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What Is Talent Acquisition? Definition, Process, Strategies, and Best Practices
Chiradeep BasuMallick June 3, 2020 No Comments 6606 views
Talent acquisition is defined as an ongoing HR process to acquire skilled workers in alignment with a company's broader business goals, regardless of immediate vacancies.
A fierce hiring landscape and rising demand for highly skilled labor are changing the very definition of talent acquisition. Talent acquisition specialists have a challenging task ahead – how do you ensure that talent acquisition is an ongoing, continuously monitored activity? Could the latest tools and technologies simplify talent acquisition processes? In this primer, find out what talent acquisition is and the best practices for talent acquisition at your enterprise.
What Is Talent Acquisition for a Future-Focused Company?
Understanding the Talent Acquisition Process: 5 Steps Towards Success
Vital Talent Acquisition Strategies to Explore
4 Best Practices for Talent Acquisition
Streamlining Talent Acquisition with Technology: The Way Forward
Talent acquisition is defined as the process of developing a full-fledged strategy to attract and recruit top talent. It's important to note that talent acquisition and recruitment aren't synonymous. Recruitment is just one aspect of talent acquisition, that has to do with the selection and hiring of a candidate to fit a job vacancy. Talent acquisition, on the other hand, has a far broader ambit.
The definition of talent acquisition spans employer branding, recruitment marketing, the process of recruitment itself, which includes candidate relationship management, an onboarding plan that involves succession planning and talent development, and continuous strategic alignment with C-level goals.
Today, a talent acquisition strategy is critical for:
Identifying candidates who are likely to provide an excellent culture fit
Finding/Creating new roles if a compelling candidate is available in the market
Assessing passive candidates for possible roles in the organization
Positioning a company as a "preferred employer" to young professionals, building an uninterrupted talent pipeline
Importantly, the talent acquisition function doesn't just involve HR.
For example, stakeholders across marketing and sales, public relations, and learning and development all play a key role in helping a company attract and nurture top talent. As a result, large enterprises often dedicate a separate team to talent acquisition – independent of HR – comprising professionals with cross-disciplinary expertise in all these areas.
Now that the definition of talent acquisition is clear, let's break down the process into its five essential components.
The entire recruiting and talent acquisition process is undergoing a major upheaval with the changing preferences of the young workforce and the rising demand for cutting-edge skills – for example, cloud competencies, digital marketing, or artificial intelligence (AI). And proving this is the 2019 State of Talent Acquisition Report by Mettl reveals that 74% of companies surveyed are still struggling to hire top talent.
An essential best practice for talent acquisition managers today is to treat candidates like consumers. In other words, lessons from digital marketing can be instrumental when you're looking to build a robust talent acquisition function. Let's explore the talent acquisition process in this context.
Fig 1. Five steps that complete the talent acquisition process
1. Inbound marketing
As a talent acquisition manager, your goal is to attract the best talent out there without you actively seeking them out. This means building a strong employer brand, initiating recruitment marketing campaigns, and keeping an eye on inbound leads that will soon convert into hired employees.
To enable inbound recruiting in the talent acquisition process, create a smart recruitment website, encourage referrals, and leverage candidate-focused content to create an "employer brand" narrative.
2. Outbound marketing
Any successful brand leverages a smart mix of inbound and outbound marketing to acquire consumers. So you should be looking at social channels, paid job ads, and automated email campaigns to advertise for a job post actively. Use this step to ramp up your recruitment efforts with intelligent job descriptions. Together, inbound and outbound initiatives will generate many "leads" or applicants.
3. Filtering and selection
At this stage, talent acquisition diverges from regular marketing. You aren't looking to hire just anyone who wants to join the company. You will verify, screen, and assess a candidate's performance against various parameters. This includes:
Educational qualifications (though a lot of companies are pushing this to the backseat and placing priority on the next four parameters)
Skill set and domain expertise
Personality and work ethic
Career goals and alignment
Culture fit with the company's values
Culture is probably the most important for organizations now. For example, if your organization prioritizes regular work hours and physical attendance, a candidate with a history of remote working and flexible operations may not be a good fit, even though they bring the desired skill set to the table.
Learn More: Candidate Screening and Selection Process: The Complete Guide for 2020
4. Conversion and onboarding
The first three steps in the talent acquisition process lead to "converting" the applicant into a finalized hire. This is where the individual recruiter takes charge of the candidate experience and the candidate journey and negotiates salary, benefits, and other expectations.
However, if your talent acquisition strategy has helped in creating an attractive employer brand that's in sync with the applicant's professional targets, your applicant-to-recruit ratio will remain high.
A talent acquisition strategy also accounts for a strategic onboarding process, though this process is carried out by HR and immediate managers. The onboarding process involves preliminary training and continuous reviews for the first few weeks.
5. Continuous improvement
This is probably the most critical step of the process, ensuring your talent acquisition mechanism becomes more effective with every recruitment cycle. A recent Jobvite study found that 30% of new hires leave within 90 days of joining a company!
This means that regular reviews are necessary for this critical early period to sustain engagement. Also, the feedback gathered from "converted" applicants can offer insights into how to improve the hiring experience.
These five steps make up the talent acquisition process. Remember, this is a cyclical function – by its very definition, talent acquisition continues even if there are no open vacancies. Inbound marketing, brand building, and data reviews are ongoing processes that lead to the hiring of quality talent.
Let's now consider the top talent acquisition strategies that should be part of your HR blueprint.
So, what is a talent acquisition strategy? Talent acquisition strategies help you to address a variety of recruitment scenarios – here are the ones you should keep in mind:
1. Talent acquisition for bulk recruitment
Remember, hiring in bulk is significantly different from hiring for a single role. Not only do you have to ramp up your talent acquisition pipeline without increasing costs, but you also need to maintain the quality of every candidate.
A strategy for high-volume recruitment will involve candidate sourcing, using software to automate repetitive tasks (for example, resume processing, background verification, offer generation, etc.), and group surveys to obtain the data needed to make hiring decisions.
2. Hiring for strategic roles
Finding the right candidate for a senior position is always a challenge, as they cannot afford the initial "teething period" that's available to junior workers. From their very first day, senior recruits are meant to take the reins and steer the company towards success.
That's why you need a dedicated strategy for senior professionals, with entirely different rules of sourcing and engagement. It is a good idea to partner with leadership hiring agencies to meet such talent acquisition requirements.
3. Internal hiring strategy
Research finds that employee referrals are the most preferred talent acquisition mechanism, despite an explosion in the number of job boards and social recruiting sites. The reason for this is apparent – internally sourced candidates come pre-vetted in terms of personality and culture fit, markedly reducing the workload on talent acquisition managers.
A few best practices when building an internal talent acquisition strategy are gamification to encourage referrals, active endorsement seeking across the company, and a smart rewards program for those who refer potential employees.
4. Strategies for technical hires
With digital transformation placed as a formative force across enterprises, technical hires now need a dedicated talent acquisition strategy. This will rely more on skill tests and demonstrated assessments rather than on interviews and previous experience. Technical hires also demand a unique employer brand that intersects their skill set with a "larger sense of purpose."
With the right strategy, it is possible even for non-tech companies to lure tech talent from the FAANGs of the world. There are solutions designed specifically for technical hiring — for example, HackerRank, Codility, and CodinGame For Work.
Apart from this, you could also formulate talent acquisition strategies for temporary roles, external workers, and a host of other scenarios.
While every talent acquisition strategy is unique in its objectives and implementation, they have four best practices in common.
Fig 2. Four best practices that enable effective talent acquisition
1. Look for potential, not just for performance
Just because an applicant has displayed exemplary performance in an earlier position, it does not imply that the same holds for future roles.
For example, cross-disciplinary hires cannot be assessed on past performance. A tech professional transitioning from a software developer role into marketing must be interviewed to identify competencies for the new position, soft skills, and eagerness to learn.
2. Prioritize internal mobility
Some of your best talent will be sourced from referrals and internal hires. To craft a talent acquisition strategy that focuses on internal mobility, it is vital to have a robust cross-skilling program in place. Employees must be encouraged to pursue a career trajectory outside of their immediate professional ambit. Additionally, a gamified platform can help to encourage nominees both within and outside the organization.
Remember, internal referrals are a great way to obtain verification and pre-validate a candidate even before they enter the talent acquisition pipeline.
