text:
Tag Archives: Benjamin Pollock's Toyshop
From Stage to Page
Posted on May 26, 2019 by Clive Hicks-Jenkins
This short film was made as the Introduction to the Design for Today book launch of Simon Armitage's Hansel & Gretel: a Nightmare in Eight Scenes at the splendid Artworkers' Guild in Bloomsbury on the evening of May 22nd, 2019. The film illustrates the journey of the project from stage production to published edition of the poem that was its libretto.
Live music for the launch event was provided by the splendid Alex Barrow on the accordion. There was a pop-up exhibition assembled by Joe and me of the mid-century Russian illustrated books, tinplate clockwork birds, model theatres and folk-art-inspired toys that had influenced the illustrations and design of the book. The highlight of the evening was Simon Armitage's reading of his entire poem, proving yet again that he's a mesmerising presence when presenting his work. It was a ticketed event that quickly sold out, and was a resounding success.
Above: the Russian clockwork 'singing' bird from the stage production, meets her illustrated counterpart in the finished book.
Below: the transition from stage to page.
Hansel & Gretel: a Nightmare in Eight Scenes by Simon Armitage is published by Design for Today, and copies may be purchased
My regular collaborator, Pete Telfer, worked with me on all the film and animation footage seen in last year's stage production of Hansel & Gretel: a Nightmare in Eight Scenes. The clips in the short film to promote the book are courtesy of his Culture Colony archive, and he was cameraman on the new animation that makes up the last third of the film.
I couldn't have made the stage production of Hansel & Gretel without Pete. He's the facilitator who gives me the freedom to experiment with film and animation, while keeping a gentle eye on things to stop me from making a complete and utter hash of the job.
My thanks to Simon Armitage, who wrote the words that became the libretto to the stage production. Thereafter he suggested we make a dedicated illustrated edition of the poem, and then gave me the freedom to figure out the best way to do it.
Working closely with Simon, first at Faber and then at Design for Today, on two texts so close to my heart, has been the most wonderful experience. I wish I could find better words to express what it's meant to me, but I hope he knows.
Joe Pearson at Design for Today unhesitatingly agreed to work with Simon and me. His deep knowledge of twentieth century book design and his enthusiasm and passion for the project, saw it through the many stages to the perfect conclusion. He was unstoppable, even in the face of the 2018 New Year's Eve fire that consumed the Design for Today warehouse and destroyed his entire stock of books. The man is a giant!
My thanks to Laurence Beck, our brilliant designer. Between Joe and Laurence, nothing was overlooked. I have never seen any book go through so many stages to bring it to perfection. No tweak or adjustment I requested was too much trouble. They were inspiring. Meticulous. Tireless.
Print-maker and toy theatre seller, Benjamin Pollock has been an inspiration throughout my life, and my work over the past few years with Louise Heard at Benjamin Pollock's Toyshop underlies much of what appeared in both the stage production and the book. My thanks to Louise and her team for their unflagging enthusiasm and support for what I make. Louise kindly gave permission for an image of the Hansel & Gretel Toy Theatre I'd designed for Benjamin Pollock's Toyshop, to be used in the stage production, and further permission to adapt the Pollock's H & G Toy Theatre for the 'Intermission' page in the book.
Before Hansel & Gretel Dan Bugg and I had a three year collaboration making the fourteen-print Penfold Press Sir Gawain and the Green Knight series that was used in the 2018 Faber & Faber illustrated edition of Simon Armitage's translation of the poem. It was a given we wanted to work together again in some way on Hansel & Gretel, so Joe Pearson commissioned Dan to produce the two 'Lebkuchen' prints that accompany the 'special edition' of the book. Dan and I also produced the Penfold Press 'Gingerbread House' enamel-pin that celebrates the book's publication.
Special thanks to my trusty band of collaborators on last year's stage production. Puppet-maker Jan Zalud far exceeded my hopes for what Hansel and Gretel might be, and Oonagh Creighton-Griffiths gave the children the tenderest backstories encoded into her beautifully detailed costumes for them.
Peter Lloyd created magnificently detailed shadow-puppets that were a joy to animate.
Phil Cooper was associate designer and my second-in-command in terms of the way the production looked.
I completely trust his eyes and his artistry. He danced effortlessly between his many tasks, creating the 'building-block' models seen onstage, painting the filmed backdrops (see above), and designing and 'baking' the mad, wonky, witchy 'Lebkuchen' biscuits that we later animated in a 'tribute' to Hollywood choreographer, Busby Berkeley!
It was Phil's bone-white 'Witch House', with its incinerator-like chimney, that visually defined the 'toy building-blocks' aesthetic I wanted for the stage production, and thereafter his Lebkuchen 'Gingerbread' version that I carried forward into my illustrations for the book.
Below: production designer Phil Cooper, puppet costume supervisor Oonagh Creighton-Griffiths, and lead puppeteer for the audition day, Diane Ford.
As if all that weren't enough, Phil also assisted me with the animation sequences.
I am indebted to artist/embroideress Chloe Redfern, who later took Phil's 'Lebkuchen' House, and re-booted it into something beautiful and transformative for the conclusion of the book.
Above, Chloe's embroidered Lebkuchen Witch House, and below, my translation of it to an illustration.
I'm particularly indebted to Jonathan Street of the Moth Factory, Bristol, who kept me grounded and focussed during an insanely difficult three-day marathon of film editing. His thoughtful work on Pete Telfer's gloriously atmospheric 'Psycho Witch Doll's House' footage, was a triumph. Jon was vision-mixer for the tour, and was cameraman of the live footage streamed to a projection screen above the performers.
My warmest thanks to puppeteers Diana Ford and Lizzie Wort. They were not only massively contributive creative geniuses on the production, following me fearlessly into sometimes choppy waters, but they are also damned fine people to be around. The three of us work hard but laugh a lot! In the photographs below you see them at the Cheltenham Music Festival for the May 2018 premiere of Hansel & Gretel: a Nightmare in Eight Scenes, and then at the May 2019 London launch of the Design for Today illustrated edition of the book. They topped and tailed the stage-production-to-book journey, and I couldn't have had better company on the adventure
Jan, Oonagh, Peter, Phil, Jonathan, Diana, Lizzie and later Chloe, whether they knew it or not, helped light the path for me from stage production to book. Their visual creativity was always present while I worked alone in my studio conjuring images out of Simon's words. I'm the book's named illustrator, but their influences are scattered like fireflies throughout its pages.
My love and gratitude in equal measure to my manager in all theatre matters, Susan James. We've known each other since we were teenagers, and I count myself fortunate to have had her wisdom and patience to guide and steady me. Hers are the eyes in the back of my head. She's fearless, riding shotgun and being wing-man, seeing the bigger picture and the smallest details, talking me down whenever the frustrations of getting a production to the finishing-line catapult me into stratospheres of frustration. I doff my cap and bend my knee to her. She is 'The Guv'nor'!
And finally, my love and thanks to Peter Wakelin, for his unstinting support throughout the long and occasionally rocky Hansel & Gretel journey, and to my friends James and Sarah Joseph. (They know why.)
Posted in Collaborations with Artists, Collaborations with Poets, Drawing	| Tagged Alex Barrow, Artworkers' Guild, Benjamin Pollock's Toyshop, Chloe Redfern, Dan Bugg and Penfold Press, Design for Today, Diana Ford, Hansel & Gretel, Jan Zalud, Joe Pearson, Jonathan Street, Laurence Beck, Lizzie Wort, Louise Heard, Pete Telfer, Philip Cooper, Simon Armitage, Susan James	| 14 Replies
The Serpent's Bite: a natural history of the witch. Part 2
Posted on September 17, 2018 by Clive Hicks-Jenkins
The picturebook of Hansel & Gretel was only partway finished when Louise Heard of Benjamin Pollock's Toyshop and I began to have discussions about the adaptation of it into a toy theatre kit. However, when Louise saw the full extent of the graphic horrors on display in my illustrations for the fairytale, she thought them too dark for the Pollock's style, and so I went off to try and figure how to adapt the imagery for her. There were no doubts that my original witch with her wormy nasal cavity, would have to to be toned down!
As a preparation to the job ahead, I invented a 'back-story' for the toy theatre design. In the picturebook the children, having survived their run-in with the carnivorous and predatory witch, return home to discover that in their absence their father has murdered their mother with an axe! (The book ends with the grisly truth revealed in an image of the ghost of the mother turning up with the father's axe still embedded in her spine!)
The prequel to the toy theatre design is that the children have run off to the big city to fall in with a disreputable troupe of actors. Persuaded by an unscrupulous producer to sign over to him the stage, film and publishing rights to their story, Hansel and Gretel end up in 'Victorian' costumes playing themselves in a pantomime version of their adventures sweetened and given a good dusting of showbiz glitter! Their feckless father and cruel mother are reshaped by the script as being poor though caring, while the role of the witch is given to a 'character' actor better known for playing demon kings and therefore well experienced in eliciting boos and hisses from the crowd!
The re-shaping of the picturebook witch for the the cut-out-and-assemble toy theatre, was really just a matter of simplification, dressing her in red for maximum impact and giving her a striped cat. However the pointed artificial nose of her picturebook predecessor remained, though as a part of the actor's 'make-up' rather than the prosthetic that disguised something unspeakable beneath! The Pollock's witch neither flies nor grows fangs, but she rants and raves and stomps about to great effect, and just as in the original Grimm Brothers' version of the story, imprisons the children and prepares to cook them, though of course it's her who ends up in the oven!
The Benjamin Pollock's Hansel & Gretel Toy Theatre Kit, may be purchased
There is also a delightful Benjamin Pollock's Toyshop pop-up Hansel & Gretel card available, based on the toy theatre design and available
By kind permission of Benjamin Pollock's Toyshop, The Hansel & Gretel Toy Theatre makes a brief guest appearance in the current music/theatre touring production of Hansel & Gretel, with words by Simon Armitage and music by Matthew Kaner played by the Goldfield Ensemble. I supervised the designs, working closely with Phil Cooper (models and scenic painting), Peter Lloyd (shadow puppets) and Jan Zalud (puppet maker), and I directed the production.
Posted in Hansel & Gretel	| Tagged Benjamin Pollock's Toyshop, Goldfield Productions, Hansel & Gretel, Jan Zalud, Juvenile Drama, Matthew Kaner, Peter Lloyd, Phil Cooper, Pollock's Toy Theatres, Simon Armitage	| 6 Replies
2011 Retrospective Annunciations Beastly Passions Ceramics Collaborations with Artists Collaborations with Poets Drawing Equus Exquisite Corpse Friends Hansel & Gretel Hervé and the Wolf Kevin and the Blackbird Looking at Art Looking at Books Making Books Maquettes and Constructions Mari Lwyd Once Upon a Time... Prints Saint Francis Diary Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Skin/Skóra Still-Life Tobias and Raphael Diary Toy Theatres and Puppets Ty Isaf
Hedgecrows: Postcards from the Hedge
Liz King Sangster
Lynne's Artblog
The Morning Porch
archive Select Month July 2019 (2) June 2019 (3) May 2019 (3) April 2019 (2) March 2019 (3) February 2019 (2) January 2019 (2) November 2018 (2) October 2018 (3) September 2018 (4) August 2018 (3) July 2018 (7) June 2018 (1) May 2018 (3) April 2018 (3) March 2018 (6) February 2018 (4) January 2018 (5) December 2017 (1) November 2017 (4) October 2017 (3) September 2017 (5) August 2017 (3) July 2017 (4) June 2017 (5) May 2017 (4) April 2017 (3) March 2017 (2) February 2017 (3) January 2017 (3) December 2016 (3) November 2016 (5) October 2016 (7) September 2016 (4) August 2016 (7) July 2016 (7) June 2016 (6) May 2016 (8) April 2016 (7) March 2016 (7) February 2016 (13) January 2016 (9) December 2015 (8) November 2015 (4) October 2015 (12) September 2015 (13) August 2015 (11) July 2015 (8) June 2015 (7) May 2015 (7) April 2015 (9) March 2015 (16) February 2015 (14) January 2015 (10) December 2014 (10) November 2014 (16) October 2014 (16) September 2014 (19) August 2014 (22) July 2014 (21) June 2014 (25) May 2014 (21) April 2014 (44) March 2014 (30) February 2014 (40) January 2014 (30) December 2013 (25) November 2013 (15) October 2013 (26) September 2013 (20) August 2013 (31) July 2013 (24) June 2013 (28) May 2013 (37) April 2013 (39) March 2013 (23) February 2013 (26) January 2013 (16) December 2012 (25) November 2012 (29) October 2012 (27) September 2012 (19) August 2012 (13) July 2012 (24) June 2012 (34) May 2012 (30) April 2012 (24) March 2012 (23) February 2012 (21) January 2012 (22) December 2011 (15) November 2011 (22) October 2011 (30) September 2011 (29) August 2011 (23) July 2011 (19) June 2011 (21) May 2011 (16) April 2011 (9) March 2011 (13) February 2011 (10) January 2011 (25) December 2010 (22) November 2010 (20) October 2010 (20) September 2010 (21) August 2010 (15) July 2010 (20) June 2010 (16) May 2010 (22) April 2010 (18) March 2010 (22) February 2010 (26) January 2010 (25) December 2009 (20) November 2009 (14)
Reinventing Gawain at the National Library of Wales
Seeking Beastliness and Defining Beauty
Jan Zalud
The Book of the Red King
Remembering Linda
The Things That Made Me: Part 4
Publication Day, May 24th!
Making the Myths Map
The Kraken Surfaces…


text:
HomePoliticsElizabeth Warren Announces 2020 Presidential Bid with Economic Appeal
Elizabeth Warren Announces 2020 Presidential Bid with Economic Appeal
February 11, 2019 Focus Washington Politics
Senator Elizabeth Warren said on Saturday she will run for president, adding a fierce advocate of economic populism to an already crowded field of Democrats vying for the presidency in 2020, Reuters reports.
Warren, a Harvard Law School professor-turned-politician, may be the most well-known figure to enter the presidential race. Since being elected to the Senate in 2012, Warren has stood at the most progressive end of the Democratic party, advocating higher taxes on the wealthy and consumer protections.
Her platform includes a tax on the richest 75,000 Americans.
"This is the fight of our lives. The fight to build an America where dreams are possible, an America that works for everyone," Warren said. "And that is why I stand here today: to declare that I am a candidate for president of the United States of America."
"Hardworking people are up against a small group of people that holds far too much power, not just in our economy but also in our democracy," Warren said at a rally announcing her presidential bid in Lawrence, Massachusetts. "We are here to say enough is enough."
She called President Donald Trump a "product of a rigged system that props up the rich and powerful and kicks dirt on everyone else."
The 69-year-old Massachusetts native has already become the main target of Trump, who has dubbed her "Pocahontas" for previously identifying herself as a Native American, a controversy that has plagued the run-up to her candidacy.
Trump invoked the controversy when he ridiculed Warren on Saturday, tweeting: "Will she run as our first Native American presidential candidate, or has she decided that after 32 years, this is not playing so well anymore?"
"See you on the campaign TRAIL, Liz!" he added.
The storm over Warren's ancestry claims deepened when she sought to neutralize the attacks by releasing a DNA analysis in October, which said that she likely has a Native American ancestor "6-10 generations ago."
The Cherokee Nation blasted Warren for the test, which they said was a false claim to tribal membership, leading the senator to apologize.
Trump, Kim to Discuss North Korean Missile Complex, U.S. Rewards
Mulvaney Indicates Another Shutdown Is Likely

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Shanan Hydro-Electric Project – Barot Valley
On January 20, 2020 February 27, 2020 By Neeraj.DIn Dam's in Himachal, Himachal Pradesh, mandi, Travel
Shanan Hydro-Electric Project was created in the backdrop of dense deodar forests with a four-stage haulage rail network starting from
Jogindernagar up to Barot, a cup-shaped village on the bank of river Uhl. Barot Dam was made by British leaders as part of a tiny hydroelectricity project called the Shanan Hydel Project. It becomes the first hydroelectric power plant in India. The vision of the hydel project system was to build five power plant utilizing the same water that is drawn from the Uhl River. Shanan Power House of Jogindernagar is the oldest Hydro-electric powerhouse of India and one of the oldest powerhouses of the world.
The Shanan Power Home was designed, developed and constructed by British Engineer Colonel B.C. Batty and his group in collaboration with the ruler of Joginder Nagar area, Raja Karan Sen.
A narrow-gauge train track was laid from Pathankot to Joginder Nagar to bring the heavy machinery transported from Britain. A Haulage-way system was laid from the site of Shanan Power House to Barot, where the reservoir was created on Uhl river.
Commissioned in 1936 throughout the British policy, the Shanan Hydro-electric powerhouse was built under a 99-year lease deed carried out between Joginder Sen, the raja of Mandi State, and British engineer colonel BC Batty in 1925. During the reorganization of states in November 1966, the Shanan Power House went to Punjab on a 99-year lease deed. Shanan Power House, Stage-I of 4X12 = 48 MW was uprated to 4X15 = 60 MW in 1982. The uprated machines were ultimately commissioned in December 1982.
Barot valleyBritish Engineer Colonel B.C. BattyColonel B.C. BattyHaulage-way systemJoginder NagarJoginder Nagar power housenarrow-gauge trainPathankotRaja Karan SenShanan Hydro-Electric projectShanan Power HouseUhl River
Chamera Lake & Dam- Stunning Lake
Nahan – Capital of the Sirmour Princely State.


text:
UK tightens travel rules amid Omicron spread
Travellers heading to the UK will now have to take a Covid test before their departure in an effort to limit spread of the virus, the government has said.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the tightened requirements would come into force from 04:00 GMT on Tuesday. Everyone aged 12 and over will be required to take a pre-departure test within the two days before leaving. Currently people only need to self-isolate until they test negative within two days of arriving. Nigeria will be added from Monday to the red list of countries from where people arriving must quarantine in a hotel for 10 days, Mr Javid also confirmed. The health secretary said the government's strategy since the discovery of the Omicron variant had been to "buy time" to assess and to "put in place protective measures", adding: "We've always said that we would act swiftly should new data require it."
The Department of Health and Social Care later said 21 Omicron cases linked to Nigerian travel had been discovered in recent days. Mr Javid said this number was growing and Nigeria was now second only to South Africa in terms of linked cases to Omicron. He called on people to get a booster vaccine when called to do so by the NHS, describing vaccinations as the country's "first line of defence" against coronavirus. A further 26 Omicron cases - of which 25 were recorded in England and one in Scotland - were confirmed in the UK on Saturday. Those cases took the total for England to 129. Scotland has so far recorded 30 cases while one case was identified in Wales, bringing the total for the UK as a whole to 160. The Scottish and Welsh governments have confirmed they will also bring in the updated measures for travellers following the assessment of the UK Health Security Agency. The moves come after pressure on the UK government to tighten the policy on overseas arrivals. Last week the government's scientific advisory body Sage said pre-departure tests for those arriving in the UK would be valuable, in the leaked minutes of a meeting seen by the BBC. Following the latest announcement Labour's shadow health secretary Wes Streeting called for further action and for the number of booster jabs given to be increased to 500,000 per day. In a tweet he said: "Finally the health secretary accepts Labour's call for pre-departure tests, but why up to 48 hours before flight?"
OmicronCovid TestCOVIDPCR Test
UK gov't asks Royal Navy to police migrant Channel...
Two teenagers have been arrested in Manchester for...
Kazakh president calls protests in country 'attempted...
Concerns mount in UK as contentious bill debated in...


text:
SEC Eases Auditor Independence Rules for Private Equity (1)
By Amanda Iacone
Oct. 16, 2020, 4:22 PM; Updated: Oct. 16, 2020, 5:50 PM
Commission divided over move to relax conflict-of-interest rules
SEC targets portfolio companies, adds materiality threshold
The SEC issued a final rule package Friday that relaxes the threshold for the types of relationships and lending activities that could violate strict conflict-of-interest rules by swaying an auditor's objectivity.
Approved in a 3-2 vote, the rule changes specifically target relationships among auditors and their clients that are held in funds like private equity portfolios, along with a set of changes designed to clarify when auditors' personal banking and financial decisions may also impair their independence.
Despite the revisions, key aspects of the Enron-era rules remain, including the list of services that firms can't provide to audit clients and the expectation that auditors must be independent in fact and appearance.
Securities and Exchange Commission officials said the updated rules would ensure that companies and investment company complexes don't have to change auditors simply because of a technical or minor violation of the rules—effectively increasing the number of qualified firms that an issuer can chose among. The rules would also reduce the time-consuming work of tracking conflicts of interest among a complex web of companies, auditors, and consultants that often span the globe.
"These modernized auditor independence requirements will increase investor protection by focusing audit clients, audit committees, and auditors on areas that may threaten an auditor's objectivity and impartiality," SEC Chairman Jay Clayton said in a statement.
In a dissenting statement, Commissioners Allison Lee and Caroline Crenshaw said the rule changes give auditors too much discretion to decide whether or not they complied, will result in uneven application, and ignore the needs of investors.
"These rules are most useful when they draw clear lines, so that both auditors and investors know exactly what to expect when it comes to the critical issue of independence," they wrote. "Today, however, a majority of the Commission is continuing the trend of blurring these lines and introducing uncertainty into a calculus that benefits greatly from clarity."
Efforts to loosen those standards in the U.S. are contrary to efforts by regulators in other countries who are considering conflict-of-interest reforms, they wrote.
The private equity industry supported the proposal but said previously it wouldn't eliminate the burden of evaluating each company held in a portfolio and any possible overlap between auditors and consultants for the dozens, or hundreds of companies in each fund.
Interpreted strictly, the previous conflict-of-interest rules meant that an accounting firm couldn't both audit one of those portfolio companies and provide payroll or appraisal services to others held in the same portfolio. A single consulting project at an affiliate company overseas could be enough to trigger the U.S. rules.
The just-approved changes formalize guidance that the SEC has repeatedly doled out through phone calls and individual cases for roughly two decades that such minor infractions don't violate the intent of the rules, SEC officials said.
Among the changes, the revised rules:
Add a materiality threshold to determine whether a company is considered an audit client for portfolio and investment companies.
Set a compliance window to address independence violations following a merger or acquisition
Shorten the look-back period for domestic, first-time filers to review independence compliance
Revise the business relationship rule by replacing the term "substantial stockholders" with "beneficial owners who have a significant influence over the audit client."
Companies and audit firms have 180 days to prepare for the rule changes after they are published in the Federal Register. Early adoption is permitted.
(Adds commissioner dissent, more details about the rule scope, effective date beginning in paragraph five. )
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jeff Harrington at jharrington@bloombergtax.com; Kathy Larsen at klarsen@bloombergtax.com
Final rules
SEC Underscores Auditor Independence Ahead of PE Rule Change
Auditors Push for Relief From Strict U.S. Independence Rules
SEC Set to Ease Conflict-of-Interest Rules for Private Equity
SEC Sets Higher Bar to Trigger Auditor Independence Violations
Dec. 30, 2019, 10:53 PM
employee conflict of interest
audit committees


Park View in Eldridge, Iowa broke ground on Sun., July 26, 2015 to begin major improvements. Pictured from left: Dale Grunwald, building committee member; Quintin Gerard, capital stewardship campaign chairman; the Rev. Peter Hoft, senior pastor; Denise Weiss, preschool director; Amanda Raleigh, LYTES (Lutheran Youth Touching Everyone Spiritually) youth group representative; the Rev. Robert Bartel, associate pastor; and, in the background, Wayne Ott, building committee member.
"Inside is a beautifully renovated preschool continues to share and care for children," the Rev. Peter Hoft said of the aptly named Share and Care Christian Preschool, a ministry that has served families for 39 years.
Determined to "do immeasurably more" (Eph. 3:20), this former mission congregation is moving forward with improvements that were long on the back burner–a total transformation of the preschool followed by a major renovation of the church. Members are completing both with the help of a Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) congregation loan and an LCEF capital campaign, which has exceeded expectations.
Congregant Andrew Klever calls people to the groundbreaking at Park View Lutheran, ringing the bell that originally sat atop the church in 1972. Plans are in the works to use the bell again on the renovated church facility when remodeling is complete.
Soon after members from area LCMS congregations and the Iowa District East teamed up to start a mission congregation in the new Park View community near Eldridge, plans were in the works for a preschool.
Today, Park View Lutheran's Share and Care is "like an institution" in this area–"the only Christian preschool in North Scott County," Hoft said.
Although popular, the preschool was never convenient. For decades, it operated in the church basement, next to the kitchen. "Whenever we had dinners–for Advent, Lent or for funerals–we were constantly tearing down the preschool to prepare for dinners," Hoft said. Members also saw that their aging facility did not reflect the congregation's warm and welcoming personality.
When members decided to "start making things happen," Hoft says the congregation interviewed other companies and banks before partnering with LCEF. Some had concerns about their relatively small congregation taking on a $1.3 million project. At a voter's meeting, Shirley Mirfield–a Park View Lutheran charter member–expressed her opinion.
Likewise, there was some initial reluctance to seek "outside" help with a capital campaign.
But meeting "Pastor Sproul really opened my eyes to what someone from the outside could do for us. We never could have done on our own what he helped us do," Mirfield said of her congregation, which surpassed its campaign commitment goal even before the congregation's first commitment event.
The congregation broke ground on Sunday, July 26, 2015 to begin major improvements. With the preschool operating in its own dedicated and larger space, work is under way on renovations for the church–including a new central entrance, offices, expanded fellowship hall and kitchen on the main level, "cry room" for little ones and improved Sunday school space.
In the meantime, the congregation is worshipping in nearby rental space. Although all the work will not yet be complete, Park View Lutheran members expect to be worshiping in their newly enhanced church home by Christmas–and looking forward to a new year with new ministry opportunities.


MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Brewers made three selections during day one of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft. The team selected outfielder Corey Ray (University of Louisville), third baseman Lucas Erceg (Menlo College) and catcher Mario Feliciano (Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy) with the fifth, 46th and 75th picks, respectively. The announcements were made by Vice President of Amateur Scouting/Special Assistant to the General Manager Ray Montgomery.
Ray, a junior at the University of Louisville, batted .319 with 55 runs, 16 doubles, a triple, 15 home runs, 60 RBI, 44 stolen bases, a .396 OBP and a .562 slugging percentage this season. He was previously drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 33rd round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of Simeon Career Academy, but chose to enroll in college instead. The left-handed hitter is majoring in exercise science. He was scouted by area scout Jeff Simpson and regional supervisor Tim McIlvaine.
Erceg, 21, is a junior at Menlo College. He hit .308 (70-for-227) with 47 runs, 15 doubles, 20 home runs, 56 RBI with a .351 on-base percentage and a .639 slugging percentage in 56 games this season. He was scouted by area scout Joe Graham and regional supervisor Corey Rodriguez.
Feliciano, 17, is a senior at the Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy. He was a 2016 Rawlings-Perfect Game 2nd Team All-American and was scouted by area scout Charlie Sullivan and national supervisor Doug Reynolds.
The Draft will resume tomorrow at 12 p.m. CT with rounds 3-10. Day three of the Draft will begin at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday with rounds 11-40.
The Milwaukee Brewers made eight selections during the second day of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft from rounds 3-10 this afternoon. Milwaukee selected four right-handed pitchers, two outfielders, one infielder and one catcher today.
The Brewers drafted RHP Cy Sneed From Dallas Baptist University with their third-round selection (85th overall). He went 8-3 with a 3.55 ERA in 16 starts (104ip, 41er) during his junior season. Sneed, the 2011 Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Idaho, was drafted out of high school by the Rangers in the 34th round of the 2011 draft, but chose to attend Dallas Baptist University. His older brother, Zeb, is a pitcher in the Kansas City Royals organization.
Milwaukee selected CF Troy Stokes, Jr. from Calvert Hall College (MD) High School in the fourth round (116th overall). The speedy outfielder has a commitment to the University of Maryland. In the fifth round, the Brewers chose 3B Dustin DeMuth from Indiana University. DeMuth led the Hoosiers with a .374 batting average (79-for-211) and added five home runs and 40 RBI in 57 games during his senior season. As a junior, he was named a First Team All-Big Ten selection. Demuth was previously drafted by the Twins in the eighth round of the 2013 draft, but did not sign.
RHP David Burkhalter was the last high school player taken by the Brewers on Day Two (6th round, 176th overall). The high school senior finished the year 7-3 with a 0.70 ERA this season and gave up seven earned runs in 70 innings pitched and recorded 104 strikeouts.
A redshirt junior at Kansas State University, RF Mitchell Meyer was selected in the 7th round (206th overall) by the Brewers. He hit .264 (39-for-148) with eight doubles, one triple, three homes and 26 RBI in 51 games for the Wildcats this season.
The Brewers used their 8th and 10th round selections to select a pair of college right-handed pitchers. Jeffrey (J.B.) Kole was selected 236th overall and finished his 2014 campaign strong for Villanova, finishing 3-0 and allowing just three earned runs over his final 21.1 innings pitched this season. Javier Salas, a senior from the University of Miami, was selected with the 296thoverall selection today. Salas went 4-3 with a 2.92 ERA in 52.1 innings. On March 4, against Kole's Villanova Wildcats, Salas tossed the second perfect game in Hurricanes history.
The only catcher selected by the Brewers today was Greg McCall from the University of Texas-Arlington (9th round/266th overall). A junior, McCall hit .238 (51-for-214) with 11 home runs and 48 RBI for the Mavericks.
Overall, the Brewers have made 11 selections over the first two days of the draft, which includes six college players and five high school players. Milwaukee has selected five pitchers (one left-handers and four right-handers), two infielders, three outfielders and one catcher.
MLB.com profile: The younger brother of Royals right-handed pitching prospect Zeb Sneed, Cy could have preceded him in pro ball, but he declined to sign with the Rangers as a 35th-round pick out of an Idaho high school in 2011. He instead headed to Dallas Baptist, where he has been a rotation mainstay since the first weekend of his college career. Like his brother, Sneed relies mainly on his arm strength. He maintains a 90-92 mph fastball deep into games and is capable of reaching 95, though his heater is a bit straight. For now, the rest of Sneed's arsenal is ordinary. He has some feel for using a three-pitch mix, though neither his curveball nor his changeup is a consistently average pitch. He throws a decent amount of strikes, but his command isn't terribly reliable, so he could wind up as a reliever down the road.
MLB.com profile: Stokes may not have a true plus tool but he lacks any real weakness in his game with all of his tools having the chance to be average or better. Stokes' best tool is his speed which will allow him to have solid range in center and steal a good amount of bases in pro ball. At the plate, he has shown a very advanced approach along with great discipline and many feel that he has a chance to be an above-average hitter in the future. He also has shown more power and harder contact lately, but at this point, it is more double power than home run pop.
MLB.com profile: The Indiana senior has had a great spring, and his bat is most likely what will get him drafted. At the plate, DeMuth has a smooth swing and decent bat speed, and he has always shown the ability to hit for a high average. He also has good power to the gaps, but some wonder if he will have enough power to profile at a corner. Defensively, DeMuth has a strong arm and good actions at third, and he should be able to stick there long term. A team that wants an advanced, fast-moving college hitter could overlook his lack of homer power and take him as a senior sign.
The deadline for players taken in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft is today at 4:00pm CDT.
A couple of those unsigned picks have publicly indicated that they will not sign (including one such choice who declared his intention before the draft ever began back in June) so they come as no surprise. Probably the only player left in true limbo from what I've seen is 16th rounder Corey Miller, a RHP from Pepperdine University. The Brewers could offer him more than their remaining budget but there are penalties associated with that kind of thing.
Assuming no one else signs, the Brewers will have added 18 pitchers (13 RHP, five LHP), two catchers, three first basemen, two shortstops, and six outfielders. No official second or third basemen in the bunch but players switch positions often enough that it wouldn't be so odd to see one or more of those out of this group at some point.
Time will tell soon if anybody else gets added to the roster out of the draft group, but between the 31 signees and several undrafted free agents, the Brewers feel as though they have added some quality gentlemen with a chance to contribute down the road.


By SUZANNE MORACOMorgan Stanley & Co. Inc.
Americans are living longer. The average life span from birth is just over 77 years. This, however, underestimates how long you can expect to live once you reach milestones such as retirement age.
If you retire at age 65, you can expect to live another 18 years. Once you turn 75, your life expectancy is another 11 and a half years. Remember, too, that these are just averages. There is a 50 percent chance you will outlive median expectations. And women can expect to live longer than men.
The increasing life expectancy of Americans has given rise to "longevity risk," or the risk of outliving your retirement assets. Running out of retirement assets is a chance most of us don't want to take. Expect your retirement to last 30 or more years. There is a 50 percent chance that at least one member of a couple age 65 will reach age 90. As health care advances continue, Americans' longevity can only be expected to advance further.
Faced with this "new longevity," Americans need to consider several options: retiring later, continuing to work in retirement, saving more before retirement. Saving more before retirement to build a bigger nest egg may be the preferred method. There are no shortcuts. In the meantime, reduce debt, increase savings, cut expenditures, take maximum advantage of an employer-sponsored plan and invest regularly.
Earmarking a portion of your portfolio for equities may actually reduce the risk of depleting your nest egg in retirement, although equities may be more volatile and have more potential risk.
For those with longer time horizons, such as extended retirement, and for those who can tolerate the risk, stocks add a needed element of growth. Between 1926 and the end of 2003, large company stocks had a compounded annual growth rate of 10.4 percent including reinvested dividends. This past performance may not be indicative of future results, and it may be advisable to ratchet down future expectations.
In addition to the stock and bond allocation of a balanced portfolio, it is essential to have steady sources of income that you cannot outlive.
Examples would be Social Security and pensions that so many older workers enjoy. Unfortunately, defined benefit pension plans are rapidly being replaced by 401(k) and other plans in which the employee is responsible for his or her own self-directed contributions.
Once you enter retirement, it's time to determine how much to withdraw annually from your nest egg. The dilemma is that if you withdraw too little you may unnecessarily lower your standard of living. Withdraw too much and you may prematurely exhaust your portfolio. For higher withdrawal rates, bear markets in the early years of retirement greatly increase the chances of depleting a nest egg.
Suzie Moraco is a certified financial planner at Morgan Stanley & Co. Inc. She can be reached at 863-291-8330.


Sussex County Council considered draft legislation that would create a new appeals process for parties aggrieved by county decisions regarding subdivisions, at the Aug. 23 regular council meeting.
The Indian River School District (IRSD) appears quite "Superior," to judge from Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) reports at the Aug. 23 School Board meeting.
As rain clouds took leave of the morning sky overhead the South Coastal Library on Saturday, Aug. 20, a brainstorm took shape inside.
Writers participate in a workshop on poetry and fiction.
Big changes around the Indian River School District (IRSD) this year — 47 new teachers in all, according to district Superintendent Lois Hobbs, and a new assistant principal at the new Indian River High School.
The Ocean View Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) unanimously passed an ordinance Thursday to reclassify 21 properties along Atlantic Avenue (State Route 26) from R-1 Residential to GB General Business.
Like newspaper editors cleaning up wire copy, Fenwick Island's ordinance commissioners pored over pages of town codes, tweaking and tightening.
Tracy Peoples didn't know what she was getting into. She was trying to assist her boss, real estate agent Virgil Bullis (Coldwell Banker), but they had some major hurdles to overcome, in preparing one particular house for sale.
It's getting to be Make-A-Wish Triathlon time again (Sept. 24), and Sea Colony resident Peter O'Dunne will likely run again this year — but not before neighbors and family embarrass him a little for his recent accomplishments in sport.
Under a desiccating August sun, El Centro Cultural served cultural refreshments to thousands of Hispanics from noon to 6 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 21, at Festival Hispano 2005 in Millsboro.
Look out, Kalamazoo, the District III Big League Softball team has won their first three games of the World Series Tournament and are two games away from the world championship.
Before holding its regularly scheduled monthly meeting, the Bethany Beach Town Council will gather at 7 p.m., Friday, Aug. 19, to name a mayor, vice mayor and secretary-treasurer.
Any more than one member of Sussex County Council voting in opposition at the Aug. 16 council meeting, and 84 Lumber's plans for expansion in Clarksville would have run aground.
South Bethany Town Council played two on Aug. 12, as architect Alvin French (French & Ryan) hosted a public hearing before the regular council meeting.
Sussex County Council enacted an ordinance to permit multisectional manufactured homes (24 feet or wider) on private residential lots (as small as half-acre) at the Aug. 16 meeting.
Municipal hall resembled law school in Fenwick Island Thursday morning, Aug. 11, as the town council listened to town attorney Tempe Steen untangle the town's law books.
Ocean View Town Council members and staff spent the latter part of an Aug. 16 workshop studying the possibility of a Department of Public Works (DPW) facility on lands near the town hall — but they couldn't seem to make it fit.
That yellow school bus pulling up at the end of the block is a sight most parents take for granted, but fuel costs very nearly became just one burden too many for drivers this year.
Jeanne Hastings, long-time resident of South Bethany, has continued to satisfy her faithful customers' demands for interesting and fashionable clothing and accessories at her store, Lighthouse Landing, located in Fenwick Island.
The Sussex County Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Commission held its first meeting Thursday, Aug. 11, since the passing of longtime P&Z President John "Jack" Allen.
For the residents of coastal Delaware, Dollar Buys makes a lot of sense. One Fenwick Island couple hopes it will make a lot of cents too.
Frankford, Del. — a small rural town, population less than 750, no taverns, plenty of churches, a feed mill and a brand new high school. And, as any real estate agent will tell you, it's minutes from the beach.
A lot goes on to make sure that 150 to 160 girls and coaches have the best time they can in Delaware. But not everything can always go as planned.
A bare quorum of Sussex County Council members gathered for a brief council meeting on Aug. 9, to discuss a specific subdivision appeal, but also appeals in general.
The Bethany Beach Police Department (BBPD) curtailed what appears to have been a long-running shoplifting activity, targeting any number of local jewelry stores and retail shops, predominantly in Bethany Beach.
Millville Town Council announced an addition to staff at the Aug. 9 council meeting — Linda Collins, presently administrative assistant for the town of South Bethany, will become Millville's new town manager on Aug. 29.
Newly selected auditing firm Trice, Geary & Meyers reported a "clean opinion" at the annual Audit Committee meeting Tuesday, Aug. 2.
Two ex-Bethany Beach lifeguards and lifelong friends, Russell Evans and Cliff Hardwick, weren't satisfied with a brand and a pending line of WaveKing gear and clothing for the ocean-going crowd.
Bethany resident Bob Ternahan is an American History major, not a fashion designer — but he's come out with some distinctive designs for the "Ahan" clothing label nonetheless.
The fledgling Gardeners by the Sea gardening club has yet to celebrate its first anniversary (Sept. 9), but the membership is getting full, and the club has already signed on to help out a local charity.
A hectic hurricane season in Florida has delayed until September the start of Fenwick Island's beach replenishment project.
The Bethany Beach Planning Commission met with area developers and architects Wednesday, Aug. 3, to discuss the options for enforcing design guidelines that would help maintain the character of the town.
South Bethany Town Council considered an agreement between Artesian (water) and Verizon (telephone) that could bring in some extra rent money for the town, at a July 28 workshop.
It was a night for the Citizens Auxiliary Patrol (CAP), and to review plans for a soon-to-be 15,000 square foot police station, at the Aug. 2 Ocean View Town Council meeting.
After a public hearing Monday, Aug. 1, the Selbyville Town Council approved a resolution to proceed with plans to borrow more than $2 million for improvements to the town's water and sewer distribution systems.
U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) stopped by the Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce on Aug. 1, for a mixed bag discussion ranging from transportation to health care.
Frankford water woes continue: "terrible"
Frankford Town Council reported less than stellar service from the town's venerable water plant and pressure from a private utility at the Aug. 1 council meeting.
At a special meeting Wednesday, the Fenwick Town Council approved an exception to its noise ordinance that will allow live jazz in a local commercial center.
If one is riding down Route 1 with the windows down, there is a chance of catching a whiff of what seems to be barbeque. And chances are the smell is coming from Bethany Blues.
Sussex County Council took another baby step toward a moderately-priced housing program at a public workshop on July 26.


text:
Legacy 2018 Work PlanCurrently selected
HANC Home > Legacy Project > Legacy 2018 Work Plan
Legacy Project Links
The Legacy Project builds trust and collaboration between HIV research institutions and the communities most impacted by the US HIV epidemic.
The Legacy Project 2018 Work Plan is in line with the 2016 NIH HIV/AIDS Research Priorities and Guidelines for Determining AIDS Funding, cutting across areas of basic research, health disparities and training, including research to reduce health disparities in the incidence of new HIV infections, research in treatment outcomes for those living with HIV/AIDS, Research training of the workforce required to conduct high priority HIV/AIDS-related research, and addressing health and social issues that are linked with HIV (e.g. transmission/acquisition, pathogenesis, morbidity and mortality, stigma, racism, transgender antagonism, poverty, etc).
Legacy Project Objectives:
Build capacity among community members and researchers to address disparities that impact HIV acquisition and treatment outcomes by providing culturally appropriate guidance and leadership in development, implementation and dissemination of information about HIV research focused on and responsive to the needs of disparately impacted populations.
Facilitate collaborative (community, site and network) involvement throughout the research process among the NIH HIV/AIDS clinical trials networks.
Identify areas where there are gaps and/or opportunities for improvement in collaboration with network leadership and DAIDS to address those issues.
Expand Legacy's presence on social media platforms, developing and providing content to Legacy's Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts. Additionally, identify ways to enhance community engagement and provide access to Legacy resources through social media.
Legacy Project – Concentration Areas 2018
Section I - Cross-Sectional Initiatives 2018
This section highlights initiatives which address cross-sectional, multidisciplinary needs.
Governance & Membership
· Develop guidelines/bylaws to communicate structure, relationships between Legacy, HANC, Networks, NIAID and other stakeholders in line with the WHRC Guidelines.
· Define role and expectations of Legacy Project staff.
· Define role and expectations of working group members.
· Define membership selection representation, responsibilities, and terms.
· Define Legacy Project working group leadership duties and terms of leadership.
· Define Legacy Project committee or working groups and relationship to Legacy Project.
Cross-Network Collaboration
Ongoing Engagement:
Consult/collaborate with populations at high risk for HIV acquisition and burden, as well as those underrepresented in HIV clinical research (Black and Latino MSM, women, transgender persons, house/ball communities, Black gay pride attendees, other events focused on Black MSM, HBCUs, TCUs, and Historically Serving Institutions, etc.), to identify community-level priorities and raise awareness of these priorities among all of the NIH HIV/AIDS clinical trials networks and sites.
Maintain relationships with network communications and community engagement staff in collaboration with Community Partners, the HPTN Black Caucus, and the HANC-facilitated Communications Working Group.
Formation of a Conference Engagement Working Group to plan for network and other national conferences and events.
Impact Activities:
Host community-focused webinars on HIV prevention, treatment and cure clinical research advances in collaboration with the NIH HIV/AIDS clinical trials networks.
Host or co-host community-focused workshops/presentations on ongoing network research including cure, PrEP, TasP, microbicides and vaccines at meetings/events.
Maintain collaborations/partnerships with former Be the Generation (BTG) partners and select CBOs and ASOs across the U.S.
Oversee publication of quarterly BTG e-newsletter in collaboration with the HPTN, HVTN and MTN.
Update and promote the BTG HIV Prevention Research and Basic Scientific Literacy Modules.
Promote the BTG website
HIV Education, Research and Scientific Literacy Initiatives
Develop strategies to provide information/messaging focused on HIV treatment.
Disseminate training materials designed to increase scientific literacy among historically underrepresented communities most impacted by the domestic HIV epidemic.
Conduct capacity building and HIV scientific literacy training with Legacy Project collaborators and populations underrepresented in HIV clinical research to increase awareness and knowledge of HIV clinical research and community readiness to engage in trial participation activities.
Invite Martin Delaney Collaboratory to Legacy call or webinar to present on HIV cure research.
Awareness Initiatives
Develop strategies to establish and/or enhance linkages/partnerships with other Legacy stakeholders.
Submit abstracts to NAESM and other conferences that have a specific focus on key populations impacted by the Domestic HIV epidemic to identify HIV decriminalization as a priority
Utilize Community Partners to help promote the Legacy Project practices to address disparities, health and social issues in the context of HIV which can be applied in various populations and settings globally with high HIV prevalence or incidence.
Section II – Engagement of Key Populations 2018
This section highlights initiatives specific to peoples disproportionately impacted by HIV.
Highlight HIV stigma as a mental health hazard for MSM.
Submit abstracts to NAESM and other conferences that have a specific focus on MSM populations disproportionately impacted by the Domestic HIV epidemic.
Host a collaborative webinar with the HPTN Black Caucus exploring the links between mental health, trauma, gender, and HIV acquisition.
Promote and support the work of the DAIDS Cross-Network Transgender Working Group to identify and address challenges and issues that impact transgender inclusion in the NIH-funded HIV/AIDS network trials.
Collaborate with DAIDS, WHRC, Community Partners and the NIH HIV/AIDS clinical trials networks to address transgender cultural competency and inclusion in network protocols.
Women's HIV Research Collaborative (Cisgender & Transgender Women)
Assess protocols underway or in development across networks that include or are specific to pregnant and postpartum women.
Highlight HIV stigma as a mental health hazard for women and girls with HIV.
Partner with women-centered organizations that focus on healing and post-traumatic growth.
Cultivate partnerships with the Martin Delaney Collaboratory and other organizations working on HIV cure research.
Join the Legacy project's efforts to harmonize activities across the minority investigator programs of the ACTG, HPTN, and HVTN, and IMPAACT.
Identify potential new WHRC members in and outside the NIH-funded HIV/AIDS Clinical Trials Networks.
Invite new WHRC members to participate in regular calls and WHRC events/activities.
Cultivate leadership within the WHRC membership with a focus on historically underrepresented voices.
Convene some of the female study chairs to discuss differences across Networks in conducting women-specific studies.
Partner with local and national organizations to promote scientific developments in HIV prevention and treatment.
Highlight the dapivirine ring and other PrEP modalities for women through webinars or local events and/or regional and national conferences.
Draw attention to the development of multi-use products with HIV prevention and contraceptive properties.
Partner and strategize with organizations interested in addressing and promoting the participation of pregnant and postpartum women in HIV treatment and prevention trials;
Submit abstracts to conferences/meetings
Develop a webinar or Twitter chat.
Host a collaborative webinar exploring the links between mental health, trauma, gender, and HIV acquisition.
Craft a policy statement or community report based on conclusions from the 2016 WHRC Women & HIV Cure webinar series.
Share a recommendations document with leadership and key staff of the Division of AIDS Clinical Trials Networks and the general public.
Develop a webinar on assessing for intimate partner violence in the HIV clinical research setting and using a trauma-informed approach as a way to enhance cultural responsiveness, outreach, recruitment, and retention of women in clinical trials.
Have a guest blogger write a post-webinar reflection for a public blog website such as Medium.
House-Ball Communities
Consult/collaborate with all of the NIH HIV/AIDS clinical trials networks, the Women's HIV Research Collaborative (WHRC), and Community Partners to identify research priorities.
Collaborate with House Ball Project community partners to build on the findings and recommendations of the National House Ball Community Change Project to increase awareness and support for HIV/AIDS clinical research among house/ball communities nationally.
Conduct capacity building and HIV scientific literacy training with faith initiatives to increase culturally appropriate messengers who value research environments and support clinical trial participation. Activities will be evaluated on their ability to provide opportunities to remove obstacles to spiritually-informed HIV education.
Provide input/technical assistance in the work of the Faith Initiative for Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 2018, The Week of Prayer 2018 and USCA 2018.
Host community-focused webinar on stigma and discrimination related to religion, faith, spirituality.
Utilize the Framework for Dialogue tool to engage faith leaders and people living with HIV to address stigma and discrimination.
HBCU Initiative
Establish collaborations with the medical schools at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) Meharry, Charles Drew, Howard and Morehouse, to help address/eliminate HIV-related disparities and stigma.
Collaborate with HBCUs, to build on the findings and recommendations of the HBCU Project to increase awareness and support for HIV/AIDS clinical research among HBCU faculty and students.
Latinx Communities
Establish and/or enhance site-level linkages/partnerships with Latino/a communities focused on addressing disparities, health and social issues in the context of HIV among Latinos and Latinas, including Hispanic Serving Institutions.
Invite Latinx researchers and Latino Commission on AIDS to collaborate with Legacy on NAESM workshop presentation and future webinars and calls.
Develop strategies to establish linkages/partnerships with Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) focused on addressing disparities, health and social issues in the context of HIV among Native Americans.
Host community-focused webinar on Native American engagement in HIV/AIDS clinical trials.
Disseminate the guidance document for engaging Native American communities based on the experiences of the Native American Engagement in HIV Clinical Research Project.


text:
Q: Partial image is being uploaded to parse.com using restapi when i tried to upload image to parse.com using restapi by the following python script, only partial image is being uploaded..
i got following json response
{"url": "http://files.parsetfss.com/a224a144-55ca-4815-917e-b911d44ac121/tfss-08a78f3e-d95c-48be-b64f-2c564d310e38-pdr11.jpg", "name": "tfss-08a78f3e-d95c-48be-b64f-2c564d310e38-pdr11.jpg"}
when i tried to open the url in response only partial image of 2kb is uploaded
the actual size of image is 553kb..
view.py
def index(request):
    connection = httplib.HTTPSConnection('api.parse.com', 443)
    connection.connect()
    querySetList = Post.objects.all()
    imageToUpload = open("D:\\Beautiful-Android-cell-phone-wallpapers-480x854-06.jpg","rb")
    #print imageToUpload.name

    connection.request('POST', '/1/files/pdr11.jpg', open(str(imageToUpload.name), 'r+').read(), {
       "X-Parse-Application-Id": "NMVvDdhhWfvs6tBcxTSta7RZWVn47TqpJsrXkboh",
       "X-Parse-REST-API-Key": "G5flmDwYy44tdVPoR3q5eBbjaIREVew5hKWqMr7S",
       "Content-Type": "image/jpeg"
     })
    result1 = json.loads(connection.getresponse().read())

    return HttpResponse(json.dumps(result1),content_type='application/json')

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
End-of-life in current bioethical debate: interview with Susana Magalhães
We propose an interview with Susana Magalhães, Research Integrity Officer presso l'Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde – i3S (Universidade…
Dignity Therapy Protocol: reaffirming dignity in care contexts
Dignity therapy is a brief and personalised psychotherapy developed for patients with life-threatening or limiting illnesses, with the aim of…
The case of Marco Cappato, from the trial to the Italian Constitutional Court's sentence
The case of Marco Cappato, the politician and activist of the Luca Coscioni association accused (based on the article 580…
Deontology and norm in the bioethical debate: interview with Assunta Morresi
We propose an interview with Assunta Morresi, Associate Professor of Physical Chemistry at the Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology of the…
Out of the blue: the daily experience with Major Depressive Disorder
Here we propose the extracts of two narratives collected within the project Fuori dal blu (Out of the blue), which…
Dignity in death: the last essay by John L'Heureux
On death and dignity is the last essay written by John L'Heureux, author of several novels and poems, such as A Woman…
Medicine and self-determination in bioethics: interview with Maurizio Mori
We propose an interview with Maurizio Mori, Full Professor of Moral Philosophy and Bioethics at the Department of Philosophy and Sciences…
The ideal art gallery: the artworks you would like to see in a fragility moment
The World Health Organization has opened a work table on the role of art in care. The guidelines will be…
Narrative medicine as a support for epileptologists: interview with Professor Aglaia Vignoli
We host an interview with Aglaia Vignoli, Associate Professor of Child Neuropsychiatry at the Department of Health Sciences of the University of…
Health and cultural contexts of care: interview with Professor David Napier
Interview with David Napier, Professor of Medical Anthropology at the University College of London, and Director of the UCL Centre for Applied…
Burn-out as occupational phenomenon in the International Classification of Diseases
Burn-out has been included by the WHO as occupational phenomenon in the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) in May 2019, and inserted…
Narrative approach in care relationships in Neurology: interview with Professor Eleonora Cocco
We host an interview with Eleonora Cocco, Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Cagliari and supervisor of the Multiple Sclerosis Centre of…
Listening to healthcare professionals in Multiple Sclerosis field: interview with Professor Francesco Patti
We present an interview with Francesco Patti, Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Catania and coordinator of the…
Numbers and narratives: some insight on "A philosopher goes to the doctor" by Dien Ho
A review of A philosopher goes to the doctor: A critical look at philosophical assumptions in medicine by Dien Ho,…
Naming diseases, between science and contemporary imaginaries
When a new pathology is identified, giving it a name is necessary to be able to describe, research and treat…


Uganda Cranes left back Godfrey Walusimbi has parted ways with South African side Kaizer Chiefs on mutual consent.
The Soweto based side, who signed the marauding left-back last year in October on a 3-year deal from Kenyan side Gor Mahia confirmed the development on their official Twitter handle.
Kaizer Chiefs have parted ways with left-back Godfrey Walusimbi.
The reasons behind Walusimbi's premature departure from the South African side remain unknown.


text:
MMJ Biopharma Cultivation & St Regis Mohawk Tribe Inks Agreement To Grow Marijuana
On Track for DEA Federal Cannabis License
ST. PETERSBURG, FL / AKWESASNE, NY / ACCESSWIRE / December 17, 2020 / The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe's holding company entered into a Joint Development Agreement with MMJ BioPharma Cultivation, Inc. to lease and develop approximately twenty acres of Tribal trust land, previously designated by the Tribe as a Business Park. MMJ is pursuing an importers and cultivation license from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency for cannabis and pharmaceutical research. If awarded a Federal license, MMJ's investment in the project will include all costs to design and construct a 500,000 square foot federally licensed cultivation, extraction and lab facility.
The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe's holding company, the Tewáthahón:ni Corporation, is tasked with the oversight of the Tribe's investments and tribally-owned business entities. "Economic development has always been a priority for the Tribe, but the Board of Managers of the Corporation are tasked with the especially vital role of diversification and management of investments that benefit the community of Akwesasne," shared the Board. "The project with MMJ falls in line with our Tribal priorities, specifically in regards to healthcare, the treatment of chronic disease and the diversification of our investment portfolio." The project requires zero financial investment from Tewáthahón:ni as the landlord; once MMJ BioPharma is federally licensed and operational, the agreement outlines a percentage of revenues that will benefit the community, as well as Tribal preferences for jobs.
MMJ International Holdings, Inc., having executed a supply agreement with MMJ BioPharma Cultivation, Inc, has submitted an investigational New Drug Application with the Federal Drug Administration to begin clinical trials in Multiple Sclerosis and Huntington's Disease. It has been granted Orphan Drug Designation by the FDA for the treatment of Huntington's Disease. "Our pharmaceutical grade cannabis extract expands treatment options for people suffering from chronic, debilitating illness," described Dr. Elio Mariani.
In anticipation of the development of the facility, MMJ BioPharma Cultivation, Inc. has also applied for a DEA Importer Permit to bring initial plants in from Canada and Jamaica and import their proprietary extracts into the United States for research and development purposes. The fully indoor, secure grow facility will be capable of producing 40 metric tons of dry marijuana per year when fully built out. All of the cannabis plants in the twenty-acre cultivation facility will be grown under computer-controlled conditions, ensuring the product meets DEA and FDA regulatory specifications for the therapies to be derived from the plants. The existing facilities on the property are currently being prepared for the inspection by the Drug Enforcement Agency, in anticipation of award of the cultivation license.
Currently, the University of Mississippi holds the only Federal license for the cultivation of marijuana. The DEA began accepting applications for new licensed facilities in 2016, to date, there are thirty-five pending applications, including MMJ BioPharma Cultivation.
The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe is a federally recognized tribal government located in their traditional territory of Akwesasne, which is sliced by the U.S. Canadian border. The Tribe consists of over 16,000 enrolled tribal members, and is governed by an elected Tribal Council.
For media inquiries: Please contact the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe's Communications Department at (518) 358-2272 extension 2286 or email communications@srmt-nsn.gov
SOURCE: MMJ International Holdings
https://www.accesswire.com/621483/MMJ-Biopharma-Cultivation-St-Regis-Mohawk-Tribe-Inks-Agreement-To-Grow-Marijuana
Previous Just Business & Vigil AI UK Launch Krunam, a CSEA AI Company
Next Raymond and Electrovaya Announce Strategic Supply Agreement


text:
Prospective BME Graduate Students
Thank you for your interest in Department of Biomedical Engineering Graduate Studies Program. The procedures involved in applying for admission to our program are described here. To learn more about the different degrees offered and specific program requirements, please view the Graduate Studies page.
If a Ph.D. is your ultimate degree objective, we encourage exceptionally qualified B.S. students to apply for direct admission to our Ph.D. program. This will increases the opportunities for financial support through Research Assistantships, Fellowship, etc. Please see our Graduate Support page for more details.
Application Fees and Deadlines
Applications are accepted for admission in the Fall semester only.
Domestic PhD applicants = $0
Domestic MS applicants = $25 (nonrefundable)
International PhD applicants = $30 (nonrefundable)
International MS applicants = $45 (nonrefundable)
Application Deadlines:
Priority Ph.D. application deadline is December 15. Ph.D. applications received after that will continue to be considered on a space-available basis, through the University deadline of April 1.
All M.S. applications will be considered continually through April 1.
After April 1 all applications are subject to an additional $30 late fee and may be considered on a space-available basis.
Recruitment Weekend: Ph.D. applicants who meet the priority application deadline will be considered for an invitation to our on-campus graduate recruitment weekend for interviews with faculty, research presentations, social activities and more. For the Fall 2019 admission cycle, these events are tentatively planned for February 21-24, 2019. Reserve these dates to visit campus and explore Ph.D. program opportunities at the University of Utah! Note: Invitations will be sent to exceptionally well-qualified Ph.D. applicants currently residing in the continental U.S. (international travel is not sponsored). Applicants not receiving an invitation will continue to be considered for admission through April 1. However, no additional recruitment visits are planned.
All applicants are required to use the "Apply Yourself" (AY) online application system. Below is a list of materials you will need to complete the process.
Unofficial Transcripts for Applicants: Unofficial copies of transcripts from all colleges and universities attended should be uploaded into the AY system. For foreign institutions, include transcripts in the original language, plus official English translations if the original language is not English.
Official Transcripts for Admitted Students: Upon admission to the program, official transcripts must be sent directly from the academic institutions to the Graduate School Admissions Office (not the Department):
University of Utah Office of Admissions
201 S. 1460 East, Rm 250 S.
GRE Scores: Test scores may be self-reported on your AY application. However, upon admission to the program, an official report of scores from the General Test of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) should be sent directly by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to the Graduate School Admissions Office at the address indicated above. Please use the institutional code for the University of Utah, #4853. Note: MCAT scores may also be accepted in lieu of GRE.
Letters of Reference: We will require at least three letters of personal reference from course instructors, research supervisors, or employers who are familiar with your abilities and performance. Please include the names and contact information for your references in the AY application. Once your application is submitted your reference will be automatically notified and must submit their recommendation through the "Apply Yourself"online form.
Statement of Purpose: A one-page personal statement (approximately 500 words) outlining your background, research interests (including possible faculty research advisors), goals, and reasons for applying to our graduate program.
Résumé or CV: A professional résumé or academic curriculum vitae is required.
Writing Sample (Optional): A sample of original writing, such as a brief article, abstract, or essay may be submitted. However, it is optional and may be skipped without penalty.
Potential Areas of Specialization: Applicants should choose among the research tracks offered, review our research page, and look up individual faculty members by research interests in the Directory of Faculty by Research Areas.
For International Students only.
TOEFL scores. An official report of scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) will be necessary. You will need to use code #4853 for the International Admissions Office.
For students requesting an I-20 Certificate of Eligibility. Upon admission to the Biomedical Engineering program, the applicant must provide the following items for full acceptance to the University and I-20 certification:
A financial statement with supporting documents showing a minimum amount in U.S. dollars to cover the first year tuition and living expenses is required. A graduate student must have a minimum of $47,446.00 in U.S. dollars available. (Costs are subject to change.)
A copy of the first page of the applicant's current passport or national ID card.
Other documents may be required by the International Admission Office. Please visit their website for more detailed information and regulations.
Applicants must have received, prior to commencing graduate study, a Bachelor's degree from an accredited institute, college, or university. Although no single field of undergraduate specialization is required, applicants to the program must have a thorough undergraduate background in engineering and life sciences. They are expected to have mastered basic material in the following areas:
mathematics (calculus through differential equations)
physics (college physics with calculus including mechanics and electronics)
chemistry (organic and/or biochemistry)
materials science (introductory course or strength of materials)
biology (introductory human anatomy or physiology)
All aspects of an application will be seriously considered during the evaluation process. However, typically successful applicants have a cumulative GPA that meets or exceeds ~3.5 and GRE scores of ~156 verbal, ~165 quantitative, ~4 analytical writing. International students should have a minimum TOEFL score of 575 on the paper-based test, 232 on the computer-based test, or 90 on the internet-based test. Students with TOEFL scores below 600 (paper-based test), 250 (computer-based test), or 100 (internet-based test) may be required to enroll in English classes. The Department will also accept a minimum 7.5 IELTS score in lieu of the TOEFL.
Students making satisfactory progress in the Department may be eligible to receive financial support and participate in the University of Utah Graduate School Tuition Benefit Program during their graduate studies.
Most Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. students are supported by individual faculty members as Research Assistants (funded by grants) or Graduate Assistants (non-grant funding). Generally, MS students are expected to be self-funded; however, some faculty may have the ability to support MS students (typically thesis option) as Graduate/Research Assistants.
We encourage you to contact faculty members directly at the e-mail addresses shown on their web pages in order to seek out potential research projects and to explore avenues of funding. The Admissions Committee has no direct role in determining lab placement or whether or not a particular faculty member will offer funding. Therefore, it is in your best interest to play an active role in this process. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the types of research being conducted by a professor, before contacting them, to determine the potential to participate in and contribute to these lines of research. Because this research will constitute your Ph.D. dissertation or Master's thesis, it should be an area of genuine interest to you.
A limited number of College and Department Fellowships are offered on a competitive basis to exceptionally well-qualified applicants. You will be automatically considered for these awards on the basis of your application materials. You do not need to provide any additional information unless you are specifically requested to do so at a later time.
We also encourage prospective students to apply for Fellowships from extramural funding sources such as the National Science Foundation or the Whitaker Foundation. Please see the following website for more Fellowship information:
Biomedical Engineering Graduate Support
College of Engineering Fellowships
Graduate School Fellowship Opportunities
If you need additional information, please contact our Graduate Academic Advisor, Laura L. Olsen, via e-mail laura.l.olsen@utah.edu.
We look forward to receiving your application.


Have you ever considered what will be left behind when you leave this life? Every year you live contributes to the legacy you leave behind regardless of how old or young you are.
Perhaps you've done life exercises where you imagine yourself as an older version of yourself looking back and consider what it is you want to be remembered for, or what you want to leave behind. If you ever get frustrated trying to figure it out but still have a gnawing, yearning for… something… read on.
Do what drives you, and nobody else. If you know that connecting people from disenfranchised countries is your purpose in life, don't let anyone or anything stop you from doing that. Or if you know in your heart and soul that your purpose is bringing peace within your fractious family, make your home the happiest place on the planet. Don't let others talk of world peace lessen your achievement.
We each contribute in our individual way and each is unique to our skills and talents. There is no one born who can give the gifts we have to contribute to this world, so give freely and proudly and lovingly. You are changing the world as you do.
When we're in the midst of life, we're engaged in living. We're too busy to look around and calculate what everyone thinks of what we're doing. So get engaged fully in what's important to you. Don't worry about what anyone else thinks of it. Immerse yourself in life — joyfully and completely.
It's likely others are noticing and being impacted in a positive way but what truly matters is that you are giving your gift.
Remain true to your thoughts, words, and actions. That in itself, is inspirational. A leader is someone who impacts and inspires others by living with integrity. Live your purpose and show by example. You will inspire others who see you living your truthful life.
We all fall and we all make mistakes. If we didn't we wouldn't be human. Nobody's perfect so don't try to pretend you are.
All of these points can be summed up into one: be yourself and live your true purpose. That is exactly what we saw in the life of Einstein. He was far from perfect but I doubt anyone could say he wasn't inspirational.
He achieved an inspirational legacy by consistently pursuing his own truth and purpose, despite any opposition. Some could have considered his single mindedness unattractive, yet he had many loyal friends and his colleagues revered him. The lesson for us? See number two above — engage fully and don't worry about whether others are watching.
His contributions to science were revolutionary while his political views were more complex than sometimes understood. He may have been complex but I would submit that he was, while admittedly a genius, also an authentic man and that in itself, left an inspirational legacy.
Many of us may never reach the pinnacle of Einstein's scientific achievements nor reach the wide range of individuals he was able to impact, but what we all can do is live authentically and honestly. As we do, we leave an inspirational legacy for every life we have impacted. That's no small thing.


text:
Galley & Garden
Chef James Boyce and wife and partner, Suzan, invite you to Galley & Garden, Birmingham's newest destination for modern American-French inspired cuisine with southern influences. Located in what was once the historic Merritt House on Highland Avenue, the restaurant underwent renovations in the summer of 2014, enhancing the grandeur of the original home. Today, both the cuisine and the atmosphere of Galley & Garden highlight the juxtaposition of Southern touches from the past and present.
2220 Highland Avenue Birmingham, AL 35205
Wednesday 11AM–10PM Thursday 11AM–10PM Friday 11AM–10PM Saturday 5–10PM Sunday 10:30AM–3PM Monday 11AM–10PM Tuesday 11AM–10PM
http://www.galleyandgarden.com/menu.html
2220 Highland Avenue
InTown Suites Vestavia Hills
Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa
Set just outside the city, deep in the heart of the "Hidden Gem of the South," this Birmingham hotel provides a uniquely inspired setting.
Hilton Garden Inn Trussville/Birmingham
Days Inn Hwy 280
Oster Golf Houses-Birminghan
Spectacular houses along the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail designed for golfers. Two 4Br and one 2BR house available for vacation rental near Birmingham.
Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Birmingham Downtown
Fairfield by Marriott Birmingham Downtown is centrally located in the heart of buzzing downtown.
Apex Motel
Stay at the Rodeway Inn hotel in Birmingham, AL near Birmingham Airport. Our convenient location puts us near the Barber Motorsport Park, McWane Science Center and St. Vincent's East Hospital. Enjoy great amenities like free Easy Starts continental b...
Kings Inn--Civic Center--UAB
Birmingham Winter Restaurant Week 2023
The Birmingham Winter Restaurant Week (BRW) presented by Spire is back from January 26 to February 4, 2023!
ASC Presents Disney's Winnie the Pooh: The New Musical Stage Adaptation
Disney's Winnie the Pooh: The New Musical Stage Adaptation comes to the Jemison Concert Hall Stage after successful runs that garnered rave reviews ("must-see," "enchanting," "magical" and "sweet as honey") and broke records for advance ticket sales.
Cottontails Village Arts, Crafts and Gifts Show
facebook.com/Cottontails-Village-101301702796070 Admission charged. Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex--Exhibitors selling original art, hand crafted soaps, jewelry, handmade garden decor and more. Fri., 8 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sat.,8 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sun., ...
World of Wheels
Indoor Custom car show featuring hot rods, customs and classic cars, trucks & bikes competing for trophies and cash prizes plus entertainment.
Space One Eleven Presents: Surplus in Pantomime
Space One Eleven is a visual arts organization founded in Birmingham, Alabama in 1986. Space One Eleven's mission is to provide professional opportunities for artists, create a forum for public understanding of contemporary art, and offer arts educat...
Space One Eleven Presents: In Case of Emergency, Break Glass
2023 Mercedes-Benz Marathon Weekend
Birmingham. Mercedes-Benz Marathon Weekend. 205-870-7771 www.mercedesmarathon.com. Fee for participants only. Downtown at Linn Park--Event features five running events including the full marathon, half marathon, 5K, Kids Marathon. Other weekend activ...
ASC Presents Will Downing's Sophisticated Soul Explosion featuring special guests Maysa, Jonathan Butler, and poet Hank Stewart
Experience Sophisticated Soul Explosion (starring Will Downing), February 14 at the ASC!
Choral Evensong, 5;30 p.m., sung by the Cathedral Choir, under the direction of Frederick Teardo.
Midday Music: Charles Kennedy, harpsichord
Associate Director of Music and Organist Charles Kennedy will perform a free, 30-minute harpsichord recital.
Red Mountain Theatre Company and RTMC Cabaret Theatre
Located on the bottom floor of the historic Kress Building
Alabama Men's Hall of Fame
Founded 1987 to recognize men who have had significant impact on state, country, world. Honored with bronze plaques displayed in Davis Library/Samford University.
Eddie Kendrick Memorial Park
This memorial garden to singer Eddie Kendricks of the Temptations features a bronze sculpture of Kendricks by Tuskegee artist Ron McDowell, as well as sculptures of the other Temptations set into a granite wall.
The Ballard House
The Ballard House is a living testimony to what life was like in the African-American community during the decades leading up to the Civil Rights Movement
Red Mountain Theatre Arts Campus
To create powerful theatre experiences that enrich, educate, and engage audiences – nourishing the human spirit, fostering valuable life skills, and cultivating a deeper sense of community.
First Church Birmingham
An historic church in the heart of downtown Birmingham, First Church Birmingham is an open place for ALL to worship, grow, and serve.
Space One Eleven
Founded in 1986 as a non-profit organization, Space One Eleven (SOE) is a visual arts center with contemporary art exhibitions and art classes for aspiring and established artists of all ages.
Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Oxmoor Valley
Birmingham's first RTJ Golf Trail location features two championship 18-hole courses and an 18 hole Short course. Venturing into the great outdoors allows us to breath clean air once again while enjoying nature. This location has ample wide-open spac...
Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame/Carver Theatre
Tribute to jazz greats with ties to Alabama. Lionel Hampton, Erskine Hawkins, Sun Ra, more. History from beginning of jazz to present.
Birmingham Civil Rights District
Now a national monument, the Birmingham Civil Rights District includes the sites of upheaval during the Civil Rights Movement of the late 1950s through 1963, including the church where four little girls died in a race-related bombing.
Golden Flake
Arlington Antebellum Home and Gardens
Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau
The Tutwiler Hotel Hampton Inn and Suites
Topgolf Birmingham
The Birmingham Candy Company
The Red Cat Coffee House


Some reed players are a bit rough on the beak of their mouthpieces. This can be really problematic on some brands of mouthpiece like vintage MC Gregory, where it is easy to bite clean through the beak into the chamber. It would be easy to just use a mouthpiece patch, but some people don't like them. If you're a biter, the repair is pretty easy. A buddy of mine has done a number on the beak of his modern Otto Link tenor saxophone mouthpiece. We should be able to get this back in shape for him before permanent damage happens to the mouthpiece.
I cleaned the piece with some white vinegar diluted about 1:1.
I masked off the area I'm going to be filling with some blue painters tape. Find this at any local hardware store with a paint area.
I'm working on some cardboard. After masking this off, I mix up just a little bit of the Scotch-Weld and work it together for about a minute to a minute and a half. Put it in the window you've masked off.
I think I've been a bit overzealous in the amount I used, but this will just make for a longer curing time. For now, I'm going to remove the tape and just let it sit for a couple hours.
Now we're going to do something you've been taught since day one to never do. Take sandpaper to a mouthpiece.
Before we go any further, a standard disclaimer is necessary here. One wrong move and you can ruin your mouthpiece. It isn't my fault if you ruin your virgin 1950 Florida "Slant Sig" Otto Link because you read something here.
However, Just be careful and stay away from the tip & rail of your piece. You need to concentrate on where you put the Scotch-Weld and work to make that even with the beak of the piece. It might look a bit scary once you get going. A good quality hard-rubber mouthpiece will shine up nicely.
Here's what I have after sanding with 220 grit sandpaper.
I went up to 320, 600, 900, #0000 steel wool and polished with the Meguiar's ScratchX 2.0 and a soft paper towel.
There ended up being a couple small microholes I fixed up before calling it on this.


José was my best friend at school freshman year. He was Puerto Rican, NOT Mexican—a fact he corrected me on only once, but I'm sure he's had to continuously inform people of if he always wants them to know. Our baseball coach freshman year called José "Paco," which was of course fodder for the rest of us, but was likely just the result of an old man trying to remember everyone's name and somehow thinking everyone from Mexico was named Paco. José even wore this huge gold chain around his neck that said "José" right on it, and which the umpires would make him remove when he pitched. I pitched a little that year, too, but mostly I played second, or third, or sometimes first. I remember that gold chain as my inspiration for buying my own after my mom had bought me a cheap hollow one from Kohl's. I went to a gold shop down on Lisbon where the guy told me all the chains were new, which seemed kind of odd when I saw a large gold pendant that said "José" on it (along with the fact that none of the chains came in any packaging). Two-hundred dollars later, I had myself a nice thick chain with an eagle pendant and a card that guaranteed me a loan from the establishment if I ever needed it.


White Horehound - Herbal remedy for Bronchitis: White Horehound is a gentle stimulating expectorant effective in relaxing the spasms. White horehound is mostly used as a herbal tea. When making a tea, a half to one teaspoon of the dried herb can be used in one cup of boiling water. Infuse for 10-15 minutes, strain and drink 2 cups daily until condition improves.


text:
CAN-DO Founder
CAN-DO Staff Members
Activism Assistance
Prisoner Outreach
Our POWs
Top 25 Women
Top 25 Men
Pot Prisoners
Seeking Clemency
Mandy Martinson – 15 Years – Received Clemency 12/16/16
All Content Copyright ©2019 CAN-DO Foundation
Now Free
Congratulations to Mandy Martinson who received clemency from a 15 year sentence!
Mandy Martinson
Charge: Conspiracy to Distribute Meth
Priors: First Offense
Sentence: 15 years
Served: 12 years
Sentenced: 2005
Release Date: 10/21/2017 – due for release to half-way house in January 2017
Prison Conduct: Exemplary – Role Model Inmate
Accomplishments: Teaches a course in The Purpose Driven Life; Horticulture; Works at UNICOR; Heavy Equipment Operator;
Institution: Waseca, Camp
Clemency status: GRANTED on 12/16/2016
Since her conviction, Mandy has successfully completed numerous additional treatment courses and remained drug free. She has been certified to operate heavy equipment, is taking a horticulture class, and is teaching a course on The Purpose Driven Life. Mandy was selected to be a companion to prisoners on suicide watch. "It is very frustrating to think I may have so many years left in prison," says Mandy. "I am making the most of my time here, though. I know change is coming. There are just way too many people like me incarcerated for way too long."
NBC news covers Mandy's clemency:
Erin Fuchs wrote about Mandy's case on Sept. 13, 2013, for Business Insider, entitled:
The Gut-Wrenching Story Of An Addict Who Got Clean, Got A Job, And Then Got 15 Years In Prison
Details about Mandy's case:
Like so many women, Mandy had a productive life and was a responsible citizen until she experienced
Mandy went to prison at age 28
trauma in the form of domestic violence. Although Mandy admits she had used marijuana and meth occasionally at parties, in August of 2003 Mandy started dating and moved in with a man who sold and had access to her drug of choice – Meth. She started using heavily every day and slid into what she describes as a "self-destructive rampage" after getting out of a relationship with boyfriend who physically abused her. Her self-medicating to avoid stress turned into a proverbial 'out of the frying pan into the fire' scenario because she didn't care that her new boyfriend sold drugs and in fact, that was the magnet that drew her to him. He was kind, nice and fed her habit, so they quickly moved in together. Though Mandy says she never sold drugs or carried a gun, she admits that she traveled with her boyfriend when he went to pick up marijuana and one-pound quantities of meth from his supplier. She also helped him count and bundle money from the drug transaction. Unbeknownst to Mandy, her new boyfriend fell under investigation by the North Central Iowa Narcotics Task Force in October 2003. On January 14, 2004, police searched Mandy and her boyfriend's home. Both of them were in the basement where police found a duffle bag that belonged to Mandy's boyfriend that contained 10 pun-pound packages of marijuana and two one-pound packages of methamphetamine "ice." Based on her association with her boyfriend, Mandy was arrested when cops searched their house and found Meth, marijuana and two handguns.
Prior to trial, Mandy was released on her own recognizance and sought drug treatment. She eventually got her previous job back as a dental hygienist. Although Mandy achieved sobriety it did not help her at sentencing even though the Judge was sympathetic and made the following statements at Mandy's sentencing:
"Ms. Martinson's involvement in this offense became somewhat extensive, but the evidence demonstrated that [Mandy] was involved due to her drug dependency and her relationship with [her boyfriend] and that she was largely subject to his direction and control… Even Ms. Martinson's possession of the firearm was at the direction of [her boyfriend] and was facilitated by [her boyfriend]. By accepting responsibility and cooperating with the government, the apparent leader of this matter, [Mandy's boyfriend], has ultimately received a sentence of 90 months on the conspiracy and 60 months consecutive on the gun charge for a total of 150 months in custody. Under any possible sentence that the law would allow for Ms. Martinson, the sentence will exceed that of [her boyfriend]. Ms. Martinson's involvement is closer to that of [one of her co-defendants] … who received a mandatory minimum sentence of 120 months. Upon obtaining reasonable drug treatment and counseling and in the wake of what she is facing now, the Court does not have any particular concern that Ms. Martinson will commit crimes in the future."
Nonetheless, the judge was forced to give Mandy a mandatory minimum of 10 years for the conspiracy and possession charges, and a mandatory five-year consecutive term for the gun charge, for a total sentence of 15 years behind bars.
Personal Background:
Mandy's family. Sadly, Mandy's mother (Mandy's upper left) passed away due to bone cancer on August 3, 2014
Mandy grew up in a happy home in Mason City, Iowa. She graduated from high school on the honor roll, then went on to college, made the Dean's list several times, and graduated. She had a steady work history and became a licensed dental hygienist after college. Since her conviction, Many has successfully completed numerous additional drug treatment courses and remained drug free. Mandy misses her family immensely and yearns to be reunited with them so the healing can begin and so they can start creating memories together, where she is part of the family, once again.
Amy Ralston Povah CAN-DO Foundation CANDOclemency clemency criminal justice reform drug war injustice Mandy Martinson pardons President Obama Clemency women in prison
← LaShonda Hall in Knoxville Mercury News
Sandra Bowen – 18 years →
CAN-DO Post Categories
CAN-DO News
CAN-DO in the Media
Top 25 Marijuana Offenders
CAN-DO Staff
CAN-DO Pages
CAN-DO Board Members
CAN-DO Contact Us
CAN-DO Foundation Advisory Board Members
CAN-DO Foundation Home
CAN-DO in the News
CAN-DO Media
CAN-DO Teddy Bear-Care Program
CAN-DO's Founder — Amy Ralston Povah
CAN-DO's Mission Statement
Marcus Paige –
The CAN-DO Foundation Newsletter
The Day I met President Clinton
The Top 25 Women Deserving Clemency
Top 25 Men Deserving Clemency
The Clemency ReportFAMM.orgACLU - Life without ParoleLaw Enforcement Against ProhibitionLife for PotThe November CoalitionHuman Rights & The Drug WarCriminal Justice Policy FoundationDrug Policy AllianceThe Human SolutionWomenBehindBars.org
Copyright © 2019 CAN-DO Clemency.com


Kevin J. McNamara, an FPRI Associate Scholar, is a former journalist for Calkins Media Inc. and a former aide to U.S. Congressman R. Lawrence Coughlin. He earned the B.A. in journalism and the M.A. in international politics from Temple University (where he was a student of noted military historian Russell F. Weigley), as well as a certificate from the Center for National Security Law at the University of Virginia Law School. A former contributing editor to Orbis: A Journal of World Affairs, he has been published in journals such as The American Spectator, Commentary, Defense News, Military History Quarterly, Modern Age, National Review Online, Russian Life, Society, The University Bookman, and The World & I, as well as in the Chicago Tribune, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Detroit News, Newsday, Philadelphia Inquirer, Providence Journal, and Seattle Times. His work has been translated into Chinese and has been cited by the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs and by the U.S. Commission on Broadcasting to the People's Republic of China. He is listed in Who's Who in the World, Who's Who in America, and Who's Who in the East.
In 2016, McNamara's narrative history of one of the wildest misadventures of the modern era, Dreams of a Great Small Nation: The Mutinous Army that Threatened a Revolution, Destroyed an Empire, Founded a Republic, and Remade the Map of Europe, was published by Public Affairs. McNamara first learned of this tale during a journey across eastern Siberia shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union, when he traveled more than 2,000 miles along the Trans-Siberian Railroad. He was subsequently awarded research grants by the Earhart and Tawani Foundations to acquire and translate more than 100 first-hand accounts of this tale of an unlikely army that trekked across Siberia at the end of the First World War, only to become enmeshed in the Russian Civil War. These first-hand accounts by members of the "Czecho-Slovak Legion" emerged from Prague after the collapse of its communist regime and have never before been rendered in English.
The book has met with high praise in reviews in the Czech Republic, United Kingdom, and United States. Publisher's Weekly calls McNamara's book a "captivating narrative history . . . McNamara proves to be a great storyteller." Kirkus Reviews calls Dreams of a Great Small Nation "Extraordinary . . . McNamara, an impressive storyteller armed with a treasure of documents only recently available, ably narrates the remarkable feats of these men who fought every inch of the way . . . a fantastic addition to the shelves of World War I histories." The Library Journal says he "shares a valuable story that is relatively unknown and understood in the West." Below are links to the entire Kirkus and Publisher's Weekly reviews of Dreams of a Great Small Nation.


The Hollywood Express 3 is an economical three bike trunk rack. Fits most vehicles with easy-to-use adjustment tubs and six attachment straps.* Soft rubber bike cradles help protect bike's finish. Comes fully pre-assembled and folds flat for easy storage.


Live Chat is a widely used service. Sometimes there is a need to talk to a customer over the phone. Most of the Live Chat service providers do not have an ability to make phone calls to a customer during a Live Chat session. To remediate this, one Live Chat service provider recently integrated their service with Anveo's platform to be able to offer Anveo's Click-to-Call feature.
Let me share our experience with Anveo API. We wanted to add a Click-to-Call feature to our product that is used around the World. The core of our Live Chat product is implemented using PHP language and MySQL database. Integration with Anveo was relatively easy. Anveo's DIAL.CONNECT API call is used to initiate a phone call between a customer support representative and online customer/visitor. One developer was assigned to work on Anveo integration and it was completed within a day.
To keep things really simple at first, we have chosen not to make use of Anveo Call Flow. However, we are considering a move towards Anveo Call Flow to offer more flexibility to our customers.