art, beauty, books, Christmastime, creativity, dusk, family, history, literature, love story, Manhattan, meaning, New York City, Novels, reading, snow, winter, writing
The Romance of Travel – Italy
A friend of mine recently returned from two weeks in Europe. She took writing and drawing classes in Italy, spending most of her time on the Amalfi coast.
Her pictures and stories filled my head with dreams — and plans. I'm long overdue for some traveling, and Italy has been beckoning for quite some time.
"Italy is a dream that keeps returning for the rest of your life." — Anna Akhmatova
"You may have the universe if I may have Italy." — Giuseppe Verdi.
Travel opens the mind, fills the soul, and touches the heart. It allows you step out of your daily routine and see the world afresh.
Categories Seasons - fall, travel•Tags autumn, beautiful cities, beauty, creativity, Europe, history, Italy, literature, love of life, poetry, romance, September, sunsets, travel
Beautiful blue
Published on May 30, 2018 January 13, 2019 by Linda Mahkovec - Author11 Comments
"Blue, darkly, deeply, beautifully blue." – Robert Southey
"Blue color is everlastingly appointed by the deity to be a source of delight." – John Ruskin
"A certain blue enters your soul." – Henri Matisse
Ultramarine – "The most perfect of all colors," Cennino Cennini
"Sometimes called 'true blue,' ultramarine is made from the semiprecious gemstone lapis lazuli, which for centuries could only be found in a single mountain range in Afghanistan.
Lapis first appeared as a pigment in the 6th century. Around 700 years later, the pigment traveled to Venice and soon became the most sought-after color in medieval Europe. For centuries, the cost of lapis rivaled the price of gold.
Legend has it that Michelangelo left his painting The Entombment (1500–01) unfinished because he could not generate the funds to buy ultramarine blue. Raphael used the pigment scarcely, applying it above base layers of azurite when depicting the Virgin Mary's blue robe. The Baroque master Vermeer, on the other hand, bought the color in spades, so much so that his indulgence pushed his family into debt." http://www.artsy.net
"Indigo is a natural dye rather than a pigment for painting. It was used to color fabrics, clothing, yarns, and luxurious tapestries. Unlike lapis lazuli, whose rarity drove its high prices, the indigo crop could be grown in excess and produced across the world, from India to South Carolina.
Commonly considered a shade of blue, indigo is not a separate color in its own right, so why does it get its own band in the rainbow?
Indigo dyeing was especially popular in England, home to physicist Sir Isaac Newton. Newton believed that the rainbow should consist of seven distinct colors to match the seven days of the week, the seven notes in the musical scale, and the seven known planets. Confronting the fact that the rainbow only displayed five unique colors, Newton pushed indigo, along with orange, much to the dismay of some contemporary scientists." www.artsy.net
"Jean fabric was first produced in Genoa, Italy, in the 17th century; the French city of Nimes copied the technique shortly after ("de Nimes" aka "denim"). The cotton twill fabric, dyed with indigo, was sturdy and washable, making it perfect for workers." www.artsandculture.google.com
"Blue has more complex and contradictory meanings than any other color.
Dark blue: trust, dignity, intelligence, authority
Bright blue: cleanliness, strength, dependability, coolness
(The origin of these meanings arise from the qualities of the ocean and inland waters, most of which are more tangible.)
Light (sky) blue: peace, serenity, ethereal, spiritual, infinity
(The origin of these meanings is the intangible aspects of the sky.)
Most blues convey a sense of trust, loyalty, cleanliness, and understanding. On the other hand, blue evolved as symbol of depression in American culture. "Singing the blues" and feeling blue" are good examples of the complexity of color symbolism and how it has been evolved in different cultures." http://www.colormatters.com
"Pink for girls and blue for boys is a surprisingly recent tendency. Even as late as 1927 some fashion stores recommended pink for boys." http://www.express.co.uk
For a fascinating book on color, read Victoria Finlay's books.
Color: A Natural History of the Palette by Victoria Finlay Link: http://a.co/bfRUBxs
Images from my Pinterest board on color
Categories color, travel•Tags beauty, blue, books, cathedrals, color, color palette, history, home, Isaac Newton, Italy, lapis lazuli, life, literature, Michelangelo, Morocco, mosques, nature, ocean, paintings, poetry, Raphael, science, story, symbolism of color, the rainbow, travel, Vermeer, Victoria Finlay
Downton Abbey — in Manhattan
Published on January 9, 2018 January 13, 2019 by Linda Mahkovec - Author6 Comments
Recently, my sister-in-law was planning a visit to New York City and when I asked her if there was anything in particular that she wanted to do, she said she would love to see Downton Abbey: The Exhibition. I hadn't even heard about it, but it sounded like a good idea so I booked our tickets. Though I had only caught a few episodes of the series, I found that I was really looking forward to seeing the exhibit. And in the late afternoon of a cold winter's day, we stepped into the world of Downton Abbey.
I was surprised to find that the exhibit was in the recently closed Lee's Art store on 57th Street, a place I had frequented over the years. The windows that once displayed painting supplies, glittering frames, and whimsical toys, now held an equally enchanting display: images, items, and gifts relating to Downton Abbey — including an exquisite 1920's dress in peacock blue and gold.
The New York City street was reflected in the window — scaffolding and yellow cabs, parkas and mounds of snow — and seemed a sort of symbolic contrast to the elegance of another era.
We strolled through the exhibit, laughing as we were greeted by holographic videos (?) of Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes welcoming us to Downton Abbey, before they had to hurry away. We entered the "downstairs" area and worked our way up. There was the kitchen with something simmering on the stove, the carton of eggs, the sounds of chopping and pots and pans being moved about. There was Carson's pantry with the decanter, and there were those famous room bells.
And there was the dining room with the beautifully set table.
One room had video snippets of different scenes from the series: the explosions and trenches of WWI shifted to tranquil interior scenes of a fire burning brightly in the library.
Another area was dedicated to short film excerpts featuring the acerbic wit of Violet Crawley. And throughout the exhibit were reminders of the period's codes of conduct and rules of civility.
The clothes were beautiful, and I found myself lingering over the details of trim and beading and lace: the Edwardian opulence of Violet's clothing, the shimmering elegance of the 1920's dresses,
and those beautiful necklaces and earrings that complemented the clothing.
On every floor, in every room was the sense of a time gone by and the societal upheavals of yesteryear. One quote posed the idea that perhaps that earlier period was not so unlike our own times, with technology rushing us ahead, creating some disturbing trends, while offering other compensations.
Since I had only caught an occasional episode, I never got to know the characters and plots in the way that many people did.
So, on these snowy January evenings, I've started to watch the series from the beginning — paying extra close attention to the buttons and jewelry, the silverware and bells.
Categories New York City, stories•Tags 1920s, beauty, Cora, Cousin Violet, Downton Abbey, Edwardian, elegance, England, family, Flapper, history, January, Lady Edith, Lady Mary, Lady Sybil, London, love, Manhattan, New York City, nostalgia, romance, Victorian, vintage beauty, winter, writing, WWI


