My main style of massage is Integrative massage. Integrative is a combination of strong and gentle massage techniques designed for each individual client. Integrative Massage uses a variety of techniques including Myofascial release, Trigger point Therapy, Deep tissue massage, Sports Massage, Shiatsu and Energy work. Integrative Massage also helps with flexibility of the body and fascial work is done to reduce the restrictions in the fascial layers, therefore having a positive effect on releasing ... Read more tension and removing pain from the body. As well as Integrative massage I also offer the following classical treatments. Swedish massage, Hawaiian Lomi Lomi Massage, Reflexology and Pregnancy massage and well I am a fully trained Doula so I can offer birth support and labour massage, acupressure for induction and for pain relief during birth. I also offer chinese cupping and kinesiology taping.
Topics: Weight loss, addiction, chronic illness, self sabotage, depression, relationship issues, blocked career path, perseverance, procrastination, spiritual growth, performance, family issues - any challenge you face, we will help you resolve it quickly and effectively by resolving the issue where it stems from, correcting the root cause, the sponsoring beliefs, no matter where and when they were formed. We teach missing skills and feelings and adjust genetic information where beneficial. Do ... Read more you want to improve your life and reach your goals without having to leave your house? Do you like for change to be easy and instantaneous? Let us do the hard work for you and save you years of trying to make progress. Change the root cause of problems by changing your beliefs that govern your actions and outcomes. Sessions are carried out remotely. Person to person sessions by appointment.
Psychology practice. Medicare, WorkCover. Currently only seeing adult clients, individual therapy, not relationship counselling.
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text:
What's New on PA Slopes
Linda Irwin
Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Ski Areas Association (PSAA)
A major game changing expansion on the Pocono Mountain winter sports scene and a blizzard of enhanced snowmaking across Pennsylvania sets the tone for a welcome winter on skis and boards. This season it's about expansion and snow. The Pennsylvania slopes will positively gleam with a mantle of white as snow-sport resorts across the state give nature a boost with the latest in snowmaking and grooming technology. But a new season also brings new terrain to explore, new hotels and accommodations, unique ticketing plans to provide more vertical footage for the buck and dynamic new slopeside spots to kick back after a day on the mountain. So, what's new at your favorite Pennsylvania downhill destination? Let's take the tour:
CAMELBACK MOUNTAIN is bursting with expansion. It's a world class game changer for riders and sliders in population rich New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The doors have opened on Camelback Lodge, a 163 million dollar "Ski-In-Ski-Out" hotel that has been crafted around the largest indoor waterpark in the Northeast. Camelback visitors this year will find 453 suites for destination accommodations, 7 pools and 13 water slides in the naturally lit "Aquatopia". Trail's End Pub & Grille is the cool spot to be with its outdoor bar and patio, ski-in, ski-out service and warming fire pits, but there are additional bars and restaurants indoors as well as throughout the ski resort's many guest lodges. Amenities and spas are all part of the dream that sparked owners Arthur Berry and Ken Ellis to launch the largest investment in Camelback's 52 year history. But it doesn't stop there. On the slopes, learning programs have been expanded to maintain the mountain's reputation as a leader in converting beginners to lifetime ski and ride enthusiasts. The Snow Tubing Park is the largest in the nation with 42 chutes and two magic carpet lifts. A gateway to the Poconos, Berry and Ellis expect the dramatic expansion at Camelback to open these mountains to new winter visitors and appeal to season passholders ready to venture onto the slopes, but now with more options of hotel lodging, dining, spas and indoor waterpark fun.
At SHAWNEE MOUNTAIN the most popular black diamond slope is getting a major snowmaking boost. Two new SMI Super PoleCat tower mounted snow machines have been planted on "Lower Tomahawk". Electrically powered, the Super PoleCat is a high performance, big throw snow machine that is energy efficient and fully automated. Mounted on towers high along the edge of the trail, the radio controlled and oscillating Super PoleCats are expected to quickly and efficiently cover and keep covered, Tomahawk's steep headwall with a dependable deep base of machine made snow. To massage the snow into a dynamic skiing and riding surface, Shawnee will unleash a new Piston Bully 400 Free Groomer to put challenge or ballroom conditions on the hill. As part of a multi-year program to modernize its massive ski and snowboard rental shop, Shawnee Mountain has purchased 300 new Elan Exar E-rise skis and 300 new Flow and Rossignol Snowboards. The Shawnee Rental Facility is now able to outfit over 4000 skiers and riders, making it one of the largest rental shops in the country.
A new full service restaurant is on the menu for the dawn of a new season at JACK FROST MOUNTAIN. In winter sports tradition, burgers and flatbreads will top the menu items - finger food that's perfect for that laid back lunch between runs or while relaxing after the lifts close with a nibble, a toddy and some acoustic music to keep the action alive. On the mountain, it's back to ramping up the snow with an expanded arsenal of hi-tech SMI fan guns to keep the powder inventory growing. Also look for an expanded stock of new high performance gear in the rental shop.
Meanwhile sister-area BIG BOULDER joins the snow blast movement with its own wizardry. New SMI fan guns here will boost the ride and slide experience on parks and trails. And for the tubing crowd, the way to the top will be enhanced with a new 600' Magic Carpet to ease the way up before the thrill of the ride down. Winter buffs will also glide into newly refurbished lodges and have an enhanced choice of rental equipment.
Innovation is alive and well at BLUE MOUNTAIN. The learning experience takes a new twist for new and young skiers and riders. Beginning this season a pair of ski school programs starts off right in the rental shop where first timers and upwardly mobile learners will be paired up with their instructors to take the guess-work and stress out of everything from selecting equipment, to stepping into boards and skis and then taking those first steps on the snow. And what snow it will be. Fifty brand new low energy snow guns have been added to an already impressive arsenal. The Blue Mountain snowmaking system is now over 50% automated. The latest in technology reads the temperature, gauges mountain conditions and cranks out the powder where it will do the most good. Blue Mountain fans are also looking forward to a 40th anniversary next season that will be celebrated with the opening of a 40th trail. This season watch for the naming contest and get in on the fun. And to keep the fun rolling during those evening hours, Blue Mountain will be offering a special "Ski, Ride and Dine" package that includes lift tickets and dinner. Responding to trends indicating smaller groups are now hitting the trails, clusters of 6 to 10 friends rather than the traditional 15 can now take advantage of group discount pricing.
ELK MOUNTAIN which rises over northeastern Pennsylvania and dominates the Endless Mountains has continued its impressive multi-year tree planting program. Eight-hundred new trees are growing on the popular and scenic "Wissahickon" trail. Visitors this year arriving at the lower parking lots will find a brand new "Elk Wagon" waiting to whisk them to the lodge. This past summer saw extensive modifications and upgrades to the lift system that offers an eye-filling ride to the 1,000 vertical foot summit. The Elk snow making system gets another boost with enhancement to the pond, supplying the crucial water supply that morphs into a blizzard of fresh snow to start the season and keep powder on the mountain throughout the winter.
ALPINE MOUNTAIN RESORT in the heart of the Poconos has taken another step to make the weekend fun a lively affair when the skis and boards come off, and it's time for apres ski relaxation. Construction has been completed on the Yuengling Bar and Grill. Look for new treats and toddies this winter. A new outdoor deck has been planted on the second floor of the lodge for those sunny days and there are new locker rooms for greater storage convenience. On the mountain, all Lift Towers have been refinished, snow making equipment has been upgraded and brand new fan guns have been added to get more terrain open faster and keep it open, longer.
The big news at MONTAGE MOUNTAIN is dynamic additions and improvements in the parks. Test ride the new surfacing on the fun boxes and improved stability on existing features plus some brand new action on tap. Look for a Battleship Pipe Rail, Transition Pipe Rail & Banana Pipe Feature. In Whistler Park get ready for a new set of special features that will be the first-of-its-kind in mid-Atlantic riding. Advanced box and rail features will be a major part of improvements to the popular Spike Terrain Park.
Chutes, snow and sushi are the news at BEAR CREEK MOUNTAIN RESORT this winter. The snowmaking system has taken another leap forward with a major expansion of the eye-filling lake that feeds an impressive array of blizzard-making pipes and guns. The Bear Creek snow tubing park has seen a major growth spurt as the chute-channeled action has doubled and pumped more flexibility into the fun for groups and families. But it's the Grille which has become a local sipping and supping hot spot that takes the snow sport dining experience to the summit. Bear Creek has added a sushi bar and two expert sushi chefs to the mix. Look for sushi related events and specials to liven up the vibe around the Grille fireside.
Stunning panoramic vistas of LIBERTY MOUNTAIN and the neighboring Carroll Valley Golf Course are part of the dramatically designed 83,000 square foot Highland Lodge. Surrounded by the beauty of Central Pennsylvania's wooded setting, the brand new lodge which will open for the start of the season is an oasis of terraces, new hotel rooms and suites, a pair of tempting restaurants, pool, hot tubs, saunas, spa and a warming central fireplace. It becomes the focal point of a growing and dynamic year round resort with a winter sports tilt. On the mountain, futuristic Techno Alpine snow guns have been added to a vast snowmaking system that is now connected to a nearby lake. That major summer project created an inexhaustible water supply to bury the mountain under a crisp blanket of white. In the rental shop look for more high performance equipment to become available along with a new Montana waxing system to keep the fleet of skis and boards in pristine condition. More parking, new signage and a facelift at the popular Alpine Lodge Hotel mark the starting gun for a promising winter on Liberty Mountain.
Skiers and riders will enjoy a new natural look on ROUNDTOP MOUNTAIN this season. Electric lines have been buried on 4 popular slopes that now sport a new pristine appearance. Meanwhile, Roundtop piping that carries water to power snowmaking on slopes, trails and chutes has been replaced with the latest that technology has to offer. "Fanny Hill and "Discovery" will now enjoy a blizzard of fresh snow fired from 11 new fan guns. Portable sleds have been fitted with another 11 snow blasters to be moved when and where they're needed. For more comfort heading to the summit, new padding has been added to the "Ramrod" and Fife and Drum" lifts. Look for new digital signage on the mountain and lodge renovations including additional cubbies in the ever expanding rental area.
Moguls will get a massage at WHITETAIL MOUNTAIN this season. New Techno Alpine snow guns will be planted on the popular "Exhibition" trail to keep the snow replenished, deep and rooster -tail powdery. But they'll also enhance those finishing touches on the mogul fields to put that smooth gliding motion in quick turns on the bumps. Advanced skiers and riders will get their kicks with new snowmaking capacity on the black diamond, "Drop-In" trail. "Snow Park" conditions will have a ballroom finish thanks to the addition of new HDK green-energy snow guns. Also look for a growing inventory of top brand skis and boards in the rental shop to keep pace with interest in the growing Whitetail learn to ski programs. There will also be a wider equipment selection for regulars who rent by the season.
Nordic skiers get a new outlook on life at the CRYSTAL LAKE SKI CENTER this winter. That lake-view wrap-around dining hall has been fitted with new windows to open a spectacular panorama on this central Pennsylvania winter wonderland. The "Longhouse Ski Center" is getting a revitalizing facelift and the trails have been brushed. Crystal Lake will be hosting some new and upgraded programs this season including monthly "Full Moon Skis", "Wild Wednesdays" and combination guided trail tours and catered lunch. Cross-Country skiers will be able to pre-order sandwiches on weekends. Look for hot soup to be another weekend addition - just to take the chill off an invigorating day on the trail.
If you're heading for State College this winter to visit or study, TUSSY MOUNTAIN is an added attraction for skiers and riders. The rental shop has expanded its inventory of boards, boots and skis, making it more tempting to rent rather than tote. Look for a bigger blast of snow with the addition of new guns to the recent snowmaking system expansion. At the Snow Sports School, the popular children's program has been extended to both Saturday and Sunday mornings. Lunch breaks will be getting more creative with the addition of a new chef, and a brighter look in the lodge after a paint-up facelift.
Western Pennsylvania is going western with a snow sports form that's already sweeping the mountains of Colorado and Utah. SEVEN SPRINGS MOUNTAIN RESORT will begin allowing "Uphill Access". "What's that?" you ask. It's simply the invigorating sports of skin and cross-country trekking that allows uphill and lateral movement. It's a first for the Pennsylvania slopes. And there'll be more snow for Seven Springs skiers, riders and trekkers. Five new impulse tower guns will be firing out a snow storm on the North Face and 4 brand new Piston Bully snowcats will go into action for pristine grooming. The resort also welcomes a new Ski School director. He's no stranger to Seven Springs. J.B. Brier has a history with the resort's Snow Sports school and holds top level certifications for instruction and training. For sipping and supping off the mountain, Seven Springs newest eatery, Foggy Brews will now have its doors open seven days a week.
Some of the most scenic glade skiing in the picturesque Laurel Highlands of western Pennsylvania gets even better this season at HIDDEN VALLEY RESORT. Over the summer, crews were busy clearing the glades for a more exhilarating and challenging experience in a pristine wooded setting. To boost the rich Alleghany Mountain natural snowfall, Hidden Valley has bumped up its arsenal of portable snow guns backed up by a pair of new Prinoth grooming snow cats. The resort also welcomes a new Director of Snowsports. He's Brett Lesnick, a Professional Ski Instructors Association level II Alpine Coach with a degree in Recreation and Park Management. He comes to Hidden Valley from his post as Director of the Kids Ski and Ride School at Wisp Mountain. And there's a new look at the Hidden Valley lodge after a remodeling and paint-up overhaul.
About Pennsylvania Ski Areas Association
The Pennsylvania ski Areas Association (PSAA), consisting of member ski areas statewide, is a non-profit association that was developed to promote and serve the Pennsylvania Ski Industry. PSAA works to encourage participating and enjoyment of skiing, snowboarding, tubing, and cross-country skiing in Pennsylvania.
For Additional Information Contact:
Linda Irvin, PSAA Executive Director
570-443-0963 / Linda@skipa.com
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


