Have you ever heard of a gandy dancer? I just discovered that term and am enjoying the whimsy and rhythm of it. It's the nickname that was given to early railroad workers who laid and maintained railroad tracks in the years before the work was done by machines.
My husband recalled that it referred to the man who held a long iron pole upright with one end against the steel track. He would wiggle the pole to nudge the track into position so it could be fastened down in the exact right spot. Getting the tracks lined up was important for keeping them headed in the right direction and, thus, arriving at the expected destination, of course; but it also contributed to the smoothness of the trip.
"Just as it is on the whole easier for the locomotive to pursue its way on the rails than to take a disastrous run off them, so it is easier for the child to follow lines of habit carefully laid down than to run off these lines at his peril. It follows that this business of laying down lines towards the unexplored country of the child's future is a very serious and responsible one for the parent. It rests with him to consider well the tracks over which the child should travel with profit and pleasure; and, along these tracks, to lay down lines so invitingly smooth and easy that the little traveller is going upon them at full speed without stopping to consider whether or no he chooses to go that way" (Vol. 1, p. 109).
Now, I often get asked how habit-training yourself compares to habit-training your children. In many ways your job of cultivating good habits in your child is just like cultivating them in your own life. Most of the principles and practical steps are similar.
The action or thought will run a specific neuron path in the brain. With repetition that path will run automatically, as a habit.
The more often the action is repeated, the stronger the habit will become.
The habit will grow strongest fastest if it is repeated without lapses.
The qualities of watchfulness, persistence, and tact are vital to success.
But there are also some differences between laying down the rails in your child's life and laying them down for yourself. We'll spend the next few weeks discussing those differences.
Our new book, Laying Down the Rails for Yourself: Good Habits Are Not Just for Kids, focuses on how to cultivate good habits in your own life.
Habit training is so important for our large family, but since we started summer break, we've grown a little lax in this area. Thanks for the reminder to continue on!


NEW ORLEANS—Getting employees' attention. Speaking too legalistically. Reaching remote workers or those without access to email. Cascading messaging all the way through the organization.
These are just a few of the communication problems identified by those attending the June 29, 2009 concurrent session "Communicate Despite the Obstacles: Engage Employees with Effective (and Efficient) Communication" held here in conjunction with the SHRM Annual Conference.
"When you have information that people care about, they listen," said presenter Alison Davis, CEO of Glen Rock, N.J.-based Davis & Co. "When you don't, they won't."
Citing a 2009 MetLife study of employee benefit trends, Davis said employees most care about salaries and wages, health benefits, retirement benefits, advancement opportunities, and corporate culture. But only one-third of responding employers and approximately 36 percent of employee respondents strongly believe that their companies' communications about these areas educate employees effectively. They say these communications are usually too jargon-y and confusing and don't clarify what the information really means to them.
"Employees also don't believe their time is being valued when they get so much nonessential communication."
How the subject affects them.
What employees need to do differently.
Where employees can go to take action or get help.
"This is tricky because employees don't want information too early before the time they need to use it, but they don't want surprises, either. If you answer these things, you'll go a long way toward improving the effectiveness of your communications."
(Really) know your employees. Demographics provide insights to who your audience really is. "Often, the people who have to approve our messages don't communicate the way employees want to be communicated with." So, it's important to assess employee groups' needs and preferences [and] to provide information to these groups in the format they want to access it within the time frame they will most need it, she said.
Convey a single concept. "What is the one thing they need to know or do? Stick to that single message."
Make access easy. "Make sure our communications help people get to where they need to go with the help of their preferred printed or online tools."
Be visual. Unfortunately, people don't read, Davis said, so long textual documents full of details aren't effective. "Instead, use visuals that help employees scan documents and skim text. You'll be much more likely to get their attention."
Stay short and sweet. Enough said.
Theresa Minton-Eversole is a manager/editor for SHRM Online.


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DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the Kennedy Center
Contact Us Home What We Offer News & Announcements Announcements DeVos Institute Welcomes New Class of Fellows
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DeVos Institute Welcomes New Class of Fellows
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the University of Maryland welcomes a new class of seven arts managers to its Fellowship program. These seven Fellows will join 12 managers returning for their second and third years in the program.
Next month, the 19 arts managers from ten countries will participate in the Institute's highly competitive Fellowship program that provides practical training in arts administration. The class will be in residence in Washington, D.C. and College Park, Maryland for a month-long arts management intensive led by DeVos Institute executives, consultants, and experts from the field. The Fellowship is a three-year program. Fellows beginning their first year will return for one month in both 2020 and 2021; Fellows in their second year will return for a third time in 2020 to complete the Fellowship; and Fellows in their third year will complete their final year in 2019.
This year's seven fellows represent fewer than 3% of applicants. Biographies of the Institute's Fellows are here.
The Fellowship program provides:
Intensive practical training in nonprofit arts management, finance, planning, fundraising, board management, and marketing;
Access to leaders of cultural institutions from throughout the United States, including site visits to select institutions; and
Personalized mentoring, both during and between the month-long residencies.
The Institute's core beliefs can be found here. To date, the Institute's Fellowship program has served over 250 arts managers from 56 countries. DeVos Institute Chairman Michael M. Kaiser launched the Fellowship program in 2001 during his tenure as President of the Kennedy Center. In 2008, the Institute introduced the current, intensive model of one month in residence each summer for three years and transitioned to the University of Maryland from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2014.
The DeVos Institute's Fellowship program is made possible with the support of the University of Maryland.
DeVos Institute Welcomes New Class Fellowship Cohort
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 410 Washington, DC 20004 P: 301.314.0963
© 2015 University of Maryland. All rights reserved.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Impact Assessments
EU Referendum: "pettifogging regulation"
Richard North, 21/05/2016
Follow @eureferendum
Returning to Jeremy Paxman's documentary on the EU from Thursday, one needs to remember not who he is, but what he is. Strip away the subject material and what he does for a living is broadcast. He's a professional broadcaster.
Now, if nothing else, broadcasting is an industry driven by standards - thousands of them. If all the standards for the pieces of kit used by the BBC (some it pictured above) were printed out, you'd have a stack of documents feet high. Yet Jeremy Paxman looks at a $25bn industry - the banana industry - which has one 13-page international standard, and calls it "pettifogging regulation"?
This is actually the measure not of the subject, but of the myopia of the man. In his little bubble, he probably doesn't even register all the kit around him in his workplace. This is "techie" stuff so far below his extremely generous pay grade that it will be invisible to him. That it might be standards-driven wouldn't even occur to someone who thinks that marketing standards for fruit and vegetables are something to be dismissed.
Yet, for those who can remember, there was a world without such standards – the one I recall as a lad when the first-born was press-ganged into going with mum on the weekly shop to help carry the bags. There were no supermarkets then, so buying the week's supplies took most of Saturday morning queuing at the butchers, the baker, Sainsbury's (with a queue at each counter) and the greengrocer. I hated it.
But I still remember the greengrocer. Mum used to complain bitterly about the potatoes. Bought loose, by the time you'd scrubbed the mud off them, they were several ounces lighter. Machine damage was common, and you had to trim them generously to remove the spoiled areas. And then it was not at all uncommon to find one or more rotted potatoes.
At that time there were no consumer standards – only wholesale marketing rules, which came from the Agricultural Produce (Grading) (Potatoes) Regulations 1929. Even then, they wouldn't have been much use as the standard gave a "dirt and rot" tolerance of five percent. And farmers certainly made the most of it. At least five percent of the money you spent on that particular foodstuff went in the bin, and that was before peeling.
Latterly, we got the Agriculture and Horticulture Act 1964 which gave the Ministers powers to designate and define grades of quality in relation to any description of fresh horticultural produce.
These powers, though, were not to help the hard-pressed shopper. There was clearly a demand for them to apply to the retail product, as emerged from an exchange in the House of Lords in February 1967. Then, Labour peer Baroness Burton of Coventry asked whether the benefit of these grading provisions would "apply only to growers and wholesalers, or whether such grading will be available for shoppers to make selection in the shops".
For the Government, the Baroness Phillips, in response, confirmed that this was basically not consumer legislation. Its purpose was "to enable our growers to compete with imported produce" – an important facet of such standards.
This again is something the likes of Paxman and his fellow travellers would never understand. Bluntly, a lot of British farm produce was very poor quality. Having relied on scarcity and rationing – which had only recently been removed – farmers could unload any rubbish on the consumer, and often did.
As a result, the better quality imports which were then becoming available – marketed in accordance with rigid grading systems on the Continent - were taking market share. Imported goods were establishing a reputation for better quality, so much so that some UK enterprises conformed to their rules, calling their produce "export standard".
Interestingly, the disparity of standards was well known. In a debate in June 1962 on the EEC, initiated by Harold Wilson, Labour Member for East Ham, Albert Oram, observed that if we joined the Common Market, "our horticultural industry will probably suffer, but the consumer of those commodities will be better off".
"Imports", he said, "will come in from the Continent duty-free. Furthermore, if the horticultural industry has to pull up its socks and put its house in order in such matters as grading and packaging in order to compete with goods from the Continent the consumer will benefit still further".
Then, fast forwarding to February 1967, and back to Baroness Phillips, she gave a clue as to where things were heading. "I think that my noble friend may be heartened to know", she told Baroness Burton, "that the Government are watching the Common Market countries who are extending their regulations to the retail market to see how it works out". Thus, said Phillips, if at the end of the year if she cares to put down another question, "I may be able to give a more favourable reply".
In October 1967, Baroness Burton was back on the case complaining of the lack of a grading scheme, in a long and interesting debate.
Within the debate, Burton referred to recent standards introduced by the EEC and indeed in the previous year we had seen such delights as Regulation No 41/66/EEC of the Council of 29 March 1966 "laying down common quality standards for cabbages, Brussels sprouts and ribbed celery". How appropriate that one of the very first standards should cover Brussels sprouts.
But, as early as 1962, we'd had Regulation 58 "laying down common quality standards for certain products listed in Annex I B to Regulation No 23 on the progressive establishment of a common organisation of the market in fruit and vegetables". This covered spinach, witloof chicory, peas, beans, carrots, artichokes, table grapes, cherries and strawberries.
Nevertheless, the Government remained opposed to retail grading schemes – mainly on the grounds of cost – but offered Burton "one ray of hope" that Her Majesty's Government were keeping a close watch on the EEC schemes.
In 1969, however, questions were still being asked, this time from Alasdair Mackenzie, MP for Ross and Cromarty, and the Government was still refusing to implement a retail grading scheme.
Three years later all this changed, with the European Communities Bill, debated in the House of Commons on 15 February 1972. With UK entry was to come the Community fruit and vegetable grading scheme. This was finally introduced via the Grading of Horticultural Produce (Amendment) Regulations 1973, subsequently amended by the 1983 Regulations.
But, as can be inferred from this debate in 1981, the writing had been on the wall since the mid-sixties. The moment the EEC countries started grading, and thereby driving up standards, the UK growers were going to have to conform. And there was no question that, from the competition on quality and price, the consumer gained. So, eventually, did the growers, when they were finally able to meet quality standards.
Bringing this right up to date, this is what the Single Market is all about – a Common Regulatory Area, where all commercial enterprises adopt the same standards. And while, we didn't need to sign up to the federalist, supranational agenda in order get a Europe-wide system of grading apples, potatoes, cucumbers (and Brussels sprouts), leaving the political construct of the EU does not necessitate abandoning such a system.
In fact, the idea that, on leaving the EU, we would revert, say, to the original grading system is absurd. Equally absurd would be adopting two-tier regulation with a lighter touch for our domestic market. As we were seeing in the 60s and 70s, all that would happen is that our competitors' higher standards would win them market share. In order to compete, our producers would be forced to accept the higher standard "voluntarily". There are no savings to be made from that "bonfire of regulations".
However, things have changed. The fruit and vegetable standards have now migrated upwards. They no longer originate from Brussels but from Geneva (UNECE) and Codex (Rome). And, as globalisation increasingly takes effect, the whole Single Market will also migrate – to global level. Free from the grip of the EU, we will be able to follow.
Transition is not going to be immediate – it cannot be. But this is the direction of travel. For the time being, we can tolerate the sub-optimal EEA membership until we have built the global market. What we can't do yet is walk away from the European Single Market, not until arrangements are in place.
And, come what may, we're not going to see the end of that "pettifogging regulation". But then, Mr Paxman's broadcasting workplace wouldn't work quite so well if we did. How then could he make vacuous programmes about cucumber regulations?
Brexit: making mistakes
Brexit: Barnier's wish list
Brexit: blast from the past
Brexit: a dose of economic reality
Brexit: the end of the beginning
Brexit: bullshit for breakfast
Brexit: nemesis foretold
Brexit: restating the position
Brexit: stupidity unchained
Brexit: in the hands of Congress
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Defence of the Realm
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Leave the EU
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UK Unleashed
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Bring playtime to life with Cookie My Playful Pup.
Imagine all the best bits of having a puppy, like the playing, cuddling and friendship, but with no chewed furniture, doggy smells or 'little presents' left in the hallway.
Cookie My Playful Pup is the perfect 'pet' and as close to the real thing as you can get. She barks and wags her tail when you stroke her, replies in puppy speak when you tell her she's been good and moves her head towards you when you squeak her toy bone.
She can be posed sitting up or lying down, and if you put the bone to her mouth and she'll give it a good old chew.
Cookie My Playful Pup measures 35cm tall and requires four C batteries, which are included.


