People with spinal cord injuries (SCI) are at greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease than the able-bodied population due to the physical restrictions their condition places on their mobility. Exercising regularly with SCI is further complicated by lack of access to specialized knowledge and resources. Today, you can help people with SCI access these resources.
Keeping fit is important—no less so if you experience complete or partial paralysis due to spinal cord injury, illness, or disease.
The UBC Faculty of Medicine's International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD) is an interdisciplinary research centre specializing in research and rehabilitation to enhance quality of life following a spinal cord injury.
At ICORD's Physical Activity Research Centre (PARC), people with SCI are able to exercise and improve their well-being while helping inform research into better rehabilitation strategies.
PARC is a fully accessible research gym with state-of-the-art exercise equipment. Under the leadership of Dr. Tania Lam, UBC Professor of Kinesiology and Principal Investigator at ICORD, PARC researchers seek the best strategies for providing spinal cord-injured people with opportunities to participate in physical activity.
Your donation today will help sustain dedicated space within the Blusson Spinal Cord Centre and ensure PARC guests continue to have access to the latest specialized, wheelchair-accessible equipment. Your support is also critical to creating research and training opportunities for UBC students and researchers who want to better understand the exercise needs of people with SCI.


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Marriott Bonvoy Relaunches Moments Platform, Bringing Back Money-Can't-Buy Experiences to Members
Experiences with long-standing collaborator Mercedes-AMG Petronas will be available on the Moments platform
Steve Etherington/Daimler AG
Following more than a year of physical isolation and missed connections, Marriott Bonvoy – Marriott International's award-winning travel program – is ushering in a refreshed version of the Marriott Bonvoy Moments platform to help members who want to make up for lost time. Launching today, Marriott Bonvoy's new offering of mind-expanding, money-can't-buy Moments with both new and long-standing collaborators aims to serve as a vehicle for travelers to discover the world around them and be forever transformed by the places, experiences and people encountered along the way.
With 66% of people saying they were inspired to create a bucket list because of the pandemic[1], the Marriott Bonvoy Moments program gives members ways to check items off their list with those closest to them. Using Marriott Bonvoy points accumulated from travel and everyday activities such as credit card spend, ride-sharing, or food delivery, members can gain VIP access to concerts, culinary experiences, premier sporting events and more all over the globe. Members may redeem their points for either fixed-price experiences or use them to bid on experiences through auctions using the revamped, easy-to-navigate platform.
"After so much time spent unable to do many of the things we enjoy, our members are eager to get back out on the road – not just to escape, but to discover all the people, places and experiences the world has to offer," said David Flueck, Senior Vice President, Marriott Bonvoy. "We are excited to relaunch Marriott Bonvoy Moments, which has always been one of the most beloved elements of our travel program, and to give our members access to money-can't-buy experiences where they can make memories, forge new connections and expand their minds."
Marriott Bonvoy Moments span a wide variety of passions, from sports to culinary, and from music to professional development and more. Moments in both virtual and in-person settings are available on the platform. Examples of Moments available for bidding at launch include:
Cheer on the start of the 2021 NFL season with an exclusive NFL Kickoff Experience
For the first time ever, Marriott Bonvoy members can celebrate the start of the NFL season with exclusive access to the NFL's Kickoff celebrations – including tickets to the NFL's Kickoff Eve Party the night before the game, as well as the VIP Concert Viewing Party leading up to the game on Thursday, September 9th. The experience will culminate with game tickets to watch the opening game.
Improve your tennis skills at a clinic hosted by former #1 Andy Roddick and attend the Laver Cup
Members can bid for the chance to take part in a tennis clinic with former world number no. 1 Andy Roddick
The Laver Cup is an unrivaled men's team competition that showcases six of the top players from Europe against their counterparts from the rest of the World. Join former world no. 1 Andy Roddick on the Laver Cup practice court for a tennis clinic in the morning. Learn how to dominate your opponent with Roddick's trademark strokes, including his iconic wrist-snapping forehand and ultra-powerful serves. Then spend the afternoon watching some of the best players in the world compete at the Laver Cup. This is one of many unique Laver Cup-related packages available.
Walk The Red Carpet at MTV's Video Music Awards
Be among the A-List at MTV's iconic Video Music Awards, with the opportunity to access the red carpet before you take your seats to the show.
Experience Firefly Music Festival Like a VIP
With Super VIP Weekend Passes, get the best views of main stage performances with access to the front row and the side viewing loft, as well as artist lounges with private bars and complimentary snacks. Relax at the end of a day in your glamping tent, with access to Camping Hubs — featuring additional artist performances, camping entertainment, activities, shopping and more.
Secure A Table at The Hottest Spot in Town
Enjoy dinner at Girl & the Goat with Chef Stephanie Izard
Get a guaranteed reservation at top restaurants including Thomas Keller's Per Se (New York, NY) & The French Laundry (Yountville, CA), Enrique Olvera's Pujol (Mexico City) and Stephanie Izard's Girl & the Goat (Los Angeles, CA). Some packages also include a private dinner with the Chef.
Learn How to Grill Like a Master
Impress your guests at your next cook-out after a lesson from a Weber Culinary Grillmaster, the brand of grilling equipment for TownePlace Suites hotels.
Personal & Professional Development
Master Public Speaking with Training from TED's Director of Speaker Coaching
Learn how to master the art of communication in a virtual class with TED's Director of Speaker Coaching
Ryan Lash/Ryan Lash / TED
Learn how to master the art of communication — whether in person or virtual — with help from TED's Director of Speaker Coaching, Briar Goldberg, thanks to Marriott Hotels' long-standing relationship with TED. In an online class, TED's public speaking expert will teach valuable communication skills — along with actionable tips and takeaways — through engaging exercises that will help you identify your audience, keep them engaged and inspired and convey your message confidently.
Bring Order to Your Home with The Container Store
At most TownePlace Suites hotels, longer-stay travelers can spread out, settle in and get organized with a custom Elfa® closet exclusively from The Container Store. Now, you can get the chance to create the "Ultimate Closet" at home with items from The Container Store and guidance from one of their organizing and custom closet experts.
Make Your Special Day Extra-Special with a Made-To-Order Wedding Gown Designed by Justin Warshaw of Justin Alexander
Have Justin Warshaw of Justin Alexander design a made-to-order wedding gown for you
No gown for your re-scheduled wedding? No problem! Come and enjoy an indulgent day helping design the wedding gown of your dreams that will be made to order from Justin Alexander.
Attend a New York Fashion Week Invite-Only Presentation
Be the first to see the fashion brand alice + olivia's Spring 2022 Collection at an invite-only presentation during fashion week, and have the opportunity to shop the collection.
Marriott Bonvoy will continue to debut one-of-a-kind Moments in new locations around the world throughout the rest of 2021 and beyond. Members will be able to enjoy once-in-a-lifetime experiences once again as Marriott Bonvoy resumes activations under its long-standing relationships with the NFL, Manchester United, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team, the National Park Foundation and many more.
Experiences with long-standing collaborator Manchester United will be available on the Moments platform
Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
All in-person Marriott Bonvoy Moments will follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control or the equivalent in the country/region where the Moment takes place with regard to mask-wearing, testing and other COVID-19 protocols.
To explore Marriott Bonvoy Moments, please visit https://moments.marriottbonvoy.com. For more information about Marriott Bonvoy or to enroll as a member for free, visit here. Join the conversation @MarriottBonvoy and #MarriottBonvoyMoments.
[1] Expedia Vacation Deprivation Study 2021
Note on Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of United States federal securities laws, including expected program offerings and similar statements concerning anticipated future events and expectations that are not historical facts. Marriott International ("we") caution you that these statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to numerous evolving risks and uncertainties that we may not be able to accurately predict or assess, including those we identify below and other risk factors that we identify in our U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or Annual Report on Form 10-K. Risks that could affect forward-looking statements in this press release include the duration and scope of COVID-19, including the availability and distribution of effective vaccines or treatments; the pandemic's short and longer-term impact on the demand for travel, transient and group business, and levels of consumer confidence; actions governments, businesses and individuals have taken or may take in response to the pandemic, including limiting, banning, or cautioning against travel and/or in-person gatherings or imposing occupancy or other restrictions on lodging or other facilities; the impact of the pandemic and actions taken in response to the pandemic on global and regional economies, travel, and economic activity, including the duration and magnitude of the pandemic's impact on unemployment rates and consumer discretionary spending; the ability of our owners and franchisees to successfully navigate the impacts of COVID-19; the pace of recovery when the pandemic subsides and any dislocations in recovery as a result of resurgences of the pandemic; general economic uncertainty in key global markets and a worsening of global economic conditions or low levels of economic growth; the effects of steps we and our property owners and franchisees have taken and may continue to take to reduce operating costs and/or enhance certain health and cleanliness protocols at our hotels; the impacts of our employee furloughs and reduced work week schedules, our voluntary transition program and our other restructuring activities; competitive conditions in the lodging industry and in the labor market; relationships with customers and property owners; and the availability of capital to finance hotel growth and refurbishment. Any of these factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations we express or imply in this press release. We make these forward-looking statements as of the date of this press release and undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Marriott Bonvoy encompasses Marriott International's extraordinary portfolio of brands – including the largest collection of luxury properties, award-winning loyalty program, Homes & Villas by Marriott International, online retail shop with 13 branded boutiques, and access to endless experiences – all available through the Marriott Bonvoy Mobile app. Members can earn and redeem points for stays and accelerate the points they earn with co-branded credit cards from JP Morgan Chase and American Express. For more information about Marriott Bonvoy or to enroll in the loyalty program for free and receive member benefits, visit marriottbonvoy.com and to download the Marriott Bonvoy Mobile app, visit mobile-app.marriott.com. Travelers can also connect with Marriott Bonvoy on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Read original article at Marriott Hotels
Tourist Arrivals Down 87% in January 2021, UNWTO calls for Stronger Coordination
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Welcome to Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast, where we seek to uncover what leadership means in today's world. We'll be sharing real-life insights into leadership—which in turn can help spark the next level of your growth as a leader.
In 2015, Joe Hart became the President / CEO of Dale Carnegie, the worldwide leader in professional development, performance improvement, leadership training, and employee engagement. As with millions of other people, the Dale Carnegie Course has had a profound and transformational impact on Joe's life. He is excited to serve as the leader of this tremendous organization and to work with an amazing and talented team to help individuals and businesses unlock their greatness and to perform at their very best.
Joe Hart
Bill Sahlman
Professor, Harvard Business School
Transforming Ideas Into Businesses
With a longstanding history both researching and teaching entrepreneurialism as a Baker Foundation Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and a National Venture Capital Association American Spirit Award recipient, we're excited to introduce Bill Sahlman to the show. He brings practical insight for how people can transform opportunities into businesses by leveraging a simple, calculated framework that helps minimize risk and increases the likelihood of success. In this episode, we explore how to encourage others to adapt from successes and failures with empathy and a mind open to learning.
Alex Gorsky
CEO, Johnson & Johnson
Empathetic and Humble Leadership
This week we welcome a guest who shares tangible insight on leading innovative and effective organizations with authenticity, humility and empathy. As the Chairman of the Board and CEO of Johnson and Johnson, Alex Gorsky attributes much of his leadership success to being open to a variety of experiences that taught him the value of continuous learning, stretching your comfort zone, and committing to grit. Join us to hear more about the culture of innovation that led to the new COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, the importance of empathetic and humble leadership, and the mindsets that leaders should cultivate to empower people to thrive.
Camille Chang Gilmore
Global Chief Diversity Officer & VP of Human Resources, Boston Scientific
The Courage of Innovation and Leadership
Embrace servant leadership, have a coachable spirit and lean in to the gray. This is the philosophy that has guided the success our most recent guest, Camille Chang Gilmore, the Global Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President of Human Resources for Boston Scientific. With a background carved from people leadership with companies like IBM and Exxon, Camille shares insight on what it means to bring your voice to the table, have the courage to innovate forward through difficult times and cultivate environments that allow others to be seen.
Nolan Farris
Chief Revenue Officer, Indeed
Scaling Success Through Trust and Transparent Leadership
As the Chief Revenue Officer of Indeed, Nolan Farris touts a wealth of experience facilitating growth for companies by empowering their greatest asset: People. In this episode, Nolan offers advice on how to scale success through transparent coaching that motivates potential in others – even when it comes to the hard stuff. We explore the role of the manager as a "bridge builder" and how to earn trust and inspire growth through exceptional, people-centric leadership, a simplified focus, and an open, fun environment.
Penny Pennington
CEO and Managing Partner, Edward Jones
Galvanizing Your "Why" and Unleashing Greatness
CEO and Managing Partner for Edward Jones and Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Business by Fortune, Penny Pennington shares her advice on unleashing greatness within ourselves and our companies. With the philosophy that failure only occurs from having never tried at all, Penny shares practical advice on how to leverage our inner purpose to inspire confidence, manage through change and unleash what's possible.
Lisa Shalett
Extraordinary Women on Boards, Founder
Leaning In To The Upside
As a former Partner and the Global Head of Brand Marketing and Digital Strategy for Goldman Sachs from 2010 to 2014 in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, Lisa Shalett possesses a breadth of experience leading through change and adversity. Currently founder of a dynamic community, Extraordinary Women on Boards, Lisa is known as a connector of people and ideas with a mindset for growth. In this episode, she shares her insight on what it means to lean in to the upside of risk and uncertainty, understand your inner strengths and lead with empathy – even during unfamiliar and difficult times.
Dr. Kevin McDonald
VP for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, University of Virginia
Discovering Empowerment Through Discomfort
Dr. Kevin McDonald has dedicated his career to empowering young people to reach for success no matter who they are or where they come from. From his first job in the Department of Justice's Civil Rights division to his current role as University of Virginia's Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, he's felt a calling to this space throughout his career. Today a pivotal force in shaping what the future of inclusive leadership looks like, he shares his own path and key lessons learned over the past two decades.
Nancy Mohan
SVP, Global Corporate Citizenship and Sustainability, The Estée Lauder Companies
Leading through Social Change
As Senior Vice President, Global Corporate Citizenship and Sustainability at The Estée Lauder Companies, Nancy Mahon is a social impact "thought leader" in the rarest, truest sense of the term; each day she inspires teams around the world to make a concrete difference in their communities. Hear her proven lessons for meaningful, impactful leadership.
Greg Coleman
Executive in residence at Lerer Hippeau and Professor at NYU
Get Moving, Life's Not a Dress Rehearsal
Greg Coleman is a veteran digital media executive who made his career helping iconic brands navigate seismic industry upheavals—from Reader's Digest, Yahoo!, Huffington Post and BuzzFeed to his current roles as an executive in residence at Lerer Hippeau and Professor at NYU
Pallavi Jha
Chairperson and Managing Director,
Dale Carnegie Training India
Courage to Be Yourself
As Chairperson and Managing Director of Dale Carnegie Training, India, Pallavi Jha has transformed the business into one of Dale Carnegie's most successful and admired global verticals. Prior to Dale Carnegie, Pallavi held roles at Procter & Gamble and at her family's construction business Walchandnagar Industries, one of India's Industrial conglomerates—seeing firsthand what it means to be female in a completely male-dominated industry. Hear inspiring lessons and takeaways from her boundary-breaking career.
Katie Dill
VP of Design, Lyft
Designing the Future
This week's episode of Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast features Katie Dill, VP of Design at Lyft, who is a rising star in her field—and a celebrated leader in a historically male-dominated industry. From the surprising reason her childhood set her up for success to her predictions about the most important trends in tech, Katie's insights into 21st-century leadership can help all leaders achieve their full potential.
Jeannie Barsam
Gifting Brands, Founder
Fail Fast, Learn and Grow
This week's episode of Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast features Jeannie Barsam. In her time as an executive, Jeannie has climbed the ranks at a who's-who of American retailers, serving as a VP at Gap and an SVP at Talbots and Zales —before venturing out on her own, founding Gifting Brands to combine her executive experience with a drive to make a difference in her community.
Mike Searles
Former CEO, Benjamin Moore Paint
Integrity, Transparency, Humility
For this week's Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast, Dale Carnegie CEO, Joe Hart, sat down with Mike Searles. In his time as an executive, Mike has weathered storms of change, gales of growth, and the ever-shifting culture of the American workplace. On this podcast episode, Mike covers the wealth of his experiences including his time at Toys "R" Us, as CEO of Benjamin Moore & Co. (a Berkshire Hathaway Company), what it was like working for Warren Buffett directly, and how one of his biggest mistakes and failures also became one of the most valuable lessons in his life.
Alan Mullaly
Former CEO Ford Motor Company
For the first episode of Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast, we're speaking with Alan Mulally: a man who has headed up some of the biggest corporations on the planet. From his time as an EVP at Boeing and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, and then as the president and CEO of Ford Motor Company where he is credited with saving the corporation, through today as a member of the board of directors at Alphabet, Mr. Mulally will discuss his decades of incredible leadership


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Mosaic man
The Italian city of Ravenna is famous for its mosaics but one young artist is taking the ancient artform and giving it a modern touch!
Mosaics in Ravenna, Italy
Luca Barberini places the small piece of marble into place carefully but with the ease of an experienced artist. He reaches for another as he chats with me, the motions as natural as breathing.
Centuries have passed since the first mosaic makers of Ravenna but the tradition lives on – right now, through Luca. Although the original artists might be a bit shocked at exactly what he's doing.
"It's possible to work with an ancient technique, an ancient language, for contemporary art," he explains.
Here in Ravenna, a small Italian city in the Emilia Romagna region, the mosaic artworks are more than just a tourist attraction. They are at the heart of the history and identity of the community.
The oldest works, which were installed more than 1500 years ago, adorn the interiors of Ravenna's churches and historic buildings.
"We have maybe the best monuments in the world where you can find the ancient mosaics," Luca rightfully boasts.
It's not these artworks that Luca is most proud of, though. He is part of the new generation that is using the same techniques with a modern style – fusing tradition with current taste.
"The ancients used the mosaics like a book," he explains. "So if you go in a church you can see a figure – for example Christ – and you can learn the story like a cartoon."
"So for the modern they don't want to use the figurative things so it's more like…" he pauses to try to think of an example I might understand, "…Pollock, Jackson Pollock."
Modern mosaic art
Luca works out of his own studio in Ravenna called Koko Mosaico. At the moment he's in the middle of one of the more abstract contemporary pieces he was just referring to.
Look closely and it seems like he's randomly placing different sized and coloured pieces. Step back and a crowd of people appears from his work, each figure with their own characteristics.
He's using marble for some pieces, glass for others. The glass is made especially for mosaic art in an ancient oven in Venice.
It's the same way they made the glass two thousand years ago. Some things in this industry need never change, it seems.
For Luca, other than the style of his art, it is essentially the same process. He does only one thing differently.
Rather than cutting all his pieces of marble and glass before he starts to make the mosaic, he does it as he goes. It goes against everything the methodical ancients believed in… but boys will be boys!
"It's casual," is how Luca puts it.
"I want to work in that way without rules, spontaneously."
Ravenna mosaic art
The art of Ravenna is in the blood of its children. Luca started studying at the art institute of mosaics when he was fourteen and was there for five years. Interestingly, though, he says it was only about five years ago – when he was 25 – that he was able to really express himself creatively.
"I understand just five or six years ago how I explain my personal art in a language – the language is mosaics."
The style of art is world-famous. To the point where the tourists who come to Ravenna come mainly for the art, where Hollywood celebrities have asked Luca to make artworks for them, and a mosque in Oman has commissioned him and his team to make a 600 square metre mosaic for its design.
I wonder what the artists of Ravenna in the fifth century would make of all of this?
Would they be more surprised that their descendants are decorating a mosque in the Middle East or finding inspiration for their work in Jackson Pollock?
Maybe they wouldn't mind at all. Maybe they would just be proud that the tradition of Ravenna, the legend of the mosaics, lives on.
If you're visiting Ravenna yourself, I would highly recommend you learn a bit more about the mosaics. You can do that with a guided art tour.
And, of course, you can visit Luca's studio yourself.
CLICK: More info here about Luca and his work
THE BEST ACCOMMODATION IN RAVENNA
You will find lots of good Ravenna accommodation in the streets between the train station and the main historic sights in the historic centre.
There aren't really any hostels in Ravenna, but you'll get a great price at B&B Sole.
For a comfortable and affordable room right near the train station, I would suggest Hotel Ravenna.
With wonderful style in a historic building, I think you'll love the atmosphere at Le Case Di San Vitale.
And you'll find excellent modern luxury at the Palazzo Bezzi Hotel in the city centre.
Time Travel Turtle was a guest of the Emilia Romagna tourism board but the opinions, over-written descriptions and bad jokes are his own.
16 thoughts on "Mosaic man"
That is really cool. I've been to Bologna a number of times and a few other places in the area as well, but not yet Ravenna. I have heard about the beautiful art there though. Thanks for sharing that art with us. I quite like the crowd of people.
Not anywhere near the same scale, but Freiburg old town has mosaics too. All modern and much bigger pieces,but outside a lot of the businesses are meter wide mosaics of what the business does.
You'll have to try to make it to Ravenna. It's a gorgeous little place!
Wonderful, I love forms of art that can blend modernity and tradition so well. I'm proud to say that Italian artists are masters in this 😉
The Italians have certainly got a very proud history of art – and it's great that there are so many people adapting it into contemporary works these days.
Bret @ Green Global Travel
This guy's work is pretty incredible! I'm not much of an artist– can't draw, paint or sculpt very well– but I've always enjoyed working with Italian mosaic tile and have created some nice picture frames and jewelry boxes. His stuff definitely takes the artform to the next level.
Yeah, it's beautiful, isn't it. It's a pity the photos don't even do the work justice. The best way to see mosaics is in person.
Nancie Mills Pipgras
Wonderful interview with one of my favorite contemporary mosaic artists. His work is always an engaging combination of classical techniques, artistic vision and a delightfully whimsical, human sense of humor. He was named Best in Show and was one of only eight artists selected from a field of several hundred for Mosaic Art NOW's Exhibition in Print 2010. Your article shows why! Here is a link to more on Luca http://www.mosaicartnow.com/exhibits-2/mans-exhibition-in-print/eip-2011/
Thanks for all that extra info, Nancie. You're right about the sense of humour in his work. You don't normally think of mosaics being 'whimsical' but he's managed to bring a sense of fun to a lot of the work.
So sorry! Wrong link to Luca's article. My apologies http://www.mosaicartnow.com/exhibits-2/mans-exhibition-in-print/eip-2011/
Fascinating! How I wish I'm as artistic and creative as you Luca!
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Stephanie - The Travel Chica
I love tile mosaic art. There used to be a shop in downtown Columbus that offered an open class/ art workspace once a week. I was a regular, and lots of my friends and family were forced to display the artwork I gave them as gifts 🙂
What lovely patient friends and family you must have! :p
It is a beautiful art form, though. I don't think I've ever appreciated it properly before but I have a newfound admiration for the mosaic!
luca maggio
beautiful post! I know for some time luca barberini: he is brilliant as a man and as an artist! This article captures well his essence, his smile which means positivity, energy, life and artistic creativity.
good life for both! luca maggio
Thanks for your comment! It's been so nice to hear from everyone who knows Luca. Everyone seems to only have nice things to say – both about the work and the man.
Pingback: Textural Research into Pre Modern Art | Mike Bayliss


Amanda takes the OVERALL amateur WIN at San Juan 70.3 (5th overall woman & ahead of next AG'er by 7 minutes!).
Scott took 3rd overall at the Arizona Distance Classic.
Jenny winning overall at the Run Like a Mother 5K in a speedy 18:36!
Amanda for winning 1st AG at the 70.3 World Championship – WORLD CHAMPION!
Liz Miller, Jen Foley, Amanda Wendorff, Jenny Garrison, Jenny Harrison, Jen Scalise, Kathryn Flodquist, Seth Long, Val Chang, Mackenzie Yates, Rob Steinberg, Kerri Robbins.
Lani Seamen, Maciej Konczewksi, Kevin Aldrich, Rob Steinberg, Jenny Harrison, Jen Scalise, Val Chang, Seth Long, Mackenzie Yates, Amanda Wendorff.
Extra special congratulations to Amanda Wendorff for placing 2nd in her AG in the world in 70.3 All World Athlete rankings & Jenny Harrison for placing 8th in her AG in the world.
2014 finishes with a National Champion, a World Champion, an Ironman Champion, dozens of AG, overall wins & PRs!


This market is on fire and there seem to be nonstop buyers. As mentioned in previous updates we are likely in for a peak by the 21st before volatility makes a cameo appearance in the month of January. The more I look at this market, particularly today, the more I am thinking we are in for a sudden surprise.
At the time of this update, the SPX is around 2674. While I loathe holding positions that are heavily delta dependant prior to a long weekend, I will that absence of such a position would potentially be a missed opportunity. This is why we are going out 28 days and are setting our position up for success as soon as we see a 1% decline, my goodness it seems like that is something that will never happen again, until it does!
We are getting long the 2650-2625 put spread. Yes, we are paying up a bit more for wider protection. Note we are buying the SPXPM option series for Feb 15th. SPXPM uses closing values at the end of the trading day on the respective day versus the opening print.
We are using $6,900 to place this hedge. For those position sizing, we would look to use 3-5% of a portfolio to place this hedge. We never want to over-commit to position, as anything is possible.


Ask A Woman: A man's home is his castle…make sure yours looks good.
Take a look around you. Are you living in an anemic environment? Empty walls? Cluttered closets? Drab decor? Here to help is the third installment of suggestions for sprucing up your pad on a limited budget. These tips aim to help you work with what you already have, and require spending little to no money. If you're just joining us, be sure to check out parts one and two, and enjoy part three!
1. Keep plants and flowers.
2. Clean out your fridge (and freezer).
You wanna know what could ruin an otherwise decent abode? An icky poo fridge. You got some Chinese food from two weeks ago lurking in the back; you got a jar of pickles that spilled half its juice. Looks bad, smells worse. Yeah, you know who you are. Ideally, we'd all act like responsible adults and wipe down our fridges and take inventory once a week. I think we all know that's not actually going to happen. So how about once a month? The first Sunday of the month, spend fifteen minutes and take stock of the good, the bad, and the ugly (not to mention the growing fuzz).
3. Under your bed–it's not just for dust bunnies.
Are you guilty of having all your blinds closed but every light on, even in the middle of the day? Get in the habit of turning off those dreary overhead lights and opening the shades. Let in that beautiful natural light. It's ecologically responsible, and everything looks better in sunlight.


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Gamo PT-85 Blowback Pellet Pistol
Equipped with an innovative Blowback feature, the PT-85 CO2-powered air pistol delivers a realistic action and an authentic look and feel when shooting. The Blowback pistol accomplishes this by using a small portion of air to move the slide backward when firing. As a result, you'll feel like you're shooting the real thing. The PT-85 also includes a rifled steel barrel, a textured grip, and a 16-pellet double magazine. The pistol is capable of shooting at velocities of up to 450 feet per second with Gamo PBA platinum pellets.Only standard-skirt pellets should be used with PT-85 Blowback pistols. To avoid damaging the magazine, never use long-skirt pellets, such as Red Fire, Blue Flame, Glow Fire, PBA Bullet, or TS-10.
Sights: Fixed with reflective white dots
Velocity: Up to 450 fps
Caliber: 0.177
Ammunition: 0.177-caliber pellets
Warning: Airguns are not toys. Airguns are recommended for use by those 16 years of age or older. Adult supervision required. Misuse or careless use may cause serious injury. Do not brandish or display your airgun in public. It may confuse people and it may be a crime. Police and others may think an airgun is a firearm. Do not change the coloration or markings to make it look more like a firearm. Buyer and user should conform to all laws governing the use and ownership of their airgun. The person handling the airgun and anyone nearby should always wear protective eyewear. Read all instructions before using. Always use care and shoot safely.
The PT-85 Blowback CO2 powered air pistol is featuring the innovative Blowback feature. This new technique provides a realistic action and an authentic look and feel when shooting. This is achieved utilizing a small portion of air to move the slide backward when firing. A rifled steel barrel and textured grip are also features of this new air pistol that is capable of up to 450fps with Gamo's PBA Platinum Pellets.
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The Savvy Seller Calling All The Shots!
In recent times I have increasingly noticed that Metro Auctions is not only competing for auction business from agents but also competing to grab the attention and the hearts of their vendors. Obviously the Metro Auction business is committed to and focussed on providing our agents with the level of service and support that they need to execute an auction campaign in a professional and polished manner which ultimately is a win for their sellers, but recently I have noticed that it is the vendors selecting the auctioneer, not so much the agents.
It is evident in all market data and statistics that there has been a significant rise in auctions throughout the nation over the last several years. Auctions are no longer the daunting, feared event that the Jenman system and media fought so hard to 'protect' sellers against. Instead, the rise in reality TV programs that feature property auctions, such as The Block has assisted in educating our marketplace and reducing the scepticism that was previously prevalent amongst sellers.
Instead, sellers are asking their agent to auction their home. They are enthusiastic and keen to present their property to the market knowing that competition between buyers will achieve an optimal sales result in comparison to a private treaty campaign where a price tag is published as the home hits the market.
With this enlightened seller comes their increased capability and motivation to research, not only the market but the agents and the auctioneers working the local market. These savvy sellers are watching, be it at local auctions, on realestate.com.au, on Youtube or other social media channels – they are watching. They are doing their research and appointing their agent and their auctioneer accordingly.
The savvy seller is officially calling all the shots.
It is for this reason that Metro Auctions provides a three point 'Auctioneer Involvement Strategy' – we involve your seller in the auction process. We are not simply auctioneers that will show up on the day, call the auction and leave. Instead, we provide your sellers a minimum of three separate touchpoints during the auction campaign to ensure your seller receives the level of service they deserve and the level they now demand. We make a call to your vendor in week 1 of your campaign to introduce ourselves and explain the process or answer any questions your seller may have. We then follow up closer to the auction date with a call or meeting to work on a strategy and set the reserve price. We then finally work with your vendors on auction day to ensure the auction is transparent, comfortable and ultimately a success for you and your seller.
We go the extra mile to make our agents look good and make your sellers happy! So if you have a savvy seller, suggest they head to our website and review our videos and let the research begin!


text:
Q: Iterate over multiple lists simultaneously in python I have a function that returns an element (elem) that are 3 lists (a,b,c) and I can do the following:
for a,b,c in elem:
    do whatever...

Is there any way I can do the loop simultaneously with 2 of those elements? kind of something like this:
for a,b,c,d,e,f in elem1 and elem2:
    do whatever...

Well, assuming elem1 and elem2 have the same size.

A: The zip function gives you the elements in pairs.
for (a, b, c), (d, e, f) in zip(elem1, elem2):
    do something...

You could also do it with indexes
for i in range(len(elem1)):
    (a, b, c), (d, e, f) = elem1[i], elem2[i]
    do something...

A: You may iterate objects elem1 and elem2 together using zip function like this:
for (a,b,c),(d,e,f) in zip(elem1, elem2):
    do_whatever(a,b,c,d,e,f)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Today marks six years since the homegoing of our dear brother in Christ, Art Dappen. We hope this article of his will be a blessing to fellow christian parents.
Many people want God to speak. He speaks when there is a need to. But he doesn't speak when there is no need.
An employee is not necessary. A simple written sign is sufficient.
Likewise, God has already spoken by his prophets and by his Son almost everything that he needs to tell us. There is no need to repeat it again.
What the prophets wrote is sufficient. And since the Word of God is eternal, there is no need to revise it or change it.
at the wood and then gave him the things without being told what they needed. The chief brought back the things, and made eager signs that he wanted an explanation. The missionary looked at the wood and read the words in the island dialect, and informed the chief that in the same way, God speaks to us in his Book. There God has written his will, and when anyone reads it, they can hear God speaking in the Book, just as Mrs. Paton had heard her husband speaking in the wood.
This incident awoke in the poor chief a great desire to see the Word of God printed in his own language.
He began helping the missionary to learn the words and expressions of his dialect with much enthusiasm.
This story repeats itself in hundreds of places around the world. The people who live in darkness see a great light when they hear the Word of God.
It's not for nothing that we are preparing our children at home. It's not for nothing they are copying the Bible. The businesses, companies, and rich employers are waiting for us to send them our children to do their work. But there are other people who are waiting for something millions of times more important. For whom are you preparing your children to work?


I really can't help it but to share this video of Toni Gonzaga for Coke Zero, she is really a versatile actress. Have fun watching.
please check out the second episode of the pond's webenovela.
Episode 2 – To Lee or Not to Lee?
super cute, koreanovela-inspired comedy of errors.
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text:
На̀со Уѝлям Сѝниър (, ) е английски икономист и юрист.

Роден е на 26 септември 1790 година в Комптън, графство Бъркшър, в семейството на англикански свещеник. Завършва "Итън Колидж" и Оксфордския университет (1813). През 1825 – 1830 и 1847 – 1852 година е професор по политическа икономия в Оксфордския университет, а в различни периоди е съветник на правителството по различни стопански и социални въпроси.

Насо Уилям Синиър умира на 4 юни 1864 година в Кенсингтън.

Бележки

Английски икономисти
Бъркшър
Възпитаници на Оксфордския университет
Икономисти от класическата школа
Преподаватели в Оксфордския университет

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Never a dull moment…on Randall Lane!
Good Monday…oops Tuesday morning to you! I hope that everyone had a fabulous Holiday Weekend and if you are like me….when a Holiday falls on a Monday and John is off from work, I am confused as to what day it is all week long! One thing that will WHIP MY MEMORY to be on track is….this Friday is NEW CATALOG DAY – yippee skippee!
Hang tight with me today as there actually IS a bit about stampin' (and I know that it will make you smile) and also a video for you that is super short but one that you need to watch as it is just FABULOUS in teaching a super fun technique…..so grab a cup of "whatever" and take all of this fun in!
My wonderful, sweet and kind husband had his tail between his legs when I came home and left him in charge of 6 dogs….yep, this is where the stories begin! First…I need to back up as I did not share this with you before but now it has happened TWICE and as the saying goes… you just can't make this stuff up!
I love to cook and one thing that makes me super happy to to continue to learn about cooking and techniques so here is a little tidbit you might not know about me but….I volunteer as needed at this amazing Kitchen Studio where they teach all different cooking classes. It is a win-win for me as I adore to learn and explore with food and I adore to be around "foodies" as just like stamping – it is great to be with peolple that share the same passion as you do!
I did my thing and it was a FANTASTIC menu and on my way home John called me which I thought was a bit unusual as he knows how long it takes etc….he said – just checking in to see how your evening was and I bet you are on the way home (it is about a 40 minute drive) and I said yep – it was great…how's everything at the house?
I came in the door…the kitchen was spotless (which is normal for him as he is the best) and then the TV was turned to Shark Tank (a show that I ADORE)… I knew something was up….WHY???? I know him well enough as when he has the opportunity to watch a good guy movie without any comments from the "peanut gallery – that would be ME" he usually will say hi – glad your home and never look up to see if it was actually me that walked in the door!
He went through all of the guilty things one could say….like – tell me about the menu…..how many people were there……what did you learn…..and then I did the count….1 -2- 3- 4 -5 …..and said – WHERE'S MILO? He said – he went back to bed but I need to tell you something. Naturally my heart sank!
He continued saying that the dogs were all playing like normal and they must have gotten carried away…..and then he said – Milo had a little mishap! Again, my heart sank and I went back towards our room and he said – NO WAIT….he is ok – let me finish. I did and he continued in saying that he fixed dinner (and it was great) and then he sat down to relax….. Milo was sitting with him in his chair watching "the guys movie" and all of the others were there as well…..
I actually would have loved to have been a fly on the wall to see his face and truthfully hear what he said to the other dogs…..I am sure it was something like this…..OH MY GOSH….Milo – what happened….then it was probably something like….ok guys (to the other dogs) when did this happen…..LIKE SOMEONE IS REALLY GOING TO CONFESS….to thinking OMG….this isn't going to go well with Susan!
He said – there was no blood and I have no idea when it happened but he seems fine….and tomorrow we will take him to the vets…..then this was THE BEST COMMENT…… – I think we should put Neosporin on it and wrap it up to help it grow back!
I agree…Milo seemed fine, there was a wee bit of blood but nothing that I would have noticed if I was home but one thing I would have noticed was that my sweet MILO'S ear was dangling! Milo slept well that night, poor John did not. The next morning we went to the Vets (John as like Cinderella as he was just waiting for the clock to hit the magic time…. 7 a.m.) TOGETHER we went as you bet I wanted to know the scoop!
Milo stayed for the day and they sedated him…..ending up getting 9 stitches and came home with the "CONE OF SHAME" on his sweet head. We all know how we feel sorry for a dogs when that have to wear those silly cones!
Dr. Hurry's instructions were….keep the cone on Milo for a week and then when he comes back we can see if it is going to "take" His concern was that the area of the tear there was not a bunch of blood vessels and he didn't know if it would heal.
I was a bit miffed and said – ok….what happens if it doesn't take? His response was – we will just have to remove that section of his ear and Milo will be just fine. My Vet is a HUGE man….about as tall as John (6'5″) but much larger and he is from Scotland so he has this amazing British accent…..again, my heart sank and he said in the sweetest way – it will be ok…I know…you love your dogs but he will be just fine!
Off we went and John was so helpful with me the remainder of the weekend…(hmmmmmm, interesting how husbands can touch your heart strings!!!) but honestly, he felt bad….really bad. Milo was happy and honestly he was fine except with that darn cone. Dogs have a great way of becoming adjusted with wearing the cone and whenever we were with Milo, we would take it off as he was really great about not trying to scratch his ear!
I get home and sweet John has EGG ALL OVER HIS FACE.
Then he continued to say…if it makes you feel any better, it didn't look like it was taking hold. I'm sure that was music to John's ears!
NOW THIS IS WHERE THE CARD COME IN….
I made this card and had it on John's side of the bed….just a little note from Milo still saying….it's ok Dad – I still love you! I just adore this technique and when I saw this video a while back – I instantly knew that I was going to make it as what a PERFECT layout! Please, please take the time to watch this video as it is really great. This was part of a Stamparatus Blog Hop that was fantastic to see how so many talented stampers helped to demonstrate different techniques!
It was a cinch to do and this was a one take card! The directions that Allison shared were SPOT ON and it was super easy! I am just BANANAS over the new ink pads….I only have a couple of them (until Friday) but they stamp like butter! The coverage is just stellar. This is the new In Color, Blueberry Bushel and I thought that it would be great to just use one color and I was thrilled with the end result!
You know that I adore square cards (this is a 4 1/4″ square) and then using a great DSP(the tutti fruitti DSP stack) as the focal backdrop make it come together like "peanut butter and jelly". The sentiment came from a My Favorite Things Stamp, Four-Legged Friends…a stamp that I reach for often with my endless love for dogs!
It thought that it was just PERFECT for this "situation"……it is so simple yet so effective. I invite you to look at your stamps and look for small images that you could stamp over and over to create a perfect circle! It could be a heart like this from the retiring Heart Happiness Stamp Set or a flower, a star…endless possibilities!
Also…look at sentiments and let them pop off of a card! I just adore the look of white heat embossing when it is stamped on a dark piece of card stock – to me, it really makes a POP STATEMENT!
Loved the story! Thanks for the reminder to go make my template. Saw this technique the other day, but didn't get up and go do it. Now I will.
I enjoy the tales on Randall Lane…..always brightens up my day! I'm glad that Milo is doing well….those puppies will rough house foonir sure….
Your story is precious. When I leave my husband with animals or children, I'm just glad they are alive when I return. Guys try, but…..
Love the template idea. The Stamparatus is on my wish list.
OH NO !! Not Milo ! My substitute Doxy since my Gretchen went to Doggie Heaven !! Poor John ! Milo probably did not realize some of his flapper ear was hanging ! BUT !! They do hate those CONES .Tell Milo he still looks handsome ! Gretchen won favorite pet of the second grade when she was paralyzed and rolling around on training wheels !! So keep us posted !
LOVE THAT CARD !! Now I will go watch that video !! GIGGLE !
Oh my…. Trying to compete with my adventures. At least Teddy isn't part of them. Computer keeps freezing on me. Plumbing problems with the latest in the kitchen sink. Mike took it all apart and there is black gunk all over from the disposal but we have water and no leaking pipes. Ants are dead in the house at least the ones I know about. My one customer called while I was taking Ted out to pee – Mike answered it and who knows what took place. He said she would call me back as she wasn't home. I have been waiting for the hospital to call to schedule a test but he managed to be on phone calls all morning. I have been having some stomach problems. Who knows if they tried calling. I finally went to the grocery store for some quiet time. Mike was all excited over Rosanne Barr and her show being cancelled yaking about it and who knows what. Ted was totally off his schedule so he was whining and all upset.
Mike went to get some mulch so that should take awhile. Maybe I can watch the video before he gets back, Ted wakes up, or the computer freezes up!
Love the card. Maybe all the other dogs should have the cones and sweet Milo can just cuddle with mom.
Milo! So brave to take on that shark! Man's best friend and all. Great story, love the card. I'll have to check that out at some point.
Yeah, watched the video and loved it! I don't have the stamparatus yet. Ted is doing his whale noises – the UPS man went by and didn't stop. He has the UPS man trained to leave him a dog biscuit with our packages now! Mike has been ordering gardening things and who knows what else so we get packages all the time!
Hey, where was Daisy during all the trauma?
Love the card. I'll have to remember to do this.
Loved your story, Susan! So glad it has a happy-ish ending. Lol.
What an adorable story! I just kept smiling as I read this. I can just picture how John responded. What a class act. Life is good…especially at Randall Lane. Thanks for the wonderful story and the cute card! I will definitely use this idea.
Poor Milo….such a cutie…..I love Doxies! Either way I am glad he will be fine!


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text:
"Green" investment funds spring back
An array of solar panels are seen in Oakland, California, U.S. on December 4, 2016. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo
By Ross Kerber
BOSTON (Reuters) – After U.S. President Donald Trump's election last November, investors pulled nearly $68 million (53 million pounds) from so-called "green" mutual funds, reflecting fear that his pro-coal agenda would hurt renewable energy firms.
But now investors are pouring money back in, boosting net deposits in 22 green funds to nearly $83 million in the first four months of 2017, according to data from Thomson Reuters' Lipper unit.
Investors' renewed faith in the funds reflects a growing belief the president will not succeed in reviving the coal industry and will not target the government subsidies that underpin renewable power, which have bipartisan support.
It also sends a positive sign for the wind, solar and energy efficiency firms and make up a large portion of the green-fund portfolios.
The coal industry faces problems in the marketplace that are too big for any government to solve, said Murray Rosenblith, a portfolio manager for the $209 million New Alternatives Fund, among the U.S. green funds seeing investor inflows.
"Trump can't bring back coal," he said. "There's nothing that can bring it back."
A Reuters survey of some 32 utilities in Republican states last month showed that none plan to increase coal use as a result of Trump's policies. Many planned to continue a shift to cheaper and cleaner alternatives, including wind and solar.
A White House official did not respond to a request for comment about the administration's efforts to boost coal or its position on wind and solar subsidies.
Lipper classifies "green" funds as those with screening or investment strategies that are based solely on environmental criteria. Many make it a point to avoid purchasing shares of traditional oil, gas or mining companies.
For a graphic showing the turnaround in green-fund investments, see: http://tmsnrt.rs/2qPISl4
The funds, while still an investment niche, have become increasingly popular over the past decade amid rising worries about climate change. They tend to draw younger and more environmentally minded investors who see profits in the burgeoning renewable power industry.
"Solar and wind power are creating a lot of jobs. There is a long-term secular trend taking place," said Joe Keefe, Chief Executive of Pax World Management LLC, whose $418 million Pax Global Environmental Markets fund is one of the biggest in the green fund sector.
Solar firms employed about 374,000 workers in 2016, while the wind industry employed 101,738. Combined, they produced job growth of about 25 percent over 2015, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
The average fund among the group of 22 green funds tracked by Lipper posted a six-month return of 9.37 percent. That lagged the S&P 500 index's 12.14 percent, excluding dividends, over the same period through April 30, but beat the S&P's oil and gas index, along with several major coal companies which have slumped since the election.
The growth helped boost the group's combined assets under management to $2.4 billion by the end of April, up from $2.1 billion in November, according to the data.
Tom Roseen, Lipper's head of research, said the inflows into green funds could reflect value-shopping after the election triggered an initial sell-off in the solar and wind energy sectors.
He cited solar module maker First Solar Inc, a popular stock among green funds, trading at about $39.50 a share, far off the highs above $70 it reached last year but up more than 35 percent from a drop it suffered after the election.
TRUMP SCEPTICS
A GE 1.6-100 wind turbine (front C) is pictured at a wind farm in Tehachapi, California, U.S. on June 19, 2013. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File photo
Trump campaigned on a promise to revive the ailing oil and coal industries, in part by dismantling former President Barack Obama's environmental regulations aimed at cutting carbon dioxide emissions.
He also vowed to pull the United States out of a global pact to fight climate change, a promise White House officials said Trump is now reconsidering, under pressure from lawmakers, global allies, and scores of major oil, coal and other companies.
Trump's more conservative supporters – including the man who led his transition at the Environmental Protection Agency, Myron Ebell – have complained about the slow pace of progress in dismantling Obama-era climate initiatives.
While many drilling and mining companies have applauded Trump's efforts, some investors are sceptical that repealing climate regulation will provide a big boost to fossil fuels.
The government subsidies that are crucial for growth of wind and solar power, meanwhile, seem to enjoy bipartisan support in Congress.
Existing tax credits for solar and wind projects were extended for five years at the end of 2015 by a Republican-controlled Congress. A number of Republican lawmakers represent states with burgeoning wind and solar industries, such as Texas and North Dakota.
Trump administration policy has yet to affect renewable energy firms – and may not affect them much going forward, said Mike Garland, Chief Executive of wind farm owner Pattern Energy Group Inc..
"Most investors are starting to realize that the federal government is limited in its impact and the risk to (green energy subsidies) is relatively low," he said.
Pattern's stock has gained 20 percent since the beginning of the year, after falling 10 percent between the November election and the end of 2016.
Many of the green funds tracked by Lipper are heavily invested in renewable energy companies with overseas operations that reduce their exposure to U.S. politics.
One of the top holdings of Rosenblith's fund, for example, is Vestas Wind Systems, the Danish company that produces and services wind turbines. If U.S. policies turned against wind power, Vestas could still expect strong demand elsewhere, Rosenblith said.
A number of exchange-traded funds focused on renewable energy also attracted money this year, led by Guggenheim Investments' Solar ETF, which took in $28.5 million.
Its top holdings include Arizona-based First Solar and China's Xinyi Solar Holdings.
William Belden, Guggenheim's head of ETF business development, said the inflows suggest that "some of the early responses to the Trump administration were overdone."
Copyright Reuters 2017
(Additional reporting by Nichola Groom; Writing by Richard Valdmanis; Editing by Brian Thevenot)
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Joplin, MO (SNS) – A new fundraising push is underway to help support the annual Missouri Shakespeare Festival at Missouri Southern State University.
Organizers hope to raise $25,000 in order to provide a stipend for company members, plus assistance with travel, food and lodging for those who need it.
"All along, the backbone of our enterprise has been the willingness of talented people to volunteer their time and energy (to the annual production)," said Dr. Jim Lile, the festival's artistic director. "We want to bring in a company of 12 and make them fully stipendiary.
A crowdfunding campaign has been launched at https://lionspaw.mssu.edu/project/1653, with four different giving levels and funding perks.
"Please know that whatever level, at whatever amount, your gift will be gratefully acknowledged and carefully used," said Lile.
For more information about the Missouri Shakespeare Festival, visit www.mssu.edu/moshakes.


The Ordinary Tree | "That got me thinking..."
not even good for flinging, limbs not worthy of a summertime climb.
Even Kujo, the terrier 5x too small for his name rarely marks his territory here.
it's as if God himself whispers, "Look at me," and the leaves rustle.
The sound is glorious, the green leaves brim with life, the crab apples invite a thrower, and the limbs beckon a climber. For a moment, the ordinary has become extraordinary.
Another morning in the chapel, windows only cracked against the chill.
The leaves hang on, mud brown and tangy sour yellow. The harsh wind foretells cold, and its rough voice rasps gloom.
Mud brown becomes a wonderous earthy shade and tangy yellow becomes the sweet promise of beauty. For a moment the ordinary has become extraordinary.
The chapel windows are double sealed and no one is without slippers.
The tree whips in the dark wind, and in the pre-dawn we cannot see the branches.
Midday and the snow has fallen.
The branches bear the burden lightly. My kids notice the pure white load on the limbs, and it's a delightful fairlyland. God reminds "Look at me." His burden is light and for a moment the ordinary has become extraordinary.
and there are no signs of life on the tree.
Grey sticks where there should be buds and there is no green.
teeny-tiny almost green spots. God tenderly calls "Look at me," and trust for life when there seems none. And the ordinary has become extraordinary.
From 2008-2010, we lived in "an intentional, liturgical community" with a few other families; we did Morning Prayer together Monday through Friday, Compline prayer before bedtime each night and had dinner once a week. It was extremely formative for all of us, and it was during this time that I wrote The Ordinary Tree.


text:
Ел Дијесмо има више значења:

 Ел Дијесмо (Кортазар), насеље у савезној држави Гванахуато у Мексику
 Ел Дијесмо (Силао), насеље у савезној држави Гванахуато у Мексику
 Ел Дијесмо (Енкарнасион де Дијаз), насеље у савезној држави Халиско у Мексику
 Ел Дијесмо (Хесус Марија), насеље у савезној држави Халиско у Мексику
 Ел Дијесмо (Акила), насеље у савезној држави Мичоакан у Мексику
 Ел Дијесмо (Нуево Парангарикутиро), насеље у савезној држави Мичоакан у Мексику
 Ел Дијесмо (Ваљадолид), насеље у савезној држави Јукатан у Мексику


text:
Home Culture and Society Economists and Psychologists Are Weaponizing Psychology and the Idea of "Rationality" –...
Economists and Psychologists Are Weaponizing Psychology and the Idea of "Rationality" – Grace Ann Converse (02/19/2021)
This year has been interesting for Wall Street, to say the least. After hearing that hedge funds had shorted the stock of the dying retail chain GameStop by over 100 percent of shares, Redditors banded together to buy up the stock, knowing that short sales do not expire, so the hedge funds will eventually be forced to buy it all back at a drastically raised price.
Estimates of short interest on the stock from sources such as the NASDAQ, MarketBeat, Yahoo Finance, and Bloomberg range from 53 percent to 177 percent of float. Hedge funds have been shutting down retail brokers, trading among themselves after hours, and publicly claiming to cover shares they had not yet bought, all in an attempt to lower the price on the stock, minimizing losses for the hedges when they finally cover the shorts. Historical examples such as the Volkswagen short squeeze of 2008 suggest that even a short interest as low as 50 percent could still yield high dividends for GME stockholders.
With this in mind, Redditors hold GameStop under the perfectly rational desire to avoid getting tricked out of their money, and many more profess a willingness to hold despite losses if it means that hedge funds will be punished through bankruptcy for manipulating the market.
So why does the corporate press describe this phenomenon as a "bubble" that is "irrational, insane, and dangerous," the product of the "hysteria" and "cognitive bias" of investors who "don't know what they're doing"? Short squeezes are not new. The Redditors' strategies are nothing that Wall Street has not tried before. In addition, the Redditors who initially popularized the stock have a reputation for treating the stock market like a casino, as evidenced by the name of their community, r/wallstreetbets. Gambling is a form of consumption spending, an end in itself. It is not inherently irrational for someone to buy a consumer good, no matter how strange.
Moreover, the Redditors live in a world where the committee investigating the blatant fraud surrounding GameStop is led by a woman who accepted six-figure fees from the defendant. Holding the stock as an attempt at getting justice makes sense, especially from the perspective of an online community full of Millennials, who have had their economic future crippled by Wall Street financiers through three consecutive "once in a generation" market crashes. For the amateur investor, there is no rule of law on Wall Street—and revenge is a rational strategy outside the law. All of this is obvious to anyone who reads what the Redditors have to say. Their plan might be ill advised, but it is definitely not irrational. Why doesn't the corporate media acknowledge this?
The answer is that economic rationality, like so many other terms, has been defined to suit the convenience of the neoliberal establishment. The concept of bias in economic decision-making is pseudoscientific, since its meaning can be warped to include any deviation from neoclassical economic models, even ones which are rational when put in context. In the instance of the GameStop investors, this confusion of terms is serving its purpose, pathologizing as irrational a well-reasoned populist response to a broken financial system. This crucial context is necessary to recognize that the media's concern for the mental soundness of retail investors is only a tool meant to delegitimize them in the eyes of the public.
First, a word about irrationality. Rationality in economics is a different concept than rationality to the average person, a distinction lost upon the media pundits that bandy about the term. There is no single accepted definition of rationality in economics, but the general concept is one of maximization of self-interest, quantifiable as utility. Neoclassical economists' models of human behavior all revolve around a strict interpretation of this definition, one that Austrian economists see as incompatible with the actual human experience. This mainstream conception of rationality excludes values that cannot be quantified from economic decision-making, painting human beings as automata competing to gain control of limited tangible resources.
When neoclassical economists' models are compared with reality, they fail, often spectacularly. But rather than sacrifice their models to accommodate a broader definition of rationality, where humans use the means available to them to meet subjectively valued ends that can differ based on a multitude of factors, neoclassical economists of late classify those who deviate from these models as "irrational," and make it their mission to fix them.
Enter behavioral economics, the application of the theory of cognitive bias to economic decision-making. Despite the name, it is an offshoot of applied psychology, specifically the theory of behaviorism within psychiatry. Behaviorism holds that human reactions to stimuli are either products of evolution or reflexes trained through past reinforcement. By this definition, human action is predictably irrational, and must be systematically adjusted by some enlightened outside actor in order to maximize human welfare in a world vastly different from the one we evolved to live in. In behavioral economics, the logical endpoint of this world view is the need for regulation, which behavioral economists take it upon themselves to design.
Earlier scholars of the liberty movement have performed prescient analysis of the relationship between governance and the science of human behavior. In his book, Law, Liberty and Psychiatry,prominent antipsychiatrist Dr. Thomas Szasz describes the role of such sciences as follows: "Law and psychiatry are similar in that both disciplines are concerned with norms of conduct and methods of social control…. If people believe that health values justify coercion, but that moral and political values do not, those who wish to coerce others will tend to enlarge the category of health values at the expense of the category of moral values." Today, this medicalization of moral values has grown out of the field of psychology, where it originated, and into other fields such as economics.
Decades before Daniel Kahneman and Aaron Tversky would publish the paper that created behavioral economics as we know it, Szasz argued that the medicalization of social science would create a "therapeutic state," one that granted power to unelected departments of experts to pathologize and thereby delegitimize abnormal social behavior in the name of the health of the citizenry. The Western world was put on house arrest for a year by the policy czars of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Psychiatrists have en masse violated the Goldwater rule, which disallows them to speculate about the mental health of a public figure they have not personally examined, in order to stigmatize right-wing populism. It's not difficult to see the resemblance to current events. How neatly this parallels arguments to deny amateur investors access to the market for their own good, in a move that would, coincidentally, of course, benefit the hedge funds that these investors want to bankrupt.
The mechanism of the therapeutic state is the same, no matter which social science is used to implement it. Irrationality, to the behavioral economist, is the consumer's insanity, and the behavioral economists who profess to cure it are the darlings of the Keynesian establishment. Daniel Kahneman has received the Nobel Prize. Cass Sunstein, another pioneer of the field, was appointed administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in 2008. Policymakers in both the private and public spheres have leapt at the chance to implement these theories. They recognize cognitive bias as a useful explanation for why the public doesn't react as expected to policies that are supposedly in our best interest. And the terminology that behavioral economists coin makes its way into popular parlance, where it can be thrown at anyone whose actions are inconvenient to the established order—including retail investors.
From the perspective of an economist, this makes little sense. Austrian economists have had no problem incorporating economic behavior deemed "irrational" from a neoclassical standpoint into their paradigm. Moreover, many of the studies instrumental to the theories that behaviorists, and behavioral economists in turn, cite to prove human irrationality are highly flawed in their reasoning.1 In many cases, they either extrapolate beyond what the original experiment can be said to prove, have fallen victim to the replication crisis in social science, or have been shown to be the product of deliberate fraud.
Finally, as any student of human behavior should be able to predict, the ethical concerns that behavioral economists pay lip service to are ignored by policymakers in fact. These self-titled "choice architects," using a euphemism for psychological manipulation common in the field of social engineering, assume their own immunity to the biases that they accuse others of displaying. If they cared to think about many of these cases of "irrationality" from the perspectives of the people they try to regulate, they would realize that their view of human behavior is not born of some privileged knowledge but is a willful blindness to other factors at play.
But from the perspective of an apparatchik of the therapeutic state, this economic fad makes perfect sense. These are the same people whose conception of the business cycle assumes that entrepreneurs are incapable of recognizing and correcting systematic errors in their economic calculations, even when doing so would provide long-term benefit. This view is incompatible with reality, only useful to justify endless government intervention. Is it any surprise that they want to smear every economic actor in the same way, if only to claim that their intrusions constitute a moral good?
In this light, it is inevitable that the GameStop uprising will be declared a product of "cognitive bias," even though the only bias here is that of media companies toward the Wall Street investors who own them. Rather than admit that the Redditors' investing behavior poses a threat to the powerful, the media condescends to them, hoping that a public unaware of the fraught history of the terminology in use will discard what they have to say. As long as it is inconvenient for these lackeys of the American aristocracy to acknowledge the rational incentives at play, they will continue to use any shoddy rhetorical tactic necessary to justify their overlords' manipulation of the market, regardless of the impact this slander may have on retail investors. This is not science; this is graft—and unfortunately for the field of economics, it is here to stay.
1. Gina Perry, "The Shocking Truth of the Notorious Milgram Obedience Experiments," Discover, Oct. 2, 2013; Perry, The Lost Boys: Inside Muzafer Sherif's Robbers Cave Experiment (Melbourne: Scribe, 2018); Carlin Flora, "A Problem with the Marshmallow Test?," Psychology Today, Oct. 30, 2012; Brian Resnick, "The Stanford Prison Experiment Was Massively Influential. We Just Learned It Was a Fraud.," Vox, June 13, 2018; Stéphane Doyen, Olivier Klein, Cora-Lise Pichon, Axel Cleeremans, "Behavioral Priming: It's All in the Mind, but Whose Mind?," PLoS ONE 7, no. 1 (2012): e29081.
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Championship Golf Courses, 200 Hundred Shops, World Famous Beaches and an abundance of Tennis courts are the main attractions on Hilton Head Island, however, locals and vacationers alike will boast that Hilton Head has some of the best food in the country, offering a fabulous variety of Restaurants all over the Island.
Seafood is a local specialty and caught fresh off our shores. What many people don't know is how many wonderful the local Italian, Mexican, Pizza Palaces, Steakhouses, Thai, Barbeque Restaurants and Local Brew Pubs that are located on Hilton Head Island. One of the most delightful aspects of living or vacationing on Hilton Head is the large selection of places where one may dine. More than approximately 300 restaurants, pubs, cafes, bistros, steak and seafood houses from which to choose, the island boasts a truly remarkable variety of restaurants for an island only 12 miles long and five miles wide. Many Restaurants have Chefs that would challenge Chefs of New York, Chicago and Washington DC to San Francisco.
Choose a restaurant by location or food, perhaps overlooking the water, Boathouse Grill overlooking Skull Creek, with new menu and updated Restaurant, has some of the freshest seafood ever. As might be expected of a barrier island, Hilton Head has excellent seafood restaurants. While many of the restaurants offer truly outstanding seafood on their menu, whether or not they actually "specialize" in seafood, most of the seafood restaurants also offer alternative, scrumptious entrees, such as chicken or steak as well.
Hilton Head has much nightly entertainment from dancing to karaoke to live entertainment at one of our local watering holes or night spots. After dinner, relax at one of Hilton Head's night spots with a cigar and an after dinner drink. Or, if you are looking for a little more excitement, check out one of the many music or dance clubs.
Located in Park Plaza, the Alligator Grille & Seafood Restaurant serves an attractive mosaic of contemporary regional cuisine. Try the Brick Oven for casual elegant dining featuring an appetizer-style menu. Next door, Electric Piano Bar features the island's favorite musicians, and dance music with a friendly bar tender. Enjoy Kurama's Japanese entertaining dinner, or Kingfishers nightly live music in Shelter Cover.
In Hilton Head Plaza there is One Hot Mamas. offers delicious family-style dining - specializing in baby-back ribs, char-grilled steaks and burgers. Reilley's is an islander favorite, serving everything from sandwiches to prime rib and steaks. If you're looking for real home-cooking, try Remy's on Arrow Road.
For great pizza and pasta, try Giuseppi's at Shelter Cove Plaza. Real Italians know where to go, Antonios in Village at Wexford. For take-out after a day on the beach or golf course, or after shopping at the Mall at Shelter Cove, Subway or Arbys has a great selection of sandwiches and salads. Or pick up some take-out barbeque at the Smokehouse Bar on Palmetto Bay Road and don't forget the napkins.
Recognized for its sports memorabilia as well as its casual fare is Casey's Sports Bar & Grille. For authentic Mexican fare, try Aunt Chiladas Easy Street Cafe. The upstairs, family-oriented dining room at the Quarterdeck in Harbour Town serves breakfast, lunch and Sunday brunch and boasts one of Hilton Head's very finest water views and live music as well. For more breathtaking views, visit the Old Oyster Factory on Marshland Road. South Seaport Cafe at the South Beach Marina Village invites you to have a cocktail on the waterfront deck and watch the sun go down.
Number one question asked from of the locals, is where to get great seafood on the island. For the freshest, most succulent seafood, try the Boathouse on Skull Creek, Crazy Crab at Harbour Town or Kingfishers at Shelter Cove. You can't go wrong. Enjoy!


Have you ever wondered what is on your clipboard? Sure, you can open up notepad and try and paste it in, but there's a simple utility built into Windows XP that you can use to view the contents of the clipboard.
Today we'll show you how to create a shortcut to this utility, and even how to use it in Vista if you have an old XP installation laying around.
First right click an empty area on the Desktop and select New Shortcut.
Next, type in "%windir%System32clipbrd.exe" without the quotes and click next.
You will then be asked to name the shortcut and continue. After you're done anytime you want to check what is on the Clipboard just double-click the shortcut.
Vista does not include the same executable program as in XP, so to enable this feature in Vista we need to copy clipbrd.exe from XP into the C:WindowsSystem32 directory in Vista as shown below.
Now we can go ahead and create a shortcut to the Clipboard in Vista. The steps are very similar to XP, first create a new Shortcut on the Desktop.
Next enter the path to clipbrd.exe which is in C:WindowsSystem32clipbrd.exe and click Next.
Create a name for the shortcut you will easily remember then hit the Finish button. Click OK through the remaining windows to get back to the Desktop.
Taking the idea for another Clipboard article as an additional tip we can change the icon to a Clipboard. To do this just right click the icon, go to Properties, and Change Icon then browse over to the included icon in Windows.
Now when we double click our icon we will have access to the ClipBook Viewer.
If you do not have a working XP machine to copy the file from you can use an XP installation disk.
Open up a command prompt and switch to the I386 folder and type in the following command to extract the compressed file from the CD, adjusting the path depending on your configuration.
Then you can drag the actual file from here to anywhere you'd like.
For more clipboard goodness, you can check out Lifehacker's Top 10 Clipboard Tricks.


text:
#pragma once

#include "geode_defs.hpp"
#include "begin_native.hpp"
#include <geode/DiskPolicyType.hpp>
#include "end_native.hpp"

using namespace System;

namespace Apache
{
  namespace Geode
  {
    namespace Client
    {

      ///
      /// Enumerated type for disk policy.
      /// Contains values for setting the disk policy type.
      ///
      public enum class DiskPolicyType
      {
        /// No policy.
        None = 0,

        /// Overflow to disk.
        Overflows
      };

      ///
      /// Static class containing convenience methods for <c>DiskPolicyType</c>.
      ///
      /// <seealso cref="RegionAttributes.DiskPolicy" />
      /// <seealso cref="RegionAttributesFactory.SetDiskPolicy" />
      public ref class DiskPolicy STATICCLASS
      {
      public:

        ///
        /// True if the current policy is <c>Overflows</c>.
        ///
        inline static bool IsOverflow( DiskPolicyType type )
        {
          return (type == DiskPolicyType::Overflows);
        }

        ///
        /// True if the current policy is <c>None</c>.
        ///
        inline static bool IsNone( DiskPolicyType type )
        {
          return (type == DiskPolicyType::None);
        }

        /////
        ///// True if the current policy is <c>Persist</c>.
        /////  -- Persist is NOT YET IMPLEMENTED IN C++
        //inline static bool IsPersist( DiskPolicyType type )
        //{
        //  return (type == DiskPolicyType::Persist);
        //}
      };
    }  // namespace Client
  }  // namespace Geode
}  // namespace Apache

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Magento Unboxed Extension by BSSCommerce encourages your customers to create and upload images about their uses of products. The extensions displays customer product images in specific locations with an exact area to enhance the reliability on potential customers.
Provide a new shipping method which is selected based on category as your wish at ease.
Magento Auto Cancel Order Extension by BSSCommerce: Automatically cancel all pending orders after a set-up period of time in backend.
Magento Customer Group Without Tax Extension: allows your online store to show prices and reject taxes for chosen customer groups.
Magento Reorder Product Extension allows customers to quickly reorder their previously chosen products and make any necessary changes as they wish!
BSS Shipping Rate per Product is a unique extension providing individually shipping rate for different types of product. The shipping rate also depends on the purchased quantity, which encourages customers to shop more to get the best bargain.
Magento Social Login free extension allows customers to register or log in your Magento stores within one click. Accordingly, online shoppers can directly use their existing social network accounts such as Facebook, Google, Twitter, LinkedIn and save much time to explore your sites.


BT has loaned 30,000 PCs to staff for home use as part of its policy to encourage flexible working and raise digital literacy levels in the two years it has been taking part in the government's Home Computing Initiative (HCI).
HCI schemes allow employers to loan computing equipment to their employees for personal use at home as a tax-free benefit. Under the terms of HCI schemes staff are able to lease new PCs with a fee deducted from their salary each month.
BT is also offering cheap desktop software for staff to install on their home PCs as part of its Software Assurance licensing deal with Microsoft, as well as cheap broadband packages.
To date, almost 18,000 of the telco's 80,000 workforce have taken up the option of paying £20 — instead of the retail price of £200 — to install Microsoft Office on their home PC, and BT employees are still signing up for the offer at the rate of 200 per month.
BT said it implemented the home-use scheme to encourage IT literacy at every level of the organisation, including its employees' families, as well as using the scheme to help with recruitment, retention and motivation of staff.
David Wilson, head of people and policy at BT, said: "Some of our employees didn't even have a PC at home and from an employee benefit it is a very cost effective way of buying software. I can go and sit down at my desk at home using the same software as at work."
Microsoft introduced the home-use benefit into its much-maligned Assurance programme in 2003 in an attempt to placate disgruntled users angry at high software upgrade costs and a lack of benefits.
A major shake-up overhauled Software Assurance last year, and Microsoft announced more changes this week.


The Aurigid meteor shower, Asteroid 3122 Florence, and other cool things to look for in the sky this week.
Venus appeared among the background stars of Gemini the Twins yesterday morning, but you'll find it against the backdrop of Cancer the Crab today. This border crossing sets up a pretty conjunction a week from now, when the gleaming planet passes near the Beehive star cluster (M44).
Distant Neptune reaches opposition and peak visibility a week from tonight, but the view now is essentially the same. The ice giant planet rises during evening twilight and climbs nearly halfway to the zenith in the southern sky by 1:30 a.m. local daylight time. The magnitude 7.8 planet lies in Aquarius, 1.3° east of 4th-magnitude Lambda (l) Aquarii. You'll need binoculars to spy Neptune and a telescope to see its blue-gray disk, which spans 2.4".
First Quarter Moon arrives at 4:13 a.m. EDT. Our satellite won't rise until after 2 p.m. local daylight time, however, so observers in the Americas won't see it precisely half-lit. As darkness falls this evening, the Moon appears 57 percent illuminated and resides among the background stars of Ophiuchus, some 8° to the right of Saturn.
The waxing gibbous Moon makes an even better guide to Saturn this evening, when our satellite lies some 6° to the upper left of the planet. Shining at magnitude 0.4, Saturn is the brightest object anywhere near the Moon. The two lie highest in the south after sunset and then dip toward the southwestern horizon, setting shortly after midnight. When you view Saturn through a telescope this week, the planet's disk measures 17" across while its dramatic ring system spans 39" and tilts 27° to our line of sight.
The Moon reaches apogee, the farthest point in its orbit around Earth, at 7:25 a.m. EDT. It then lies 251,226 miles (404,308 kilometers) from Earth's center.
The variable star Algol in Perseus reaches minimum brightness at 4:27 a.m. EDT. If you start watching it on the evening of the 30th (it rises in the northeast late in twilight), you can see its brightness diminish by 70 percent over the course of about five hours as its magnitude drops from 2.1 to 3.4. This eclipsing binary star runs through a cycle from minimum to maximum and back every 2.87 days.
The Aurigid meteor shower peaks tonight, with the best views coming when the radiant (which lies in the constellation Auriga) climbs high before dawn. Although this minor shower typically produces only 6 meteors per hour under optimal conditions, it occasionally performs much better. Rates six times higher than normal occurred in 1935, 1986, and 1994, and viewers recorded up to 130 meteors per hour in 2007. No one knows when the shower will burst out again, but the waxing gibbous Moon sets by 2 a.m. local daylight time, providing three hours of dark skies to check it out.
Brilliant Venus makes a tempting target all week, but the best views should come before dawn today and tomorrow. Both mornings find the planet 1° south of the magnificent Beehive star cluster (M44) in Cancer. The two make a lovely binocular sight from the time they rise around 4 a.m. local daylight time until twilight begins to wash out the cluster's stars an hour later. Of course, twilight has little effect on Venus because it shines so brightly, at magnitude –3.9. A telescope reveals the planet's 12"-diameter disk, which appears a bit more than 80 percent illuminated.
Most people have never seen an object other than the Moon or rarely a comet shift relative to the background stars in real time. But the first week of September offers observers with telescopes a nice chance to see one of these rapid movers in action. Asteroid 3122 Florence — named after nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale — races past Earth this week, peaking at a rate of 9° per day. That works out to 22", about two-thirds of Jupiter's current diameter, every minute. The asteroid glows at 9th magnitude on September's first three evenings and fades to 10th magnitude the following three nights. You can find it moving from Delphinus tonight into Vulpecula tomorrow and Cygnus on the 4th.
If you look overhead as darkness falls anytime this week, your eyes will fall on the brilliant star Vega in the constellation Lyra the Harp. At magnitude 0.0, Vega is the brightest member of the prominent Summer Triangle asterism. The Triangle's second-brightest star, magnitude 0.8 Altair in Aquila the Eagle, lies some 35° southeast of Vega. The asterism's dimmest member, magnitude 1.3 Deneb in Cygnus the Swan, stands about 25° east-northeast of Vega. Deneb trails Vega across the sky by about two hours, and passes through the zenith at approximately 11 p.m. local daylight time.


text:
Ways to Tell if Your Boyfriend Would Make a Good Husband
By: Joshua Duvauchelle
What Do I Do When I Realize My Long-Term Boyfriend Is Not Going to Propose?
Boyfriend vs. Husband Material
Signs of a Narcissistic Boyfriend
How to Know if You Will Marry Your Boyfriend
How to Fix a Relationship After Cheating
BananaStock/BananaStock/Getty Images
If you've been dating your boyfriend for a while and are considering making that stroll down the aisle together, pause for a second and take a step back. Marriage is a joyful, exciting and extremely life-altering relationship change. Before making this big decision, first evaluate your romantic partner. Is he truly the one? While no relationship is the same, several general predictors on long-term relationship success can help provide you clarity as you determine whether your boyfriend is husband material.
How Does He View Money?
The way that your boyfriend handles his finances is a big indicator of general maturity and responsibility. Examine how he spends his money. Does he pay his bills on time, or does he spend money frivolously even as bills pile up? Someone who's husband material will have good control of his spending and saving, and likely budgets every expense carefully. Additionally, make sure you and your boyfriend have similar views of money. "Arguments about money is by far the top predictor of divorce," says Sonya Britt, assistant professor of family studies and human services at Kansas State University.
What Do Your Friends and Family Think?
When you're in the middle of a passionate relationship, your vision can get cloudy about your boyfriend's character traits. Your family and close friends can create a moment of clarity, providing much-needed perspective from the outside. Plus, your family life and social life says a lot about who you are as a person. If your boyfriend clashes with that, it may point to a deeper incompatibility. Problems between your boyfriend and friends or family mean you may one day be forced to choose between him or them, which can create a lifetime of stress and relationship problems, warns Ann Smith, author of "Overcoming Perfectionism: Finding Balance and Self-Acceptance."
How Does He Handle Conflict?
If you get married, you will disagree and occasionally fight. Your boyfriend should exhibit healthy signs of conflict resolution. For example, he should be able to communicate his needs clearly and be open to compromising so that both of you are happy. If your boyfriend shuts down and gives you the "silent treatment" when he's frustrated, or if he frequently exhibits angry, uncontrollable outbursts, he may not be someone with whom you can build a stable, long-term relationship.
Does He Stay Positive?
Life in general, but also married life, isn't always a bed of roses. Consider how your boyfriend reacts when things get difficult. Someone who is ready for a long-term relationship like marriage should display a positive outlook on life. For example, does your boyfriend seek to find the positive qualities in an annoying office coworker, or try to discover the positive outcomes in a seemingly bad situation? If your boyfriend possesses a negative outlook on life, he may have a difficult time coping with marriage problems in the future.
Does He Respect You?
Your boyfriend should have the utmost respect for you. That means he doesn't take you for granted, and he's always aware of your boundaries and the things that make you feel vulnerable. Additionally, someone who's husband material respects himself, knowing his own dreams, goals and boundaries. This level of self-awareness will help you both navigate a long-term relationship in a healthy way.
California State University-Long Beach Health Resource Center: How to Choose the Right Partner
Your Tango: Is He Husband Material?
Science Daily: Early Financial Arguments Are a Predictor of Divorce
Psychology Today: 10 Points You Must Review Before You Get Married
MSN Lifestyle: 10 Signs He's Husband Material
University of Texas Counseling and Mental Health Center: Building a Healthy Relationship From the Start
University of San Diego Student Wellness: Healthy Relationship Factors
Joshua Duvauchelle is a certified personal trainer and health journalist, relationships expert and gardening specialist. His articles and advice have appeared in dozens of magazines, including exercise workouts in Shape, relationship guides for Alive and lifestyle tips for Lifehacker. In his spare time, he enjoys yoga and urban patio gardening.


Many people woke up this morning dreading another day at work. Some others, however, awoke motivated and ready for a day of challenge and enjoyment. Having the right job makes all the difference in the world. It improves your productivity, your attitude and most importantly, your life. The top priority of Leading Edge is to find you the right job.
Leading Edge is not just another staffing firm. We take pride in placing highly skilled professionals such as you, in positions that will match their skills and motivations. We do not just submit candidates in order to fill positions; instead we look at your experience and knowledge, and carefully match you with the right job. In short, we help you meet your career goals.
Our recuitment experts will talk with you and help you get to where you want to go. We have many years of experience in helping people just like you, and we care about your happiness.


What do you do in case of inclement weather?
In the event of only rain, we play. We ask parents to have their child bring a rain jacket. The only time we stop playing is in the case of extremely inclement weather or thunder and /or lightning. All our locations have a safe shelter nearby. The safety and well-being of the children is our number one priority. If it is raining in the morning please travel to the site unless otherwise directed. We will make every attempt in the very rare event a camp day gets cancelled. In case the program cannot be made up, no refunds or credits are offered.


BUCKLE UP FOR B-BALL STYLE.
Live laces-free in the Nike Air Force 1 Utility Boys' Shoe (3.5y-7y). Slip in and buckle up with an adjustable sash that loops through metal D-rings. A premium leather upper rides on the cushioning of a full-length Air-Sole unit, while a large Swoosh design trademark stands out on the sash.
Laces-free lockdown lets you buckle up with an adjustable sash.
Encapsulated Air-Sole unit provides full-length cushioning.
Semi-translucent rubber outsole follows the original AF 1 traction pattern.
Premium leather in a low-top profile for comfort and basketball-inspired style.
Polyurethane (PU) midsole provides durability.
Semi-translucent rubber glows in the dark.