High quality found throughout this private 25 acre property.Fabulous stylish & spacious home with attached home office/au pair/in-law apt. w/1st level bedroom. Features include hardwood floors, gourmet kitchen.The equestrian will love the thoughtful design nearly new center aisle horse barn w/ 8 matted stalls,dutch doors,wash rack,tack/feed room. 40 x 60 shop/equipment building. 100' x 200' ring.
WATERFRONT RETREAT! Custom built 4 bedroom home privately located! Energy efficient home with custom kitchen updated in 2009, great room with cathedral ceiling & wood stove, waterside dining room, two main level bedrooms & two-second floor bedroom suites with baths & private balconies. Outside offers waterside mahogany deck, pond overlooking huge horse barn/outbuilding with fenced pasture, separate workshop with wood stove, boat storage, chicken coop and shed. Great for birders and wildlife enthusiasts. Sunset views! New roof 2005. New septic 2012.
WATERFRONT VICTORIAN Beautiful Victorian waterfront home on 5+ acres overlooking Brannocks Bay has a pier with floating dock, huge barn with workshop and oversized carport. Inside offers 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, fabulous great room, formal dining room with pellet stove, library, music room, cozy family room with vaulted ceiling and master bedroom suite.
Bucolic setting just outside of historic Middletown on almost 70 acres property conveys with a 4 bedroom main house, 1 bedroom guest cottage and 1 more building site. Up an running equestrian facility with center aisle barn, riding ring, oversized equipment and hay storage building, multiple paddocks with run-in sheds and a year round stream. The charming converted milking parlor is now a 1 bedroom guest house. Up on the knoll near the 2nd entrance is a 3rd building site with amazing mountain views. So close to MARC train, Virginia line, downtown Frederick and 270 via 70 you could be anywhere in no time at all yet live the quiet country life. Maryland supports agriculture. Need help with the down payment? Heard of MARBIDCO?
Sellers are offering for sale their 63+ acre horse farm in Leonardtown Maryland. Located with in walking distance to the Potomac River, close to Saint Marys college, the hospital and historic old town with unique shops and restaurants. Commuting distance to Washington DC, Richmond and PAX river station. The sale includes a 3 bedroom single family home with 1st floor master suite and an open floor plan (2008), a center aisle barn with a 2 bedroom apartment (1992), a large lighted riding ring, many fenced paddocks with run-in sheds and multiple out buildings. Use it for just yourself or run a business. Full solar on barn generates enough energy for the building! Come see it for yourself. Maryland encourages agricultural entrepreneurship.


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Apostle Pauls view of the Law
Carl L. Johnson - 05/23/2020 05/23/2020 - Writing
His Hebrew name was Saul and while still a Pharisee he persecuted the Christians. He was a person of prominence in the holy city of Jerusalem and had supervised the stoning of a Christian named, Stephen. As Paul himself says in Gal. 1.13 and also in Gal. 1.23, I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it. After the incident of murdering Stephen, Paul asked permission from the religious authorities to go to Damascus and persecute the Christians there. On his way to Damascus he had a vision of the Christ rising from the dead, and this vision made him temporarily blind. It was a pivotal moment in Sauls life and it changed the course of both, his life and the history of the world. On reaching Damascus still blind, Saul was treated by Ananias, and later baptized to Paul and Christianity by the same person. On changing religion, now he became the persecuted and had to flee to save himself from the Jews. St. Paul as he was known later was one of the earliest Christian missionaries along with St. Peter and his fellow apostle, James. St. Paul is credited with writing the thirteen epistles in the New Testament though now speculation has arisen as to whether he is the actual author of six out of the credited thirteen. Amidst all the authors of the New Testament Paul is the most influential one of all.Pauls view of the law as we can see from the gospels written in the form of letters to the Galatians and the Romans is the most controversial part in the studies on New Testament. It has also been said that the two letters written to Galatians and Romans contradict each other in context to the laws, as Paul changed his views while writing them. However a closer look into the two letters reveal that they complement each other while Paul talks about the Law and there is nothing to show his contradictory talk on it. Other academicians speculate that there was no study or understanding of the Laws by Paul, he just responded
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Infringement Upon Trademark or Copyright Including the Case of When Saying That Something Is Kosher Isn't Kosher
Print Version (PDF) Sign In|Sign Up Home / Small Claims / Focus Cases / Tortious Conduct / Tortious Nuisance / Infringement, copyright or trademark
What Is Trademark Infringement?
When An Infringement Happens the Trademark Owner May Sue the Party Who Infringed For Damages. Some Courts May Also Have the Power to Order An Infringing Party to Cease the Infringement.
Understanding Trademark or Copyright Infringement Litigation Including Basis For Valuing Damages
Misusing the name, brand, logo, trademark, images, among other things, belonging to others may be a form of tortious infringement that is actionable under a variety of tortious forms of wrongdoing such as trademark infringement, copyright infringement, passing off, among others, or even as a combination of many torts occurring together.
Many of these causes of action, being reasons for suing as types of legally recognized wrongdoing were included within the case of Kashruth Council of Canada v. 1412189 Ontario Inc., 2018 CanLII 130064 where the Defendant business, being 1412189 Ontario Inc. operating as Adee Flour Mills ("Adee"), failed to cease using various logos and stamps as marks that belonged to the Kashruth Council of Canada.
The facts of the Kashruth case are quite interesting and can be summarized in brief as being that Adee sold products displaying logos and stamps or marks owned by Kashruth where such logos or stamps or marks are intended to demonstrate that certain food products are certified kosher and that Adee did so despite expiry of the period of time in which Adee was licensed and entitled to use such logos and stamps or marks. As was found and stated by the Judge in Kashruth:
Kashruth Council v. 1412189,2018 CanLII 130064 at paragraph 10
[10] Mr. Rabkin stated that the effect of the transgressions is an egregious breach of the Council's copyright and trademark rights, severely diluting the Kosher trademark, harming its goodwill, and putting the reputation of the Council into disrepute. The kosher Jewish community takes their dietary habits extremely seriously, and thus have placed enormous trust on the Council to maintain high standards of control. Mr. Rabkin stated that the actions of the defendants could have a long-term prejudicial impact on such trust throughout the Council's constituency, since kosher food is a spiritual obligation and eating food that is labelled as kosher certified when it is not is a severe transgression. The actions have caused harm to both kosher consumers as well as the Council's reputation as an upstanding kosher certifier.
In determining that such conduct was unlawful and deserving of compensation, the Judge in Kashruth relied upon statutory rights prescribed within the Trade-Marks Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. T-13 and stated:
Kashruth Council v. 1412189,2018 CanLII 130064 at paragraphs 15 to 18
[15] The Trade-marks Act, R.S.C., 1985, c. T-13 ("Act") provides in section 22(1):
22 (1) No person shall use a trade-mark registered by another person in a manner that is likely to have the effect of depreciating the value of the goodwill attaching thereto.
[16] The Act provides a remedy in section 53(1):
53 (1) Where a court is satisfied, on application of any interested person, that any registered trade-mark or any trade-name has been applied to any goods that have been imported into Canada or are about to be distributed in Canada in such a manner that the distribution of the goods would be contrary to this Act, or that any indication of a place of origin has been unlawfully applied to any goods, the court may make an order for the interim custody of the goods, pending a final determination of the legality of their importation or distribution in an action commenced within such time as is prescribed by the order.
[17] Section 52 of the Act defines "court" in section 53 to mean "the Federal Court or the superior court of a province". The Small Claims Court, as a branch of the Superior Court of Ontario, has jurisdiction to consider a claim arising from the Act. See Laurentide Cabinet Corporation et al. v. Beyond Flooring, (2010), 323 D.L.R. (4th) (Ont. Div. Ct.), [2010] O.J. No. 3355, at paragraph 15.
[18] Section 53.2(1) of the Act also provides:
53.2 (1) If a court is satisfied, on application of any interested person, that any act has been done contrary to this Act, the court may make any order that it considers appropriate in the circumstances, including an order providing for relief by way of injunction and the recovery of damages or profits, for punitive damages and for the destruction or other disposition of any offending goods, packaging, labels and advertising material and of any equipment used to produce the goods, packaging, labels or advertising material.
In the Kashruth case, it was difficult to prove an actual damage; however, reputational damage was assessed at-large as $20,000 and a further $5,000 as a punitive damage to act as a punishing and detering effect was also applied:
[27] I am satisfied, based on the Council's evidence given through Mr. Rabkin, that there has been damage to its reputation, but the damages are difficult to assess. In such circumstances, the Court must make its best assessment possible, based on the evidence of Mr. Rabkin and materials tendered. In all the circumstances, I find that $20,000 is a fair and reasonable assessment of damages.
[28] The plaintiff is entitled to $20,000 in damages, in breach of contract and pursuant to section 53 of the Act against the defendant Adee.
[29] Punitive damages are only granted where there has been egregious conduct, such as conduct that is high-handed, malicious, arbitrary or highly reprehensible, departing markedly from the ordinary standards of decent behaviour.
[30] The defendant Adee is also ordered to pay to the plaintiff $5,000 for punitive damages. Adee's breach of contract and breach of the trademark rights of the Council did not only harm the Council. Since the products that are not authorized to be kosher certified are sold to unsuspecting consumers who adhere to a kosher diet for religious reasons, the failure to adhere to a kosher diet could foreseeably result in spiritual trauma. I find that the defendant Adee's actions are highly reprehensible, departing markedly from the ordinary standards of decent behaviour, as there is foreseeable harm to the innocent consumer. An award of punitive damages is necessary to punish and discourage such conduct, which blatantly disregards the foreseeable and far-reaching consequences of the defendant Adee's breach of contract and breach of the Act, beyond the harm caused to the Council's goodwill and reputation, and dilution of its COR trademark.
Infringing upon a trademark, or other intellectual properties of others, may give rise to statutory rights of action or common law rights of action in tort law and per the Kashruth case, even where an actual loss as special damages is difficult to prove, general reputation damages may be awarded to reflect injury to the reputation of the trademark as well as punitive damages to ensure discouragement of further similar behaviour.
Nuisance as Harassment by Neighbour; Involves Conduct Inflicted to...
Nuisance Damages; Involve Availability of Various Forms of Compensatory...
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SFG Paralegal Services LLP is a Paralegal entity operating/marketed brandname, and is licenced by the Law Society of Ontario to provide legal services addressing particular legal issues within the permissible scope of a Paralegal license; and which to some measure, may involve Insurance Law, Provincial Offences, Business & Commerce, Real Estate Disputes, Advertising Law, Employment Law, Consumer Law, Construction Law, Tort Law, Residential Tenancies (LTB), Contract Law, and Human Rights issues, within the Province of Ontario, Canada. Any business entity that you contact through use of this website reserves the right to refer you to another applicable service provider. The SFG Paralegal Services LLP website is a common search result when Googling for the keywords: 'legal help near me' and 'best paralegal in'.


This collection of polished brass letter plates have a hammered or textured finish which gives them their beautiful unique antique style finish. The cast brass is polished and then coated with a heavy duty clear lacquer which offers protection form the weather making them an ideal choice for a front door. In addition to the antique style brass letter boxes, Door Furniture Direct also offer a matching antique style brass interior tidy. This would be fitted to the inside of the door to conceal the letter plate cut out.


When I think of funerals, I always think of the older people in the movies who have to go to everyone and get a program as a souvenir, lol. I don't think I'll ever be one of those people. I really don't like funerals, and it's probably because I've been to quite a few. I go because I totally get and subscribe to the school of thought that you have to celebrate a life and send your loved one off. And I go because the family gets together in numbers greater than usual, and we spent the whole repast laughing and telling stories. And I've gone to a couple where I didn't really know the deceased but I did know a living relative who really needed the support. If you didn't know, I am really really sensitive so I get really upset when I see other people really really upset. An empath of sorts? I don't know, but I'll never forget my grandma Neva's funeral, simply because it was the first time I had ever seen my mom cry and I really felt that pain on top of my own.
But this post is not about that. It's about the celebration of life. I spoke a lil about my grandma before, so this time I want to talk a little more about my aunt Vernita, whom I mentioned in the Broke-ology post. In my brain, Vernita was the epitome of lively and adventurous. Every time I saw her she was full of sass and style. She seemed fearless on her quest to take life by its horns. I'm sharing a couple of pictures of her, my mom's baby sister.
foxy and looking just like my ma!
And because it's also Music Monday, here's a flashback that will make you fuzzy inside. Happy Monday! Have a productive week!
"fill your spaces with pleasant memories" — loves it!
wow.. this was a beautiful post. i just returned from my grammas (on my mom's side) funeral a couple weeks ago.
it was the first time i'd seen my dad cry.. and my mom soooo deeply sad. i, too, am an empath, and took it all on.
this is also the greatest lost i've suffered to date.
really appreciate this post, and your blog!


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Q: livequery stopped working $j(".context-menu").livequery(function(){
    alert('found');
});

This was working until a couple of days ago. It just suddenly stopped. On addition of new elements with class 'context-menu' nothing happens.
Although in firebug if I run the above statement, its found and an alert is thrown.
Any idea what the problem could be ?
HTML:

fun

A: Did you update any of your other Javascript code? It seems like you have a syntax error or something in the rest of your Javascript which would mean that everything (including this part) fails.
Run your site with the Firebug error console active and make sure it catches Javascript errors and warnings by checking your settings (the arrow in the console tab).

A: Did you recently upgrade to jQuery 1.4.2? I don't think the livequery plugin is fully compatible with jQuery 1.4+

A: I created this simple snippet to test if livequery works with current jQuery and it does with no problem (here's the jsfidde http://jsfiddle.net/x3tds/1/):
Click me

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Last week a Facebook friend posted a thought-provoking critique of Richard Florida's Rise of the Creative Class. For those who care about these things, and I realize a lot of folks don't, the article addresses the current relationship between the arts and contemporary culture, and challenges certain beliefs regarding the economic value of art in society. The article, by Frank Bures, is titled "The Price of Everything." It's popularity may be due to the fact that it attempts to knock over one of our newly erected sacred cows.
When I read these words I was reminded of Dr. Francis Schaeffer's concerns expressed in his book and video series, Whatever Happened to the Human Race? that he wrote with Dr. C. Everett Koop. It's basic premise is that there are some things that have value which should not be measured in purely economic terms. He illustrates this in a variety of ways, including the manner in which a price was placed on human beings during the slave trader days. The authors extrapolate that this same demeaning of what it means to be human is what led to justifications for abortion and euthanasia. When people are not productive, then we should get rid of them because they are a drag on society and progress.
Please don't stumble on the abortion statement there. My point, as Bures notes, is that capitalism seems to lay claim to everything nowadays, and that Schaeffer tried to argue that some things should remain in a more sacred realm. i.e. People.
In contrast, Richard Florida argues that art and "creatively 'activated' spaces can help jumpstart a local economy." Bures balks at this. Is this the role of art? Does art only have value when it is used to improve the economy?
My fear is this: Once people realize that art may not be stoking a secret gravy train, they will simply want to get off it. If creative placemaking schemes don't pan out, the false hope they engendered might do more damage to arts funding in the long run, because they will have shifted the focus away from our most compelling reason for support of the arts. We should fund art because it makes the space around us the kind of place we want to live.
Art matters. Design and beauty matter.
This is not to say that commerce is evil either. But things need to be kept in perspective. And like Bures, I am wary of what is hot today as an idea because it will be out of fashion tomorrow. The "hippie" movement was a statement against materialism that declared people are more important than things. A decade later the Yuppie movement swept 90% of those hippies away to chase BMWs and a lifestyle that was the complete antithesis. Alas.
Read it, think about it. It's a bite-sized morsel to chew on for today. The Price of Everything. And check out Richard Florida's response at the end. Let's keep the dialogue going. It's good for us.
Lisa Eddington grew up in Texas but now lives in Seattle. Her profile statement at Etsy reads, "My name is Lisa. I like to draw things that make me happy. I hope they make you happy too." I like the spirit that statement conveys. It has been interesting watching her style develop these past several years.
EN: You're quite talented and creative. When did you first become interested in making art?
LE: I have been interested in making art for as long as I can remember. When I was a little kid, I was always making something with my hands; whether it was with play-dough, silly-putty, legos, etc. In elementary school I won an award for a painting I made of a mouse holding a wedge of cheese. That was probably the first time I realized I wanted to be an artist.
EN: Where did you get your training and what did you enjoy most about that experience?
LE: I received a BFA in Painting and Ceramics at the University of Texas at Arlington. My favorite part of being in school was the sense of community I felt in my classes. I loved always being around other artists, getting feedback and inspiration from my professors and fellow students. It was a great creative environment.
EN: What kinds of media do you like to work with and why?
LE: Painting and drawing are my main forms of expression, and I also like to work with ceramics. Lately I have been focusing on drawings on paper with pen. I like the details I can achieve and the amount of control I have with this media.
EN: Who are some of your favorite artists and why?
LE: Mel Kadel is one of my favorites. I love her subdued color palette, and the way she makes mirroring patterns. Inaluxe is another favorite (collaboration of Kristina Sostarko and Jason Odd.) They are very good at simple yet interesting designs. A new favorite is Jason Ratliff and his Walking Shadow Series. I like way he combines traditional illustration and design together.
EN: What are you working on now?
LE: Currently I am working on a series of drawings inspired by kaleidoscope shapes. They are bright and bold designs with strong floral influences. They are fun to draw because I can be spontaneous in my process. Some drawings turn out completely different from what they started out to be, and that's OK.
EN: Where can people see more of your art?
LE: I have some prints of my drawings for sale at my Etsy shop.
The energetic Vicci Martinez topped the bill.
That famous song by Chicago begins, "Saturday in the park, you'd think it was the Fourth of July." Here in Duluth yesterday there was no confusion as the Reader Weekly capped off a free concert for the city of Duluth called ReaderFest. Publisher Bob Boone was celebrating the paper's 15th anniversary by "giving back" to the city that made his paper possible. After a week of free events that included free Duluth Superior Zoo passes, free tours of the William A. Irvin ore boat, free Beer and Wine Tasting at the Depot, and other such events, he threw a bash at Bayfront Park for the city, with the first ten thousand people to get in Free.
As parties go, the music was great. Sadly the crowd did not come anywhere near emulating the sardine-packed Fourth crowd. Nevertheless, the bands all played their hearts out and the weather Boone dialed in was stellar. What a beautiful setting for concerts, a gift to the city from Lois Paulucci.
Headliner Vicci Martinez flew into town from the west coast and once she took the stage it was easy to see why she's a rising star. A runner up on last year's The Voice, she gave her heart to Duluth and everyone there appreciated the opportunity to hear her again after stealing their hearts last year during Blues Fest.
Those who think she's an overnight sensation have it wrong. With more than a dozen years in the business, Martinez "is a testament to the power of perseverance, soul, and hard work," according to the Seattle Music Insider.
Knowing her audience is "having an experience," while she's performing on stage is important to Martinez. "I'm playing for them, not for me," she said.
And for the audience as well.
It was a beautiful day to be down at the Bayfront. The playlist included Brothers Burn Mountain, Hannah Rey, Ultraday, The Cutthroats, Bryan Olds Band, Uprising, Centerville All-Stars, Molly & The Danger Band as well as Miss Vicci. You missed something good if you weren't there.
These Saturday blog entries have been devoted to a serial novel titled Uprooted, a story about Ralph Kand, a young crippled man from Estonia during those difficult and challenging years from 1939-1945. It's a story of alienation, of the relentless pursuit of freedom and a homeland.
The days were getting shorter and snow began to fall. The mountains were spectacular. The room where he stayed behind the resort opened onto a balcony and Ralph had put extra-long wires on the speakers that ran to his record player so that he could place them outside facing the mountainous slopes that swooped down into Schrunz. Then, he would put on Beethoven, full volume. The effect could never be reproduced in any other setting. In this manner Ralph, sipping his vodka, would escape the war, the pain, the insanities of the time and drift up into those ethereal spaces.
There had always been pressure to work longer hours, but one day an edict came that the paperwork must be fully brought up to date. This was not directly given to Ralph but Kapinsky, his supervisor, was unable to conceal his distress. "What they want is impossible."
The day came that two German officers arrived with instructions from higher ups to get the paperwork current. Kapinsky returned to the accounting offices wearing a frown. Ralph saw it immediately and asked what was going on.
"You can see how far behind we are on the paperwork."
"So, we're getting more help?" Ralph said.
"Actually, yes," Kapinsky said flatly. He then went on to say they needed to organize everything so it could be transported to another place.
Ralph looked puzzled but Kapinsky said nothing more about it other than that Ralph would have to be there early the next day, five a.m. sharp.
The following morning Ralph arrived at the accounting office where he was met by two Nazi soldiers. He was instructed to load the jeep with the boxes he had assembled with Kapinsky the day before. It was all very strange, and in the pre-dawn chill there was a special ominous quality to it.
In the back seat of the jeep, with boxes stacked behind and beside him, they wove their way down through the mountainous terrain as the sky slowly shifted from black to grey. Neither German answered when he asked where they were going. For more than two hours they drove in silence, the terrain eventually becoming rolling hills. The sun never showed its face that day but Ralph correctly guessed they had been heading north when they passed a border crossing. Roadsides indicated that they were in Bavaria.
The vehicle stopped again at another checkpoint and Ralph noticed an immense stretch of walls and barbed wire fencing. At various points along the wall there were watchtowers. The jeep bumped across a set of railroad tracks and paused at yet another barrier where the Germans had to show their papers. A guard pointed to a walled in lane into which the jeep crept slowly. Finally, they came to a small paved lot where numerous other vehicles were parked. A soldier came out to greet them.
Ralph and the soldiers carried the boxes into a brick building with numerous spacious rooms and down through a corridor to a room with a long table at which were seated gaunt men wearing striped prison garb. Ralph was shocked at their appearance, and totally unprepared for the hateful stares he received from these emaciated men. After the boxes were placed on the tables, a cart with boxes of ledger books was rolled in.
An officer entered the room and the German soldiers stood at attention. The officer then explained to Ralph that these men were Jewish bankers who were there to help him get the books in order. The project he was working on was extreme importance to der Führer. There would be a meal at noon, the men were told.
The soldiers left and Ralph presented the boxes to the men around the table. He did not know where he was and did not know how to talk about it with these men who identified him with the Nazis who brought him there.
The paperwork was sorted and by noon a fair amount of progress had been achieved when the doors opened and the food was delivered. To Ralph the portions were modest but the men assigned to help him behaved as if it were a banquet. Ralph, who was seated there amongst them as if one of them, became uncomfortable when he noticed that everyone in the room had ceased talking and was staring in his direction. He noticed their gazes were not at him, however, but at his plate. It puzzled him until he realized the plates in front of the others were licked clean and his still contained the peelings of his potato.
"Aren't you going to eat that?" one of the bankers asked.
"Potato skins are bitter. I don't eat the peelings."
The men continued to stare.
The man across from Ralph stretched his arm across the table toward Ralph's plate. The man alongside pushed the arm away and a third hand reached from Ralph's left to grab the unwanted peels. Ralph let it happen and there was a rush a cursing from others at the table when that man scarfed it up without sharing.
That afternoon as the bankers helped Ralph organize the ledgers and spreadsheets, Ralph pondered the meaning of these things. It was very late that evening when the jeep returned to Schrunz. At the time, he never understood where he had been and only later learned he'd been to Dachau.
There are so many ways to find and follow artists now that we have the internet. I saw a profile of Spanish painter Samuel Rosell in the magazine Art is Spectrum. A Google search followed and my email reached him in minutes. Rosell is also in the medical profession and as I read his answer to the question about the influence of being a doctor I couldn't help but here echoes of Chekov, the Russian short story writer who also was a physician. It is my privilege to share him here with you.
Ennyman: When did you first notice that you were a creative person?
SR: I noticed that I was a creative person very late actually, about 5 years ago. Was by casualty, I was drawing nothing, just playing with a pencil while I was chatting by phone and a girlfriend saw it and said to me: do you know you are very talented for drawing? I didn't know really. I remember I used to draw a lot in my childhood but later I forgot about it.
EN: In what ways were you influenced by your grandfather, the Dadaist painter?
SR: The influence of my grandfather is very passive, a sort of intuitive flow we can say. We spent lots of time together just walking, seeing, drawing in silence, almost never sharing opinions... so I guess I learned to trust in my own intuition and how to express it in art. Also the bright colors, of course, jajaja... as a dadaist the sky could be clear green and strong red.
EN: You are a physician who longs to be a full time artist. How long have you been a doctor and in what ways has that influenced your art?
SR: I am a physician already for 10 years working in first aid. Before that I had to study 10 years, too, so we can say that I am in the medicine world during 20 years and I am 38. The influence is in as many levels as life itself, it is hard to me to say: for sure I learned about anatomy and human body, proportions, movements and more deeply about emotions, human being experiences like compassion, suffering, death, birth...etc. All this gives a spiritual vision of life on earth and what is behind social conventionality.
EN: You've also travelled extensively. What did you see and learn that most impressed you about the places you visited?
SR: Travelling for me is, as medicine and living in nature, a way of knowing myself, healing myself and learning. Maybe one of the places that impacts me more is the Sahara desert; the space, the sky, the light and the silence as a big being embracing you, watching you and advertising at same time. The people of the desert they are part of it, they belong to the landscape like a rock or a dry bush. You can feel very little there, crazy sometimes, other times blessed and touched deep in the heart. After few days in the desert you can here your name whispered in you ear.
EN: Both Picasso and Dali were from Spain. How has being a Spanish painter influenced you?
EN: You also write poetry. What prompted you to take an interest in poetry?
SR: Poetry and writing for me is essential. Writing always makes company to me in my trips. For me writing is like a journey where I express dreams, diary experiences, tabus, fantasies, insides...etc and always I do like to mix it with different kinds of drawing techniques. In my web you can see an example if you want: www.samuelrosell.es section: Books.
Andrew Floberg (top left) discusses his work.
My usual interview method involves asking questions, getting answers, and sharing sequentially in the typical Q&A form we're all familiar with. Sometimes one encounters a personality of such striking qualities one has to alter the playing field in order to set up the lighting and improve the view.
I met Andrew Floberg for the first time two weeks ago at his Washington Gallery opening here in Duluth. The quality of the reception was exquisite. He'd brought in a sound system that bled the most beautiful streams of classical symphonic sound.
His responses to the questions I put forward proved so fascinating I chose to print the questions as a group, and allow his responses to flow together like the music that is so woven into the fiber of his soul.
1. You have a strong interest in both music and the visual arts. How did this come about?
2. The pictures you show at your current show, what is the medium and what is the inspiration for what you are doing?
3. How did you first become interested in art? Who were your influences?
4. How do you stay in touch with what is happening in the art world at large? What do you read, or websites or whatever?
5. After college here at UMD you went to Montana. What was your motivation there and what did you learn while you were there?
6. What are you currently working on and why?
7. What are your biggest challenges as a professional artist?
I must in fairness mention that my interests both in music and in the visual arts came innately by birth; for I have no other explanation for it really. Ever since being an infant, I can lucidly recall oneiric and magical things all around me. There was a teeny court jester with a dangling cap full of bells that would jingle and sing to me from outside my bedroom window. He taught me how to fly through the air from room to room.
My twin sister and I lost our mother to cancer when we were three, almost four. Our mother was a very talented dancer and actress; an instructor at the Cornish Istitute for the Arts in Seattle. She enabled both of us as toddlers to observe her and listen to sounds and view colors and to smell pleasant things. She once took me by the hand to the front window overlooking lake Washington in the middle of the night when I was two years old. She needed to share with someone, the crepuscular and chimerical transfiguration for the clouds with the silver light of the moon into a scenario of sylphs and sylphids. She chose me. I remember hearing music coming from the moons reflection off the glimmering waves of the water and the caliginous combinations of purple and cream. This has always been embedded in my heart and mind. It was never forgotten; nor was she.
Years later, after being inappropriately reared by an alcoholic/philistine stepmother whom my father finally divorced, I witnessed my father struggling away with learning the fist movement of Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" (a self therapeutic method I am sure, to help ameliorate the personal anguish accrued from his debauched marriage.) He, for endless months would study this piece with unavailed accomplishment. But it was enough to inspire my own interests in learning to read and understand music at the time. My junior high school choir teacher took a week away from singing lessons to teach the class basic music fundamentals. While the majority of the class was blowing spit wads and falling asleep, I imbibed and absorbed everything he taught, like it was some type of golden pablum from heaven. One evening soon after, my father came home from work and found me playing his Beethoven by memory with all of the forlorn beauty and expression required…C# minor became my friend then. My father rushed me out to find a piano instructor for me. I ended up with Mildred B. Anderson, who taught out of her small accommodated efficiency apartment crammed with two ancient Steinway uprights. She was a 1927 Graduate of Lawrence University and had met Prokofieff in concert there just prior to his return to Russia. How prestigious, I thought.
My intended fervor for sight reading however, began to weaken when my true desire to create and compose music intervened like a predacious wild beast in heat. Mildred B. Anderson was not at all willing to be a mentor to my compositions and finally expelled me from her tutelage. I have regretfully been a lousy piano sight reader ever since.
Throughout my adult life, I have been greatly inspired by my environment and natural surroundings with its colors and sounds. I cherish the mountains and the woods, lakes and streams and the mossy aroma of a forest's breathe. There is a jocular and harlequinesque behavior together with a terrestrial cruelty that plays and teases with each other in the wilderness like edacious nymphs. It blends both, its piquant and sweet flavors into a steamy caldron of sarcasm, delicately seasoned with a slight sprinkle of sadness…then served into little bowlfuls of wonderment and romance.
I love the music of Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Prokofieff, Szyminowsky, Hans Gal, Debussy, Ravel, Satie, Shostakovitch, Puccini and Poulenc. These sounds represent nature with its sarcasm, humor and magic, and have greatly influenced what I do and what I understand.
I relish the works of Maxfield Parish, Edward Hopper, Andrew Wyeth and the English and Russian folklore and French impressionists before them. Their masterful works are truly a manifestation for the curious presumption that there is in actuality, a cadre of tiny enchanted worlds inhabiting the air.
I try to stay in touch with the genre of art and music by studying and being a part of it on a daily basis. I relax by reading Kurt Vonnegut, Thomaso Landolfi, John Updike Mark Twain, Hermann Hesse and the complete anthologies of folklore by Andrew Lang. They offer me ideas for possible illustrations for what I am currently working on.
All of this, however, has instigated a rather fierce challenge for me as a professional artist… How to earn a living.
My own personal favorite in this show.
Washington Gallery is open both Saturday and Sunday from 1 - 5 p.m. for those interested in seeing Floberg's work in person.
Who doesn't like a free festival in the park?
Reader publisher Bob Boone has been talking about it for months. The local rag is celebrating its 15th anniversary and Boone wanted to throw a party. It's his way of giving back... and letting everyone know he's still here.
It's ReaderFest, a full week of free events for the Northland community. A lot of these attractions we take for granted because we live here, but if you've got company from out of town and their hankering to see a bit of the Twin Ports, or you just need an excuse to get out of the house, then here's your chance courtesy the Reader.
On page 28 of the current issue of the Reader, the one with a chimp on the cover, there's a Clip & Save coupon with a list of this week's special events. It's a bit late for Sunday's free Huskies game and Monday's free admission to the Lake Superior Zoo. But it's not too late for the rest.
Today, July 24, your coupon will give you free admission to the Adventure Zone from 4 pm to 8 pm with free arcade, mini-golf, lazer tag and more. And from 9 am to 4 pm you get free access for a ship tour of the Meteor at Barker's Island. If you've never been, it's a nice inside peak at a piece of our Great Lakes history.
Wednesday, everyone with a pass can take a ride on the Alpine Coaster, Zip Line or Mini Golf. We've all read about it in the papers. Now's your chance to check it out. Something else you can do on Wednesday is to take a free tour of the Two Harbors Lighthouse Station Museum from 10 am to 6 pm.
Wait, you better save your energy for the weekend.
Friday there are free William A Irvin tours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Uprising is one of nine bands performing Saturday in the park.
And then Saturday... the Big Bash in Bayfront Park. ReaderFest 2012. Here's the shakedown, with Vicci Martinez ripping it up as headliner.
And let's not forget the DJs: DJ Path Annu, DJ Vincent Banks & DJ Nola. Cross your fingers for good weather, Bob.
Uprising photo courtesy Tara Stone.
John Updike once suggested that there are four life forces: Love, Habit, Time and Boredom. This morning's ramble here is the product of habit. I'm not sure I have that much to say, and the proper thing to do when you have nothing to say is to shut your mouth. But then, I digress.
When Updike speaks of love he is referring to passion. Passion is the driver that impels us to make sacrifices in order to accomplish great things. Passion is what makes Olympians, not simply skill. There are plenty of pianists with skill, but it's passion that sets apart the cream from the rest.
Time is another one of those amazing things that has been endlessly debated and dissected. What is time really?
Wikipedia explains it this way: Time is the continuing sequence of events occurring in apparently irreversible succession from the past through the present to the future, a measure of the durations and frequencies of events and the intervals between them. Time has long been a major subject of study in religion, philosophy, and science, but defining it in a manner applicable to all fields without circularity has consistently eluded scholars.
Like life itself, we all know what it is but don't always do well at explaining it. That doesn't stop people from trying. Here is an interesting article from Wired magazine titled What Is Time? One Pysicist Hunts for the Ultimate Theory. The article is an interview with Sean Carroll, a theoretical physicist at Caltech. He begins by noting something we all have noticed because it is obvious. The future is different from the past. We remember the past but we don't remember the future. Why?
There was an album we listened to a long time ago called It's A Beautiful Day and it had a song on it about time. At the time I did not know that the most memorable line was actually a quote from Henry Van Dyke. "Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity."
In short, time is perceived differently based on our circumstances. Hence there are some who propose ideas like the notion that time does not exist, it is simply a perception.
The first point, "Time is too slow for those who wait," brings to mind a scene from Immortal Beloved, a film about Beethoven. Beethoven (Gary Oldman) is on his way to a hotel for a tryst with a woman he loves. But it's a rainy night and the wheels on his horse-drawn carriage get stuck in the mud. Time is slipping away and the painful strains of the second movement of his Seventh Symphony fill the theater with his anguish. Eventually, the woman becomes impatient with waiting, and leaves.
Boredom is another of those interesting forces that surprised me when Updike placed it in this list, but it's a real force. Bertrand Russell once observed, "Boredom is... a vital problem for the moralist, since half the sins of mankind are caused by the fear of it." What strikes me is that last part of this statement. People really do fear boredom. And this may be why some people fear death. What if there really is an afterlife and it was boring? Eternal boredom would truly be hell.
Much more could be said here, but it's time to go to press. Besides, I wouldn't want to bore you with more than you can digest. This is only a blog and I am only sowing seeds, not steaks. Have a great day.
Georgia O'Keefe painted flowers. Mondrian painted bright-colored squares. Monet painted water lilies. Bonnard painted his wife. Jackson Pollock is famous for his splatters and Warhol for his screen prints of pop culture icons. Ed Newman paints faces.
How do artists choose their subject matter? Especially now that everything is possible, that there is no dominant ruling "idea" that forces everyone into its mold.
I'm sure there are a variety of forces at work when artists zero in on an approach or a theme or a concept that in some way defines them. This blog entry aims to share a few of these forces that led me to paint so many hundreds of faces these past few years.
As a fine arts student in the early seventies I was introduced to a variety of styles as we studied the art's evolution from representational to everything other. I found Rauschenberg's eclecticism fascinating loved the the exploratory expressiveness of Picasso who once said, "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up."
But there were so many other artists creating work that fascinated me,especially painters. I loved the feel of applying paint on surfaces in all the varieties of ways one can do so. And I liked the smell of the paint, and the colors. So I responded to David Hockney and Larry Rivers and many others whose works we were discovering. I really didn't take to Mark Rothko and the color field painters at the time. I also liked the abstract expressionists as well as the inimitable Dali.
My paintings went in variety of directions. A common denominator in much of my work as it evolved was the desire to connect with an audience. I myself can find pleasure in purely abstract expressions, but there are many people who cannot.
Is this why I paint faces, then? To give people something to look at? Not entirely. If the aim was to make things people can identify, I could paint geraniums, pygmy goats or the moons of Saturn. Instead I keep being drawn to faces. Why so?
I believe it's tied to something innate in our being human. An article at Time.com recently caught my attention and offered the answer to a question I'd been asking myself for some time now. Why am I so fascinated by faces? When people ask why I paint faces, I am often asking myself the same thing. I'm also asking myself why I see faces everywhere. I look at swirly patterns in the floor tiles and see all kinds of expressions. Clouds historical stir our imaginations to see various animals and such. I routinely see faces. The 2007 article by Alice Park was titled "How Babies Decode Faces."
It's almost instinctive -- you see an adorable baby, and you start to coo, smile or make a face to elicit some kind of response. But even if you get a blank stare back, rest assured that the tyke is processing every change in the shape and rhythm of your mouth and face.
Upon reading this I immediately jumped to several other websites to learn more about this primal activity. I reflected on how early our own children learned to smile, learned to recognize Mommy and Daddy. The words came later, but visual recognition came very early.
Another feature of faces that I find endlessly fascinating is the manner in which they convey emotion. Sadness, pain, joy, suspicion, gravity, dignity, scorn... how vast the emotional terrain that is packaged in a facial expression.
Exploring how our minds decode information is, for me, as exciting as the process of creation. Watching the various ways in which a face emerges from a surface I am painting is equally exciting. I am simultaneously creator and spectator. Most artists understand this, whether it be the visual arts or music. It is a form of therapy for the artist and a means of connecting the wider world when our art is shared and we find a resonant response from our audience and our friends.
I'm not sure yet how to turn all these ideas into an "artist statement" but it's starting point. Hope your day is a very special one. And inasmuch as it is Sunday, let's all pray for rain.
As the Red Army approached Tallin, capitol of Estonia, Ralph secured a spot on the very last boat of exiles fleeing that country in the fall of 1944. When the overcrowded vessel neared Gdansk, a Nazi patrol boat brought them to port where they were placed in a refugee camp. When he and another man slipped away during the night they continued west by train. When they reached Prague, Ralph's travel companion chose to remain there for a time, but Ralph himself felt impelled to continue west. Eventually he reached the town of Schrunz at the westernmost edge of Austria, separated from neutral Switzerland by the spectacular and imposing Alps.
It may be of interest to some readers that in the early 1920s Schrunz was the favorite ski resort town of Ernest Hemingway who wintered there with his first wife, Hadley, and oldest son, who was then just an infant. It was in Schrunz that he revised the manuscript of The Sun Also Rises.
Ralph arrived in late October. Schrunz is the primary village in the Montafaron Valley. A cold rain had been falling for three days straight. Ralph took refuge at one of the local pubs as a means of staying out of the weather and also to make necessary connections.
By the end of his first night in Schrunz he'd learned several hard truths. First, there would be no passage through the Alps without encountering Nazi border patrols. This would be as far west as he could go. Second, unless one had a job one could not obtain a food ticket. The Nazis needed every available hand to contribute to the war effort, whether by labor or on the front.
Finding a room to let was an easier task than expected. Schrunz, being a ski resort town in the winter, had been hard hit by the war. Tourism revenue had fallen off a cliff. As a result there was an ample supply of rooms for lodging. By the end of the first week he'd decided on a small room that faced the mountains in the rear of a chalet on the north side of the valley, a fabulous view. The room was tidy and clean, and Frau Marsden who ran the place seem congenial enough.
There were several places in town to meet locals for idle chatter and information. Ralph had learned German during the Nazi occupation and was now finding it useful.
The pub where Ralph felt most comfortable was the Blue Moon. The Nazis had a cement works operation near Schrunz and many of the men and women in town worked there in one capacity or another. Some of these men were regulars at the Blue Moon. Two of these whom Ralph got to know were a Frenchman named Carpentier and a Czech named Kapinski.
Carpentier, a road builder from Paris, met and married his Austrian wife several years before the war. When the fighting broke out she asked him to bring her back to Austria to be near her aging mother.
Kapinski was an accountant who grew up outside Prague. When plans for the hydroelectric plant near Schrunz were being assembled, German officials recruited him to be a team member. At first he thought the notion insane to built a hydroelectric facility here in the middle of nowehre. But once on the scene he understood. The steep terrain would be ideal for advanced power generation.
Ralph never intended to settle down, but now he felt trapped. Unable to travel further west he found himself resigned to his beautiful cage. When Kapinski and Carpentier came in together that evening they immediately invited him to pull up a chair at their table.
"Ah, if it isn't the Estonian," Kapinski said, waving his hand as if pulling handfuls of air toward him.
Ralph moved across the room, grabbed a chair in a manner that caused Carpentier to grin. Both men were much older than Ralph. They found his exuberance entertaining. They also liked him because he had new stories to tell, and he was able to drink heavily without becoming stupid.
"I've decided to stay," Ralph said. "Now I need a job."
"What can you do?" asked the Czech.
"I'm a fast typist. And I'm good with numbers."
"That's good," said Kapinski. "We need help with the paperwork at the cement works. I'm in the accounting office."
Ralph glanced at Carpentier, studied Kapinski, then looked past to catch a glimpse of the waitress gliding past a table near the wall. "Fraulein!" Ralph shouted. "Drinks all around for my friends."
"Irma," Kapinski said. "She calls herself Irma."
Working again was good for Ralph. The paperwork was endless because all the healthy men had been extracted and put into uniforms. He never learned Kapinski's malady but when he saw that Carpentier was missing part of his hand he wondered that he hadn't noticed sooner. Carpentier was skillful in the manner in which he concealed it.
As winter set in the mountains were idyllic. His room at the chalet was just over a mile from the cement works office. Most days it was an pleasant walk, the snow-capped mountains rising up to kiss the sky. The offices were not so aesthetically welcoming. Boxes of papers were everywhere, piled in the corners and around the base of the walls. Loose sheafs of paper covered every surface in the room. The work was important enough that German soldiers would be brought in to keep them "motivated."
Some days they were instructed to stay late, but it seemed impossible task make real headway as the problem was staffing. They needed more accountants.
"What we need is shredders," Carpentier said one evening at the Blue Moon. "Wouldn't it be funny to discover that our failure to keep up with the paperwork was actually damaging the Nazi war effort?
Ralph asked why the rooms are just barely above fifty degrees. "If it were any colder my coffee would get ice on it."
"They're saving fuel. Heat uses energy. It's all physics," Kapinski said. "Last year we sometimes had to wear gloves in the office."
"You're lucky you don't have to work on that hydroelectric project. Those men are out in the cold from dawn to late. And I mean very late."
Ralph had sometimes walked to the project during his lunch break and watched as they poured concrete, studied the network of pipes, handles, gauges and general construction debris. He had been impressed by their industriousness, and the scale of the pipelines.
As even the most tin-eared local knows, we have a lot of great music here in the Northland. One of my personal aims is to draw attention to the richness and variety we have here in the visual arts. Sometimes the two are woven together as in the re-issue of Charlie Parr's wonderful album "1922." The cover art for Parr's offering was created by Wynn Davis whose work will be on display at the Ochre Ghost beginning July 20. The opening tonight should be a good one. The show is titled A Field Menagerie to Birds of North America.
Ennyman: Where are you from originally and where do you live now?
Wynn Davis: I have always lived along the St. Croix River Valley. I grew up in River Falls, Wisconsin along the St. Croix River across from Afton State Park, and currently reside up the river a little further north in Stillwater, Minnesota. I definitely plan on permanently residing in Duluth in the near future though. Much of my family has native ties to the Twin Ports area. I love the outdoors, running, and the community and culture of Duluth as a whole.
E: How did you first become interested in art?
WD: I've always enjoyed collecting and creating things growing up. A traditional photography class I took in high school really curbed my interest in art and the process of making art. After changing majors my freshman year of undergraduate studies in I pursued a degree in Art Education with an emphasis in photography. My parents are both retired educators, so I had a keen sense of awareness in regard to the education profession. Post-education I have had the time to steer and develop my ideas and draftsmanship via the medium of graphite drawing. I reached a point with photography where the print could no longer be a means to an end, especially with how I wanted to communicate my ideas visually. Photography obviously still plays a major influence as both a tool and a vehicle for inspiration.
E: Your drawings are quite fascinating. How did you end up having an opportunity to illustrate Charlie Parr's latest CD?
WD: I met Charlie at his RealPhonic performance at the James Hill Library in St. Paul earlier in the year, as I have been a great admirer of his lyricism and musicianship. His work is authentic and full-bodied, and that is something to be said in a world often fixated on compromising quality, instant gratification, and felonious profiteering. Anyway, we began collaborating for his next album release after I sent him some of my work. The confluences of styles seem to work well with one another. He had an idea in mind and I felt I had a good idea of how to articulate it.
E: When did you begin doing pictures with birds?
WD: I am basically self-taught in the medium of drawing. I took one or two drawing classes very early in my undergraduate tenure, but it was not until about a year and half ago that I really became more serious about it. The theme of birds has stemmed directly from my participation in the outdoors. I run over 5,400 miles a year in various wilderness areas and urban terrain, my favorite being the Superior Hiking Trail! I've always found a curiosity and ever present likeness to the individual characteristics, habits, and resourcefulness of birds. Whether it's waking up in the morning to their song, or witnessing a crow fly off with a happy meal bag in its mouth from the side of a road… they never fail to fascinate me. This of course melded with my earlier emphasis in traditional black and white photography, which now serves more or less as a reference tool. Old documentary courthouse and historic society gravure plates of the late 19th Century also captivate me. As a result my ideas are usually a raw amalgamation of ideas that I form into a collage, which in turn becomes for what I hope to be a successful drawing that is completely seamless.
E: You seem attracted to precision draftsmanship. How did you first become interested in Bosch, Brueghel, van Eyck and Caravaggio?
WD: I am infatuated with art history, particularly early figurative work by the Dutch Masters. Their diligence in observation, careful consideration in precision draftsmanship, and unbridled passion for the process of art is not only admirable, but also contagious. Their work can make you feel what a seedy atmosphere inside an old tavern was like through chiaroscuro. Make you feel the pain and anguish in facial expressions such as in Caravaggio's masterpiece of "The Crucifixion of St. Peter." These are qualities I often struggle finding in the constant thrust of modern contemporary art. Currently I believe the work of Laurie Lipton's graphite drawings are at a very high level and her work ethic and visual scope has been a great influence to me.
E: Why is art an important part of life?
WD: Well, I am no philosopher, but I think it is important to live a simple and healthy life. Art along with other passions brings forth meaning and joy in the things that are simple and true. If you wake up anticipating the things you enjoy doing, than you are more than likely enjoying life. I also think art plays a vital role in challenging conventional methods of thinking.
Though 71, Dylan is still hot in Europe. The old man has been still pulling them in with standing-room-only crowds. It would have been fun to see him in Italy this week. Now it has been announced that Bob Dylan and his Band will tour North America this fall with special guest Mark Knopfler.
You can find the details on the Upcoming Dates page at bobdylan.com for tour dates and ticket sales information, including exclusive pre-sale events for readers of bobdylan.com.
"Meantime, life goes on all around you."
We interrupt our Wordless Wednesday to bring you this special announcement.
Dylan receiving Presidential Medal of Freedom earlier this year.
By the following morning the news stories were criss-crossing the wires. Here are a few features about the album that may be of interest to Dylan fans.
1. This is not the first Dylan album with a 9/11 release date. Love and Theft was also released on 9/11, the actual September 11 of 2001 when the Towers came down. This happens to be my birthday and I was looking forward to going to Barnes & Noble to purchase the CD that week with my birthday money.
So has this date been selected as an attempt to "redeem" the day? Or to underscore it? It hardly seems arbitrary.
2. The release states that this album coincides with the 50th Anniversary of his debut album Bob Dylan, but don't be misled by this. His first album was released in March, more than a half century ago. That is a lot of original music by any measure.
3. Dylan's recent albums, all of them superb, have been produced by Jack Frost, a pseudonym he has been using. Interesting how similar this pseudonym is to the character he played in Masked and Anonymous, Jack Fate.
4. Much has already been made of the fact that The Tempest is the title of Shakespeare's last play. As I have noted elsewhere, it's not a stretch to be comparing Dylan to Shakespeare. Each has been an influential bard, and like "ol' Bill" Dylan's legacy will no doubt continue long past the horizons he's travelled while passing through this earthly realm.
According to a Wall Street Journal article on the new album, one of these songs is about the Titanic and the last cut is about John Lennon. Like many artists, Dylan does not try to explain his songs but let's the work speak for itself.
Paintings on this page are by Ed Newman. For more Dylan portraits by the same artist visit my Flickr Dylan Collection.
Wordless Wednesday will return next week at it's regularly scheduled time.
When we were young teens, twelve to fourteen or so, we thought it was funny to stand in the corner facing the wall with your hands wrapped around yourself as if they were someone else's hands, as if you were in the corner hugging someone. It must have been something we'd seen on television or in a movie, and in retrospect the really funny part is that none of us had ever held anyone tight like that. Alas, we were boys and we had to pretend, I suppose.
The song that most triggered this kind of behavior was The Beatles's Hold Me Tight, track two on side two of their second album, With The Beatles.
The Beatles fame came about in part due to the stellar songwriting of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, but that was a subsequent chapter in their story. Initially, I'm sure it was the pretty boy look, the solid rock 'n roll sound they produced, the primo harmonies and tight pants. This second album, With The Beatles, was actually comprised of no less than seven songs by other writers including Meredith Wilson, Chuck Berry, Smoky Robinson and others. No song here is explicitly a Lennon/McCartney collaboration.
The song is classic early Beatles, in the same vein as She Loves You, yeah yeah yeah. Here is the first verse.
It's you, you you you, oh, oh, oh, oh.
Now contrast that with the lyrics from one of Dylan's 1963 albums, also his second album, released in May of that year..
Yes, and how many times must the cannonballs fly before they are forever banned?
This is not to say The Beatles weren't doing something significant. They were an emerging force by virtue of the fact that they had learned how to connect with an audience. They had spit and polish now and were ready to sweep into American hearts in that famous wave called the British Invasion.
Phil Spector liked the song enough to produce a version of it with The Treasures, draped in his famous wall of sound style. But despite my appreciation for his production form, The Beatles have the superior version here, infusing the song with youth, energy, electricity and passion. What more should an audience expect beyond that?
Interestingly enough, Dylan made an impact on the content of Lennon and McCartney's music. After six straight albums of love songs they began to explore the various themes that were emerging in the Sixties youth culture, from alienation to the generation gap. But the influence went both ways. Dylan, the folk singer, was soon to go electric, and with the new sound he'd found he electrified a generation.
With The Beatles was one of my first albums, and Hold Me Tight an early favorite. If you haven't heard it in a while, you can listen here on YouTube. Get up and dance!
Cynthia Freeland's But Is It Art?


Reports from the Sun suggest that Ruben Loftus-Cheek will be on the sidelines for at least two weeks after suffering a foot injury.
The England international sustained the injury while playing for the Three Lions against Switzerland in a friendly game.
The player who has been itching for a regular place in Chelsea's lineup will miss the Europa League game against PAOK Salonika, a game he would surely have started.
Loftus-Cheek may also be unavailable for the crunch Carabao Cup tie against Liverpool, another game he would have definitely featured in. These are not good times for the England man.
This is a major blow as the player would have been looking forward to impressing Sarri in these games and make a case for himself.
This is coming after teammate N'golo Kante had expressed the belief that the England international is ready to feature for the Blues.


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Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest; Montana; Stonewall Vegetation Project
A Notice by the Forest Service on 03/16/2018
The Draft SEIS is expected May 2018, and the Final SEIS is expected August 2018.
11677 (1 page)
Purpose and Need for Action
Proposed Action
Responsible Official
Nature of Decision To Be Made
Preliminary Issues
Scoping Process
Read the 37 public comments on this document
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of intent to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement.
The Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, Lincoln Ranger District, Montana, intends to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Stonewall Vegetation Project. The project area was impacted by wildfire in 2017 and a preliminary analysis of those effects has shown that supplemental analysis should be completed to assess the change in conditions resulting from the Park Creek Fire.
Laura Conway, Team Leader, (406) 791-7739; lconway@fs.fed.us. Additional information concerning this project may be obtained at https://www.fs.usda.gov/helena.
Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
The Stonewall Vegetation Project Record of Decision (ROD) was signed by Helena-Lewis and Clark Forest Supervisor William Avey on August 25, 2016 and with it, the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) was released to the public. The project was preliminarily enjoined by a court order and therefore implementation had not begun.
In July 2017, two wildfires ignited in the project area, eventually burning 18,000 acres, 13,390 of which were in the Stonewall project area. The fire burned all or portions of 16 treatment units, totaling 2,719 acres. Treatment units possessing viable harvest potential will be carried forward for analysis in this SEIS. The SEIS will supplement the Stonewall Vegetation Project FEIS by providing an updated analysis of environmental effects in light of the acres impacted by the Park Fire in July and August of 2017. Only those resources measurably affected by the changed baseline will be analyzed in the SEIS. These resources include soils, hydrology, fuels, vegetation, economics, fisheries and wildlife habitat.
Wildfire affected the project area one year after environmental analysis and before implementation. The original purpose, to improve the mix of vegetation and structure across the landscape to make it more resilient to wildfire, remains on those acres not impacted by the 2017 Park Fire. Fuel reduction treatments can influence fire behavior to enhance community protection and allow fire to function in its natural role.
The proposed action consists of approximately 1890 acres of treatments included in the selected alternative in the ROD. These treatments include 550 acres of pre-commercial thinning, 19 acres of improvement cuts, 345 acres of shelterwood cuts, 65 acres of clearcut, 25 acres of sanitation cuts, 300 acres of low intensity prescribed fire, and 555 acres of whitebark pine restoration. Less than one mile of temporary road is proposed, and this would be obliterated after implementation. Maintenance would occur on up to 31 miles of road. The proposed action includes the site-specific forest plan amendment for elk habitat as described in the 2016 ROD.
Helena-Lewis and Clark Forest Supervisor.
The decision will authorize vegetation treatments remaining under the Selected Alternative based on the updated analysis.
Preliminary issues identified include lynx habitat, elk security, hiding cover, and thermal cover.
A Notice of Intent (NOI) published on January 13, 2010 initiated the scoping process for the Stonewall Vegetation Project. The start of a 30-day scoping period began on January 16, 2010. In accordance with 40 CFR 1502.9(c)(4), no scoping will be conducted for this SEIS.
The Draft SEIS will be available for public comment as required by 40 CFR 1503.1. The Draft SEIS will be announced for public review and comment in Federal Register, on the Forest's website https://www.fs.usda.gov/projects/helena/landmanagement/projects and in the Helena Independent Record. The Helena-Lewis and Clark Forest Supervisor will issue a draft modified or new ROD after evalutating the SEIS and public comments. An objection period for the decision will be provided, consistent with 36 CFR part 218.
This NOI is being published pursuant to regulation (40 CFR 1508.22) implementing the procedural provision of the National Environmental Policy Act fof 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
Dated: February 22, 2018.
Glenn P. Casamassa,
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2018-05320 Filed 3-15-18; 8:45 am]


Norway's Tarjei Boe, starting with bib number 94 put on a furious finish in the closing meters of the men's 10K sprint to claim his first victory since 2013. His tine of 22:40.6 was just .7 seconds ahead of France's Martin Fourcade. Third place went to Germany's Erik Lesser, 3.7 seconds back. All three men had a single penalty.
Boe's teammate, Emil Hegle Svendsen finished fourth, 13.3 seconds back, with one penalty, while Lesser's teammate Simon Schempp was fifth, 15 seconds back, also with a single penalty. Switzerland's Mario Dolder shot clean to finish in a personal best sixth place, 16 seconds back.
For the first time this week, the temperature at the start was above freezing, at +1.5C, with once again, a light wind pushing the wind flags in a variety of directions, just enough to be a bother at times.
Erik Lesser had a blazing fast clean prone stage to set the bar high putting him 10 seconds of Svendsen who matched him but was slower on the range. Despite skiing a fast first loop, Johannes Thingnes Boe, wearing the Yellow Bib for the first time missed his first three shots, effectively putting him out of contention for a top spot. Just before him, Fourcade had missed a prone shot, leaving him 26 seconds behind Lesser. Svendsen, had a standing penalty, but he stayed within 10 seconds of the lead with a fast tour of the tracks. Fourcade pushed the second loop, then cleaned standing to take the lead, until Lesser matched another very fast range time, but picked up. These two were locked in a battle for the top spot.
In the last loop, Fourcade was just a bit faster at each split, grabbing a 1.7 second lead with 400 meters to go. On the final downhill, the French star added another 1.3 seconds to take the lead at the finish. While these two were battling, Dolder and Lindström had two clean stages, but could not match the ski speed of Fourcade and Lesser. Schempp was one of the last men to take a run at the podium. Like Lesser, he had an impressive clean prone, but stumbled slightly with a standing penalty. He left the stadium in fifth; although skiing well, he could not gain much time on the leaders, only moving fourth by the finish.
Yet, Tarjei, starting with number 94 wanted to have a say in the results, with his rapid-fire style, he dropped all five prone targets, and left the range in the second spot. With a light drizzle in the air, the tracks were getting a bit faster, taking the lead just before standing. He missed on shot, flew around the penalty loop, heading out on the final 3.3K loop, 7 seconds ahead of Fourcade. With 1300 meters to go, Tarjei had a 3.1 second advantage on Fourcade. With just 400 meters to the finish, the lead was down to .9 seconds. Pushing hard with a maximum effort, he crashed across the finish line for his first World Cup victory since a sprint win at Oslo on February 28, 2013!