Mobile marketing has quickly become a popular marketing strategy for many businesses, both small and large, and it is easy to see why. It is simple to use, convenient, and relatively inexpensive. Mobile marketing can take different forms, including advertisements within regularly used applications, on websites or through the medium of text messaging. All of these allow for a greater level of engagement with your customers when compared to traditional forms of marketing. If you feel like this is something you would like to introduce into your strategy, specialists such as SMSGlobal can help you carry out such a campaign. Text messages can make a world of difference when it comes to marketing and engagement, so read on if you're not yet convinced.
Marketing strategies can often be out of touch with their target audience, whether this be culturally or physically. People always have their phones nearby, so you know that they will be receiving your messages almost immediately after you send them. Communication through text messages can be seen as more personal, as opposed to a television or a radio advertisement. You can go even further with the personalisation route by engaging in a conversation through SMS with your clients. This will not only endear them to your brand, it will also allow you to build up trust with them.
Using SMS marketing can help you increase your level of engagement with your customers because it allows for the opportunity to collate feedback instantaneously. It is not just enough to send your customers or clients a text message every so often, because you can do so much more with it! Ask for feedback on your product or service. Include where or what you can improve, what other features they may want to see, and any other questions you might want to ask. Be short and concise in your questions and follow-up on the feedback you receive by making visible changes. Your customers will love that you are taking their advice on board and engaging with them on a different level.
Text messages are an extremely efficient form of marketing, and you can use this to your advantage. You can send more messages on the same marketing budget, and you can spend the time to tailor messages to different demographics. Conversely, people can reply to your messages in real-time and you don't have to wait for surveys to come in to gauge reactions to products or campaigns. Harness this efficiency to increase your level of engagement with your customers.
These are just a few ways SMS can boost mobile engagement for your business and hopefully get your product or service some traction. There are, as previously mentioned, other forms of mobile marketing you may want to also investigate in addition to or instead of text messages, so check out the options before making a decision.
Do you use text messaging as part of your marketing strategy? How do you use it and what types of results have you been seeing? Would you advise others to use it as well? Leave your comments in the section down below.
Text messages are an efficient type of marketing. You can send more messages on the same marketing budget, and you can spend the time to tailor messages to different demographics. Conversely, people can reply to our messages in real-time and we don't have to wait for surveys to come in to gauge reactions to products or campaigns. Harness this efficiency to increase our level.


