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Tag Archives: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Review: The Nutcracker, Dallas Ballet Company
December 6, 2018 Local Dance News, Performance Review, Published, UncategorizedAndrew Veyette, Dallas Ballet Center, Dallas Ballet Company, Dallas Dance, Dallas Dance Events, George Balanchine, Granville Arts Center, Lev Ivanov, Marius Petipa, New York City Ballet, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Randolph McKee, Sterling Hyltin, Terrence Martin, The Nutcracker, TheaterJones.comkddance
Closing this week on Sunday Dec. 9. Next performance on Friday Dec. 7 at 7:30pm
Mice and Men
Dallas Ballet Company shows the value added with male dancers of all ages and abilities in its annual Nutcracker performance at the Granville Arts Center in Garland.
The Dallas Ballet Company's The Nutcracker. Photo: David C. Harris/Time Frames Photography
Garland — In addition to musically enchanting choreography and well-placed comedic moments, what Dallas Ballet Company's The Nutcracker performance—which has performances with a second cast Dec. 7-9—also had an abundance of talented young men playing pivotal roles in every scene of one of the best recreations of The Nutcracker I have seen from a local pre-professional ballet company in quite some time.
A fast-paced show that ended right on two hours, DBC's Nutcracker was a whirlwind of bold colors, delicious looking props, splendid dancing and beautiful storytelling that brought new life to the 300-year-old ballet, which features movement by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov and a score written by Pyotr Ilyich Tch Tchaikovsky. The DBC's performance contained elements from the original story written by E.T.A. Hoffmann as well as moments from George Balanchine's Nutcracker, which is the stage production that audiences are most familiar with.
The story begins at the Silberhaus home where the family entertains its close friends with a grand Christmas Eve celebration. The party includes a visit by Herr Drosselmeyer (local actor Randolph McKee) who sets the action for the rest of the performance when he gifts a nutcracker doll to his goddaughter Clara played by the charming Anna Speer. This makes Clara's brother, the endearingly awkward Julien Pham-Davis as Fritz, unhappy, and he shows his displeasure by breaking her nutcracker doll near the end of the party.
This was the only somber moment in an otherwise jubilant scene that was made possible by the fun and technically fair dance sequences executed by both the young children, Clara's friends and the adults. It was also made possible with some well-timed comedic moments such the side-eye Malcolm Miranda (Butler) gave to party guests, the assistant governess trying hopelessly to catch the coats being tossed her way and the adorable little party girl who tripped Fritz and then smiled gleefully to the audience.
After all the guest, leave Clara falls asleep, and when she awakens she is surrounded by numerous mice shaking their tails and cleaning their whiskers. At this point in the show the dancers began to integrate the set pieces into the action, which is something I have not seen done to this extent in other local Nutcracker productions. For example, mice jumped out of the grandfather clock, and four troublemaking rats ate cheese on the couch while watching the Nutcracker (Ciaran Barlow) and Rat King (Christian Otto) battle it out center stage. Benjamin Barr, Trey Hileman, Ashton Pham-Davis and John Scullion had the audience laughing out loud with their stage antics, which included playing a game of Whac-A-Mole with the little soldiers standing up in a straight line upstage and even added pop culture references with the Floss dance and Pittsburgh Steelers Antonio Brown's touchdown dance.
DBC's Sophia Jackson and Chase Raine as the Snow Queen and King. Photo: David C. Harris/Times Frames Photography
Once the Rat King is defeated, Clara and the Nutcracker Prince are led into the Kingdom of snow where the Snow Queen (Sophia Jackson) and the Snow King (Chase Raine) are waiting for them. It was a rough start for the couple with their first lift, where Raine was supposed to arm press Jackson over his head. The error created a beat of tension for the duo before they completed the phrase with a fishbowl dip. Still, the couple didn't let the mishap affect the rest of their partnering, which included various assisted jete leaps and press up shoulder sits. Raine was mindful of his hand placement when he assisted Jackson through a number of pirouettes and promenade in attitude, while Jackson tended to purse her lips in concertation before any turn, leg extension or lift, but then completed every movement with refinement.
The snow corps was also elegant in their body lines and group formations and attacked the springy pointe work with matching enthusiasm. And while their footwork started out heavy with the opening bourrees, the sound of their pointe shoes lessened as the dance went on.
In the second act of the show, Clara and her Prince are welcomed to the Kingdom of Sweets by a troupe of angels in the form of the youngest company members dressed in floor length gold gowns and bright smiles. As the couple is guided to their candied-covered throne The Sugar Plum Fairy (New York City Ballet's Sterling Hyltin) and her Cavalier (New York City Ballet's Andrew Veyette) make a grand entrance to much applause.
The second half of the show maintained the quick pace of the first half with divertissements that played to the dancers' strengths, including flexibility, stamina, control, musicality and self-expression. Miguel Falcon and Macy Wheeler with Luke Hileman, Carlie Jacobs, Christian Otto and Audrey Ratcliff kicked it off with a sassy, syncopated performance in the Spanish variation filled with skirt swishes, grand battements and musical partnering.
Terrence Martin returned as a guest artist for DBC in the Arabian dance again this year, where he showed off his athetic ability in a couple of back hand springs as Lydia Louder and Isabella Poscente rhythmically moved around him. The Chinese variation, led by Courtney Raine, featured intricate pointe work and matching fan work.
The show had not one but four Russian Babas who were then matched with four young ladies in a very loud and boisterous dance number filled with stomping, clapping and unexpected partnering sequences. The grandest moment came when the boys paired off and then linked arms with each other and then two girls on their outside arms and began to run in a circle until they had enough momentum to lift the girls off the floor.
In DBC's rendition, Mother Ginger (Gloria Ewerz) directed over a dozen gingerbread children through a series of elementary ballet moves as they waved their wooden spoons in the air. The Pastry Chefs in the back waving the oversized gingerbread men on large sticks were also a nice touch.
The Reeds didn't quite keep up with the punctuated nuances in their music, but Lead Reeds Veronica Britt, Kendyll Jacobs and Tatum Jenkins all delivered strong performances. Flower leads Charlotte Kelsey and Christian Otto lacked chemistry, which impacted some of the physical connections in their partnering sequences, but they were much more confidant in their solo sections. At the same time the flower corps were enchanting with their graceful arm placements, accented pointe work and picturesque ending pose.
All this glitz and glam paved the way for guest artists Sterling Hyltin and Andrew Veyette as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier in the grand pas deux. The couple drew attention to the tender love story between the two characters with their purposeful hand and body connections as well as their expressive facials aimed at one another. Both sat in the pocket of the music, which heightened the audience's admiration for the two professional dancers. Hyltin seems made for the Sugar Plum Fairy role with her breathy port de bra arms and risky pointe work. Veyette's performance was a great example of what is expected from male ballet dancers in these classical roles.
In addition to his strength and dexterity in his solos, Veyette also showed the audinece what a strong support system he can be for Hyltin. Sometimes this meant stepping back while Hyltin performed a series of petit allegro jumps or simply walking in a circle while holding her hand. And of course Veyette was there to assist Hyltin when she jumped in the air and to effortlessly lift her over his head to the ooh's and aah's of the audience.
Audiences only get a taste of this type of partnering in most pre- professional Nutcracker performances. But with a large cast that featured more than 20 young boys, teenagers and grown men, DBC's Nutcracker performance gave the audience a unique opportunity to see traditional partnering moves in almost every dance sequence throughout the entire show, which then helped the female dancers to shine brighter.
» The second cast in Dallas Ballet Company's The Nutcracker performs Dec. 7-9 at the Granville Arts Center in Garland.
Avant Chamber Ballet Presents World Premiere at Holiday Performance in Southlake, TX
August 30, 2018 Local Dance News, People and Places, UncategorizedApex Arts League, Avant Chamber Ballet, Cezanne String Quartet, Dallas Dance, Dallas Dance Events, Katie Cooper, Nutcracker: Short and Suite, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Southlake Texas, Vivaldikddance
You can always count on Avant Chamber Ballet to get you into the holiday spirit without sending you into a Christmas coma!
Company Members Eugene Barnes III and Yulia Ilina. Photo: Sharen Bradford/The Dancing Image
Known as a nutcracker rebel, Katie Cooper of Avant Chamber Ballet (ACB) likes to steer clear of traditional Nutcracker productions. Instead she likes to focuses on other seasonal tales to create memorable holiday performances such as A Ballet Christmas Carol, Holiday Celebration and Nutcracker: Short and Suite.
ACB will once again be performing its Nutcracker: Short and Suite in Southlake, TX, on Nov. 15, but this time the company has a special treat for viewers. In addition to its Nutcracker rendition, ACB will also present the world premiere of Cooper's Winter from Vivaldi's "The Seasons." The one-hour family-friendly performance will feature ACB's 16 professionally-trained dancers, Cezanne String Quartet, plus new costumes and choreography. Cooper also points out that this will be the only professional dance production in the mid-cities area this year.
"This performance is a perfect introduction to live classical music and dance," Cooper says in a recent press release. "Vivaldi's 'The Seasons' is one of the most recognized pieces of music, but to see it with choreography and dance takes it to another level for the viewer. Nutcracker: Short and Suite is the second half of the evening with the best parts of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker and all the characters that you love."
The performance is presented by Apex Arts League and ticket information is available at www.apexartsleague.com.
Timeless Tale
May 30, 2014 Local Dance News, People and Places, PublishedCarolyn Judson, Fort Worth, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Lev Ivanov, Lucas Priolo, Marius Petipa, Moscow Imperial Bolshoi Theatre, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake, Texas Ballet Theaterkddance
Carolyn Judson in TBT's Swan Lake. Photo: Steven Visneau
Fort Worth — Many critics would say they have a love/hate relationship with the ballet Swan Lake. Hate because we have seen it re-done and over-done so many times. Love because when executed correctly we can find ourselves at a loss for words. These conflicting views might have something to do with the ballet's own fractured history. The Swan Lake we know today derives from the production choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's composition and premiered in St. Petersburg in 1895.
What many might not know is that Tchaikovsky actually composed the score in the mid-1870s and that the first production of Swan Lake was performed on stage in Moscow under the title The Lake of the Swans. It also may come as a surprise to some that the original version was a product of the Moscow Imperial Bolshoi Theatre before it was revived in St. Petersburg. Petipa and Ivanov also had different ideas when it came the ballet's choreography due to their dissimilar dance backgrounds; Petipa with his Italian and Parisian influences and Ivanov with his Imperial Russian influences. Their contrasting styles helped create one of the most challenging and coveted roles in ballet: Odette/Odile.
Swan Lake tells the story of the beautiful Odette who is turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer and only love can break the spell. The sorcerer plays a trick on the prince so that he falls in love with the imposter black swan thus dooming Odette. Instead of spending an eternity as a swan Odette chooses to kill herself and once the prince realizes what he has done he decides to die with her. Not exactly the happily-ever-after audiences might expect.
It's definitely a risk for Texas Ballet Theater to close its season with such an infamous ballet, but if dress rehearsal on Thursday was any indication audiences are in for a well-balanced performance. The opening party scene in the woods started off a little rocky, but quickly gained momentum. At first, the dancers' pantomiming felt a bit forced and Principal Dancer Lucas Priolo's stage entrance lacked energy. But as the scene progressed the dancers began to lose themselves in the movement and story thanks in part to the live accompaniment provided by the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra—the first time TBT has has live orchestra accompaniment since 2008.
The two female soloists in the party scene displayed beautiful control and amazing fortitude as they seamlessly executed multiple entrechat trois and echappe jumps into a slow arabesque hold. Simon Wexler upped the ante with his mind-blowing jumps and technical dexterity. He attacks all his movement with such vigor that viewers are just waiting for him to fall out of a turn or fumble a landing. He does neither of these things.
Priolo's movement becomes more fluid and texturized when he dances with Carolyn Judson (Odette/Odile) during the lake scene. His quiet charm, stoic lines and breezy partnering skills are only a few of the qualities audiences are going to miss when he retires after this performance season. With her long lines, winged feet and angelic face, Judson is the quintessential swan princess. But don't let her willowy frame and divine adagio work fool you. As soon as the tempo picks up she begins fluttering her arms frantically as she aggressively bourrees across the floor.
The corps of swans also has the difficult task of executing every head tilt, wrist flick and body angle in complete unison and at a quick-moving pace. If one dancer's leg is a little higher than the others the whole illusion of the dance is scattered. This part of the ballet is so well-known because of its uniformity. The corps accomplishes this by breathing together as a group, giving off a tranquil vibe even as they are moving quickly in and out of formations while performing tricky foot work.
The return to live music will be talked about just as much as the dancing. The orchestra had to be cut because of financial difficulties at the start of the recession, but appears to slowly be making a comeback. In the 2014-15 season, TBT will have two productions with the FWSO: The Sleeping Beauty and The Merry Widow.
Texas Ballet Theater's production of Swan Lake runs May 30-June 1, 2014 at the Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth.
This preview was originally posted on TheaterJones.com.


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Ein ganz normales Leben (Originaltitel: Uma Vida Normal, portugiesisch für: Ein normales Leben) ist eine Tragikomödie des portugiesischen Filmregisseurs Joaquim Leitão aus dem Jahr 1994. Die Filmkomödie zeigt mehrere erotische Momente und trägt stellenweise Züge eines nachdenklichen Filmdramas.

Handlung
Der 40-jährige Miguel hat die üblichen Probleme, allerdings in geballter Form: Er lebt in Scheidung und hat eine Geliebte, die ihm viel Ärger macht. Für den geliebten Sohn hat er kaum Zeit, schlägt sich mit beruflichen Problemen in seiner Werbebranche herum und ist chronisch pleite. Dazu trinkt er zu viel und raucht zu viel, mehrere Schachteln am Tag. Er nimmt Tabletten, um einzuschlafen, und Tabletten, um wach zu werden. Bei allem lebt er in ständiger Hektik, um allen Verpflichtungen gerecht zu werden und seine ständigen Ausreden und Lügen zu verdecken. Und langsam macht der Körper das alles nicht mehr ohne Probleme mit.

Nach einem Herzinfarkt beschließt Miguel, sein Leben zu ändern. Er sehnt sich nach einem geregelten Leben, und er glaubt, er könne sich nur jetzt oder nie mehr retten. Mit einem Kraftakt will er anhand eines Drei-Stufen-Plans in sein altes Ehe- und Familienleben zurückkehren, seine Finanzen in Ordnung bringen und seine Gesundheit retten. Beherzt geht er seine Probleme an. Doch er stößt in allen Bereichen auf unüberwindbare Hindernisse verschiedenster Art: Er kann den Frauen nicht widerstehen, sein Vorgesetzter zieht nicht mit, und seine Pläne zur Geldbeschaffung laufen nicht glatt. Er muss schließlich feststellen, dass ein problemfreies Leben kaum erreichbar ist und es so etwas wie ein normales Leben überhaupt nicht gibt, zu sehr durchkreuzen Zufälle und die Unwägbarkeiten des Lebens die eigenen Pläne und hochfliegenden Absichten.

Miguel unterhält sich mit dem Barmann seines Vertrauens über das Leben, das sich gegen ihn verschworen zu haben scheint und ihn an der Umsetzung seines Rettungsplans hindert. Der Zuschauer sieht die Entwicklung der sich überschlagenden Geschehnisse entlang der erzählten Szenen.

Produktion und Rezeption
Die Dreharbeiten begannen am 28. September 1992 und erfolgten in Lissabon und seinem Großraum, auf der Halbinsel von Setúbal und im Alentejo. Der Film wurde von der portugiesischen Filmproduktionsgesellschaft MGN Filmes in Koproduktion mit dem portugiesischen öffentlich-rechtlichen Fernsehsender RTP und der spanischen Produktionsfirma Alsira Garcia Maroto hergestellt, unter finanzieller Beteiligung der portugiesischen Filmförderung IPC (heute ICA) und des SCALE/BABEL Multilinguims Loan des MEDIA-Programms der EU.

Der Film kam am 4. März 1994 in die portugiesischen Kinos.

Beim breiten Publikum konnte der Film kein größeres Interesse wecken, die Filmkritik nahm den Film dagegen positiv auf. Gelobt wurden die sichere Inszenierung und die überzeugenden Schauspielleistungen, insbesondere die von Joaquim de Almeida, von Margarida Marinho und die überraschende Darbietung Anamars.

Uma Vida Normal erschien 2002 als DVD bei MGN Filmes in Zusammenarbeit mit der Zeitung Público, kam aber erst im Januar 2003 in den Handel.

Siehe auch
 Portugiesischer Film

Weblinks

 Eintrag zu Uma Vida Normal bei CinemaPortuguês-Memoriale (portugiesisch)

Einzelnachweise

Filmtitel 1994
Portugiesischer Film
Spanischer Film
Filmkomödie
Filmdrama
Joaquim Leitão

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


SUBJECTS: Job creation; business tax cuts, ministerial code of conduct.
STEVE PRICE: Well, Canberra this week, of course, has been dominated by the Barnaby Joyce issue, but a lot of the other good news for the Coalition has been pushed to one side which is unfortunate because there is a lot of good news. I was reading The Financial Review this morning and they reminded us that Tony Abbott made a promise back in 2013 - during the election campaign of 2013 - that a Coalition government in five years would create a million new jobs. Now, they are very brave, brave, tips to make. I mean if you make a tip like that, the chances of you getting to it normally are pretty slim. Well, guess what? The Coalition since September 2013 they've been in government, have created 271,500 jobs, they're nearly to a million, which should make every Australian happy because the more people in work the stronger the economy and the better the country feels about itself.
On the line is one of the Ministers responsible for these job creations, the Minister for Jobs and Innovation, Senator Michaelia Cash. Evening, thanks for joining us and I know it's late on Thursday but this can be nothing but good news.
MINISTER CASH: Look Steve, when we were elected in September 2013 we said to the Australian people: we will be a job creating government. Jump forward now to February 2018 and under the Coalition government 971,500 jobs have been created. You're right, it is good news for Australians and over the last 12 months, the economy has been creating each and every day in excess of 1100 jobs. That I would say is a pretty good achievement.
STEVE PRICE: I don't want to put the mozz on you but everything if it keeps going in the direction it is, with the eight months you've got 28,500 new jobs to create, is Michaelia Cash going to be the jobs minister when we tick over to the million mark?
MINISTER CASH: Well, I certainly would hope so – and we are heading in that direction, but you are right you never take things for granted in this game and even if we do and when we do tick over to a million can I assure all Australians we don't stop, we just look at ensuring that we continue to put in place the right policies so that businesses can grow and create even more jobs for Australians. When we said we're a job creating government we meant it.
STEVE PRICE: Put the politics just briefly to the side. Are we creating the right jobs in the right parts of Australia in your view?
MINISTER CASH: Yeah, no you asked a really interesting question and the answer is yes. Obviously there are certain parts of Australia where you'd like to see more jobs growth but certainly when you're creating- in the last 12 months in excess of 400,000 jobs but the important thing is this; three quarters of those jobs, in excess of 300,000 were full-time jobs. That is what Australians need, the creation of full-time jobs, because when you create full-time jobs ultimately that's going to flow into wages growth.
STEVE PRICE: You're also the Minister for Innovation. I think one of the areas that the country's got to be careful of is that we don't get- leave behind some people in the creation of these new jobs and we are seeing already, Senator, some gaps in the market where we need more engineers, we need more people with basic trades, bricklayers, we need people who can actually keep the infrastructure boom that we've got going going, so you've got to do this hand in hand with training, right?
MINISTER CASH: Oh look, absolutely. I always say absolutely as a government you need to be out there creating the jobs. We're doing that. But you've also got to then focus at the other end, what are the policies you have in place to ensure that people on welfare can get into work and our policies are very much focused on doing that, but at the same time ensuring that Australians have the skills that are relevant to the jobs that are being created. But you'd be interested to know that just going through the Parliament at the moment is the Skilling Australians Fund and that is our commitment to Australians to put a lot of money into a fund to ensure that we are training up apprentices so that they are capable of carrying out the jobs.
STEVE PRICE: It's not often talked about but we get calls about it a lot on this program that during the Rudd/Gillard/Rudd years, I mean they opened up the gates to Australian universities and universities where they saw the opportunity to sign up students and income came with it were giving people in the university education sometimes when they didn't need it and what we saw go backwards were TAFE colleges – I know they're under the control of the states and institutes of technology. I know Simon Birmingham's working hard on that area, but that's absolutely vital if we want to keep training people.
MINISTER CASH: Oh look, absolutely. And again you can't have a situation, though, like we did under the former Labor government whereby quite literally – what they were doing is they were allowing people to come into Australia and literally train up as hairdressers, they'd end up as taxi drivers and you literally just had a plethora of people who came in here allegedly on a skilled visa but ended up being a taxi driver. That is completely unacceptable. We have very much tightened up this system to ensure that we're getting the right people into Australia and training them for the right jobs but at the same time instituting the Skilling Australians Fund to ensure that we're saying to the people of Australia: we're also going to invest in you. We believe in you. When we say that you have to look to Australians first to ensure that if they're work willing and able, they put their hands up, they can get a job. You've got to tackle it from a number of policy areas and that's what we're doing.
STEVE PRICE: The only criticism may be that yes, we've created all of these jobs but people are working for less income, that the wages growth is not matched the jobs growth. How are you going to encourage employers to share their profitability with their employees? Wages growth has been flat now for two, three years.
MINISTER CASH: Yep, okay. So what you actually need to ensure that you get wages growth is obviously a strong economy. So, certainly with the jobs figures that we now see - and in fact, this month actually marked the longest run of monthly jobs growth ever on record, 16 months of consecutive jobs growth - you need a strong economy, you need the businesses to be creating jobs. In particular, as I said, three-quarters of the jobs created last year were full-time jobs. That ultimately then enables businesses to profit and pass that on to employees.
And certainly I think it was late last year, the Reserve Bank Governor noted that even the Reserve Bank expected that the growth of the Australian labour market, it will continue to be pick up in the coming year – and that's what we're seeing – and stronger conditions in the labour market should see lift in wage growth over time. Unless you have that basic foundation of a strong economy, businesses creating jobs, businesses creating full-time jobs, it won't translate into wage growth. But we've got all the conditions now coming together that should give us the positive wage growth.
STEVE PRICE: One of the conditions that's not coming together is Labor blocking your business tax cuts in the Senate. Bill Shorten continues to say that they are tax cuts for billionaires - which I think's just a cheap and nasty throwaway line. Can you get those tax cuts through the Senate at some stage in the parliamentary year this year?
STEVE PRICE: Labor doesn't seem to get it that you don't actually pay tax unless you're a profitable business, you're making profits.
MINISTER CASH: Exactly. Then they actually think all profit is actually bad. How is profit bad? If a business is not making a profit it will close. And I go back to that basic premise, a business that has to close employs no one. How in God's name is that good for (a) the employer, they're now out of job, but (b) the employee that were being employed? It's just that Bill Shorten stands up and makes all sorts of pronouncements when it comes to jobs but what he forgets to tell the Australian people is that Labor has never really had the capacity to get the basic economic fundamentals right. If you don't get the basic economic fundamentals right you're not going to grow business and you're not going to see jobs growth.
I'll just give your listeners a quick example. Last 12 months under this Government in excess of 300,000 full-time jobs were created. Under the last 12 months of the former Labor government, 17,700 full-time jobs disappeared. The economy went backwards. What I'm now saying to people; is here are the statistics…you make your decision, but the question I'm going to ask you is this: would you trust Bill Shorten with your job? But more than that, would you trust Bill Shorten with your kid's job? And I don't think based on those statistic Australians should.
STEVE PRICE: The figures don't lie, certainly that's the case. I mentioned at the beginning of the interview that the Barnaby Joyce affair has sucked the oxygen away from the Government this week. We spoke about this on our program, Andrew Bolt and I earlier, the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull made a statement in the prime ministerial courtyard this afternoon, he is actually altering the ministerial code of conduct and he said – quote – in 2018 it's not acceptable for a minister of any government in this place to have sexual relationships with a staff member. You accept and agree that that's the right way to go?
MINISTER CASH: Look, ministers are in a privileged position. We're in a position of power and we have a duty of care. We should at all times behave in an appropriate manner. I have one rule here. I'm usually at home in bed as soon as I can be. Unfortunately, that's not usually, Steve, until about midnight. I don't want your listeners to think I'm home at 6pm. You know, that's the rules I apply to myself. It is for others to judge their own conduct. You know, but yeah we're in a privileged position, we are in a position of power, we do have a duty of care and we should behave at all times with respect to our staff.
STEVE PRICE: And you welcome the changes, obviously?
MINISTER CASH: As I said, I have one rule for myself. Others, they need to decide what rules they apply to them. But certainly for me I do understand that ministers are in a privileged position and should behave at all times appropriately.
STEVE PRICE: Michaelia Cash Senator, thank you very much. Have a good weekend. We'll talk to you soon.
MINISTER CASH: Always fabulous to be with you. Have a great night.


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HEFLEY LAW, APC
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Riverside DA files fraud charges
The Riverside County District Attorney's Office announced that it charged three people with orchestrating a misclassification scheme that resulted in underpaying a half-million dollars in premiums to two insurance companies.
Prosecutors allege Joanne Trealoff, 61, misclassified between 15% and 20% of her 200 employees at Eclipse Recreational Vehicles Inc., a manufacturer of travel trailers and toy haulers located in Riverside. They also say that between 2012 and 2016, she failed to report at least 50 injuries. The scheme reportedly resulted in losses of more than $540,000 for Everest National Insurance Co. and Security National Insurance Co.
David Armando Torres, 63, the owner of workers' compensation consulting firm Employer Support Group, is accused of helping misclassify some of the workers and hiding the injuries from carriers. Sylvia Leon, 44, an employee at Employer Support Group, is accused of participating in the scheme as well.
Trealoff pleaded not guilty to 52 felony counts during an initial appearance on Wednesday.
The District Attorney's Office said that while arrest warrants have been issued for Torres and Leon, who each face 51 felony counts, neither have been taken into custody.
Finally employers getting caught!!
Copyright 2018 Hefley Law, APC

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I chased a single cell from Hennessey to Perry OK Saturday. I missed the first tornado from this cell that destroyed a large pig farm, but caught 4 more tornadoes, possibly 5, as it made it's way VERY slowly towards and past Perry. The first torn, between Hennessey and Marshal, was a small wedge white funnel against a dark background. The second, north of Marshal, was after the storm became very HP, and had bad contrast. This was the one KFOR was reporting as a mile wide. The wall cloud base was possibly a mile wide, and very low, so I could see how some might have called it that. Video I shot clearly shows a 1/4 mile wide multi-vortex violent tornado, but had poor contrast for most of the time it was visible. Finally about a few miles NW of Orlando, I caught one tornado dying out to the SW of me, while a new one formed just to my WNW. This was by far the most photogenic funnel of the day, with great contrast, and a long rope out at the end. This was my first catch with the new HD cam, and after looking at the vid, I'm ecstatic I decided to go with HD. You can see the wisps circulating around the funnel as it ropes out. I'll try to get a vid cap when I get the time, though it may be a while. Just south of Perry, there was another tornado reported, but I didn't get a visual on it. I had several great shots of the storm at this point, so it must have been embedded. Oh well. After that the storm began to fall apart, so I headed home. KOCO did buy a segment of the good footage, so gas is paid for this trip!
Brian Barnes of Violent Skies Tours was arrested on May 6 for basically storm chasing. The official violation was obstruction of a highway or other passage way. He was parked at a rest stop, with plenty of room for other vehicles to get by.
I don't know Texas arrest laws in detail, but some things are common in all 50 states. Miranda rights for one, if Brian was asked any questions, I wonder if Brian was read his? Also, Brian should have been told at the time of arrest why he was being arrested; the exact criminal offense. As the wiki article mentions, in the case of a misdemeanor, he should only have been detained long enough for identification and to issue a summons (ticket). If it actually took 5 hours for them to tell you what you were charged with, then this should be an easy false arrest case (imo).
(Whether the officer was) Untrained about the weather or not, unless the passengers of the van are being held against their will (they, in fact, wished to be there, or they would not be on a tour), he can't just arrest Brian because he refuses to move. He could barricade the entrance to the rest area, etc, but unless Brian was breaking the law, he can't force him to move. He could even issue him a citation to be fought in court later for a misdemeanor parking violation if he thinks he's parked wrong, but again, he can't arrest him for just not following his orders. If that were the case, police could use that to arrest anyone, anytime.
I can think of any number of ridiculous scenarios following that logic.
I would like to think I would have done the same thing had I been in Brian's shoes, but sometimes I'm too nice... Although in this situation, after seeing the video, I think I might have just done the same thing.
I wasn't going to chase yesterday, as I wasn't all that excited about the way things were setting up, and didn't think anything was going to go up anyway. As I was heading to my wife's dance studio in OKC to pick up our kids after work, I saw towers going up. A quick look at data and it was an easy decision to go chase.
I headed to Eastbound I-40 to try to intercept the cell that went up by Moore. The timing couldn't have been more perfect, as I intercepted it as it was just north of Tinker AFB. It had a nice lowering with decently rapid rotation and was putting down plenty of hail. During that time, I was also listening to radio rebroadcasts of a local TV met and station chaser who were going nuts about the storm. At one point they mentioned debris on the ground and then went on to assume it was a clear funnel / tornado, and called it a tornado on the ground. I was looking directly at the rotating base (yes it was rotating), but didn't even see a funnel. My guess is it was straight line RFD that managed to blow down a backyard shed, which is what they saw as debris. That's just my informed judgement. I followed the cell up to Chandler and the majority of the time it had lowerings / a wallcloud on it. As it travelled further Northeast, the cloud base got higher and higher, so when I got to Chandler, I broke off as daylight was fading.
Now onto the second part of my post. TV mets are getting worse and worse about going nuts over relatively non-dangerous situations. Don't get me wrong, they provide a great service to warn the public, as they are the most visible venue for storms. I just get irritated when I hear them screaming "Tornado on the ground!!!", when I can plainly see there isn't one, and if there was, it wouldn't do much damage to even a car, much less a house. I just wish they would tone it down a bit and present the facts as they are warranted. If I believed the radio broadcasts, every time we have a severe storm coming through the OKC metro, a strong tornado is always present... bleh. [off my rant box now] Also, some stations are worse about it than others.


text:
Boston College Enlists German Soccer Player to Handle Kickoff Duties
Maximilian Schulze-Geisthovel came from Germany to Boston College to play football. He'll also play try his hand — or foot — at football.
The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder hails from Drensteinfurt, a small town about 80 miles northwest of Düsseldorf. He appeared in 19 games (six starts) as a midfielder for the Eagles last season, scoring seven goals.
Now Schulze-Geisthovel will take his talents to the other football field. Boston College head coach Steve Addazio named him their kickoff specialist for 2017. He could also handle field goal duties if all goes well.
MORE: The Best College Football Team in Each State, Regardless of Division
"Guy is going to really help us on kickoffs," said Addazio. "He's got a strong, live leg. He's working on his field goals. But I know right now he's going to help us on kickoff. He puts it high and deep and pretty consistently. He's as strong a leg as I've seen here. So that's a good thing.
"We'll see how he does on the field goal part. Every once in a while, you get a little something. We don't have a huge walk-on population, nature of the place. A lot of state schools have things like that pop up a little easier. But this is great. Nice little gift there."
It's not clear if Schulze-Geisthovel has ever played competitive American football, or if he even had any experience prior to this year.
The Best College Football Teams by State, Regardless of Division (2017)
Eastern Michigan Drops Spectacular Factory Steel Uniforms


text:
Why pensions are going broke
by CalWatchdog Staff | April 13, 2012 10:56 am
By John Seiler
Why are government pensions going broke? Wayne Lusvardi wrote about recently [1]it in one of our Special Series on municipal bankruptcy, "California counties are more at risk of going belly up."
In one sentence, he wrote, "No one knows what rates of return pension funds will yield in the future"
In a reply, "Truthsquad" referred to that sentence, and commented,
"Exactly — but we can look at the past and lifetime of the pension systems in our state. Historically the returns have been well over 8 percent. Framing the picture to say returns will be as low as they are during an economic downturn is bogus, and thus undermines the 'sky is falling premise of the information provided here."
But look at the following chart.
It shows the performance of the Dow Jones Industrial Average since 1900, but adjusted for inflation. Pension funds generally mirror the stock market.
Look on the right side. The DJIA has shown essentially no growth for about 13 years, since the dot-com bust of 1999-2000. There was "growth" in the mid-2000s, but it was fake growth from the real estate boom — which quickly became the real estate bust.
This dismal record occurred under both Republican President George W. Bush and Democratic President Barack Obama, as well as under Congress when it was controlled, alternately, by Democrats or Republicans. So there's plenty of blame to go around. And today's "gridlock" — the Dems controlling the White House and the U.S. Senate, and Reps controlling the U.S. House — isn't any better, either.
The assumption by "TruthSquad" and other defenders of the existing pension system is that growth will resume, zoom upward, and make up for the recent stagnation. But how can it make up for 13 years of stagnation?
Basically, you would need another Ronald Reagan to come in and cut taxes and regulations. Check out the chart: After he did that in 1981, growth rose sharply and lasted two decades. Bill Clinton, contrary to popular belief, did not revoke Reagan's policies, but continued them. Clinton did increase taxes once; but he also cut taxes twice. So it basically was a wash — that is, a continuation of Reagan's policies.
The Bush "tax cuts" of 2003 were temporary, leading to the ongoing extension crises. That means nobody knows what next year's tax levels will be, thus scrambling business and personal tax and spending calculations. The economy only will grow when taxes are stabilized — with no new taxes; and when the Federal Reserve Board ends its inflationary, low-interest policies.
Moreover, "TruthSquad" doesn't point out that even CalPERS doesn't hold to that 8 percent figure. It recently cut its retrun expectations[3] rate from 7.75 percent to 7.5 percent.
And CalPERS itself pays only 3.8 percent [4]for "terminated pension plans" — those seeking to get out of its system. That's the real amount that ought to be used in its own calculations.
Federal debt rising
Meanwhile, the U.S. government's debt is $16 trillion and rising. And that doesn't even include the debt for federal civilian and military pensions, Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.
Look at this chart from an article on LewRockwell.com[5]:
There's nothing but economic disaster that can come from such a heavy load of debt. The fedeeral government will have to continue its recent policies of inflating the currency, meaning more economic stagnation.
Imposing President Obama's "Buffett tax" won't help. Assuming it works, it would raise at most $160 billion over 10 years, or $16 billion a year, according to the liberal Center for American Progress[7]. But the budget deficit is more than $1 trillion a year. With interest on the $16 trillion debt also compounding, that $16 billion (note the "b) a year is like spitting in the Pacific Ocean.
Another 'lost decade'
"TruthSquad" expects economic growth to pick up substantially because it has in the past. But why should it? Japan already is in its third "lost decade." [8]America has had one "lost decade," 1999 to 2009; and now is well into its second, 2010-2012. American economic polices, as outlined above, are as dismal as ever.
Unless you believe Mitt Romney is the reincarnation of the Gipper (I don't), then there's nothing but more doom and gloom.
The pension funds will cut more deeply into state and local budgets.
If you disagree with me, then there's something simple to do: Work to end the taxpayer guarantee for pension payments to retirees. Currently, state and local taxpayers are on the hook for shortfalls in pension performance.
Well, if these pension funds are expected to rise by an average of 8 percent per year, then there's no problem; there's no need for a taxpayer guarantee.
Memo to "TruthSquad": As we say in America, Put your money where you mouth is.
wrote about recently : http://www.calwatchdog.com/2012/04/11/california-counties-are-more-at-risk-of-going-belly-up/
[Image]: http://www.calwatchdog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Chart-of-the-day-stock-market-inflation-adjusted-April-13-2012.png
cut its retrun expectations: http://blogs.barrons.com/incomeinvesting/2012/03/15/calpers-cuts-return-expectations-to-7-5/
pays only 3.8 percent : http://calpensions.com/2011/08/22/calpers-boosts-cost-of-terminating-pension-plans/
an article on LewRockwell.com: http://lewrockwell.com/berwick/berwick42.1.html
[Image]: http://www.calwatchdog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/US-National-Debt-1900-2020.jpg
according to the liberal Center for American Progress: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2012/04/tax_day_buffett.html
"lost decade." : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Decade_%28Japan%29
Source URL: https://calwatchdog.com/2012/04/13/why-pensions-are-going-broke/


text:
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Rick Perry calls Obama's use of executive privilege 'Nixonian'
The privilege was invoked in connection with the botched gun sting operation known as Fast and Furious.
Alexandra Jaffe,
By Alexandra Jaffe
Texas Governor and former GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry accused President Obama of engaging in a "Nixonian" cover-up in connection with the botched gun sting operation known as Fast and Furious.
The operation has been the focus of a Republican-led investigation, which escalated this week when the House Oversight Committee voted to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress for failing to turn over documents. On Sunday, Perry drew a comparison between President Richard Nixon's cover-up during the Watergate scandal and Obama's use of executive privilege last week to protect the requested documents.
During the Fast and Furious operation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms funneled guns into Mexico in an attempt to track them to drug cartels. Many of the guns ended up being used in violent crimes, however, and at least one U.S. border patrol agent, Brian Terry, was killed by a gun from the program.
"We've had over 300 Mexican nationals killed directly attributable to this Fast and Furious operation where they brought those guns into Mexico, and a former marine and a border patrol agent by the name of Brian Terry lost his life," Perry said on CBS' Face the Nation. "I mean, with Watergate, you had a second-rate burglary. And now you have a president who is using his executive privilege to keep that information from Congress. If that's not Nixonian, then I don't know what it is."
NEXT STORY: Agencies told to trim paperwork


OTTAWA: LAST SEASON: 28-43-11, 67 points. Finished seventh in Atlantic Division and missed playoffs.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Mark Stone. Karlsson is gone, Hoffman is gone and the high-scoring 26-year-old forward is one of the only stars left with the Senators as they go into what owner Eugene Melnyk is unafraid to call a rebuild. Stone had 20 goals and 42 assists last season for a team that finished well out of the playoff race and will have to produce at least that much with less talent around them.
OUTLOOK: Pain. It's going to be a rough season in Ottawa and likely several of them after trading two-time Norris Trophy-winning Karlsson to San Jose for spare parts, prospects and draft picks. The Senators are in for a lot of losing and more trades, including pending free agents like Matt Duchene and maybe even Stone to make way for more teenagers and young players.


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Our grandpeep was a lifelong smoker. The last year of her life, while she was in treatment for smoking-related cancer, she and her two cats (including Cousin Earl) moved in with Aunt O. It was months of their living in a smoke-free home before anyone could snuggle one of those cats and not have them smell like an ashtray.
That odor on a smoker's cat's fur is just like what you smell when a smoker shares an elevator ride with you on their way back from a smoke break. It's something that American Journal of Pediatrics was the first to call third-hand smoke, residual tobacco smoke contamination that remains after the cigarette is extinguished. This residue can be on clothing, hair, furniture, carpeting, or even in your cat's fur. A cat living with a smoker has 14-15 cigarette's worth of toxins in his fur, and of course, the cat never smoked a cigarette himself. It's all third hand smoke.
Have you ever gotten home from a party and smelled cigarette smoke on yourself? You probably tossed your clothing in the laundry and washed your hair. Cats don't have the luxury of doing that. Their fur is their clothing, so they clean themselves the way they always do, grooming with their tongue. This exposes the delicate skin of their mouth and tongue to all of the toxins they are trying to clean off, and of course they ingest it, too. This on top of the secondhand smoke they breathed while the cigarette was burning.
A 2007 Tufts Veterinary School study showed linked oral cancer in cats to living with smokers. Cats living with more than one smoker and cats exposed to environmental tobacco smoke for longer than five years had even higher rates of this cancer. Second hand smoke was also linked to cancer in cats in a 2002 Tufts University study, with cats living with smokers twice as likely to develop malignant lymphoma as cats in nonsmoking households.
How can you Keep your Cat Safe from Toxins in Cigarette Smoke?
The most obvious way to prevent this health impact to your cat is to quit smoking. It's healthier for you and your cat. If you don't think you can quit without help, many employers now offer free smoking cessation programs because it's better for their insurance bottom line, so take advantage of them if you need them.
Not everyone is ready to quit. If you can't, the ASPCA recommends that you "take it outside" to smoke so that a large share of the smoke particles remain outside and don't impact your indoor cat.
Wash your hands after you smoke and before you touch your cat. If you only smoke once or twice a day, consider changing your clothes to prevent transferring toxic residue from your clothing to your cat when you snuggle.
Be mindful that your choices don't just impact your own health, but your cat's health, too, and both of you can have longer, happier lives together!
Environmental Tobacco Smoke and Risk of Malignant Lymphoma in Pet Cats, American Journal of Epidemiology.
Ashton: Hi, My name is Ashton, and I'm a kibble addict.
Pierre and Newton: Hi, Ashton!
Ashton: It has been eight months since I first started to give up The Kibble. It was really, really hard.
Newton: Why was it so hard?
Ashton: Kibble tastes good! And I love how it crunches, too. But I was a little… Rubenesque.
Newton: *whispers* What does Rubenesque mean?
Pierre: *whispers* It means fat.
Ashton: DON'T CALL ME FAT!
Newton: But you aren't fat, Ashton. You used to be fat, but you aren't any more, I mean. Look what a difference eight months on canned food has made. If you weren't my furbling, I would think you were a babe.
Ashton: Thank you, Newton. That's very sweet of you.
Pierre: You know, not only does our canned food diet help us to maintain better weight, it also helps with our hydration. You two are too young to remember all of the cats who came before who all suffered chronic kidney disease: Cyrano, Rhett, Louie, and Talia. One after another after another. Kibble is about 10% moisture, so it keeps us chronically dehydrated, while canned food is more like 78% moisture. Hopefully, we won't all have to go through the same kidney problems that the cats who came before did, too.
Ashton: We don't want to be sick like that. Occasional hairballs are bad enough.
Newton: No, not if it means going to the vet. I don't like that at all, even when it's just to get my armpits manscaped.
Ashton: Well if you weren't such a barbarian and actually groomed yourself properly, that wouldn't be an issue.
Newton: I'm not a barbarian!
Pierre: Settle down, you two. I had one more thing to tell you.
Pierre: I overheard the head peep saying that she eventually hopes to have us on a raw diet because it's species-appropriate.
Newton: Does that mean she's going to bring a bird into the house and turn it loose so we can hunt it like we were in the wild? That would be pawesome!
Ashton: I don't know about that… I might stick with my cans after all.


The story of the Musashi is one of the epics of World War II naval warfare. It was one of a trio of Yamato-class massive battleships built by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the war. It was 263 metres (863 feet, almost three football fields) long. They were the biggest battleships ever - and completely ineffective.
American warplanes sank the Musashi on October 24, 1944. It was sent on a suicide mission (not enough fuel to return to home port) at the height of the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Leyte, of course, was the the largest naval encounter of the war, despite being a one-sided American victory. US and Australian forces both participated. Reportedly, the battleship was so overwhelmed by American torpedo bombers that it vainly fired its nine 45-calibre 46 cm (18.1 in) Type 94 guns mounted in three triple gun turrets to try to disperse them.
Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen announced on 3 March 2015 that he had found the long-sought wreck of the Musashi. Allen discovered it with his M/Y Octopus exploration vessel one kilometre (1.6 miles) deep on the floor of the Sibuyan Sea not far from the Phillipines. No doubt, there are many IJN sailors entombed within its massive hulk.
Allen is a big World War II fan. I have written previously about his determined effort to get one of the few remaining Panzer IVs for his museum after an online auction gone wrong. While that transaction still appears uncertain, there appears to be no question that he has indeed found the Musashi.
"Since my youth, I have been fascinated with World War II history, inspired by my father's service in the US Army," Allen said.
26-inch thick armor from a Japanese Yamato class battleship, pierced by a US Navy 16-inch gun. The armor is on display at the US Navy Museum.
"The Musashi is truly an engineering marvel and, as an engineer at heart, I have a deep appreciation for the technology and effort that went into its construction."


text:
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Introduction contributed by Stanley I. Greenspan, M.D. and Serena Wieder, Ph.D.
100: Interactive Disorders contributed by Serena Wieder, Ph.D., Stanley Greenspan, M.D., Lois Black, Ph.D., Griffin Doyle, Ph.D., Barbara Dunbar, Ph.D., Barbara Kalmanson, Ph.D., Lori Jeanne Peloquin, Ph.D., Ricki Robinson, M.D., MPH., Ruby Salazar, LCSW, Rick Solomon, M.D., Rosemary White, OTR, and Molly Romer Witten, Ph.D.
300: Neurodevelopmental Disorders of Relating and Communicating contributed by Serena Wieder, Ph.D., Lois Black, Ph.D., Griffin Doyle, Ph.D., Barbara Dunbar, Ph.D., Barbara Kalmanson, Ph.D., Lori-Jean Peloquin, Ph.D., Ricki Robinson, M.D., M.P.H., Ruby Salazar, LCSW, Rick Solomon, M.D., Rosemary White, OTR, Molly Romer Witten, Ph.D., and Stanley I. Greenspan, M.D.
400: Language Disorderscontributed by Sherri Cawn, M.A., CCC-SLP; Sima Gerber, Ph.D., CCC; Cindy Harrison, M.S.c., SLP; Diane Lewis, M.A., CCC-SLP; Jane R. Madell, Ph.D., CCC A/SLP; Stuart G. Shanker, D.Phil.; Amy M. Wetherby, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, and Stanley I. Greenspan, M.D.
McCarthy, D.A., Kytja Voeller, M.D., Harry Wachs, O.D., Serena Wieder, Ph.D., and Stanley I. Greenspan M.D.
Appendix III: Guide for Observations During Clinical Evaluation of Regulatory-Sensory Processing Disorders: Version 1.0 contributed by Miller L.J., Lane S.J., Cermak S., Anzalone M., Osten E., and Greenspan S.


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The 25m StratoSphere was used to great effect in Beijing, China, for Michelin's 3 day conference. the LM Productions team worked closely with Michelin's Advertising Agency to help them create a spectacular Full Dome show based on their current branding and advertising. By using the BlackOut Dome, we were able to play the main show footage as well as various corporate films throughout the day.
The exterior was just as impressive, with a large, branded marquee surrounding the StratoSphere which served as various breakout rooms from the main venue.
The outside of the StratoSphere was also branded with large Michelin graphics, completing the look of a unique and modern venue.


Mrs. Welch stated that the mission of the Birmingham Public Library is to provide the highest quality library service to our citizens for lifelong learning, cultural enrichment, and enjoyment.
The invocation was given by Ms. Shirley Nichols. Ms. Nichols has been an employee of BPL since 1981 and currently works in information/circulation at Central. Reverend Johnson presented Ms. Nichols with a certificate of recognition.
Mrs. Allen moved approval of the agenda. Mrs. Blair seconded the motion, which carried unanimously.
Mrs. Blair moved approval of the consent agenda. Mrs. Allen seconded the motion, which carried unanimously.
Mr. Terry Oglesby, from the City Architect's office, gave an update on the Powderly and East Lake Branches. There are delays at East Lake due to soil issues. The East Lake renovations should be completed in January. Powderly experienced problems with the water line running into the building. Valves that control the pressure were frozen. To avoid problems with the new plumbing, those valves had to be replaced. The ADA renovations at Central and Linn Henley buildings are almost finished, with the exception of minor touch up work. Exterior work remains to be completed at the Southside Library.
Mr. Benjamin Petersen, department head in Southern History, continues the tradition of promoting the wonderful collection and services that Southern History offers. Mr. Petersen thanked the board for this recognition. Mr. Rumore asked what the board could do for the library. Mrs. Welch thanked Mr. Peterson for his work in the Southern History Department and noted that he is an outstanding advocate for BPL. Judge Owens presented Mr. Petersen with a certificate of recognition.
Mrs. Welch invited Dylan Pritchett, renowned storyteller, to the board meeting to share the art of storytelling and to provide information on the upcoming African American Storytellers Conference. Mr. Pritchett praised the BPL staff and children he met during his visit. Mrs. Amamoo expressed interest in the conference.
Associate director interviews were held on October 7, 2009. The top three candidates were Angela Fisher Hall, Janine Langston, and Sandra Lee. At the conclusion of the three interviews, Ms. Blalock and the interview committee provided a summation of the qualifications of the candidates and their preferences.
Mrs. Allen moved the approval to hire Angela Fisher Hall as the new associate director at BPL. Mrs. Sims and Mrs. Amamoo seconded the motion, which carried unanimously.
Ms. Blalock requested that the board not mention the outcome of the associate director decision until Ms. Hall is notified. Administration will notify all candidates of the decision.
Mrs. Allen thanked Ms. Blalock and the Personnel Committee for the manner in which the associate director search was conducted.
The Birmingham Library Fund budget is a work in progress.
Mr. Adams moved the approval of the Birmingham Library Fund budget, and requested regular reports from Ms. Blalock to the board regarding grants and programs. Mrs. Blair and Mr. Rumore seconded the motion, which carried unanimously.
Mrs. Welch recommended the Internal Controls policy and the Fiscal Management policy. The Finance Committee approved the recommendation of the policies. Mrs. Welch requested that Ms. Blalock send the recommended policies to the legal department for review. The legal department did not find any problems with the policies.
Mrs. Welch asked whether BPL has reduced the number of credit cards. Danny Dorroh stated that the business office has reduced the number of credit cards.
Mrs. Allen made a motion to approve that the board president be given authority to approve any BPL expenditure for $2500 or more. This motion failed for lack of a second motion. Ms. Blalock requested that the board postpone reintroducing this motion until after the auditor recommends his ideas for changes and improvements in library financial procedures.
Ms. Blalock expressed concern about the professional experience of the auditors. Mrs. Welch stated that she has every confidence in Banks, Finley, and White.
Mrs. Allen stated that library business transactions should be more transparent and that the board does not want to approve checks, just review them.
Mrs. Welch stated that she and Ms. Blalock have scheduled a work session in December to clarify these concerns. This session will be held during the regularly scheduled board meeting in December.
Mr. Rumore moved approval for Ms. Blalock to contact Fred Fullerton for information on swearing-in procedures for board members and the library director. Mr. Adams seconded the motion, which carried unanimously.
Mr. Rumore presented the first reading of the amended Birmingham Public Library by-laws. Mrs. Welch presented the first reading of the Outside Employment and Line and Staff Relations policies. These policies will be voted on at the November meeting.
The Collection Management department is updating the collection management policy and a summation of the revised policy was distributed.
October 18-24 is National Friends of Library Week. Mrs. Sims stated that the Mayor Langford issued the Friends a proclamation on Tuesday, October 20, 2009. On Wednesday, October 21st, the Friends served cake and solicited membership. Ten members joined during the event. Mrs. Sims encouraged all board members to join the Friends.
Ms. Blalock distributed the design and project management proposal from Mr. Charles Williams regarding replacement of the roof and updating the HVAC systems at North Birmingham.
Mr. Rumore moved approval of the proposal. Mrs. Blair seconded the motion, which carried unanimously. Ms. Blalock was authorized to sign the contract with Mr. Williams.
Report from Terry Oglesby, project manager for the Library in the City's Architecture Division (see above).
Hope Cooper created a report on BPL's HVAC needs across the system.
Staff regularly creates such reports for the City Public Works Department with information for their maintenance planning.
The City has begun the bidding process for a new roof at the Titusville Branch, which will be funded by the Alabama Education Fund grant.
The City is in the process of repairing the entry to Smithfield Branch where stone fell from the wall. The new stone is on order and repairs will be done upon arrival. For the present the entry is blocked off. Ms. Blalock has received several calls from the community complaining about this. Ms. Blalock is looking forward to the completion of the repairs.
The process of ordering furnishings for East Lake and Powderly has begun.
The City Council passed an ordinance placing the $144,000 from Councilor Royal in the library's regular budget. Jim Baggett and other staff members partially renovating the service area and the hallway outside of Archives. The Archives staff is also processing records currently located in more hazardous areas of Archives and are transporting them to safe off-site storage.
The annual audit is being conducted by Banks, Finley, and White underway.
Attached is the monthly budget report for September, 2009.
State Aid will be prorated at 7.5%. The exact figure will not be known until the first quarterly check is received. At that time the budget will be updated.
It's that time again. In preparation for the Annual Friends Meeting, featuring Priscilla Cooper, BPL staff is mailing reminders to renew and/or join the Friends of the Birmingham Public Library and to attend the meeting on November 12. The latest Friends newsletter is included in the board packets today.
The Jefferson County Library Cooperative has launched a fund raising program. Signs and fliers have been posted in all BPL locations asking for donations. Donations may also be made at the homepage: www.jclc.org.
Ms. Blalock has been appointed to represent the Public Library Association on two ALA committees: the Chapter Relations Committee and the Advocacy Coordinating Group.
Ms. Blalock has been asked to serve on a renewed Birmingham City Schools Community Education Advisory Committee.
ACIPCO, sponsored by Randolph Fowler, gave $1000 to North Birmingham to fund Spanish language classes in the library for the public. This is the second time ACIPCO has funded Spanish classes at NB.
Greater Birmingham Alanon donated copies of From Survival to Recovery to every library in the system.
The Jefferson County Progressive Democratic Council, Inc. gave $200 to North Birmingham.
October 18-24 is National Friends of Libraries Week. To celebrate, the Friends plan a membership drive which will include a lunchtime celebration and Friends volunteering to solicit memberships from the public. This will be from 11-2 on October 21 at the Central Library in the Atrium.
The annual Friends meeting will be on November 12 at 5:30 in the Arrington Auditorium.
Don't forget to save the date for Staff Day on October 29. This is a half-day event that begins with breakfast and ends at noon. The Friends of the Library are major sponsors for this event. This year's keynote speaker is Warren Graham, an expert in library security. He is a very good speaker. Please bring nonperishable food items and unwrapped toys. We are again participating in the Division of Youth Services annual collection of these items.
Don't forget the "Read-It-Forward" in November. The book for this event is The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank. Partnering with the library in this endeavor are the Birmingham Jewish Federation and the City of Birmingham Parks and Recreation Department.
The fall selection for JCLC's Project Read is Dewey: the Small Town Cat Who Touched the World, by Vicki Myron. More information forthcoming on programs and other events planned for this community reading project.
Celebrate Patron Appreciation Day, November 19, 11-2, at all locations. Board members are urged to save this date and attend the event at your favorite library to meet and greet our patrons.
Mrs. Welch asked Mrs. Blair to serve, in Mrs. Fincher's place, on the Nominations Committee with Mrs. Amamoo and Mr. Rumore.
Mrs. Welch also asked the Policies, Procedures, and By Laws Committee to work on a Board self-evaluation.
A work session is planned for December 10, 2009, in place of the regular board meeting.
Mrs. Welch asked Mrs. Amamoo to plan a library board retreat.
The annual report will be ready in November.
Mrs. Welch asked board members to let her know of any training suggestions that they may need for the work session.
Mrs. Welch asked those who plan to attend the mid-winter conference to notify Jennifer and make plans to attend the ALTAFF Presidential reception.
Mrs. Allen thanked Ms. Blalock for the positive image she conveyed at the City Council meeting. Five Points West is still working on purchasing the reading arbor and completing the park next to the library.
Mrs. Welch commended Reverend Johnson for his work on the Rising Icons. She also thanked administration for placing ASU vs. A&M voting on the BPL website.
Mr. Rumore encouraged the board to attend Brown Bag lunch programs.
Mrs. Sims attended the NAACP Awards program and commented that everyone did a wonderful job.
Judge Owens thanked everyone for keeping her and Berkeley in their thoughts.
Meeting Adjourned at approximately 10:10 a.m. The next scheduled meeting is set for November 19, 2009.


During the weekend of April 30th, the Ultimate Frisbee team attended the Lone Peak Tournament invite. Mountain View won 5 of the 7 games; earning the title of third in their region pool. On Friday, Mountain View beat Lone peak B and Orem's Bestia. The following day, Saturday, the Bruins beat Lone peak C, Lone peak C (again), and Bestia (again). Mountain View brought the energy and fight every game, and they are beginning to look like champions. Though Senior Joe Gillings was injured early on Saturday, the team rallied and fought valiantly. Mountain View will keep fighting hard in their next region tournament next week.
DJ Jorgensen (Jun.) Bids for a successful point against the Lone Peak C team.


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NVIDIA works on Quad-GPU card?
According to officials, Nvidia engineers are already working on a new flagship for GTX 500 line-up which will feature not two but four GPUs!
It looks like even a failed attempt to present GeForce GTX 590 as "The fastest graphics card in the Worls" did not confuse NVIDIA. As some data state, its engineers are already working on a new flagship fo GTX 500 line-up which will feature not two but four GPUs!
Technically speaking this is nothing to be surprised of — as matter of fact, currently you can install two GeForce GTX 590 card inside your PC in SLI mode to obtain a graphics sub-system of quite high performance or maybe even extreme one.
Currently, everything we know about this card is its reference designation — GeForce GTX 1.04. For obvious reasons, designer denied the possibility to place all four GPUs on one PCB. Instead, they will use the same approach seen in GeForce 9800 GX2 (see the pic below) or other similar cards: two PCBs with two GPUs each.
As far as it goes, the novelty will have same GPU as ones in GeForce GTX 590. To make the card less hot and meet TDP limitations, clock rates for GPUs will be decreased to 350-400 MHz (note that GeForce GTX 590 GPUs operate at 607 MHz). Total amount of memory supported will reach 6 GB. In theory, you could have up-to eight monitors connected to such a cards, but, most probably the set of output connectors will be more modest.
The price and launch time are not reveled.
P.S Don't forget — it is April fool's day.
HWLab Team
© 2023 en.hw-lab.com
info@hw-lab.com


text:
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return array (
  'Invites' => 'Inviti',
  'New user by e-mail (comma separated)' => 'Nuovi utenti tramite e-mail (separati da virgola)',
  'User is already member!' => 'L\'utente è già membro!',
  'User not found!' => 'Utente non trovato!',
  '{email} is already registered!' => '{email} è già registrato!',
  '{email} is not valid!' => '{email} non è valida!',
);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Why Do Businesses Hold Social Media Contests?
Let's face it… Most businesses and companies have jumped on the social media bandwagon at this point. If you have social media accounts for your customers and advocates, they have instantaneous access to your content and a constant reminder every time your brand appears on your newsfeed. Not only do the contestants have a constant reminder of your brand, but also each time they post something about your brand all of their followers will see your brand as well. Hence, furthering brand awareness to an increasing number of people and creating engagement with those invested in the competition.
So how do you create a successful competition on social media? Here are suggested steps to do so.
First, you need to pick what kind of contest you want to run with your brand, and on which social media platforms. Will it be on Twitter? Instagram? Facebook? It is important to create a very specific set of rules, which contestants understand. You need these rules so contestants comprehend their objective and so they can best promote and engage in your contest.
Secondly, you need to determine how you will track your contestants. Will you monitor their accounts constantly? Or will you have them create a unique hashtag? While it is important for the contestant to understand which platforms they are using and how, it is equally important for the brand running the contest to know how they will track contestants. Being able to accurately track your constants will ease the process of picking a winter if the contest is not quantified by likes, retweets, or shares.
In order to obtain a competitive pool of talent and number contestants, you need to pick a desired prize. The more desirable your prize is to your audience, the more enticed they will be to enter.
Also, take note of who you want to enter the contest. Know the demographics and psychographics of your customers and followers. Keeping in mind who you are trying to target will help you are when picking your prize.
Push your contest out through your brand's social media accounts. Use everything from Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Google + and any way you can think to get the word out in a social presence. Take advantage of your email list to contact customers. You can even add a banner to your website, and if you have money to spend on the campaign use a paid Twitter ad or Facebook banner. People talk, and the more you are willing to spread it, the more people will hear about it.
I recently entered a social media competition, and here is how I was able to track my impressions and reach through my hashtag I used along with my Twitter posts.
Profiling the winter on your social media pages (Twitter, blogs, and other social networks your brand has).
Send a personalized follow up to the contestants. You want them to know you cared about your entry, and keep them interested in your brand.
Create a video to continue the excitement about the contest and winner. Upload the video to your social networks.
Share your plans for future contests to further generate excitement. Let people know that if they didn't win they will have a chance to do so in the future, and if someone didn't enter they will have another opportunity coming.
Overall, it is important with all of these steps that you inform and engage with your followers and those who entered in your contest. You want to utilize your social network, utilize their social networks and by doing so you can create further brand awareness.
Great article. You brought up a few points that I did not even think of when I performed my first (and last so far) social media contest. Definitely will be able to use this in our next attempt!
Very interesting post! I think social contests are a great way for brands to engage their audiences and create brand awareness. I personally think creating a hashtag is the best way to follow-up on contestants. However, brands must be extra careful when coming up with these hashtags to make sure no other brand is using it or that it doesn't have a different meaning.
Very interesting topic, glad you posted about it! I think social media contests are extremely powerful tools and can be really effective if done well. I totally agree that one of the most important aspects of these campaigns is sending a personalized follow up to contestants to show them you care about/appreciate their entry. As we saw with Jet Blue's Twitter responses, personalized responses really can create much more value than generic automated responses.
One social media contest that really sticks out in my mind as being successful is what Doritos does for their Super Bowl ads. I often think they have some of the best commercials and I only recently learned that those commercials are the result of thousands of video entries posted on YouTube. The fact a company is willing to fill such an expensive advertising spot with a social media contest winner really demonstrates how great content often results from these contests.
Sweet Post!! I echo what @porrom said…. "social contests are a great way for brands to engage their audiences and create brand awareness" instantly when I read this I also thought of the hashtag feature. Hashtagging is a great way to embed all contestants and keep tabs on contestants. The social media bandwagon has gone viral with companies and it makes promoting and advertising a lot easier. Utilizing social media for contests creates a competitive market and sheds huge light on the competition.
Social media contests are definitely a proven way to get your user base engaged and invigorated, if done well. This post is terrific in summarizing the steps one should take in designing and completing a contest. I wonder, however, if you researched any particularly impactful campaigns when writing this. If so, which companies stood out to you the most? Even if brands use the steps, there are definitely characteristics that make their campaign go viral or be more successful than others. Thanks for sharing!
I have always found social media contests very intriguing and was often wondering about the actual participants in the contests, myself. I work for a marketing firm currently and one of the accounts i am on is Dunkin Donuts. They rarely offer contests as any form of promotion, but often their lesser known competitors do have these types of contests. I wonder if this is an indication of how promotion on social media works.
Great post! I think social contests are a great idea for companies to create awareness for customers that wouldn't generally look into the company's products. I am in a marketing class and there are a type of customers that satisfy with any product out there in the market. By creating this type of contests, companies can obtain more customers and are able to create brand loyalty by continuing to do these contests once in a while.
Good luck in your next attempt @tomaskj67!
@porrom yes, businesses should always check to make sure a hashtag isn't being used and if it is, to understand the meaning of the hashtag from prior uses.
I didn't realize that Doritos creates the commercials from YouTube entries! I'll have to check them out. That is a great example @jreed0614.
@brownabz yes hashtags are a great way to track as I mentioned in my post! It's easy to use tools to track impressions and reach through hashtags.
@hannagreenstein While writing this, I had in mind a social media competition that the ACC Digital Network holds. They ask participants to submit an entry and then engage with them on their Twitter handle for a few weeks, and the winner is selected to be a "Guest Reporter" at an ACC Basketball Tournament or Football Championship game. It's a big prize, and they effectively get people to spread their content on Twitter and help them obtain new followers. I believe it is a very effective example of how to use a social media contest to benefit the company.
@rmudge25 That's awesome you work on the Dunkin Donuts account. I'm sure since it is such a widely recognized brand that it doesn't necessarily need the same promotions as its smaller competitors to keep it top of mind. I'm sure the promotions would always help to increase engagement though.
@mottami yes I think that these types of contests help create brand loyalty and also obtain more customers. Getting the brand out there through social media contests and increasing awareness can be very effective.


The aim of this organization is to elevate the academic capacity of today's Radiological technologist, who is working with sophisticated technologies as well as boosting their social and professional esteem .It is also aiming at making the Science of Radiology more transparent for public by providing them with instructions for a successful radiological investigation and also make them more aware about the wrong understanding of radiation. For achieving these goals, we have a multidisciplinary strategy.
We are providing Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for Radiographers in form of seminars, workshops, and lectures. We also train them in using latest technologies, handling of computers and related software.
We undertake studies and surveys in the field of Radiology, radiation protection, radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine which will help the Public and Govt. agencies in establishing a more improved service or any other outcome.
We conduct exbhitions for Public and other Health professionals for making them aware about safe use of Diagnostic Radiation and its after effects.
Co operating with other Organizations with same agenda in achieving the above said goals.
It is also our duty to bring the attention of Public and the Govt. in Diagnostic radiation related issues and topics by using Media and other modes of propaganda.
Achieving these goals, we hope, will lead to a more improved environment in the field of Radiology and related services, both for Public and professionals.
We hereby request your whole hearted support and co operation in all our ventures as a responsible organization in the same field. We are also ready to support you by any means in achieving a more improved and friendly environment in our discipline.


