More proof that we've slipped into the Twilight Zone as the popular culture takes a hit.
Today's news about Wonder Woman at the United Nations yields a graphic example of how slippery the media is and why we need some sort of media studies in schools teaching us to analyse exactly what narrative is being shoved down our throats. Like geese being fattened up for paté foie gras, we're being asked to open wide for war with Syria.
Just at the point where Clinton's path to the White House looks clear, the cuddly librul Guardian manages to publish an article about the appointment of DC Entertainment/Warner Brothers' fictional character – Wonder Woman – to the UN without mentioning once that her current incarnation is played by Gal Gadot, no mere conscript who served her mandatory two years in the Israeli Army, but an enthusiastic combat trainer and cheerleader for the killing of Palestinians.
Neutrality, much? It's not as if you have to dig deep on this issue. Gadot is perfectly open about her pro IDF stance.
"Israel's real-life Wonder Woman", purrs The Times of Israel.
Was this all literally too blindingly obvious for the Guardian? Or another new low in cynicism?
... It mentioned concerns over her "overtly sexualized image" that is not "culturally encompassing or sensitive". ... "The bottom line appears to be that the United Nations was unable to find a real-life woman that would be able to champion the rights of ALL women on the issue of gender equality and the fight for their empowerment. The United Nations has decided that Wonder Woman is the role model that women and girls all around the world should look up to," the petition read.
Protesters entered the chamber at the start of the event, and stood with their backs turned and their fists raised. ... Though they didn't intend to speak about their protest to the media, one, who was asked if the Guardian could mention her remarks anonymously, said she wished a real person had been chosen for the role of ambassador.
Well, a real person has been chosen, sweetie. It's just that press reports are blinding you to what's just happened.
And how about "Wonder Woman is the role model that women and girls all around the world should look up to"? White, Israeli American is our collective role model? I'm not sure, either, how many Palestinian girls will be identifying with someone who wants to drive them into the sea which, from looking at satellite pictures of the tiny Gaza Strip, is an aim close to being accomplished.
The whole process provides a handy shorthand for stamping Israel with the DC superhero qualities of "justice, peace and equality" through the metonymic representation by Gadot, morphing Wonder Woman into a potent symbol for Israel and her interests. Soft propaganda in action, the politicisation of the culture, and nary a challenging word from the press.
In focusing exclusively on the hyped-up gender controversy about women in the UN, the media add to the smoke 'n' mirrors obfuscating the fact that this UN appointment is a partisan, political one with a purpose and potentially catastrophic results.
Gender politics is increasingly used as safe, stupefying fodder for the uninformed in our depoliticising media, totally obliterating the key political dynamic that a conscientious press should be all over like a rash — warming us up for Clinton's imminent war with Syria and Russia.
Sterling has taken a post-Brexit pounding and may even fall below parity with the dollar. The US economy is at the top of a bull run and running on fumes. The Euro is sliding and the European Union may disintegrate. Deutsche Bank may fail (it's much, MUCH bigger than Lehman Bros) and could be the trigger for another economic meltdown ... only without the safety next of a wealthy China growing at full throttle. China has the best potential to thrive but has a ticking time-bomb credit bubble of 250 per cent of GDP.
Apropos of nothing, shares of Raytheon and British Aerospace, purveyors of death machines, are doing rather well, thank you, with brokers urging BUY BAE Systems. Wonder why that could be.
Perhaps what capitalism needs is a nice world war to clear debt, make fortunes and reset us all to the stone age. Hey, let's stir it up in Syria, ignore the tyrants in Saudi and the Stans, and go and live in a deep mineshaft somewhere in survivalist country.
The Reluctant Capitalist: a depreciating currency and the mirage of a thriving FTSE (or: how we are so screwed).
Keeping the Left up to speed.
The pro-Brexit camp is lulling us into complacency over the results of the EU referendum where only 37 per cent of the electorate voted Leave, along with a summer bounce in retail sales and the FTSE breaking through the 7000 mark.
Let's take a closer look as those markets.
The pattern of the UK's performance looks wholly different when viewed in dollar terms; the FTSE 100 is down slightly for the year in dollars, and lags behind FTSE's index for the rest of the world by seven percentage points. Substantially all of that gap has opened up since the Brexit referendum in June, which initially caused stocks to fall globally. Stocks in the US made a full recovery; stocks in the UK did not, unless you measure them in the UK's depreciated currency.
... UK stocks have lagged behind the world badly since the referendum, in common currency terms, and that the pound has dropped to a fresh 31-year low since UK politicians started saying over the weekend that they were prepared to suffer a "hard Brexit" in return for regaining control of migration, show that international markets perceive Brexit as risky, and potentially harmful for the UK economy.
... the gains have been concentrated in the materials and mining groups that populate the London market. Anglo-American has trebled this year, while Fresnillo and Glencore have more than doubled; all are rallying from a severely sold-off position, and rely on a continued recovery in commodity prices.
And don't forget that Bank of England chief Mark Carney had to pump another £60 billion pounds into the economy by buying up gilts (government debt) after the EU vote, extending the existing quantitative easing (QE) programme to £435bn, keeping the stock markets artificially inflated.
In the three months to the end of July 2016 – so roughly a month and a half either side of the Brexit vote – it showed that the UK's broad money supply grew at 14.7%. ... this rate exceeds even the previous high of 12.8%, set in 2006 at the peak of the boom before the global financial crisis. We all know what happened next.
... only about 10% of newly-created money has made its way into the kind of consumer items tracked by CPI. Instead, 37% has gone into financial markets, 40% into residential and commercial property, and 13% into real businesses that create jobs and boost economic growth. ... So all the official measures do, effectively, is track the 10% of "inflation" that has gone into consumer goods.
Sterling probably has further to fall. It was $1.55 before the vote, then plunged to around $1.30 and now it's $1.27 and slipping. Some commentators have been talking about $1.05 which was last hit in the mid 1980s.
The pound has fallen more than 14 per cent this year, only beaten by the Argentine peso as the worst performing major currency for 2016.
But what does this mean for the many working class voters who want Brexit?
When you have few assets and are living essentially hand to mouth much of this goes over your head. I was blissfully untouched by ERM, the dot com bubble and the 2008 crash, only vaguely aware that some awful calamity was going on in the upper echelons. This is likely to be how many poorer Brexiteers — done over or neglected by successive governments, left largely undefended by either of the parties when austerity was running full tilt — feel about the current economic hit, especially if the Tories can keep some plates spinning. Problem this time, though, is what's coming down the pipeline: more "soft" austerity, collapsing pensions hit by ultra-low interest rates, cuts in services and a privatised NHS will all hurt.
While domestic goods made here will be more expensive due to cost of imported materials, so will imports, so UK manufacturing may gain the upper hand in time, and rising UK earnings may also help soften the blow.
However ... value for investors isn't present even with a fallen pound. One study found only four of the giant stocks had any value left (including dealer of death BAE, of course!). Investors may flee or just sit tight and watch for now.
So we have the worst of both worlds. A severely damaged economy where those at the bottom are picking up the bill, no revolutionary movement to change society and a degenerated left waiting on the wings for capitalism to deliver the working class into their hands. It won't, at least this time around. That's the genius of capitalism — it mutates and leaves us in its dust.
Such great material to work with. UK productivity gap widens to worst level since records began.
Theresa May bragged about Britain being world's 5th-largest economy. After her speech, it dropped to 6th.
Banking revenues about to fall off cliff as UK signals slashing regulations. Remember Reagan doing the same and Clinton abolishing the Glass Steagal Act separating investment and savings banks? And the 2008 crash that those policies led to?
I'll give this to Team Corbyn for free (as always).
I'm delighted to see left arguments for infrastructure investment entering the debate at the Labour conference. What you might not know is that investors, AKA the capitalist class, are in a panic because austerity hasn't worked for them, either. It's all very well being a First Class passenger on the Titanic while those in steerage drown first under George Osborne's austerity measures, but they know the sea will get you in the end.
The markets are fat, flat and running on petrol fumes. Bonds have no yield. Gold has soared as the last refuge of value but looks like dropping. Everyone is expecting a massive correction (slump), only unlike the 2008 crash, an economically strong China is not there to help pick up the pieces — China has a terrifying amount of debt as they have learnt about printing and pumping money from our own Quantitive Easing (QE). It is like playing pass the parcel with a live grenade.
Philip Hammond is now under pressure from significant bodies of Tories. Now that the central banks have run out of ammo and the poorest have suffered from austerity while national and personal debt has soared, there's a clamour for what we needed right after the 2008 crash: investment in infrastructure such as rail, roads, housing, ports, power stations and so on.
However, Hammond is dithering. This means there is a window of opportunity to change the austerity narrative and get speakers into the media — you'll be pushing at an open door. This is your chance to update your fact-files (I am sure you do this regularly), brief your speakers, give them some media training and shape the debate.
For instance, the Tories will baulk at building social housing among all the possible projects. Your task, if you care to take it, is to grab the limelight PROACTIVELY, get into the various print, broadcast and social media and foreground the facilities we want built for need not greed.


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An entrepreneur from the start, Daniel Ozbun may have started his national moving business in high school, but it is a company that has positioned him well for retirement. As a teenager helping his grandparents relocate from California to Arizona, he immediately knew he was made for the moving industry. "When I finished that project, I was still in high school and I decided to do some advertising… and pretty soon I was moving people every Saturday and Sunday. I graduated from high school, [and] it's been a full time job ever since." From family customers to international corporate relocations, Ozbun built a company around meticulously addressing the details. "Moving isn't rocket science but it certainly is detail-oriented. We live and breathe to execute the details flawlessly every day every move." Work that requires a rigorous dotting of the i's is about knowledge, experience, and confidence. He encourages fellow entrepreneurs to, "Learn as much as you can about all of the components [of your business] as quickly as you can so when you are making decisions you can engage them in a way that is meaningful to the result you are trying to drive. Understanding how the details impact the components is critical for astute decision making." Daniel's Moving and Storage, has been managing the components of corporate and residential moves for over forty years, but one detail remains in constant flux, the seasonality of moving.
For Daniel, success in the moving business has come from balancing a highly seasonal business with other revenue streams that are annually consistent. With 70% of residential moves occurring between May 15 and September 15, Ozbun recognized the need to flatten out his services to generate reliable income throughout the year. Early in his career an opportunity arose while moving a residential customer who happened to work as a property manager for a large financial institution in Phoenix. After receiving superior service in moving her household goods, she contracted with Daniel's Moving to manage her company's relocations. After affirming their high-quality services and spreading the word of their expansion, earning commercial contracts became a daily opportunity.
These new efforts were so successful, that rather than balancing out their summer services, commercial work became 75% of the ventures completed. Recognizing the shift and understanding that the best approach was to keep the commercial and residential income streams as balanced as possible, Ozbun developed a business plan to stabilize his earnings. "That's when we moved toward a relationship with [Atlas] Van Lines. Our goal was to expand the household goods segment to more of a 50/50 revenue stream." He chose Atlas for their agency-owned approach and the corporate responsiveness to the customer. Ozbun felt that partnering with a van line would help his company maintain a steady flow of residential customers as well as corporate and military relocations. "You can do an office move from $50,000 to $200,000. You might only do one to two on a month-to-month basis, but it takes a great deal of household goods moves to make up that same revenue. Having consistent commercial revenue helps flatten out that really high curve of the household goods of the summertime." The partnership with Atlas helped to boost residential moving contracts, fostered expansion of the territory, and cross-country services bloomed into a business with multiple locations.
"Someone that is passionate about doing the right thing and helping their customers get from one point to another will have a well-positioned company whether it's seasonal or not."
Reflecting on his expansion throughout the United States, with branches in eight states, he acknowledges that having multiple locations is not necessarily the key to higher earnings. "I oversee the Best Practices Council for Atlas Van Lines. We see great success from some of the multi-location owners and we also see great success from single location owners." Ozbun emphasized that larger profit margins are often related to owner/operators who are hands-on throughout their company and who are invested in their local markets as they are often able to manage their business more effectively. "One of the reasons why we have started to divest is we wanted to have a smaller footprint, so we could manage it a little more effectively." As his team shifts its focus once again to better address the needs of his business, effective management and customer outreach are the driving forces behind his impactful changes. Having dedicated service line sales representatives is a key aspect to high-quality customer service as is networking and building relationships with corporate organizations to foster positive, long-term, and trusting relationships.
Moving a client's home goods or transporting a company's office furnishings is ultimately about responsiveness, trust, and a detailed plan. "I recognize that moving is stressful for my customers and we work really hard to reduce the stress of moving. We do that through a significant amount of preplanning, managing the scope and the goals of the relocation. We then execute seamlessly on moving day." Roadmaps not only benefit the process of moving, but the business as well. A thorough plan has taken Daniel's Moving and Storage from a seasonal after school project to a national player by embracing a, "Constant recognition of where you are, where you want to go, and building processes and roadmaps to get you [there]." Ozbun continued, "Recognize what drives the seasonality and then mitigate that with what other revenues that are your passion. Someone that is passionate about doing the right thing and helping their customers get from one point to another will have a well-positioned company whether its seasonal or not seasonal."
Embracing Seasonality
Music City Blooms
How Do I Finance My Seasonal Business?
The Firm Winners
Timing is Everything: The Impact of Trends on Sale Price
Learning From A Pro: 8 Questions
For The Love of Design: Expanding a Seasonal Landscaping Business
Hog Farming to Hedging Commodities
Culture is Key
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We have a great couple for you today!
Chavous and Andrea were married at St. Thomas More Catholic Chapel at the University of South Carolina. Chavous and I have known each other for quite a while and our overlapping passions for computers, college radio, photography, and philosophy mean that when we get together we usually wind up talking for quite a while. Not on the wedding day, though–he had more pressing matters to attend to.
Injuries aside, the wedding was lovely, with beautiful details as you can see in Wendy's photo of Andrea's garter.
…and the lovely bride herself.
There was even time for a little spinning, and some lovingly looking into one another's eyes.
No, we didn't flunk Phys-Ed class.
Since Wendy is a teacher and I taught for several years, you'd think that school is the last place we'd want to spend our summer. (Yes, kids, your teachers look forward to summer as much as you, and probably much, much more.) But for the last three years we've spent four days of each summer on the campus of USC taking classes. Why would we do this voluntarily? Because we've gotten to study the art of image-making with some of the best photographers in the country.
The school is The Lamarr Williamson School of Photography: an annual collection of workshops put on by the Professional Photographers of South Carolina. This year featured an amazing group of instructors including Judy Host, Lou Freeman, and Louis Tonsmeire. Wendy and I studied with Ted and Rachel Linczak of Linczak Photography, who, in addition to being spectacular photographers and educators, are a great couple to hang out with.
Wendy and I keep coming back to the Lamarr School because we truly believe that photography is an art and a craft, and that great art cannot be created consistently without hard work and study. The instructors at the Lamarr School are committed to their craft, and have spent years (usually decades) becoming masters of it–not only learning the rules, but how to obey and to break them in ways that surprise and delight the viewer.
The image above is one that Wendy and I created after Ted and Rachel sent us off with our class's models to put into practice some of what we'd learned during our first two days of study. We were less than half way through the class and already we were seeing new ways to photograph our clients that, hopefully, will knock their friggin' socks off.
On Wednesday, students submitted our favorite photos taken at the school for the instructors to judge and ours (the one above) won the best image award! [Insert photo of Wendy and me fist-bumping.] That felt pretty amazing, but it's also humbling, because The Lamarr School is filled with incredibly talented students, and we were up against photos that took my breath away.
That's the other great thing about the Lamarr School: the students. Everyone in our class was already a truly skilled photographer, but they were committed to excellence–to continual growth and to never being satisfied with "good enough". They were also really encouraging and a lot of fun to hang around.
Because of all of this, for the foreseeable future, Wendy and I will continue to go to summer school.
The Lumos Studio blog has languished for far too long, and so, as a new year dawns, we're returning to the web with a vengeance. We have a year's worth of beautiful brides, cute couples, bouncing babies, wonderful weddings, and annoying alliteration to share with you, dear reader. But it's not just photographs we have to share. Oh no! There will be glimpses behind the curtain at Lumos Studio, tips and tricks, and perhaps the occasional philosophical musing. So, as you plan for this new year, ripe with possibilities, we hope that you'll include coming along with us on our journey and saying "hi" from time to time.
The first stop on our adventure takes us back to March, when we took these photos of Kendra around the campus of the University of South Carolina. I've known Kendra's family since high school and even taught with her mom for a time. They're a great family that turns out beautiful, sweet daughters like it's their job.
I have a confession to make about this next photo: I didn't think we could pull it off. My lovely wife Wendy, though, was more confident in my abilities than I was and gracefully persuaded me to keep working with it until we captured this frame. I suspect the little jig I danced when I looked at the back of the camera suggested to her that she was right all along, but a little public validation never hurts, does it?
Kendra had a long and gorgeous veil that I think gave an air of mystery to these photos.
It always feels good to repose after a long shoot in a fairly heavy dress. The Inn at USC is one great place in Columbia to find that.
Wendy and I hope that your new year is filled with joy and beauty that is uninterrupted by the Mayan calendar. There's lots more coming up, so please join us on Wednesday for our next post!
You're going to have to bear with me on this post, because it's not a whole lot more than bragging. You see, I'm married to the most awesome woman on the face of the planet. Please don't get me wrong–there are many awesome women on this planet–I just happen to be married to the most awesome of them all.
This past week, I got to celebrate this amazing woman and our marriage to one another. See, our anniversary was on Wednesday and Wendy's birthday was on Thursday, meaning that, should I ever forget these dates, I am totally and completely doomed. No, I'm kidding, I have an amazingly patient and forgiving wife but I plan to never test her forgiveness that hard.
Anyway, we started out our anniversary in full wedding mode, with a bridal shoot with the lovely Joie (who you'll meet next week) at the historic Seibels House and Garden. It's a gorgeous site, which you can see from this quick snap I took of Wendy while testing light.
After our shoot, we were trying to decide on a place to eat our anniversary dinner. Unfortunately, we were both pretty stuffed up (pollen, anyone?) and didn't really want to splurge on a fancy meal that we might or might not be able to taste. What to do? Eat at Blue Cactus, of course! Let me be clear–we chose Blue Cactus not because they're not delicious, but because the way they cook, we knew we'd be able to taste it.
So yeah, in short, there were photos, there were gifts, there was food. It was a good day.
In the photo we're on our way to the McCutchen House for lunch. If you've never eaten there, you must remedy that soon. The food is delicious and the restaurant is staffed by USC students from the School of Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism Management who must be getting graded on their performance because the service is excellent. The McCutchen House is also where Wendy and I had our wedding reception. This visit wasn't quite as exciting as that one, but we did actually get to eat this time.
So, after eating and playing around USC, we went shopping so that Wendy could spend a little of her birthday money. I know you're dying to know what she bought, but hang on!
So yeah, that's my wife.
I am more grateful than I can express to have had the joy of spending the last three years of my life with her. She is my constant inspiration and the love of my life. Thank you for three amazing years, Baby, and happy birthday!


