When a destitute governess faints on Sir Edward Greaves's threshold, chivalry demands that he offer her temporary shelter. However, the desire Ned feels when he catches her in his arms isn't at all gentlemanly.
In spite of his attraction to her, Ned finds it extremely suspect that a lady claiming to be the sister of the fired estate manager happens to end up on his doorstep just after his carriage has been attacked by Luddite agitators. But Joanna Merrill's large, troubled eyes and slender frame call to something deep inside this guarded man. For one who has purposefully shunned the conniving beauties of London society, just how much is Ned risking by allowing this intriguing woman under his roof?
"Emotionally charged and heartwarming, as two lonely hearts fall in love, only to be ripped asunder by secrets and betrayal."
"History and romance weave together to make for one heck of a good story."
The evening was already far advanced when Joanna Anders Merrill climbed stiffly down from the farmer's cart in which she'd hired a ride after missing the mail coach run to Hazelwick, the village closest to Blenhem Hill. She'd hoped to arrive here early enough to be able to send word to her brother to come fetch her before dark, but once again, circumstances had conspired against her.
It had been a disaster of a fortnight. When she left the Masters estate at Selbourne Abbey, she'd expected to spend no more than a few days on the road, a week at most. Her small stock of coins would stretch for coach fare and perhaps a few modest dinners, as long as she caught every stage on time and spent most of the day traveling.
Instead, during each segment of the journey some accident or disaster had brought her progress to a halt. From a horse pulling up lame on the first stage, to a broken axle on the next, to the wild driving of a drunken Corinthian who'd forced the mail coach off the road into a ditch, she'd ended up each time too late to make her connections and had been forced to spend extra nights on the road.
After splurging on accommodations the first few nights, bespeaking a chamber had become impossible, but even for a dry place under the stable roof she'd been forced to part with a few more precious pence. Her stomach rumbling at the savory smell of stew emanating from the Hart and Hare, Hazelwick's inn, while she doled out her last coin to the farmer who'd given her space in the back of his wagon, she tried not to recall how long it had been since she'd eaten.
Though he'd agreed with reluctance to convey her to Hazelwick, that taciturn gentleman had flatly refused to bring her to her final destination. She hoped to wheedle someone at the inn into performing that task, on promise of payment when she arrived at Blenhem Hill.
The prospects of convincing someone to do so had been fair when the trip could be completed in daylight. Now that darkness had fallen, her chances were fast diminishing.
Somehow, she must make it happen. With her purse emptied of its last coin, she could neither afford dinner nor accommodations for the night.
"Need lodgings, miss?" The innkeeper of the Hart and Hare walked over to greet her as she entered the taproom. "The missus has a right fine stew on…" As his practiced gaze took in her dusty, travel-stained apparel, single bandbox and solitary state, he stopped short and his welcoming smile faded.
The innkeeper shook his head impatiently. "I'm not sending out the boy and my gig without I get payment first.
She had no idea what the innkeeper normally charged to transport items to Blenhem Hill and could only hope her brother wouldn't be furious with her for cavalierly doubling the price. But with her strength, her funds and her spirits exhausted, she absolutely must get to Blenhem Hill tonight.
The man approached, waving his arms in a shooing motion. Affronted by his insinuation that she was a woman of low repute bent on enticing her own brother, Joanna hesitated, torn between standing her ground to argue and the risk of having him drag her bodily out of his establishment.
"I'll see her out," a feminine voice said.
Joanna jerked her attention from the advancing innkeeper toward a girl who tossed her apron down on the bar.
"Very well, Mary, but you step right back. There be paying customers to tend," the innkeeper said, giving Joanna one last scornful glance.
The barmaid motioned her to the door. Her momentary courage failing, her tired brain unable to reason out what she must do next, Joanna gave in and followed.
Five miles. Tired as she was, it might as well be five hundred. But it appeared that if she meant to get to Blenhem Hill tonight, her feet would have to take her there.
Five miles. She could keep her feet moving for five more miles. Taking a deep breath, Joanna grasped her bandbox and set off.
With the fall of night, the wind picked up, chilling her despite her traveling cloak. So desperately tired she could scarcely think, she plodded along, keeping her eye on the road ahead and concentrating only on placing one numbed foot after the other.
Once, she stumbled into an unseen pothole and fell, losing her grip on the bandbox, which rolled away from her over the side of the road. Almost she was tempted to lay her head down into the mud and give up.
Papa toiled away in the fetid heat of India, she tried to rally herself, ministering to the army and the members of John company, far from home and all things familiar. Her brother had followed Wellington through the dirt and misery of Waterloo. Her own dear Thomas had braved the baking summers and monsoons of India, proudly serving his nation. All she need do was walk a few more miles along an English lane.
Mustering all the will she possessed, she forced herself to stagger upright and collected her bandbox.