I sat sweating bullets and I knew why. I couldn't just blame the dual heat lamp/non-LED lighting fixtures trained on me. I faced conflict in my heart hearing a chasm between what I knew and what I did.
Part of me couldn't wait for the interview to finish. Part of me thanked God for Matt's questions.
I sat down on today for an interview. A Nashville based studio shot a documentary about Terre Haute last year. They titled it "God In My City." My participation served to give one of many pastor perspectives.
The interviewer, Matt, questioned me on Terre Haute and Hauteans. Having lived in the Wabash Valley five years I felt comfortable giving my thoughts.
I love this town. Terre Haute resists change. We also very skeptically receive new businesses and movements. The tendency remains to doubt whether a new business or movement can survive.
Strong, large families form the foundation of Terre Haute culture. Yet, broken, struggling, and poor people fill many homes. Drugs and alcohol abuse proliferate.
The Wabash Valley possesses a strong economic engine. With the intersection of railroads, highways, and cheap land, factories abound. Yet, good labor remains scarce. People struggle to find jobs.
Matt really dug in on the value of discipleship and the church. Question after question explored the value of outreach into the community. These questions I found both easy and hard to answer.
Experience repeatedly proved several things about outreach to me.
First, everyone loves receiving love; not sales pitches. You think that people really resist outreach ministry. In reality everyone loves receiving love; no one wants to be treated like a project.
Second, the gospel works. When I try to explain the gospel in detail people often get lost and lose interest. Yet, when I simply invite people to read the Gospel out of the Bible they respond dramatically. Tears flow as I watch someone read passages I have always known.
Third, when you reach out to people they will respond. When I call people from my church to say hi they always show up in church on Sunday. When I knock on 10 doors in my neighborhood one person always shows up in church. Outreach ministry done in love works.
Despite all I know that I know about the value of out reach I don't do it enough. Matt interviewed me for 90 minutes on the brokenness of Terre Haute and the church's response.
Yet, the more I spoke the more I regretted how little I do.
Thousands of men and women suffer broken lives in Terre Haute because of sin. I know outreach works. Because of this knowledge I bear responsibility to act.
My interview today humbled me. Currently I do less then I know I can do to reach my community. I pray God's change in me. I plan to make loving my neighbors a bigger part of my life.


text:
And That Happened: Thursday's scores and highlights
By Craig CalcaterraJun 27, 2014, 6:51 AM EDT
Phillies 5, Marlins 3: The Phillies had and blew chances to score in the 10th, 11th and 12th innings. In the 13th, Jimmy Rollins singled and Chase Utley deposited a Chris Hatcher pitch into the right field seats. Also impressive: the Phillies' pen, which combined to pitch seven scoreless innings of three-hit relief in this game. The guys who did it? Goldust, Eddie Guerrero, Diamond Dallas Page, Rey Mysterio, Ric Flair and Jake the Snake Roberts.
Astros 6, Braves 1: The Astros salvage one on the strength of Matt Dominguez and George Springer homers. That's 15 homers in 61 games played for Springer.
Pirates 5, Mets 2: Speaking of awesome rookies, Gregory Polanco homered and drove in four runs. His heroism also prevented me from having to talk about a matchup between Vance Worley and Daisuke Matsuzaka, which may rank near the bottom of the "matchups I'd be excited about if I bought tickets to this game" index.
Angels 6, Twins 4: No one is hotter than the Angels right now. They won their sixth straight as Trout and Pujols combined to go 5 for 8 with four RBI and Jered Weaver allowed one run over seven.
Tigers 6, Rangers 0: Wait, I take that back. The Tigers are hotter than the Angels as they've won seven in a row. Rick Porcello got his first career shutout allowing three hits and striking out six. This time last week the Tigers found themselves behind the Royals. Now they're four and a half games up in first place.
Cubs 5, Nationals 3: Justin Ruggiano went 2 for 4 with a two-run double in the seventh to give the Cubs the final lead of the game. Starlin Castro had two RBI and Anthony Rizzo went 3 for 4 with two doubles.
Editor's Note: Hardball Talk's partner FanDuel is hosting a one-day $40,000 Fantasy Baseball league for Friday night's MLB games. It's $25 to join and first prize is $6,000. Starts at 7:05pm ET on Friday. Here's the FanDuel link.
Blue Jays 7, White Sox 0: Adam Lind had three hits and three RBI and J.A. Happ had his best start of the season, tossing seven and two-thirds shutout innings.
Brewers 7, Rockies 4: Not a bad second base combo they got in Milwaukee. Scooter Gennett has been on fire lately, but he sat in place of Rickie Weeks against a lefty. All Weeks did was hit a home run on the first pitch he saw and added a single and a double. Oh, and Gennett pinch hit in the eighth and hit a two-run homer.
Dodgers 1, Cardinals 0: Adam Wainwright and Josh Beckett matched zeroes for seven and a half innings, but the Dodgers managed to string together three singles in the eighth for the game's only run. note: a game started by Josh Beckett lasted only two hours and thirty-two minutes.
Reds 3, Giants 1: Mike Leake struck out 12 batters over eight one-run innings. Brandon Phillips had three hits, including a home run and double, and scored twice. The Giants lead over the Dodgers in the West has shrunk to two games.
Tags: Adam Lind, Adam Wainwright, Anthony Rizzo, Brandon Phillips, Chase Utley, Chicago Cubs, Chris Hatcher, Cincinnati Reds, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Detroit Tigers, George Springer, Houston Astros, J.A. Happ, Jered Weaver, Jimmy Rollins, Josh Beckett, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins, Mike Leake, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Rick Porcello, Rickie Weeks, Scooter Gennett, St. Louis Cardinals, Starlin Castro, Toronto Blue Jays


As with the guys, we to can benefit from a good pre-workout formula, to help us push through the boundaries and get more and more from our workouts..
But what product should I choose?
Out of the literally hundreds of products out there one stands head and shoulders above the rest… not just for its eye catching, some would say gimmicky packaging, but more for its well thought out scientifically developed formula….
This product is called 4 Gauge…..
Most pre-workouts rely on large doses of stimulants to trigger an instant ( albeit short lived) energy boost…. the trouble is that this effect usually ends in a sudden and unwelcome 'crash' as the effects wear off….
4 Gauge does indeed contain some stimulants, but far less than most other products…. what the manufacturers have done is blended caffeine with other essential vitamins and minerals to provide a long lasting energy boost WITHOUT causing the side effects so often associated with these sorts of supplements..
Another reported benefit is that 4 gauge sharpens focus, allowing users to complete their workouts without any of the usual distractions commonplace in most gyms.
The official website ( 4gauge.com) is the best place to buy, the makers ship worldwide from distribution centres based in the UK and US..
With all too many over hyped, stimulant rich products out there, it's refreshing to find a pre-workout that is female friendly, is super effective and doesn't cause any side effects ….
In our opinion – the best out there…..


A couple years ago, I wrote about following your dreams. Lots of us dream about all kinds of things: travel, meeting someone special, meeting a famous writer or… I guess an actor or something. Writers are cooler.
Anyway. I thought I would revisit that post and revise it to include some of what I've learned since I first wrote the post.
I do this because, honestly, it's at times hard to know what to tell my kids about following their dreams. I have spent years off and on following my dreams. I lost all of our money years ago pursuing a dream of being a financially stable business owner. I spent a few years working full time as a freelance writer and trying to make writing be the focus of my work life– and what supports the family. Despite small successes here and there, I failed at the ultimate dream of living off and providing well from my writing. This is an important place to stop and think about this concept!
Back then, it was so disheartening to feel like I was on the right path, again, doing what I loved, again, and then ultimately failing. Again.
So after grieving the defeat of another dream, I went back to work. And really put my head down after making a serious plan with Annemarie. We pushed at that plan and it came to fruition ten months later with me landing my first real job with actual benefits that wasn't teaching in a classroom (which I love, but will never pay me properly). Things got better as we stayed focused and worked with real purpose. Daily effort towards our goal lifted us- and it was awesome.
And we got our foster daughter with all of the miracles associated, so it's interesting to see how new dreams crop up as we say "yes" to unexpected and maybe even unsought for opportunities. I would never change a thing about this Washington adventure.
So as always, I've been thinking about dreams and work, probably because I feel like I'm almost always doing it. And for creative folks (which is pretty much everyone), we have very similar dreams. I list some of mine and the comments I have on them now that I know a little better. Yours are probably similar.
Publishing a book will be the culmination of my writerly hopes and dreams!
It's not. It's the beginning. Actually, it's not even the beginning. The beginning was when I chose the career dream of being a well-paid full-time writer. Publishing my first book was wonderful and a dream come true but it's a milestone more than anything else. And like all milestones, it's green and metal and you pass it pretty fast.
The passing it pretty fast thing is high truth. It goes and you realize.. wait, I have more work to do.
2. Everybody I know is fully invested in my dreams!
Not true. Many people I know are somewhat invested in my dreams because they're wonderful people who just never seem to run out of space in their beautiful hearts. And if they can spare a 'Like' on Facebook, that's really actually great of them. If they comment, that's very sweet. If they buy one of my books- that's near saintly. And reviewing? That's worthy of deification.
This isn't to say you're on your own. You have love and support and people who won't give up on you.
But you are on your own. You want this? You want to reach your dream? You're on your own. (Unless you get ridiculously lucky- and frankly that luck might just ruin you as a person.) Your fingers type those words. Your feet run those miles. Your hands build that business plan. So draw on your support when you can, but remember- you want this thing. It's entirely up to you.
So it's back to work.
3. I'll be satisfied if I can just get a book published!
Nope. Not a chance. You'll be so giddy you jump out of your skin. It will hit you multiple times and it will feel surreal and it will be immensely gratifying. You should pause and soak in the beautiful validating experience. Own it, recognize it.
Then accept that the feeling passes. You're not satisfied and you shouldn't be. You see those bestsellers? Those people who work their butts off to write stuff that is sometimes better than yours and sometimes not as good?
You want to be that. You want to do that.
What I'm saying is that dreams are a spark in life. They're not something to be ignored or shuffled aside for practicality's sake. We should follow our dreams. I think we must, that by doing so we stay young and maintain the ability to see and feel wonder and awe and pure excitement. And I will firmly state that Father in Heaven approves of our dreams. He probably doesn't like my vanity, but He surely wants me to feel fully engaged in my life and to do things that I'm passionate about.
But the saying that if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life is popular garbage. Realizing dreams is non-stop work. It's daily homework. It's exhausting and it requires regular priority examination and re-adjustment.
It is work, it is work, it is work. It's delicious exhaustion. It's a passionate daily grind. It's a boring daily grind sometimes too.
I will tell you that choosing the work that I do with my life, the place I put my best energy, is the greatest feeling ever. I look forward to the day that it is my only career. But until then, I'm going to keep working daily. I'll take appropriate breaks and I'll enjoy the ride, to be sure.
So I tell my kids that dreams can become reality. Those dreams becoming reality looks a lot like work.
Now, what are your thoughts on that vs up there? Small successes vs ultimate dream. Do we too often not see the beautiful trees because we just want a forest, dadgummit?