3. Rethink who falls under talent acquisition
Too often, talent acquisition is limited to employees on the company's direct payroll. However, several organizations regularly employ seasonal workers, hourly employees, and external consultants who operate on a project-to-project basis. These individuals can also be converted into full-time professionals in the organization.
Talent acquisition managers must keep these individuals in mind when defining their strategies.
4. Advertise strategically
And here's where talent acquisition differs from a typical recruitment pipeline – talent acquisition managers must intelligently advertise the employer brand to get the requisite applicants. This makes the choice of advertising platforms critical.
Direct your investments towards target groups based on the nature of talent you're trying to acquire – for example, tech talent – new products on the business roadmap for which you will require new skills and talent sources that have proved useful in the past.
These are some of the talent acquisition best practices to keep in mind when looking to hire the best-fit applicants out there. But a key focus that should form the core of your talent acquisition strategy is researching and selecting a robust talent acquisition platform.
Once you've read this definitive guide on what is talent acquisition, it's clear that manual efforts aren't enough. For example, key steps such as inbound and outbound marketing, data extraction, technical skill assessment, and recruitment marketing could be made far simpler with the timely intervention of intelligent technologies.
Some of the key tools to keep in mind in this regard are:
Social recruiting platforms like LinkedIn
Applicant tracking systems such as Greenhouse and Bullhorn
Predictive analytics to assess candidate-to-job role fitment
A conversational interface powered by candidate relationship management software for automated follow-ups
Scheduling tools to streamline the candidate experience
Fortunately, there are several solutions out there that help to simplify the entire talent acquisition process, with the timely intervention of technology and a flexible SaaS model.
A smart combination of the best-fit strategies and an acute understanding of talent acquisition best practices is the paving stone towards selecting software that's right for you. You may also consider the possibility of using multiple software for the talent acquisition process, starting with screening software such as AllyO, an interview software such as HireVue, a skills assessment platform such as Codility, an ATS, and a separate employer branding solution such as Glassdoor.
So, as you look at standing out in a tight labor market and attract the brightest talent, remember that the definition of talent acquisition is unique and perfectly fluid to meet the requirements of your organization.
What's required is a razor-sharp focus on individual necessities, coupled with a regular check-in on the latest winning ideas to arrive at a solution that is up to date, individualized, and effective.
Do you have a talent acquisition strategy in place for 2020? What are its central elements? Tell us on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter!
Candidate Sourcing	talent acquisitions
Chiradeep BasuMallick
Chiradeep is a content marketing professional with 8 Years+ experience in corporate communications, marketing content, brand management, and advertising.
Over the course of his tenure, hes worked on several big-ticket projects, led and trained a variety of teams, and been instrumental in driving delivery quality, timeline adherence, and talent harvesting.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Subhash Jewellers has a wide range of categories of jewellery. They have the right price on all their products unlike other stores which overcharge you. Salesman or saleswomen are good too and listen politely to all queries of the customer. They also make jewellery according to your suggested design. They also attend to many people at a time nicely. Reparing or fixing up of broken jewellery though takes days for them to fix.


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How to See Anonymous Viewers on Facebook Story and See Real Viewers
Robi September 12, 2020 3 min read
Like other social networks, Facebook also allows you to share stories, which have a specific duration, which is 24 hours, after that it will be automatically removed from the profile. On Facebook, we have privacy options, but when we upload a story as "public," and then when reviewing the "seen," you will realize that there are some "anonymous ". How to see anonymous viewers on a Facebook story
? We will explain it to you below.
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You should know that all the views that appear in your story that you have uploaded to Facebook and that appear as anonymous are from people who you do not have added to your social network but who did see your content. This is possible because they surely entered your profile and saw the stories you had uploaded without having to add yourself as a friend.
When we upload a public story, we cannot have control of all the users who will see it, that is why it is always advisable to have a kind of filter, this can be achieved by adding privacy to the publications, and thus we avoid having anonymous in the views of our Facebook stories.
To find out who the "anonymous" are, we have no option. Since they are hidden within the application, no method allows us or an application. Therefore we will only have to live with the curiosity of knowing who saw our history From Facebook.
You must use your social networks with privacy settings; this will prevent users. In this way, we can generate greater security in your Facebook account, avoiding some bad practices carried out by some Facebook users. Like when they create fake profiles with photos that belong to someone else.
On Facebook, you can perfectly know who has seen your stories. For this, once your story is published, you must first access via the Main Menu where it says "Your Story." Once in that option, you will be able to see who has seen your story unfold.
Facebook stories are uploaded to the network exactly as we upload stories in another social network; hence it is quite easy to become familiar with the procedure and check who has seen our stories.
To see exactly who has seen your stories, where you can find a blue point next to the number of views that story has had and the name of the person who saw it.
Recognizing the blue dot is quite simple since it was designed in the shape of an eye, so it graphically indicates that there is a count of visualizations of the stories. By clicking on the icon, you can see what we have just explained, and this includes both friends you have on Facebook and other people who have seen your story.
They should also know that if the privacy settings allow Messenger contacts, their respective contacts' names will appear below that list of Facebook friends.
Another important detail on this topic is that Facebook stories also allow for reactions, as happens with the content that we place in our timeline. We can see the reactions of our contacts according to the privacy settings we have chosen.
Any changes made to the privacy settings for stories will be automatically updated on both Facebook and Messenger. The settings can be chosen between Public, Facebook Friends and Messenger Connections, Facebook Friends Only, and Custom.
Likewise, all the videos and images we upload in our stories will appear simultaneously and automatically.
Tags: anonymous viewer facebook story
Next How to Recover Deleted Messages From Messenger
How to Recover Deleted Messages From Messenger
September 27, 2020 Robi

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Impressions by Staci Lynn Designs has become a huge passion of mine. When I got into the wedding industry I knew that I wanted to be able to offer my brides as much as I could. This is where Adorn came into play. Jewelry and Stationery have always been a huge passion of mine. With my passion for Monograms, Vinyl & Personalization I have now added another service to my clients; Impressions.
Impressions is a customization segment of my business that allows my clients the opportunity to provide customized gifts & favors to their loved ones. Each piece is handmade & custom ordered to fit your loved one. I strive to make my business accessible & affordable to my clients. Whether you have an upcoming wedding, party, special event or just a normal day where a friend needs a little cheering up; Impressions is here to help.
Right now we offer; Wedding Gifts, Canvas Totes, Tumblers, Mason Jars, Bachelorette Party T-Shirts, and so much more.
I have this idea but I am not sure if you can create it, what do I do?
Feel free to reach out to me. I am here to help. I always love new projects.
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Zobo (Zoborodo) is a Nigerian beverage made from dried Roselle plant flowers. The drink is also known as Roselle drink and called Sorrel drink in the Carribean.
Zobo has a sour taste so it can clash with sugars. This why I prefer to keep my Zobo drink as natural as possible hence I use only natural ingredients when preparing the drink. You may add artificial flavours and sweeteners such as Nutri-C and sugar if you wish.
The following are what I used to make 5 litres of Zobo drink. You can get more with the same quantity of ingredients depending on the concentration you want. If you will be using artificial flavours, you need to add more water.
Feel free to add any sliced citrus fruits of your choice: orange, lemon, lime.
Wash the dry Zobo leaves repeatedly in cold water. Zobo leaves are usually very dusty so make sure you wash off all the dust. It will seem like all the flavours/colour of the zobo are being washed off but don't worry, you will see that the dry zobo leaves still have a lot of the colour intact when you start boiling it.
Peel and cut the ginger and garlic into tiny pieces.
Put the washed zobo leaves into a deep pot.
Add the pineapples and pour enough water to cover the contents of the pot and then some.
Start cooking at medium to high heat and let it boil for 5 minutes.
Add the ginger and the garlic, add more water and keep boiling for at least 30 minutes. This is the time it will take for the zobo leaves to be completely soft and the pineapples tender.
Turn off the heat and set aside to cool down completely.
When cool, wringe out the juice from the pineapples and zobo leaves, leaving only the zobo juice in the pot.
Pour the juice through a sieve to take out the remaining large particles then pour it through a chiffon cloth to remove the tiniest particles.
Add any artificial flavours of your choice at this time and stir.
Pour into bottles and refrigerate.
Serve with ice and sliced fruits. Enjoy it on a hot sunny day with any Nigerian snack.


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London - PETA US has taken its fight against animal cruelty within the fashion industry to the boardroom. Following the initial public listing of outerwear company Canada Goose on the New York and Toronto Stock Exchange on Thursday morning, the animal welfare group invested 4,000 dollars (3236.8 pounds) in purchasing 230 shares in the company.