This is the earliest picture of Halley's Comet, made at a time when comets were bad omens. In 1066, it was visible from 24 April to 1 May, a few months after Harold's coronation on 6 January, and before his death and defeat at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October.
Edmond Halley (1656 – 1742) astronomer and mathematician, was the first to compute the orbit of this comet and accurately predict its return in 1758. Halley was a frequent visitor when Sir Isaac Newton lived in the house which was on the site of the library from 1710 – 1727.
Library staff are happy to help you to find these and other books in the collection.
Not sure where we are? Westminster Reference Library is off the south side of Leicester Square, behind the main wing of the National Gallery. For more information, telephone 020 7641 1300.
This event is in its seventh year and for the first time will take place in May, rather than April. Each year, a different author and book are chosen and this time it's the turn of Jessie Burton and her second novel 'The Muse'. Many of you may remember her wonderful debut work 'The Miniaturist' which was broadcast as a BBC TV drama last Christmas.
And don't forget to look at the Cityread website for a London wide picture of what is going on this May.
The world is more complicated than ever and life around us seems to move at an ever faster pace, statistics show that anxiety and depression have risen by a third in just over four years – it's clear that we are facing a significant and growing problem. Discovering new ways to target these issues present great challenges, but also, opportunities. As technology continues to dominate our lives and change our behaviours, research shows there are actions we can take to tackle these issues, one of which is through drumming.
The roots of drumming are ancient, archaeologists have discovered evidence that people have used drums for millennia; numerous small cylindrical drums have been excavated in southern parts of Turkey and Iran dating from 3000 BC. Drumming was important then and it is now, think about your favourite song or musical composition, is there a drum beat or distinctly rhythmical element central to its structure? Some anthropologists believe that rhythms and sounds may have been a precursor to the languages we speak today and used as a form of communication.
Research shows that participating in group drumming activities boosts the body's production of endorphins, the 'feel good' hormones. Experiencing a group drumming session can be powerful and transformative, promoting feelings of being energised and focused, it's hard to engage with other things like your smart phone. Research also shows that participants who had blood pressure checks before and after a one hour drumming session displayed a reversal in stress producing hormones, proving that this is a powerful and transformative way to manage stress and anxiety.
Your brain loves it when you drum. Music is a powerful way to engage your brain in a full neurological workout; the visual, auditory and motor cortices work hard during a group drumming session. Drumming promotes synchronous brain activity, getting both sides of the brain working together whilst improving concentration, coordination and problem solving skills. The power of drumming is especially noticeable in people living with dementia and acquired brain injury. Therapeutic Instrumental Music Performance (TIMP) programmes show transformative results in stroke survivors and their rehabilitation, and music has been proven to be a powerful means of communication for those living with dementia.
There is growing evidence that drumming can be linked to a reduction in pro-inflammatory immune response in the body, helping to induce the opposite effect through increasing the positive anti-inflammatory defences your body needs to stay healthy. According to cancer specialist Dr Barry Bittman (who conducted extensive research in the fields of music and neurology), group drumming has the potential to increase cells associated with killing cancer and viruses. Research conducted at The University of Tokyo showed the number of white blood cells increased significantly, the slowing down and synchronisation of breathing during the sessions improved blood flow.
With the constant quest for super speed broadband and the latest smart phone, do we still have the capacity to make real and meaningful connections to people and places? Drumming is a great way to feel connected to others without speaking or acting, but solely through the non-verbal pulsating rhythms created in a group. Meet new people, laugh, listen, reflect and be part of creating an incredible shared experience for yourself and those around you.
Injecting fun into your life is a serious business! People who are deprived of fun and recreational experiences are more likely to commit crimes, be less productive and have low self-esteem. Drumming is one of the most fun and rewarding things to do – why not give it a try?
Maida Vale Library hosted a full programme of events for children during half term.
There has been an ongoing treasure hunt to find spooky Halloween characters hidden around the library.
On Monday we had two really well attended sessions for our popular rocket making session in the morning and again in the afternoon – more than 80 children and adults came along.
On Tuesday we hosted an Elmer Day event. A bit late I know (or early as they'll be another on 26 May 2018), but better late than never! The children listened to some stories about the multi-coloured elephant, played a game, then coloured in pictures and elephant ears and made an Elmer model.
On Thursday we were making spooky puppets from felt in the morning and afternoon and again and we were joined by over 100 children and adults! Hopefully everyone had a great time and I was ably supported by volunteers Lisa and Khaleda, so a big thank you to them.
There was also time for sharing stories, so something for everyone.
Pimlico Library celebrated Libraries Week yesterday, Thursday 12 October with the Worlds of Possibilities festival – a free series of artistic activities in public libraries held to celebrate the wide range of activities and opportunities available in libraries.
Pupils from two local schools experienced an afternoon of poetry and performance workshops; poet and playwright, Tommy Sissons entertained two classes from Pimlico Academy and three classes from Pimlico Primary got to meet author, Smriti Prasadam-Halls.
Smriti Prasadam-Halls read from her book T-Veg, about a vegetarian dinosaur, to primary school pupils from Pimlico Primary. She also spoke about other stories she's written and where she gets her ideas from.
Tommy Sissons read poems from his book Goodnight Son and hosted a Q&A session with secondary school pupils on writing and being a poet.
Both events were also attended by Libraries Minister, John Glen MP and Cllr Jacqui Wilkinson, Deputy Cabinet Member for Environment, Sports and Community.
Thank you to Smriti, Tommy, pupils and teachers from Pimlico Primary and Pimlico Academy for contributing to such a fantastic event!


*contains PR samples and affiliate links* Ah man, it's been too long, my friends! Let me welcome you back to The K-Beauty Podcast with an autumnal episode, all about transitioning into your autumn skincare routine, with heaps of tips on how to adjust your routine to deal with the seasonal changes.
No matter if you call it "autumn" or "fall", if pumpkin spice lattes are your greatest joy in life or you view them as the grossest thing on this planet, there is no doubt that for us in the Northern hemisphere, the season that gives lifestyle bloggers 99% of their Instagram material is upon us!
And, well, what kind of a K-beauty blogger would I be if I wouldn't take this opportunity to talk about transitioning and adjusting your skincare routine so that it fits with the changing season! Alright then – let's grab ourselves a hot drink and get all cozied up for this autumnal podcast episode on how to build and adjust your autumn skincare routine, K-beauty style!
Marina Miracle Sweet & Creamy Oil Cleanser – check out the international Marina Miracle website to see where you can purchase this cleanser in your country; Germans can buy this at Marina Miracle Germany!
Lioba Soft Clouds Micellar Foaming Cleanser – buy at Lioba Skincare online, contact them if they maybe are willing to ship to your country, shipping is mostly focused on EU countries at this stage!
Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence – buy at Yesstyle*, buy at Beautytap* – see which one works better in terms of shipping options for your country, prices are roughly the same!
Fave of the week: A By BOM Ultra Time Return Eye Serum – buy at Bemused Korea, Germans can also get this for a pretty decent price at Miss and Missy!
A big thank you to anyone who is kind enough to support The K-Beauty Podcast by using the affiliate links on this blog! And, of course, thank you for listening to this week's episode on how to transition into your autumn skincare, K-beauty style! Remember to subscribe on ITunes to never miss a new podcast episode, or keep up with the podcast on Stitcher. If you are enjoying my content and find it worth supporting, you can donate a small amount to my ko-fi page – you help me continue making this podcast with your help, thank you!
Let me know in the comments: In what ways do YOU switch up your skincare routine once the colder weather hits?


Only once previous year, just like the season before, did a driver from a team outside the top three appear on the podium, and both of those races involved some freak circumstances.
He said: "We are confident we will beat Red Bull in many races this year".
France's Grosjean and Dane Magnussen have also bought into the "massive ambition" shown by Storey, who intends to challenge Red Bull on and off the track.
"We are in the part of the field where it is really competitive", Magnussen told Denmark's BT newspaper.
"Last year, I think we had the fourth-fastest auto, we finished fifth [in the standings], I know about that, but the next one up was Red Bull".
"There's been an terrible lot of talk of ownership, previous regime and the future", he added, when asked why he had chosen F1, a sport that positively devours money, "but ultimately it's going to remain the pinnacle long term". They are a David taking on Goliaths in Formula One and we are the same in the drinks business.
Red Bull have switched to Honda engines from Renault this season, with a question mark over performance and reliability while Haas have a Ferrari power unit in the back of their vehicle.
"The pressure gets higher if you have a title sponsor on board because you have got accountability to it, but we can deal with that", he said.
Haas has partnered with Rich Energy for 2019, with the company becoming the Formula 1 team's first title sponsor since it debuted in the sport in 2016.
Speaking about the team's expectations ahead of the season, team principal Gunther Steiner said: "It's important that we keep progressing as a team, and this season is no different".


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Perfectionist Williamson wary of Pakistan's deep batting
Posted By: adminon: January 12, 2018 In: SportsNo Comments
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson has called on his bowlers to be more accurate in the final overs as they look to take an unbeatable lead over Pakistan in the third one-day international in Dunedin on Saturday.
New Zealand are already 2-0 up in the five-match series but Williamson is not completely happy, especially with the bowling to lower-order batsmen.
Pakistan rocketed from 141 for seven in the 37th over to make 246 for nine in game two, repeating a pattern that has been all too common in recent seasons where New Zealand have let the score get away on them after a solid start.
"We learnt a few lessons from the last game," Williamson said Friday.
"They bat very deep, the Pakistani side, and that is a sign of a good team," he added." "To see their lower order come out and put together a partnership that gave them a total which could have been a tough chase… it's important that we learn from that."
Despite the big hitting, particularly by Hasan Ali and Shadab Khan who both made half centuries, New Zealand won the match in Nelson by eight wickets after the rain swept in. The hosts were set a revised target of 151 in 25 overs.
The first match in Wellington, which New Zealand won by 61 runs, was also affected by the weather and further rain is forecast for game three in Dunedin on Saturday.
If a result is achieved, a win would not only give them New Zealand the series but they would also equal their longest streak across all formats of 10 wins.
New Zealand have Colin de Grandhomme back in their squad after the all-rounder returned from bereavement leave, but Williamson said they would wait to view the pitch Saturday morning before settling on their playing XI.
Fakhar Zaman, who scored an unbeaten 82 in the opening game, is expected to return to the Pakistan side after missing game two because of a thigh injury.
India Supreme Court judges: Democracy is in danger
India steps up China border patrols, says Indian Army Chief


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About Crystal-Lee
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Ask an Agent with Eric Smith of P.S. Literary Agency
by Crystal-Lee
Book Agent Eric Smith of P.S. Literary discusses life as a Literary Agent and MFA Professor. What platform really means to book agents, queries that grab his attention, a typical day in the life of a literary agent and forthcoming works by his clients.
Eric Smith is a Literary Agent with P.S. Literary, Author of The Geek's Guide to Dating, He has also published an anthology titled, Welcome Home. His latest Young Adult book, The Girl and the Grove is available for purchase now. His next novel, Reclaim the Sun, will be published by Inkyard Press / Harlequin Teen in 2020. Eric also teaches composition and mentors MFA students at Arcadia University from afar.
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Of the 100 petitions received by EC, 25 relates to MPs while the rest from the states with BJP-ruled Jharkhand.
The office of profit has opened a Pandora's box as 100 petitions concerning MPs and MLAshave been received by the Election Commission.
Of the 100 petitions, 25 relates to Members of Parliament while the rest from the states with BJP-ruled Jharkhand accounting for the largest such complaints -- 19 followed by 14 in Uttaranchal having a Congress government.
Of the 25 petitions regarding MPs, 18 belonged to Lok Sabha and seven Rajya Sabha.
Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee has petitioned the President against ten CPI(M) MPs including Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee.
While Bachchan has been disqualified, Congress President Sonia Gandhi has resigned from her Lok Sabha seat in the wake of the opposition campaign that the government and Parliament were being used to "save" her from certain disqualification.
Observing that these petitions have been referred by President A P J Abdul Kalam and the Governors of respective states, EC sources said the petitions were "at various stages of consideration".
The plethora of complaints have come at a time when the government has decided to bring forward a comprehensive legislation on the issue in the reconvened session of Parliament beginning May 10 after holding consultations with various political parties.


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Cuomo: Trump Committed 'Worst Government Blunder In Modern History'
Aug 4, 2020 American Society, Andrew Cuomo, COVID-19, Government, History, New York, President Donald Trump
Trump Committed 'Worst Government Blunder In Modern History'
On Monday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo — who has been widely criticized for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in his state, which has seen by far the most deaths from the virus in the country — attacked not only the Trump administration, calling its actions vis-à-vis the virus the "worst government blunder in modern history," but also Florida, Arizona, and Texas for opening their economies.
Cuomo started by insisting the United States needs to "hit the reset button …it has to start with the President telling the American people the truth."
Cuomo accused President Donald Trump of consistently lying to the American people and encouraging them not to take the virus seriously. Then he stated that governors who had opened their economies made a mistake.
"The president of the United States said five months ago, 'Reopen the economy. Liberate the states. Liberate the economy. These governors are slow walking reopening. They're just playing politics. That's what they're doing. There's no reason not to reopen the economy. Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up.' Florida jumps, Texas jumps, Arizona jumps, 'Yes, we're just going to reopen the economy.'" That was a mistake," said Cuomo.
The states Cuomo slammed have had far lower total numbers of cases and deaths from the coronavirus over the course of the pandemic. Florida, which has a Republican governor, has had one-fifth the mortality rate of New York.
Cuomo also complained that other states had ignored the lessons learned in New York, saying that New York had been "ambushed."
"It was a mistake to see what we had to do here in New York — the testing, the hospital system, the contact tracing, the closed down, the phased reopening — and pay no attention to it. No attention to it," he said. "We're six months later — these states still don't have testing and contact tracing. How can it be? You had six months — here in New York we had two weeks. We were ambushed because the virus came from Europe and nobody told us."
The governor claimed the reason the states had not prepared properly was because "they were listening to the president."
"This was a colossal blunder, how Covid was handled by this federal government — colossal blunder," he declared. "Shame on all of you. Six months, lives lost."
"Every American knows he made a mistake," he said of Trump. "Every American knows this was the worst government blunder in modern history."
Cuomo used the Vietnam War analogy: "Not since the Vietnam War have Americans sat in their living room to see the numbers on the TV screen every night saying what a mistake it was. During the Vietnam War, every night you saw the death toll. You saw the injury toll on TV. Every night they've seen this virus increasing all across the country and the death toll going up."
That's what we call being New York tough and smart and united and disciplined and loving. They should try it in Washington.
One thought on "Cuomo: Trump Committed 'Worst Government Blunder In Modern History'"
Trump Cast Doubts On Election Integrity | Rush Midi says:
[…] Opinion polls suggest he currently trails Democratic challenger Joe Biden. […]


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Lean Cannot be Measured by Inventory Alone
By Mark Graban	 On Nov 19, 2007 Last updated Mar 1, 2012
I know many of you won't have access to this article from the latest Industrial Engineer magazine (from the Institute of Industrial Engineers) but I had to comment on it anyway. The piece, by Richard Shonberger, has the headline "Faltering lean" and has a callout that says "U.S. companies are doing poorly with lean."
At that point, I was drawn in. It's always an interesting topic, the struggles that companies face with lean. There's a whole book on How to Prevent Lean Implementation Failures and I have a separate blog on the topic. Lean gurus and experts are always bemoaning the high failure rates for Lean implementation and surveys are taken and discussed (as we did here). There's no shortage of things to write about and talk about with "Lean failures." The discussion isn't too much different than talking about "Six Sigma failures" or "ERP failures." It often boils down to a lack of leadership and a lack of commitment from the organization, as we've often discussed here.
In his IIE article, Shonberger highlights and focuses exclusively on a single reported financial number, inventory, as his measure of "leanness." I think this is a huge error. I am hesitant to criticize Shonberger, as he deserves much credit for the spread of Lean and Just in Time principles in the U.S. But, this narrow laser focus on inventory numbers does little to help others be successful in their Lean efforts, I believe. It would be like looking at data that shows that teams that win the Super Bowl tend to commit fewer penalties than other teams (I'm making that up, but it could be true) and then assuming that the key to winning the Super Bowl is to avoid committing penalties (and focusing on that almost exclusively as a goal or a metric). A low number of penalties won't necessarily lead to winning (you need to score some points and play some defense, as well).
Lean companies, such as Toyota, Danaher, or others might tend to have to have low inventory, compared to their peers, but low inventory isn't the primary goal of a business. That goal should be long-term profitability. That's how we should gauge the success of a company. Not the short-term profit this quarter, but long-term profitability. Look at Toyota — the true measure of their success is the sustained profitability that allows them to fund growth and new technologies, creating stability that helps them avoid layoffs and the downward spiral of the layoff cycle.
Shonberger pulled inventory data, what he calls "the measure of merit" (again, I disagree with that assertion) from public companies, something that anyone can do online, and showed that inventory trends are not good.
"Of the 566 U.S. companies tracked, 50 percent show no clear trend in inventory turns and another 15 percent show at least 10 years of worsening turns. That leaves just 35 percent that have maintained a lean trend for at least 10 years or had that trend but faltered in the the most recent 5 to 7 years."
Shonberger continues to make his case by saying:
"Where we see lots of inventory, we conclude, rightly, that the facility is not lean. No other measure is so universal, objective, and available for research."
It might be true that having tons of inventory means you are "not lean" but does having very little inventory on the books prove that you are lean? Remember, Toyota defines TPS/Lean in two parts: eliminating waste (including inventory, as one type of waste) and having respect for people. To me, low inventory, in and of itself, is not enough to prove "leanness."
Shonberger points to Japan and how their inventory numbers have done better recently after 15 years of "malaise" — and he credits outsourcing. That's a "Lean" approach? It's easy to have huge inventory turns when you don't make anything, if you're some sort of modern virtual manufacturer, the type who only has 10 employees for marketing and design. Is that the path Shonberger wants us going down?
He then points to Toyota and how their inventory turns have fallen from 22.9 (in 1993) to 10.1 (in 2006). But, Toyota is not the same company today as in 1993. It's not an apples-to-apples comparison. Toyota is building and selling more in the U.S. Is Toyota "less Lean" today than in 1993? That seems like a statement that is hard to back up, other than looking at the inventory data. Sure, Toyota has its struggles (defects and recalls), but Lean is only about inventory, right?
So why are companies struggling with Lean? Shonberger points to "weak support in the executive suite," and the temptation to "cherry-pick easy practices" like 5S and kanban instead of focusing on core issues of balancing demand and supply. Is this why Toyota is supposedly struggling with Lean, per the inventory measures? I doubt it.
Shonberger really loses me in his final paragraph when he points to Dell and Wal-Mart as two great Lean examples, he calls them "lean standouts." It's painfully clear we are working off of different definitions of Lean. Dell and Wal-Mart aren't followers of the Toyota model. Dell is just now starting to explore Toyota as a model (as I've complained about before) and Tesco is the clear Lean leader in retailing, not Wal-Mart.
I prefer my definition (shared by many others), which has balanced goals of improving quality, customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, and company profits. Reducing inventory can contribute to some of those goals, sure. Those are goals that translate across industries. Hospitals aren't trying to get Lean for the sake of cutting inventory levels. That's not a goal that translates and I think it's further proof that Shonberger's definition of Lean is wrong or, at best, outdated.
DellInventoryToyotaWalmart
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Anonymous says 13 years ago
Jim Womack and Dan Jones wrote about this similar theme about 5 years ago Link
Cribbed from LEI:
…Richard Schonberger – a stalwart leader of the lean movement from the very beginning – has recently claimed that Toyota has not been "walking the talk" for a key indicator of lean practice – inventory turns. He points out that Toyota's company-wide turns have fallen from more than 80 in the 1960s to about 12 today, and follows this observation to some rather gloomy conclusions about the future of the lean movement.
In my and Dan Jones's view, Richard has identified an important symptom – Toyota's turns really have fallen – but has come to the wrong diagnosis and prognosis. Toyota's turns have not fallen because its individual plants are less lean. We visit them frequently and know that this is not true. Rather Toyota's turns have fallen because of the steady global expansion of Toyota without the ability to globalize and regionalize its production system at the same rate.
In the 1960s Toyota created practically all of the value in its products within a short distance in Toyota City and sold most of its output in the Japanese domestic market. In addition, it sold its finished units at the factory gate to the independent Toyota Motor Sales Company, meaning that the Toyota Motor Company carried no finished-unit inventories. Its lean methods inside Toyota City made 80 or more turns quite practical. (Remember that turns are calculated by dividing the cost of goods sold during a year by the average value of the raw materials plus work-in-process plus finished goods on hand during the year. This means that shorter value streams always produce higher turns, other things being equal.)
As Toyota began to sell abroad, it suddenly needed to ship finished vehicles vast distances by sea. What was more, because it could no longer build most vehicles to customer order as it did in Japan (due to the long lead times for shipping), Toyota had to create stocks of finished units in each export market. At first these vehicles were owned by independent foreign distributors and were not carried as inventory on Toyota's books once they left the boat. However, over time Toyota bought out its foreign distributors and in 1982 merged with its Japanese distributor to form the current-day Toyota Motor Corporation. This had the effect of transferring all finished units not at dealers onto Toyota's books and dragged down inventory turns.
Then, after 1984, Toyota began to establish assembly operations abroad, supplied initially by parts makers in Japan. Even with frequent shipments from suppliers, mountains of parts were always on the ocean, pulling turns down further. Over time Toyota has worked hard to establish a parts base within each region, but the steady growth of Toyota assembly operations has always run ahead of its ability to create local parts manufacturers and in any case the local suppliers are not nearly as close to Toyota assembly plants or as tightly coordinated as they are in Toyota City.
Therefore, even Toyota has a lot of work to do to fully "walk the talk" for its extended value streams, now stretching across the world, and doing this will be a continuing challenge as it moves to the head of the global automotive industry. I look forward to an upturn in inventory turns at Toyota in the years ahead and anticipate that members of the Lean Community will be involved in this campaign as Toyota suppliers.
Mike Gardner says 13 years ago
I agree, Mark. A few years ago I had the pleasure of attending a seminar by Dr. Shonberger and he said much the same thing. He spent considerable time shooting down Jim Collins' book Good To Great because the "great" companies had poor inventory turns. Any metric can be over-utilized–stock price, inventory, productivity, etc. We have to look at the whole, not one piece.
Karthik Chandramouli says 13 years ago
I participated in a seminar by Dr. Schonberger in 1997, and was shocked to learn that his initial books on JIT and World Class Manufacturing were written by surveying the existing literature on the subject. In other words, Dr. Schonberger never visited any of the Japanese companies he wrote about.
Hardly the Gemba mindset that I would expect from someone who professes such deep knowledge of manufacturing. Combined with the unwarranted praise of Dell and Wal-Mart, I think someone has a new book to sell…
I'm sure Prof. Schonberger has visited many other companies but I wonder how many true Lean companies he has personally visited to understand their true capability?
Clearly, Prof. Schonberger is smart, but it's hard to take these comments seriously when he hasn't spent meaningful time observing Toyota's process. I am certain that the public tours Toyota offers are insufficient in this regard.
I'm also certain that Toyota does not care too much what Prof. Schonberger thinks or looks forward to, as inventory turns are a metric nowhere to be found within Toyota.
In fact, you would be hard pressed to find someone in Toyota (even in Accounting) who understands and uses the calculation.
The truth is, Toyota uses simple visual control to manage inventory and optimize their system to perform with a dual supply base — Japan and local.
That's who Toyota is, and it's not going to change, no matter what "experts" write. Toyota could care less about inventory turns because their process capability allows them to manage the underlying drivers of inventory.
By the way, systematically planned inventory is not a bad thing. Excess inventory, on the other hand, is a risk which Toyota has proven capable of managing through fundamental execution and PDCA.
The Lean community also needs to wake up to the fact that ultra-low inventory is inherently at odds with service levels, particularly in a global marketplace with long lead-times.
Optimizing the trade-offs between inventory and service levels is not something that Toyota does, or knows how to do. They just manage this implicitly through TPS and solve real problems (customer, supplier, or otherwise) one-by-one.
The "shareholder" problem of insufficient inventory turns is not one that gets much attention at Toyota.
Like all financial metrics, turns can be gamed. That's why Toyota focuses relentlessly on process.
Could they do better with Global Network Optimization? Probably. But their ability to develop local suppliers cannot be accelerated with software or wishful thinking.
Until then, the Japan-based supply base will continue to be an integral part of Toyota's global growth. When inventory turns improve, it will be largely because of supply base localization and not because of any new "improvements" in inventory management.
Kevin says 13 years ago
Great post, Mark, and I agree with the others that you're right on the money. The bottom line with lean is not inventory turns or any other metric or tool. It's creating value for the customer (as well as respect for people). The importance, or even direction, of a metric can change based on how customer value is identified.
I was recently in a couple factories of a medium-sized specialized medical device manufacturer. They make complex devices that have long (even after lean improvements) raw and processing lead times, with a wide range of potential configurations. But customers consider it critical… valuable… that products be delivered within 48 hours of order. Thus when you go through their factory you see world class lean everywhere you look… then you look through those double doors into the warehouse and see mountains of inventory. But that inventory is value to the customer.
Mike T says 13 years ago
I'm hoping to manipulate your blog for personal gain (not the first time and I'm probably not the only one!) This thread ties into a recent thread on the NWLean forum and I'm curious to see response from this information source.
What are Lean financial measurements that are acceptable financial measurements? Everyone can understand On-Time Delivery and Lead Time, but financial managers cannot relate that to hard $$. Inventory levels and Inventory Turns can be defined financially, but what are other metrics that can be used?
I've asked others with Lean backgrounds. One suggestion (which has merit) is called a Productivity Index. It is (Sales – Raw Materials) / Expenses (generally EBITDA – I've also heard it described as variable expenses). I'm being challenged (in a positive way) to find ways to measure the success of our company through Lean measurements, as opposed to our traditional Variances, Effectivity, Reported vs. Earned Hours, etc.
I'd love to hear other people's responses. Remember, they need to be something that financial managers could relate to, so employee morale or simply saying "providing a service level to our customers" – things not definable by $ – won't help. I firmly believe there has to exist a transitional method of going from Financial measurement to Lean measurement, without making an incredible leap of faith.
Ron Sturgeon says 11 years ago
I get a lot of questions about inventory turns because they can be hard to understand. Even harder to understand or model is how turns affect cash flow. However, the entrepreneur who measures turn and appreciates the connection is much more likely to prosper in the long run….. Read more at http://www.mrmissionpossible.com/blog/
I saw Prof. Shonberger speak recently at the 2012 ASQ Lean and Six Sigma Conference.
It seemed pretty clear from what he said that he only looked at public financial statements. To Karthik's point, I don't think he goes to the gemba much.
I think a lot of his analysis is flawed. The decline in inventory turns has got to be more a commentary on globalization and the China factor than anything about getting "bored" or "fatigued" with Lean (two terms he threw around).
He also said, quite definitively in his mind, "Toyota is no longer the paragon of lean" because their inventory turns are worse than before.
The biggest head scratcher was that he complained that the media only sees Lean as "JIT inventory" — yet I think he is a huge contributor to that perception by talking about inventory so danged much.


Psalms 116:15 "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His Saints"
My condolences to the family and friends of Officer MacDonald, his sacrifice to the community and his Department will never be forgotten.I promise to always honor the code and be the best that I can be.
RIP Officer James Wayne MacDonald. I'm a friend of Officer Kevin Burrell. I think of you both daily and i continue to pray for your families. Keep patrolling Heaven brother and watching over us that are still here. Thank you. Never forgotten!!!!
Jimmy, it was 24 years ago today you were taken from us. You would have been 48 years old and nearing retirement now. I have never stopped thinking about you brother. I pray often for your family and hope they are all doing well. Unfortunately the POS who murdered you is still sitting on death row. I look forward to the day he is finally executed. Until Valhalla!
Jim, wow tomorrow will be 24 years since you were taken from us. It is so unbelievable!!! Another one of our brothers was taken from us yesterday. Please look out for Officer Boyer as he joined the ranks of angels watching over us!!! I'm sure you're a great Field Training Angel :)!! I still miss you and think of you often.
Thinking of you guys. Thank you for your service and paying the ultimate sacrifice.
Watching the movie "STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON," I could not help but think about the senseless murders of Burrell and MacDonald (who were not mentioned in the movie)….(Sigh).
I can't believe it has been 21 years since you were taken from us. It still seems like yesterday that we did our internship together and walked together during graduation from CSULB.
You are always in my heart and with every new trainee I have had I talk about you; hoping they realize how quickly things can happen and how fragile life can be.
Please watch over all of our brothers and sisters! God bless you and your family!
I do not attend the memorial service for Jimmy and Kevin. I have both their pictures on my "Man Cave " wall in my garage. I light two candles and let them burn all night on the date of their deaths. I hope that gives their sprits peace.
I visit James' grave when I go to the cemetary to visit my father's grave. My dad was a Highway Patrol officer and he rests not far from James resting place. His name is David Pedersen and his badge is carved into his headstone. Though it seems silly, there was something about knowing my dad is not alone and that "back up" is close by. Silly, considering I never knew you, but I've known so many police officers throughout my life that I see your picture and feel as if I do know you.
Just want to say that I have always remembered OFC Macdonald and OFC Burrell I was in the Fullerton academy when they lost there lives. I will continue to remember them and there families.
I would like to say that I have always remembered OFC Macdonald and OFC Burrell. I was in the Fullerton police academy when they lost there lives. I will continue to keep them and there families on my mind.
You are still remembered. See you at the Memorial Ceremony tonight at 1900 hours.
We all know how much was complicated the police service in this Compton area, and how cops had to be brave to do their job out there. So rest in Peace soldier! You will be in our hearts forever.
You'll always be our hero.
Love and miss you, Jimmy.
Thinking of you and your partner today on this nineteenth annivesary of your tragic death. Your parents are very special people to me as they were a lifeline when I started on this journey as a surviving parent. I am sure you are as proud of their help to surviving famiies as they are as proud of you and the life you led with a profound sense of duty. Rest In Peace.
Jimmy, it has been 19 years and my tears still flow every February 22 remembering that day. You will always remain in my thoughts and prayers. I pray to God regularly for your mother, father, and brother, as they continue to live here on earth as you live eternally in heaven. I know you are the angel next to St. Michael protecting all of us, your law enforcement brothers and sisters, here on earth. You are a hero to all of us. I miss you my brother. Rest in peace.
One of the biggest heartbreaks ever. Jimmy was the kind of man who saw beyond the clique and stereotypes, kind hearted, with a good word for everyone. My heart still aches today.
I will pray for peace for your family, such a wonderful family.
19 years later and your still in our thoughts. RIP Jimmy Mac. Your loved by many. Today I will pray for your family.


Pablo's passion for the guitar began 21 years ago, and he has since dedicated his life's work to everything guitar related. He has studied guitar in Latin America, the UK and Australia, with degrees in composition and music teaching.
Pablo has played his Ambiente repertoire at many weddings over the years including venues such as Leonda by the Yarra, Stones, Toms Cap Winery, Woodman Estate, La Petanque and many more. He enjoys creating memorable experiences for couples on their wedding day, and even learns new pieces if the couple have particular favourites in mind. He has played his jazz, Latin and contemporary pop classics on a weekly basis at a variety of Melbourne restaurants, such as The Robert Burns, James Squire Brewhouse, De Los Santos, Bluefin, Mosq, Red Rock and many others. The warm ambience created by his live performance allows restaurants to offer that little extra something to their diners' experience.
Pablo has enjoyed numerous highlights throughout his musical career. He was invited to perform his Ambiente repertoire at a prestigious ceremony for the governor of Victoria at Government House. Original compositions from his 3rd album 'Passages' have been featured in advertisements and used by the film industry and he has performed his original music at festivals around Australia.
To see more of what Pablo can offer you at your wedding, restaurant or event, see the 'videos' page of this website for samples of his different styles in the Ambiente repertoire.
Pablo also has his own original composition projects, with his latest album 'Black Euphoria' and previous instrumental project 'Orbeum'. For more information on these projects, visit http://www.pablonaranjo.com.


As the mortgage market is in its all-time rise, the mortgage share market is also experiencing favorable market stability. Now the mortgage shares are in upswing and hence the mortgage business in the world is growing phenomenally.
A typical mortgage company takes care of the mortgage issues while the buyers want to go for any real estate investment. Over last couple of years, the mortgage market has become very competitive all across the world and the mortgage companies are taking up numerous measures to attract the buyers and borrowers.
The mortgage rates are the major factors that drive both the mortgage market and the mind of borrowers.
With an uprising mortgage rate the mortgage market experiences a downswing, similarly, with a decreasing mortgage rate, the mortgage market grows enormously. The mortgage market share holders are the people who take care of the mortgage rate carefully, as it is the factor that directs the mortgage market in the most efficient way.
With the advent of internet and technology, the mortgage market is also experiencing some changes and advances. The buyers have now direct access to the mortgage market with the help of the internet and can check the various mortgage offers of the companies by just sitting at home.
With too many options in hand, the mortgage market is getting more and more competitive. The competition between the mortgage companies is another reason behind evolving a number of mortgage options thus affecting the mortgage rates inversely. Trivially, the competition in the mortgage market leaves some impression on the mortgage rate too.
According to the mortgage market analysts, there has been a rise in customer requests for refunding of un-authorized overdraft fees and other charges. An industry-wide customer backlash against bank charges is the prime reason behind this situation.
The competitive mortgage market and ever-changing mortgage rates affect the mortgage share market gravely. As the demand for real estate is universal and ubiquitous, the mortgage share market is always at a comfortable position. As the mortgage market financial performance in 2007 has been very strong, the economic analysts are forecasting that the underlying earnings per share should go up even further. As the mortgage market is going through its profit phase, investment in the mortgage share market is becoming more lucrative over the passage of time.


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YMCA HUMBER
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BLOG | Siobhan's visit to France as a Change Agent
SUPPORT Worker Siobhan Porter, 28, recently travelled to Avignon in France as part of her new role as a Change Agent with World YMCA.
Here she writes about her experience of the event and what it is like to be a Change Agent.
My name is Siobhan and I am a Coach at YMCA Humber.
I went to Avignon, France to participate in YMCA's Change Agents trainee programme from the 25 – 29 May 2017.
It was my first international YMCA event and I was extremely nervous prior to my departure, not least because I am not a fan of flying.
I was almost immediately put at ease when I met two UK participants who had kindly agreed to travel with me from Stansted to Avignon.
There were 22 national YMCAs represented at our gathering, including participants from England and Scotland, the majority of European countries, Kosovo, Russia and Palestine.
As one of the programme leaders Romulo repeatedly reminded us, we are the masters of our learning.
We were encouraged to discuss our experiences, our inspirations and aspirations.
As there were representatives from 22 different countries, this was an exceptionally interesting and diverse topic of conversation.
Enthusiastic discussions
These discussions continued long into the night and, in the vast majority of cases, into the early hours of the morning.
The early morning starts did not diminish our enthusiasm to talk about empowering young people.
I met a group of people with whom I shared a passion to enable young people to forge their own future and who shared a commitment to bring this vision to fruition.
I am excited to have the opportunity to work with this talented and dedicated group of people over the next two years.
The Change Agents' mantra is:
Communicate the Vision
Inspire Action
We were advised on our first evening that we would be enthusiastically chanting these words by the end of our time in Avignon.
By the last day I was chanting these words as enthusiastically as anyone and cannot wait to meet up with everyone again in Portugal in October.
Debbie's Blog
Peaks Lane Hostel
DN32 9ET
Phone: (01472) 359 621
Registered Charity No. 1058613 Registered Social Landlord No. LH4152
YMCA enables people to develop their full potential in mind, body and spirit. Inspired by, and faithful to our Christian values, we create supportive, inclusive and energising communities where young people can truly belong, contribute and thrive.


A scene from Rt 50 in Glenville, NY after the 1/7/2011 snowfall. I have noticed this potential photograph a multitude of times as I traveled Rt 50. As one drives along, the scene appears and disappears in a heartbeet. I have often wondered how a winter photograph would turn out. I passed the scene on the way home from an errand and I knew I had to take the picture this time--no more procrastinating! The reflection is so vivid as the brook flows into the forest. The image stabilization worked very well although with lens at wide angle, 24mm, ISO 400, the speed was 1/640 and perhaps wasn't so critical.


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HomeLife and LivingEqualityAttorney General Madigan Files Brief to Protect LGBTQ Workers from Discrimination
Attorney General Madigan Files Brief to Protect LGBTQ Workers from Discrimination
October 12, 2017 Staff Equality, Latest Local News, Law and Order
Source: aclu.org
Madigan & 17 Other AGs Argue Sexual Orientation Discrimination Violates Title VII
Chicago –(ENEWSPF)—October 12, 2017
By: Office of Attorney General Lisa Madigan
Attorney General Lisa Madigan, along with 17 other attorneys general, today filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court arguing that employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
The case, Evans v. Georgia Regional Hospital, involves Jameka Evans, a security guard at a Savannah hospital who was harassed at work and forced out of her job because she is a lesbian. The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation does not violate Title VII. This is inconsistent with a ruling by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Evans has asked the Supreme Court to take her case, seeking a nationwide ruling that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation violates Title VII.
Madigan and the other attorneys general support Evans' request that the Supreme Court take the case and rule in her favor on this issue. They argue that their states have strong interests in protecting their citizens against employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The lack of nationwide recognition that Title VII bars such discrimination blocks the full protection of LGBTQ workers – particularly given divisions between the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (which takes the position that Title VII protects workers from sexual orientation) and the federal Department of Justice (which has taken the opposite position).
The brief was filed late yesterday, on National Coming Out Day.
In part, the attorneys general write:
"Employment discrimination against gay, lesbian, and bisexual workers not only deprives them of important economic opportunities—it also stigmatizes their most intimate relationships and thus 'diminish[es] their personhood.'
Even in States like Illinois that have laws barring sexual-orientation discrimination in the workplace, Title VII plays a crucial complementary role by covering individuals not subject to the State's laws—for instance, federal employees or residents who work in another State—and by making available both the federal courts and a federal enforcer, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), to police invidious discrimination based on sexual orientation."
Joining Madigan in filing the brief were the attorneys general from; California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia.
A copy of the brief can be found here.
Source: www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov
Poll: Most Americans Say Puerto Ricans Are Not Yet Getting the Help They Need After Hurricane Maria
Congresswoman Robin Kelly Slams ACA Executive Order for Raising Costs on Families to Score Political Points


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San Sebastián Formation may refer to:
 San Sebastián Limestone, an Oligocene geologic formation in Puerto Rico
 San Sebastián Formation, Peru, a Late Pleistocene geologic formation in Peru
 Cape Sebastián Sandstone, a Campanian geologic formation in Oregon

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Weekend: video on demand
SXSW 2011: Andrew Haigh is an emerging talent destined to become the main event
Catherine Shoard
Making light of daunting opposition, British director's low-budget romance Weekend has taken the SXSW festival by storm
@catherineshoard
Mon 21 Mar 2011 14.12 EDT First published on Mon 21 Mar 2011 14.12 EDT
Sleeper hit ... Andrew Haigh's Weekend
In theory, Duncan Jones's Source Code opened this year's SXSW festival. But another drama by a British director screened at exactly the same time: Andrew Haigh's Weekend. The low-budget, same-sex romance tracks a one-night stand that develops into something deeper over the course of a weekend.
Going head to head with one of the festival's most anticipated films might be expected to have a director quaking in his boots. Not Haigh. "We were lucky," he says. "That spot in the schedule meant a lot of buyers saw it [Source Code had been snapped up long before]. And no one has too high expectations of gay-themed cinema. They don't think it'll resonate outside of a niche."
Weekend has defied those expectations. Last Monday it was named the festival's "buzz film", meaning it won publicity and extra screenings; later in the week, it picked up the emergent visions gong at the awards ceremony, making it one of the few British winners at SXSW (Joe Cornish's Attack the Block picked up the Midnight Screening/SX Fantastic Audience Award; short The Eagleman Stag the SXSW Wholphin Grand Jury Award).
Premiering somewhere with a predominantly straight audience was important to Haigh, but when he arrived at the festival he began to appreciate the scale of the challenge. "SXSW can feel very male, very straight and very white, and though it's a great festival, when you have a film that's different it's hard to find your place."
In general, the market for such fare is small. But is it the fault of the films themselves or of audiences? "Both," says Haigh. "A lot of gay-themed films are terrible. And mainstream audiences and the press aren't interested, understandably. Buyers and backers are nervous because they don't know where to place the film. And critics sometimes don't feel there's a seriousness to them, and so perhaps don't always give them the time they might [give] to straight films.
"But I always wanted to make sure Weekend was honest about being gay and didn't make it more palatable. I just wanted to make sure the story felt like it could be about anybody but also deal with specific gay concerns."
Haigh, who was an adolescent in the 80s, has been heartened by the increased understanding extended to gay teenagers. But if homophobia itself is no longer rife, fresh challenges have arisen, partly because the climate is perceived as so much more tolerant.
"People don't think the struggles gay people have are worth talking about because everyone's decided that we're all equals now. Those struggles are much more subtle now. But the weight of being different does carry on. My straight friends accept I'm gay but they forget that some people don't. Even now if I go into a party people don't usually assume I'm gay so you have to keep coming out. And if you say you've got a film with a gay subject matter you can sometimes see people's eyes going: oh! OK! Society is changing, but you've still got to try and fit in with a straight world."
In fact, the gay themes of Weekend, a deftly-played and beautifully-paced little romance, are something of a red herring. Unlike Haigh's debut, Greek Pete, which is about a rent boy in Soho and places sexuality front and centre, the film touches wider issues of inclusivity and isolation. It's shot in languorous, long takes, allowing you to absorb the intricacies of body language at your leisure, though with more composition and focus than something shot on handheld. It's a style that would find a naturally receptive audience in Austin (birthplace of mumble-core), among a crowd raised on American neo-realism.
Haigh's background, however, is in blockbuster editing: specifically whip-quick, high-gloss, big-bang fare. He worked on Gladiator and Hannibal Rising, Kingdom of Heaven and Mona Lisa Smile before taking a turn into the left-field; his last film as an editor was Harmony Korine's Mister Lonely. It's given him the desire to do things differently.
"Films are so over-edited nowadays. Nobody gives things the space to just exist. You don't need to be chopping back and forwards. People like Antonioni were happy to just let things exist."
Next up for Haigh is a "slight remake of a French New Wave film", though he's cagey about which one. He's also working on a drama about a couple whose marriage falls apart when one of their former lovers is found perfectly preserved in the ice. This year, Haigh is officially an emerging talent. But here's betting that, in years to come, he'll be the one people are quaking to be scheduled against.
Andrew Haigh
'I know it's brilliant': Ben Wheatley and Michael Smiley on SXSW hit Kill List
The director and star of Kill List ponder the SXSW reaction to the terrifying thriller with which they have followed Down Terrace
It's plain sailing for Tintin but Weekend springs a three-day wonder
Charles Gant: Second-highest screen average goes to British gay drama, which grossed £33,800 and is due to hit Brighton this Friday
SXSW: Natural Selection – review
Catherine Shoard: Robbie Pickering's debut feature, a moving and often extremely funny road trip, has deservedly scooped up the awards in Texas
Weekend – review
A lo-fi, tremendously convincing account of contemporary gay life, writes Peter Bradshaw
SXSW 2011: Morris dancing in the streets of Austin - video
Weekend: 'A soap bubble that could pop any second' - video review
Upside Down: The Story of Creation Records - review
The Guardian Film Show Film Weekly podcast: BIFA nominations and Weekend's Andrew Haigh
Film Weekly podcast: BIFA nominations and Weekend's Andrew Haigh


Open Monday - Friday from 3 p.m.–8 p.m.
Your health matters here! The Sandy Health & Wellness Center will offers a convenient location for individuals and families to access affordable, quality medical care in the Sandy area! Clackamas Health Centers offers care on a sliding fee scale to eligible uninsured and underinsured people. No one is refused care due to an inability to pay.
Call (503)655-8471 to make an appointment today!
*Initial confirmation and then referral to a nurse midwife at another location.
Clackamas Health Centers will NOT provide narcotics for pain on the first visit.
We accept Oregon Health Plan (OHP)/Medicaid, Medicare, and many private plans. For those without insurance or who are underinsured, we offer services on a sliding fee scale based on income (proof of income required) with a fee of at least $20 to be paid for medical visits at the time of appointment.
To best meet the needs of our patients, our staff works in partnership with each patient to strengthen his or her motivation for a commitment to change. The patient is at the center of the care team and is surrounded by the support of family, the medical provider, and medical assistants, all working together to improve the health of the patient.


P20053285369	Sedbergh Church. P20053285380	A bridge over ther river at Birks Mill.
Description This was a nice, varied walk, taking in valleys and rolling dales on the way towards the end of the Dales Way.
Pack Today I carried my 70-litre Craghoppers WildPlaces 70-litre rucksack, filled with full camping gear and food.
Condition I am fairly fatigued after this walk, which is to be expected after this strenuous walk. My shoulders are fine, and I still have not got any blisters.
Weather The forecast for today was for rain, and so I set off with my fleece and coat on. The fleece soon disappeared as I warmed up, and as the day went on the sun started to make increasing appearances, until at the end of the walk there was scarcely a cloud in the sky. As has been the case on every day of this walk, the forecast has been very wrong.
P20053285391	The ford near the Lune Viaduct. P20053285398	The Lune Viaduct.
P20053285409	The River Dee on the way to Crook of Lune. P20053285418	The River Dee at the Crook of Lune.
P20053285445	The River Mint. P20053285458	The River Kent on the way to Bowston.
P20053285466	The River Kent at Cowan Head.
It was another wet night, although it was not as cold and breezy (perhaps due to being lower down?) and I did not feel nearly as chilly. I woke up with my bladder complaining, and I went through the usual ritual of trying to get dressed within the tiny confines of the tent. This proved to be impossible, and I ended up cricking my neck in the attempt, which was understandably annoying. Eventually I gave in and unzipped my tent to allow me to stick my head out and got dressed. I went without any breakfast and instead packed up my tent and started off down the road, passing the Pinfold outside the site on the way.
As I had not seen Sedbergh yesterday I decided that instead of walking back along the river to the Dales Way I would go for a walk through the town. This proved to be a god idea as it is an amiable place, and I nipped into a shop to buy some chocolate for the day as I looked around. The streets were quiet at this time in the morning, and this increased the ambience of the place. I soon found myself back at the bridge, where I rejoined the Dales Way at the point where I had finished yesterday. The initial going was quite pleasant along the northern bank of the River Rawthey, and soon the River Dee joined it and I headed towards a high embankment. This proved to be the embankment of the old railway line that went to Ingleton, and right beside it was a graceful iron-arch bridge over the river. The path climbed up to the top of the embankment and I went to look at the bridge through the railings; the iron girders are clearly visible except for one small section, where a British Gas walkway goes across.
A short stretch of road was followed by a nice path that led to the farm at The Oaks. I nearly went wrong here, but after ten yards I realised that I was walking in the wrong direction and found the path that went behind the houses before heading north towards Lincoln Inn Bridge. Fairly soon afterwards the next target became visible; a magnificent viaduct soaring high above the river. A stream immediately before the viaduct was reached proved easy to ford, and soon I was looking up at the six arches, three on either side of the central iron arch. It really was an impressive structure, and I could not help but look up at it for a few minutes. This proved to be a useful rest, because as soon as it had passed under the viaduct the path climbed up to the same height as it moved slightly away from the river, passing a couple of pretty farms and with some good views over the nearby fells.
The path eventually met the river once again at Hole House, and I made a major navigational mistake; instead of following the Dales Way across a stream using a footbridge, I followed an obvious path alongside the stream to a bridge over the River Lune. Once on the other side I climbed high up a steep footpath until I reached the course of the old railway line. This made me realise my mistake, and discontendly I headed back down the path to the footbridge and rejoined the path alongside the river. Upset as I was by the stupid mistake, the wonderful riverside walk soon had me smiling, and too soon I reached the Crook of Lune Bridge. This is a narrow two-arch bridge over the River Lune, and as it was a beautiful spot I sat down on a stone beside the river bank, took my rucksack off and relaxed, watching the water flow by. As I had mobile reception I used the opportunity to arrange accommodation for the night so that I would not have the same problems as last night, and after a couple of phone calls I had booked myself into a B&B in�Staveley.
It was truly a lovely spot, but I knew that I till had a long distance to walk and so I shrugged on my rucksack and headed up the road towards the Lowgill Viaduct. This was an interesting spot, as directly under the viaduct is a road bridge, and next to this is a tiny packhorse bridge; the comparisons in scale were outstanding. A path led me on towards a bridge over the M6, which was an audible intrusion for a considerable time before and after crossing it. some undistinguished paths took me on westwards, skirting the railway line for a period before winding around past the farm at Greenheead and crossing the A685 road.
Just before the next farm, Thursgill, came a pleasant surprise. Beside the track there was a cool box and a seat, inviting passers-by to buy a drink for fifty pence. This seemed like a superb idea, and so I purchased a bottle of Dandelion and Burdock. It was tempting to sit down for the drink, but I decided to move on and drink it as I walked. This trustful refreshment booth was much appreciated, as I daresay it has been for many others. The next few miles were fairly pedestrian, following paths and tracks all the way down to the A6. This road proved to be surprisingly quiet, and was easy to cross before following footpaths westwards towards Burneside. I went slightly off course here and took a footpath that headed south, but I soon regained the proper path as it skirted a road, before diverting off to meet a stream at Sprint Mill, before heading to meet the road at Sprint Bridge.
By this time I was feeling very fatigued, and I started to wish that I had got accommodation in Burneside instead of Staveley. I plodded on, however, and soon rejoined the river near a mill and following it on to the little village of Bowston. There followed a wonderful riverside walk along the River Kent, soon reaching a mill that had been tastefully converted into a housing estate Due to fatigue I really could not take in the beautiful scenery, and I started counting the steps until I reached the end of the day. Already it had been by far the longest walk of the trip (and year so far), and I as relieved when the road that led into Staveley became visible.
The B&B�is at the other side of the village, and I staggered slowly up the road towards it. The proprietors made me incredibly welcome, and I had a wonderful evening chatting with them - this is the best B&B that I have stayed in for some time.
The majority of this walk follows the Dales Way; as this is a named trail I will not give directions. Instead I will refer you to the Ordnance Survey Recreational Path Guide for the path, which I used throughout my walk. This proved to be invaluable, and is bound to be kept more up to date than any directions I put on this site. The book also includes details of the Leeds extension to Ilkley, which adds twenty miles onto the Dales Way. Please click on the image below to go to the Amazon page for this book.
There are two exceptions to this; firstly, I started the walk at the Pinfold caravan site in Sedbergh, and made a diversion off into Sedbergh before descending down to the bridge over the River Rawthey in Millthrop. The second extension happened in the village of Staveley; when I reached Stockbridge Farm on the outskirts of the village, instead of following the Dales Way as it headed away from the road and under the railway line, I continued along the road north into the village, before turning left along Danes Road to reach the B&B in which I was staying.
This makes a total distance of 21.1 miles, with 2444 feet of ascent and 2431 feet of descent.
I spent the night at Tarn House, 18 Danes Road, Staveley, near Kendal, Cumbria, LA8 9PW, telephone (01539) 821656. This was an absolutely superb B&B, indeed one of the most welcoming that I have stayed in for some time. The place was spick and span, and the first thing they asked me was if I wanted a cup of tea. The twin room cost me twenty-five pounds for the night, although a single room costs only twenty pounds. This B&B is highly recommended.


Researchers at the University of Luxembourg are part of an international team that has proposed the first blockchain system to guarantee proper performance even when more than 51% of the system's computing power is controlled by an attacker.The system, RepuCoin, introduces the concept of "reputation" to blockchain, effectively making it thousands of times more expensive to attack than Bitcoin. It was developed at the University's Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust, and has the potential to be applied in a number of global sectors including fintech, energy, food supply chains, health care and future 5G telecommunications networks.
The agencies dedicated to "protecting our secrets" are insisting on a password security method that even the Daily Mail knows is nonsense, writes John Quiggin.


Are you ready to plan a visit or trip to the magnificent and mind taking city of Pune? In case, your answer is probably yes, it is advised to get good knowledge about this place before hand for an instance, how to reach this place with ease. This is an economical era, so you can conveniently get cheap air tickets to Pune. Of course, it is well connected through other means of transportation too that are roads and railways. As per the location you are going to visit in Pune, you can choose the transportation mode. In most cases, passengers generally go for airways to reach with comfort to this place. Airways are so cheap these days.
The Pune airport is located in the region named as Lohagaon which is estimate 10 km to the north east of Pune city. For sure, you can get direct flights that will connect you to this glorious area from cities like Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi. The best part is that you can also get cheap air tickets to Pune online. The direct flights are also available from Pune to Singapore and Dubai. The Taxi will charge the passenger with over 200 INR from the Pune airport to city.
You can book your tickets here at our website to this charming place along with return tickets. We are here to help you in this concern only. You can trust us in every niche as far as traveling is concerned. The International travelers or passengers can easily receive connecting flights to their international destinations from Mumbai International Airport. The private airlines like Indian Airlines, MDLR airlines, Spice Jet, Paramount, Kingfisher, Jet Airways, Indigo, GoAir, Air Sahara, Air Deccan, Air India Express, and Air India are offering lowest possible cheap air tickets to Pune. These are the leading low cost carriers in India.
The flights from Delhi and Mumbai are available to Pune on daily basis. Moreover, from Bangalore and Chennai also, you will able to get 4 flights to Pune per week. I think it is more than enough. So, it will not be tough for you to find most commodious and cheap air tickets to Pune.