text:
Orion Twp. dispatching now handled through…
Orion Twp. dispatching now handled through Oakland County Sheriff
By Carol Hopkins |
PUBLISHED: December 19, 2013 at 9:51 a.m. | UPDATED: June 17, 2021 at 8:07 a.m.
ORION TWp. >> Orion Township's dispatch services are now being handled by the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, according to township officials. The township had contracted with Lake Orion Village police for its fire and emergency medical services dispatching since 1983.
"We're saving money doing this," said Orion Clerk Penny Shults.
Shults said Lake Orion charged $91,800 annually while the Sheriff's Office charges $43,305.
"We have the Oakland County Sheriff as our police protection so it made sense to have Oakland County do the dispatching," said Shults.
The township board and public safety officers agreed with change, said Shults.
People who have emergency should still call 911, and nonemergency calls go to 248-858-4911.
Carol Hopkins


2013 Winner of The Best Places to Work in Idaho! — The Land Group, Inc.
The Land Group is honored to be chosen as the 2013 Best Place to Work in Idaho! The Best Places to Work in Idaho winners truly reflect exceptional performance in the areas of Compensation and Benefits, Employee Growth and Development, Work-Life Balance, Workplace Environment, and Company Management.


Not to keep talking about the weather, but it is of great interest. …and today it has suddenly heated right up!!!
Today was another busy day …lots of credits and imagery collection… and some visitors and viewers too! MJ's daughter Deanna and her husband, Vernon, came to visit, Deanna bringing a gorgeous hand beaded picture frame!! Mahsi'Choo!! Mary Jane showed them part of her end credits that has their son, Vernon Jr in it.
Also, Sophie and Brianna (Gwich'in language learners and teachers) and little 8 month old Evelyn watched the entire film and loved it! It was great to hear their thoughts and comments.
By end of the day the end credits were complete as well as the opening title sequence! Also received via email, were some beautiful photos of her late mother, Mary Vittrekwa. Mary taught Mary Jane's sister Dorothy Alexie and Dorothy taught Mary Jane hide tanning. The film is dedicated to Dorothy.
Mary Jane also got more permissions… one of whom was from Paul Josie for one of his photographs of the northern lights. Paul recently started an adventure company here is town, Josie's Old Crow Adventures during these adventures he has taken some incredible photos.
We have also been planning for the trip to Fort McPherson and we have confirmation that the screening on Jan 30th of Mary Jane's film shall be in the church. This is also where the workshop will be held. SO EXCITED!
Tomorrow we will tackle adding the new imagery, finessing the timing and starting to consider the sound.
A delicious stew for dinner, Bingo Night and a walk around the village …Mahsi'Choo / Thank you for the wonderful day.


text:
CLN RADIO NEW EPISODE: GeoEngineering and the Global Assault with Dane Wigington
Alexis Brooks sits down with Dane Wigington, George Barnes, and Doug Levine to discuss the massive implications of Geoengineering and what we can do to address this issue
This is a CLN Radio Exclusive – Done On Location in Los Angeles (Note that our regularly scheduled air dates are the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month)
According to researcher and solar energy expert, Dane Wigington, there is no natural weather anymore! So what is going on? By best estimates, Geoengineering, the artificial manipulation of our global climate has been happening for sixty plus years and has created a total disruption of our weather system.
In this candid and sobering discussion, done on-location at the Conscious Life Expo in Los Angeles, I spoke with Dane, as well as commercial photographer and creator of the documentary film, Look Up!, George Barnes, and Dr. Doug Levine, executive director of Life After Cancer, about the Global distraction that keep the masses in survival mode which has greatly reduced our ability to be aware of our surroundings, including and especially what is going on in our skies.
Here are some highlights from the discussion:
Learn how commercial photographer and creator of the documentary film Look Up, George Barnes noticed odd patterns when observing time lapse photography that led him to discover that something "not natural" was taking place!
Find out why some aircraft can leave blank lines (or voids) in cloud cover.
Are heavy metals like aluminum directly affecting our cognitive abilities?
What is the connection between strong spikes in obesity, autism, Alzheimer's and even cancer?
What is initiating the wide swings in temperature fluctuation like the well documented snow fall in Amarillo, TX in May of 2013 just after a record setting temperature of nearly 100 degrees?
The implications of a sustained weather modification program are huge and they affect each and every one of us! But what can we do? Answer: a lot! Find out what you can do to address this issue and begin the process of putting a stop to this assault.
Listen to the interview here!
More about our guests:
Dane Wigington is the lead researcher for GeoEngineering Watch. He is a solar energy expert who has been working in climate/geoengineering research for over a decade. He owns a 1,600-acre "wildlife preserve" next to Lake Shasta in northern California which was featured in a cover article on the world's largest renewable energy magazine, Home Power. Dane has investigated all levels of geo engineering from stratospheric aerosol geoengineering (SAG) to HAARP.
George Barnes is the director of "Look Up!," creator of the SkyderALERT app, and founder of SkyderALERT, Inc.
Barnes is a multiple award-winning Producer/Director/DP with over 20 years of experience. He has served on the Executive Office of the Governor (Florida) and Association of Independent Commercial Producers and shot thousands of campaigns, commercials, and films for clients including Lamborghini Aventador, Hard Rock Hotel, HBO, and Viacom. George is currently the Senior Producer and Head of Production East Coast for UVAmericas and managing director of Skyder, Inc., a 501c4 not-for-profit corporation, creator of the award-winning mobile app SkyderALERT, and director of the award-winning environmental social action documentary "Look Up!"
Dr. Doug Levine is the Executive Director of Life After Cancer, and bestselling author of Answer to Cancer – A Guide to Living Cancer Free.
Dr. Levine is a licensed Chiropractic Physician with a private practice since 1983. He is the founding Executive Director of "Life After Cancer Network" a non-profit cancer survivor's organization dedicated to the natural restoration of health for people who have had cancer, their families and caregivers. He holds free workshops for cancer survivors, their families and caregivers and has been a guest speaker at the American Cancer Society, Cancer Care, Inc., Gilda's Club of Northern New Jersey and the Florida Chiropractic Physician's Association.
Be sure to tune in to Conscious Inquiry Radio every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month, FREE and on-demand!


Below are The Dressing Room discount code updated for April 2019. Activate The Dressing Room promo code to get instant money savings on online orders.
Get 50% – 75% off all products in The Dressing Room Sale.
Get 10% off your first order when you sign up to mailing list at The Dressing Room.
Get FREE UK Shipping on ALL Orders at The Dressing Room.


A while back we talked about herut חרות - "freedom". But what about the similar word chofshi חפשי - "free" and the related chofesh חופש and chufsha חופשה - which originally meant "freedom" and today have the sense of "vacation, holiday" (the former being more general, and the latter referring to a specific break from school or work)?
The etymology of the root חפש is not clear. Klein mentions an Ugaritic cognate hps - "freeman, soldier", and Kaddari brings the Akkadian hupsu. However, one of the more interesting theories connects it to the root חבש, meaning "to bind" (or in more particular usages - to saddle an animal, to dress a wound or to imprison someone.) From this root we get the word chovesh חובש - "medic" (one who bandages wounds) and machbosh מחבוש - "(military) incarceration." Klein says that perhaps even the Hebrew word for quince, chabush חבוש, has the same origin, due to its "constipating effect."
I found the connection between חפש and חבש first mentioned in the writings of the 19th century writer Isaac Baer Levinsohn, who here suggests that the two related roots are an example of one common root developing opposite meanings. (We've seen examples of such contronyms in Hebrew before.) While certainly most uses of chofesh and chofshi in Biblical Hebrew refer to freedom, there are a couple of examples that Levinsohn brings which would seem to point to the opposite connotation.
He quotes Tehilim 88:6 - בַּמֵּתִים חָפְשִׁי כְּמוֹ חֲלָלִים שֹׁכְבֵי קֶבֶר, which the JPS translates as "abandoned [chofshi] among the dead, like bodies lying in the grave". This translation uses "abandoned" which is a sense of "free" - free of all obligations or connections in this world. However, Levinsohn says chofshi here is like chavush - "imprisoned."
Another example is from Melachim II 15:5, where it describes how the king was plagued with leprosy and lived בְּבֵית הַחָפְשִׁית - b'veit hachofshit. The JPS translates this as "isolated quarters", similar to the translation "abandoned" above. However, the context here is discussing some type of imprisonment, and this is how Levinsohn, and later the Daat Mikra explain the verse - as if it was בית החבשית beit hachavshit - "prison".
He says both senses can be understood via "the idlers who are free [from work, society] but are sealed in their homes."
In light of this, Aveneri (Yad Halashon, pp 197-198) says that overall, chofesh and chofshi have a somewhat negative connotation. It describes a slave being released, but not a state of true freedom. And as we've seen it can describe a leper being sent away or the state of the dead in the grave (whether or not we accept the connection between chofesh and chovesh). This caused some critics to oppose the phrase עם חופשי am chofshi in Israel's anthem, Hatikva, since chofshi here seems to only freedom from obligations, not a particular mission. Judaism generally focuses on commandments and obligations, so they preferred an adjective like kadosh קדוש - "holy" - which implies a higher level of obligation.
A friend recently asked me a question about metathesis - the rearranging of letters in a word. Let's take a quick look at an example in Hebrew.
The word helek חלק - "part, portion" derives from the verb חלק - "to divide, share" (according to Klein). He does not connect this root to chalak חלק - "smooth", which he says is related to the Arabic halaqa "he made smooth" which is related to halaqa meaning "he created." Klein also mentions halaqa - "he measured, measured off" as a cognate of חלק meaning "to divide", but again, he doesn't connect the roots. Stahl, however, does connect them, saying that "he created" and "he measured" are related. And if I understand the footnote in Ben Yehuda correctly, he says that the meaning "smooth" could have evolved from a sense "to shave", which would have originally been "to cut, to divide." This sense - of shaving, making smooth - is the source of the halaka חלאקה - the Mizrahi version of the Ashkenazi upsherin, the ceremony of the first haircut for three year old boys.
Chaklaut חקלאות - "agriculture" and chaklai חקלאי - "agricultural"/ "farmer" are modern Hebrew words coined by David Yellin, formed from the Aramaic words chakal חקל and chakla חקלא, both meaning "field." This Aramaic word is a metathesis of chelek - literally "a portion of land." We find chelek being used for a field in many places, such as Bereshit 33:19 - חלקת השדה chelkat hasadeh - "a portion of the field".


text:
Q: Use of numWorkers in firebase-queue I am using firebase-queue in a mobile app to handle some server side work. In the firebase-queue documentation here, it says that we can specify an optional parameter numWorkers which specifies number of workers that can run simultaneously for the node.js thread. I don't fully understand how to use this parameter in my application. For e.g., one of the thing that I am doing on the server side using firebase-queue is to send a verification code to the user when he/she first logs into the application. Now this could be hundreds of users in the future. I have a few questions that I wanted to clarify to understand the user of numWorkers a little better

*

*When should I have more than one worker for a firebase queue?

*What is the optimum number of workers for any firebase queue? Coming from a Java background, it's said that having more and more threads running in an application may start to become an overhead after a certain limit. Not sure if similar principles apply here.

*If I have more than one queue serving different specIds, then do I need to think about of number of total workers at cumulative level rather than per queue. I have four queues at the moment.

Please let me know if you have information in regards to my questions above. Any inputs are appreciated.
Update - June 5, 2016
After some more playing around with the firebase-queue, I have realized that the numWorkers controls how many task of a given spec can be running simultaneously. Since the queue worker is not working in an asynchronous fashion, if tasks of a given specId takes a long time to finish, then you may end up with many tasks in the queue waiting to be picked up. For e.g. if there is a network element in the processing of the task, then it may take longer to finish and if you expect a lot of these tasks to be present on the queue, then you should have a more than one worker in the firebase queue. So, I know the answer to my first question now.
I am still wondering about question 2 and 3. I have some tasks in the queue which could be in hundreds or thousands at a given time and some of them involve a network element, so they may take a considerable amount of time to finish. I am not sure of the repercussions of having say hundred workers for a queue. I am not able to test it myself since my app is still in development state and I don't have a setup to simulate a large amount of such tasks at the moment.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange