text:
Frontiers in Psychology
Front. Psychol., 07 May 2010 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2010.00014
Language across the mind and brain
Manuel Carreiras*
Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, San Sebastian, Spain
Understanding how language works is a complex enterprise. The last 40 years have been witness to a remarkable effort from several disciplines including, experimental psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, computer science, etc. to uncover the cognitive and brain mechanisms underlying language acquisition, comprehension and production. The study of language processing has blossomed in the past two decades. Much of this expansion in research and interest has been driven by the confluence of fertile theoretical perspectives, refined experimental tasks, and by newer and better neuroimaging techniques of investigation. The focus of psycholinguistics has traditionally been the study of normal and impaired individuals using behavioral methods such as error rates, reaction time measures and, more recently, eye tracking. Important theoretical and experimental progress has been achieved by characterizing the types of cognitive representations and operations that underlie language processing. These advances have been based on how language is acquired, comprehended and produced under restricted conditions in the laboratory, as well as how it breaks down after focal brain lesions or during neurodegeneration. The information-processing paradigm underlying cognitive psychology led to new insights by combining laboratory data with information about the selective deficits of brain damaged patients. The fact that specific cognitive functions can be severely impaired while others remain intact in the same person is precious information to understand how the machine works. The characterization of language disorders that result from brain damage has had important implications both for theories of the cognitive processes underlying language and for theories of how language is represented and processed in the brain.
More recently, the interest in relating cognitive function to human brain activity has further advanced with the advent of highly sophisticated non-invasive brain imaging methods such as electroencephalography (EEG), magnetoencephalography (MEG), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), etc. These new methods opened new avenues for understanding how our brains process language, because they made it possible to observe brain changes with high temporal and/or spatial resolution in intact brains of volunteers while they carry out experimental tasks. Imaging techniques provide a unique opportunity to assess biological and behavioral changes simultaneously and therefore for establishing brain–behavior associations. The fact that the new neuroimaging methods can be used with healthy volunteers is very important, since it allows combining the methods in intelligent ways with previous knowledge of tasks, procedures and paradigms from experimental psychology. The careful design of tasks, procedures and paradigms to investigate different components of language processes is absolutely critical if we want to make use of the data regardless of the specific neuroimaging recording technique, including the most sophisticated.
Apart from classical cognitive psychology and the new neuroimaging methods, a third important approach for understanding language involves computational modeling of cognitive functions. Connectionist models emerged 20 years ago, shifting the classical analogy of the mind as a serial information processor (computer) toward an analogy claiming an abstract similarity between artificial computational models and neural populations. This shift also returned learning to the focus of attention. Computational models in different areas (e.g., visual word recognition, auditory word recognition, semantic memory) helped to formalize the current knowledge of particular areas and to generate predictions that could be compared to human data. They were a step in the direction toward brain-style computation. It is also very important to mention the large body of computational linguistics work based on data driven distributional approaches with a more engineering oriented approach.
The cognitive plausibility of these formal models has primarily been evaluated against grammaticality judgments, semantic feature norms, errors, reaction times, etc. These formal perspectives are beginning to have more plausible neural perspectives, and recent computational models try to incorporate more neural detail. Computational neuroscience of language is an emerging research area that integrates recent advances in computational modeling and cognitive neuroscience, with the objective of developing cognitively and neurally plausible models of language.
The three avenues tend to merge in the highly interdisciplinary field of Cognitive Neuroscience. Nowadays, most cutting-edge research on language processing drinks from these three fountains. The progress has been remarkable in the last few years, with an increasing number of new empirical findings, theoretical advances and methodological breakthroughs. Nonetheless, despite all the advances in the last decades our brain is still a black box and our understanding of how language works is still scarce. We need to visualize the cognitive and brain circuits of language comprehension and production: how the brain computes in fractions of seconds an information flow from sounds or letters to meanings and from meanings to sounds or letters; how specific language impairments are tightly related to specific damage in some parts of the circuits; what the link is between some genetic mutations, brain malformations and language disorders. No other machine is so precious and yet so poorly understood as the brain and its most human unique ability: language. Like most problems in science, the answers that studies of language in cognition and in the human brain yield provoke only further, more interesting questions.
The journal Frontiers in Language Sciences aims to be a forum to discuss new answers and new questions and host future exciting developments in the field. The coming years will face at least three streams of challenges: understanding the computational mechanisms of language processing, language acquisition and language learning; the linking between brain and cognition so that new cognitive models have brain plausibility; and how cognitive neuroscience can inform other areas such as education and rehabilitation.
A distinctive feature of the human brain is its capacity to learn and adapt to an ever-changing environment. The process of language acquisition and language learning is still a mystery. What sort of cognitive mechanisms and brain plasticity allow and promote these processes? We are still struggling with how two languages are processed in one brain, and what factors are responsible for producing such a variety of answers to this complex question. Is there any way to settle endless debates about what is the contribution of statistical learning, age of acquisition or proficiency? Similar endless debates regarding the cognitive architecture of production and comprehension processes are taking place. Are such debates, which mimic each other (modularity vs. interactivity) at different levels of processing still useful? Do we need to approach them from a different perspective? The impact of universal and language specific features of languages on processing, the effects of modalities (sign language vs. speech; speech vs. reading) and the relation of language with other cognitive abilities will help to understand language itself.
Timing is a very important property for information processing as it is for transfer of information among brain regions. Classical studies of information processing and representation are needed to understand how we compute linguistic information at different levels, but fresh theoretical views need to be developed to go beyond the debate about cognitive architecture (modular vs. interactive). A better understanding of the physiological interaction between different cortical regions of a particular network involved in a particular linguistic task may help us to constrain how processing at the cognitive level is taking place. The sequencing of the genome can be relatively easily done nowadays with current technology. However, some years ago it was a herculean task. It is possible to imagine that something similar may happen with language processing, by using the classical experimental procedures together with the new neuroimaging technologies guided by good theoretical frameworks for elaborating maps of the circuits of the human brain. Understanding how language works in the healthy and impaired brain will entail the study of the functional and structural neuroanatomy of the language circuits, the use of complex simulations, and a more refined theoretical framework relating different levels of explanation to crack the neural code, ultimately uncovering how the electric impulses are translated intro representations and sounds. Crossing different levels of explanation linked to cognitive function is going to be crucial for this enterprise. There is new work relating, for instance, molecular variations at the genetic level with behavior, with structural changes in the brain and with neural activity in particular brain circuits. Another important move is to go beyond the role of each particular brain area and its possible contribution to a particular language function to understand how brain circuits work and sustain such function, that is, how various regions interact in neural networks. Other avenues for gaining a better understanding of the human language system include decoding cognitive states from recordings of neural activity of very simple language changes or categories, or linking the dynamics of learning with changes in brain plasticity. The ultimate goal would be to link patterns of activation of several cells and the dynamics of these patterns of activation with mental states, such as representations of words or sentences, etc. Thus, we need to link structural and functional brain connectivity changes with learning, as when a person learns a new language. DTI fractional anisotropy is a methodological tool allowing steps in this direction, even though it is an indirect correlate of myelination or structural integrity. During development or during learning, structural changes presumably reflect ongoing myelination of axons, which enhances neuronal conduction and may play a role in the speed of cognitive processing. Understanding the development of pathways underlying language learning and language processing and the experiences that alter those pathways is imperative.
Education and rehabilitation are among the areas that may benefit from new findings in Cognitive Neuroscience. For instance, as learning and education are closely related to the processes of brain development, examining typical and atypical development has the potential to inform the educational process. Regarding language, particularly promising is the early identification of risk for specific language impairment and/or dyslexia, the identification of why some children learn to read whereas others fail in mastering such a basic skill. This research may clarify why some children with reading problems respond to intervention while others do not, which is essential in order to improve intervention programs to avoid language and/or reading failure. Rehabilitation therapies from strokes or during neurodegenerative processes can also be improved with a better understanding of how language works, which at the same time will benefit from understanding what brain and cognitive mechanisms fail in these situations.
In sum, Frontiers in Language Sciences aims to host new findings related to the challenge of understanding how language, a specific human ability, works in the mind and in the brain.
Citation: Carreiras M (2010) Language across the mind and brain. Front. Psychology 1:14. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2010.00014
This article was submitted to Frontiers in Language Sciences, a specialty of Frontiers in Psychology.
Received: 06 April 2010; Accepted: 13 April 2010;
Copyright: © 2010 Carreiras. This is an open-access article subject to an exclusive license agreement between the authors and the Frontiers Research Foundation, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original authors and source are credited.
*Correspondence: m.carreiras@bcbl.eu


text:
from flask import Flask, jsonify, send_file, make_response, request, abort
import pymongo
from bson import json_util, ObjectId
import json
import gridfs
import requests
from itertools import takewhile
from flask.ext.cors import CORS
import os

app = Flask(__name__)
CORS(app)

# mongo db connection
connection = pymongo.MongoClient('mongo')
db = connection['comics']
comics = db['comics']
fs = gridfs.GridFSBucket(db)

class JSONEncoder(json.JSONEncoder):

    def default(self, o):
        if isinstance(o, ObjectId):
            return str(o)
        return json.JSONEncoder.default(self, o)

@app.route("/comics")
def listComics():
    collection = db['comics_info']
    cursor = collection.find({})
    all_comics = json.loads(JSONEncoder().encode(list(cursor)))  # Ugly hack to remove objectid

    app_version = request.environ["HTTP_APP"] if "HTTP_APP" in request.environ else None
    if app_version == "1":
        all_comics = filter(lambda c: c["comic_id"] in ["existentialcomics", "commitstrip"], all_comics)

    result = {
        'comics': all_comics
    }
    return jsonify(result)

@app.route("/comics/<comic>")
def get_comic(comic):
    return get_comic_until_id(comic, None)

@app.route("/comics/<comic>/<last_id>")
def get_comic_until_id(comic, last_id):
    """
    Get the data from the mongodb, if client send us which is the last id they
    have received, we only send back the new data

    {
        result: [ {strip1}, {strip2}, ...]
    }
    """
    projection = ['comic', 'title', 'text', 'url', 'order']
    try:
        last_id = ObjectId(last_id)
    except:
        last_id = None

    cursor = comics.find({'comic': comic}, projection).sort('order', pymongo.DESCENDING)
    cursor = takewhile(lambda x: x['_id'] != last_id, cursor)

    data = json.loads(JSONEncoder().encode(list(cursor)))  # Ugly hack to remove objectid
    result = {
        'result': data
    }
    return jsonify(result)

@app.route('/comics/image/<document_id>')
def get_image(document_id):
    return _get_image(document_id, "file_id")

@app.route('/comics/thumbnail/<document_id>')
def get_thumbnail(document_id):
    return _get_image(document_id, "thumbnail")

def _get_image(document_id, image_field):
    doc = comics.find_one({
        '_id': ObjectId(document_id)
    })

    if doc:
        grid_out = fs.open_download_stream(doc[image_field])
        contents = grid_out.read()
        response = make_response(contents)

        response.headers['Content-Type'] = 'image/png'
        return response
    else:
        return abort(404)

@app.route('/register', methods=['POST'])
def register():
    content = request.get_json()

    data = {
        'proto': content['proto'],
        'token': content['token']
    }

    print data

    r = requests.post("http://push:8081/subscribers", data=data)
    json = r.json()

    return jsonify({"id": json['id']})

@app.route("/ping/<user_id>")
def ping(user_id):
    data = {
        "badge": 0
    }
    r = requests.post("http://push:8081/subscriber/" + user_id, data=data)

    return jsonify({"result": "ok"})

@app.route("/subscribe/<user_id>/<topic>")
def subscribe(user_id, topic):
    r = requests.post("http://push:8081/subscriber/%s/subscriptions/%s" % (user_id, topic))
    print r

    return jsonify({"result": "ok"})

@app.route("/unsubscribe/<user_id>/<topic>")
def unsubscribe(user_id, topic):
    r = requests.delete("http://push:8081/subscriber/%s/subscriptions/%s" % (user_id, topic))
    print r

    return jsonify({"result": "ok"})

@app.route("/webpush/register", methods=['POST'])
def webpush_register():
    content = request.get_json()

    print request
    print content

    valid = "endpoint" in content and "topics" in content
    if valid:
        collection = db.webpush;

        key = {"token": content["endpoint"]}
        data = {"$set": {"topics": content["topics"], "type": "webpush-chrome"}}

        collection.update_one(key, data, upsert=True)

        return jsonify({"result": "ok"})
    else:
        return jsonify({"result": "ko"})

@app.route("/webpush/notify", methods=['POST'])
def webpush_notify():
    content = request.get_json()

    topic = content["topic"]
    key = os.environ['GCM_KEY']

    collection = db.webpush;
    cursor = collection.find({"topics": topic, "type": "webpush-chrome"})
    tokens = map(lambda i: i["token"].split("/")[-1], cursor)

    headers = {
        "Authorization": "key=" + key,
        "Content-Type": "application/json"
    }

    data = {
        "registration_ids": tokens
    }

    print headers
    print data

    r = requests.post("https://android.googleapis.com/gcm/send", json=data, headers=headers)
    _json = r.text

    print _json

    return jsonify({"result": "ok"})

if __name__ == "__main__":
    app.run(host='0.0.0.0', debug=True)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Elaina won the giveaway of WEDDING AT ROCKING S RANCH!
Contact me at Kathryn at kathrynalbright dot com to receive your autographed copy of the book!
I am happy to announce a new release in the Oak Grove Series!
To celebrate, I am having a giveaway (see guidelines on this page) and will chose a name among those who comment.
Can a Widow in the Wild West …find wedded bliss again?
The hero in this story captured my heart. I have a soft spot for the competent, yet brooding type and Wolf is all that. What characteristics say "hero" to you?
Father patted her forearm—his way of showing support, both physically and emotionally. He was ready for, as he stated, "the entire disaster of her marriage" to be over and done with. He wanted his little girl back and for life to return to the way it once had been before she ever met Douglas Stewart Jr. Father simply wanted to protect her—his only child—and this was his way to do it. He had no idea that she could never go back to life as it once was. Not after all that had transpired. Douglas had changed everything in her life. So had the loss of their baby.
The house echoed with the whispers of her two great-aunts. While she'd been confined to her bed, they'd discussed her in the hallway just beyond her bedroom door. A wayward woman—tainted—they'd called her, speculating whether the death of her husband was a punishment from above because she'd blatantly gone against her parents' wishes and the mores of decent society to marry so quickly. Most couples were engaged a year before the wedding ceremony.
Cassandra consoled herself with the knowledge that their own marriages had been long and lonely, as their husbands both sought to escape their daily harping and criticism. Her own marriage, although only a few short months, had been a wonder, and she would be forever grateful to have had that time with Douglas. Yet her great-aunts' harsh judgment stung her conscience. She had never been good enough to suit them. A disappointment—that's what she was.
As she walked slowly down the hallway, a chill coursed through her. She pulled her tatted shawl tighter around her shoulders with her free hand. Despite the heavy heat of the midsummer afternoon, she was still cold. The meeting shouldn't take long. All she had to do was sign the official papers, and her late husband's land would then be ready to sell. She might have sold it long before this, releasing the burden of a property she'd never seen, if not for Mr. Edelman's insistence that he make sure that no will existed.
And then there had been her daughter. Cassandra had held out hope that the property would be a legacy to pass on, but her daughter had come early—much too early. Her chest tightened at the memory. She didn't want to dwell on it yet couldn't help herself. Hope had become despair. And a mad fury had overtaken her. Douglas had been reckless to participate in that boat race. He'd thought himself invincible in all things. The very quality that had drawn her to him had also been the death of him.
Well, today would be one more snip in the rope that tethered him to her. A rope that she both loved and hated at the same time. Her heart had ached for so very long—nearly a year now. Her hopes and dreams had all been dashed the moment the boat he'd crewed with his friends had collided with another.
At the sound of her married name, her father's grip tightened on her hand. After all this time, it still bothered him.
"Thank you, Father." She released his arm and sat down in the chair he held out for her on one side of the massive oak table.
Her mother and father took seats on each side of her at the long table as if to bolster her for what might be coming.
It wasn't an incident…it was a marriage. But the courtship and wedding had happened so fast, and then the marriage had been over just as fast. No one's fault, the captain had written in his report of the boating accident. If not for the months of morning sickness that followed and the lingering ache in her belly, Cassandra might have wondered if the marriage had happened at all.
Mr. Edelman placed the first paper in front of her along with a pen.
She picked both papers up and started to read. Halfway down the page she realized she hadn't understood anything and started over. The inked letters swam before her, the words meaningless.
Cassandra stared at the line where she was to put her signature. It was all so very final—putting her mark there. She should simply sign it and let it go. There was already a potential buyer in Denver waiting for word from her. But all that she could think of was the last time she'd seen Douglas. He'd been in so much pain toward the end, but he'd asked her to do one last thing for him.
Cassandra looked up and caught the worried glance her mother sent her father. Another chill slithered through her. Why did she feel so torn about this? Had she procrastinated, not because of her health, but because of the promise she had made to Doug? Was that the real reason she had put off this moment?
Of course, they hadn't. Discussing it in front of Mr. Edelman was their ploy to make sure she felt even more pressure to bend to their wishes.
"It would be sensible if the property were nearby, but to travel all the way to Kansas…" her father interjected.
Cassandra nearly smiled at the exact same words her parents had used when trying to stop her from marrying Douglas. Surely the great Wild West held all sorts of people, not just the social miscreants mentioned time and again by her family and close friends.
Her mother's words left little uncertainty as to her true feelings. Cassandra glanced up at Mr. Edelman. No doubt he'd heard of her situation, bantered up and down the seaboard by gossipy society matrons. Mother's inference did not help the slightly tarnished, although completely undeserved, reputation that she'd acquired by marrying Douglas so rapidly.
She suddenly realized that her fingers were clenched around the pen and her teeth were clamped together. Even her chest was tight. She had loved Douglas honorably. It wasn't fair for others to judge her otherwise.
With that thought, something in the cold ashes of her core sparked. A wisp of the determination she'd once possessed began to glow inside her. Douglas's memory didn't deserve to be brushed aside and forgotten as if he'd never existed, as if he were an "unfortunate incident." Their marriage had happened no matter how hard Mother and Father tried to sweep it under the rug…and push her to forget it.
She was angry that he'd left her alone and reeling from the consequences of his careless behavior, but she still loved him. Their short marriage had been wonderful. Maybe she should do as he asked. A promise, after all, was still a promise, even after death.
The silence that followed her announcement reverberated like the last gong of a bell.
"Very well. When you arrive in town, simply leave them with Josiah Melbourne." He started to close his satchel when he stopped. "Oh, yes. Here's one more item." He withdrew a small box and handed it to her.
"But it was important enough to Douglas that he kept it with his legal papers." Cassandra smoothed her fingertips over the letters. The box was an amateur attempt at woodworking. Was it Douglas's first attempt? She knew so little of that part of his life. Now, she guessed it made scant difference.
A folded piece of paper lay on top of a few small assorted items—a lock of auburn hair tied with a bow, a bullet and a leather thong with a small turquoise stone. On the very bottom was a feather. Mementos, she supposed. She wished Doug were here to explain their meaning.
She opened the paper and found a note in her husband's script, written with a steady, strong hand.
"This isn't for me," she murmured, confused. They certainly were strange names.
He stood, as did her parents. At the library door, he stopped. "Please consider, Mrs. Stewart. A promise made to a man on his deathbed isn't legally binding. God would not hold you accountable for trying to ease the last few hours of your husband's life. Good day." He turned and headed down the hall, followed by her mother and father.
They would, as a matter of course, hold a whispered conversation out of her hearing, trying desperately to figure out a way to keep her here. Whatever plan they hatched would come to naught. She was getting stronger. She had to do what she thought was best.
Don't forget to leave a comment if you want to be included in the drawing for the giveaway!
Before Rockford, Illinois became known as Rockford, it was called Midway Village. Travelers would stop here at the midpoint of their trip between Chicago and Galena, which is on the Mississippi River. The Rock River had a rocky bottom which made passage (fording) easier than at other areas. Hence the name that stuck for the growing town: Rockford.
Rockford's living history museum, Midway Village, hosts many fascinating events – the nation's largest WWII reenactment, a WWI reenactment, school programs, weddings, and garden tours. The small town is made up of several original buildings along with a few replicas that portray life in the 1890s. The docents are a wealth of information about life in earlier times. In a recent tour of the general store, I learned of a few sayings that have lasted until our time.
For instance, I thought the phrase "The whole nine yards" had something to do with football, although why ten yards wouldn't be better, I'm not sure … sigh. (Laugh if you must.) What it means is that a woman wants to purchase the entire bolt of fabric for sewing.
What about "Get down to brass tacks?" The docent pointed out a row of brass tacks that were placed every six inches on the counter's edge near the cash register. They were used to measure fabric, ribbons, and string before cutting. You can barely see them in the picture above.
"Cash on the barrel." The pickle barrel that is. Nothing was ever stored on the pickle barrel because it was opened so often to buy pickles. See how the lid has a flat area with a slight edge? Because of that edge, coins wouldn't roll off. You can see the large pickle barrel in this picture too.
Most small town general stores doubled as the post office.
The docent is standing before the post office boxes.
and its owners are featured in The Prairie Doctor's Bride.
One other piece of information imparted was that when the first settlers arrived here from the east, they thought the land must not be any good for farming. They were used to forests that they had to cut down in order to farm the land. But here they saw grass, grass, and more grass which might be good for livestock…but not crops. Any trees they saw hugged the rivers. I guess that is a warning about first impressions! Now the Midwest is known as the world's "bread basket" because its soil is the richest in the world and crops grow exceedingly well.
Here I am standing on a patch of natural prairie in northern Illinois! Look at the height of that grass! I cannot imagine walking beside a wagon and trying to get through it. I also cannot imagine coming upon a snake!
What is your state "famous" for?
The countdown has started for my next book ~ Wedding at Rocking S Ranch.
I will tell you all about it the next time I post.
Until then, have a safe, fun summer!
Release date is July 17th!


I can't believe I'm sitting here writing about my next NC Photography workshop. Didn't we just have one? I know it's so cliche, but where does the time go?
Hosting a workshop in the early part of the year is one of my favorite things to do. It starts my year on such a high. I absolutely love teaching, helping other women grow, and watching lightbulbs go off. I love that I have a hand in their success, and even more love watching them grow their businesses all year long because of the workshop. There is nothing more rewarding professionally in my opinion. Often times, I scroll through Instagram smiling from ear to ear because I'm so stinking proud of these women. Teaching them is truly a blessing, and I'm excited to do it again!
Every year we try to improve just a little more. Last year, we hosted at my house and it was such a success we're doing that again! There's something so very personal about having people in my home! We also reflect on what didn't work, and one of those things was: there is such a thing as too many people. I found I wasn't able to connect with each of them like I wanted. They connected with each other, which was amazing, but I didn't connect with them as much as I'd like. Which is why, I'm limiting the seats to 12 plus one scholarship attendee (more on that in a sec).
We're still keeping it women only (plus their husbands if they work as a team). It's also still a two day event. My team and I sat down, both after the workshop and recently, trying to decide what we could cut to make it a one day workshop, and I just can't do it. I believe in what I teach. I believe it's what people need to hear. We're reorganizing the content and structure a little this year (again growing from year to year), but the core of it remains. We're giving these women the tools to take their business from where ever it is to the next level. This year is going to be the best year yet. I'm so excited I can't stand it! It's truly a privilege to be part of these photography journeys.
In fact, it's such a privilege that I will be giving away a seat again this year! It was one of my favorite parts of the NC photography workshop last year. I watched the scholarship winner come in like a sponge, soak everything up, and have followed her work all year watching it get better and better and better. She was the perfect person to win it last year, and it makes me all that more excited for someone this year!
Tomorrow morning (Tuesday the 15th), I'll be sharing details on Instagram about how to win the scholarship! My instagram handle is @ajdunlap…if we're not already friends come say hi!
While you wait, check out the full workshop details HERE. Be sure to sign up for the newsletter while you're there, because subscribers will get early access to the 12 seats (scholarship entries get first access a few hours before subscribers…a little extra incentive to apply) Last year it sold out in less than 24 hours, so if you want a seat, I highly recommend doing both!
I can't wait for this year's NC Photography workshop and to meet all of the beautiful attendees! We're going to have the best time together!!
Hi, my husband and I are interested in attending your upcoming workshop. Can I ask, would the cost be $950.00 for each of us? Thank you.


Horse Riding Tales - Ride With Friends is a Casual app developed by Foxie Ventures. We only share original APK files. You can download and install the latest version of Horse Riding Tales - Ride With Friends APK from our direct download link. On this page we provide Horse Riding Tales - Ride With Friends 22 apk file for 4.1 and up .This is a free app listed in Casual category of apps. Use the download button on the top to download this apk. App Installs: 100000 +.


A street in southern Seoul will be transformed into the center of "hallyu," with facilities to be set up to promote Korean Wave stars and provide fans with more chances to experience Korea's pop culture.
Officials of the Gangnam-gu Office said Thursday the southern Seoul district will form a "Hallyu Star Street" in Cheongdam-dong as part of efforts to attract more foreign tourists.
The district has been previously famous for being the magnet of trendy fashion and beauty therapies. Recently, it has become apparent that a growing number of patrons visit the district for the additional purpose of seeing the myriad of entertainment agencies clustered there, notwithstanding the limited chances of encountering hallyu stars. There are more than 150 agencies in Gangnam.
"The trend has been bolstered by the sensation of Psy's Gangnam Style, and we are receiving scores of inquiries from foreigners about arranging tours to the district. With the street, we hope Gangnam will become the center of hallyu tourism," a district official said.
From the end of this year to 2015, the office plans to set up various facilities along the 1.08-kilometer-long curved street running from SM Entertainment headquarters to Cheongdam intersection and from the intersection to JYP Entertainment building.
As a first step, it will establish a statue symbolizing the Hallyu Star Street in front of SM Entertainment, the starting point of the street. "It can be a statue of some stars or an abstract image of Korean Wave. We haven't decided yet, but intend to erect it within this year," the official said.
For the second stage next year, a section of the street will have special paving stones with stars' handprints on them, like Hollywood's Walk of Fame.
In five alleys of the district, stars' photos will be posted on boards on the wall and fans can leave their messages for their favorite entertainers on them.
"Information poles" will be also set up along the street. Similar to those in Gangnam Station area, the poles with screens will offer a map of the area, information about Korean entertainers and tourist attractions in the district and nearby. The ward office will set up five of the poles first and build more if needed.
Large screens called "Media Facade" will be set up on the outer walls of several buildings at the corner on the Cheongdam intersection. "In the section, we want to create the image of electronic signs and screens like at Times Square in New York. Singers' music videos and other promotional video clips of stars will be shown there too," the official said.
A "Hallyu Square" will also be designated at the end of the street facing the JYP Entertainment building, where concerts and other performances can be presented on a small-scale stage.
As the third step, the district office plans to link the Hallyu Star Street with nearby tourist areas of Apgujeong-dong and Garosu-gil, which are accessible from the street on foot.
It is constructing a tourist information center near Apgujeong Station, scheduled to be opened in February. The center will offer information about hallyu stars as well as medical tourism, which has also become popular in Gangnam where more than half of Seoul's plastic surgery and skin care clinics are located.
Expanding the hallyu tour to other types of tourism is the final stage of the plan. The ward office will design three tour routes under three different themes: a Korea Fashion Street, a Beauty and Well-being Street and a Green Tour Line.
The hallyu street will be parts of the fashion street that is stretched to the east wing of Galleria Department Store. Flagship stores of luxury name brands are on the fashion street.
The beauty street route includes restaurants in Garosu-gil and nearby beauty clinics. The green route features Dosan Park.
"We estimate a range of between 10 billion won to 20 billion won for the whole project. We'll seek private investors and state subsidies for this," the official said.