Business Gamification for Dummies. By Kris Duggan, CEO of Badgeville, and Kate Shoup. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 284 pp.
In the space of consumer loyalty, specifically under the umbrella of payment processing, at MasterCard we're often asked about our strategy for "gamification" in the same generic way that "social media" is bandied about. Business Gamification for Dummies by Kris Duggan and Kate Shoup is a great starting point for conversations, a primer to be regarded as a springboard for other insight, rather than the ultimate, de-facto guide.
The authors—the head of a gamification platform company and a professional writer—take great care to walk the reader through a high-level view of the loyalty and engagement minefield, from consumer preferences to targeting and rewarding behaviors. While most of this will seem pretty standard to many consumer-based marketing efforts already in flight for most banks, it is a friendly way to set a base for learning to come.
Particular attention is paid to how consumers are engaged, from the basic definition of engagement all the way to long-term digital strategies for that engagement, with excellent detail and easy-to-understand terminology. At times, this can come off as too simplistic, given the heavily-regulated space that banks and financial companies play in with regard to consumers.
But then it is one of the "for Dummies" series of books, designed specifically as a primer rather than an end-to-end manual. You can take a lot away from the first few chapters alone in running your traditional loyalty program, or at minimum evaluating where you wish to go with what you have in place.
Finally, before the real meat of the book is presented, the authors do a good job of presenting a high-level view of rewards and how they affect users. This is one area where I would have liked to see more of a focus on non-digital rewards—things more akin to experiences, alternate-reality, and unique, real-world solutions. Instead, the authors take more of an employee-incentive style approach with digital goods, so it's worth taking much of this with a grain of salt when planning how you want to reward, say, your bank's cardholders.
The section on game theory and gamification design is well presented and thorough, despite being pretty focused on the digital presentment side of the marketing triangle. Significant attention is paid to where social media, targeting, and digital presentment come together to create consumer engagement, but there is definitely a platform element to the design factors.
Discussions of common elements of gamification programs—such as levels, ranks, leaderboards, and digital badges—are well done and do indeed help demystify the terms for those who didn't grow up checking in with a mobile phone every day or playing an online Massively-Multiplayer Online game instead of finishing term papers. However, again, the authors tend to focus on the digital platform side. There is more to gamification than that.
In all, you get the sense that gamification is being equated to digital-only social platforms, which can be (and are demonstrated as) successful for organizations, with very little focus being paid to gamification that isn't technology-focused. This does the space of gamification a bit of disservice with regard to geographic and cultural diversity, but again the book is an introduction, more than a manual, so you can take many of the concepts forward in a non-digital way.
The book's third section, in Chapter 10, may prove very popular with a lot of bank readers because it dives head-first into the current state of dedicated gamification providers; digital platforms that run loyalty and gamification systems designed to engage and interact with consumers using pre-set systems and schemes.
There is a relatively well-done view of the space of gamification providers, their strengths and weaknesses, and what they bring to the table, be it for engagement of employees or consumers. One disappointment for me here was the exclusion of applied gaming mechanics providers who do not operate on a technology platform.
The book's capsule descriptions of providers will help some of the banks in the U. S. understand more about what platforms they can leverage. However, many of the larger players run full-service loyalty programs today, so adding on an additional platform might not be cost effective. The authors do spend a bit of time discussing the entire build-versus-buy scenario, but there is definitely a trend, from the screenshots to the descriptors, for a build-and-host scenario.
As a product developer for banks and merchant coalitions across the globe, I found the book to be relatively useful in describing some of the softer elements of what financial firms do with cardholder loyalty and how we can drive better engagement. Many of the game mechanics discussed in the second section are critical to understand as a base for next-generation loyalty programs, especially where heavy regulation and consumer preference diversity is at play, so the book does an excellent job of setting the foundation.
I found the breakdowns of running the programs well done and helpful if you are a bank looking to run a platform-based engagement program, but again was a bit disappointed that there was a lot of focus on analyzing the results of a digital program but not necessarily running one that is not wholly digital.
I believe that gamification, when done properly for banking customers, will target and engage in very disparate and diversified ways rather than in the online-only models Duggan and Shoup described here.
Not all banks have advanced quite so far as the largest players, and the early adopters. It's worth understanding what you can do relatively quickly, something the book does well to define. But this guide does leave one wondering what comes next.
I would recommend the book for anyone who is answering questions about where gamification fits into the ecosystem on loyalty and consumer engagement, but I would definitely caution those same bankers to consider that the book will get you started, but it will not take you all the way to the moon.
You'll still need your best and brightest loyalty marketers for that.


APG 326 – Where Have All the Flight Instructors Gone?
Posted on June 3rd, by Capt. Jeff in Podcast. Comments Off on APG 326 – Where Have All the Flight Instructors Gone?
[2:18:17] Sean – Pilot shortage: Where have all the CFIs gone?


I'm just a guy who loves gaming and watching awesome animations. I'm also a writer, actor, and voice actor.
Now that I'm almost a college graduate, I've been working in more and more films in my state as both an actor and as a crew member. It's quite fun, and I'm aiming to get a full time career in the business.
Here are some of the movies and shows I've hand a hand in so far: "Sophie and the Rising Sun", "Faith's Song", HBO's series special "Vice Principals", CBS's "The Inspectors", South Carolina Film Group's "Proverbs", and couple of online videos with Third Hour Productions.
So to the future, I go!


text:
Q: WPF Ribbon Controls in Visual C# 2010 I'm developing an application with Visual Studio 2010 in C# which is specified to have a ribbon style interface, thus I've downloaded Ribbon for WPF from Microsoft.
After creating a WPF Ribbon application though the toolbox Ribbon Editor items are all greyed out when viewed under show all. I've tried everything from resetting the toolbox to deleting the toolbox registry items and .tbd files as some other guides have shown, but I still can't access these items. I've also changed my target framework from ".NET Framework 4 client" to just ".NET Framework 4" to no avail and checked that RibbonControlsLibrary is correctly referenced.
Are there any suggestions to what I should do next or am doing wrong?


text:
Ernest William "Ernie" DuBester (born September 4, 1950) is an American lawyer, academic, and government official who has served as a member of the Federal Labor Relations Authority since 2009. He began his career at the National Labor Relations Board as counsel to former chairman and member John H. Fanning. DuBester was also a union attorney with the firm of Highsaw & Mahoney, and legislative counsel to the AFL–CIO. From 1993 to 2001, he was chairman and member at the National Mediation Board. From 2001 to 2005, DuBester was the professor and director of the Dispute Resolution Program at the Antonin Scalia Law School.

He has been serving as Acting Chair of the Federal Labor Relations Authority since January 21, 2021, and is the current nominee to permanently chair the Authority.

References

External links
 Biography at U.S. Federal Labor Relations Authority

1950 births
Living people
Boston College alumni
Columbus School of Law alumni
Georgetown University Law Center alumni
20th-century American lawyers
21st-century American lawyers
Clinton administration personnel
Obama administration personnel
Trump administration personnel

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia