How can we transform those exhausting dull grotty moments of motherhood into something that can lift us up instead…?
With a lovely little unexpected unlikely meditation of course.
So let's gather together some meditations for those less-than-meditative mothering moments - like the endless washing up and hoovering, the race not to be late for school, the sleepless nights, the constant mess-juggling or whatever's winding you up right now.
And share a photo to illustrate your words - think of it as your alternative to a classic ambient CD cover perhaps... (whale noises optional)?
If you would like to meditate on one of unlikely meditations below, just double click on the picture.
Next time you're doing something that annoys or frustrates you, try and think about how you could transform the experience into a random meditation. Be as honest or as cheesy as you like. Whatever works for you!
Is this you, Mama? Enduring the sounds of soft play? Take a moment. Breathe.
And if we're lucky we might even get to meditate while they nap on the way home!
We're all busy. Life is busy. Being a grown up is busy. Busy busy busy. The word is overused.
Am I busy or am I just living? If my day were not full of activity, what would it be? Sad? Lonely? Isolated?
I remind myself how lucky I am to have a life so full of energy, challenge and hype. Yin and yang. I take the ebb with the flow.
Those days that are truly busy, they're a sign to slow down; stop taking on so much. Don't fill up every second of every day.
Keep your mind receptive and your body energised to enjoy a happy space in between fulfilment.
If he always returned from nursery with a spotless shirt?
The poo is inconvenient and badly timed.
As I bend and coax and crouch and wipe and reach and stretch, I consider what my boy has eaten to make him poo so prolifically and enthusiastically. I notice we are well fed and digest easily. My body has recovered from recent birth well enough to let me polish a reluctant toddler. The squealing bundle strapped to my front as I pin down his older brother is a joyous gift, even while making the task physically harder.
In contrast, the fragrant saffron poo of my newborn speaks of freshness and life and a body that is growing entirely from me.
Both my boys need this service from me now, but one day their bottoms will be private (and probably hairy).
For once, instead of working up until the absolute last possible Oh-SH*T-I'm-going-to-be-late second to leave the house, I am stopping five minutes early.
And I will sit here and look out the window, instead of at my computer screen.
And I will try to let the list of Important Things that I need to DO that rushes straight into my head... rush straight out again.
And I will ignore the toys on the floor, and the ping of an email, and buzz of my phone.
And if I need to go for a wee, I will go for a wee, instead of holding it in and rushing out the door because there isn't enough time for that.
And I will breathe. And sit.
And be proud of all I have achieved today, even if it wasn't as much as I had hoped.
Because I am managing this juggling of work and life and home and somehow getting through it.
And I will take a moment to let my heart fill with delight at the thought of my children's beautiful faces and what a pleasure it will be to spend time with them again.
Because, truly, everything else can wait.
Whilst on the losing side of a negotiation with a small child who is convinced that they don't like something they loved yesterday.
As a fork is swiped away and the food tumbles to the floor, and you think "let battle commence"...take your mind forward to after the battle, to fields covered in poppies, where it no longer matters who won each skirmish, and remember that this hour soon passes. Be reminded that this is a trivial frustration compared to these real battles, no matter how it feels at the time.
As you argue about whether or not they like yesterday's favourite food today, be grateful for their fluency in language, and negotiation skills which will carry them far in life.
As you dig deep into your imagination for another way to persuade them to eat one more mouthful, take a moment to look around and wonder at the inspired creativity within you which comes up with these things meal after meal after meal.
As you clear yet another unfinished plate, focus not on the food remaining but on the food which has gone, and remind yourself that your growing, thriving, developing child must be taking on some nutrients.
Get some chocolate out for dessert and have some yourself, and remember - all things will pass!
The water running over my hands reminds me of the sea.
I try to remember moments of peace, of my skin being caressed by the water as I splash and swim and float on my back looking up at the sky.
I am reminded that I am made of water. This miraculous liquid that connects us, cleans us, and supports us.
And I am reminded of how lucky I am to have access to clean hot water, at the turn of my tap.
I can protect my children from germs with a simple squirt of washing up liquid, and a wipe.
I am so lucky to have them, healthy and here.
I may think I hate washing up. But this life, of clean water, good health, regular food, this life of washing up is a gift.
Now all I need is a drying up meditation, or one that will magically imbue me with safer stacking skills.
The rain pours down, I'm still there.
Have a migraine that would debilitate an elephant? I'm still there.
Broken leg, horrific flood, snow storms that would impress the Arctic. I'm still there.
I'm there waiting in the cold, waiting in the dark, waiting for hours, waiting alone, waiting in a crowd, waiting hungry, waiting tired, waiting.
And then that door opens, that little bundle of love and smiles charges out of the door, gabbles at a million miles an hour about their day (or not), and I remember why I don't mind waiting. Because those 6 hours are torture without them.


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Prof. Dr. Raheel Qamar (T.I or Tamgha-i-Imtiaz) is the Rector of the COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT), Islamabad. CIIT is the Pakistan's first exclusive institute for Information Technology.The CIIT was awarded Charter by the Government of Pakistan in the year 2000 and in less than a decade, it has grown into a quality institution of higher learning under his able leadership. CIIT now has eight campuses in seven cities, a student population of more than 35,000 and faculty bas
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The Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) is an international organization. It aims to reduce the ever-growing gap between the developed and developing world through useful applications of science and technology. The Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) initiated the proposal for the formation of COMSATS under the leadership of Nobel Laureate, Dr. Abdus Salam. The foundation-conference of COMSATS was held at Islamabad on 4th & 5th October 19
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Secure File Service
Secure File Service is a service providing whole disk encryption on Windows desktops and laptops, and CIFS file share encryption on designated file servers. This service addresses the requirements for securely storing Regulated Private Data and/or Personally Identifiable Information.
Intended Audience: Faculty and staff who requested access via their IT Support Staff
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1). Himachal Pradesh is celebrating _______ Himachal Day on April 15.
2). Government has reconstituted Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) board. Who has been appointed as Chairman of the Board.
3). India and _________ have agreed to enhance collaboration on tackling offshore tax evasion and increase co-operation in sharing of cross-border tax information.
4). The female boxer who was named as one of the eight ambassadors for the upcoming World Championships by the International Boxing Association (AIBA).
5). Manika Batra and Soumyajit Ghosh have qualified for 2016 Rio Olympics. They belong to which sports.
6). Which state has launched the Bhimrao Ambedkar Awas Yojana for widows?
8). Volodymyr Groysman appointed as the new Prime Minister of which country?
10). Award-winning photographer, Malick Sidibe, has died at the age of 80. He belongs to which country?
11). Name the major exercise conducting in the deserts of Rajasthan to evaluate the capability of the Army to strike deep into enemy territory in an integrated air-land battle environment.
12). Who gets Mumbai Press Club's lifetime achievement awardAwarded by The Mumbai Press Club– 'RedInk Award for Lifetime Achievement in Journalism'?
13). Name the humanoid robot that can speak, show micro-expressions and move eyes and body that was unveiled by researchersat the University of Science and Technology of China.
14). Mercedes' NicoRosberg took pole at the 2016 Chinese Grand Prix. He belongs to which Country?
16). ThrissurPooram is a traditional festival celebrated in which state?
17). Infosys cofounder S Gopalakrishnan launched a new app that chronicles the"fascinating journey" of the Indian IT industry since the 1950s. Name the app.
18). According to the latest reports released, which is the best country in the world to raise children?
19). Who has appointed as Director General, Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards?
20). Name the first ever Indian gymnast to qualify for Olympics.
22). According to the study conducted by Assocham-SREI, which state tops in Public Private Partnership project investments?
23). With which country does Uttar Pradesh Government shared contributions to enhance the Road Connectivity of about 400 Kms in major district in Uttar Pradesh State?
25). Name the Indian-American nominated by US President Barack Obama as the country's next envoy to Chad.
26). Who among the following was appointed by State government of Goa as its new Lokayukta?
27). Which bank becomes as the first private sector bank to open dedicated branch for start-ups?
29). India ranks ____ out of 180 countries listed in the World Press Freedom Index 2016, released by NGO Reporters without Borders.
30). Who among the following persons has been conferred with one of the highest awards of Cyprus for his work in a number of senior roles within the Commonwealth Secretariat?


6 Reasons You Can't Stick to Your Workout Routine – and How to Fix it!
I'm sure you've been there; you are ready to dedicate yourself to regular workouts – to lose weight, to get stronger, or to feel better about yourself. Whatever the reason, it's great to add exercise to your day.
So you find a new workout series online, or you buy a set of DVDs or join a gym. At first, it's great! You're sweating, you're working hard, and you are ready for change! But the infatuation wears off.
These situations are all too common, and there are some very specific reasons why you can't stick to your workout routine.
Here are 6 Reasons You Can't Stick to a Workout Routine – And How to Fix it!
Although it is great to pull up a free youtube or Amazon workout video and exercise alone in your living room, It can be difficult to stay accountable. When your S/O is snacking on chips and the family is watching TV, how are you supposed to hold yourself to your higher standard of health? The best way to fix this is to get someone else involved!
You've started exercising, but you just don't feel good. Maybe it's headaches, excessive soreness, or general discomfort. Chances are, you are missing something from your diet. Track your diet for a week using an app, or a pen and paper. Are you getting at least 8 glasses of water a day? What does your protein and carbohydrate intake look like? Many people think they need to go "low carb" when they are trying to exercise or lose weight, when in fact your body needs carbohydrates in order to recover from a workout.
This is a big one. Sometimes, you just don't feel like exercising. These are the days when it is extra important to get some activity in. It can be something easy, like a walk through the neighborhood, a leisurely bike ride, or stretching. The key is to keep yourself in the habit of getting some sort of exercise and not upsetting your routine.
If you try an exercise program that you just don't like or that you find boring, it is nearly impossible to follow through with it. Try a few different types of workouts – weight lifting, yoga, Zumba, water aerobics, jogging, or Pilates, to name a few. If there is one that is more enjoyable (or less unbearable) than the others, keep trying it! You may have discovered something that you will enjoy and be good at!
While it is good to have variety in your workouts, it is good to have a balance between new and familiar. Becoming familiar with the types of movements needed for good form is extremely important to prevent injury. And always doing a new workout can be chaotic and make you feel like you aren't seeing progress. Let yourself become familiar with one type of workout, and then if it becomes too repetitive, try another.
Don't let pride get in the way; there is nothing wrong with a "Beginner" workout. I've made the mistake of jumping into heavy weights or an intense HIIT routine after not working out for a month or two… And I almost always end up too sore to move, dispirited from feeling "out of shape", or I end up injured. If it is your first time working out in awhile, or if you aren't feeling your best, it is 100% OK to take it easy until your body gets used to the routine again. Don't be too hard on yourself.
Do you have any fail-proof tips to get your workout in every day? Share in the comments!
Next Wake up with some Vitamin C!


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Marjorie Marshall Brunson
SPARTANBURG, SC-- Mrs. Majorie Marshall Brunson, 87, formerly of Chester, died Friday, October 30, 2009, at White Oak Estates, Spartanburg, SC. A graveside service was held Sunday, November 1, 2009, at Evergreen Cemetery.
A native of Appomattox, VA, Mrs. Brunson was born December 14, 1921, a daughter of the late John Patterson Marshall and Reva Mae Cheatham Marshall. She was a graduate of Appomattox High School and Sinai Hospital School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD where she received her Registered Nurse degree. She was a member of Purity Presbyterian Church and the widow of Emmett W. Brunson, Jr.
She is survived by a daughter, Marshall Brunson Calvert and her husband Reuben DeFoix Calvert of Spartanburg, SC; two grandchildren, Jennifer Sirmon Fox and her husband Dr. Michael Patrick Fox of Easley, SC and John Worthington Sirmon and his wife Tina Pickering Sirmon of Lake Wylie, SC; and four great-grandchildren, Sullivan Worthington Sirmon and Grayson David Sirmon, both of Lake Wylie, SC and Stephen Michael Fox and Leah Katherine Fox, both of Easley, SC.
Memorials may be made to Purity Presbyterian Church, 135 Wylie Street, Chester, SC 29706.
Barron Funeral Home, 133 Wylie Street, Chester, SC 29706 was in charge of arrangements for the Brunson family.


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Cinema & VOD 2 Years Ago July 27, 2018
Dead Night Release Date
The movie Dead Night is already released on Cinema and VOD in the USA. The upcoming Blu-ray and DVD release date in the USA and UK and Cinema and VOD release date in the UK is to be announced.
July 27, 2018Confirmed
Dead Night
James (AJ Bowen) and his wife Casey (Brea Grant) load up their two teenage kids and head out to a remote cabin in Oregon for a weekend trip. When James heads into the snowy forest in search of firewood, he encounters an enigmatic woman (Barbara Crampton) passed out in the snow. Bringing her back to the cabin for help, the family has no way of knowing that the woman's presence is the catalyst for a series of events that will change their lives forever.
Brad Baruh
Elise Luthman
Joshua Hoffman
James Bartz
Mikie Beatty
Shauna Case
Jagger Chase
Marcy Cohen
Gina Comparetto
Kay D'Arcy
Sophie Dalah
Alison Haislip
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https://youtube.com/embed/tyKyboTBsU4


The commercial town of Zeerust is located in the Ngaka Modiri Molema district in the North West Province, South Africa. Farming and mining are the main sources of income, with cattle farming being the most popular in the area.The town has a rich history, and many ruins of missions and old monuments are visible throughout the town and its surrounding areas. The town itself was named after a church built on the original farm. The town is the commercial hub for many of the small towns in the area. The predominant languages of Zeerust are Tswana and Afrikaans. Tourism is a growing industry due to the culture, history and beautiful dams surrounding the area.


Huawei is expected to fix the issue in next EMUI 9 update.
Huawei has apparently removed the ability to use third-party app launchers on Huawei and Honor phones after the EMUI 9 beta update. According to an XDA thread (via Mysmartprice), the latest EMUI 9 beta update based on Android 9 Pie has reportedly removed the ability to use third-party launchers for some users.
Huawei recently extended its Android 9 Pie-based EMUI 9 beta program more devices, and some users on Reddit have reported that they have been unable to use third-party launchers after the update.
Reportedly, the problem only affects certain Chinese ROMs of EMUI 9 and not global. Also, it is being said that sources in Huawei has confirmed that the issue will be fixed in the next EMUI update.
Furthermore, another Reddit user contributed to the thread by noting that Huawei is aware of the issue, and as per their Chinese official forums, the default launcher option will come back in the next version 9.0.0.120 of the EMUI 9 beta update. However, no official statement has come from Huawei on this issue as yet.
To remind you, after the initial EMUI 9 beta program for nine devices in early September, Huawei recently extended it to 11 new devices. The update issued a warning to users who may want to join the beta test stating that Beta program involves unreleased, unfinished software that may break important functionality in your device. It also noted that there are limited slots in the program. This is because of the unstable nature of software during this test phase.


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[VIDEO] Naivasha school has a 'Marijuana testing kit' that can easily tell students who have been smoking bhang in or out of school
Posted by admin on March 31, 2014 in KENYA NEWS | 240 Views	| 0 Comment
The school's Principal, Gatehi Njoroge and his students perform a marijuana test
It is a cold morning in Naivasha. Tens of students rush to the dining hall for a cup of porridge and a piece of loaf before heading for their classes ready for the day's lessons.
It is, however, the second group that attracts more attention, as it holds a discussion near the main office before heading into a laboratory. The group of about 10 students cleans the lab before setting out various equipment and chemicals on the table ready for various tests.
To a visitor, the tests look like a ritual, as one student, assisted by a female teacher, uses scissors to get pinches of hair from some students, and places them into marked test tubes.
What follows is a series of tests and recordings, as the students and the teachers carefully and expertly sample the specimens left behind.
Welcome to Father Abraham High School in Naivasha, where they have discovered a 'Marijuana testing kit' that can easily tell students who have been smoking bhang in or out of school. With cases of students taking drugs in the country rising by the day, the school located in Nyonjoro area of Naivasha has literally decided to take the bull by its horns.
The school was incidentally on the news last year when it confirmed that it had installed surveillance cameras in various sections of its compound to monitor the activities of students. The CCTV cameras are placed in strategic locations, including the dormitories, and have been handy in dealing with disciplinary cases in the school that opened its doors in 2011. This time the school has gone an extra mile and discovered the testing kit in a bid to deal head on with drug abuse among students.
Fight peddlers
Principal Gatehi Njoroge, the brain behind the kit, says they have 129 students from various backgrounds. He says in the last two years they had serious disciplinary problems, forcing them to install CCTV cameras mainly to catch those smoking bhang.
"This curbed the problem to an extent, but we could not control the students during their holidays and on days out in the nearby Naivasha town," he says. Mr Njoroge, who is also the chemistry teacher, tells how they sought marijuana testing kits from the US, but abandoned the idea after learning that a disposable kit was going for Sh12,000 per kit.
But with the support of the school director Andrew Chege, they used over Sh100,000 in a six-month research, which has borne fruit.
Father Abraham Boys High School, Naivasha
Njoroge says once a person smokes marijuana, the elements of the bhang (cannabinoids) are excreted and remain in the hair for 90 days. Bhang gets out of the body's system through the hair. And with the test, the school can easily know who has taken the drug in the last 90 days and this has seen cases of drug abuse in the school reduce. "The process involves taking strands of hair from the students and mixing them with various reagents. We then observe the results for three hours," he says.
If the colour turns purple it means the student has been using the drug. Such a student is put under watch and counseling and the parents informed. Since the random tests were introduced, 16 students have been found to have traces of the drug.
"Those who were positive were found to come from Nairobi and are senior students" said Njoroge.
Unlike other schools, where the student is sent home, things are different in this school, as the student is embraced and taken through the hazardous effects of using drugs.
"The CCTV and marijuana test have helped us to maintain high level of discipline and also improve the academic standards among students," he says. Njoroge says they are in the process of patenting the test and handing it over to the Government chemist for certification and approval. "Parents in recent years have abdicated their parental responsibilities to teachers and hence the sharp rise in drug abuse in our schools," he says. According to results from the test kit, students in Form Two and Three were the most affected, but the percentage of exposure is on the decline since the tests started.
One of the Form Four students, who declines to be named, admits that he was using marijuana before he arrived in the school.
"This is my fourth school. I was expelled from my previous school after I was caught smoking bhang in the toilet," he says.
He says he was shocked when he was tested early in the year and results turned positive. He expected another suspension. "Instead, I was taken through counseling and I have vowed to stop the habit of smoking marijuana," he says.
The National Authority for Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) Chairman John Mututho says the authority is aware of the testing kit and is ready to support the school. The former Naivasha MP is full of praise for the initiative, saying many schools and parents have tried to wish away the problem.
He terms drug abuse in learning institutions in the country as very serious and points to secondary schools, colleges and universities in towns as the most affected. "We know of cases in some colleges where drug prevalence is over 60 per cent and the number of those abusing drugs is on the increase," he says.
Mututho says the authority is seeking more equipment that will help fight drug abuse in schools and the increasing number of drug peddlers.
"The biggest challenge in fighting drugs has been what to do with those using the drugs. We should consider setting up rehabilitation centres," he says. He says the country has put so much focus on alcohol abuse among drivers and forgotten learning institutions, where drug abuse is at its highest. Naivasha sub-county Education Officer Mbugua Kabaki says he is aware of the testing kit and that NACADA officials had visited the school. He says cases of students abusing drugs and alcohol are there, though minimal.
"I have heard of the testing kit, which is analysing hair to determine whether a student has smoked marijuana, and we are still waiting for it to be certified," he says. Cathy Wanjohi, a counselor, admits that many youths are using drugs. She blames this on peer pressure and lack of parental guidance.
Lifebloom International's Ms Wanjohi says many of the students engage in drugs either on an experimental basis or to show that they have 'matured'.
"Many of the students start with smoking cigarettes before moving to hard stuff like bhang, cocaine and even heroin," she says. The counselor points an accusing finger to parents who leave their children at the mercy of teachers, fellow students and the world.
"The students also want to be identified with a certain group or class in their school and this has led to an increase in cases of drug and alcohol abuse," she says.


"That's kind of the idea," he said. "I need the extra strength." He reached out and took her hands. "But it won't go wrong this time, I promise. I've checked everything." He looked over at Andrew and grinned. "Hang in there, Andrew. This is nearly over. I won't need the dragons or you once this is done." He headed back out of the room again.
Nari. Andrew reached along her thread and found her buzzing aeroplanes again. I need to send a message to my father. He pushed the conversation to her.
I'll tell my mirian. He'll pass it on, she said. But I really don't like how he said he wouldn't need us any more.
"And none of the other thin places will do as well as this one. => what is the meaning of thin in this context? is it meant as the fabric between the worlds being thin in this area?


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Our Precondition is Nicaragua First and Nothing "Under the Table"
Three of the delegates of the university student organizations who took part in the May-July meetings of the National Dialogue as part of the Civic Alliance. From left to right: Max Jerez, Alejandra Centeno, Angel Rocha | Courtesy
By Franklin Villavicencio (Confidencial)
HAVANA TIMES – The Nicaraguan students have a single representative, sitting at the negotiating table to continue the National Dialogue between the Government of Daniel Ortega and the Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy. However, they have very clear demands before the dictatorship: the release of political prisoners, democratization and justice, as they stated during the protests that began in April, and that persist even today in exile or in hiding.
Max Jerez, a student delegate of the Nicaraguan University Alliance, is one of the six members of the Civic Alliance at the negotiation table. Alejandra Centeno, a representative of the University Coordinator for Democracy and Justice (CUDJ) is one of the Alliance advisors, and Angel Rocha, a member of the April 19th Student Movement, is also an advisor. They are three of the students on the Civic Alliance that will be present at the negotiation.
We spoke with them to learn their proposals. Despite the criticism and distrust that some Nicaraguans have expressed against the talks, the students affirm that there will be nothing "under the table".
"Ortega is going to receive a bill for everything he has done. We are not willing to negotiate if his plan is to make an apparent negotiation, which was what he did in the last dialogue. We are clear to what we are getting ourselves into," Angel Rocha firmly says.
The objectives of the university sector of the protest movement are the same as those proposed by the Civic Alliance in its previous statements. They call it "the nation's agenda." And although not all the points have been made public, they maintain that this agenda extends from the release of the political prisoners and to the return of the exiles back to the country, whose number ascends to sixty thousand people.
"The compatriots who left the country have full confidence that their return will be on the agenda and all these guarantees will be addressed in these negotiations," adds Jerez. However, sectoral demands will "rise" in the future, when the country follows the path of democracy, they say.
The demands of the university organizations
The protests in April were marked by the discontent in the university sector that had been quietly incubating for a couple of years. The National Union of Students of Nicaragua (UNEN), considered as the support arm of the regime within state universities, was convened in April by hundreds of young people demanding fair elections within their precincts and respect for the University Autonomy Law (Law 89). The president of UNEN, Luis Andino, is also a delegate at the negotiating table, but on behalf of the dictatorship of Ortega and his wife and vice president Rosario Murillo.
But these demands will not be part, for now, of the agenda of the negotiators:
"We do not carry sectoral demands, more than the national agenda that we have mentioned. There can be no respect for autonomy if there are no democratic conditions. A regime or a government that has no respect for the right to life will not have respect for a Law of Autonomy. We believe that the first thing is to lead the country to democracy and that is when the students will demand that all the laws and institutions be complied with," says Jerez.
A student joins the protests in August at the threat of reducing the six percent constitutional budget for public universities. Franklin Villavicencio | Niú
Alejandra Centeno believes that the demands of the university community can be worked "in parallel" to the democracy and justice agenda. "There is no sectoral plan, the main focal points of justice and freedom also include the students," reiterates the advisor.
"Suspicions" of the negotiation
Since the disclosure of a meeting between the Nicaraguan "big capital" and the regime, several civic movements expressed their misgivings about the resumption of a negotiating table. Shortly after, the Episcopal Conference and the Civic Alliance announced that "the exchange" between the Civic Alliance and the Government would begin on February 27, but among some Nicaraguans there is still suspicion.
Also, the Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners and the Mothers of April Association, demanded to be taken into account in these negotiations, since they are direct relatives of victims of the repression. Their demands are focused on three aspects: the release of political prisoners, the cessation of repression and a way out of the crisis.
"There are many sectors that have obvious doubts in this process, especially in Ortega's ability to comply with negotiation agreements, but we trust that we must first define the role of the facilitators and the appropriate guarantors to efficiently perform this role and that they guarantee that pertinent agreements will be reached that achieve a peaceful exit," says the head of the Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners.
And if this does not happen, as the population expects, Alejandra Centeno affirms that she and the her student organization, the CUDJ, would leave the table.
"If there is no true political will or conditions at the level of the historical process that we are experiencing, we are ready to abandon the negotiation table. This is the position of the CUDJ," adds Centeno.
The students recognize that they are scrutinized by a society with demands, but they ask for a "vote of confidence". "There is no attempt to reach an agreement under the table. We have been clear on the agenda and that includes the freedom of the prisoners, democratization and justice," said Centeno.
Criticism of student delegates does not end there. They have also been branded as "tools of the business class." But they emphasize that they are "autonomous" and can express their points freely. "It's an obsession of Nicaraguan culture. When they see us with business people, they tell us that we sold out, that we made a pact… We should remove that concept," says Angel Rocha.
Preconditions in the negotiation?
Other demands of civil society outside the Civic Alliance are the "preconditions" that "should be established before any negotiating table." For various voices, there has never been a suitable scenario – or political will – to dialogue with the regime. This has been recognized by the Civic Alliance itself.
"Due to the deaths and the prisoners we cannot put preconditions that delay the process. We must sit down as soon as possible to agree on the framework of our negotiation. Here our precondition is Nicaragua and our commitment is with the prisoners, for justice and for freedom, "says Centeno.
Mothers in April demand justice in a sit-in for their murdered relatives. Carlos Herrera | Niú
But the expectation has surpassed progress. While the Civic Alliance announced its position and has asked for confidence in the process, Daniel Ortega's regime silences and keeps a large police force deployed on the streets, waiting to attack any demonstration of rebelliousness by the opposition protestors.
Vice president Rosario Murillo mentioned in her daily speech at noon that "it will be a momentous week", since she awaits a meeting with "businessmen", always emphasizing the economic crisis and not the acute political scenario that Nicaragua is experiencing since last April.
The students also have a position on the matter: "What's happening in the country is not an economic problem, there is a serious sociopolitical crisis. As young people, we are looking for an urgent peaceful way to out of this crisis," Rocha states.
On Friday, March 1, the Civic Alliance held a third meeting with the Government delegates. One of the demands of the population towards the negotiators is that the twelve points raised by the parties be revealed. So far, the regime accepted nine of them and it is not known what they are.
Max, Alejandra and Angel are convinced that they are on the right track, despite the pressure they also carry. Eleven months ago they were studying university careers and now they are immersed in marathon meetings with experts in negotiation issues. Nor do they consider that the past dialogue was a mistake, but they do admit that they have learned many lessons.
"Behind our backs is an enraged people that demands justice and freedom, and this commitment is very important for young people," they reaffirm.
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January 16Sophomores study poets
January 15French class reads children's book
January 15Soccer fans to receive free scarves at Thursday's game
January 13Sophomores study the Civil War
January 13Students attend dance
Upperclassmen overnight retreats offer a break from school for reflection, group activities.
Seniors on retreat listen to an introduction about the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito before going to observe the animals. The class stayed up past 11 p.m. for a circle sharing activity later that night.
Jemima Scott
Cassie Eskicioglu, Senior Reporter
The Junior Class retreat scheduled for Friday will be moved to a yet-to-be-determined date so all students and faculty can attend Stuart Hall High School's varsity basketball state championship game, but the purpose for the retreat will remain the same — to take a break from school life.
"The retreats are a unique opportunity for introspection and time for reflection," retreat leader Paul Pryor Lorentz said. "Time for shared togetherness, funtime, downtime and a tech timeout experience."
The senior's retreat took place early this month at Naturebridge in the Marin Headlands, and plans are for the Junior Class to head to the same location.
In addition to walking to the Marine Mammal Center, writing letters to their future selves, and playing cards, seniors spent time in an affirmation circle sharing kind words and personal stories about each of their classmates for over four hours.
"It was very emotional — a lot of people cried," senior Gabby Tom said. "It made me finally realize, 'Wow, I am never going to see some of these people [after high school] again.'"
The juniors can expect hiking, personal narrative reflections, and singing-bonding activities while on their retreat, according to Pryor-Lorentz.
"I went to the Headlands in fifth grade and had a great time," junior Sophie Mack said. "We did lots of bonding activities and hikes as a class. I'm excited about this retreat because I feel like its a similar chance for the whole grade to bond."
PAWS advisers will join the juniors in their retreats, offering them an opportunity to get to know students out of the classroom, according to Spanish teacher Mary Bicanic who will attend the junior retreat.
"I am really excited to see the class together in a big group setting, now that the class is at the end of junior year," Bicanic said. "I also like to see you all out of the classroom and school setting, when a lot of the normal day-to-day stressors are gone, everyone is relaxed, having fun and more focused on relationships."
Dedicated to work and learning, the classroom does not always offer students a space for certain activities such as meditation, according to Pryor-
Lorentz.
"On the simplest level, I hope that everyone gets relaxing downtime and quiet time to just recharge," Pryor Lorentz said. "On a deeper, higher aspiration level I hope that there is the opportunity for students to discover something about themselves, to have some sort of self-reflective insight that helps them be better in themselves."
Seniors depart for overnight retreat
Four grades, four retreats: Participants give insights on annual experience
Sophomores return from annual trip to Costa Rica
Convent of the sacred heart high school
upperclassmen
Sophomores study poets
Olivia Rounsaville, Senior Reporter
January 16, 2020 • No Comments
WEB EXCLUSIVE Sophomores in English teacher Angelica Allen's English II class finished their unit on English Romantic poets with research presentations on a poet and poem...
French class reads children's book
Soccer fans to receive free scarves at Thursday's game
Sophomores study the Civil War
Yuliya Oryol on Video massacres journalists' rights
Linnea Holmes on It's not cool; it's a Juul
ROCHELL S PRATER on Honoring the oppressed
Cheyenne Gestring on Teens feel pressure to be 'perfect'
jaeson on UC and CSU in fiscal crisis
Cat Webb-Purkis
Art Editor
Cat Webb-Purkis is a senior and the Art Editor for The Broadview. When she is not drawing, she enjoys working on personal art projects and swims on two teams.
Gabriella Vulakh
Gabriella Vulakh is a fourth-year staff member and Editor-in-Chief of The Broadview. Awards include recognition from the California Press Women, Best of School Newspapers Online, and the NSPA Journalism...
Tabitha Parent
Senior Reporter
Junior Tabitha Parent is a senior reporter for The Broadview. When not writing for the Broadview, Student Council member Tabitha can be found writing poetry or performing in school theater productions.
Teens feel pressure to be 'perfect'
Minors restricted from buying certain over-the-counter drugs
Workers often 'pay the price' for fast fashion
Lowering drinking age could teach responsibility, moderation
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My research crosses several distinct fields. While my first book project is anchored in nineteenth-century writers and literary criticism, it also takes up work in history, sociology, religion, gender, and American studies. I examine how a handful of singularly charismatic American women—chiefly Mary Moody Emerson, Margaret Fuller, Emily Dickinson, and Alice James—differently realized their literary ambitions through what I call the "antinomian sociability" of their lives and writing. The strange partnerships they invent with select others, I claim, have broad implications for how we think about collaborative authorship, literary achievement, and the tangled legacies of Puritanism and exceptionalism in American literary cultures.
A version of the book's chapter on Dickinson appeared in Texas Studies in Literature and Language (2013); it was awarded the Tony Hilfer Memorial Prize for the journal's best article of the year (2013). A version of another chapter, on Fuller and Ralph Waldo Emerson, recently appeared in ESQ (2015). I've also presented a slew of unrelated papers on other figures both within the antebellum period (Melville, Douglass, Nathaniel and Sophia Hawthorne) and on either side of it (Benjamin Franklin, William Byrd, Gwendolyn Brooks, Toni Morrison).
On another front, I'm convinced that we must express what we achieve in college classrooms to wider audiences. I've given a number of talks at universities and public forums that aim to do some of this work. Also in this vein is the "The Pen and the Drone," an essay in this volume edited by Joe Janangelo; the essay chronicles the challenges I faced in establishing West Point's Writing Fellows Program and Mounger Writing Center as well as the potential of these initiatives to transform cross-curricular writing education amid high-speed lives at the Academy and beyond. In between promoting the work of these initiatives, I'm working on shorter essays that explore, respectively, the value of multimodal projects in the public humanities for students in introductory composition and literature courses and ethical dilemmas in Writing Center work.


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Airbus to set innovation centre in Kerala
Airbus Bizlab India has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the government of the Indian state of Kerala to help establish an aerospace-focused innovation centre in Thiruvananthapuram. The Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM)
Dow launches hi-tech innovation centre in Saudi Arabia
Dow Chemical Company has announced the launch of its newly-built innovation centre located within the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Kaust) premises in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Located in Kaust's Research a
Dow opens new innovation centre in Saudi Arabia
IBM opens innovation centre in Abu Dhabi
IBM has launched its Innovation and Industry Client Centre in Abu Dhabi, UAE, aims to fast track the digital transformation of both public and private organizations through advanced technologies in artificial intelligence (AI), cloud, blockchain
Dubai Health Authority to build new innovation centre
Dubai Health Authority (DHA) plans to set up a new innovation centre in partnership with the private sector. The facility, to be located behind Rashid Hospital, will implement the latest technologies such as 3D printing and artificial intelligen
Samsung launches design innovation centre
Samsung Electronics has launched its Samsung Design Innovation Centre (SDIC), a design lab dedicated to the integration of disruptive user-experiences to product design, in San Francisco in the US state of California. Dr Federico


For additional images of this species, see: BG.
Abundance: Recorded from several counties across the state, primarily in the Piedmont where it can be locally common; likely more abundant in the right habitat.
Habitats: Has been found in mixed hardwood forest and forest edge.


get_post_meta and comment, user counterparts can be called without supplying the $key parameter. All metadata will be returned for an object ID. A great convenience, seeing that get_post_custom caches metadata for continuous use.
Custom header support has been added along with content templates and a full-width template. Design-wise minor improvements have been implemented. The second update to twentyeleven provides an overview on what the team is currently working on. As a reminder, freeze date is on the 29th of February.
Can't wait to try it out? svn co http://core.svn.wordpress.org/trunk/wp-content/themes/twentytwelve, it's far from production ready, though.
wp-pass.php is a tiny file in the root directory that "Creates the password cookie and redirects back to where the visitor was before." All logic is going has been moved to a wp-login.php action.
These functions have been deprecated in the trunk, and will probably be in 3.4, so make sure you plugins and themes don't use these dinosaurs.
This is one of the features we'll probably be seeing in WordPress 3.4, with work being conducted every day. Follow ticket #19810 for more information.
We might be seeing an anniversary changeset 20000 next week, or the week after, showing the enormous amount of work the WordPress development teams and the community has done to make WordPress better.
A bird's eye view of the upcoming features and changes can be checked out here. Follow the timeline and the WordPress Development Updates blog for daily insight into what WordPress 3.4 might look like.


The Vis Motrix dance group was founded in 2001 by dancer and choreographer Konstantino Gerardo. The first Vis Motrix production with the title "in dreams" was presented at the Sofouli Theatre – Thessaloniki New Art Stage in May 2001. Up to this day they have organized their own productions, shows, performances and improvisation nights with the participation of music groups, while at the same time they have participated in various art and dance festivals in Greece and abroad. In 2004 the group created the vis motrix studio, a cultural space in the centre of Thessaloniki where they conduct rehearsals, dancing lessons and seminars in collaboration with Greek and foreign artists.
Konstantino Gerardo, the group's art director and choreographer has participated in all the performances of the National Theatre of Northern Greece from 1989 until today. He collaborated with the Nees Morfes Theatre from 1997 until 2004 where he was the head of kinesiology for the performances and he participated as an actor as well. He also collaborated as a choreographer with the NTNG (National Theatre of Northern Greece), the National Theatre of Greece, with Neo Theatro, with the DIPETHE of Kavala and Veroia and many more. Today Konstantino is teaching at the NTNG Drama School, the "Andreas Voutsinas" Higher Drama School and the Matziari Dance School. At the same time he organizes dance seminars both in Greece and abroad.


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Google Wave, Knol and Gears Headed for Retirement [VIDEO]
By Mashable Video 2011-11-22 20:52:41 UTC
Google has shared the dates that several products "which haven't had the impact we'd hoped for," will be shutting down.
While the company had already announced the end of Google Wave and Google Gears, their respective demises now have specific dates attached. Additionally, Google's long fogotten Wikipedia competitor — Google Knol — has been added to the chopping block.
Check out the video above for the full list of Google products slated to be retired and let us know which you'll miss in the comments.
Topics: Apps and Software, Google, google knol, Most Recent, Tech


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So That's Definitely Letitia Wright in the New Black Panther Costume, Right?
On Monday, Marvel dropped its trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, featuring our first extended look at Ryan Coogler's follow-up to Black Panther. If you're reading this, it's a safe bet you're aware of the circumstances around this creative team's almost impossible task, but the spectacular early looks at the movie have soothed a lot of fears. The somber trailer re-introduces the likes of Angela Bassett's Ramonda, Winston Duke's M'Baku and Danai Guria's Okoye; and brings new faces like Dominique Thorn's Riri Williams, Michaela Coel's Aneka and, of course, Tenoch Huerta as Namor, the proud king of Marvel's oceans.
But one question reigns above all: Who is suiting up in The Suit? Chadwick Boseman's tragic death left the Black Panther mantle up for grabs, and this trailer confirms that Wakandan nature abhors a vacuum, so who's up? There are plenty of contenders, but we feel pretty confident: The new Black Panther will be T'Challa's sister Shuri, played by Letitia Wright.
There are plenty of reasons to think so. The suit reveal certainly looks like a woman. The poster puts Shuri front and center, all but establishing her as the star. And maybe the biggest clue of all: precedence. In Marvel Comics, Shuri has spent a lot of time as the Black Panther when her brother was out of the job. We're prepared to be wrong. Lupita Nyong'o, Guria or even Coel could very possibly suit up. But Shuri seems like the most obvious fit here, and Wright is primed for the role.
In 2020, RELEVANT spoke to Wright about her time in the MCU and on Steve McQueen's Mangrove. She also opened up about her faith. At the time, she'd been a Christian for about five years. "I go by God's Word," she said at the time. "His word says His yoke is easy, His burden is light. You can be anxious. He understands it. But He says, 'Be anxious for nothing,' in His Word. So I apply His Word and just pray it through."
Read our full conversation here.
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UK faces prospect of endless negotiations with the EU post-Brexit
The opening terms of the no-deal talks have already been revealed by Brussels
Sun, Apr 7, 2019, 12:05 Updated: Sun, Apr 7, 2019, 14:54
EU Council president Donald Tusk with British prime minister Theresa May in Brussels. Whatever happens next on Brexit, the British have entered a permanent state of negotiation with the EU. Photograph: Olivier Hoslet/EPA
How many times can we say "next week's emergency EU Brexit summit will be critical"? How many more times can we say "the events of the next few days should reveal much about the Brexit endgame"? If the past is any guide to the future, there is, quite possibly, a lot more of this to come.
The exhaustion evident on all sides is now an added risk: it's not just the Brexiteer ultras that want this to stop. Plenty of voices, in Paris and Brussels in particular, now suggest that the European project risks great harm from a Brexit process that lingers seemingly without end.
With precious little evidence that UK politicians can ever coalesce around an agreed coherent exit strategy, all that the future holds is more of the same: missed deadlines, parliamentary pantomime and last-minute requests for more time.
It should come as no surprise that the talks between Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn have gone nowhere. The prime minister is a Remain voter trying to deliver Leave. The leader of the opposition detests all things European, and is in charge of a party whose official policy is to hold a second referendum. Room for manoeuvre is precisely nil. If either protagonist does compromise their respective party will implode.
It's not impossible to imagine both parties splitting in the event of a Corbyn-May detente. That's why it's so difficult to see an agreement being achieved: there is no co-operative solution available to the participants in this particular game. A peculiar version of the prisoner's dilemma.
It all flows form the underlying dynamic of Brexit: there is now no good outcome available to the British. Nasty consequences will flow from all options available to them. From hard Brexit (next Friday) to revocation of article 50, and all points in between, the second most important game in Westminster is avoiding the blame, dodging the inevitable fallout. (The most important is to win the race to become the next prime minister).
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BREXIT: The Facts
Whatever happens next, the British have entered a permanent state of negotiation with the EU.
The opening terms of the no-deal talks have already been revealed by Brussels. They will be just like the terms set nearly three years ago. Money, citizens' rights and the Irish Border will be first up, and nothing else will be discussed until these are dealt with.
On the other hand, should a deal be passed by the House of Commons, trade talks will begin immediately. The penny has dropped in some parts of Westminster that, just as with the last three years, all of the power in those negotiations will rest with the European side of the table.
The Swiss know what permanent negotiations with the EU feel like. Some very undiplomatic descriptive language is often used by the Swiss participants in the talks.
Switzerland is not a member of the European Economic Area (EEA) but does belong to the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). As such it is a non-EU participant in the single market but is not part of the customs union. That single market membership is important: to get it they must accept freedom of movement (and the other freedoms). They have had to negotiate over 200 trade agreements with the EU to get to where they are today – and talks are still ongoing.
The EU is often said to be unhappy with one or two things the Swiss have managed to painfully negotiate over many years. As a result, Brussels is continuously trying to wring concessions – and better behaviour – from them.
The point here, of course, is that the EU is very good – very experienced – in dealing with its neighbours. The UK has had a mere three years of what Switzerland has been going through for decades: one set of Swiss-EU negotiations began in 1994, resulted in 10 bilateral treaties, seven of which only came into effect in 2002. One of the other three, the decision to be part of the Schengen Area, took effect in 2008.
Skilled negotiator
These things take time, and the EU is a patient, skilled and brutal negotiator. The only advice of the Swiss to the British about dealing with the EU on a bilateral basis is "don't".
While most normal people would heed this advice, we are all too aware that these are not normal times. With all of the focus on the will-they-or-won't-they withdrawal agreement, not enough attention has focused on the longer term.
That state of permanent negotiation with the EU risks a further diminishing of the UK. It will consume precious political and civil service resources, many of which they are yet to acquire.
Permanent negotiation is now inevitable. How we get from here to there is less obvious. It is perfectly rational for the French, informed in part by de Gaulle's doubts about the wisdom of letting the British enter in the first place, to ask for a plan. Everyone is sick and tired of the chaos. In such circumstances are poor decisions often made. Particularly when there are no good outcomes any more.
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Turn everyday notes and messages into an evolving work of art with this beautifully framed magnetic and dry erase home-office assistant. It's a great way to add organization and function to your home without sacrificing style. This high quality, multifunction board has a magnetic board on one side and a dry erase surface on the other side. Write to-dos or reminders next to pinned up notes, photos, or artwork. Works as great in the dining room, kitchen and mudroom as it does in your home office. It features a rustic flat surface frame with an authentic painted look and distinct brushstrokes. Its finish is a bright white with dark brushstrokes showing prominently, giving the frame the feel of shiplap at home in coastal, shabby chic or modern farmhouse decor.This multipurpose board with a 100% real wood frame is handmade in a small, custom art and frame shop in the American heartland. You will be proud to display it in your home.


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Back from the front line
TA SOLDIERS return safe and sound to families after five-month tour of duty in post-Saddam Iraq, Julia Thorley reports
After an agonising five-month wait, relieved families have welcomed South Cheshire's Territorial Army soldiers back from Iraq.
The delight on the soldiers' faces was clear as they arrived back.
The battalion was one of the few returning from Iraq without any serious injury or loss of life.
The men were posted to bases around Basra in June to help deliver the war-torn country from the hands of looters and gunmen after Coalition forces brought down Saddam Hussein's dictatorship.
The 13 men from the King's and Cheshire Regiment TA, based at Myrtle Street in Crewe, left jobs, partners and children behind for the mission.
But underneath the jubilation as they came home safe on Friday afternoon, it was clear the conflict had taken its toll on the men and their families.
Both joy and sadness were etched on the face of Captain Paul Clare, 38, as he saw his wife Tracy and children Sophie, eight, and Amy, two, for the first time since June.
'My youngest daughter does not really recognise me,' he said. 'Unfortunately, I have just missed her second birthday by a couple of days as well. She could not even talk when I went away. I have got a lot of lost time to make up for.
'When you see the deprivation over there in Iraq it makes you want to spend time with your own family.' The men were involved in humanitarian aid in addition to helping to rebuild the country's infrastructure which sustained relentless attacks from British and American forces during the war.
Capt Clare said: 'I was acting as Intelligence Officer and was responsible for civil affairs such as rebuilding schools and setting up police stations.
'We also had to undertake peace enforcement. There is a lot of tribal fighting, so it is about trying to come to a resolution. Our main aim was to get the Iraqi people to do it for themselves. In the five months we have been out there, the country has come a long way.
'They were hammered under Saddam and although you hear about a lot of hostility reported towards British and American troops, most of the people I spoke to were very appreciative.'
Although the war officially ended in April the men had to carry out operations in dangerous and hostile conditions.
Supply vehicles were regularly peppered with bullets from guerrilla groups and as D company's Michael Fleet, from Crewe, explained, one supply run left him needing stitches in his jaw.
Lance Corporal Fleet, 41, said: 'I was driving through an area with some sheiks who we were taking around to make peace with other tribes.
'As we turned down the highway a brick came through the window and hit me in the jaw. It pierced straight through to my mouth and left me needing two stitches.'
He added: 'Things were pretty bad when we first got over there. Every night you would see the sky lit up with tracer rounds, but towards the end the children had started to go back to school and people were rebuilding their homes.
'You do not realise what you have got in this country until you get out there.
'It is sad to see the state of some of those kids. Some have lost everything.'
Lance Corporal Taff Wilcox, of Hough, is a policeman in civilian life.
He was with The Parachute Regiment of the Regular Army for 16 years and served in The Falklands in 1982, before joining the TA.
He said: 'Ours is one of the only battalions which has got back without any major incidents. We have not lost anyone or had any seriously injured which is lucky but it is also a credit to the men.
'One of ours was shot in the thigh. The bullet went through to his pelvis but he has recovered now.'
Captain John Tyson, of D Company King's and Cheshire Regiment, added: 'Some of these guys went out as boys, but they have come back as men.
'You can see there is a different look in their eyes.
'They seem much more confident and more mature.'
Capt Tyson is expecting the next group of soldiers from the TA's Myrtle Street base to be drafted to Iraq early next year.


Sanju box office collection day 4: Ranbir Kapoor's Sanju, in all likelihood, might break another box record by crossing the Rs 150 crore mark on the fourth day of its release. As it is, the Sanjay Dutt biopic has already broken several box office records since the time of its release. It has till date collected a sum of Rs 120.06 crore at box office.
The performances in Sanju have been unanimously praised, with Ranbir Kapoor, Paresh Rawal and Vicky Kaushal earning the maximum praise of the lot. Vicky, who is fairly new to Bollywood compared to the other two, is giddy with happiness at having been bestowed with all the praise and love of the industry as well as the audience.


Today is Pancake Day in the UK and tomorrow is Valentines Day everywhere!
What better time to show your favourite person a little love & whip up a batch of these beauties?
No grain, no refined sugar. I promise, they're about as naughty as a smoothie.
Oh, they're easy too. So feel free to send these to your least kitchen capable loved one. Even they can manage these.
Start by making your raspberry sauce. Pop all of the 3 ingredients into a pan, put onto a medium heat and stir now and again until they disintegrate into the most amazing smelling goo.
Once you're left with what looks like jam, pour into a blender and blend until smooth.
Pour through a sieve into a jug, to remove the pips.
If it's too thick to go through the sieve, mix in a little more water and use the back of a spoon to push it through.
And that's your sauce! Pop to one side and get on with the pancakes.
In a bowl mash your bananas.
Keep going until you have a purée, but not too smooth.
Beat in your eggs, add your baking powder and cinnamon.
Heat a little coconut oil in a frying pan, once it's nice and hot you can make small puddles of pancake mixture. Sprinkle with choc chips.
Allow to cook for about 2 mins, until the top starts getting bubbly and the edges look like they're firming up.
Tower into a couple of stacks and keep going until you run out of mix.
Serve with your jug of raspberry sauce.
Use that in place of syrup for the perfect tangy, fresh, sweet kick.
Dive in and savour the pillowy soft textures and mingling flavours.
Chocolate and raspberry are a match made in heaven.
Just like you & your Valentine.
So don't be afraid to pour it on a little thick!
Serve in bed, while wearing your smartest undies.
A sure fire way to anyone's heart.


text:
Moving Pictures 2015
00:00:15 Ant-man
"You don't know anything about what's coming."—Fantastic Four
00:02:03 Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 2
00:02:16 Divergent: Insurgent
00:03:11 Tomorrowland
"What is coming?" —Fantastic Four
00:04:21 Spectre
00:05:12 Jurassic World
"Their Extinction."— Avengers: Age of Ultron
00:06:05 Avengers: Age of Ultron
00:07:03 Chappie
"This night we take back our world!"— Terminator Genisys
00:07:18 Star Wars: The Force Awakens
00:08:13 Terminator Genisys
00:10:10 Southpaw
00:10:20 Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
00:11:05 The Man From U.N.C.L.E
00:11:16 Furious 7
00:12:02 Hitman: Agent 47
00:14:11 Mad Max: Fury Road
00:14:20 Kingsman: The Secret Service
00:15:10 The Transporter
00:15:17 The Last Witch Hunter
00:16:08 Run All Night
00:17:14 American Ultra
00:18:05 The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trail
00:18:17 Creed
00:19:17 Blackhat
00:20:03 Fantastic Four
00:21:17 13 Hours
00:22:15 The Gunman
00:26:07 Taken 3
00:34:18 Hunger Games: The Mockingjay Part 2
00:43:13 Inside Out
"What was that? I thought you said we're gonna act casual."— Inside Out
00:47:20 Entourage
"I'm okay to continue."— Entourage
00:50:03 Addicted to Fresno
00:50:22 Ashby
00:51:23 Barely Lethal
00:52:16 Dope
00:53:06 Diala Prayer
00:53:18 Mississippi Grind
00:54:09 The Forger
00:55:01 Mistress America
"Must we documentary ourselves all the time?"— Mistress America
00:56:01 Age of Adaline
00:56:22 The Sisterhood of Night
00:57:13 Ted 2
"I'm gonna take a picture and post it on Facebook."—Ted 2
00:59:05 Drunk Wedding
00:59:20 Jem and The Holograms
"I don't like to be on camera."— Jem and The Holograms
01:00:03 The Duff
"WOOOOOOO"— The Duff
01:01:20 5 Flights Up
"Don't even bother."— 5 Flights Up
01:02:23 We Are Your Friends
"I mean it's great to dance to but I don't know that I would listen to it everyday at home."—Eden
01:05:06 Magic Mike XXL
01:05:23 Chocolate City
01:06:10 Straight Outta Compton
01:06:23 Ex Machina
01:08:05 The Desert Dancer
"Ahhhh I'm sorry I don't understand a word you said."— Get Hard
01:08:20 Pixels
01:09:10 Get Hard
01:10:09 Cooties
"I'm gay!"—Cooties
01:10:22 The Night Before
"Is it cocaine?"— The Night Before
01:11:18 Spy
"Let me down Cooper. I will not. I will let you up."—Spy
01:13:07 The Intern
"You're not old as I thought. Ohhh!"— The Intern
01:15:19 Some Kind of Beautiful
01:16:09 She's Funny That Way
01:17:07 Pitch Perfect 2
"Would you like to have sex later?"— Pitch Perfect 2
01:18:15 Hot Tub Time Machine 2
"I had sex with Marilyn Monroe !"— Hot Tub Time Machine 2
01:20:13 Unexpected
"Oh my God you're pregnant."— Unexpected
01:21:16 Strangeland
"There's no cheating when you're 18. You all should be touching each other all the time."— Mistress America
01:22:22 Papertowns
01:25:03 Home Sweet Hell
01:26:03 Irrational Man
01:26:22 Fifty Shades of Grey
"And I like boobs. Figured it's a win-win."— Focus
01:27:08 Focus
01:29:02 Hot Pursuit
"Oh cut it out."— Hot Pursuit
"You're completely crazy."— Kingsman: The Secret Service
01:31:04 The Martian
01:32:00 Rock The Kasbah
"BOOOW KANNGDAWAAA"— Rock The Kasbah
01:33:16 Road Within
"You okay?"— Road Within
01:35:12 Son of A Gun
"Who the hell are you?"— Get Hard
01:37:00 Concussion
"Tell the truth!"— Concussion
01:38:10 Stone Wall
"Also known as YOU WORST NIGHTMARE!"— Pixels
01:41:13 Minions
"The End."— Minions
"Oh my God you're Sam L Jackson! Who is that? You've never seen any movie ever? He is a black guy."— Ted 2
01:47:02 The Hateful Eight
01:48:16 CHI-RAQ
"Look like I give a fuck?"— Kingsman: The Secret Service
01:50:08 The Big Game
"This is not a good idea!"— The Big Game
01:52:22 Black Mass
"Jimmy, he's six. You really think that's the best thing to be telling your kid? Yeah."— Black Mass
01:59:20 Knock Knock
02:01:08 The Nightmare
02:03:02 Poltergeist
02:04:17 Victor Frankenstein
02:05:18 Dark Was The Night
02:07:01 Maggie
"Ghosts are real. That much I know."— Crimson Peak
02:08:11 Burying The Ex
02:09:18 Crimson Peak
02:10:18 Felt
02:11:10 Macbeth
"There's been an awakening. Have you felt it? "— Star Wars: The Force Awakens
02:12:19 The Revenant
02:16:12 Dark Places
02:17:01 It Follows
02:17:21 The 33
02:18:12 The Lazurus Effect
02:21:07 Pod
"It was me. The author of all your pain."— Spectre
02:23:18 Sicario
02:25:15 Captive
"I'm willing to meet my creator and answer to every shot I took."— American Sniper
02:27:00 American Sniper
02:28:07 Z for Zachariah
02:29:14 Beyond The Reach
02:30:07 Bridge Of Spies
"The dark side, and the light."— Star Wars: The Force Awakens
02:32:13 The Witch
02:33:11 Face of an Angel
02:34:23 Beasts of No Nation
02:37:09 Scout's Guide to The Zombie Apocalypse
"As the world fell, each of us in our own way is broken. It was hard to know who was more crazy. Me or everyone else."— Mad Max Fury Road
02:43:22 Steve Jobs
02:44:22 71
02:46:04 Mad Max Fury Road
02:47:16 Point Break
02:48:17 Everest
02:50:01 Selfless
02:51:01 Pawn Sacrifice
02:52:15 Truth
"Do we have to do this?"— Crimson Peak
02:53:09 Trumbo
02:54:06 True Story
"I don't know. But maybe God can."— Captive
"Do you have any idea how many laws you've broken? The only law of mine is gravity."— Point Break
02:59:21 Cop Car
03:07:09 Lila and Eve
03:12:04 Alien Out Post
03:18:23 Black Sea
"You saw things you shouldn't see."— Sicario
"Haahahahhaha"— The Hateful Eight
03:31:06 Alex of Venice
"I can't be your housewife anymore. I've given up a lot for us. I just need some time away."— Alex of Venice
03:36:19 The Longest Ride
"I can't be with someone every time he walks out the door I don't know am I gonna see him again."— The Longest Ride
03:38:15 Good Kill
"It's not the same that there is not growing old together. Without that love is…It's just heartbreak."— Age of Adaline
03:44:11 Boulevard
03:45:22 War Room
03:46:13 Effie Gray
03:49:02 Demolition
"She's gone."— Demolition
03:51:21 Freeheld
"I love you!"— Freeheld
03:53:17 In the Heart of Sea
"Promise me to come back. I promise."— In the Heart of Sea
03:56:16 Testament of The Youth
03:57:20 A Little Chaos
"Love requires sacrifice. Always."— The Longest Ride
03:58:20 Before We go
03:59:16 By the Sea
04:00:10 Song One
04:01:04 Manglehorn
04:02:19 About Ray
"I'm done with being exception."— About Ray
"This is the meaningful Iife I've been searching for."— Irrational Man
04:06:15 Aloha
"Your life is about to become really complicated."—Aloha
04:08:07 Cinderella
04:09:04 Brooklyn
"When somebody love you. It means they see something in you. "— A Brilliant Young Mind
04:12:01 A Brilliant Young Mind
04:12:21 The Danish Girl
"I set a garage and invented the future."— Steve Jobs
04:19:22 The Walk
04:23:04 Joy
"What you make isn't supposed to be the best part of you."— Steve Jobs
"When you're a father, that's what supposed to be the best part of you."— Steve Jobs
04:29:09 San Andreas
04:33:20 Little Boy
"No matter what happens."— Captive
"I love you." Southpaw
"I love you little man."— Captive
04:37:15 Infinitely Polar Bear
"You're the only person who makes sense to me. Make me possible."— Danish Girl
04:38:13 People Places Things
04:40:22 Batkid Begins
04:43:00 Time Out of Mind
04:43:21 Room
"Tell me something I can hold on to forever and never let go. Let go."— Age of Adaline
04:45:04 Carol
04:49:11 Pan
04:53:11 All the Wilderness
04:54:15 Ardor
04:56:01 Spotlight
"I guarantee you that at some point, everything is gonna go south on you."— The Martian
"You're gonna say this is it. This is how I end."— The Martian
05:03:22 Suffragette
"Now you can either accept that or you can get to work."— The Martian
"The future isn't just something it happens."— Aloha
05:15:08 Youth
05:17:06 The Good Dinosaur
"It's a It's a brutal force with a great sense of humor that will steamroll you if you're not watching."— Aloha
05:21:00 Beyond the Mask
05:21:10 Gabriel
05:21:20 Let's Kill Ward's Wife
05:22:06 The Gambler
05:22:21 Cutbank
05:23:07 Kill Me Three Times
05:23:17 Girlhood
05:24:03 Color of Time
05:24:16 Results
05:25:02 Madame Bovary
05:25:12 Lost River
05:25:22 Night Before
05:26:13 Lady in the Van
05:26:22 The Voices
05:27:08 The Final Girls
05:27:18 Burnt
05:28:06 Strange Magic
05:28:16 Knight of Cups
"Is there a plan? The plan will reveal itself to you when you're ready to see it."—Steve Jobs
05:29:02 No Escape
05:29:12 Miss You Already
05:30:02 Preggoland
05:30:10 We'll Never Have Paris
05:30:20 Love and Mercy
05:31:06 Unfinished Business
05:31:20 Hunting Elephants
05:33:22 The Big Short
"Is this what you want?"— Spectre
"For me, this is life."— The Walk
05:44:16 Jurassic Park
05:50:06 Backstreet Boys
05:52:20 Vacation
05:57:01 Woodlawn
05:58:01 Tracers
05:58:14 Transporter
05:59:08 Terminator Genysis
"You're the only who sees the world the same way I do. No one sees the world the same way you do."— Steve Jobs
—————————————-THE END———————————————-
Edited by Clark Zhu ©2015


text:
Min-On Music Journey No. 27: Austria
Welcome to Min-On's Music Journey! Today, let the Min-On Concert Association and the Austrian Cultural Forum Tokyo guide you to Austria in south-central Europe.
Austria's capital, Vienna ©Österreich Werbung, Photo by Julius Silver
The Alps mountain range covers about two-thirds of Austria's land area, while lush forests also cover about half of the country. Austria has nine states with starkly diverse, rich regional cultures, and the eight surrounding countries of Germany, Switzerland, Italy, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Liechtenstein and Slovenia have also influenced the Austrian states in nearest proximity to them.
Vienna, the city of music
In the 18th century, Vienna served as the capital of the Habsburg Empire and was filled with dignified, noble music. People from every social class enjoyed concerts and operas, from the emperor and nobility to common citizens. Vienna became the music capital of the world, and droves of young aspiring musicians set their sights on the city. Many legendary musicians developed their talents here and composed many masterpieces renowned in music history.
The Ringstrasse, or Vienna Ring Road, opened in 1865 and circles the Innere Stadt (Inner Town) part of the city. This area includes many historic buildings, such as The Hofburg (former imperial palace), Belvedere Palace, theaters, churches, universities, museums, Vienna City Hall and the Austrian Parliament Building.
Belvedere Palace ©Österreich Werbung, Photo by Julius Silver
St. Stephen's Cathedral towers prominently over the skyline in the middle of the historic district. This building is a testament to Vienna's rich history and was also Mozart's wedding venue. The cathedral's south tower is 136 meters tall, the third tallest in the world at time of completion in 1386, after 65 years of construction.
©Österreich Werbung, Photo by Julius Silver
The Danube River spans about 2,860 kilometers from the Schwarzwald mountain range in Southern Germany to the Black Sea. The 35-kilometer section of the river in Austria between Melk and Krems was registered as a World Heritage Site in 2000, named the Wachau Cultural Landscape. It is famous as the most scenic part of the Danube river by boat, thanks to riverside landmarks like Melk Abbey and Aggstein Castle, as well as acres of vineyards on both banks.
©Österreich Werbung, Photo by Leo Himsl
Please enjoy this performance of The Beautiful Blue Danube by the Strauss Capelle Vienna from their concert at Min-On in 2004, set against the scenic backdrop of the Danube River flowing peacefully through the lush green countryside.
The Beautiful Blue Danube
Strauss Capelle Vienna
© Aleksandra Buczek (left) © Amarilio Ramalho (right)
The Straus Capelle Vienna orchestra was founded in 1827 by Johann Strauss I and his family. It boasts a rich tradition and was one of the world's best in the mid-1800s. Although it dissolved in 1901, members of the Vienna State Opera Orchestra and Vienna Volksoper Orchestra revived Straus Capelle Vienna 76 years later, and it survives to this day. The orchestra's signature red and white uniforms come from the orchestra's golden age during the reign of Emperor Franz Joseph I.
The Min-on Music Museum houses many classical pianos built in this era of Vienna for visitors to enjoy.
Anton Walter (built in 1795), Conrad Graf (built in 1834) and Carl Stein (built in the 1840s)
Graz, a cultural leader in Europe
©Graz Tourismus, Photo by Harry Schiffer
Graz, known as "Austria's southern beauty," is its second largest city and the capital of the state of Styria (Steiermark). It is also one of Europe's most culturally important cities, home to both the Graz University of Music and Performing Arts and the University of Graz, the latter of which has a 400-year history. Many industries hold international trade fairs and conferences here, and travelers flock to Graz for its famous cuisine. The historic center, named "City of Graz – Historic Centre and Schloss Eggenberg," is filled with beautiful red-roofed rowhouses. The area was registered as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1999 for its excellent maintenance and preservation. UNESCO added the Eggenberg Palace on the outskirts of the historic district as part of the site in 2010.
Graz hosts an annual event called the Long Table of Graz, where local chefs serve top regional wines and superb culinary delights to guests against the magical backdrop of the Schlossberg, clock tower and town hall in the historical district. Visiting gourmands have nicknamed Graz "The Culinary Capital."
©Graz Tourismus
Singakademie Graz and conductor Maria Fürntratt
Singakademie Graz
The HIB Liebenau, one of Austria's most historic college preparatory high schools, established the Singakademie Graz choral academy to provide vocal music education to its students. They have won many international choral competitions, and in 2018, the choir won two gold medals at the World Choir Games.
Maria Fürntratt serves as the choir's artistic director. She is an accomplished choral music instructor who has won many teaching and other musical awards. She also serves as judge in many choral competitions.
Please enjoy the beautiful voices of Singakademie Graz in these songs from their concert at Min-On in January 2020.
Untersteirer
Old Salzburg and the Salzburg River ©Tourismus Salzburg GmbH
Salzburg, birthplace of the prodigy Mozart
Salzburg is famous as the birthplace of Mozart. His home has been converted into memorial museum displaying historic items like his favorite violin and famous autograph. It's a must-see for visitors. The Salzburg Music Festival, a summer tradition for the city, has grown over the years into a massive, world-famous music festival. The festival's motto is, "The entire city is a stage," and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and other renowned opera troupes, orchestras and musicians gather to perform here every year. The festival celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2020.
Mozart's home ©Österreich Werbung, Photo by Diejun
On the night of December 24, 1818, the congregation of a church in Obendorf, a town north of Salzburg, first sang a certain Christmas hymn now heard every year across the globe: Silent Night. Although the original church was destroyed, the town built the Silent Night Chapel on the same site, now a very popular site for visitors. Today, people across the globe fondly sing this hymn in over 300 languages.
Silent Night Chapel ©Salzburger Land Tourismus, Photo by Eva-Maria Repolusk (Eva trifft.)
Sheet music of "Silent Night" ©Salzburg Museum, Photo by Rupert Poschacher
The breathtaking Salzkammergut region
The region to the east of Salzburg, Salzkammergut, is filled with lakes and surrounded by the majestic Alps. It was formerly known for mining the once-rare mineral, salt (salz), and the nobility directly controlled the region as an imperial estate (kammergut). The gorgeous lakeside town of Hallstatt, set against the 2,995 meter-high Dachstein Mountains, was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site named Hallstatt-Dachstein/Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape in 1997.
©Österreich Werbung, Photo by Wolfgang Weinhäupl
World-famous Swarovski crystal
Swarovski is well-known as a world-leading jewelry brand. Founder Daniel Swarovski invented a precise glass-cutting technique and established the Swarovski company in 1895 in Tyrol, Austria. His vision was to make "a diamond for everyone" using crystal. In 1995, the company opened Swarovski Crystal Worlds in the state capital of Innsbruck to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its founding. The facility has become a famous attraction in Tyrol, welcoming over 12 million visitors to date.
Swarovski Crystal Worlds ©Swarovski Kristallwelten
Outstanding music, from classic to contemporary
Min-On would like to feature a few pieces performed by some of the many Austrian artists we've had the pleasure of hosting.
First, please enjoy the Vienna Strauss Kapelle's 2004 performance of Enthusiastic Galop. A galop is a piece of music played for skip-like dances that imitates the rhythm of a running horse.
Next, please enjoy Ringo Oiwake (Theme Song from NHK's Oshin) from the Golnar & Mahan LIVE 2018 concert hosted in 2018 by the Austrian Embassy's Public Information and Culture Center and Min-On Concert Association.
Golnar & Mahan
Golnar Shahyar and Mahan Mirarab are two Iranian musicians currently living in Vienna, Austria. They have been performing as Golnar & Mahan since 2011, and are highly acclaimed even in the prestigious music city of Vienna. The group also performs as a diverse trio with the addition of percussionist Amir Wahba.
Finally, please enjoy the performances of five groups of musicians recommended by the Austrian Cultural Forum Tokyo.
The New Austrian Sound of Music – in short NASOM – is a long-term sponsorship program by the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA), promoting young emerging Austrian and Austria-based bands and musicians performing abroad.
The aim of NASOM is to offer biennial support for international performances of promising young talents with the help of a global network of embassies, cultural forums and consulates. A further objective of NASOM is to draw more attention to the fact that Austrian music creation – beyond the traditional – is as vibrant, modern and culturally diverse as ever.
The groups At Pavilion, Pneuma, Purple is the color, Selini Quartet and Tribidabo are part of the NASOM 2020/2021 edition.
At Pavillion
©Catalina Körber
At Pavillion was formed in 2010, branching out beyond rock music to develop a unique style inspired by classic films from the 1970s and 80s. Their upbeat songs are filled with funky rhythms reminiscent of a disco dance floor, although their lyrics also contain deep messages of freedom, tolerance and harmony.
At Pavillion – Move On
Purple is the Color
©Georg-Buxhofer
The jazz band Purple is the Color is known for their elegant sound. Rather than dwelling on standards, they actively incorporate new styles to push boundaries and create a new realm where they create truly transcendental music. The rhythms woven by their piano, saxophone, bass and drums evoke deep emotions and move their listeners.
Purple is the Color – LONDON
Tribidabo
©Reithofer Media
When you hear one a Tribidabo song, you'll immediately notice that genre boundaries and musical limitations are nonexistent for this young trio from Steiermark. The interwoven melodies of their saxophone, cajon, accordion and guitar freely express myriad styles. In their music, klezmer meets classical, Romani music meets tango, the powerful sound of the Balkans meets French waltzes, and more.
Tribidabo – Djangos Monkey
©Stefan Wohlmut
Pneuma's four members are involved in a number of projects, with a modern, improvisational focus. They have roots in baroque, free jazz, noise and a cappella music. These diverse genres all meld together in their intricately composed pieces.
Pneuma – Machina
Selini Quartet
©Damian Posse
This accomplished ensemble has performed in many of Vienna's most prestigious music halls, including the Musikverein, Konzerthaus, Schuberthaus and Burgtheater. A number of music festivals have invited them to perform in recent years, including the Prague Clarinet Days in the Czech Republic, the Styria Chamber Music Festival in Austria and the Aegina International Music Festival in Greece. They also won the prestigious Artis-Quartet Prize in August 2018.
Selini Quartet – Haydn, String Quartet op.77 no.2, 1
Skiers in the Austrian Alps, the birthplace of alpine skiing ©Österreich Werbung, Photo by Peter Burgstaller
Hiking is a very popular leisure activity in Austria © Hochkönig Tourismus GmbH
What did you think of your music journey to Austria? There are still many more places to go! Please look forward to our next destination.
Min-On Concert Association
-Music Binds Our Hearts-
(Produced in collaboration with the Austrian Cultural Forum Tokyo, based at the Austrian Embassy Tokyo, and the Austrian National Tourist Office, which provided photos.)
A Message from Min-On for the New Year, 2021
Lecture Concerts by Singakademie Graz Celebrating 150 Years of Friendly Relations Between Austria and Japan
Coloratura Soprano of Victoria Loukianetz Resounds in Six Cities
Superlative Entertainment from Mnozil Brass
Min-On Hosts a Lively School Concert of the Vienna Operetta Orchestra