The move, which sees PETA acquiring the minimum number of shared needed to submit shareholder resolutions and attend the company's annual meetings, allows the group to call on the Canada Goose to make much needed policy changes concerning its use of coyote fur and geese down. As a shareholder in the company, PETA aims to bring in a shareholder resolution and ask them to stop using real fur, as well as down and feathers in their collections. "At the very least we would like to bring them to the negotiating table," said PETA spokesman Ben Williamson to CBC News.
At the moment the outerwear company continues to use coyote fur as a trim and lining for a number of its high-end parkas and jackets, as well as insulation made from goose and duck feathers, despite receiving regular compliments and facing protests from animal rights group like PETA. "Cruelty is part of every Canada Goose jacket trimmed with real fur and filled with real down", said PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk in a statement. "From holding demonstrations and taking resolutions to the boardroom to having people rip the fur from their collars and give their jackets to the homeless, PETA US is pushing the company to stop peddling parkas that cause immense pain and suffering to coyotes and geese."
Although coyotes are an invasive species in Canada, where the outerwear company sources its fur, the outdated metal traps used to capture the animals have been highlighted for their cruel and ineffective tactics to kill the animal caught. Coyotes have been known to chew through their own limbs in an attempt to escape, die from blood loss, infection or frostbite and are often trampled, beat or shot to death when trappers return to check their traps. In addition, other animals such as lynx, cats, dogs and birds, also known as "trash kills" are often accidentally crippled or killed by the same traps, according to PETA. The geese and ducks used for the down do not fare much better, as they are kept in crowded, dirty peds until they are killed.
Canada Goose maintains that although they believe all animals are entitled to human treatment in life and death and are committed to the responsible use and ethical sourcing of the animal materials used in its products, wearing fur is a personal choice. "We understand and respect that some people think animal products should never be used in any consumer products, however we do not share that view," said Canada Goose on its website. "We know that wearing fur is a personal choice and we respect that. In turn, we hope that people will respect our responsible use and ethical sourcing of fur."
This is not the first time PETA has acquired shares in a fashion company with the aim of bringing around change. The animal welfare group previously purchased shares in Italian fashion house Prada and Hermes in the hopes of persuading them to halt their use of exotic animal skins such as alligator and ostrich.


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Jennifer Aniston Reveals The 'Friends' Cast Is "Working On Something"
Jennifer Aniston Admits She's Ready For A 'Friends' Reunion
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Reese Witherspoon Wants Jennifer Aniston To Join 'Big Little Lies' Season 3
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Call The '90s Because Ralph Lauren Is Launching A Rachel Green Collection
The fashion news we didn't know we needed - by Isabelle Truman
Rachel Green's wardrobe on Friends has always been beloved by women worldwide, but over the past few years, with the resurgence of turtlenecks, high-waisted jeans, crop tops and scrunchies, her '90s style has become more coveted than ever - something which hasn't gone unnoticed by Ralph Lauren.
To celebrate 25 years of Friends, the American fashion house, which was one of the two places where Jennifer Aniston's character Rachel Green worked during the show's 10 year run, is releasing a Rachel Green collection in collaboration with Warner Brothers. Fittingly, the range will be sold in Bloomingdales, the department store where Rachel worked before scoring her dream job at Ralph Lauren.
The Wear To Work collection consists of some of Rachel's best '90s and '00s pieces, such as leather trousers and skirts, polo-neck knits, pin-striped suits, and mini and midi skirts, all of which have been given an update for 2019.
If you happen to be stopping by New York City in the next few weeks, you can shop the collection in-store at Bloomingdales, while grabbing a free coffee from a pop-up Central Perk. On the third floor, you can visit Rachel Green's office for the ultimate Instagram opportunity. But for those staying Down Under, the collection is available to shop in stores and online from today.
Excuse us, we're off to shop.
This article originally appeared on InStyle Australia
Isabelle Truman
Isabelle Truman is a freelance writer based out of London, UK. She specialises in fashion, lifestyle and travel and knows a thing or two (read: everything) about both Meghan Markle and 'Sex and the City'.
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The confidential 24/7 professional helpline employs both professional and lay counselors across the nation who are trained and compassionate to help those who are hurting after abortion. Many have experienced abortion themselves and through their own healing are helping others.
Did you know it may be possible to REVERSE THE PROCESS of the ABORTION PILL once it has been taken? Many women have second thoughts soon after taking the pills. Visit the following website for more information. It may not be too late!
Abortion Recovery International Network (ARIN) seeks to connect people hurting from abortion to an Abortion Recovery Program in their area.
Many women hide the secret of abortion deep in their hearts and they are suffering severe consequences. They carry a great burden of shame and failure, afraid to reveal their hidden pain, and by doing so are forced to endure the long-lasting effects in isolation. Surrendering the Secret will allow women to release this burden and find freedom through 'redemptive community' while experiencing hope and joy, as shame and failure are replaced with beauty. Find the path to healing through honest, interactive Bible study, meaningful group experiences, unique journaling exercises, and confidential, caring community.
Too often, the focus on the tragedy of abortion ignores another victim: the father. In this insightful Bible study the focal point shifts to the post-abortion father, who may feel the same guilt, shame and grief as the mother. Designed for use in a personal or group setting, Healing a Father's Heart provides comfort and encouragement along the way to freedom from the emotions that impact their relationships with others – and with God.
Save One will give you the necessary tools to assist in rebuilding your life. We offer help through group study, one-on-one help, or answering questions and giving encouragement through self-study. Together we can find the answers to the questions you may have. We will help you gain control of your stray emotions, free yourself of guilt, find your source of courage, renew your mind, experience how far God's grace truly extends, and much more. You can begin again! you will learn how to overcome depressions, anger, denial, and guilt while being provided hope for a new beginning. Men's study also available.
Written by Sydna Masse, the Her Choice to Heal Abortion Recovery Program (Her Choice to Heal book and the companion Her Choice to Heal Recovery Guide) offers personal testimonies that help the reader identify and understand their own emotions after abortion. Each week this 9-12 week post-abortion bible study allows women to work further into the recovery process and address different emotions of healing – anger, denial, forgiveness, grief, etc. Healing exercises are also included to help the participant understand their pain and work through their grief. The personal testimonies are particularly useful when the ministry leaders are not post-abortive. The reader is also led through a daily scripture reading program as well as encouraged to memorize one verse each week. Incorporating new areas of need like breaking sexual soul ties, this abortion recovery program is a great tool for any post-abortion ministry effort.
For eight to ten million American Christian women, abortion is not just a political or medical issue-it is a spiritual issue as well. Abortion raises questions of life and death, heaven and hell, grief and loss. You may be asking: Does God hate me? Can I be forgiven? Is it really possible to just start over with God? Kim Ketola asked these questions as well. In Cradle My Heart, she lays out a compassionate path toward spiritual healing. You will learn how to: Face yourself and face God; Forgive and be forgiven; Repent and accept God's love; Grieve and find an end to sorrow. With an understanding and empathetic voice, Kim Ketola exposes the hurt in your heart, reveals the healing in God's heart, and brings the two together to create a whole heart where restoration-celebration-are possible.
The Elliot Institute is one of the leading organizations researching the impact of abortion. In addition, we serve as a major resource for organizations around the world who are concerned about protecting the rights of women and their unborn children. Our mission also includes educating others about abortion's injustice, trauma, and risk to all involved, and raising awareness of the urgent need for meaningful support and healing.
This mission has led us to undertake numerous efforts in the areas of research, education, and advocacy.
Many articles, studies, links, and information about the breast cancer/abortion connection.
affected by abortion). I minister to those who have been or are being abused and/or going through or been through a divorce. I want to share with people from all walks of life that they are so loved by God – no matter where they've been and no matter what they've done.
Abortion's impact on men is something experts are only beginning to explore, understand and address. Learn more about men and abortion on this page and find links to helpful resources and outreach projects, too. There is also more information about how to help or find help on our help and healing page for women and men, fathers or families considering or coercing abortion or suffering after abortion.
Brad Cornell now has a radio show every Sunday at 8:00pm on AM 630 The Word! If you are in the San Antonio area, tune your radio to AM 630, or you can listen live on the AM 630 The Word website by clicking here.
The radio show features real talk with men and women that have been affected deeply by abortion.
Our Mission: To promote emotional healing for men who have lost a child to abortion, and to create awareness among the counseling community, the pro-life movement and society as a whole regarding the impact of abortion on millions of these hurting fathers.
Hollywood movie producer Jonathan Flora, Louisiana firefighter Jeff Phipps, and Tripp Curtis, now a father of 12. For each one, memories of the past bring intense regret and pain, but they share their stories in hopes that other men can find healing and hope.
Retired sports anchor John Morales and film producer Jason Jones lead very different lives, but each suffered the same traumatic experience: anger, depression, commitment issues and guilt over the loss of his child to abortion.
A collection of baby shoes tagged by mothers, fathers, siblings, and friends in memory of actual children lost to abortion. The baby shoes have been sent to A Cry Without a Voice after completing an abortion recovery group or tagged at events across the country where the baby shoes have been displayed.


I received this book for free from TLC Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Can Delilah Percy Powers figure out who killed Miriam Cross before she becomes the killer's next target?
I had the opportunity to be on Wendy Tyson's TLC Blog Tour for her debut mystery novel, Killer Image, a few months ago. I really enjoyed her writing and the book, so when I was approached for the tour for her new series, I gladly accepted. The Seduction of Miriam Cross is rooted more in the thriller genre than Killer Image was while they both are well written mysteries, and I loved the all-women private detective agency headed by Delilah Percy Powers featured in the Wendy Tyson's newest series.
When the agency's first pro-bono client's aunt is brutally murdered after she'd been missing for nearly a year, the client approaches Delilah with the task of tracking down the killers. Even though the aunt was a well known author, little can be found out about the year she was off the grid, and Delilah is forced to bring in a new member onto her team that has computer expertise–someone who can dig for the digital things that are buried to most people. After much prodding from a member of her team, Delilah hires Matthew Anderson, a former investigative journalist looking for a change who has the needed computer experience the agency desperately needs for this case.
As Delilah, Anders, and the usual team consisting of a resourceful ex-nun, a tight-scheduled mom of three who's married to a cop, and a former stripper who's tough as nails with a young son to protect, dig their way through a twisting trail of aliases, shady dealings, and questionable characters as the find out who the real Miriam Cross actually was.
The characters in this book were strong and well developed. Delilah and the rest of the women detectives are strong, smart, and able-bodied, and they don't always get along, which is totally realistic and refreshing. Delilah is still single in her thirties because of a tragedy in her past that she can't seem to move past, choosing to live on a farm in the country with a few horses and dogs to keep her company. Each of the characters get their chance to shine since the book is written in the third person and you get into each of their heads, allowing you a peak at their motivations and hopes.
I give The Seduction of Miriam Cross a 4.5 out of 5. With strong, descriptive writing that moves at a great pace throughout, this dark and sometimes violent and gritty thriller had a mystery that was hard to guess as the story progressed. Great character development and heart-pounding action sequences kept me turning the virtual pages of my Kindle copy as I tried to unravel the mystery. This book wrapped up nicely and I can't wait to see more of these characters in the next book, especially Delilah's private security firm ex-boyfriend.
And now for the giveaway, enter the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win a copy of The Seduction of Miriam Cross. Open to US/Canada residents only. Courtesy of TLC Book Tours and the publisher.
The team of ladies running this op sound awesome — smart and determined definitely makes for a great detective. A great gritty thriller featuring women as MCs and not just love interests or damsels in distress can be surprisingly difficult to find, darn it all.
And that's definitely a big part of what makes this book work so well, Mary. It is hard to find a book with all written women detectives that feel real, and Wendy Tyson has done this week with The Seduction of Miriam Cross.
For some reason this reminds me of that TV show Nikita lol (which I actually love). I don't read enough books like this, which is weird because I watch SO MANY TV shows like it. I might need to widen my reading selection!
I don't watch Nikita, but if you want to expand your reading material definitely pick up The Seduction of Miriam Cross. There's a lot to enjoy within it's (digital) pages.
Wow, sounds really fantastic! Thanks for sharing!
I like the idea of a series following an "all-women private detective agency " – what a great idea!
You're welcome, Heather! I really enjoyed reading The Seduction of Miriam Cross and being on tour for TLC!


How to Minister to Moms with Young Kids; An Open Letter For When my Kids Are Older.
I can breathe. You know those deep sighs that just feel so good? Those, I have those once in a while now that my oldest kids are 5 and 6. And now that oxygen is once again getting to my brain I am starting to forget what it was like before. And if I'm forgetting now what those little bitty years were like, I'm totally going to forget in a couple years and having forgotten the hard, probably wouldn't love other moms well who had itty bitties. So I need to write this letter to myself for when my kiddos are older. And hopefully it's not just a letter to me, but maybe you'll get something from it to? Oh I hope.
To date I have 4 kids (with another on the way) and the oldest two are strong-willed boys, 13 months apart. They had no one older than them to set the example of normal. They were active. Very active.
Remember the time at the park when the boys were two and three and one darted toward the street and the other darted toward the lake. After assessing who was in the most danger you chased each down right after having a c-section and a baby on your hip.
Yes, that is toilet paper dipped in the toilet and thrown around the bathroom.
Remember the days you literally had no time to sit down. Showers were a luxury (and sometimes it felt like going to the bathroom was too). Not 5 minutes would go by without having to intervene on some major catastrophe or having to discipline for some reason. If only I were exaggerating. For real... 5 minutes.
The only way you could describe your emotional state during those itty-bitty years was as if your nerves were the ends of a frayed rope; survival mode. Remember how it felt that not one child could do anything for themselves and needed constant correction and discipline.
Remember the time you almost broke down crying because you were bringing all the kids in from the car and there was a piece of trash in the yard; it seemed so overwhelming and you thought, "When in the world was I going to find time to pick up that piece of trash!? I can't even find time to go to the bathroom!"
During this season of survival, correction from other more experienced moms (or moms who didn't have boys or strong willed kids or kids 13 months apart that happened to be the oldest) was seriously the last thing you wanted... or could handle. You didn't have emotional energy to pick up a piece of trash in the yard let alone hear about all the things you should be doing to be a better mom and have more well-behaved, non-chaotic kids. You would try to avoid conversations (and sadly even people) you knew would end up giving a "should list" for fear of bursting into tears right then and there. **This was a biggie, try remember this!!
Remember the sweet ladies comments were not coming from a mean heart. You knew they didn't want to hurt you, you believed they sincerely wanted to help. But it seemed so often the well meaning advice cut so deep. Remember how the Lord drew you to Himself during those years and reminded you to forgive quickly and believe the best about the ladies with the swords. Remember how He reminded you to make the best effort to pull out what was true of what they said, and throw away was was not true and let it go. Remember how much it made your emotional state worse when you didn't let it go and forgive. Remember how it helped so much to cling to God's Word and what He said about you and His calling on your life. Remember these things future Laura, and use them to pray for moms with little bitties in the future. And remember how it was only by the strength and ability of the Holy Spirit you got through any of it in the first place.
So aside from how you emotionally dealt with the hurtful comments, here are some of the comments that cut the most, so please dear me in the future, when all this is a distant memory please never say these things to people.
1. Your doing too much ________. (For me it was ministry). Remember how you already felt like you weren't measuring up. How you were trying your hardest and giving every ounce of energy, disciplining consistently and keeping the house from burning down. To hear how else you were failing was crushing.
And secondly the Lord called you to ministry from before you were married or had kids. He knew what the future held for you and that calling didn't change when you had kids. Ministry, getting to use your gifts felt like the only outlet in your life where you could re-charge. It was the only time you had to breathe. Time away to recharge... and go to the bathroom.
So future Laura when you come across moms who are doing things outside the home, things the Lord has called them to, encourage and affirm them. Affirm their freedom to take time away from their kids and do things that refresh them. Tell them it's ok to do things that give them life. Remind them Jesus is the center and life revolves around Him, not kids. Remind them it's not even good for kids to have life be all about them. And remind them it's good for their kids to see them serve and use their gifts and strengths for the glory of God. Encourage them that it's ok to have some time away from the kids.
2. "Enjoy this season" or "cherish this time" and things of the like. Remember the survival mode, wondering when you were going to get to go to the bathroom and if a shower is somewhere in the picture of the next week, having disciplined kids for hours on end in one day, and cleaned up toilet water off the ceiling. Remember how you wanted to have walked with Jesus through it, but that didn't mean you had to enjoy and cherish the times of chaos where you felt like pulling your hair out. Remember how much it would have meant if someone would have said, "You don't have to enjoy everything about this season, just embrace Jesus through it." Or if someone said, "It will be worth it. I know it's hard, you're doing great."
3. When they are discouraged don't assume it's because their kids are being awful. When people knew you were discouraged and assumed it was because of the kids and tried to encourage you, it deflated you. It led you to believe everyone thought you were an awful mom. Isn't it crazy how assuming breeds assuming. Yuck! So instead, ask questions, don't assume. Ask lots and lots of questions. Questions like, "Why are you discouraged?" and don't stop there but keep asking, "What happened?" "How did you feel when _____ happened?" Try to really understand where they are at. Seek to understand.
4. Don't assume you know exactly what she is going through just because you've had kids. Every family is different. Different personalities, different dynamics. For instance I don't know anyone else out there with two strong willed boys, a year apart, as the oldest (If that's you, I'd LOVE to talk with you). So ask questions and hear them before giving advice. It seemed so often the advice people gave was given before hearing and understanding what you were experiencing and before asking any questions. It seemed people saw something the kids did and then talked about how you need to ____ or ____ without asking how you responded or what you did when your kids did that crazy thing. Future Laura, please don't assume. Don't assume other kids will respond and act just like yours. Don't assume that if a kid is acting bad, that means the parents aren't disciplining. Just please don't assume. When you think something, respectfully ask and then keep asking. Seek to understand. And then if you have a piece of advice, ask if they want it. Because remember how overwhelmed you were to even hear it? Remember timing is everything and if what you have to say is really important, save it and then ask at a different time if they'd like to hear your thoughts.
5. "Are they all yours?" This question didn't really bother me, but remember all my friends who have been hurt by this question. So if I have to say this, say something like, "It seems like you're doing great! All those kids and you're even dressed!" Or on the other hand, a comment like "You only have one?" like Jen (in the comments said) That can come across condemning as if they couldn't handle more. Please think of a different way, a gracious, life giving way to ask that question if you just have to ask. Affirm how great of a job they are doing and affirm God's sovereign choosing of family size for His glory, not according to our ability.
6. "Your kids are your ministry". This perhaps stung the most. Remember what you heard from those comments, "Cut off every part of you that doesn't have to do with kids and every desire that isn't wrapped up in your kids and if you desire to do anything else, you're a bad mom." So whether that is what is meant or not, blanket, general, over-arching statements were not helpful. Remember you knew your kids were your ministry, but they were not your only ministry. Remember how you felt this comment left no room for that. So, please don't say that to moms.
So enough about what not to say dear me in the future. Here's the things that did encourage you.
1. Jumping in to help. Someone reaching for the baby and saying, "Can I hold him?" Or seeing dishes that needed to be done and doing them. Remember the time on the plane (which was a complete horror story) when the lady sitting next to you tried to help entertain squiggly little, loud and screaming, two year old. You was so grateful. Or people who held your baby so you could eat. Those sweet ladies were like a breath of fresh air.
And remember when people asked, "How can I help?" or "Let me know if you need anything" how you honestly just didn't have time or emotional energy to think through how to delegate something to them and felt too bad receiving help anyway. So just help. Look for a need and do it.
2. Giving a specific offer to watch the kids at this time and date. Remember how Angi would do this. Remember how she broke out the dates and times so you knew she was serious. It was a tremendous blessing!
3. Affirmation and reminders of something good. Affirm affirm affirm. Remember Rhonda who was excellent at this. Remember how she would affirm how you was parenting (even if she didn't think it was all good, she found something I was doing well) and tell you how we really were doing good at ___________. That meant the world to you. And she said it over and over, which was exactly what you needed. Continual affirmation over time helped you get through one of the toughest seasons you've gone through.
So, future me. Don't forget what the Lord has brought you through and use it to minister and love other moms well in the future. And go back to this great post by Brooke, To the Older Mom's who've Raised their Children Well.
Anyway, you are correct, we all go through the same feelings in different ways as a mom. :) My recent prayer (which I'm say OFTEN these days), is "Jesus fill me." When I feel like I'm going to pull my hair out - "Jesus fill me" When I need some extra patience to deal with toddler crankiness- "Jesus fill me," When I feel the sting of something someone said - "Jesus fill me."
Oh thank you for sharing!!! I haven't even thought of that but I be a lot of people totally relate!! When writing this I just knew there were other things but I didn't know what they were... I feel like a lot of this is too narrow and only applies to people in my exact cinerio... and when I'm older and totally out of this season I want to be able to encourage and be a blessing to people that weren't in only my exact situation so THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for sharing. This is exactly what is needed! And Yes! Bringing it back to depending on the strength and ability the Lord provides... how could I have overlooked the most important thing... oh geez. lol. Thank you for your wisdom Jen!!! I appreciate you so much and will be praying for you!
I can relate to what you're saying about "only" having one child. I have a sweet son, but it's a lot of work still!
Before having him, I use to work full-time and it was tough. I remember being so exhausted at the end of the day, I didn't want to cook dinner even! Now my exhaustion is different and I can't just "leave work at work."
It's rewarding and a privilege to raise my son. He's like a disciple God has given me and my husband to invest in for the next 18+ years. We get to train him up in the Lord. How lucky are we??
In all seriousness, though, it's so, so important to remember what was once our own perspective as we encounter other women not quite as far along on the journey as we are. And yes, we can mean well in saying, "You're doing too much X, Y, and Z." But really-- how do we know? God's call on every life is different-- consistent with His Word, yes ... but different! Remembering that what worked for us might not work for someone else is a huge step in empathy and encouragment. My rule is "When in doubt, help her out." That seems to cover it all.
Oh, this is so true! And don't assume that she's exaggerating, if your kids weren't so _______ in that particular area at that age. When my second was a toddler, and then preschooler, she was like the Tasmanian Devil. I love her to pieces - she has such a zest for life, and it's contagious - but, wow, could she cause some destruction in record time. I'd tell someone that, for instance, she was standing beside me, and I turned around, and I turned back around, and she was gone AND THAT WAS NOT AN EXAGGERATION. I literally just turned around (like to dump something into the trash can or something) and when I turned back she was gone. She'd have such a headstart that she was at the NEIGHBOR'S by the time I'd tracked her down.
I can't count the number of times I've thought, "Lord, I don't want to wish away this time with them while they're little, because I know it will not last long, but I'm too frazzled to enjoy them."
The biggest blessing for me - ever - in my 11+ years of parenting was a stranger in a parking lot a few years ago who gently, indirectly reminded me of what a blessing my children truly are, while not condemning me at all. We'd had one of THOSE days at the grocery store, and running errands. Every one of the kids was being completely obnoxious. I was at my wit's end. I was 6? months pregnant, feeling contraction-y and starting to worry about the baby and whether I'd been pushing it too hard, when one more child did one more thing and I just snapped. I yelled at them right there in the middle of the parking lot - and was SO beyond frustrated that I didn't even CARE that strangers could hear.
This sweet older woman - bless her heart, I hope God tells her how healing her words were, because I will never, EVER forget - interrupted her "trajectory," came over to my car, and spoke to my children. Unbeknownst to me, the massacre in Newtown had happened that morning (while I was doing my shopping). I don't remember exactly what she said. I do remember that she told my children that they were blessed (or lucky or however she said it) to be alive, because I realized later what probably motivated that particular statement. Essentially, she spoke blessing over my children. And she put a hand on my shoulder and reminded my children that I am tired and...I don't know gently admonished them to be good to me. No words of correction to anyone. Just blessing.
By pointing out to my children that they are a blessing, she encouraged them when I wasn't able to. I was convicted - but not *guilted* - as I recognized that she was right. But just the fact that she would take the time to come over and touch me and recognize my weariness and bless my children instead of chastising me meant the world.
First of all, it is commonly understood that a blog is SUPPOSED to be a less formal medium, where bloggers write more-or-less the way they talk so it feels as though we're sitting with them face-to-face.
Second of all, I dare you to provide a single example of "great literature" that does NOT begin at least one sentence with a conjunction. That bizarre "rule" is fairly new, and is pretty much never used by any of the "great authors" we're made to study (by, ironically, the same teachers who say not to start a sentence with "and").


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Artistic St. Petersburg >
HOW iREAD THE EYE-BOOKS
War, Love and Revolutions
Nabokov Online Journal
Yuri Leving
Yuri Leving is Professor of Russian Literature and Film (PhD summa cum laude, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem). Leving's main field of interest is Russian literature, culture and film. He joined Dalhousie University over ten years ago, after teaching at The George Washington University. In 2013-2014, he was an Alexander von Humboldt Senior Research Fellow at Heidelberg University, Germany, and an affiliated research fellow at the American Academy in Rome (2015). Leving is the author of five monographs, and editor and co-editor of six books, as well as more than 100 articles on various aspects of Russian and comparative literature. He served as a commentator on the first authorized Russian edition of The Collected Works of Vladimir Nabokov in five volumes (1999-2001), and was the curator for the exhibition "Nabokov's Lolita: 1955-2005" in Washington, D.C., which celebrated the 50th anniversary of the publication of Lolita. Leving is the founding editor of the Nabokov Online Journal (since 2007). Professor Leving's upcoming monographs are devoted to Joseph Brodsky's graphic art and his literary life in Rome.
Ph.D., Summa Cum Laude. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Department of Slavic Studies, 2002
Dissertation: "Poetics of Urbanism in the Writings of Vladimir Nabokov"
(Advisors: Roman Timenchik, Elena Tolstoy)
Ph.D. (ABD). University of Southern California, Los Angeles
Department of Slavic Studies, with concentration in visual studies, 2001–2004
M.A., M.Phil. with honors. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
B.A., The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Department of English Literature; Department of Slavic Studies, 1996
Copyright: All photographic images on this website, unless specially noted, are made by Yuri Leving.


PSAAG, in collaboration with Papua New Guinea's Department of Foreign Affairs, co-hosted a two day workshop on 'Advancing PNG's Arms Control System' on 20-21 October, Port Moresby. This was the first opportunity for PSAAG to work with the PNG government to conduct a national workshop specifically addressing PNG's unique context. The participants highlighted that the workshop content was timely with the national elections next year. Arms have historically been used for political ends.
Throughout the past two years, the PSAAG Secretariat has had the opportunity to meet a number of Papua New Guinea government officials at sub-regional workshops on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). As an outcome of these meetings, it was identified that additional national-level training on the UN Programme of Action on Illicit Arms (UNPoA) and ATT was required. Of particular importance was raising awareness on PNG's UNPoA reporting requirements and building capacity on the legal provisions of the ATT.
At the PNG workshop, government officials identified familiar strengths and challenges to arms control implementation, that PSAAG had encountered elsewhere throughout our region. Maritime patrol capabilities was a highlighted issue, and hence, transit and trans-shipment detailed in the ATT provisions was addressed in detail. The participants also identified the need for a national arms control list and a centralised database for arms registration and tracing.
However, as the most populous nation within the Pacific Islands region, and a state with a land boarder with West Papua (Indonesia), the workshop was an opportunity for government officials to communicate the unique issues that PNG does not have in common with neighbouring Pacific Island states.
PNG has comprehensive firearms legislation. However, the participating officials identified issues in marking and tracing, 'home-made' firearms and tribal conflict as challenging the enforcement domestic law and order. The UN PoA was well-received as a way to overcome some of these challenges. While developing legislation that addressed 'home-made' firearms was another.
The workshop was the initial national engagement to build capacity of PNG policy makers' on the UNPoA implementation and provisions of the ATT. The workshop also identified PNG's internal and international commitments, and the existing and foreseeable challenges as PNG considers acceding to the ATT. Despite, such challenges participants were convinced of the value of the ATT and supported the need for ATT accession by PNG.
Read about the Workshop and government commitments in PNG news and the PNG Workshop Outcome Document.


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Toy Story 4: Woody and Bo Peep Are Destined For Each Other
by Mike Jones
Toy Story 4's Woody and Bo Peep are destined for one another. It's been 24 years since audiences first got to know the animated cast of Pixar's highly successful Toy Story franchise, and because the toys have been through a lot in that time, their personalities, quirks, and eccentricities have evolved into rich, satisfying characters.
In fact, the Toy Story franchise is arguably one of the few animated franchises that has imparted such a high degree of humanity into its characters that many fans now feel as strongly about the likes of Buzz, Woody, and the rest of the gang as they would human actors. For some time, it looked as though Toy Story would go no further than its third installment back in 2010, but now, almost a decade later, a new Toy Story is on its way. So far, the early word on the film is that it has a lot of heart and offers a pretty hefty story that incorporates characters both old and new.
Related: Toy Story 4 Footage Description: Woody Meets Bo Peep For The Second Time
While there are plenty of questions still being asked about Toy Story 4 and its characters, one pressing question in particular was brought up during the Toy Story 4 press conference, at which Screen Rant happened to be in attendance. When asked if the Woody and Bo Peep characters would ever get married, Tom Hanks revealed that Woody has known since 1994 that Bo Peep "was the figurine for him" and that both characters know that "there is no substitution for love in this crazy, kooky, confusing world." You can check out Hanks' entire response in the video below:
Will Woody and Bo Peep ever get married? @tomhanks responds. 😂 #ToyStory4 pic.twitter.com/OBSoptsm5w
— Rob Keyes (@rob_keyes) June 8, 2019
The general reaction from the audience at the press conference when Hanks speaks about Woody and Bo's relationship is an emotional one, eliciting "awws" from many in attendance. This reaction seems to be in line with everything that has been said and written about Toy Story 4 to date. Even the production of the film was filled with heartfelt moments, as was previously pointed out by the likes of Hanks and co-star Tim Allen. And because Pixar has no current plans to continue on with the Toy Story franchise once Toy Story 4 is released, emotion seems ingrained in the film already, even with the release date a couple weeks away as of this writing. Once again, this can largely be attributed to the characters, with whom many fans have grown up.
This being said, it's very hard to believe that Pixar will simply walk away from Toy Story after the fourth installment. As things currently stand, and if all the early reviews are to be believed, it sounds as though Toy Story 4 is going to be one of the biggest films of the summer. That may read like a bold statement given the box office carnage that Avengers: Endgame recently unleashed, but the fact of the matter is that people love the Toy Story gang, and if Woody and Bo are truly meant for one another, there's still much to explore in this sprawling animated universe.
Next: Toy Story 4: 10 Things We Know So Far About Bo Peep
Toy Story 4 (2019) release date: Jun 21, 2019
Tags: toy story 4
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Telluride Horror: THE DEVIL'S CANDY Why Would You Mess With Ethan Embry?
By Mike Snoonian October 21, 2015 // 3:15 am
Those fearing the dreaded sophomore slump from Australian director Sean Byrne can put those fears to bed, as his American debut The Devil's Candy offered up one hell of a gloriously fucked up, bloody affair. If it's possible, Byrne succeeded in amping up the violence, chaos and cringeworthy physical discomfort of his debut, the remarkable The Loved Ones.
On the outskirts of a sleepy Texas 'burb, hulking man child Ray Smilie straps on his flying vee guitar in the late hours of the night, and turns his amp up to eleven in order to drown out the whispering demonic voices. Before his aged mother can make good on her threat to have Ray sent back to the psychiatric ward, she ends up dead by his hand at the bottom of the staircase. When the father returns home and finds his wife in a heap, he soon joins her in the afterlife. Both deaths are ruled accidental and the house is soon up on the market, where it sits unsold due to its sordid past.
Enter tatted up, metalhead painter Jesse Hellman (Ethan Embry), his banker wife Astrid (Shiri Appleby), and their metalhead tween daughter Zooey (Kiara Glasco) into the picture. The house represents a chance for Jesse to give his family a bigger home and better life, while also allowing him the space to work on his art. Granted, the investment means making sacrifices, such as Jesse having to compromise his metal roots in order to take on commissioned projects like painting a butterfly collage for the local bank or Zooey having to deal with a bedroom covered in teddy bear stencils.
Of course, part of the problem with getting a deal on a home is you have to deal with the baggage. In most cases this means fixing a leaky roof, patching up holes in the walls or replacing broken down appliances. In the case of this particular house, it means Jesse soon hears the same voices that drove Ray to kill. The voices put Jesse into a zen-like trance and before long he's painting demonic artwork that imagines Zooey engulfed in flames while demonic creatures surround her. Jesse has no recollection of creating these horrific paintings, yet he finds himself returning to his studio over and over to add more awful details.
The Devil's Candy offers more than a standard tale of demonic possession as Byrne merges the supernatural element with a serial killer story as well. Byrne does enough with both to keep the audience on edge and play against expectations. The family has barely the time to unpack their bags when Ray turns up on their door step, , his sad moon face telling them that "he has to come home now." He even goes so far to leave Zooey a flying vee guitar and Marshall Amp in their driveway as a sort of housewarming gift. A great villain is more than a mustache twirling embodiment of pure evil and Pruitt Taylor Vince brings a real sympathy to the damaged child killer Ray. Yet before you start to think Ray is little more than an overgrown puppy that just needs a good home, Byrne's script has him committing unspeakable horrors on a small child before targeting the Hellman clan in earnest. The Devil's Candy doesn't quite approach the over the top levels of body horror and violence of The Loved Ones. However this time around the fact that its children who are targeted, along with the air of unstoppability Ray possesses make the graphic nature of the violence in the film even more unsettling in many respects. Warning: If you're the kind of person that would get upset about children receiving the Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer sendoff in a movie, then The Devil's Candy may not be for you.
Building off his comeback performance in Cheap Thrills, Embry continues to reinvent himself as a standout genre actor. Byrne offers him a fantastic platform here, as the relationship between Jesse and Zooey is the most human aspect of the film. Even covered in tattoos, grime and oil based pain residue, Embry manages to bring a world of soulful hurt to the table with just his eyes. It's so easy to identify with him as the dad that wants to share all the things he loves with his kid so he can experience them anew, this time through her eyes. Glasco is just plain adorable as the tween metalhead. Watching her and Embry bang heads to early Metallica just filled the Dad part of my heart with pure fucking joy, and Glasco also knows when to rein it back and just be a scared as shit little girl instead of someone that's too cool for school.
The flipside of that love is failure. Throughout the film we see and feel Embry's hurt and abject terror every time he lets his daughter down or fails to protect her. There's pseudo comical moments that still manage to break your heart, such as him telling his daughter she can't keep the guitar since it was given to her by a psychotic, yet he knows he can't provide her with one nearly as cool. That's light and fluffy compared to the panic that comes with his inability to keep Zooey safe from Ray. Zooey is sure to let him know it too in a moment that just guts the viewer emotionally. Devil's Candy mines some dark, brutal territory, and it's clear that Byrne has no interest in watering down his brand of content to suit american sensibilities.
The Devil's Candy is the second metal-themed horror movie I've watched this month, and as much as I love Deathgasm, if you put a gun to my head and told me to pick one, I'd choose this one. It's a more grounded work that plays with themes of parenthood and the fucked up evil humans do to one another that are right up my alley. It's clear that Sean Byrne is having a moment, and should be recognized as a modern days craftsman when it comes to horror. Hopefully The Devil's Candy will be the film that puts him on the radar of a larger audience when it finds an eventual home. As it standsThe Devil's Candy is a brutal, uncompromising mix of horror genres that stands out with one of the best family dynamics in recent horror memory. Embry continues to impress with his genre work, and if there is one lesson to be learned from the film, it is this: Do Not Fuck With This Man.
devil's candy
sean byrne
telluride horror show 2015
Mike Snoonian
since 2009 Mike has written about independent horror, science fiction, cult and thrillers through his own blog All Things Horror along with various other spots on the web. Film Thrills marks his attempt to take things up a notch, expand his viewing and writing horizons and to entertain and engage his audience while doing so. When Mike's not writing or watching movies, you can find him reading to his little girl, or doing science experiments with her, or trying to convince her that the term "chicken butt" comes from people putting chicken nuggets down their underwear. at age five, she's too smart to believe most of what he says.
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Over 1 million people have signed up for Robinhood Crypto
Frank Chaparro
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The sign-up list for Robinhood Crypto soared above 1 million just five days after its announcement.
Robinhood, the brokerage known for its zero-commission stock trading app, said it would enable bitcoin and ethereum trading in February.
Over 1 million people have signed up for early access to Robinhood Crypto, just five days after the California brokerage announced it was crashing the gates of cryptocurrency trading.
Robinhood, which is best known for its zero-commission stock trading app, announced Thursday it would offer bitcoin and ethereum trading in February. Since making the announcement, 1,000,400 people have signed up for the service.
Robinhood is rolling out the new feature in waves, launching first in five states: California, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, and Montana.
"Crypto is going to change the world and we want to help drive that," Robinhood cofounder Baiju Bhatt told Business Insider in an interview prior to the announcement.
Still, some market-watchers think the milestone indicates a broader bubble in the market for digital coins.
Joe Saluzzi, cofounder of brokerage firm Themis Trading, told Business Insider it shows "a lot of people are trying to get in."
"When any Joe-Schmo can issue a coin and then have a $1 billion market cap, it makes you think there's a bubble," he added.
Robinhood would be one of the first non-crypto companies to try to break into the cryptocurrency trading market, which is known for outages, high-fees, and long periods of downtime. Bhatt said the company is prepared to onboard new clients and handle volumes. Here's Bhatt:
"Today our business transacts 10,000 different symbols in equities and ETFs. We see millions of trades a day. In our brokerage industry there is no excuse for down time. We plan on bringing that mind-set to the crypto space. We don't view any of that stuff as acceptable."
From a business standpoint, Bhatt said the move is a customer acquisition play. The firm has already racked up over 3 million users. Bhatt sees cryptocurrency bringing that number to new heights.
"We are going to break-even on this," he said. "But it could dramatically increase user growth."
Robinhood is valued at $1.3 billion, according to the company, and has raised over $170 million. The firm has declined to comment on its profitability.
More: Robinhood Cryptocurrencies BI Prime Prime Archive


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Economic commentary: What does 2022 have in store?
What is the outlook for the global economy in 2022?
The emergence of the omicron variant clearly raises uncertainty and threatens to dent economic activity in the near-term. However, given the continued rollout of vaccination/booster programmes, along with the ability of consumers and businesses to adapt to covid restrictions, omicron is not expected to derail the global recovery. This said, even in the absence of omicron, growth in the world economy is likely to slow in 2022, as the easy 'reopening' gains of 2021 give way to more 'normal', trend rates of expansion.
The consumer should remain a key driver of growth in developed economies. Labour markets are strong and interest rates, while set to rise, are likely to remain at historically low levels. Following the sharp run-up in house prices and equity markets over the last year, household finances are generally in rude health. Against this backdrop, consumers should continue to run down the excess savings they accumulated during the pandemic. On one estimate, these excess savings amount to over 12% of household disposable income in the US and the UK1. These cash balances should provide a buffer against the recent squeeze on real income growth resulting from a pick-up in inflation and the withdrawal of emergency fiscal support measures.
In terms of spending patterns, 2021 saw a sharp rise in demand for manufactured goods (such as furniture, consumer electronics etc.), as people spent more time at home. Meanwhile, covid restrictions and fear of the virus curbed expenditure on travel, hospitality and leisure. In the near term, uncertainty regarding the omicron variant and renewed restrictions will work against a reversal of this trend. However, given tentative evidence that booster jabs and therapeutics are effective against the new variant2, there is potential for demand to shift from goods to services as the year progresses.
There are also good prospects for stronger business expenditure. Corporate profits have bounced back sharply in 2021 and capacity constraints, along with new ways of doing business (digital economy, automation, green transition etc.), are prompting businesses to step up investment. In addition, with stocks of goods in shops and warehouses running low due to ongoing supply chain issues, the rebuilding of inventories is also likely to make a significant contribution to global growth in 2022.
Precise numerical forecasts will almost certainly be wrong, but the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reckon that, following estimated growth of 5.6% in 2021, the global economy will expand 4.5% in 20223.
When will supply bottlenecks ease?
A series of factors including covid outbreaks, fires and extreme weather events have disrupted global supply chains over the last two years. This has constrained manufacturing output, lengthened delivery times and, given prevailing strong demand, put upward pressure on prices.
In recent weeks there have been some tentative evidence that supply chain issues are easing. After showing a near five-fold rise from pre-covid levels, shipping costs have started to fall back slightly4, and increased investment in shipping capacity bodes well for further improvement through next year. Furthermore, improved vaccination rates in Asia have lifted production5 and should reduce the chances of renewed factory closures (although the highly-transmissible omicron variant combined with China's 'zero-covid' policy is clearly a risk on this front).
The shortage of computer chips has been a key factor behind disrupted supply chains, snarling up the production of manufactured goods ranging from household appliances to motor vehicles. Some industry experts suggest the chip shortage will not be resolved until 2023, but others such as those at JP Morgan see the situation improving during the second half of 20226. Much will depend on how the pandemic pans out, but if household spending does shift from goods to services, then softening demand could also help ease pressure on supply chains through the course of next year.
Will inflation fall back in 2022?
As economies reopened, global inflation picked up sharply through 2021 on the back of strong, stimulus-fueled demand, disrupted supply chains and rising energy prices. Some of the rapid price increases associated with reopening economies in 2021 (for example the jump in oil prices, and the spike in used car prices7 as chip shortages hit the production of new vehicles) are unlikely to be repeated next year. As a result, base effects in some price categories will serve to pull down annual inflation rates through the course of 2022. An easing of supply chain issues and a shift in consumer demand from goods to services should support a pull-back in inflation, and could even see prices for some items fall back in absolute terms.
Weighed against this effect is a broadening in price pressures resulting from rising wage costs in some countries, most notably the US and the UK. Labour supply has fallen due to a range of factors (e.g., fear of the virus, childcare issues, early retirement, reduced labour mobility), resulting in an increase in bargaining power for workers in certain industries. However, an improvement in the covid situation, along with a depletion of excess savings among lower income groups, could result in more workers returning to the labour market in 2022. In combination with increased business investment (automation etc.), this could result in some moderation in wage cost pressures.
Omicron clearly has the capacity to boost inflation via the impact on supply chains, the composition of consumer demand and workers' willingness to rejoin the labour market. However, the view here is that inflation in advanced economies will end 2022 below current rates, even though a continued overshoot of central banks' 2% inflation targets in the US and UK seems likely.
What is the outlook for monetary policy?
A pick-up in inflation has already prompted many central banks in emerging market economies to raise interest rates during 20218, and several of their developed market counterparts are likely to follow suit in 2022 as emergency pandemic stimulus is withdrawn. The US Federal Reserve - the world's most influential central bank - is on course to complete its Quantitative Easing (QE, or buying bonds) programme during the coming months, paving the way for interest rate hikes thereafter. Hawkish comments from Fed officials in recent weeks have prompted investors to bring forward expectations of monetary tightening9. Financial markets are currently pricing in three rate hikes for 2022, with the Fed Funds target rate seen ending the year around 0.75%10.
In the UK, markets currently expect the Bank of England to raise its policy interest rate to around 1% by the end of next year11. In the eurozone and Japan, where underlying inflation pressures are less pronounced, central banks appear unlikely to raise interest rates in 2022. Of course, the last twelve months have taught us that the outlook for interest rates can shift quickly. However, both market expectations and central bank guidance indicate that real (i.e., after inflation) policy rates are likely to remain negative in the major developed economies next year, suggesting that monetary policy, while becoming somewhat less expansionary, will remain broadly supportive.
What could go wrong in 2022?
An environment of moderating but still above-trend global growth combined with slowing but still above-target inflation as outlined above is a relatively benign one. However, there are clear downside risks to this 'base case' scenario. A coronavirus variant that evades vaccines and results in renewed restrictions is an obvious threat.
In light of regulatory tightening and ongoing woes in the property sector in China, a sharp slowdown in the world's second largest economy would risk knock-on effects in emerging and developed markets alike. This said, a recent loosening in monetary policy from the People's Bank of China suggests that Beijing is gradually moving to mitigate such risks12.
Geopolitical tensions (not least regarding Ukraine, Iran and US-China relations) also threaten to flare up in 2022. European gas prices have already risen sharply this year and a renewed spike in energy costs due to a deterioration in relations with Russia and/or unrest in the middle east could further drag on activity and fuel inflation13.
Indeed, persistent inflation that prompts more aggressive monetary tightening than markets currently anticipate is a key risk going forward. A sharp rise in interest rates could hit highly-valued asset markets and ultimately culminate in recession. The recent flattening of the yield curve (i.e., a reduction in the gap between the yields on long-term and short-term bonds) provides a warning on this front, as a fall in long-term yields below short-term levels (a so-called inversion of the yield curve) has often been a pre-cursor to recessions in the past14. This indicator is not flashing red yet – a model from the New York Fed based on the yield curve suggests the probability of a US recession by November 2022 is just 6.8%15 - but is one to watch.
1. https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/66c5ac2c-en/1/3/1/index.html?itemId=/content/publication/66c5ac2c-en&_csp_=9b4ecb1aafc11518f34da944ee244a5b&itemIGO=oecd&itemContentType=book
2. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-59615005
3. https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/66c5ac2c-en/index.html?itemId=/content/publication/66c5ac2c-en
4. https://www.drewry.co.uk/supply-chain-advisors/supply-chain-expertise/world-container-index-assessed-by-drewry
5. https://ihsmarkit.com/research-analysis/global-manufacturing-buoyed-by-rising-asian-output-Dec21.html
6.https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/19/jpmorgan-on-semiconductor-shortage-and-outlook-for-2022-2023.html
7. https://publish.manheim.com/en/services/consulting/used-vehicle-value-index.html
8. http://www.centralbanknews.info/p/highlights.html
9. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/30/powell-says-fed-will-discuss-speeding-up-bond-buying-taper-at-december-meeting.html
10. https://www.cmegroup.com/trading/interest-rates/countdown-to-fomc.html
11.https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/statistics/yield-curves
12. https://www.reuters.com/markets/rates-bonds/china-central-bank-cut-reserve-requirement-ratio-second-time-this-year-2021-12-06/
13.https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/dec/13/gas-prices-near-record-highs-berlin-rejects-pipeline-russia-germany-ukraine-nord-stream-2
14. https://ig.ft.com/the-yield-curve-explained/
15. https://www.newyorkfed.org/medialibrary/media/research/capital_markets/Prob_Rec.pdf


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Gasoline Alley: Walt and Skeezix
Gasoline Alley: Walt and Skeezix Series
Gasoline Alley is a comic strip created by Frank King that debuted in 1918.
In 2005, the first of a series of reprint books, called Walt and Skeezix, was published. It includes the daily comic strips, but not the Sunday ones.
Books in the Gasoline Alley: Walt and Skeezix series:
Walt and Skeezix 1921 & 1922 (2005)
Frank O. King's newspaper strip Gasoline Alley, starring Walt Wallet, first appeared November 24, 1918. In the strip for February 14, 1921, a baby, whom Walt names Skeezix is left on Walt's doorstep. This is the first volume in the collected strips.
Author(s): Frank King
Illustrator(s): Frank King
Frank O. King's newspaper strip Gasoline Alley, starring Walt Wallet, first appeared November 24, 1918. In the strip for February 14, 1921, a baby, whom Walt names Skeezix is left on Walt's doorstep. This is the second volume in the collected strips.
Frank O. King's newspaper strip Gasoline Alley, starring Walt Wallet, first appeared November 24, 1918. In the strip for February 14, 1921, a baby, whom Walt names Skeezix is left on Walt's doorstep. This is the third volume of the collected strips.
Frank O. King's newspaper strip Gasoline Alley, starring Walt Wallet, first appeared November 24, 1918. In the strip for February 14, 1921, a baby, whom Walt names Skeezix is left on Walt's doorstep. This is the fourth volume of the collected strips.
Frank O. King's newspaper strip Gasoline Alley, starring Walt Wallet, first appeared November 24, 1918. In the strip for February 14, 1921, a baby, whom Walt names Skeezix is left on Walt's doorstep. This is the fifth volume of the collected strips.
Gasoline Alley The Complete Sundays Volume 1 1920-1922 (2014)
Begun in 1918 just after the end of the war, Gasoline Alley took a new turn in February 1920 when Walt Wallet finds a baby on his doorstep. These are the first two years of the Sunday strips starring Walt and Skeezix.
Begun in 1918 just after the end of the war, Gasoline Alley took a new turn in February 1920 when Walt Wallet finds a baby on his doorstep. This is the second volume of the Sunday strips starring Walt and Skeezix.
Walt Before Skeezix 1918-1920 (2014)
Frank O. King's newspaper strip Gasoline Alley, starring Walt Wallet, first appeared November 24, 1918. In the strip for February 14, 1921, a baby, whom Walt names Skeezix is left on Walt's doorstep. This is the sixth volume of the collected strips and covers the first three years of the strip before Walt met Skeezix.
Frank O. King's newspaper strip Gasoline Alley, starring Walt Wallet, first appeared November 24, 1918. In the strip for February 14, 1921, a baby, whom Walt names Skeezix is left on Walt's doorstep. This is the seventh volume of the collected strips.


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