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« Olga Bell: Origin/Outcome at Walker Art Center (preview) | Main | VidZone »
It was all yellow!
"Look at the stars, look how they shine for you and everything you do. Yeah, they were all yellow." - Coldplay
Read more Going for Gold.
Yellow Ostrich
Yellow Ostrich just premiered their video for "Ghost" on Stereogum. You can also download the free MP3 of "Ghost" at yellowostrich.com. "Ghost" is the title track from the band's recent 6-track EP. …
yellowostrich.com
New York's Yellow Ostrich will be heading out on tour this March in support of their latest album, Cosmos (due out Feb. 25 on Barsuk Records).
As a special preview, the band will be playing a private show in New York tomorrow, which W♥M will be covering, so stay tuned for a writeup and some photos.
Yellow Ostrich's tour dates:
02/27 Allston MA - Great Scott
03/03 Washington DC - DC9
03/04 Raleigh NC - Kings
03/05 Atlanta GA - The Earl
03/06 Nashville TN - The High Watt
03/07 Birmingham AL - The Bottletree
03/08 New Orleans LA - Circle Bar
03/09 Houston TX - Fitzgerald's
03/15 Scottsdale AZ - Pub Rock Live
03/16 San Diego CA - Casbah
03/18 Los Angeles CA - The Echo
03/19 San Francisco CA - Bottom of The Hill
03/21 Portland OR - Doug Fir Lounge
03/22 Seattle WA - Barboza
03/23 Vancouver BC - Media Club
03/25 Salt Lake City UT - Urban Lounge
03/26 Denver CO - Hi Dive
03/28 St. Paul MN - Turf Club
03/29 Madison WI - High Noon Saloon
03/30 Milwaukee WI - Turner Hall
03/31 Chicago IL - Schubas
04/01 Indianapolis IN - Do317 Lounge
04/03 Philadelphia PA - Boot & Saddle
04/04 New York NY - Bowery Ballroom
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (40th Anniversary)
Universal/Island
Blu-Ray Pure Audio
The Hurting never sounded so good. In the latest round of audiophile products, the Blu-Ray Pure Audio disc has surfaced as the new dominant format, with Tears for Fears seminal debut album, The Hurting, being part of …
eltonjohn.com
Elton John's breakthrough album, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, will be getting a special re-issue this March 25th, 2014. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road spent eight weeks at No.1 and went platinum seven times over in the U.S., thanks to the Marilyn Monroe song, "Candle in the Wind", dynamite "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting", and the c-c-c-catchy "Bennie and the Jets".
I already own the 30th Anniversary Edition of this record on Double CD + DVD set, and I thought that was the ultimate collection... but clearly I am wrong because this upcoming release is really the grandmaster ultimate edition.
The upcoming 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road will be available in a variety of formats - including that new so-called "HD Pure Audio Blu-Ray", which we just previously reviewed the new format.
It sounds really expensive, so I may have to sit out on this new box set of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (even though that 100-page book sounds so cool).
Collectors! Here is a complete list of formats for Goodbye Yellow Brick Road:
1. 1-CD set: 2014 CD remaster of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering from the original analogue tapes. Digital equivalent editions: Remaster, Mastered For iTunes, HD Edition
2. 2-CD set: 2014 CD remaster of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road as above, 9 cover versions, best of Live At Hammersmith CD Digital equivalent editions: Remaster, Mastered For iTunes
3. Five Disc CD/DVD box set: containing standard album, 9 cover version disc, single B-sides and bonus tracks, complete "Live At Hammersmith" CD, DVD of Bryan Forbes' 1973 film Elton John And Bernie Taupin Say Goodbye To Norma Jean and Other Things, and 100-page illustrated hardback book packed with rare photos, memorabilia and a new essay containing interviews with Elton John and Bernie Taupin). Digital editions for audio: Remaster, Mastered For iTunes
4. Standard 12" vinyl album. Mastered for vinyl by Doug Sax and Robert Hadley at The Mastering Lab, California. 180-gram audiophile quality vinyl with download card
5. Limited edition yellow vinyl available from store.eltonjohn.com
6. HD Pure Audio Blu-Ray album
Elton John is doing a ton of concert dates, but the one that I noticed right away is a long residency in Las Vegas at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace from 03/29/14 to 04/26/14. Don't live in Las Vegas, but still want to see the Rocket Man live? No problem! For two nights only in the U.S. on March 18 and March 26, 2014, CinemaLive.com, in association with Rocket Music Entertainment Group, Yamaha Entertainment Group of America and Universal Music Group will release a full concert in over 1,200 cinemas worldwide in over 40 countries.
YOUNG YELLER
youngyeller.com
Young Yeller (former Chrome Sparks keyboardist, Jesse Brickel) is from Brooklyn, and he has just released his self-titled debut album today (February 11th).
Young Yeller has been releasing music since 2011 with Make Me EP and steadily been working on his debut album. Expect him to play a few shows in support of the new release.
01. War
02. 1st Love
03. Drive Me Wild
04. 4 Tonight
05. Wait
06. Ol' Gibbous
07. Cut Me Open
08. U Would Go
09. It's Ok, It's Ok
10. If I Only Knew
11. 2nd Sun
12. I Walked
Posted at 06:46 PM in Coldplay, Elton John, Going for Gold, Vu, Yellow Ostrich, Young Yeller | Permalink


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Mum sheds incredible eight stone following husband's motorbike accident
Mum-of-three Emma McMahon piled on the pounds while looking after her husband after he was involved in a serious accident
Sophie Brownson
Nisha Mal
The turning point came in October 2019 when a friend told Emma she had nominated the family (Image: Emma McMahon)
A mum found her life completely changed when her husband got into a serious motorbike accident.
Emma McMahon spent 10 years caring for her husband Nick, who suffered a severe brain injury after his crash in 2011.
The 43-year-old looked to food as comfort in order to cope.
As her weight spiraled she found herself feeling sluggish and miserable, Chronicle Live reports.
"Nick was in hospital for nine weeks and our boys were just one and six at the time," Emma said.
"The constant juggling of hospital visits, school runs, trying to keep on top of housework and sorting out finances, meant I swung between not eating at all and gorging on high sugar snacks to keep me going.
"I thought things would get easier when Nick got home but it actually got harder.
"He developed epilepsy after the accident and the seizures were uncontrolled and scary, often resulting in a blue light ambulance trip to hospital.
"On a bad day, he'd be like a dementia sufferer, asking the same questions over and over and saying things like, "excuse me, I don't know where I am," when we were just at home.
"It was soul-destroying, especially when he couldn't remember my name."
Quality Street, Roses, Heroes and Celebrations - which is the best value?
New mum stunned after baby is born inside out
Emma, who is mum to Connor, 17, and Ryan, 11, continued: "You realise how important memories are when someone you love doesn't have one anymore and I put all my effort into creating memories for our boys as they grew up.
"I started a blog, 'Making Memories For 3 Out Of 4 of Us', and took hundreds of photos of our precious family time but when I look back it's like I wasn't even there.
"My ever-increasing weight meant I was always behind the camera, never in front.
"I used to tell the boys I didn't like rollercoasters or trampolines, but the truth was I was frightened I wouldn't fit on a ride or I'd break the trampoline."
The turning point came in October 2019 when a friend told Emma she had nominated the family to win a holiday to Florida on Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway.
The former bank manager was horrified at the thought of how she might look on TV and decided to take back control of her eating, immediately joining Slimming World at St John's Church in Kingston Park.
Two years later, Emma has shed an incredible 8st 3.5lb and gone from weighing 21st 7lb and a size 24 to a 13st 3.5lb and is a healthy size 12-14.
Emma McMahon before and after her 8st weight loss
"I was constantly tired, sluggish, stressed, miserable, and full of self-pity before I lost weight," she said.
"I didn't eat proper meals myself, despite making sure the rest of the family ate well.
"Some days I spent hours and hours at the hospital so I survived on chocolate and crisps."
She continued: "Losing weight can seem hard, but so is being overweight and unhappy with yourself.
"Of course, the pandemic hit in March 2020 and the trip to Florida was cancelled, but by that point, I had already lost three stone and there was no way I was going to stop.
"I am much happier and more positive than I used to be.
"I can join in the family fun and feel like a better mum and role model.
"Nick's medications have been tweaked over time to mean things aren't as bad as they were in the first few years in terms of the frequency of his seizures, but I now have the tools to cope if we do have a bad day, like going for a walk instead of eating.
"I'm now in every photo, I'm on every ride with the boys, and I'm loving life."
Diet before
Breakfast: White toast with butter
Lunch: Cheese sandwich with crisps
Dinner: Pizza or pasta
Snacks: Chocolate
Diet after
Breakfast: Cereal or fruit with yogurt and muesli
Lunch: Jacket potato and salad
Dinner: Bolognese
Snacks: Banana
Mum halves her dress size after Christmas party photos left her 'traumatised'
Mum who relied on food banks now runs a £100k a year venture as a business coach


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In Author, Cary Ginell
"Blue/Orange" Blurs Reality & Madness In Tense Trialogue Play
The cast of "Blue/Orange" - from left: Emmanuel Odaibo, Brian Kolb, Brian Robert Harris (photo by Joe Orrego)
In British playwright Joe Penhall's Blue/Orange, Christopher is a patient in a London psychiatric hospital who has been admitted under a "Section 2" for what has been diagnosed as a "borderline personality disorder." A Section 2 is a directive allowing for analysis for 28 days, after which a final determination is to be decided upon to indicate whether a patient should be indefinitely detained under the Mental Health Act. Christopher's psychiatrist, Bruce Flaherty, believes Christopher to be a paranoid schizophrenic, his condition lying somewhere between neurotic and psychotic, and should be kept under observation for further study, but Robert Smith, the hospital's "senior consultant," wants Christopher released for strictly bureaucratic reasons.
This sets up a trialogue in a play whose motivation is conflict – both internal and external – between the three characters, setting up an emotional climax that causes the audience to wonder whether all three need to be committed. The play, which is directed by Tom Eubanks, is being staged by the new Beacon Theater Company at the NAMBA Performing Arts Space in downtown Ventura through July 28.
Brian Robert Harris plays Bruce, a role that is custom-made for Harris' knack for playing emotionally volatile characters. Bruce doesn't start out that way. Initially, he appears to be calm, analytical, and empathetic towards his patient, but when Robert, played by Brian Kolb, enters and urges Bruce to discharge Christopher, things begin to get heated, and soon, the conflict is between the two doctors, especially when Christopher shocks them by claiming he is an illegitimate son of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.
Like Christopher's condition, Penhall's play is itself schizophrenic, balancing between drama and satire. Things take a turn for the strange when Christopher is handed an orange and tells Bruce that it is bright blue, leading him to conclude that Christopher is having issues perceiving reality. But Robert disagrees, stating "Technically, he's not that mentally ill," which Bruce views as an absurd notion. They begin having a discussion about what is normal and soon, Bruce is revealed to be the schizophrenic one in the explosive final scene.
We would side with Bruce if Christopher wasn't so likable and believable in his presumed delusion. In Emmanuel Odaibo's excellent portrayal, Christopher relates how he is terrified of the skinheads who mercilessly taunt him in his London neighborhood, but none of this fazes Robert, who sticks to his pragmatic view that Christopher should be released, accusing Bruce of "ethnocentric bias," insisting that Bruce wishes to "punish" Christopher because he is black. By the end of the play, one of the characters' futures remains in doubt, but it's not who you think it is.
(photo by Joe Orrego)
Performed on an empty stage with only a table, three chairs, and a bowl of oranges as props, the play forces the audience to concentrate on the characterizations. Harris, Odaibo, and Kolb are excellent in their portrayals and use the tempo and rhythm of their dialog to instigate an almost musical suite of conflict, rising and falling in intensity, ultimately reaching a frenzied crescendo in the final scene.
In the end, despite the overriding theme of prejudice, it's the imperfect world of psychiatry that takes a beating in Blue/Orange, giving rise to the question: How much of who we are is influenced by our environment and our upbringing, and can it intrude on our ability to objectively characterize the behavior of another? These and other questions brought up in this intriguing play will have you pondering your own behavior and biases as you make your way home.
A word of caution – herbal cigarettes are used during the performance, so those who object to smoke should be forewarned.
Blue/Orange plays at NAMBA Performing Arts Space, 47 S. Oak St. in Ventura, through July 28.
"Vanities" Traces Personality Traits…
In Author
"Vanities" Traces Personality Traits Through The Years
Director Larry Raben Discusses The…
Director Larry Raben Discusses The Timeliness And Timelessness Of "West Side Story"


House in Dream Hills, Orihuela Costa.
The immovable property of 83 sqm has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, living room with dining room, kitchen, terrace.
The garden has an area of 58 sqm, at the top of the house is a sunny solarium.
Housing estate with garden and swimming pool. Views overlooking the lake.


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Roger Hannigan Gilson / June 2, 2020
This is a roundup of coronavirus news and announcements from New York State and Hudson Valley and Catskills counties co-produced with The River Newsroom. The following is for Tuesday, June 2.
371,711 cases confirmed (941 new)
2,113,777 tests performed (49,952 new)
23,959 deaths (54 new)
3,331 hospitalizations (current)
999 ICU admissions
Across New York State and the nation, protests sparked by George Floyd's death at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department, and widespread police crackdowns on the protests, seized the news spotlight from the coronavirus pandemic over the weekend. Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has been relentlessly visible throughout the COVID-19 crisis, was oddly silent on Saturday night as protests raged in cities all over the state, even while mayhem and violence erupted mere blocks from the Governor's mansion in Albany. In Sunday's briefing, Cuomo gave a quick update on pandemic numbers and policy before shifting gears to a longer discussion of violence, racism, and police reform.
Phase Two of economic reopening got off to a rocky start on Friday in five of New York's 10 economic development regions. Local officials and businesses in the Southern Tier, Mohawk Valley, Finger Lakes, North Country, and Central New York had been expecting Phase One to start Friday morning, in accordance with state communication about the phased reopening. On Thursday afternoon, Cuomo apparently reversed course, saying in a WAMC radio interview that he was giving the data from the two-week Phase One period to experts for review, angering local officials who were caught flat-footed after telling businesses to prepare for a Friday opening. Early on Friday afternoon, Cuomo gave the green light to all five regions to enter Phase Two, setting off a flurry of hastily corrected county press releases.
State legislators convened last week, meeting both physically and virtually, to pass a suite of COVID-19-related legislation, including an extension of the lawsuit window for the Child Victims Act, a repeal of an 1845 law banning mask-wearing in public, and an expansion of price gouging law.
Announced by New York State on Monday and over the weekend:
In Monday's briefing, Cuomo announced that New York State had reached the lowest rate of test results coming back positive since the pandemic began, a metric that reflects both falling case counts and the expansion of testing access.
New York City will enter Phase One on June 8. The state is adding another 10 testing sites in hotspots near low-income and minority communities that have been heavily impacted by the pandemic.
Western New York will enter Phase Two on Tuesday, June 2, and the Capital Region on Wednesday, June 3.
Phase Two business guidance was posted on the state website on Friday, with the rollout of Phase Two in five upstate regions. Among the burning questions answered by the new information: Hairdressers and barbers can now practice in Phase Two regions, but they must get tested for COVID-19 at least once every 14 days.
Over the course of the pandemic, New York State has rolled out several new online tools and dashboards for public access to state coronavirus data. The latest, an "early monitoring dashboard" that went live on Friday, offers a more detailed look at historical data for each region on the metrics New York State is monitoring for phased reopening.
Dentists statewide can practice again as of Monday, June 1. The Department of Health has posted interim guidance for dentists on the state website.
On Saturday, Cuomo signed a law passed by the state legislature that provides death benefits to the families of public workers who died of COVID-19.
Rate of active cases per 10,000 residents, drawn from the latest county data. Active case data unavailable for Rockland and Orange counties.
LOWER HUDSON VALLEY
County coronavirus pages: Rockland, Westchester, Putnam
Westchester County executive George Latimer, who has been giving video updates on the pandemic and local case counts almost daily, switched focus in Monday's address to the killing of George Floyd and the protests, announcing a working group of county officials, local police officers, activists, advocates, and clergy to review policing procedures and look for opportunities for reform. Latimer minced no words in his speech: "George Floyd was murdered," he said. "If you want to understand what happened in that moment, place your fist underneath your chin, along your neckline. Take your other hand and press it alongside your face. Imagine it's rough asphalt pavement. The slight pressure of your fist shows you how much pain could be created by an athletic man placing his full weight through his boot, onto your neck. You would gasp for air. You might call out your mother's name in agony. And against that asphalt payment you would die."
The union representing conductors and engineers on Metro-North trains wrote a letter to Metro-North president Catherine Rinaldi Friday urging the commuter rail service to return to a full schedule so riders could socially distance. Ridership was down more than 90 percent at the pandemic's peak, and the Metro Transit Authority cut service, but more people are taking the trains as the state begins to reopen. Some trains were added last week, but not enough, according to the union. A Metro-North spokesperson suggested the letter was prompted by union members' overtime being cut during the pandemic.
Eleven deaths were added to Rockland County's COVID-19 dashboard this afternoon, but they don't indicate a sudden spike, according to Dr. Laura Carbone, the county's chief medical examiner. Rather, the deaths took place between 1-2 months ago, but were just recently reported to the Rockland County Medical Examiner's Office.
Cold Spring residents are getting more involved in village government, and the catalyst is the people thronging the streets who aren't wearing masks. More than 30 residents attended a virtual village board conference on May 21 in which a handful of measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 as the village reopens were discussed. The Highlands Current has the details.
The Putnam County Office for Senior Resources will distribute washable cotton face coverings to senior citizens this Friday, June 5, and Monday, June 8, from noon to 2pm, at four locations: Carmel Friendship Center, Koehler Senior Center, Putnam Valley Senior Center, and Friendship Center in Philipstown.
MID-HUDSON VALLEY
County coronavirus pages: Orange, Dutchess, Ulster, Columbia
The Highlands Current held a 45-minute interview with Dutchess County executive Marc Molinaro about the county's reopening and other pandemic topics. He told the paper the downward trend of COVID-19 cases in the region may slacken, which would necessitate going through the reopening phases more slowly, but he did not foresee a spike that would force a reversal. Molinaro called the regional control rooms "a bit of a farce," and said they were more of a monitoring committee, and one that sometimes did not get forewarned about state decisions until after the fact.
The Dutchess County Human Rights Commission and the Poughkeepsie Healthy Black and Latinx Coalition are hosting a pair of virtual community wellness and mental health forums, one in English at 3:30pm on Tuesday, June 2, and one in Spanish at 3:30pm on Thursday, June 4.
Ulster County entered Phase Two of its financial stabilization plan Monday, cutting $10 million in operational costs to make up for the huge hit the county budget took from the coronavirus shutdowns. Phase Two includes leaving vacant positions unfilled, delaying capital projects, asking department heads to cut budgets 10 percent, and making some "relatively minor" reductions in contracts. It also leaves open the possibility of digging into the county's $24 million fund balance, but county executive Pat Ryan said he was trying to avoid this. There have been no layoffs, though 35 employees so far have accepted buyouts. Phase Three, which includes streamlining services and sharing services with other municipalities, could be implemented without direct federal aid. Ryan said increasing property taxes was the county's "last resort."
The Ulster County Fair, scheduled for early August, has been canceled until next year. And over in Saugerties, the annual Fourth of July parade will have no marchers this year.
The Mohonk Mountain House announced it would begin having overnight guests again on Monday, June 15, while the Pine Ridge Dude Ranch in Kerhonkson said it would welcome guests back beginning Wednesday, July 1. According to the Daily Freeman, both resorts are taking reservations, though representatives said they would be operating at reduced capacity.
About 300 people attended a George Floyd rally in Hudson on Sunday afternoon, organized by Kamal Johnson, the first African-American mayor in the city's nearly 240-year history. Photographs from the rally showed nearly everyone wearing facemasks. Activists, as well as two local police chiefs, spoke at the rally, and Johnson urged nonviolence and for everyone to be inside by 8:30pm. Though Johnson did not impose a curfew like Albany and dozens of other cities around the US, there was no unrest or property damage reported.
Hudson Brewing Company had its liquor license suspended and was cited for several violations under New York State on PAUSE after undercover State Liquor Authority agents found 27 people being served drinks and hanging out inside and outside the small brewery. The brewery had previously been warned by Hudson mayor Johnson and Hudson's police chief.
Newburgh tattoo parlor owner Rob Minuta reopened his shop on Broadway Saturday morning in open defiance of New York State shutdown policy, drawing a rally of more than 100 supporters that included Stewart Rhodes, founder of the right-wing anti-government Oath Keepers. Rhodes told a Times Herald-Record reporter that he was first in line to get a tattoo from Minuta at Casa di Dolore.
County coronavirus pages: Sullivan, Delaware, Greene, Schoharie
The New York Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit seeking the release of medically vulnerable inmates from the Sullivan County Jail, listing Sullivan County sheriff Michael Schiff and the New York State acting commissioner of the Department of Correctional Services and Community Supervision as defendants, the Times Herald-Record reports. The jail has become a hotspot of infection; the paper reports that as of Saturday, 33 of the jail's 72 inmates had tested positive for COVID-19, and inmates named in the suit describe unsanitary conditions, no ability to wear masks or follow social distancing, and indifferent medical staff. "The dorm is a big death box," said one inmate being held on parole violation, who has contracted COVID-19.
The town of Thompson has decided not to open their YMCA children's day camp for the summer. "Every day we are learning new things about the COVID-19 virus and how it affects children and our community," supervisor William Rieber, Jr. wrote in a Facebook post.
Sullivan County will hold a Facebook Live town hall at 1pm on Thursday, June 4, featuring county Commissioner of Jurors George Cooke, who will speak about the local court system. Residents can email questions for Cooke and other county officials to sctownhall@co.sullivan.ny.us by 7am on Thursday. The county is also urging residents to fill out an online survey about their childcare needs.
The Cairo-Durham Central School District announced in a Facebook post on Friday that a company it and other school districts are working with to mail absentee ballots to voters is dealing with supply shortages, and ballots have been delayed. The ballots will be delivered to voters this week, school officials said. School board and budget elections will be held by mail on Tuesday, June 9, and all ballots must be received back by the district on the day of the election in order to be counted.
Schoharie County has the lowest case rate in the 11-county Catskills and Hudson Valley region we are tracking, both per capita and by raw numbers, and in recent weeks, few new cases have turned up in the county. But on May 29, New York State reported a new positive test in the county. The Schoharie County Department of Health, which stopped making local COVID-19 case updates available on the county website in early May and is now only posting them on Facebook, has not posted a new update since May 20.
Cumulative cases per 10,000 residents in each county, drawn from New York State's data of cases found the previous day.
The River has a guide on where, how, and when to get tested for the coronavirus in the Hudson Valley and Catskills. We also have a regularly updated list of resources on our website. To read more of our daily news roundups, visit our coronavirus page.
The River and The Other Hudson Valley are collaborating with WGXC to announce these updates over the air. To listen, tune in to 90.7 FM at midnight, 5am, 7am, or 9am, or visit the audio archive online.
June 2, 2020 in Briefs, COVID-19. Tags: government, health
← COVID-19 Update – 'Freedom Rally' Planned in Newburgh, Cuomo Casts Confusion Over Phase 2 Reopenings
COVID-19 Update – Protests Complicate Pandemic Recovery →


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Education Index Persuasive Essay on Bullying
Persuasive Essay on Bullying
When someone thinks of school, they think about classes, friends, and books. They think about the minor struggles of drama and studying for next week's big test. For them, school is just school. It's something that has just become a part of life, not good or bad. For victims of bullying, school is a living nightmare. School is harassment, and pain, and a whole series of struggles too much for the normal person to comprehend. Schools have created this image of "normal" that many people strive to fit into. But when there is someone who cannot fit in, no matter how hard they try, due to things like epilepsy or obesity, they get deemed an outsider. People don't seem to understand the struggles of being different, so instead of being nice to …show more content…
2 2012). Bullying is a chain reaction, and once is has been started, stopping it is very difficult. Telling on a bully will usually not help, but anger them and make it worse. Eventually, the victim will despise coming to school, and will do almost anything to get out of it. Sutton says "more than 160,000 kids nationwide will stay home from school everyday to avoid bullying…some fake illness to get out of school altogether, where they are taunted and attacked in the schoolyard" (Sutton p.4 2012). Bullying can be harmful towards ones school life because it may cause them to skip out of school and lack important learning abilities. It goes unnoticed for the most part because bullies are familiar with ways on manipulating people to do what they want. They can make people keep a secret if they want, which would help them in most cases. But some schools are doing their best to stand up to bullying. Education Minister Martin Dixon launched a $4 million anti-bullying campaign called "Bully Stoppers". It provides advice and recourses to help schools, students, and parents tackle bullying.
Matt Dickenson says "Suicide is the third leading cause of youth, and for every suicide there is more than 100 attempts. Over 14 percent of high school students have considered suicide, and almost 7 percent have attempted it" (Matt Dickenson, p.2 2010).
Persuasive essay - Love
so accepting of love when it is not in the form that they are familiar with, or is not demonstrated in ways that they think are proper. This can be easily seen in society's treatment of non-heterosexuals, especially in the cases of marriage laws, bullying by teens and young adults, and general homophobic attitudes in our culture. It is important that these situations be changed so that each and every person has the same rights and is not harshly and wrongly judged because of the sex of the person….
Smoking Ban Persuasive Essay
BACKGROUND INFORMATION For several decades, smoking remains one of the most common and most unhealthy of human habits. Smoking, specifically in public, had generally been regarded as a personal choice that bystanders had little control over. Now for the first time, the act of public smoking is becoming regulated, even restricted in many cities worldwide. The city of Columbia has recently implemented a ban on smoking in efforts to reduce the negative effects of smoking on employees and customers….
Minimum Wage Persuasive Essay
Randy Oczkowski Mrs. Kenny March 25, 2013 Persuasive Essay $7.25 equals two gallons of gas, one fast food meal, or a simple school supply. With the minimum wage at the current rate you must work one hour to earn the seven dollars and twenty-five cents that only supply you with small necessities for everyday living. This problem was encountered before and was resolved with the agreement to higher the minimum wage from $5.85 to the current $7.25. Although that was a big increase in salaries….
Cloning Persuasive Essay
What was once thought to be the content of fiction novels and comic books is now being fully explored and realized in the cutting edge world of modern science. Scientists now possess the necessary capabilities and technology to make the process of human cloning a reality. While this is a controversial and rather sensitive topic, cloning is an innovative practice that has the potential to vastly improve the lives of unlimited amounts of people. Although cloning may prove to be a useful remedy for….
School Uniforms Persuasive Essay
aspects of people that are unaffected by uniforms ,which, bullies can use to bully them. It might be their hair or skin color, or the culture they're from that causes the bullying. For example, students might get made fun of because of their race or the stereotypes that applies to them. Uniforms won't protect students from bullying because clothing isn't the only thing that bullies look at. School uniforms can help improve the feeling of unity within schools, but pride in one's school is dependent….
Flag Burning - a Persuasive Essay
Name Professor Class Date Freedom of Speech: Flag Burning Flag burning has been one of the most controversial forms of nonviolent protests. It is often linked with the Middle East and Hezbollah with depictions of Arabs against President Bush burning the American flag. Americans are intimidated and threatened by this action, but that does not make it illegal. Supreme Court rulings have upheld that peaceful flag desecration is a form of political speech that should be protected by our Constitution….
Bullying Argumentative essay
Writing Argumentative Essay 25 November 2013 Bullying Have you ever seen or experienced bullying and the dramatic effects it has on its victims? Unfortunately nine out of every ten students have experienced bullying in school or online. Many people believe that bullying is a part of growing up and kids do not know any better. Bullies are intentionally causing mental and or physical damage to their victims, which will affect them for the rest of their lives. Bullying has shown that it can….
ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTION Bullying Behaviors Among US Youth Prevalence and Association With Psychosocial Adjustment Tonja R. Nansel, PhD Mary Overpeck, DrPH Ramani S. Pilla, PhD W. June Ruan, MA Bruce Simons-Morton, EdD, MPH Peter Scheidt, MD, MPH ULLYING AMONG SCHOOL-AGED youth is increasingly being recognized as an important problem affecting well-being and social functioning. While a certain amount of conflict and harassment is typical of youth peer relations, bullying presents a potentially more….
Persuasive Essay- Ipads in Kindergarten
Auburn Schools: Moving in the Right Direction In 2011, ten years after Maine began issuing laptops to all seventh graders, the Auburn School System launched an initiative to provide an iPad 2 for each of its students entering kindergarten. At a cost of roughly $200,000- representing a 5% increase in the school budget (Opinions Divided…) some taxpayers were less than pleased- calling it a complete waste of money. But in Auburn- and schools around the country- trends are emerging and showing the iPad….
Persuasive Essay for Pro Capital Punishment
Persuasive Essay Why Capital Punishment Should Remain in Effect Stefanie Ridgway DeVry University, ENGL 112 Professor Adams April 19, 2010 Capital punishment, otherwise known as the death penalty, has been effective tool in our country's justice system since its inception. When an inmate is given this, the harshest sentence available, it is always with just cause. Capital Punishment is an important tool in our criminal justice system today and there are several reasons it should remain….
Management-Case Study (Chapter 1)
Case Study Union and Auto Parts
Wedding Project Part I
Comparative Analysis of Toyota and Gm
Management Skills Learning & Development Plan
Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Theory


Around the House Renovations is not your typical home renovation company, and our story is quite different from what you'd expect. It started with Sebastian Schulz, a journeyman carpenter born in Germany migrating to Canada - bringing with him nothing but two suitcases, 11 years of carpentry experience, a lot of Germany efficiency and a mountain of work ethic. After acquiring permanent residence and establishing a legal, corporate entity in Canada, Sebastian was well on his way to success.
Within 2 years, Around the House Renovations had completed over 40 renovation projects in the Edmonton area for dozens of satisfied customers. The quality craftsmanship combined with personal service earned Around the House a reputation for reliability - and it's that reputation that has helped propel the company's growth. Operating mainly on a referral basis, Around the House maintains the capacity to take on renovation jobs in a cost and time-efficient manner by carefully selecting a team of reliable trades people for every facet of the job.
The keys to Sebastians success are no secret - he simply provides a quality service for a reasonable price, and works hard to get the job done. When you call Around the House Renos, you'll speak directly with Sebastian. He'll meet you in person and on-site to provide estimates for your renovation project. Estimates are guaranteed in writing followed by a strong German handshake.
Our experienced carpenters are masters of measurment with attention to every detail. From master bedroom headboards and wardrobe closets to kitchen and bathroom cabinetry, you can depend on us from start to finish.
Our tilesetters deliver perfect cuts and beautiful finishes for your kitchen and bathroom tile. We'll ensure the services are prepared properly, including flattening and leveling, and will set the tile creatively and with the strength to stand the tests of time.
Our qualified installers ensure precisely level and fully-functional bathroom and kitchen cabinets. Our installation services extend to just about any fixture in your home, including wall-units, garage shelving and storage racks.
Our certified plumbers ensure expert pluming and waterproofing for your kitchen and bathroom. We have experience in new plumbing projects (in unfinished basement bathroom applications, for example) and well as upgrade and retrofit applications.


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Please use the map to search car rental stations in Brummen. - You simply click your preferred car rental company in Brummen on the map. - The car rental station map also shows you rent a car companies around your area in Brummen.


A worthy release that does justice to Bong's terrific thriller. Hitchcock would be proud.
After giving free-floating dread a gargantuan, tentacled form in The Host, Bong Joon-ho returns to human-sized monsters in Mother. No less than the toxic leviathan in the director's previous hit, the film's middle-aged, unnamed matriarch (Kim Hye-ja) is a roiling force of nature when it comes to her mentally challenged adult son, Do-Joon (Won Bin). A small-town apothecary clerk with a bit of clandestine acupuncture on the side, she's introduced in a typically Bongian mixture of intensity and near-slapstick: Watching over her son while slicing herbs at the store counter, she rushes to his rescue after a hit-and-run accident and only later, almost as a second thought, notices that she's damn near cut off her finger. Her familial devotion turns even more extreme once a schoolgirl is found brutally murdered and Do-Joon is hauled to jail as the main suspect. Denied help by the authorities, she sets out to prove her son's innocence by herself; her amateur sleuthing peels back the village's skin to reveal a Twin Peaks season's worth of unwholesome secrets and anguished-promiscuous high schoolers, not to mention a glimpse into the heroine's own distorted maternal instincts.
Fellow Korean auteur Park Chan-wook would have wrung the Grand Guignol hell out of this plot, but Bong, back in Memories of Murder terrain, is less interested in shocks than in the synergy between the country's vast fields and the equally mysterious inner landscape of the dazed matriarch making her way across them. Her doting zeal may ultimately seem as monstrous as the crime that she investigates, yet, in its animal force, it towers over the nitwits, shysters, and sad Lolitas crowding the screen. Perversely, Bong views the character's escalating feelings through a filter of mordant irony, analyzing passion without sharing it; imagine watching Stella Dallas through a thick, bulletproof windshield, and you get a sense of the film's removed stance. As eccentric a take on genre as Bong's earlier subversions of the police procedural and the Godzilla smash-a-thon, Mother suffers somewhat from being a melodrama in which the strongest emotion stems from the director's absurdist scorn for his creations. Still, there's no denying the power of Kim's central performance, or Bong's tremendous stylistic control over the film's shifts in mood and gallery of dancing fools whose dark stories seem perpetually about to topple into farce.
An exactingly crafted thriller that gets at its heroine's psychology through off-kilter and softly surreal visual choices, Bong Joon-ho's Mother receives a fitting Blu-ray release. Colors pop, and Bong's precise compositions are rendered with near-constant sharpness. Dark scenes occasionally suffer from dips in resolution and clarity, but not frequently enough to detract too seriously. Audio is strong from start to finish, drawing attention to Bong's careful, suspense-enhancing sound design.
I think it's time to put to rest the practice of preceding a DVD menu with a series of unskippable movie trailers, an irritation in which the Mother Blu-ray frustratingly traffics. That aside, its collection of extras is a substantial but only mildly enlightening set of by-the-books production featurettes, which combine behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with production crew discussing the project and their relationships with their mothers.


When I was growing up, I would spend every Friday afternoon at my grandparents. It was a tradition for my family to get together every Friday and share a meal, splendidly prepared by my grandmother and gather at the weeks end. It was a sort of homecoming every single week, I always knew I would be picked up by my Opa (grandfather) at 3pm from school with my brother, driven to Petaluma (Im a Sonoma County Native) and the evening would culminate in a 6pm dinner (never later) prepared by my Oma (grandmother) with my family gathered around the table with the 6 o'clock news blaring in the background.
Not only did my Oma make an entire meal for at least 10 people, but she also made pies for dessert by scratch. I, to this day, have never in my lifetime tasted pies like hers. Although they were made with all the usual additions and renditions of not-so-great for you ingredients, they were in every way, divine.
This November, my grandmother joined my grandfather on the other side. In the beginning of November, before her passing, I decided to take on the feat of making a healthier version of her pie crust. I am not sure if it was my way of grieving for her (as she is the one in the family that shared my passion for baking) or another way to honor her while she was still alive but I felt that I just needed to do it.
So I tried, a few times, and I failed a few times. The first couple times I made a crust for a friendsgiving that came out okay, but it really wasn't up to par. Between the Friendsgiving and Thanksgiving, my grandmother passed. When I attempted to try the crust again the day before Thanksgiving, I felt her with me, guiding me along as I carefully put each ingredient together. Some may say it was my intuition, but something just seemed right about this version I was making, almost like it was being channeled through.
Either way, for my benefit (and yours) I finally mastered a healthier version of my beloved Oma's pie crust. There are some tweaks I may make along the way (don't worry, I will certainly updated the post if I do!) but for now, this version is pretty darn close.
Kitchenaid Mixer with Dough attachment or a bowl, a pastry cutter or fork to blend.
Blend the flours together evenly in a mixing bowl along with the monk fruit powder and the salt.
Scoop the vegetable shortening out of the container, trying to get as large pieces as possible. If you can get a large piece, the easiest way is to grate it (yes with a cheese grater) to create little pearls of fat for the crust. This step is imperative for how the crust comes together so making sure you slowly add as small-as-possible pieces of the cold shortening is ideal. If you cannot scoop a large piece out, just shave the top of the shortening with a spoon. This is by far the most difficult part as the shortening is very hard from being cold, have patience, and take some breaks if your hands need a break. If you are using a Kitchenaid Stand Mixer, you can put the machine on a mid-speed to aid in blending. If you are making this by hand, begin to cut the dough with the pastry cutter or a fork in between adding the shortening.
About halfway in with the shortening, begin to add a little cold water. I would say perhaps a tsp at a time, but not too much, allow for the dough to mix together. Asses, use your intuition (yes for me, baking is very intuitive and Oma never used recipes) and gauge if you need more. Keep cold water on hand just in case.
Continue to add the rest of the fat (feel free to use more if needed but not too much) to get the dough to combine. Once the dough looks crumbly in form, add the eggs and mix.
The dough should begin to form in the stand mixer almost immediately, but if you need to use your hands please do so. Also if you need to add more cold water to get the dough to stick, do so 1/2tsp at a time.
The dough should be slightly yellow in color and malleable, not crumbling in your hands. If it is, add more fat or water to get it to stick. The key to pie crust is for the ingredients to be cold, so make sure everything still is and if not, refrigerate and come back.
Once the dough has formed, divide the dough into two even rounds, cover them in plastic wrap (or beeswax wrap if you have it) and refrigerate for at least 20 min.
This recipe will make two pie portions of crust, so you can make two open pies (such as pumpkin) or one full pie with a top and bottom crust.
2 Pinches of Monk Fruit Powder or more to taste-don't go overboard, this stuff is extremely strong, you can also use the extract or stevia if thats what you have.
Combine all ingredients into a blender to combine. Test the mix to see if its sweet enough for your taste, add more sweetener of choice if it's not.
Roll out one of the rounds of dough between two sheets of parchment or wax paper. Put the pie dish upside down on the rolled out dough and flip the dough into the pie dish, or you can simply press the dough into the pie dish as well and skip the rolling.
Form the crust with your hands, either making a shape or a simple crust. With a fork poke holes in the bottom of the crust to release the air pockets. Any extra dough can be rolled out to create cut outs for decoration or simply toss or bake alongside the pie for a snack.
Bake the crust at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 5-10 minutes or until its just turns a light golden brown.
Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Combine 1 egg with 2 tsp of water for an egg wash (optional but turns the pie a golden brown) and wash the pre-baked pie crust and any unbaked cut outs (like the moons above) with it as well.
Pour the Pumpkin Puree from the blender into the pie dish with the pre-baked crust. If you have dough cut outs place them gently on top of the pie so as they do not sink in. With the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, bake the pie(s) for 45-50 minutes or until the pie does not jiggle or wiggle when moved. You can also stick a toothpick in the center, there will still be some pumpkin puree on the toothpick, but not that much when it is done.
Whipping up some coco whipped cream would be absolutely splendid to enjoy with the pie as well.


Save Your Clothing From the Landfill: Mend. Tailor. Swap.
I'm not even going to think about throwing my closet monsters away, and you shouldn't either. Instead, I'll be bringing all of these garments along with me to Patagonia SoHo on Saturday for the Ethical Writers Coalition's bi-annual swap! Join me and get your neglected clothing fixed & fitted, or just pass your items on to a new owner and a new life. You might even find awesome new pieces to fill out your fall wardrobe or a cool Halloween costume in the process!
Did I mention that there will be organic cocktails? Grab your ticket now to join in the sustainably-minded fun!


There's more than one good reason to stay at the Relais Saint-Germain when in Paris. But the first one is unbeatable: If you're a guest of the hotel you get a table at the Comptoir restaurant for sure – which is a thing Parisians have to wait for 8 months for – at least. And I'm not even exaggerating.
Regardless of the fact that Le Relais Saint Germain has become the headquarters of the international foodie scene, let's talk about the quality of the hotel. The Relais Saint Germain is a 22-room boutique hotel spread over three buildings in the very heart of Saint-Germain. The location is perfect, the atmosphere cosy and, believe me, the service will be outstanding. Imagine, the effort they're making in the hotel is on a par with what Mister Camdeborde is doing in the kitchen.
Camdeborde's wife, Claudine, decorated each room differently herself. But there's one thing common to all of them: You feel at home immediately. Most of the rooms are extremely spacious compared to other hotels in Paris of the same category. Two of them have a terrace. Some exude a Chateau-like atmosphere. Single rooms start at 220 €, doubles at 285.- €, 320.- € for a twin and 370.- € for a deluxe room.
The room that most people ask for is number 44, the suite called Alexandre Dumas (395.-€). And indeed, the decoration of this 40 square metre suite, inspired by Asian themes, is beautiful. A lot of people also ask for the suite with terrace (number 58, 440.-€). No wonder: in summer, you can enjoy a glass of wine looking down on the charming streets of Saint-Germain.
If a cosy atmosphere is not your cup of tea though, the Relais Saint-Germain will definitely not be for you. It's not the kind of hotel where you desperately look for the switch before you discover that it is so beautifully designed that you hardly can see it. If you're instead looking for an intimate atmosphere with the service of a luxury hotel, you'll be more than happy.
You'd better book a long time in advance.


Youth Work Unit - Yorkshire & Humberside » What is the Youth Work Unit?
The YWU was established in 1998 by the 15 Local Authorities who recognized that there was a benefit in working together, and with voluntary youth sector organisations, to share learning and practice and support developments; further that collaborative activities also brought savings and economies of scale.
Now we have a radically changed youth work landscape, financial cutbacks and the demise of national youth policy the YWU as a sector-led support body, now more than ever, aims to support youth work planners and providers in the region to maintain a quality youth work offer to young people as well as working with young people themselves so enable their voice and influence to be maximized locally, regionally and nationally.
The YWU is a charitable company, and works with member voluntary sector, Local Authority (LA) and private youth work providers, youth voice representatives, as well as with regional and national bodies.


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One year after Daesh defeat, Syria's Raqqa still in fear
One year after Daesh defeat, Syria's Raqqa still in fear /node/1389776/middle-east
Shops in Raqqa have reopened and traffic has returned to major roads, although choked by the impromptu checkpoints. (AFP)
Soldiers verify drivers' identity papers and carefully sift through lorry cargoes. (AFP)
While the nightmare of militant rule may be gone, most of the city still lies in ruins
'The war has worn us out. Us and our children. It has destroyed our future'
RAQQA, Syria: A year after a US-backed alliance of Syrian fighters drove the Daesh group from the northern city of Raqqa, traumatized civilians still live in fear of near-daily bombings.
"Every day we wake up to the sound of an explosion," said resident Khaled Al-Darwish.
"We're scared to send our children to school ... there's no security," he added.
The militants' brutal rule in Raqqa was brought to an end in October 2017 after a months-long ground offensive by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces supported by air strikes from a US-led coalition.
But despite manning roadblocks at every street corner, the SDF and the city's newly created Internal Security Forces are struggling to stem infiltration by Daesh sleeper cells.
At Raqqa's entrance, soldiers verify drivers' identity papers and carefully sift through lorry cargoes.
Inside the city, there are regular foot patrols and armored vehicles sit at strategic points.
Women wearing the niqab are asked to show their faces to female security members before entering public buildings.
"If there wasn't fear about a return of Daesh, there wouldn't be this increased military presence," said Darwish, a father of two, speaking near the infamous Paradise Square.
It was here that Daesh carried out decapitations and other brutal punishments, earning the intersection a new name — "the roundabout of hell."
While the nightmare of militant rule may be gone, most of the city still lies in ruins and there are near daily attacks on checkpoints and military vehicles, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Although a series of stinging defeats have cut Daesh's so-called caliphate down to desert hideouts, the militants still manage to hit beyond the patches of ground they overtly control.
Some Raqqa residents say the city's new security forces lack the expertise to cope.
"We are exhausted. Every day we don't know if we will die in a bomb explosion or if we will go home safe and sound," said Abu Younes, sitting in his supermarket near a roundabout not far from Paradise Square.
"There is no security — (the new security forces) on the roadblocks are not qualified and there is a lot of negligence," he complained.
"There are faults that enable Daesh to infiltrate the city easily and carry out attacks."
But despite the continued attacks, a semblance of normal life has returned to the city.
Shops have reopened and traffic has returned to major roads — albeit choked by the impromptu checkpoints.
In a public garden, children climb up a multi-colored slide and onto dilapidated swings as their mothers sit on nearby benches carefully keeping watch.
They are set amidst an apocalyptic backdrop of twisted metal and splayed balconies — the remnants of buildings torn apart by US-led coalition air raids.
Nearby, Ahmed Al-Mohammed pauses as he listens to music on his phone. Like others, he does not hide his disquiet.
"We're scared because of the presence of Daesh members in the city," the 28-year-old said.
"The security forces need to tighten their grip."
Ahmed Khalaf, who commands Raqqa's Internal Security Forces, defended the work of his men and claimed successes against the militants.
He said patrols are highly organized and that a "joint operation cell" had recently been established with coalition forces to monitor the city's security.
"Recently we arrested four (militants) — it was a cell that took part in attacks that terrorized the city," said Khalaf, sporting plain green fatigues.
"We are continuing our investigation to uncover the other cells," he added.
"Daesh's goal is to destroy the country and to not let anyone live in safety," he said.
Security and stability are what Najla Al-Ahmed wants most for her children.
"The nightmare of Daesh follows us everywhere — whenever we try to rest, explosions start up again," said the 36-year-old, as she shopped with her young ones.
"The war has worn us out. Us and our children. It has destroyed our future," she said.
Topics: Syria Raqqa Daesh
Retaken but not rebuilt: Syria's Raqqa a year after Daesh ouster
US-led coalition slammed over Raqqa civilian killings


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Explained: The controversy over Delhi's College of Art admissions
Explained: The controversy over Delhi's College of Art admissions
The College of Art has begun its admission process under Ambedkar University. How is it associated with Ambedkar University? Why is the announcement of admissions drawing criticism?
By: Express News Service , Edited by Explained Desk
Updated: May 19, 2022 12:09 IST
The College of Art (CoA), New Delhi. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
The College of Art (COA) has formally begun its admission process under Ambedkar University, drawing criticism from teachers and elected members of the Executive Council and Academic Council members.
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How did College of Art come to be associated with Ambedkar University?
The issue of the college's "de-affiliation" from Delhi University (DU) started in March 2021. The COA, which is fully funded by the Delhi government, has been affiliated with DU since its inception in 1942. Last March, the Delhi government announced that its cabinet had approved the merger of the college with Ambedkar University, which is a Delhi state university.
"The Delhi cabinet has… approved the merger of Delhi University's College of Arts, functioning under the Directorate of Training and Technical Education, and Delhi Institute of Heritage Research and Management (DIHRM) affiliated with GGSIP University functioning under the Directorate of Higher Education. Together they will now be part of Dr BR Ambedkar University," it had then said in a statement.
Admissions to the COA had not taken place in 2021-2022 because of this tussle.
Has Delhi University agreed to this merger?
The office of the Lieutenant Governor had given in-principle approval to the merger subject to its de-affiliation from DU. However, the Executive Council, DU's highest statutory body, had rejected the proposal for de-affiliation.
In April, DU VC Yogesh Singh said he had written to the College of Art asking it to conduct admissions as part of DU as it had done earlier.
Who has announced admissions to COA under Ambedkar University?
Last week, Ambedkar University issued a notification stating that the Delhi government had asked it to initiate admissions to the 2022-2023 academic year.
"With reference to letter… dated 28/01/2022 from the Govt of NCT of Delhi, Department of Training & Technical Education – Secretariat Branch, it has been stated in the letter to initiate the process of admission in Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) & Master of Fine Arts (MFA) courses in College of Art w.e.f. academic session 2022-23, as a part of Dr. B R Ambedkar University Delhi," said AUD Dean (Student Services) in the notification.
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What is the criticism of this announcement?
This week, 11 teachers including elected EC and AC members wrote to the vice-chancellor appealing for intervention by DU, stating that this move was a violation of the EC's decision.
You have updates
"Such an unfortunate action is in contravention of the Acts and Statutes of Delhi University and also violates the decision of the Executive Council which has duly rejected the de-affiliation of the College of Arts from Delhi University. It should be noted here that the Lt Governor has clearly ruled that any such step towards merger is subject to 'the de affiliation of College of Arts from Delhi University," they had written.
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Ambedkar Universitydelhi universityExpress Explained


How to move a button?
By copying here and there I've finally managed to recreate my beloved Google Reader look in tt-rss.
I only have one problem, and I can't seem to find the solution (sorry, I really don't understand much in coding): I would like to move the "Mark all read" button before the other buttons (see attached image).
Re: How to move a button?
there's something to be said for adaptability, and not clinging desperately to the dead past.
Well, it's clear, compact and simple. Of course I could survive with a different theme, but what's wrong in sticking with what's more familiar?
Anyway, I was interested in moving the button in order to learn something new. If it's too much to ask or too complicated to explain, just say so, it's not a big deal.
Thank you so much, this worked perfectly!
I didn't know items could be moved by editing the CSS... I thought the modifications had to be "deeper" inside the code. Very cool!
I second that. I too much prefer having the 'Mark as read' button on the left aka more toward the middle of the page in my _beloved_tt-rss_ reader. This bit of code does the trick. Thanks again @levito .
martywd wrote: I second that. I too much prefer having the 'Mark as read' button on the left aka more toward the middle of the page in my _beloved_tt-rss_ reader. This bit of code does the trick. Thanks again @levito .
Glad my taking the beating was useful to others too.


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Miss JA Kaci Fennell could be the next Bond Girl
by MaXfReZa | Jan 26, 2015 | Movies | 0 comments
Firstly, I'm a huge 007 James Bond fan! No other collection of movies get me more hyped than James Bond. James Bond is an icon for "sophisticated cool". He has smarts, muscle, gadgets and always gets the girl… what's not to like? He has a bit of a commitment complex (to put it lightly) but that never stops the next vixen or damsel from taking him on. Why? The reason is similar to the "philosophy of Batman"… The reason is because he's "Bond, James Bond". International man of mystery in the spy game.
Now that I've set the stage for you, the only thing that's matched with the awesomeness of James Bond and his toys is the epicness of the Bond Girl. Sadly the history of the protagonist (good girl role) Bond Girl has mostly been identified with a damsel in distress – While antagonist (bad girl role) Bond Girl's are consistently capable of doing major damage against the good guys. Thankfully, modern times have caught up with many recent iterations of the protagonist Bond Girl, who are more of a heroine who can kick butt. Here are a few notable Bond Girls who handled themselves 'like a boss':
The evocatively named Pussy Galore was an original Ian Fleming character from the novel. Ms. Galore ran a flying circus of female pilots, who were hired by Auric Goldfinger to fly over Fort Knox and gas the soldiers, so that Goldfinger could break in to the gold vault.
Jill Masterson was the scantly dressed girl who used binoculars and an ear piece to help Auric Goldfinger cheat at cards. Bond caught her at the game, and together they blackmailed Goldfinger into losing his money. After enjoying a few bottles of Dom Perignon with Bond, Masterson was killed by Goldfinger's henchman Oddjob, in revenge for her betrayal. Bond awoke to find her covered from head to toe in gold paint.
Helga Brandt was a SPECTRE henchwoman who pretended to fall in love with Bond and switch to his side, only to try and kill him the next morning. For failing to kill Bond, Brandt is killed by head of SPECTRE Blofeld, who drops her into a pool of piranha fish. Helga Brandt was very similar to prior Bond girl Fiona Volpe, as the producers tried to replicate their prior success.
May Day was the girlfriend of Max Zorin, and also worked for him as an assassin.May Day killed Bond's chauffeur, and tried to kill Bond on several occasions. Much later in the film, May Day realized that she had been double crossed by Zorin, who had left her to die in an explosion that would cause a flood in silicon valley. May Day joined teams with Bond to remove the bomb, and in doing so, met her death.
Pam Bouvier was a CIA freelancer pilot, and an informant against drug baron Franz Sanchez. Bond found her name on an informant list along with the time and place of her next meeting. He met her at a bar and escaped with her after Sanchez's henchman Dario showed up. Pam then flew Bond to Isthmus City to find Sanchez, and became his executive secretary as a cover.
Wai Lin was a Red Chinese agent, and had the same mission as Bond to investigate media magnate Elliot Carver. Carver had been suspected of causing tragic events so that he could get exclusive coverage on them and increase his ratings. Wai Lin was intelligent and worked more cleverly than Bond on several occasions. Eventually they teamed up together and stormed Carver's stealth ship.
Since Die Another Day was the 20th Bond film, and marked the 40th anniversary of the series, Jinx was introduced in the style of Honey Ryder, rising out of the sea in a bikini, with a hunting knife attached to her side. Jinx worked for the NSA and was assigned to kill Zao.
Camille Montes was a Bolivian agent who's family was murdered by General Medrano. She slept with Medrano's business acquaintance Dominic Greene to try and get close enough to Medrano to enact revenge. The plan failed and she was almost killed, so Camille teamed up with Bond to kill Medrano and Greene.
Pussy Galore – played by Honor Blackman in You Only Live Twice"
Jill Masterson – played by Shirley Eaton in "Goldfinger"
Helga Brandt – played by Karin Dor in "You Only Live Twice"
May Day – played by Grace Jones in "View To a Kill"
Pam Bouvier – played by Carel Lowell in "License to Kill"
Wai Lin – played by Michelle Yeoh in "Tomorrow Never Dies"
Jix – played by Halle Berry in "Die Another Day"
Camille Montes – played by Olga Kurylenko in "Quantum of Solace"
Source: 007JamesBond.com – List of All James Bond Girls
#2 (Jill Masterson) didn't put up much of a fight, but her golden body paint caused more buzz for this film than James Bond and Goldfinger combined – an epic moment in James Bond cinema.
Keep in mind that there are more than one Bond Girl in a single James Bond film, some are supporting characters who often die before the movie ends and others are co-stars like in the case of Halle Berry's Bond Girl, Jinx, in "Die Another Day".
What does this all have to do with the lovely Kaci Fennell? Everything. Kaci Fennel is the same Miss Jamaica from last nights "Miss Universe Pageant 2015". Call me biased for the Caribbean, but I think she was an incredible representative. Truth be told, some times I look around asking "Why did they send xyz to the Miss Universe Pageant?", don't laugh at me because you do it too. Kaci Fennell is far from being questioned about her legitimacy in this years' Miss Universe Pageant. Talk about presentation, physique, smarts, beauty and presence, just incredible… oh, she can cook too. I'm confident that no one else in the pageant matched Kaci's timeless beauty. That's why I'd like to personally nominate her as the next Bond Girl.
Am I the only one who thinks she could be a Bond Girl? Have you seen her? OMG! She's smoking. That's why I took the liberty of making an 'untitled' 007 James Bond poster mockup just to get your creative juices flowing. Maybe someone with 007 pull will see this blog post and seriously consider Kaci Fennell. Seriously, if Kaci Fennell isn't Bond Girl worthy, who is?
Source: MissUniverse.com – Miss Jamaica 2014 Kaci Fennell
Update: January 26, 2015