text:
Briefs (12)
Literature reviews/bibliographies (1)
Gender statistics (10)
Uganda (-) (49)
Nigeria (-) (22)
Sierra Leone (-) (7)
Gabon (-) (1)
Governments (1)
Economic Empowerment Discussion Papers (1)
Governing body/ies
UN Women Executive Board (1)
UN Women Uganda Quarter 4 Newsletter; October to December 2022
Assessing National Funding for Women's Economic Empowerment in Uganda
Date: Monday, 26 September 2022
This report focuses on national funding to WEE, WFI, and WECs in Uganda. It was commissioned by Publish What You Fund. The report is based on an assessment of national funding to WEE, WFI, and WECs in Uganda that was conducted by the Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG). The findings and conclusions contained within are those of the authors and do not reflect the views of Publish What You Fund. The report was designed by Steve Green.
A Rapid Gender Assessment Report On The Congolese Refugee Influx In Kisoro District (November 2021)
As the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues, the situation remains unpredictable along the Kisoro border posing challenges asylum seekers, especially refugee women, girls and children.
Issue 2 of the Paradigm For Social Justice and Development Success Stories
Date: Friday, 29 July 2022
Issue 2 of the Paradigm For Social Justice and Development Success Stories Issue 2 by EMPOWERING WOMEN TO PROMOTE PEACEFUL AND EQUAL SOCIETIES Project based IN WAKISO DISTRICT
Women Lead and Benefit from Protection
Date: Monday, 20 June 2022
Uganda's NAP Ill WPS 2021 - 2025 aims at ensuring sustained peace and security through enhanced meaningful participation of women in peace and development processes. The NAP I provides a strategic framework, through the WPS agenda, to mainstream UNSCR 1325 into national development and peace strategies, with the focus on strengthening the effective roles of women in the achievement of long-lasting peace in Uganda (MGLSD, 2021). Specifically, Uganda's NAP Ill aims to: Prevent all forms of violence and promote peace within families, communities and the nation; Promote meaningful participation of women in leadership and governance at all levels; Strengthen the capacity of women to mitigate and prevent natural and human-made disasters; and strengthen the institutional and coordination mechanism for WPS agenda at all levels.
Women's Participation in Politics at the Local Government Level in Uganda
Date: Wednesday, 1 June 2022
The study was undertaken using Local Government (LG)'s election data from the Electoral Commission and survey data collected through key informant interviews with political leaders at the LG levels and focus group discussions with community people. The survey was conducted in Gulu, Nwoya, and Pader in the North; Napak, and Morotoin Karamoja sub-region; Pallisa and Bugiri in the East; and Kiryandongo in the West. Survey data was analysed using both quantitative (descriptive statistics) and qualitative techniques, which involved qualitative data from focus group discussions and open-ended survey responses from individual respondents was analysed through the following steps: transcribing the qualitative responses; pooling the transcribed responses from the various FGDs according to specific research questions; identifying the main ideas that occur in the answers to each question and creating themes; and writing narratives to describe the themes.
EVALUATION REPORT: Women lead and benefit from sustainable and inclusive peace and security in Uganda 2018- 2021
Date: Saturday, 2 April 2022
The WPS programme under evaluation with the title "Women lead and benefit from sustainable and inclusive peace and security in Uganda" was developed against a backdrop of conflict and post-conflict situations in Uganda including the post-conflict situation in northern Uganda noting that even though there is no active war, the limited engagement in transitional justice including reconciliation and reparations, has remained a severe challenge, with little accountability for atrocities committed during the 20- year civil war.
UN Women Nigeria Biannual Newsletter- July-December 2021
Date: Thursday, 17 February 2022
In 2021, despite the challenges and restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN Women Nigeria Country Office continued to implement programmatic, coordination and normative interventions as a contribution to efforts by the Government of Nigeria to close the gender inequality gap and advance the rights of women and girls.
A Situation Report on Kisoro Floods (January 2022)
Date: Thursday, 13 January 2022
This situation brief highlights the impact of the floods and landslides that hit Kisoro district in January 2022. While the issue may have been overtaken by the insecurity in neighboring DRC that led to high influx of Congolese refuges into Kisoro district, the aftermath of the floods on especially women and children remains dire and in need of attention.
Quantitative Analysis and Modelling of Youth Not in Education, Employment and Training (NEET 15 – 24 years old) Uganda Report
This study focuses on Uganda and forms part of a series covering 9 countries in East and Southern Africa. It uses existing statistical data to identify the factors that determine whether a young woman or man (aged 15-24) are not in employment, education or training.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


– Jingle bells (if you want to it to jingle). Mine are from Craftprojectideas.com.
Round 10: SC decrease until closed.
Fasten off leaving long tail. Weave tapestry needle through the center of the jingle bell so your tail is now sticking out of the top of the bell. Tie a small loop and then weave in ends. The loop is used for hanging your bell.
I used the bottom left hand corner bell as the template to cut my felt. Fortunately felt is very forgiving so if your lines and circles are perfect when you trace or cut, it barely shows 🙂 I used a dab of hot glue in the very center then all 4 circles and glued it on the bottom of my bell. The bottom of your bell should be the part where you made the SC Decreases.
Want more free patterns? Keep in touch on my Repeat Crafter Me Facebook Page for new pattern sneak peeks and when they will be available on my blog! And feel free to post pictures of your finished hats , projects and/or links to your shops on my Facebook wall so all can see.
So nice these little jingle bells. Great idea. Thanks for making and sharing your pattern.
OMG, these are amazing…you are one talented crochet designer!
I teach a crochet class at my public library and I wondered if I could pass out your pattern to my participants as one of our weekly projects? I would let them know that you made the product.


RCN London is hosting a listening event for members who have been taking part in the NMC revalidation pilots.
Many London members have been involved in pilots at Guys and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust as well as at independent sector providers. We are looking to hear from practice nurses and cosmetic and aesthetic nurse members who took part.
The pilots will be assessed, ahead of the full launch of revalidation in 2016. The RCN wants to hear from you about what has and has not worked in the trials so far.
We will be holding a learning event intended to enhance our knowledge. We are keen to hear from as many members as possible, at all levels of nursing.
The event will take place at 5pm on Wednesday 17 June. Refreshments will be available.


text:
Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1930-1967
This series contains correspondence documenting Reinhardt's career as an artist and art professor, with the bulk of the material dating from 1946 to 1966. Most of the letters are incoming, and there are only a few draft copies of outgoing letters written by Reinhardt. Found in this series are several letters from artists, including Abe Ajay, cartoonist Dave Crockett Johnson, Helen Frankenthaler, George Rickey, and May Wilson, as well as letters from art critics and writers, including Lucy Lippard, and Ned O'Gorman. Reinhardt also received a large number of letters from art galleries and art dealers, including Betty Parsons Gallery, Iris Clert, Dwan Gallery, and Jock Truman, and art museums, including the Museum of Modern Art, Jewish Museum, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, regarding the exhibition, loan, or sale of his artwork. Numerous letters in this series concern his participation as a guest lecturer, visiting artist, or symposium participant at colleges and universities throughout the country, as well as his professorship at Brooklyn College.
Reinhardt was a member of many art, political, and social organizations and his involvement is documented here in letters from groups such as the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation, and the Foundation for the Arts, Religion, and Culture. Also included are letters from magazines and other publications to which he contributed articles and artwork, including
newspaper and
. There is also a large amount of fan mail sent to
and to Reinhardt in praise of his series of drawings of the history of modern art for that newspaper. Miscellaneous folders include letters of the same type mentioned above which only consist of one or two letters from a correspondent. Notable correspondents within the miscellaneous folders include Josef Albers, John Ashbery, John Cage, Columbia Pictures Corporation, Mathias Goeritz, Peggy Guggenheim, Jasper Johns, Donald Judd, Ray Johnson, Ellsworth Kelly, Robert Kennedy, Robert Motherwell, Claes Oldenburg, Barbara Rose, Meyer Schapiro, and Russel Wright.
Letters are arranged alphabetically by correspondent.
This series has been scanned been in its entirety.
A, Miscellaneous, 1946-1966, undated
Ajay, Abe, 1963-1964
American Federation of Arts, 1957-1964
American Institute of Architects, 1962
Architectural League of New York, 1956-1964
Art Association of Indianapolis, 1965-1966
Art Institute of Chicago, 1963
Arts Fraud Investigation, 1966
B, Miscellaneous, 1943-1966, undated
Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation, 1963-1965
Betty Parsons Gallery, 1961-1964
Brooklyn College, 1946-1966
Bucknell University, 1965-1966
C, Miscellaneous: Ca-Ch, 1946-1966
C, Miscellaneous: Ci-Cu, 1930-1967, undated
Carpenter, Charles, 1963
Clert, Iris, 1960-1966
Cleveland Museum of Art, 1964-1966
Columbia University Teachers College, 1934, 1944-1962
Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), 1963-1965
Cooper Union, 1955-1966
Crockett Johnson, Dave, 1961-1966
D-E, Miscellaneous, 1946-1966
Dayton Art Institute, 1959-1966
Magazine, 1963-1966, undated
Dlugoszewski, Lucia, 1963-1965, undated
Dwan Gallery, 1962-1966
F, Miscellaneous, 1935-1966
Fan Mail, 1946-1948, undated
Finlay, Ian Hamilton, 1963-1966
Fitzsimmons, James, 1962-1966
Foundation for the Arts, Religion, and Culture, 1962-1966
Frankenthaler, Helen, 1966-1967
G, Miscellaneous, 1944-1966
George Braziller, Inc., 1962-1966
Graham Modern Painting and Sculpture, 1964-1965
Guggenheim Museum, 1961-1963
H, Miscellaneous, 1940-1967
Hess, Thomas, 1954-circa 1966
Hewitt, Frank, 1966
Hunter, Sam (Rose Art Museum), 1963, undated
I-J, Miscellaneous, 1945-1967
Institute of Contemporary Arts, 1964-1966
Jewish Museum, 1962-1966
K, Miscellaneous, 1946-1965
L, Miscellaneous, 1943-1966
Lippard, Lucy, 1966-1967
Longview Foundation, Inc., 1963-1964
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1965-1966
M, Miscellaneous: Ma-Me, 1947-1956, undated
M, Miscellaneous: Mi-Mu, 1948-1966, undated
Maryland Institute College of Art, 1964-1966
Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, 1966
Museum of Modern Art, 1952-1966
N, Miscellaneous, 1940-1966
National Council of Women of the United States, Inc., 1965
New Jersey Water Color Society, 1960-1961
O-P, Miscellaneous, 1943-1966, undated
O'Gorman, Ned, circa 1964-1967
Ohio State University, 1959-1966
Newspaper, 1946-1948
Powers, Marcella, 1946-1947
Q-R, Miscellaneous, 1957-1966, undated
Rickey, George, 1963-1965, undated
S, Miscellaneous, 1943-1967
School Art League of New York City, 1948-1966
Southern Illinois University, 1961-1963
Syracuse University, 1957, 1966
T, Miscellaneous, 1942-1965, undated
Truman, Jock, 1964-1965, undated
U, Miscellaneous, 1939-1966
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 1956-1965
University of Oregon, 1963
V, Miscellaneous, 1956-1966
Village Art Center, 1949-1963
W, Miscellaneous, 1938-1966, undated
Wadsworth Atheneum, 1963-1965
Waggaman, John F., circa 1966
Washington Gallery of Modern Art, 1965-1966
Whitney Museum of American Art, 1953-1962
Wilson, May, 1961-1963
Y-Z, Miscellaneous, 1943-1947, 1963
Yale University, 1952-1966
Unidentified letters, 1944-1967, undated


As regular visitors will know, I am often visited by the estimable Doctor James Dillingham of Edinburgh, who takes a leisurely tea in the drawing room whilst regaling me with tales of a medical nature. Since today marks an important anniversary in medical history it is time to take a trip back to Gloucestershire in 1796 where we find a medical gentleman by the name of Edward Jenner hard at work on his research.
As a boy growing up in Berkeley, Jenner had long been aware of a country tale telling that milkmaids who had been infected with cowpox never fell prey to the virulent disease of smallpox that killed so many in the Georgian era. Cowpox was a skin irritation that was far from fatal and Jenner found himself contemplating how this might be used to protect against smallpox, an infection that proved so deadly amongst children. Vaccinations using cowpox-infected material had been carried out in small numbers in Europe already but the experiments, research and findings had not been collected until Jenner set to work.
Inspiration struck in spring 1796 when milkmaid Sarah Nelmes came to visit the doctor with a rash on her hand, fearing that it might be the dreaded smallpox. Instead, Jenner diagnosed Nelmes with cowpox and asked if he might take a sample of the pus from one of her blisters. She readily agreed and the scraping was taken. Now there was only the matter of finding someone willing to test the theory and for this he enlisted eight year old James Phipps, the son of his gardener.
On 14th May 1796 the material taken from Nelmes was introduced into Phipps by way of small cuts on the boy's arms. Once he had exhibited and recovered from the symptoms of cowpox, Jenner variolated the boy, rubbing smallpox-infected material into the same small cuts. No doubt this was a very stressful time for the child and all who cared for him and as the hours ticked by they watched anxiously for any signs of infection. In fact, aside from a few light symptoms of fever, Phipps survived both this vaccination and many subsequent similar experiments. Jenner's theory had been proved and he set to work documenting and publishing his research.
Jenner encountered plenty of opposition to his new method, particularly from those who questioned the morality of using bovine material in humans and the doctors who made a living from variolation and had no interest in vaccination. He was not to be deterred though and became the spokesman for the cowpox method, with the vaccination method first tried on James Phipps eventually becoming the standard treatment to guard against smallpox.
Jenner enjoyed plaudits and decoration for his work and in turn he awarded the adult Phipps and his family with a cottage in recognition of the part he had played in this most important series of experiments.
Thanks for posting. In my novel set in 1860 Pacifi NW, there is an outbreak of smallpox that kills many of the local Coast Salish people and the young son of the MC. In fact, in 1864, such an outbreak killed 60% of the Haida, T'simshian, Tlingit. I read a lot of vacination practice here my area at my time and came to the conclusion that small pox was definitely deadly and the patient suffered greatly. A few years ago, I had the chance to talk to the Infectious decease at the University of Washington Medical School. Small pox is supposed to be gone but back in the 1960s he was working in London when a patient, a recent arrival from Pakistan came to the hospital. No one identified small pox until too late. He was called in to assist. The patient died, infected some members of the staff and killed them. Some in the community were affected too. He said it was a pretty awful disease to get.
Thank you for your comment. It certainly was a dreadful disease and I was shocked to read of the outbreak in London that you were informed of. I know the disease is officially eradicated now but it must have been terrifying to live in a time when it was so widespread.
Bravo Dr Jenner! He was always my hero. But now I must also take the long suffering James Phipps into the pantheon, too.
Thank you, as always, Catherine. Your choices are fascinating.
And to think that smallpox now no longer exists, I think. I'm sure it was down to a very few cases somewhere in Africa, and that was years ago. There are still a few vials of the smallpox germ or virus, whichever it is, protected by high security, and I've read--but not for some time--some worries that terrorists could somehow pilfer some of the vials and loose them on an unprotected public, but I haven't read anything about it recently. I'm old enough so that for my first trips abroad I always had to be vaccinated, and my two adopted daughters had to be vaccinated before they entered the US (one was born in Thailand, one in Chile) in the 70s and neither of them are thrilled by the fact that they bear the vaccination scars, whereas none of their US-born contemporaries do, but I am unsympathetic. Just like a mother . . .


What to do if support doesn't work?
A few days ago I created a mail address that never worked… funny thing is that DH mail servers accepted mail for it, but messages never got delivered.
I submitted a support ticket for this at 11:23AM PDT on June 21st (tkt #1936689).
About 15 minutes after that I got a reply telling me that some script got "lazy" about updating my account data, but that it was restarted and that everthing should be working in 30/60minutes… the support guy (Jason) also told me that incoming messages probably got lost in the meantime… I told him it wasn't a problem since the address wasn't yet public. He told me that if I still had problems after an hour, that I replied telling it so. This was at 12:28PM that same day and is the last time I got any communication from DH.
2 hours later (2:35PM, June 21), the address was still non-functional, so I replied again and told it so.
I bumped again at 6:48AM and 11:42AM, June 22. No answer. Neither a small "we're working on it", or "try erasing the account and re-creating", nothing, just plain silence.
I posted a new incident (tkt #1938888) at 4:43PM June 22 about the same mail account that never got replied.
It is now about 5:00AM PDT June 23rd… almost 42 hours past the original ticket posting. More than 40 hours since tha last time I heard something from DH.
Should I keep waiting? For how long?
Should I raise yet another ticket? Will this be promptly served? Why the previous didn't?
I now $8/mo is "cheap", but it is NOT free, and if not the TOS, at least the rules of curtesy allow me to get some reply from customer support after 40 hours.
That said - it's highly unusual for support not to get back to someone within 24-hours… so I can't imagine what their problem is other than your continued "spamming" of the support system. But I'd continue to harass them at this point if they haven't replied to you all the same, as you should have at least received some sort of reply by now.
Something similar happened to an email address I set up. What I just did was delete the email address, wait a while then set it up again.
As to the support I've not had to wait that long for the few things I've submitted.
As for annoying them, I was polite at all times. I even told them (when they were still replying) that it wasn't really time-sensitive, since the account wasn't yet in use, thinking that I could wait a few hours… maybe that was a mistake on my part and should've put the people are dying choice in the selection-box even when that wasn't true.
Should I wait 'till the 48 hours are past? And then, if I don't get an answer, what do I do?
But it's the second time I have an issue with support not answering, not even saying "we've got a problem with this and it'll take us a few more hours to solve it, please be patient"… last time it finally was solved in less than a day ('bout 18 hours). But again, I think that not giving the tinyest hint that someone is dedicating a few cpu cycles to your problem or will do in a foreseeable future is a bad policy.
Their normal turn-around time is 24-hours, but the staff have said before that they've almost never had a ticket open longer than 48-hours.
My guess here, and maybe I'm going out on a limb with this, is that the reason they aren't answering your ticket is due to this status blog post. Again, maybe I'm going out on a limb, but they're saying that if you're ticket isn't being answered then you should cancel it as the issue is resolved.
[quote]My guess here, and maybe I'm going out on a limb with this, is that the reason they aren't answering your ticket is due to this status blog post. Again, maybe I'm going out on a limb, but they're saying that if you're ticket isn't being answered then you should cancel it as the issue is resolved.
Have you tried creating another email address? If that one fails as well, you have a good reason for submitting another ticket and have provided support with some additional information about how the situation hasn't changed or is repeatable.
That is, you usually have 2 servers (3 if you count mysql). The one you log to via ssh or ftp, which acts as your web server and in which your 'user' account is created, and a mail server, in which an account is created for every account in the related web servers. Both mount the same home directory (actually from an external filer) albeit, in different mountpoints.
I discovered this after receiving a bounce for a message I delivered from a gmail account 2 days ago (apparently, after 48 hours, the mail server gave up and bounced), where the message clearly stated "user xxxx doesn't exist (expanded from zzz@yyy.com)". That is, it received the mail for the address zzz@yyy.com that was associated to user xxxx in my server, but the mail server doesn't know the account (probably, some hiccup when the shell account was created made that it didn't make thru the /etc/passwd -or whatever it uses- in the mail server).
Anyway… I created a new ticket (associated to the shell account and NOT to the mail address) stating all this and I'm waiting to see if they can fix it… I only hope I don't have 2 wait another 48 hours.
BTW, I still didn't hear from support, and the last communication from them has indeed turned more than 48 hours (almost 49 by now).
Hmmm. I wonder if it's the classic "support handoff" problem at this point? You know, the classic tradeoff between consistent handling by an assigned individual vs. less laggy multi-shift handling by multiple individuals all tracking a single support thread in the CRM software?
Just a shot in the dark here - have you check in the Panel > support > Support History to see if they did actually reply, but you just didn't get it in your mailbox for some reason?
have you check in the Panel > support > Support History to see if they did actually reply, but you just didn't get it in your mailbox for some reason?
Usually only happens when I've been playing a particular game too much.


text:
The Ruined Person
Until I stumbled across an article about him in the paper, I never realized how much Walter Dodge and I are alike. We have the same job: insurance adjustor. We have the same initials. We have the same build — stocky, about 5'8". We have similar hair coloring — although, come to think of it, his may be dyed. (You can't really tell from the photograph, as rendered in newsprint — all those black and white dots.)
But — wait a minute — that watch looks an awful lot like the one I lost two months ago. I thought I had left in the . . . does that say "Helbros," or . . .
Naaah. I'm being silly. "Walter Dodge, recent transplant from San Diego—" (Wait a minute: how did I miss that?) " . . . wanted for charges relating to the recent disappearance of a Faberge Egg" (yeah yeah yeah, shoot-out with police, nine dead, ten injured, high-speed car-chase down the L.A. Freeway, where's the part about—) " . . .last seen boarding a plane at LAX with forged identity papers (see photo from security camera, below) with a women in a nurse's uniform, wearing the nametag 'HELGA'—"
Wait . . . what???
I rushed back to my boudoir (no no no — IT CAN'T BE!) vaulting over the ottoman in front of the T.V. (Jesus fucking Christ I am SO SCREWED!) and fumbled with the keys (dropped them — GODDAMMIT!), picked them up, and shakily opened the door to find—
Behind the "French Maid" outfit, behind the stiletto heels, behind the—
Yup, sure enough: my "Nurse's" outfit with the nametag "HELGA" was missing!
I collapsed in a heap, dragging my bare feet in a semicircle around me on the carpet. God, if any of my colleagues at the office ever found out I lived this "Double Life" . . .
A thought struck me. I started pulling out drawers, looking through the bras, pairs of panties, halters, g-strings, and chastity belts to find the ones that matched with "HELGA" . . . all gone!
Geez, I thought, not only is this daredevil felon fellow my EXACT height and build . . . his co-conspiring gal-pal must be, too!
I exhaled what felt like a gallon's worth of air though my nose.
This is just getting too fucking weird . . .
CAMP-town-RA-ces sing-THIS-song!!! DOO-dah! DOO-dah! CAMP-tow-
I dropped the friggin' thing on the floor as it continued to "ring." It clicked open as it landed — just my luck — and I heard my boss's voice emitting from it on the floor.
"Roger? Hello? Hello, Roger, hello—"
"Yes, Dan, what is it? I'm here, I'm here," I added, nervously, hopping on one foot to avoid stepping on my boudoir keys and whatever else I had apparently strewn about the floor in my haste, thinking I am so fucked. Shit, I am so fucked . . .
"Did you see the news today?"
Oh boy . . . here it is.
Wait: did he mean the newspaper, or the televisi—
"WELL?"
Either/or, I guess . . . "Yeah, yeah, I caught a glimpse of that—"
"You CAUGHT a GLIMPSE, you say?"
Jesus, jump all over it . . . shit shit my nervousness is showing, better get it together: "Yeah, haha, I guess, um—"
"You GUESS?"
Hmm. This wasn't going at all well. Better let him take the lead.
He paused, and, hearing no more for me (I was waiting to see what he'd offered next), he cleared his throat, gathered his thoughts, and offered me this:
"I've convened an emergency meeting with top management for 9:00 a.m. this morning," he said, as gruffly as I'd ever heard him, "Can I count on you gracing us with your presence to assist in sorting this whole mess out?"
That sort of brutal, faux-polite sarcasm could only mean one thing: you're whole job's hanging by a string, pal! Time to kiss-ass and kowtow in ways you never previously imagined could be necessary or possible!
"Yes yes — of course — I'll . . ."
The line cut out.
The phone was dead.
I looked out the window and immediately saw an 11-year-old girl from the apartment complex directly across the way gaping openly at me in horror.
I looked down.
My penis was hanging fully out the fly in my boxers, and, apparently, had been the whole time I was on the phone.
By the time I caught the next available bus downtown (my car was still in the shop — shit! I should have remembered that!) it had already reached 9:15 — as I had to learn from the display on a Citibank™ we passed soon after we boarded, owing to the fact that my watch was (apparently) long gone and in use by a daredevil felon bank robber.
Or Faberge Egg-robber.
Or whatever-the-fuck he was . . .
I breathed deep again, something I seemed to be re-learning how to do. (I don't think I had inhaled this much oxygen this fully and deeply since childhood.) The pit of my stomach was bottoming out, this lurching sort-of feeling one experiences when one has coasted well over an abyss and has no way of finding one's bearings . . .
I looked out the bus window, less for a sense of respite or escape (consciously) than out of reflex, my attention span necessitating I pay attention to something, mercilessly tracking on whatever was available, however futile.
Everybody seemed happy.
I wished I was anybody else.
All of them were connected to something, while, by my reckoning, some sort of meeting had taken place, futilely, with an emptiness begetting some decision made in my absence. My fate had been decided without my being there — by my not being there.
I felt close to vomiting.
A little boy, I noticed, as I turned my head from the window back into the bus, was staring, and appeared to have been for some time. He looked up at his mother, who was holding on to a strap while he sat near her on a seat, then nudged her, got her attention, and pointed at my shoulder.
My bra strap was showing.
I adjusted it, and pretended to go back to staring out the window, as though I hadn't a care in the world.
By Tuesday, my answering machine was so full of messages — the light was blinking red as insistently as a faced-paced metronome, I thought dully … — that there was no real way to face them all.
By June, I was facing eviction. Everyone in my "professional" life and everyone in my, uh, "extracurricular" life were at odds with what they could offer me — moral support that counter for nil in terms of getting my shit together in the latter case, blank stares and cold-shoulders of the "even if I sympathized, I'm not going down with you!" variety in the former — so the "gaps" just kept widening, with each day, with each tentative phone call, knowing it'd do no good, but finally marshalling yet more of my rapidly-depleting morale to goad myself into another "you have to try! You have to try!" effort, only to find . . .
Life on the street wasn't so bad (at first). After I'd cycled out of the semi-lunacy of trying to carry around absolutely everything of sentimental value over the period of several, repeatedly heart-breaking after heart-breaking-incident's worth of weeks, I managed to pare down my existence to what I could carry on my back, and in a bag, and keep stashed in the no place in the one park it seemed (at least likely) my fellow homeless denizens wouldn't try to rip me off, blind, from when I wasn't looking . . .
The scene with the woman and the purse-snatching was a bad one. I had drunk a bit more Pabst than I planned on, or was usual — I needed something to cope with the way my "days" went, and, as I remembered from reading Ishmael Reed's Reckless Eyeballing, they were called Pabst "Blue Ribbon" 'cause they'd won some awards, or some shit — but, as these "one thing leads to another" happenstances tend to go, her outraged resistance led to me bashing her on the head with the godforsaken thing, and then, she fell down, knocked out cold . . .
Jail was a trip. (My stuff was probably stolen by now — fuck it!) Immediately you become "the arrested," a separate class from everyday folk, and the police hardly bother to insult you. Everyone's your "buddy" in there ("Hey, what're you in here for?"), acting like they're in Goodfellas, which of course, everyone's seen — or, at least, my fellow Caucasians were like that, especially. Overcompensating. (The racial mix in jail was, shall we say, hardly surprising, considering the "state of the world," and all!)
So . . . everyone's treated like shit, and you become shit, and you become (if you're "me," that is) surprised to find yourself doing six (6) months in prison for aggravated assault . . .
First day's the worst. You're simultaneously overwhelmed and simultaneously trying, desperately, despite yourself, to fit in — to figure out how to get by. Everyone has family visiting, but, since I've had a "nest" that's washed their hands of me years ago ("Good riddance to you, too!" I had thought at the time, having outclassed all those dumbfucks put together in my life's accomplishment by age 22, just on the basis of where I went to college), I had no chance of that. No-one to talk to. Books were enticing, in principle, but depressing, in practice, since I couldn't envision any sort of …
Getting gang-banged for the first time wasn't fun. (Apparently, I qualified — early on — as an "early mark.") Most horrifically, one of the guards glanced in at one point and incidentally remarked, "O.K., that's enough, time for 'lights out' soon," as though there were no other principle involved that "relatively" keeping the peace — a request that was dutifully honored, all activity suspended, whilst I, left there, similarly had to pull myself together and prepare for that night's "rest" . . .
"Doing time" I realized, means just that. Enforced as it is, everyone makes sure no-one does nothing but mark the days. Anyone trying to talk to me. couldn't, except through layer after layer of "Are ya hangin' in there?" interfaces — something I learned to lose my ability to despise, once the nights dragged on, and I got intermittently tossed around and turned inside and out, unable to sleep very restfully, but having to drag myself up when the noise — the what? — the noise came — the noise? —— in the morning . . .
Placed outside, with a ticket for a bus and dressed in crappy clothes, I waited for it to come. Birds sang. The sunlight . . . um . . . was, out . . . it was . . .
The woman at the halfway house told me I had thirty (30) days to stay there, or something, and beamed at me. I was so grateful for her smile that I took special care in signing my name on the form she offered me, recalling the pseudo-calligraphy (???) signature style that was always the marvel of my teachers in high school. She beamed at me condescendingly — there was no other mode, considering the circumstances; I was like a pitied dog, or confused little boy in a "special school" — and I realized what I had done. My last piece of music-making ability. Burned out. For nothing. She put the form in a file cabinet, harshly built for aesthetics fitting only the most mercilessly functional, where it disappeared amongst several others, signed by the mad, the drunkards, the violently criminal. I felt my heart sink, finally, away. I loomed hollow in myself.
I marched up the institutionally-indifferent stairs to the flatline-decorated door in the necessarily-non-disturbing room, and laid down, still dressed, on the non-unmade bed.
I tried to cry, but no sobs came.
I finished it! ("Double Entry" didn't seem like a "workable" title, though.)
John Saul's "The Manhattan Hunt Club" and Stacey Levine's "Dra—" helped "shape" and "inform" this story . . . just so you know . . .
I find this one almost-unbearably sad.
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In golfing parlance the Indian economy optically looks like a 3 par – Lots of opportunity, perceptively less challenging than other comparable economies. Factually, it is as hard as a 5 par and requires some very high energy led, sharp and focussed approach to the pin.
There are Infrastructure sectors that have shown considerable uptick. Energy, Roads, Mining, Coal, Railways. They will continue to perform well into 2016 and beyond. Growth shoots are seen in these sectors after a spate of reforms and direction. Financing continues to be challenge in these sectors like many others but strategic players have found innovative methods to address the issue.
Commodity sectors look stressed. Input costs have gone up, excess capacities have been built and overall demand is weak. Steel in particular will take longer to bounce back because the industry is not consolidated. There are many small mills that make steel and glut the market. Non ferrous sector will however turn around quickly. Price consolidation will also help the non ferrous sector.
In 2016, Energy sector will see significant boost in spending. Generation has seen consolidation. There is excess power in India today. The challenges are however in the distribution and transmission. Pricing mechanisms need to be reworked. There will be a lot of efforts in improving grid efficiencies. This will see demand for state of the art technologies and products. This spend will be non-budget and systemic.
Renewables, Particularly solar will see a lot of foreign capital flow into India. Capital will also bring state of the art technology in grid interconnectivity and stability. India is committed to the renewables space and the investments and growth in this sector will continue to move up.
Banking sector will remain muted till such time they do not clean up their NPA's and get fresh capital infusion. Private Banks will outperform the public sector banks due to their large exposure to smaller ticket, recoverable retail credit exposure. RBI has embarked on a mission to clean the balance sheets of large PSB's but the journey will be long and arduous.
India has been a hotbed for technology and innovation (for developing markets). Indian Ecommerce and technology businesses will see a lot of private capital infusions. These Indian companies will also go global and retain the financial interest in them for sustained periods. These sectors will also create a lot more jobs.
In pursuit of better living and reduction of carbon footprint, Enviro space will see a lot of activity and investments. Clean technologies will be at the heart of the growth of this sector. Recycling will also be a major driver. India will attract a lot of foreign investment in these sectors.
Globally, EU and American markets will not look up in 2016, Fed will not alter rates in the foreseeable future, Brazil will have to reinvent its policies and find the finances, Russia has to disentangle itself from the recessionary issues, China will slow down but the economy will not have a hard landing. Given the background, Capital flows into India will improve. Introduction of GST and simplification of land acquisition rules will help it accelerate. If oil prices continue to be subdued in 2016 and China will allow RMB to be dealt with through capital controls (instead of burning its reserves), India will have a largely stable growth (8%) led 2016.
India's Finance minister and the Governor of RBI captured the Indian Economic story in the most appropriate expression last week in Davos – "We are a bright spot but that is relative and lots more can be done and achieved".
Honest confessions do lead to actions and we live in hope!


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Received some wonderful news that I was cast as Ranger Ned in "Ranger Ned's Big Adventure", to be performed in Yosemite National Park, California! I arrive in Yosemite on May 18th and will return to NYC in mid-September. "Ranger Ned's Big Adventure" will be performing 10 shows a week through the whole summer, so please come on by: see the beauty of Yosemite and learn its history at Curry Village Amphitheater!
After returning from the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, it was time to gear up for Improbable Stage Company's reading of "Rough Draft", which was held at Alvin Ailey in early February. Improbable's "Rough Draft" will be performing a 3 week run at The Wild Project in mid-September/early October 2015.
I was also cast in The Traveling Lantern Theater Company's tour of "Peter Pan" and "The Life of Beethoven" in January and will continue to perform until late May. They will be performing in public schools and libraries around NYC, NJ and CT. The roles I'm playing on tour are Captain Hook in "Peter Pan" and Beethoven in "The Life of Beethoven".


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Recent ArticlesSatanism
How Some of the World's Elite Use Black Magic Rituals To Conjure Up Entities For More Power
Alexander LightNovember 4, 2017
"The underlying, primary psychic reality is so inconceivably complex that it can be grasped only at the farthest reach of intuition, and then but very dimly. That is why it needs symbols." – Carl Jung
What is ceremonial magic? The works of multiple scholars, from Plato to Manly P. Hall and further down the line, suggest it is essentially the use of rituals and techniques to invoke and control "spirits" or lifeforms that could be existing within other dimensions or worlds.
For example, according to Hall, "a magician, enveloped in sanctified vestments and carrying a wand inscribed with hieroglyphic figures, could by the power vested in certain words and symbols control the invisible inhabitants of the elements and of the astral world. While the elaborate ceremonial magic of antiquity was not necessarily evil, there arose from its perversion several false schools of sorcery, or black magic." (1)
Yet if we examine the works of Plato, we see he specifically condemns, both in the Laws and in the Republic, the idea that "gods" can be influenced by the performance of certain rituals — called "necromancy" or "magical attack." He believed those who try to control the spirit world should be penalized. (2)
Socrates, about whom Plato wrote much, also spoke of an entity that guided him. It was never given a name, but references to it ranged from daemon to daimon. Socrates believed this entity was a gift, and manifested itself in the form of the voice within, something we all possess.
His communication with this entity was actually used as one of the charges against him when he was put to death. Socrates believed it to be a link between mortal man and God. (3)
Socrates seems to be an exception when it comes to using these concepts for perverse reasons, and, as Hall points out, he provided evidence that "the intellectual and moral status of the magician has much to do with the type of elemental he is capable of invoking. But even the daemon of Socrates deserted the philosopher when the sentence of death was passed." (1)
He was put to death for "corrupting the youth" and spreading "false" information amongst the people, but looking back, he seems to be a figure more like our modern day revolutionaries than a malevolent influence, put to death for exposing the aristocracy's secrets and encouraging people to question the true nature of reality, to question the doctrine that had been provided to the masses by those in power.
There are also native records containing abundant evidence that the civilizations of Central and South America were heavily involved in these types of arts, both black and white magics. This is well documented in the Popuol Vuh.
If such information is true, it's hardly surprising. Human beings have always been subject to the lure of power, driven by their ego, greed, and shortsightedness. It's disconcerting to imagine this power of working with the spirit world in the hands of those who would use it for their own reasons, taken by the power of black magic.
Fast forward to our modern day, and you have stories like that of Dr. Johannes Faust. Through his study of magic, he was able to conjure up an extra-dimensional who served him for many years is several different ways. There is even an excerpt from The Book of Dr. Faust, Wittenberg, 1524 describing his experience. (1)
Napoleon Bonaparte, the French military and political leader, is another example. He used to tell of a "Little Red Man of Destiny," a 'spirit' that appeared at a Royal Palace. Apparently when something important was happening, he would appear. This man, and what others now consider to be silly superstitions and folklore beliefs, genuinely influenced Napoleon and his actions and guided his campaigns. (1)(4)
According to Hall, The Little Red Man of Destiny is an example "of the disastrous results of permitting elemental beings to dictate the course of human procedure." (1)
Phenomena like these appear in various cultures during different time periods all throughout human history, so what makes us think these practices have stopped today?
There is even a modus operandi for the invocation of spirits in various texts, one being The Complete Book of Magic Science that, according to Hall, was first published in the original British Museum. This is also mentioned by other studies of occult philosophy, like Francis Barret in his Magus, where he describes the use of symbols and more things relating to the occult.
Living creatures existing in a world we cannot perceive have been the subject of lore dating back countless years. It's embedded in the stories and passed down orally, and written about in multiple religious texts like the Bible and the Quran. I am not referring to extraterrestrial beings in this case, but rather to beings existing in realms indistinguishable to our senses.
Black vs. White Magic
A distinction is made early in the article about black magic and white magic. Basically, black magic is the process of using entities to accomplish a goal through ceremonial magic.
Hall writes:
"By means of the secret processes of ceremonial magic it is possible to contact these invisible creatures and gain their help in some human undertaking. Good spirits willingly lend their assistance to any worthy enterprise, but evil spirits serve only those who live to pervert and destroy… The most dangerous form of black magic is the scientific perversion of occult power for the gratification of personal desire. (1)
According to scholars of various philosophies, there occurred, long ago, a systematic destruction of all keys to wisdom, so that no one else could have access to the knowledge. Whoever did it completely inverted the rituals of the ancient mysteries while claiming to preserve them, believing what they did was the right thing to do.
Magic also uses symbols and sacred geometry. Black magic, on the other hand, uses inverted symbolism, taking pure symbols with noble meanings and perverting them. Inverted symbolism seems to be the way to invoke spirits for malevolent purposes.
"They mutilated the rituals of the Mysteries while professing to preserve them, so that even though the neophyte passed through the degrees (Free-Masonry) he could not secure the knowledge to which he was entitled.
"Idolatry was introduced by encouraging the worship of the images which in the beginning the wise had erected solely as symbols for study and meditation. False interpretations were given to the emblems and figures of the Mysteries, and elaborate theologies were created to confuse the minds of their devotees. " (1)
It appears there were many black magicians throughout history who strayed from the noble concepts that underly the core of spirituality and working with the spirit world.
White magic, on the other hand, deals with the noble, the morally pure, and cannot be used to accomplish selfish ends. Ego, greed, and personal desire have no place in white magic.
I agree with Socrates that the concepts of white magic exist within all of us and can be used as powerful tools of manifestation, provided one is pure in their heart and intention. It's simple, and cannot be used as a means to an end, or to fulfil a specific personal desire.
Today?
This revelation brought to light something that could still be happening among some of today's One Percent, who completely control almost every single aspect of our lives, from health and finance to politics and education.
I do believe politicians and other public figures are involved in these types of things, for various reasons, but I also believe they rank low in the hierarchy, and that perhaps these ceremonies and rituals at the upper levels go far beyond what anyone can imagine.
I also believe the pure teachings of the ages to be preserved by those with good intentions rather than evil. If you are scoffing at the idea of duality, I also believe that dark and light can exist within one space. So I do see the merits to the duality argument, but I also see the merits to the opposite. They are one and the same.
It was only a couple of months ago when the Wikileaks dump on John Podesta, the head of Clinton's presidential campaign and former White House Chief of Staff for Bill Clinton, revealed that Podesta was invited to a "Spirit Cooking dinner" by artists Marina Abramovic.
Apparently, "the origins of Spirit Cooking can be found in Cake of Light, a sacrament in the religion of Thelema which was founded by Aleister Crowley. The ingredients of the Cake of Light include honey, oil, menstrual blood and sperm.
"The sacrament is meant to symbolize the union between the microcosm, Man, and the macrocosm, the Divine, which is a representation of one of the prime maxims in Hermeticism 'As Above, So Below.' The consumption of the Cake of Light is a fulfillment of the sacred circle of the connection between Man and the Divine. "
Revelations like these, and the ceremonies that have been caught on tape, have people asking questions. If we follow traditions throughout the ages, we see accounts of this type of activity in literature and personal accounts. The global elite have always existed, whether it be the aristocracy in ancient Greece and Rome, the church in the middle ages and beyond, or politics today.
Perhaps these families have indeed continued to preserve their stranglehold over the human race, flooding us with misinformation, controlling our perception of the world, and dictating what type of life we should desire.
We are like robots, encouraged to fit the mould and do the same things. There is a complete control over the human race, and to think that Black Magic could be used to control the masses, as Hall points out, is disturbing.
If history is any indication, this is still going on today. And whenever those who are believed to participate in this type of thing are asked, this and this are usually the result.
Why is it so hard to believe? Perhaps because our understanding of the limits of reality is controlled by the very same people accused of these practises.
"The masses, deprived of their birthright of understanding and groveling in ignorance, eventually became the abject slaves of the spiritual impostors. Superstition universally prevailed and the black magicians completely dominated national affairs, with the result that humanity still suffers from the sophistries of the priestcrafts of Atlantis and Egypt."
Looking into various subjects, from MK Ultra and other forms of mind control, to the information coming from whistleblowers/ insiders, the use of ceremonial magic for perverse reasons by the elite is really not that far-fetched.
Although scary to contemplate, it does happen. Those who we consider our leaders, those in positions of great power, those behind the global corporatocracy we see today and the propaganda we're all subject to, could all be guided by 'spirits' from places we have yet to learn about. And as a result, the massive manipulation of humanity could be guided by these 'demonic' entities.
As Edward Bernays writes, "the conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society.
"Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of."
Ted Gunderson, former FBI special agent and head of their L.A. office, worked to uncover and expose these horrors before he died. He was one of many who did a lot of work in this area that also corroborates with some of the information above.
Who are these people today?
Well, John C. Calhoun, who was the 7th Vice President of the United States, from 1825-1832, was one of dozens upon dozens who tried to tell the world that "a power has risen up in the government greater than the people themselves, consisting of many, and various, and powerful interests, combined into one mass, and held together by the cohesive power of the vast surplus in the banks." (source)
You can see more quotes like the one above here.
So What? And What Can We Do About It?
If these people are really involved in using ceremonial magic and sorcery to influence their decisions and the direction the human race takes, then obviously this needs to be exposed and these people need to be removed.
That being said, just observing what's happened this year in Western politics alone was enough to see how much of a joke this whole system is. We cannot continually look to others to solve our problems; we must solve them ourselves.
Politics seems to be a tool for distraction, and powerful decisions within politics are always made by an individual who clearly does not posses the qualities of leadership. That goes for Trump and Clinton.
The main takeaway from this article should be that our connection to spirit is strong, and there are those that dwell in other worlds that can assist us, but not for our own material desires that stem from human greed, ego, and ignorance.
If your heart is pure and intentions are good, if you would like to use manifestation for the goodwill of the whole, then you need not fear talking to and acknowledging this realm.
By Arjun Walia, Guest author / Sources:
(1) Manly P. Halls, The Secret Teachings of All Ages
(2) The Ancient Concept of Progress and Other Essays on Greek Literature and Belief
(3) citation.allacademic.com
(4) Bradshaw's Journal
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[ January 21, 2022 ] Vatican appeal court confirms former IOR officials liable for mismanagement News Briefs
[ January 21, 2022 ] Cardinal Gregory criticizes activist group's 'antics' at basilica on eve of March for Life News Briefs
Love Saves Lives: Theme of the 2018 March for Life
October 3, 2017 CNA Daily News News Briefs 0 Print
Washington D.C., Oct 3, 2017 / 04:00 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Organizers of the March for Life issued the 2018 theme for the pro-life demonstration on Tuesday, and a challenge to pro-life advocates everywhere: "Love Saves Lives."
"Deep down we're all drawn towards selflessness," said March for Life president Jeannie Mancini of the theme for the 2018 event. "Choosing life, as we all know is not always easy. But it is the loving, empowering, and self-sacrificial option."
The Oct. 3 announcement revealed the theme for the 45th annual March for Life, which will take place Jan. 19, 2018. The pro-life event is one of the largest political protests in the United States, consistently bringing an estimated hundreds of thousands to Washington, D.C. each January.
Mancini explained that the theme highlights the need for loving solutions for women facing difficult pregnancies, and for the unborn also in those situations. Mancini pointed out that many abortion proponents rightly note needs for housing, healthcare, leave, and pay when discussing abortion. However, "you don't solve one problem by creating another," she urged. "We believe that abortion will never be the solution."
Allison Howard Centofante, Director of Alliance Relations at Alliance Defending Freedom, gave a powerful testimony on the power of love – and its ability to save lives.
"I know for a fact that love saves lives. It saved my father's life and therefore, it saved mine," she said. She explained that as an infant, her father was abandoned at a hotel and raised by a Catholic religious order. "I struggled that someone I'm related to could leave a child," she said, of discovering this news when she was eight.
Her father's perspective, however, made her re-evaluate her pain and see it instead as a gift. Howard Centofante explained that her father gave a talk highlighting the gift mothers give when choosing life, and how he thanks his mother for leaving him in a place where he would be found.
"For him, that's enough to forgive her," Howard Centofante said.
She also pointed to the love and work done by many pro-life volunteers throughout the country who help women with unplanned pregnancies and help provide them with the resources to take care of themselves, and the life within them.
Susan Gallucci, Executive Director of the Northwest Center, a pregnancy center in Washington, D.C., also spoke of the resources and love women who are facing crisis pregnancies receive.
"A lot of women were forced to choose between their housing and abortion," Gallucci said, explaining that her maternity home works hard to provide aid, counseling, housing and all kinds of support for women through and after their pregnancies. She told story after story of driving expectant mothers to appointments, or to academic classes, or to help them find housing and jobs while facing all sorts of external pressures.
Her experience with these women highlights the truth that "love does save lives and we're part of family," Gallucci urged. "Being able to live that out is really a blessing."
Mancini closed the event speaking to the challenges facing not only the pro-life movement, but the country. "We're in a moment that desperately needs love," Mancini said. That love, however, requires action and sacrifice, she commented. "What will you sacrifice to build a culture of life?"
Cardinal Parolin: When protecting kids in the digital world, don't forget the peripheries
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Supreme Court hears Boston free speech case involving Christian organization
January 19, 2022 Catholic News Agency 0
Boston City Hall / andrewjsan via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Washington D.C., Jan 19, 2022 / 16:40 pm (CNA).
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday in a case involving the city of Boston's refusal to raise a flag with Christian imagery in … […]
Catholic bishops hail SCOTUS schools decision as blow against 'anti-Catholicism'
CNA Staff, Jun 30, 2020 / 11:00 am (CNA).- Leading U.S. bishops praised the Supreme Court's ruling on Tuesday that religious schools should not be shut out from state benefits solely because of their faith-based status, calling it a "blow&r… […]
Despite director's outcry, pro-abortion film absent from Oscars 2021
April 26, 2021 Catholic News Agency 0
CNA Staff, Apr 26, 2021 / 15:51 pm (CNA).
Despite receiving awards from several film festivals and from Planned Parenthood, absent from the 2021 Academy Awards was the film "Never Rarely Sometimes Always," a fictional picture which follows a 17… […]
Vatican appeal court confirms former IOR officials liable for mismanagement
Cardinal Gregory criticizes activist group's 'antics' at basilica on eve of March for Life
Tony W: At least we can continue to drink liquor at weddings. Thanks, Bob! Your strange and exacting interpretation of our Lord's…
Rick from Oregon: Spot on! Many thanks Father Pokorsky - and Catholic World Report for publishing it. You are in our prayers.
David Doerr: Not only did Christ show forth miracles. His apostles did likewise, following his example. (Acts 2.22,43) Here is a missing…
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meiron on Opinion: The spiritual capital punishment of faithful Catholics
Then: Dinesh D'Souza leaves Catholic Church. Now: He leaves wife.
Carl E. Olson October 16, 2012 0
Dinesh D'Souza has been a busy man these past few years, writing several books, debating leading atheists, and appearing regularly on FOX and other television networks. As World magazine notes, "He broke into the Christian […]


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