text:
Artist Yumi Sakugawa uses Instagram to tackle creative shame
Are these tweets about 'The Bachelor' or Trump's impeachment?
Claire Goforth— January 22
They could also be a very weird mash-up.
GoFundMe to send 'Target Tori' on vacation raises more than $30K
Tiffanie Drayton— January 22
A man called the police on a Target employee over a toothbrush.
Trump continues to demand Apple unlock iPhones for the government Wednesday 11:46 AM
Police officer suspended after video of a handcuffed Delonte West surfaces Wednesday 11:33 AM
'Girls don't want a boyfriend' meme leaves boyfriends in 2019 Wednesday 11:21 AM
She isn't afraid to get dark, and it shows.
@yumisakugawa/Instagram
Nayomi Reghay— 2019-11-20 06:00 am | Last updated 2019-11-20 11:03 am
"It feels like casting a spell and releasing it out into the world."
Interdisciplinary artist Yumi Sakugawa is explaining what it's like to share her content on Instagram where, if an image touches the right collective nerve, it can circulate widely and touch more people than she ever imagined.
Since September, she's kept a daily practice of posting at least one drawing and one text-based image to her account. Sakugawa, 34, studied fine arts at the University of California, Los Angeles. She creates art about pleasure, desire, sadness, and the monstrous shame that gets in the way of our creativity. Her Instagram is part diary, part self-help manual, and it subverts what we've come to expect from what is typically an attention-seeking, carefully curated space. Sakugawa shares raw ideas and deep, dark pain. But her messages are bold and empowering. She takes ownership of fear and shame and encourages her followers to do the same.
"For me that feels like such a great privilege and honor to do that for people," Sakugawa tells the Daily Dot.
Yumi Sakugawa/Instagram
Sakugawa isn't afraid to get dark, and it shows. Her Instagram feed is now home to black and white renderings of demons, tears, and unmet desires. Sharp precise lines give way to figures that expand, meld and open up to reveal shimmering jewels of hope. Discoveries of self-love are paired with revelatory affirmations. But this is far from watered-down "love yourself" rhetoric. In an era when flowery self-help memes have become increasingly pervasive, Sakugawa's art offers a welcome jolt. Like a cup of black coffee served piping hot, her art is as comforting as it is electrifying.
Earlier in 2019, Sakugawa, who defines herself as an interdisciplinary artist, began experimenting with what she shares on social media. She decided to share dating experiences on her Instagram stories in a series she called "mindful dating." According to Sakugawa, the ephemeral nature of Instagram stories allowed her to take risks she normally wouldn't. She tells the Daily Dot, "It was really fun to play around in this space that was really very public but was hidden in plain sight… I was able to play around with how open and vulnerable and honest I could be with my feelings."
Tara Booth's Instagram art embraces the comedy in mental health struggles
Artist says Thinx underwear campaign ripped off their memes (updated)
The delicate balance of disclosing mental illness on social media
10 essential self-care tips in the wake of #MeToo
Prior to posting about her dating experiences, Sakugawa had reached a point where she felt she needed to take a social media sabbatical. "It just wasn't fun for me. It just touched on so many insecurities I had about a fear of being judged, FOMO, being hyper-aware of group dynamics and social hierarchies," she says. "It brought up so much social anxiety in me that I had to take a break from it."
But Sakugawa says she learned a lot from her time away from social media, which has allowed her to share in new ways. "That was this period of healing for my mental health [and] also really reflecting on how I relate to people in general. Because of this long hiatus, I really did a deep excavation around ideas of power and visibility, and using your voice to speak on things that are scary but honest."
Emboldened by the positive feedback she got from her mindful dating stories, Sakugawa revisited her Instagram feed with a renewed sense of mindfulness and began challenging herself to post drawings and text-based images on a daily basis.
While she often draws inspiration from her personal experiences, Sakugawa notes that she's also mindful of what her audience might connect with. "I'm always interested in finding that sweet spot in between [what's] resonant with what I'm going through… and then to share that with people who may be going through so many things," she said.
"It's really grounding for me too, to have this daily practice," she added.
The content Sakugawa has been sharing since she began her daily practice bristles with raw creative energy. Her art never feels superficial or polished. Instead, by excavating deeper levels of discomfort, Sakugawa reveals ways in which the very shame that makes us feels small can become a tool for expansion and empowerment. In the world of her drawings, which often appear to be set against the backdrop of outer space or some other dimension, the figures stretch and shift as they transmute their pain to experience new levels of freedom and empowerment.
"I think for me social media is a space where I push the edges of my comfort zone," Sakugawa says. For example, while she typically enjoys the restriction of a black and white palette, Sakugawa has recently posted drawings where she experiments with color.
Sakugawa also hosts online "creativity workshops" where she prompts attendees to investigate their creative blocks and reshape them into inspiration. Blending journaling and drawing prompts with meditation, Sakugawa creates a space where participants can safely explore the beliefs that might be holding them back. A workshop I attended in October was surprisingly playful, considering the content. Participants described their creative shame monsters with humor and bemusement. When we created the opposite of our shame monsters, participants cheered each other on, delighting in our diverse, newly birthed creations.
Recently, Sakugawa has also begun co-hosting workshops for Asian femme-identifying people to help them overcome the "shame of not being enough." Sakugawa, who has authored "self-help" books in the past, says that self-help spaces tend to be overwhelmingly white. She cocreated IRL workshops in the hopes of offering other Asian femmes a support space for the specific challenges they face that might otherwise go unspoken. "I think there's an unacknowledged psychic trauma in having to assimilate—in not feeling that you belong in the culture of your family and in the culture [within which] you're pressured to assimilate," Sakugawa explains.
Whether she's hosting IRL workshops, digital seminars, or posting to her Instagram feed, Sakugawa seems to be stretching herself to hold space for collective transformation. Given her humanitarian aims, her choice to engage so heavily with the internet, a space that's often seen as highly negative, could seem counterintuitive. But Sakugawa sees it differently: "I think of the magical cosmology that we're all part of one web… I think the internet is an interesting place to think about the interconnected web that we're all a part of. We're all linked."
Nayomi Reghay
Nayomi Reghay is a frequent contributor to the Daily Dot, covering body positivity, feminism, sex, relationships, and gender. She is also the author of the advice column "Swipe This!" A former New York Teaching Fellow, her writing has been featured in Reductress, Rolling Stone, Mic, Someecards, and more.
Art Instagram Mental Health


text:
Azerbaijani FM: "primary objective of the ongoing peace process is to eliminate the consequences of the war unleashed by Armenia"
"The primary objective of the ongoing peace process is to eliminate the consequences of the war unleashed by Armenia, thereby ensuring the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of the occupying forces from all the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, the restoration of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognized borders and the return of the forcibly displaced persons to their homes and properties," Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov said in his speech at the 74th session of the UN General Assembly, APA reports.
According to him, the achievement of that objective is a must, not compromise.
Mr Mammadyarov emphasized that Azerbaijan remains committed to the earliest political settlement of the conflict. "At the same time, the negotiations cannot last forever and imply continuation and sustenance of the situation created as a result of the unlawful use of force, occupation and ethnic cleansing. Nor can they prejudice the realization of the inherent right of self-defense under the UN Charter and international law."
"Rather than wasting time on attempts to mislead the international community and its own people, Armenia must drop its lousy attempts to prolong the unsustainable status quo and faithfully comply with its international obligations. The earlier Yerevan realizes the lack of any prospect of its destructive political agenda, the sooner people of the region will be able to benefit from peace, stability and cooperation and the better will be the chances for Armenia to overcome serious political, economic and social burden it is facing due to its aggressive and hostile policy in the region", Azerbaijani FM said.
Faiq Mahmudov

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Stolen pistol leads to reckless endangerment charge for Stamford man
Police: Suspects sought in failed purse-snatching in Wallingford
Teen charged after social media threats target Amity, police say
New Haven Police seek suspect in armed carjacking
Wallingford police charge man with strangulation, assault
Wallingford police: Two charged in stealing car from Fairfield
Amity students learn work, life skills while aiding CT business
New Haven police seeking crime spree and carjacking suspects
Man in critical condition after West Haven shooting, police say
Officials: 22 displaced in back-to-back CT fires
West Haven schools try to keep ahead of national teacher shortage
John Nickerson
Michael Cummo / Hearst Connecticut Media
STAMFORD — After reporting that his gun had been stolen out of his open car on Monday night, a city man was arrested on a reckless endangerment charge.
Sgt. Jennifer Pinto said police were called to Reynolds Avenue at about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday on a report of a car burglary that involved a stolen gun. The owner of the car, Christopher Jerome, 26, parked his car at about 8:20 p.m. Monday and, thinking that he was going to get back into the car a short time later, did not lock the doors.
When he got up the next morning, Jerome saw that his driver's side door was open and his gun had been taken out of the unlocked glove box, Pinto said. Jerome presented his pistol permit to officers and told them that he had more firearms in his home.
Because of the circumstances of the theft, police went into the home and took the guns, a semiautomatic Glock pistol, another handgun and a semi-automatic AR-15.
Under a new law that went into effect Oct. 1, Jerome was charged with a misdemeanor count of unsafe storage of a gun in a motor vehicle in addition to the reckless endangerment charge. The new law makes it a crime to store a gun in a locked car if it is not also put into a safe, locked in the glove box or stored in the car's trunk.
West Haven Police: Man in critical condition after shooting
Capt. Richard Conklin said the state is tightening up its laws where gun storage is concerned.
"We believe storing a gun in a car, even if it is locked, is not a prudent thing to do," Conklin said. "A car is like a glass box. If you take out any of the windows, it is no longer locked."
He said he felt obligated to mention that small safes are not a solution to theft either, because they can be removed easily.
Jerome was released after posting a $1,000 court-appearance bond.
Under state law, a conviction for first-degree reckless endangerment is grounds for denying someone a pistol permit.
Jerome's permit was seized by police and because of the circumstances of the pistol's disappearance, the permit will probably be revoked by state police, Conklin said.
jnickerson@stamfordadvocate.com
John Nickerson was formerly a reporter with the Stamford Advocate. He is a Connecticut native and a Cal graduate with a degree in mass communications. He got his start in newspaper writing at Orange Coast College in Southern California where he became editor of the school weekly, The Coast Pilot. After getting his degree, he began writing for the Marin Independent Journal before moving back to Connecticut in 2001 and finding a reporting job with The Advocate. He loves wooden boats and 454-cubic inch engines that power them.


text:
Q: Linq extension method, how to find child in collection recursive I'm already familiar with Linq but have little understanding of extension methods I'm hoping someone can help me out.
So I have this hierarchical collection pseudo code ie:
class Product
  prop name
  prop type
  prop id
  prop List<Product> children

And I have a list of products List products.
Is there any way I can look for product in this collection by the id with a extension method ? In other words I need one item somewhere within the hierarchy.

A: You can flatten your tree structure using this extension method:
static IEnumerable<Product> Flatten(this IEnumerable<Product> source)
{
    return source.Concat(source.SelectMany(p => p.Children.Flatten()));
}

Usage:
var product42 = products.Flatten().Single(p => p.Id == 42);

Note that this is probably not very fast. If you repeatedly need to find a product by id, create a dictionary:
var dict = products.Flatten().ToDictionary(p => p.Id);

var product42 = dict[42];

A: Here is a generic solution that will short-circuit traversal of the hierarchy once a match is found.
public static class MyExtensions
{
    public static T FirstOrDefaultFromMany<T>(
        this IEnumerable<T> source, Func<T, IEnumerable<T>> childrenSelector,
        Predicate<T> condition)
    {
        // return default if no items
        if(source == null || !source.Any()) return default(T);

        // return result if found and stop traversing hierarchy
        var attempt = source.FirstOrDefault(t => condition(t));
        if(!Equals(attempt,default(T))) return attempt;

        // recursively call this function on lower levels of the
        // hierarchy until a match is found or the hierarchy is exhausted
        return source.SelectMany(childrenSelector)
            .FirstOrDefaultFromMany(childrenSelector, condition);
    }
}

To use it in your case:
var matchingProduct = products.FirstOrDefaultFromMany(p => p.children, p => p.Id == 27);

A: I'm just refactoring dtb's solution to make it more generic. Try this Extension method:
public static IEnumerable<T> Flatten<T, R>(this IEnumerable<T> source, Func<T, R> recursion) where R : IEnumerable<T>
{
    return source.SelectMany(x => (recursion(x) != null && recursion(x).Any()) ? recursion(x).Flatten(recursion) : null)
                 .Where(x => x != null);
}

And you can use it like this:
productList.Flatten(x => x.Children).Where(x => x.ID == id);

A: static IEnumerable<Product> FindProductById(this IEnumerable<Product> source, int id)
{
    return source.FirstOrDefault(product => product.Id = id) ?? source.SelectMany(product => product.Children).FindProductById(id);
}

A: An alternative solution using the yield to optimize the enumerations needed.
public static IEnumerable<T> SelectManyRecursive<T>(
    this IEnumerable<T> source,
    Func<T, IEnumerable<T>> childrenSelector)
{
    if (source == null)
        throw new ArgumentNullException("source");

    foreach (var i in source)
    {
        yield return i;
        var children = childrenSelector(i);
        if (children != null)
        {
            foreach (var child in SelectManyRecursive(children, childrenSelector))
            {
                yield return child;
            }
        }
    }
}

Then you can find a match by calling something like FirstOrDefault:
    var match = People.SelectManyRecursive(c => c.Children)
                      .FirstOrDefault(x => x.Id == 5);

A: If you want to "sub-iterate" and find a child in a list of Products:
List<Product>
    Product
       Child
       Child
       Child
       Child
    Product
       Child
       Child *find this one
       Child

You can use the existing SelectMany extension method.  SelectMany can be used to "flatten" a two-level hierarchy.
Here's a great explanation of SelectMany: http://team.interknowlogy.com/blogs/danhanan/archive/2008/10/10/use-linq-s-selectmany-method-to-quot-flatten-quot-collections.aspx
Your syntax would like like this:
List<Product> p = GetProducts(); //Get a list of products
var child = from c in p.SelectMany(p => p.Children).Where(c => c.Id == yourID);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


IT, as well as online security, is vital for organisations of any size. The alternatives include business interruption, poor legal compliance, impact on revenue, compromised reputation or, at worst, business failure. Therefore, you need to take a systematic approach to security and the first place to start is to compile and implement an effective business security plan.
If you do not already have a business security plan, compile and implement on as soon as possible. Your plan should be reviewed regularly in line with your changing business needs, market conditions and evolving threats.
Writing and implementing a security plan does not have to be a daunting task. A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow, and it can always be updated and refined later.
Review your own skills and knowledge. Determine if you need outside help. Identify assets and information that need to be protected, including hardware, software, documentation and data. Review the threats and risks. Make a prioritised list of items to protect.
Write procedures for preventing, detecting and responding to security threats. Provide a framework for enforcing compliance, including staff policies. Identify who will be responsible for implementing and monitoring the plan. Agree a timetable for implementation.
Communicate with staff. Train where necessary. Carry out the plan.
Research new threats as you become aware of them. Subscribe to security bulletins. Update and modify the plan as changes occur in personal, hardware or software. Carry out ongoing maintenance such as backups or virus updates.
Plan for a complete review and update six to twelve months after you complete the first plan or when your business goes through significant changes.


Cathy was mentioned, but "couldn't come till she found the right man and lost 10 pounds. The strip was named for the folk tale about Stone Soup , with the focus that good things can be created with small contributions from many sources. Articles needing additional references from July All articles needing additional references All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from December Articles with unsourced statements from July This article needs additional citations for verification.


I arrived home from a long day at work to find a strange, small, white dog staring at me in my foyer with a prison orange scarf tied around her neck.
It was 6pm, our groomers. closed.
All I could do was sit and think of our dog at someone else's home.
The sun began to set into an array of pinks, lavender, and even orange.
Sighing in the dark the two big eyes stared up at me.
The prison escapee was ours!
What seemed like a disaster to me was great joy to her.
She ran around the house like batman on steroids, or a man freed from jail.
The groomers had completely shaved the hair on our dog, even the tail, face and whiskers were not spared the clippers. Pink skin was peeking out everywhere. Our dogs hair was normally 6-8 inches over its whole body much like a miniature sheep dog.
Cutting things out of your life gives you instant space and freedom.
Remove enough encumbrances, not just hair, and it changes who you are.
Throw back the prison doors you've closed on yourself.
Soak in His Word in the psalms praising Him.
Let Him transform you as you contemplate His wonders.
Thank Him for all He has done for you.
Space moved into your day allows time for God to cast his vision into your life.
His greater purpose for your day.
Love you too! Hope it made you laugh.


text:
Serrasalmus nalseni és una espècie de peix de la família dels caràcids i de l'ordre dels caraciformes.

Morfologia
 Els mascles poden assolir 12,6 cm de llargària total.

Hàbitat
Viu en zones de clima tropical.

Distribució geogràfica
Es troba a Sud-amèrica: conca del riu Orinoco a Veneçuela.

Referències

Bibliografia
 Axelrod, Herbert Richard (1996): Exotic Tropical Fishes. T.F.H. Publications. .

 Géry, J. 1977. Characoids of the world. T.F.H. Publications, Inc., Nova Jersey. 672 p.
 Helfman, G., B. Collette i D. Facey: The Diversity of Fishes. Blackwell Science, Malden, Massachusetts (Estats Units), 1997. .
 Jégu, M. 2003. Serrasalminae (Pacus and piranhas). p. 182-196. A R.E. Reis, S.O. Kullander i C.J. Ferraris, Jr. (eds.) Checklist of the Freshwater Fishes of South and Central America. Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS, Brasil.

 Machado-Allison, A. i W. L. Fink 1991: Notas sobre la sistemática del género Serrasalmus y géneros relacionados. Parte II: el género Pygocentrus en Venezuela. Acta Biologica Venezuélica v. 13 (núm. 1-2): 109-135.
 Malabarba, L.R. 1998. Monophyly of the Cheirodontinae, characters and major clades (Ostariophysi: Characidae). p. 193-233. A L.R. Malabarba, R.E. Reis, R.P. Vari, Z.M.S. Lucena i C.A.S. Lucena (eds.) Phylogeny and classification of neotropical fishes. Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS.
 Mills, D. i G. Vevers 1989. The Tetra encyclopedia of freshwater tropical aquarium fishes. Tetra Press, Nova Jersey. 208 p.

 Nelson, J. S. 2006: Fishes of the world. Quarta edició. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Hoboken, Nova Jersey, Estats Units. 601 p. .
 Norman, J. R. 1929. The South American characid fishes of the subfamily Serrasalmoninae, with a revision of the genus Serrasalmus, Lacepède. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1928 (pt 4) (núm. 30): 781-829, Pl. 1.
 Taphorn, D., R. Royero, A. Machado-Allison i F. Mago Leccia 1997. Lista actualizada de los peces de agua dulce de Venezuela. p.55-100. A E. La Marca (ed.) Catálogo zoológico de Venezuela. vol. 1. Vertebrados actuales y fósiles de Venezuela. Museo de Ciencia y Tecnología de Mérida, Veneçuela.
  .

Enllaços externs

nalseni

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


I live in Shakarpur, Dayanand Block. I want to lodge a complaint against "Mahadev Plaster Of Paris". The person who is owning the shop sells the material of POP. Whether early morning or late night, everytime trucks are standing in the street which blocks the whole road and the work of loading and unloading of POP just creates pollution. The particles of it spread in the air. Many times our car collides with the trucks. I also want to complain about the GARBAGE which is lying in an empty plot. It causes unhygenicness. It may also lead to dangerous diseases like DENGUE or Malaria. mosquitoes and Flies are on it everytime. It is my humble request to you that please take the necessary action against these problems as everybody living in our street is fed up because of this inconvenience. I will be very thankful to you if you solve these problems.


text:
The government believes that the pupil premium, which is additional to main school funding, is the best way to address the current underlying inequalities between children eligible for free school meals (FSM) and their peers by ensuring that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the pupils who need it most.
Schools also receive funding for children who have been looked after continuously for more than six months, and children of service personnel.
The government believes that head teachers and school leaders should decide how to use the pupil premium. They are held accountable for the decisions they make through:
the performance tables which show the performance of disadvantaged pupils compared with their peers
the Ofsted inspection framework, under which inspectors focus on the attainment of pupil groups, and in particular those who attract the pupil premium
the reports for parents that schools have to publish online
How schools present the information in their online statement is a matter for each school. There is certain information that must be in the report: the school's pupil premium allocation in respect of the current academic year; details of how it is intended that the allocation will be spent; details of how the previous academic year's allocation was spent, and the impact of this expenditure on the educational attainment of those pupils at the school, in respect of whom grant funding was allocated.
In most cases the pupil premium is paid direct to schools, allocated to them for every pupil who receives free school meals. Schools decide how to use the funding, as they are best placed to assess what additional provision their pupils need.
Local authorities are responsible for looked after children and make payments to schools and academies where an eligible looked after child is on roll.
Pupil Premium Grant allocation 2018 / 2019: £27,100
We currently receive pupil premium for 20 pupils.
The full statement can be viewed here PP statement Sheriff March 2018 review
We currently receive pupil premium funding for 17 pupils.
PP funding at a glance March 2020


text:
Microplana terrestris ist eine Art der zu den Plattwürmern zählenden Landplanarien. Die Art wurde 1773 vom dänischen Naturforscher Otto Friedrich Müller als Fasciola terrestris erstbeschrieben, später wurde sie der Gattung Microplana zugewiesen.

Merkmale
Microplana terrestris hat einen unsegmentierten Körper ohne Coelom und ohne spezialisierte Herzkreislauf- und Atmungsorgane. Wie andere Vertreter der Familie Geoplanidae hat diese Landplanarie einen leicht abgeflachten Körper und bewegt sich kriechend über den Untergrund. Der Körper hat eine Länge von 1 bis 2 Zentimetern und eine Breite von 1 bis 2 Millimetern. Das Vorderende ist stumpf und die Färbung ist dunkelgrau bis schwarz.

Verbreitung
Microplana terrestris ist in Westeuropa heimisch. Die Ausbreitung erstreckt sich von Schweden über das Vereinigte Königreich, Irland und Frankreich bis hin nach Griechenland. Die Landplanarie benötigt feuchte Wälder. Die Art wurde zudem in Nordamerika eingeführt.

Lebensweise
Microplana terrestris bewegt sich mit Zilien fort. Mit wellenartigen Muskelbewegungen kann die Landplanarie ihre Geschwindigkeit erhöhen, wobei sie eine Schleimspur hinterlässt. Den Schleim kann sie nutzen, um von einem Blatt zu einem anderen zu gelangen.

Der Plattwurm ist carnivor und ernährt sich vor allem von Regenwürmern, Schnecken und kleinen Gliederfüßern. Die Hauptnahrung machen Aas und verletzte Beutetiere aus, seltener erbeutet er unverletzte Beute.

Microplana terrestris pflanzt sich sowohl sexuell als auch asexuell fort. Ein Individuen produziert einen Kokon, in dem mehrere Nachkommen heranwachsen. Solche Kokons kann es jeden Monat ablegen.

Die Lebensdauer betrug in einem Laborversuch 39 Monate. Wenn der Plattwurm in zwei Hälften zerschnitten wird, kann er sich regenerieren, aber scheinbar wird hierdurch die Lebensdauer reduziert.

Weblinks
 Microplana terrestris auf World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) (abgerufen am 15. Dezember 2020)

Einzelnachweise

Turbellaria
Strudelwürmer


Cleaning equipments vary from generic, all-purpose washers and high pressure cleaners, to specialised equipment iike cargo tank and cargo hold cleaners that meet classification society standards. Features may include long distance jets, low wash cycle times, programmable/reprogrammable features, and specialised equipment for cleaning mud.
Sales and rental for centrifugal pumps, self prime pumps, submersible pumps, vacuum pumps, split case pumps, swimming pool pumps, high pressure pumps & cleaning equipment (exclusive brands).


text:
Bosnia is an exceptionally beautiful country. I visited with my wife and daughter in the summer of 2018. It was an eye-opening journey to say the least. It was sad to see the crumbling infrastructure and the poverty. The war damage from 1992-99 is still visible, even two decades after the bombing and shooting have ceased. Most of the Croats, Serbs, and Jews are gone from what was once a vibrant, multi-cultural gem in the Balkans. Arab and Turkish investment, such as it is, is focused on Islamic Centers and mosques. Meanwhile the bridges are rickety, the tunnels iffy, and the roads are full of potholes. But I clearly see and understand how Sarajevo was once known as the pearl of the Balkans.
Mostar, the other city we visited is famous for its spectacular bridge over the Neretva River. This single arch, stone bridge was originally built in 1566 by a noted architect of the Ottoman Empire. The arch of the Stari Most (which means 'Old Bridge') is a perfect semi-circle. Sadly, the original bridge was destroyed by Croatian forces during the civil war in 1995. The good news is that it was rebuilt, mainly by Spanish (Spain had a sizeable peacekeeping contingent in the region during the post-conflict years), U.S., Turkish, and Croatian funds in 2004. The architecture across Bosnia has a distinct Mideastern feel, given its place as a province of the Turkish Ottoman Empire for over six hundred years. The souk, or marketplace, in Sarajevo harkens back to this era.
I wish only the best for the people of Bosnia. They live in a difficult region (an assassination in Sarajevo was the catalyst for World War I, and the mountains of Bosnia were the focus of the brutal partisan war against the Nazis).
Hopefully with an uptick in tourism (people need to see this rugged, beautiful country) and an increase in hydro-power projects (the country is uniquely situated on watersheds for this purpose), the nation can one day stand on its own two feet and will no longer require the foreign aid on which it is so dependent today.


text:
Visual storytelling: Cinematic ekphrasis in the Latin American novel of globalization
Dierdra Reber
Given the cultural ascendance of visuality, what is the place of the written text within visual culture? Are there ways in which written narrative strategies privilege image over word? This essay studies how three Latin American texts move generationally toward the current era of virtuality that is increasingly steeped in the visual: Manuel Puig's El beso de la mujer araña (The Kiss of the Spider Woman) (1976), Alberto Fuguet's Las películas de mi vida (The Movies of My Life) (2003), and Rita Indiana Hernández's La estrategia de Chochueca (The Strategy of Chochueca) (1999). In these texts, the cross-genre "nesting" of the visual within the written becomes less precise of boundary, progressing from a clearly demarcated cinematic ekphrasis to a mode of writing that becomes stylistically cinematic. The role of visuality in these works as a vehicle for the representation of self and world suggests that the visual is a somatic epistemological mode in which the entire body is engaged as an interpreter of its surroundings and a producer of social meaning. In this sense, visuality is the metonymic sensorial medium of the thinking body and the feeling brain as against the outmoded word of the rational mind. These texts are representative of an epistemic shift from reason to affect that is paralleled by a shift from word to image - understanding visuality as the dominant metonym of sensorial representation and cognition.
https://doi.org/10.1215/00295132-2009-064
10.1215/00295132-2009-064
Dive into the research topics of 'Visual storytelling: Cinematic ekphrasis in the Latin American novel of globalization'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Ekphrasis Arts and Humanities 100%
Latin American Arts and Humanities 50%
Indiana Arts and Humanities 50%
Social meaning Arts and Humanities 50%
Interpreter Arts and Humanities 50%
Latin American Novel Arts and Humanities 50%
Metonyms Arts and Humanities 50%
Virtuality Arts and Humanities 50%
Reber, D. (2010). Visual storytelling: Cinematic ekphrasis in the Latin American novel of globalization. Novel, 43(1), 65-71. https://doi.org/10.1215/00295132-2009-064
Reber, Dierdra. / Visual storytelling : Cinematic ekphrasis in the Latin American novel of globalization. In: Novel. 2010 ; Vol. 43, No. 1. pp. 65-71.
@article{7337ccf76c0b42a6b3588d480dc624d8,
title = "Visual storytelling: Cinematic ekphrasis in the Latin American novel of globalization",
abstract = "Given the cultural ascendance of visuality, what is the place of the written text within visual culture? Are there ways in which written narrative strategies privilege image over word? This essay studies how three Latin American texts move generationally toward the current era of virtuality that is increasingly steeped in the visual: Manuel Puig's El beso de la mujer ara{\~n}a (The Kiss of the Spider Woman) (1976), Alberto Fuguet's Las pel{\'i}culas de mi vida (The Movies of My Life) (2003), and Rita Indiana Hern{\'a}ndez's La estrategia de Chochueca (The Strategy of Chochueca) (1999). In these texts, the cross-genre {"}nesting{"} of the visual within the written becomes less precise of boundary, progressing from a clearly demarcated cinematic ekphrasis to a mode of writing that becomes stylistically cinematic. The role of visuality in these works as a vehicle for the representation of self and world suggests that the visual is a somatic epistemological mode in which the entire body is engaged as an interpreter of its surroundings and a producer of social meaning. In this sense, visuality is the metonymic sensorial medium of the thinking body and the feeling brain as against the outmoded word of the rational mind. These texts are representative of an epistemic shift from reason to affect that is paralleled by a shift from word to image - understanding visuality as the dominant metonym of sensorial representation and cognition.",
author = "Dierdra Reber",
doi = "10.1215/00295132-2009-064",
Reber, D 2010, 'Visual storytelling: Cinematic ekphrasis in the Latin American novel of globalization', Novel, vol. 43, no. 1, pp. 65-71. https://doi.org/10.1215/00295132-2009-064
Visual storytelling : Cinematic ekphrasis in the Latin American novel of globalization. / Reber, Dierdra.
In: Novel, Vol. 43, No. 1, 03.2010, p. 65-71.
T1 - Visual storytelling
T2 - Cinematic ekphrasis in the Latin American novel of globalization
AU - Reber, Dierdra
N2 - Given the cultural ascendance of visuality, what is the place of the written text within visual culture? Are there ways in which written narrative strategies privilege image over word? This essay studies how three Latin American texts move generationally toward the current era of virtuality that is increasingly steeped in the visual: Manuel Puig's El beso de la mujer araña (The Kiss of the Spider Woman) (1976), Alberto Fuguet's Las películas de mi vida (The Movies of My Life) (2003), and Rita Indiana Hernández's La estrategia de Chochueca (The Strategy of Chochueca) (1999). In these texts, the cross-genre "nesting" of the visual within the written becomes less precise of boundary, progressing from a clearly demarcated cinematic ekphrasis to a mode of writing that becomes stylistically cinematic. The role of visuality in these works as a vehicle for the representation of self and world suggests that the visual is a somatic epistemological mode in which the entire body is engaged as an interpreter of its surroundings and a producer of social meaning. In this sense, visuality is the metonymic sensorial medium of the thinking body and the feeling brain as against the outmoded word of the rational mind. These texts are representative of an epistemic shift from reason to affect that is paralleled by a shift from word to image - understanding visuality as the dominant metonym of sensorial representation and cognition.
AB - Given the cultural ascendance of visuality, what is the place of the written text within visual culture? Are there ways in which written narrative strategies privilege image over word? This essay studies how three Latin American texts move generationally toward the current era of virtuality that is increasingly steeped in the visual: Manuel Puig's El beso de la mujer araña (The Kiss of the Spider Woman) (1976), Alberto Fuguet's Las películas de mi vida (The Movies of My Life) (2003), and Rita Indiana Hernández's La estrategia de Chochueca (The Strategy of Chochueca) (1999). In these texts, the cross-genre "nesting" of the visual within the written becomes less precise of boundary, progressing from a clearly demarcated cinematic ekphrasis to a mode of writing that becomes stylistically cinematic. The role of visuality in these works as a vehicle for the representation of self and world suggests that the visual is a somatic epistemological mode in which the entire body is engaged as an interpreter of its surroundings and a producer of social meaning. In this sense, visuality is the metonymic sensorial medium of the thinking body and the feeling brain as against the outmoded word of the rational mind. These texts are representative of an epistemic shift from reason to affect that is paralleled by a shift from word to image - understanding visuality as the dominant metonym of sensorial representation and cognition.
U2 - 10.1215/00295132-2009-064
DO - 10.1215/00295132-2009-064
Reber D. Visual storytelling: Cinematic ekphrasis in the Latin American novel of globalization. Novel. 2010 Mar;43(1):65-71. doi: 10.1215/00295132-2009-064


text:
Early Twentieth Century Max Min Thermometer by Negretti & Zambra
For sale an early Twentieth Century max min thermometer by Negretti & Zambra of London.
Comprised of a white painted and cast metal scale, manufactured in relief so that the scale and body detail is raised from the body of the instrument. It has ascending and descending Fahrenheit scales measuring -10 to 120 degrees with company name below and logo to in between the thermometer.
Evidently designed for external use due to the materials involved and the roof shaped cover at the top of the instrument, Negretti advertised these thermometers as follows:
"This thermometer registers the greatest cold, the greatest heat, and the present temperature. It is an ideal thermometer for the greenhouse, garden and general outdoor use".
The max min thermometer is a simple but effective instrument whereby two metal pins are inserted into the bore of the thermometer tube. With the use of a weak magnet, the pins can be guided to rest on the top of the thermometer liquid level and will therefore move with the liquid in accordance with the change in temperature. Once the liquid recedes with a drop (or increase - e.g max min) in temperature, the metal pin will remain at that farthest position allowing the observer to record the hghest and lowest points in temperature over a given period.
Not the rarest of Negretti & Zambra's catalogued instruments but unlike many other examples, this one seems to have had a somewhat easier life and retains nearly all of its original paint and a functioning thermometer tube. It remains a very useful and functional instrument.
Negretti & Zambra were a leading name in the production of meteorological and scientific instruments and had a company history dating back to 1850 although their parents were amongst those Italian emigres that bolstered the British meteorological instrument making industry at the turn of the century.
Throughout their long and esteemed history they exhibited at British and international industrial fairs and became makers to both Queen Victoria and Edward VII. Owing to changes in the business, the firm ceased the public retailing of scientific instruments sometime around the late 1960's and continued with a focus on the aviation industry in numerous guises until its eventual liquidation in the year 2000. They are today perhaps the most collected of the scientific instrument firms which bears testament to the quality of their work.


When we learned of Blue Mafia going on hiatus earlier this year, we knew that it wouldn't be long before the various members found their way back into the bluegrass business.
The break was initiated by founder Tony Wray taking a position with the Tyminski Band, playing guitar and banjo with Dan Tyminski in his new alt-country/Americana venture. Whether the group will reform in future is an open question at this point, but they all recognized the switch as a great opportunity for Tony, and wished him well with Dan.
Today comes news that Blue Mafia mandolinist, singer, and songwriter, Dara Wray, Tony's wife, will serve as the exclusive booking representative and publicist for Kim Robins & 40 Years Late. During the time that Blue Mafia was active, Dara held this same position in that band, and Kim has no doubt that Wray can help her as well.
Robins is a life-long singer and songwriter, who took her own hiatus to raise her eldest daughter, and is now back on the road with a band. Her most recent recording, Raining In Baltimore, was released last year on Pinecastle Records, and she was an official showcase artist at the 2018 IBMA World of Bluegrass in Raleigh.
Wray says that she is likewise delighted to be working with Robins, and plans to see how well things go before deciding whether to take on any other clients.
You can learn more about Kim and her music online. Dara can be reached by phone (615-495-5122) or email.


United Nations: Venezuela's top diplomat has accused US president Donald Trump of acting like "the world's emperor," batting back Trump's biting rebukes of Venezuela on the global stage of the UN General Assembly.
Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza's speech at assembly came a day after Trump signed a travel ban affecting some Venezuelan officials, and nearly a week after Trump denounced turmoil-racked Venezuela's "corrupt regime" in his own address to the assembly's annual gathering of world leaders.
"As if he were the world's emperor, the president of the United States, Donald Trump, used this podium built for peace to announce wars, total destruction of member states" and "coercive measures, threatening and judging as if he had absolute, dictatorial powers over the sovereign member states of our organisation," Arreaza said. Trump had threatened to "totally destroy" North Korea if forced to defend the US or its allies.
Invoking former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez's famous quip that the podium "smells like sulfur" after then-US president George W Bush addressed the assembly in 2006, Arreaza said: "It's still valid." But he added later that his country was open to dialogue with the US.
Venezuela's government has faced international criticism since the country's Supreme Court gutted the opposition- controlled congress in March. The ruling was later reversed.
Recently, a new constitutional assembly composed entirely of government loyalists has gone after Maduro's political opponents. Several opposition mayors and leaders have been jailed.
Tens of thousands of Venezuelans have fled the political tumult, triple-digit inflation and widespread shortages of food and medicine. The country's oil-dependent economy spiralled into crisis after world oil prices began a plunge in 2014.
Trump's administration slapped sweeping economic sanctions on Venezuela last month, and the president said he wouldn't rule out US military action against the country. Last week, Trump devoted as much of his debut General Assembly speech to excoriating Venezuela as he did to North Korea, Syria and Iran.
"This corrupt regime destroyed a prosperous nation by imposing a failed ideology," Trump said of the socialist country. He added that the US was "prepared to take further action if the government of Venezuela persists on its path to impose authoritarian rule."
Maduro responded last week from Caracas by calling Trump "the new Hitler" of international politics and accusing Trump of threatening to assassinate him, though Trump did not say that.
On Sunday, Trump signed an order that will bar certain Venezuelan government officials and their immediate families from entering the US. The Trump administration says Venezuela's government has been uncooperative in verifying whether its citizens represent national security threats.
Venezuela's foreign ministry denounced the travel restrictions yesterday as a form of "political and psychological terrorism." Arreaza said at a news conference that it's "an unfounded strategy to soften the public opinion and to try to make a case against Venezuela."
He said his country is "looking for dialogue" with and channels to the Trump administration.
"For the moment, it has not been possible, but the will is there," Arreaza said. "But, I insist, if they attack us in whatever area, we will respond strongly in defence of our homeland, of our people."


For Sinus Headaches, use chamomile vapor bath. Put towel over head, breathe in steam from water mixed with chamomile oil. This will loosen the sinuses.
Use friction between hairline and eyebrow.
Russian Horseradish will drain sinuses and make you sweat. Put a small slice on tongue.
Print article This entry was posted by admin on December 9, 2011 at 2:47 am, and is filed under Uncategorized. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.


text:
"Load 3 of 6 and twelve loose in your pocket."
We were on the B side of the range yesterday. Eight hours- shooting, shooting while moving and pivoting, moving in a tight stack with live weapons, target discrimination, entries with a team of mixed lethal and less-lethal weapons to engage a mix of threats: deadly threats; dangerous threats and hostages. It was a good shoot, even cold at seven yards nine of my first ten were in the two-inch square. Moving was almost as good. I threw several rounds while moving on the boardwalk- as complexity increases (shooting + moving + listening for commands + target discrimination + magazine changes and failure to fire drills + keeping your balance on a fairly narrow, slightly wiggly platform) it becomes easier to let little things slide, like, oh, the front sight. Still, even there the shooting was good- just not consistently the standard I need to put a round on the nose of a moving threat without hitting the hostage being used as a shield.
On the A side of the range the local contingent of a federal agency were qualifying. I watched one miss the paper, the two-foot by three foot paper, not just the large silhouette of a bad guy in the middle, three times out of three before the instructor came over to help. Shooting for a two inch pattern on the B side, happy to hit the paper at all on the A side.
At one point both sides of the range were cold, so we could take off our hearing protection and I heard the instructor on the other side order, "Load three magazines of six and put twelve loose rounds in your pocket." Wow. That means that they have not changed their qualification course since they gave up revolvers. Think about that. Lots of things don't change- human aggression really hasn't changed since before we became humans, the instinctive physical motions when threatened aren't that different either- the difference between an antelope bone and broken cue stick in actual application are negligible. Technology does change some things, however... and sometimes people don't change in response, even when the stakes are high. If you see an officer who carries his magazine pouch on the same side as his weapon, he has been taught to do that and probably told it was faster. And it was faster, back when we carried revolvers and had to switch the weapon to the other hand to pop the cylinder and use the speed-loaders.
I was a weaver shooter for decades. I'd seen the stats that people almost never blade their bodies under stress but I was sure that didn't apply to me. All those years and hours of practice surely made me a special case (you may laugh)... what convinced me was JJ pointing out a change in technology; "You realize that your stance points the biggest hole in your armor right at the bad guy, right?" Crap. Time to learn the modified isosceles and actually point my armor at the bad guy.
Aside- old pistol duelers advocated an elbow to hip, hand at shoulder stance side on to the opponent. If he did happen to hit the torso area with his pistol ball it would have to penetrate all three arm bones before getting to the ribs.
The tendency to not recognize when the world has changed and go with the original plan is really powerful. Sometimes people don't see the change. Sometimes they stay within their comfort zone of behavior. Sometimes it just seems that tradition and habit have a kind of weight and momentum. This combined with human ability to rationalize and a hefty dose of ego makes for some pretty poor decisions defended with rabid ferocity. It's funny, most of the time. But sometimes there is a real price.
I've written about training artifacts before- things that were introduced to make training safer that have become the "right way". The pronated fist in karate. The follow through in a judo throw. There are technology artifacts, too. If you have ever had the opportunity to take apart an old Filipino sword, the handle is no more than a piece of rattan pounded onto a rattail tang. So maybe, the flowing cuts of some of the styles are because the blade stays in the wound longer... or maybe it's because almost any other technique made the handle fall off. Maybe the curve in a katana is because it is some mathematical function of the way people's arms move when they slash... or maybe they never figured out how to use the folding technique on a straight blade (FWIW, some viking weapons were pattern-welded by braiding the softer and harder steels, but the vikings never figured out the differential tempering trick).
It's hard to step back and look at these things in your own stuff. Often, unless something is tested to destruction, the weak spots don't look like weak spots in training. When you do find one, however, it often leads to an entire new set of insights. When Bric pointed out that the magazine placement we had learned was based on the revolver, it got me thinking and led to a change in weapon retention- because that skill was also based on revolvers and revolver holsters and some of the techniques, such as turning your hip away when the weapon is grabbed from behind, actually gives up the third level of retention on a modern holster, making it easier for the bad guy.
Being Invisible
Another one for the "Combative Twilight Zone Files" today from training. (hmmmm... that would make a hell of a book, wouldn't it?)
I usually stay away from the twilight zone stuff on the blog because I am worried about the reaction. Incredibly strange, impossible stuff happens at the edge. When you talk about it, impressionable people either:
A) Don't believe you. (Which doesn't bother me. I'm writing for myself primarily and most people live a life of sufficient comfort and safety that they can believe anything they want with no real effect.)
B) Believe you. If they believe you, they might:
b.1) Start believing in magic and quit "wasting time" on basics or;
b.2) Twist their focus and come to believe that the twilight zone fluke is "the way it is" and the other hundred mundane examples are ignored or;
b.3) Become weird little intellectual groupies, which frankly creeps me out. I'm tons more comfortable with Steve P.'s disagreements than I ever will be with, oh... you know what? I'm not even going to finish that thought. Someday just give me a scotch and ask me about the 'one move that embodies a style '. Puke. Gag.
Weird stuff happens and most of it can be explained once you understand the influence of super-high stress. The trouble is that understanding after the fact doesn't really prepare you for responding and understanding doesn't imply that you can predict or exploit the phenomena. That's why they're called "flukes" I guess.
On an entry, the first person in is responsible for immediate threat, near corner, far corner, cross corner. Don't hang up on the terminology. The first guy in has to deal with any immediately apparent bad guy, then check to make sure there isn't an ambush coming from the flank, then scan the room. His partner does the same from the other side.
One of the things we do in training is throw bad guys in at inconvenient times to make sure our entry team can adapt on the fly. Today on one of the reps, I was standing directly in the doorway when the point man came in. He blew right by me and covered a door (a potential danger spot). He actually brushed me. He never saw me. In the debrief he is adamant that I was NOT there.
I started to form the thought that I could fall in behind him like part of the stack, but the number 2 guy smashed me into the wall before the thought was completely formed. Which is excellent, it's what I train him to do.
Weird, though. This invisibility thing has come up a couple of times. In training (see the post on Perfect Predator Moment), just goofing around- one friend I stalked and counted coup on four times in a half hour while he was looking directly at me; but it is hard to tell if it has ever happened in a real fight. No one, at least, has ever told me I was invisible, but they have said, "Where in the fuck did you come from?" Wouldn't it be cool to interview the bad guys after a dust up? Something beyond crimes and discipline but more like, "What was your initial plan and when did you realize it had gone to hell?"
Adrenaline can cause tunnel-vision, and that accounts for a lot of the cases (the difference between invisible and unnoticed is very small in practice) but we'd been drilling this all day and it wasn't a rookie.
South Coast Writers
I did some classes for the South Coast Writer's Conference and I've been letting it settle for a week. There was a fair amount of sleep deprivation and a very long drive; a beautiful sunset and a small town charity fish-fry; a hilariously awful hotel experience and great food and conversation at a heavy-metal cowboy bar and grill. A poet's first autograph. A writer's critique group that will become a long story over beer someday.
I was a bit of an experiment. Most of the presenters were literary types- people who identify themselves as writers. I was more like a thug who happens to have a book coming out. But an attractive subject: Literature is about conflict, right? And you have villains, right? So I was there to talk about violence and villains.
On the good side, only one of the students left the room and only for one segment. A few covered their eyes at the slides. The notebook of photographs that I sometimes pass around never made it all the way around the room, as if a small knot of people were afraid that the pictures would somehow enter their psyches if they touched the cover, and bring on nightmares.
Violence can be awesome, in the old sense of the word- the meaning that brought on kneeling, hoping that if you were small enough the god would not see you and crush you. It can be cathartic, completely changing in an instant how you will view the world. It can even be funny. It is often pathetic and sordid and messy. It is almost never dramatic or entertaining.
If I use force and it is dramatic or entertaining, I am doing it wrong.
So these writers, many of whom impressed me with their intelligence, insight, warmth and compassion got to see a tiny bit of the world that their profession often packages for entertainment. They got to see the rhinoceros that inspired the unicorn that they create.
The murders of Linda Lawrence and Kyle Dinkheller. Excited delirium. How and why women fight differently than men. What happens when an outsider interferes in an in-group's "adjustment session". How a real shooting differs from the range. What bullets and knives and bats and bites do to a human body. What happens when a martial artist tries to break up a bar fight and over-estimates himself.
How bad guys see themselves. How cops see them. How their families see them. How they see each other. How truly aberrant that can be at the extremes. Some of the norms, the "normality" in certain sections of criminal subculture. Why things that seem impossible to polite society make good survival sense in that world.
Prostitutes and the "Bad Date Line". Drugs, inmates and riots. Gangs and molesters. Icky days. Professional good guys and professional bad guys. And scars. We talked about the scars at one point, but only the ones on the skin.
It's always strange to talk to good people about bad things. Do you sensationalize it? But you can't sensationalize Linda Lawrence's murder: it could never be sold as fiction. Too weird, too impossible, too brutal (not her murder, per se, which happened in the space of a few seconds, the fight with her killer afterwards which would seem a bit 'out there' in a werewolf movie.) You can't sensationalize the heroism (and sheer bloody determination) of a Marcus Young. You have to tell them it is rare, but this stuff happens: blood has been used as house paint. Wounds have been raped.
And there is a constant, lower-level buzz of violence: casually abused children, casually beaten wives. Problems solved by boots and weapons as a matter of course... and they glitch hard there because since most people do not know anyone who regularly solves problems with violence they have a hard time accepting that there is a group that considers it an obvious first choice. Obvious. That's the glitch.
It went well. Janet Pretti worked her...erm... very hard to make sure that everyone had a good time. She even got me to do a public reading, though I almost choked when she said to pick something "family friendly". So much for anything out of the book.
And I got great reviews. But what would you expect? No one ever tells the teacher with the gun that he sucks.
A Mix
Today was a mix. Lots of paperwork. Good interactions with officers and inmates. An epiphany. A call-out.
The epiphany: I've always worked under the assumption that my job was to either prevent or fix problems. That seems to apply to every job there is- you are either making things better or keeping things from getting worse. Part of that responsibility is to accurately see what the problem is, how big it is. Part of the responsibility is sharing that information up the chain of command. But that's not always the way it works. People want to accomplish the mission- get the job done. Bureaucracies are about preserving the system. When the ship is heading for big rocks, the obvious thing to do is to change course. The bureaucrat begins hiring the smartest, toughest, most creative people in the hopes that they will find away to avoid the damage without changing course... and god help the individual who stands up and says "This won't work- the system is flawed." Though the bureaucrat is driving the ship onto the rocks, they will throw someone over the side for making waves.
The Call Out: Not a lot of action lately, so when a neighboring agency without a tactical team calls for assistance with a riot with multiple barricaded, armed threats... it was looking like an interesting day. The team hit the ground running: a hasty pre-plan, some ball park concepts, equipment choices and draws for a range of scenarios; commo and even an advance team on the way... when the bad guys decided to surrender. This is the tactical equivalent of a case of blue balls.
"What I saw was couple of DUMBASSES who didn't have the tactical sense god gave an animal cracker." - Mark Jones
"You don't teach answers. You teach humans." - Asher Bey
"I don't trust people who are sure." - David Becker
"We aren't lowering the standards. We're just changing them so that more people will pass."- Anonymous administrator.
"I want them to see me looking; to look in my eyes and see the price of admission."- Paul McRedmond
"Leadership is making things better.- J. Callum
"I think you got some zen in my eye."- Brandon Oto
"There were grade school teachers and high school teachers and kindergarten teachers and counselors. Those were all the oppressions, I mean professions in the class."- Se-ah-dom Edmo
Posted by Rory at 7:31 AM 1 comment:
You can't walk towards something without walking away from something else. Every choice that you make removes other choices from the table. If you stop, you can't be going. If you keep going, you miss all the things that you would have experienced by stopping for a spell.
I've made a decison. A certain piece of it is out of my hands, but the decision is made. It involves huge changes. Walking away from some things means walking away from other things as well. Some of those things are going very well. When I return, they may have grown on their own or withered and died. I won't know, can't know until I return.
Things will develop in their own time. From this perspective it seems monumental if I think about it too much. Yet I already know that I will live in the moment, experience what is there and, someday, it will become just another thing that I've done. A piece of history. A collection of stories. Valuable, important...but there will be just as many stories I will miss. Stories and experiences I would love. It's one of the reason that change is hard, especially for people who have been successful in creating a nearly perfect life. But part of my perfect life is abandoning the comfort zone. For now, at least. Rest may become more valuable in later years. Not yet.
This has the potential to be very cool.
There is an old Persian tale about a man whose wisdom was tested by Allah. He was told to cook the best meal in the world and the worst. For the best meal he chose tongue, delicately seasoned. Because from the tongue, from speech, came all truth, all praise, all teaching... everything that was extraordinary in the world comes from the ability to communicate.
For the worst meal, of course, he also prepared tongue- decomposed and rotting, half burned and half slimy. Because evil requires deceit and that too, comes from speech.
A few decades ago, for one of those cheesy psych test I was asked my favorite animal. Without hinking I answered,"Humans." Humans are also my least favorite. At their best, humans embody everything that is nobility. The human capacity for heroism, for self-sacrifice, for doing the right thing at great personal cost is humbling. Conversely, the human penchant for betrayal, for sadism, for deceit also seems to be without limits.
So I love people and I hate them. It's not a halfway thing- or maybe it is: When I don't think about them, I'm pretty neutral about people- about the human race and its existance. But when I do think about them, when I observe humans as they live and act and interact I am usually blown away by the miracle of humanity. Or disgusted by creatures who can be given the triple gift of life, reason and will and use it only to hurt and use others for their own benefits.
Sitting in a restaurant/bar today (small town, Valentines day) I watched a bartender and a waitress working like machines. They were dealing with drinks and food, seating. The waitress was new and had a cheat sheet to figure out the table codes. They were running their asses off. I've watched higher paid people with 'higher status' jobs who would grumble, whine or simply refuse to put out a quarter of the effort these two did. And these two women did it with good cheer and wicked humor. It was a pleasure to watch.
In the middle of a day with nothing planned (!!!) it seemed like a good time to go over some old stuff. My students may not know that I take notes after class:
"JJ- (list of students) working on very minor stuff- triangle immobilizations; steady vs. staccato force; tendon lock; shearing from ground; mental vs. physical stops; controlling pace physical and verbal RTPV. Caught a ridge hand to the eye. Had to do the whole psych FA thing on face contact. All good."
I like the balance- nuanced physical skills and critical physical distinctions; mind and body; tactics and techniques; finishing and prevention; emotion and socialization.
Triangle Immobilizations are a simple way to pull on a wrist, elbow, collar, hair or push/glide other contact points in such a way that the threat can't move either foot and sometimes can't twist his spine.
Steady vs. Staccato- a staccato attack, especially one in broken rhythm, upsets the OODA loop more than a steady rhythm; is harder to adjust to and can increase damage by utilizing it's own "bounce".
Tendon Locks are ways to position your own bones to make it very difficult for the threat to move you or a part of you. Structure used for grappling defense.
Shearing from ground is just one way to break connection, a fast way. Breaking connection with the ground cripples most people's fighting ability.
Mental and physical stops are largely about you. Your brain freezes and you body follows when you concentrate on the surface or the point of contact. It decreases your ability to do damage or apply power in other ways. The most common way of demonstrating is playing the childhood game of "Red Rover" If the runner concentrates on the hands, he will usually be stopped. If he concentrates on the horizon, he will either break through or drag the entire line, even if moving at a slower speed.
Controlling Pace... Physically, emotionally and even with your voice you can make someone else move faster or slower. You will often see a good technician slow down in the middle of a match and his opponent will subconsciously slow down to match. I've used this in real fights- along with the staccato explosion once the threat expected slow.
RTPV are the rate, tone, pitch and volume of voice. Even without understanding a word of a mutual language you can set the tone for an interaction with good conscious skill at RTPV. This is the kihon of verbal de-escalation.
Psych FA There must have been a rookie in the class. Our society (all societies I know of) have serious tabus about adults touching other adults on the face. That is why the slap is such a staple of domination- and why it is so often used by predators. The socialization runs so deep that in MA classes, a rookie who accidentally makes face contact will stop, apologize and feel terrible. Once this tabu is brought into consciousness, you can train for it and even use it.
All good.
"I heard..."
Talking with Vinnie in the locker room at the end of a wild, busy shift:
"This one big guy, the guy DC called on, for a second I thought he was going to get brave."
"Yeah," Vinnie said, "I heard that you even put down your coffee cup."
"Everyone knows, you put down the coffee cup, it's last chance."
Everyone? One of the big motivators to applying for the desk job was a real fear that there was something wrong with me on a very deep level. I'd found myself fully engaged with an amateur boxer (he got the first move at extremely close range) and as he literally bent over backwards before hitting the floor, I'd been composing the report in my mind, not really interested in what he was doing or what I was doing either. Before that (long story) a local agency had chased a car thief into my neighborhood. The pursuing officers had jumped the fence into my backyard, where I happened to be, wondering what the commotion was about. I was staring down five guns with excited, largely rookie officers behind them. I was the only calm one at the scene. Last example- yawning while a 300 pound biker threatened me.
If that sounds like bragging, it isn't. A data point- at one time my adrenals were so burnt out that unless I was actively being shot at I was bored.
There's a level of adrenaline, a trickle, that tugs at the corner of your mouth and crinkles your eyes and makes you fell very alive, very present in the moment. It took a year off to get that back, and it's great. But in the course of the year I'd expected things to move on. I'd expected that someone else would step into the ready position, someone else would just be expected to deal with the problem children. No one else has stepped up (that's not true- we have many good officers who deal every day with situations that would make a clinical psychologist choke or that some Federal enforcement officer would be analyzing in books for decades), but no one has stepped up to the extent that I'm forgotten.
Have you ever heard of the Johari Window? It's a psych concept where you imagine yourself as a square with a vertical bar and a horizontal bar. Everything to the left of the vertical bar are the things you know about yourself. To the right are the unknown things. Above the horizontal bar are the things others know about you. Below the bar are the things others don't know about you.
Part of skillful living is to try to move your vertical bar as far to the right as possible- to know everything you can about yourself. The window implies that there are always things things that others know about you that you don't. What others can see sometimes (often, if you don't really examine yourself) is more accurate than what we choose to believe about ourselves.
So I keep my ears open for little hints, like, "Everyone knows..."
Years ago, Mike pointed out the position I took when force was about to happen. That was okay with me because the position (which I call the 'modified Columbo') was a purely conscious choice... but he also pointed out a specific thing I do with my wrist just in the instant of 'go'. that bothered me a little. Partially because it was unconscious (effective, believe me, but unconscious) but also because I'm not used to anyone else looking for minor battle tells. That was when I was absolutely sure that Mike would be a superb team leader.
Invisible to me, but "everyone knows" even the inmates that haven't worked directly with me before. Put down the coffee cup and it's the last chance.
That's what I heard.
Incident Analysis
An interesting problem last night- inmate refusing an order. Not an english speaker. Signs (not symptoms- an important distinction, especially with a language barrier) of possible opiate withdrawals or a psych crisis or great fear.
The staff on hand didn't want to use force. We generally avoid force whenever possible, but if there is no immediate threat to others (the inmate was successfully isolated) no active self-harm and it's probable that the deeper reasons are avolitional* we will go to great lengths to not hurt somebody. Great lengths, in this case, involved waiting for me to clear another duty and try talking.
Last night it worked out very well and there is some stuff in there to analyze.
1) Reading the threat: I invited the inmate to sit down immediately, which gave me a read on his understanding level (0 to english, okay to his native language) and general compliance level. Entered the cell to get a read on his territoriality. Stood at different distances and with different postures to examine his comfort zones and see if I could work my way into his 'intimate distance' without setting him off. At one point, trying to rule out fear based on recent trauma, I stood too close and put a hand on his shoulder. No excessive flinch response. Note- all of this proximics stuff is extremely valuable but you must be superbly confidant in your close-range ability to defend yourself.
2) Comfort: I knocked before I went in. Didn't wait for an invite, but it's a courtesy that many respond to even if they don't consciously register it. Didn't wear gloves- to some inmates, they presage violence (I have put on gloves very ostentatiously in the past to let an inmate know that force was imminent and give them a chance to back down. Most do.) Gloves can also become a focal point for schizophrenic or paranoid inmates. My body language was extremely relaxed- a little slumped, rare direct eye contact, very casual, sipping a cup of coffee (a posture that also covers my center line, allows me to explode directly into the threat if necessary and takes full advantage of the design of the cell for obstacles and power generation). Voice low, slow, a little sleepy.
3) Back-up. This could have been handled better. The more officers involved in a back-up, the less likely for anyone to be hurt. It seems counterintuitive, but if you really want to fight and I have six guys, I can probably get cuffs on you just by holding you down. If I'm alone and you want to fight, I may have to break you. When dealing with EDs (Emotionally Disturbed) I like my back-up out of sight. Too many uniforms can trigger their paranoia and make my relaxed mode seem insincere. If available, you need B/U there (you CAN NOT do a hostage negotiation without a tactical response ready), but better not to be seen. A few wanted to watch and stayed in the inmate's line of sight.
4) Timing. The third time into the cell was for the nurse. I gloved up for that one. In his home country, a child will be beaten for merely making direct eye contact with any law officer. Each time I had entered the cell, he had expected physical violence. I figured the third time he might be toying with the idea that I might be reluctant to use force and he might get brave.
5) Physical. I touched the inmate four times. Once was the early hand on the shoulder mentioned above. I did the same thing later and looked in his eyes and very softly said, "I know you don't want me to hurt you. Please don't make me." It helped, (he did understand quite a bit) because it allowed him the chance to not fight as a favor to a nice guy (me) rather then out of fear. At one point he started to move suddenly and I put one hand on the back of his elbow ( a leverage point) and one on the wrist- our standard escort hold. He tensed, testing my strength and whether it would provoke a reaction. He got no reaction so he didn't escalate. I did, however, warn him that moving fast would be a very bad idea. The fourth time was holding his arm so the RN could take his blood pressure and trying to take a BP by palpation. No big deal, but the dynamic with a second person (small and untrained) in the room was different. I had to be ready to knock him off his balance if he made any threatening move towards the nurse. The leverage point at the back of the elbow again.
6) Remote control good-cop/bad-cop: You've all heard of it and it works. One of my best partners had this perfect work persona as the Bitch Queen from Hell. It was a delight working with her- if a new arrestee started working himself up to fight she would turn towards him with this indescribable look and I would put a hand on his arm and plead, "I can't control her when she's like this! Please, please don't say anything." We almost never had a use of force. Working close-custody and max, I got pretty good at playing GC/BC all by myself: most of the inmates would warn the others that I was a pretty nice guy, but not all there. I could snap. For the incident last night I got on the radio and told the OIC that we couldn't quite get there and the guy was demanding we use force and asked for his blessing. The OIC said, "We have no choice." This was all done in the inmate's hearing. I said, "You heard the man." The inmate complied.
7) Detail. I noticed early on that whenever I started to leave the cell, the inmate would start to comply and then catch himself, consciously forcing himself to stop. I don't know what this means and didn't figure out how to exploit it in the time we had. With the language barrier (and because it appeared unconscious), it's unlikely that I'll ever figure it out, but I will watch for it in other incidents. Just a data point.
8) Restoration of normality. The primary officer decided to treat this as a probable psych issue instead of a disciplinary matter, so we took him to a module. This got a little weird because every officer that didn't have anything specific to do was hanging around. That's good- this was the most likely place to go bad in the jail- but for an ED inmate it can feed into paranoias or delusions. One offered to carry the inmate's property. It was natural, because when you've been waiting around you want to do something and he's a good officer who wants to be useful. But it was important to make the move as normal as possible, so I had the inmate carry his own stuff. It's also very important for EDs, especially as they are coming out of crisis, to get a feeling of control. Something as simple as carrying their own things or cleaning up can give them a feeling of normality and control that they value very much.
*Avolitional. Most criminals are extremely self-centered and manipulative. They have done criminal acts because what they wanted was more important to them than their victim's rights or feelings or even lives. EDs- truly terrified or mentally ill people sometimes display behavior or have motives that they can't control (it's actually rare- most can control their behavior most of the time, but not their motives). If it's not a choice (avolitional) we try to cut as much slack as we can; when it is a choice, especially if the criminal is counting on us being nice or taking time that is manipulative behavior that we work hard not to reward.


text:
Tag: #adamawa
IPOB declares sit-at-home on May 30 to honour fallen heroes
By CybokNews on May 2, 2019 • ( Leave a comment )
…Calls on Southern Kaduna, Benue, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Kogi, Ondo, Osun to join The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has declared sit-at-home on May 30 throughout in remembrance of its fallen heroes and heroines who paid the supreme prize in the struggle for Biafra. The group said that […]
NorthEast better off under Buhari – Presidency
In an action that broke the old tradition of staying above politics, the Catholic Bishop of Yola Diocese, Rt. Rev. Fr. Stephen Mamza delivered a homily in which he spoke angrily against President Muhammadu Buhari, whom he described as "sleeping on duty as Commander-in-Chief." This is not a […]
Aisha Buhari at Adamawa Town Hall, stresses unity, peace, and love
Wife of the President has called on citizens of Adamawa state to unite and move the state forward, stressing the need for peace and love as necessary ingredients to steer the state to the path for accelerated socio-economic development and prosperity. She was speaking during a Town Hall […]
Jukun/Tiv, Fulani,Genjon, Bachama violence: Cycle of violence benefits nobody, says Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed sadness over "the latest needless violent clashes between Jukuns and Tivs in Taraba State, and Fulani, Genjon and Bachama in Adamawa State resulting in arson, injuries, and deaths". President Buhari said violence and bloodshed for whatever reason are unacceptable and condemnable, especially […]
Aisha plans to establish Muhammadu Buhari University
Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari on Saturday said she has a plan to establish a private university to be known as "Muhammadu Buhari University". She disclosed this during a town hall meeting in Yola organized by her in collaboration with concern indigenes of Adamawa. Aisha, who did […]
FG threatens to revoke Mubi-Michka-Madagali highway contract in 14 days
Disturbed by the slow pace and poor quality of work on Mubi-Michika-Madagali highway, the Federal Government has served a 14-day revocation ultimatum to the construction firm handling the project. The Federal Controller of Works in Adamawa, Mr. Salihu Abubakar, confirmed the development to the News Agency of Nigeria […]
Buhari hosts APC Reps to dinner
President Muhammadu Buhari is hosting members of the House of Representatives elected under the platform of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC). The dinner is holding inside the Banquet Hall of the State House Presidential Villa, Abuja. Tuesday's dinner is the second time the president will be hosting […]


text:
City Council Held a Work Session at 5:30 p.m.
City Council approved the regular meeting minutes of January 11, 2011.
City Council endorsed the proclamation.
City Council approved the consent calendar. The City Manager's recommendations were as follows:
5.	City Council accepted the following resignation with regret: (a) Amber Nightingale, Community Services Board.
6.	City Council made the following appointments: (a) appointed Charlene Campbell as the one citizen member to the Alexandria-Caen Sister City Committee; (b) appointed Susan Stickles as the one City elementary school representative to the Alexandria Gang Prevention Community Task Force; (c) appointed Margaret Fitzsimmons as the one member designated by the Alexandria School Board to the Budget and Affairs Advisory Committee; (d) appointed Laura Macone as the one citizen member to the Commission on Aging; (e) appointed Hayley Gefell as the one representative from such organizations as educational agencies, organized labor, rehabilitation agencies, community-based organizations, economic development agencies and the public employment service to the Commission on Employment; (f) appointed David Hoover as the one citizen member to the Commission on HIV/AIDS; (g) appointed Junius McElveen, Jr. as the one representative from the Old Presbyterian Meeting House to the Historic Alexandria Resources Commission; (h) appointed Mellenie Runion as the one landlord or representative of landlords to the Landlord-Tenant Relations Board; and (i) appointed Travis Brown as the one citizen member to the Sister Cities Committee.
7.	City Council authorized $380,000 for capital project allocations and planned expenditures for the capital projects as detailed in the Capital Improvement Expenditure Summary.
8.	City Council authorized the City Manager to: 1. submit the grant application to FACT in the amount of $15,000 (due January 25, 2011); and 2. execute all documents that may be required.
9.	City Council approved the acceptance of the grant allotment and authorized the City Manager to execute the necessary documents that may be required.
10.	City Council: 1. accepted the grant awarded by the Virginia Department of Health; and 2. authorized the City Manager to execute the necessary documents that may be required.
11.	City Council approved the partnership of the Assistance to Firefighters (AFD) and Institution of Fire Engineers (IIFE) for the application to the Fire Protection and Safety (FP&S) grant program (due February 4, 2011); and authorized the City Manager to execute the necessary documents that be required (noting the revised docket item.)
City Council waived the residency requirement and appointed Katharine Medina as the one representative who is employed by or affiliated with an organization that promotes and maintains affordable housing to the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee.
City Council reappointed Eric Zander as the one citizen member to the Board of Zoning Appeals.
City Council appointed Reina Malakoff as the one citizen member to the Commission for Women.
City Council waived the residency requirement and reappointed Thomas Smith as the one member nominated by the First Virginia Regiment of the Continental Line to the George Washington Birthday Celebration Committee.
City Council reappointed John Komoroske, Mary Lyman and Eric Wagner as the three citizen members to the Planning Commission.
City Council appointed Joshua Dickinson as the one citizen member to the Sanitation Authority.
City Council waived the residency requirement and appointed Robert Taylor as the one Alexandria Seaport Foundation representative to the Waterfront Committee.
City Council: 1. approved the legislative positions included in attachment 1 (recommended positions on bills of importance to the City), as recommended by City Council's Legislative Subcommittee (Vice Mayor Donley and Councilman Smedberg); and 2. approved the positions on budget issues included in attachment 2 (recommended positions on budget issues of importance to the City) as also recommended by City Council's Legislative Subcommittee. City Council authorized the Mayor to sign a letter in opposition to the legislation that would combine NVTA, NVTC and PRTC.
City Council heard the oral report on the base realignment and closure project (BRAC-133) in Alexandria.
City Council heard the oral report on the upcoming proposed Potomac Yard Metro Station environmental impact statement (EIS) scoping project.
(a)	Mayor Euille noted that two things have occurred at WMATA. The interim CEO last Thursday released the proposed 2012 operating and capital budget that reflects a $72 million shortfall, with the make up of that shortfall being made up by the local jurisdictions, and there are no proposed fare increases or reductions in services. Mayor Euille noted that this Thursday, January 27, the WMATA board will also formally vote to hire a permanent CEO/General Manager. The Board has selected the interim CEO Richard Sarles to become the permanent CEO.
(b)	Councilwoman Pepper presented Mayor Euille with a picture from the Alexandria Times of him with his crutches and foot stool after his accident on the Metro.
(c)	Councilwoman Pepper said the holiday lights that line King Street will be turned off at the end of the month, and she hoped there would be support on Council for them to docket it at the next legislative meeting so they could have a discussion on whether it would like to go forward with keeping the lights on all year.
(d)	Councilwoman Hughes asked that there be an item to be considered for the next legislative meeting on the City doing an additional appropriation in the amount of $52,000 to cover the Sunday delivery of Meals on Wheels for Senior Services.
(e)	Councilman Krupicka said the task force Mayor Euille appointed last summer to recreate the Early Childhood Commission and the Youth Policy Commission to a new Children, Youth and Families Group is making good progress. The group continues to meet and is on track for sometime in February or March to go to Council. He said if any member of Council wanted copies of the draft, he would be glad to get them copies and to also talk with the task force for an update.
(f)	Councilman Krupicka noted that the Four Mile Run Farmers Market has been accepted as a food stamp recipient and that is the first Farmers Market in the City to accept food stamps. That is consistent with the goal of making healthy local food available to everyone.
(g)	Councilman Krupicka noted an article in the Washington Post last week about a chemical that may or may not be in the City's water, hexavalent chromium. He said it is difficult to test for, so Alexandria's water hasn't been tested. Councilman Krupicka asked to ask Virginia American Water to work with the City to find a way to test the water.
(h)	Mayor Euille noted that the local newspaper misquoted him regarding the program for the Martin Luther King poster contest that took place in the Chambers, regarding a comment made as to the school demographics, and he stated three factors. However, he said, the quote in the newspaper was taken out of context and listed just one of the three factors. He clarified that his response was that his belief personally was the reason why the City demographics are different is the black, white and latino population is much higher than that of the public school system and parents are concerned about the lack of quality education at certain schools so they chose to opt out of the school in their neighborhood. He also noted that others may not feel comfortable having their child in a fully integrated environment in their early stages.
City Council adopted the to resolution establish an Ad Hoc Retirement Benefit Advisory Group, with an amendment to Section 6 (a) to add the words "unless the Advisory Group petitions the City Council for an extension and that request is approved by City Council." (RES. NO. 2432)
City Council: 1. adopted the resolution for FY 2012 funding for the continuation of the Alexandria Transportation Demand Management Program; and 2. authorized the City Manager to: (A). submit a grant application and the resolution to the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) for FY 2012 funding; (1) in the amount of $228,240 which will be matched by $57,060 of City funds, for a total program of $285,300, for the continuation of the City's transportation demand management services (formerly rideshare); and (2) in the amount of $28,500, which will be matched by $1,500 of City funds, for a total of $30,000 to continue the public transportation intern position; (B) approved the continuation of two full-time, grant-funded positions (Transit Specialist I and Transit Services Assistant I) to administer the ongoing TDM program. Continuation of these positions is contingent upon continuation of funding from the DRPT or other non-City sources; and (C) execute all necessary documents that may be required under this program. (RES. NO. 2433)
City Council: 1. noted that the budget work session scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, March 14 will be the joint School Board work session with the location to be determined; 2. eliminate the Council budget work sessions on Wednesday, March 30 and Monday, April 4; and 3. noted the following additions and changes to the calendar: the City commemoration of the Ronald Reagan Centennial on Friday, February 4 at noon in City Council Chambers; and the Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Expo, originally scheduled for Saturday, April 30, has been changed to Saturday, June 25.
At 9:12 p.m., City Council convened in executive session, pursuant to Section 2.2-3711(a)(1) of the Code of Virginia for the purpose of discussing the performance and related matters of the city manager.
At 9:44 p.m., City Council reconvened the meeting.
City Council adopted a resolution pertaining to the Executive Session. (RES. NO. 2434)
The meeting adjourned at 9:45 p.m.
Note: The action docket is a summary of Council's meeting deliberations prepared largely for staff follow-up. Formal minutes of the meeting, when approved by Council become the official record of the meeting and of Council decisions made at the meeting.


Apartments culver city hughes luxury near california for rent in. Apartments culver city picture luxury ca in caraintree caapartments. Apartments culver city picture tilden terrace ca rent in california for rentapartments high riseapartments los. Apartmentsulverity inalifornia luxurya overland furnished.
Apartments raintree culver city caapartmentsfornia in for rentseniorforniaapartments near. Apartments culver city picture forty6twenty ca luxury in caraintree caapartments. Forty6twenty apartments culver city caforty6twenty caluxury the altitude ca tilden.
Apartments culver city picture apartment in 2 bed 1 bath 2200 tilden ca senior. Apartments culver city high risetwenty caforty6twenty caluxury california for rent. Apartments culver city picture oliver frymer construction hughes luxury forty6twenty.


The sun is considered a most important part of astrology. It, as well as the Moon, are the most important of the astrological planets, and the two of them are often referred to as the luminaries.
Just as the planets revolve around the Sun in our solar system, we derive our life purpose from the Sun in our natal charts.
It has a meaning of the action started, a new cycle of personal development. Motto of any Aries: initiative and active!
It has a meaning of the possession of material goods. Motto: possession and practicality. Taurus tends to the spiritual truth, seeking to acquire the material goods.
This position means spirituality, the speed of thoughts and actions and the lack of conventions. The nature of this people is elusive, opportunistic - curiosity with temperament.
Those with the Sun in Cancer, are both: mobile and permanent, your problems is in understanding of the need for movement, but the in the same time - the reluctance to part with the tried and tested traditions.
If the Sun in the horoscope of a person is in Leo, that person is the embodiment of self-consciousness. Leos are always on the throne, even if they are working as a shoemakers.
For people who have Sun in Virgo, the main principle of life is: "the order and the reason". They are always looking for knowledge, to subdue the matters to a mind control.
Diplomatic, elegant, sincere. Libra's behavior is always dictated by mind and intellect. With an abundance of feelings Libras do not allow passions to win up, trying to keep everything in a balance.
A very strong character. Always gives the impression of a special power of attraction, though often frightening. At the same time revived, and mysterious, is viable, but also full of premonitions of death.
Those with Sun in Sagittarius are filled with a sense of responsibility for society and for themselves. They love to get into the new areas of knowledge, to travel, they have an abstract thinking.
Capricorns are rarely satisfied with the present day. They feel that they are going to have a great future. They always want to do something special.
Those with the Sun in Aquarius differ with the eccentric temperament, determination and stubbornness. In their efforts to update the environment they can go so far, that would seek changes for the sake of change.
Empathy, flexibility, renunciation. This hypersensitive sign of Zodiac is very responsive to the thoughts of other people.


text:
Meet Debbie, the Multitasking Badass Behind Peach Farm
It takes a special kind of server to wrangle Chinatown's rowdiest late-night scene.
By Korsha Wilson·	 8/7/2014, 2:34 p.m.
Devoted foodies and restaurant newbies love The Feed. Sign-up now for our twice weekly newsletter.
Chinatown's best server, Debbie at Peach Farm. Photo by Chelsea Kyle
After midnight, Peach Farm becomes the province of Boston's restaurant industry. You'll often find groups of chefs and bartenders, their round tables—with pink table cloths and swirling lazy Susans—topped with surf clams, half-empty Tsingtao bottles, and piles of deep-fried, head-on shrimp.
This kind of scene, filled with tipsy patrons and rowdy hospitality professionals, calls for a special kind of server who can balance being efficient, congenial, and firm. Debbie (she declined to disclose her last name), a fixture at Peach Farm for almost 10 years, is that server. Ask anyone who goes to Chinatown regularly and they know her on a first name basis. "She's fucking on point with everything," says Douglas Rodrigues, executive chef of The Tip Tap Room. "Her hospitality is the best, by far."
Debbie—a food lover who spends her minimal downtime cooking and scrapbooking recipes from old Chinese newspapers—moved to the city from Ipoh, Malaysia, specifically for Peach Farm. She now works at the restaurant six times a week, in manic blocks that last up to 10 hours. "Working here, you have to be fast," she says in the relative calm between the dinner and late-night rush. "When I'm working, it's a lot of fun."
That's not always the case, though. "The worst guests, they don't want to pay me," she says with a bit of a laugh. "They're teenagers, maybe high school kids, they just leave. I have to be careful. It only happens once or twice a year, though, if I'm lucky."
When Debbie first started working at Peach Farm, she says that chefs rarely dined at the restaurant, but after a while she began to see famous faces like Lydia Shire and Ming Tsai. She got to know some of the chefs, but rarely by name. "I only know their face," she says.
Over the past decade, she has noticed that the chefs she serves follow a pattern. "In the beginning they come in by themselves, then in big groups. Then they move out of town and new people come in."
One chef that has moved out of town, but still travels into the city to eat here, is Johnny Sheehan. The executive chef of New World Tavern in Plymouth used to make Peach Farm a frequent after work stop after shifts at Clio and Uni. "She was part of the whole experience," he says. "Walking in the door and seeing Debbie, she knows what you like to eat and order. Where else do you feel like a regular in Chinatown?"
Debbie's love of food comes across in her work. She plays hostess, server, translator, and culinary counselor to both regulars and rookies. The menu at Peach Farm can be overwhelming for the unfamiliar, but under Debbie's care, guests often find dishes that become favorites. She recommends the eel with black bean sauce, the lobster with scallion and ginger, and for the more adventurous, frog hot pot. But if you want to stick to crab rangoons and egg rolls, you are free from judgement.
Sixty hours a week of serving countless people (and the occasional unruly guest) sounds tiring, but she handles it in stride. "Enjoy your work, you enjoy your life" she says, and basks in the temporary calm of the dining room.
4 Tyler St., Boston; 617-482-1116 or peachfarmboston.com.
Eight Toasty Winterized Patios on Boston's North Shore
The Best Steakhouses in Boston Right Now
Where to Find the Best Chicken Parmesan in Boston Right Now
First Look: Nomai, a New Restaurant from the Shōjō Team, Opens in Hingham
The 20 Best Brunch Spots Around Boston Right Now
26 Boston Restaurants Offering Winter-Ready Outdoor Dining
Mark Wahlberg and Co. Are Being Sued for Trashing a Wahlburgers
The 20 Best Restaurants in Boston's North End


Enjoy the Sydney Writers' Festival for a fraction of the c ost without leaving town. Live & Local, streamed live by Sydney Writers' Festival, delivers the world's finest authors to the LibraryMuseum in real time. As well as hearing new ideas from great thinkers, audiences have the opportunity to participate in Q&A sessions at each event, sending questions direct to the Sydney stage.
Tea and coffee provided. Cash bar Friday 4pm-6pm.
NB: The livestream days are Friday to Sunday. Thursday sessions as shown online will not be streamed.
Purchase 3-day or 1-day passes online at the link below or in person at the LibraryMuseum.
Single session tickets may only be purchased in person, just prior to the session.