She fixed her mind on the image of Greville receiving her warmly, distracting herself from her present misery by painting mental pictures in her head of the estate he managed for Lord Englemere. There'd be a neat sturdy manor house, fields plowed and newly planted in corn, tenant cottages with thick roofs of fragrant thatch.
Maybe he'd have a wife to welcome her; children, even. She imagined dawdling a chubby toddler on her knee, filling the emptiness in her soul by nurturing a girl like little Susan, instructing her in her letters and numbers and the sewing of samplers. Perhaps, after she had rested and recovered, Greville or his wife would know of a genteel family who might have another position for her.
She must find something else. She'd no more rely upon remaining as a burden upon her brother than she would consider contacting her late husband's family for assistance. Thomas's father had made it quite clear upon their last painful meeting that the Merrill family wanted nothing further to do with the woman who, he insinuated, had used some potion of the east to bewitch a young man far from home into a most unsuitable match.
Her heart twisted again, remembering the coldness on Lord Merrill's face, more hurtful still since she could see her dear Thomas's features echoed in his sire's countenance. The snug bungalow she'd shared in India with Papa, where she and Thomas had met and fallen in love, had been her last real home. Not since she'd lost their unborn child and Thomas insisted she leave him and the malevolent fevers of India for the healthier clime of England had she felt there was a place she truly belonged.
Ironic that she'd swiftly recovered after the miscarriage, while it was Thomas who succumbed to a fever. Alone in her London lodgings, she'd patiently awaited his return. He'd been dead for weeks by the time the news reached her.
A surge of grief swept through her, bringing her dangerously close once again to despair.
With Lord Winston having at the last moment cavalierly awarded the living on his estate, promised to Papa when the current incumbent retired, to some distant connection, the joyous reunion she'd looked forward to when Papa and the rest of her family returned from India had never happened. Anticipating their reunion had been her sole comfort as she'd struggled to cope with the enormity of Thomas's death. The loss of that consolation was yet one more charge she could lay at the feet of a venal, uncaring aristocracy, she thought resentfully.
And as if her spirits were not already low enough, the moon dipped behind a bank of clouds and it began to rain.
She wouldn't think any more of sad things, she told herself, straining through the gloom to follow the dim road and keep her feet moving while rain dripped off the brim of her bonnet and soaked through her cloak.
She'd think of Greville, his genial smile, his easy-going temperament. He'd always been a charmer, if a bit slow to bestir himself. But having served with Wellington, a notorious taskmaster, would surely have cured him of his lazy ways. The army would be the making of him, Papa always said.
A sudden flow of icy water dripped from an overhanging tree down her neck, shocking her back to the present. It seemed she'd been walking for hours, days, her whole existence. Her feet and fingers beyond numb, she forced herself onward through sheer willpower, knowing if she missed one step she might lose her balance and fall. This time, she'd not be able to rise again.
She'd begun to fear that this would indeed be her fate when finally, in the distance, she perceived a faint glimmer of light.
Blenhem Hill! She must be approaching Greville's manor at last.
Now that the moment of reunion had almost arrived, her heart jolted with a gladness tempered by anxiety.
What if Greville were not happy that she'd sought him out uninvited? Certainly she must look a sight, her sopping skirts muddy, her cloak and bonnet soaked through.
Still, regardless of what her brother thought about her unsolicited midnight arrival, surely he would take her in. With a shiver, she made her clumsy-cold feet pick up the pace until, a few moments later, she stood before the front door and knocked, wincing at the pain to her frozen knuckles.
She waited, but when no response was forthcoming, she knocked again. It was late enough that she might have believed everyone within already abed, but for the light still glowing through one of the windows. She'd almost decided to try rapping on that when at last the portal swung open.
A man in butler's attire gazed out at her, the mis-matched buttons on his waistcoat suggesting that he had indeed been abed and only hastily re-donned his clothing.
For a silent moment the man looked her up and down. Then without a word, he moved to close the door on her.
"Go b-back?" she repeated, her voice breaking as alarm jolted through her. Desperately summoning up her best governess tone, she said firmly, "At this hour of the night? You must be mad! Why are you keeping me here on the threshold, nattering on in this stupid manner? Just inform Mr. Anders I have arrived." Ducking around him, she darted into the hall.
And stopped on a sigh. Ah, how heavenly it was to get out of the wind and cold!
Eagerness and trepidation stirred in her again as he led her on. He halted, she realized, before the door that opened into the room whose lights she'd glimpsed from the road, the lights that had led her to the manor.
Greville's room! Illumined as if he'd meant to send a beacon of hope and welcome out to her in the darkness.
As the butler opened the door, warmth and the faint scent of wine wafted out. Her stomach growling at the hint of sustenance, her numb fingers and toes luxuriating at the caress of heated air, she scarcely heard the butler announcing her.
At last, she would see Greville and all would be well again. Pushing past the butler, she stumbled over the threshold, her chilled body drawing her like a moth to the flames dancing on the hearth. After the misery of the rain and chill, the temperature of the room made her feel light-headed and giddy, almost as if she might swoon.
Only then did she look up into the face of the tall man who'd risen from his chair behind the desk.
A man who was frowning at her.
A man who was not Greville.
"W-who are you?" she gasped.
"Who did you expect?" he asked, his faintly hostile gaze running with insulting familiarity over her figure.
"Not any longer," the tall man said curtly. "Lord Englemere discharged Mr. Anders. Almost a month ago.
"No." His implacable gaze held her motionless, mesmerizing her like a python regarding its prey.
Greville. Discharged. Not here. In her dazed and exhausted mind, syllables detached themselves from words and meaning, echoing down into her empty belly, up into her woozy head. Images swirled before her eyes: the rain-swept road. Her stiff cold fingers. Her empty purse.
She felt as if she were swaying in a high wind. The disapproval on the face of the tall man by the hearth was the last thing she saw before the images dissolved and she slipped into blackness.


text:
export = toobusy_js;

declare function toobusy_js(): boolean;

declare namespace toobusy_js {
    function interval(newInterval: number): number;
    function lag(): number;
    function maxLag(newLag: number): number;
    function smmothingFactor(newFactor: number): number;
    function shutdown(): void;
    function onLag(fn: (lag: number) => void, threshold?: number): void;

    function started(): boolean;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Update: Facing the Intelligence Explosion has a new home at FacingTheSingularity.com.
Before I talk about machine superintelligence, I need to talk about rationality, because my understanding of rationality shapes the way I see everything, and it is the main reason I take the problems of machine superintelligence seriously.
Skepticism and critical thinking teach us important lessons: Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Correlation does not imply causation. Don't take authority too seriously. Claims should be specific and falsifiable. Remember to apply Occam's razor. Beware logical fallacies. Be open-minded, but not gullible. Etc.
But this is only the beginning. In writings on skepticism and critical thinking, these guidelines are only loosely specified, and they are not mathematically grounded in a well-justified normative theory. Instead, they are a grab-bag of vague but generally useful rules of thumb. They provide a great entry point to rational thought, but they are only the beginning. For 40 years there has been a mainstream cognitive science of rationality, with detailed models of how our thinking goes wrong and well-justified mathematical theories of what it means for a thinking process to be "wrong." This is what we might call the science and mathematics of Technical Rationality. It takes more effort to learn and practice than entry-level skepticism does, but it is powerful. It can improve your life and help you to think more clearly about the world's toughest problems.
So what is this mainstream cognitive science of rationality — or, as I will call it, Technical Rationality?
There are two parts to technical rationality, normative and descriptive.
The normative part describes the laws of thought and action. Basically: logic, probability theory, and decision theory. Logic and probability theory describe how you should reason if you want to maximize your chances of acquiring true beliefs. Decision theory describes how you should act if you want to maximize your chances of acquiring what you want. Of course, these are not physical laws but normative laws. You can break these laws if you choose, and people often do. But if you break the laws of logic or probability theory you decrease your chances of arriving at true beliefs, and if you break the laws of decision theory then you decrease your chances of achieving your goals.
The descriptive part describes not how we should reason and act, but how we usually do reason and act. The descriptive program includes research on how humans think and decide. It also includes a catalogue of common ways in which we violate the laws of thought and action from logic, probability theory, and decision theory. A cognitive bias is a particular way of violating logic, probability theory, or decision theory. That's how "bias" is defined (see, e.g., Thinking and Deciding or Rationality and the Reflective Mind, each of which has a table of common biases and which part of logic, probability theory, or decision theory is violated by each of them).
Cognitive scientists also distinguish two domains of rationality: epistemic and instrumental.
In a sense, instrumental rationality takes priority, because the point of forming true beliefs is to help you achieve your goals, and sometimes spending too much time on epistemic rationality is not instrumentally rational. For example, I know some people who would be more likely to achieve their goals if they spent less time studying rationality and more time, say, developing their social skills.
Still, it can be useful to talk about epistemic and instrumental rationality separately. Just know that when I talk about epistemic rationality, I'm talking about following the laws of logic and probability theory, and that when I talk about instrumental rationality, I'm talking about following the laws of decision theory.
So: I've explained Technical Rationality and given lots of social proof for its legitimacy. But what is the justification for the normative laws and descriptive claims of Technical Rationality, and how does one become skilled in Technical Rationality? And why should a mastery of Technical Rationality lead you to take the problems of machine superintelligence seriously? I'll begin to answer these questions in the next post.
Not sure if you remember me, but I interviewed for the Rationality Bootcamp back in May. I am very happy to see how much you have accomplished in six months! Congratulations!
This post in particular is awesome because it puts into so many words what I was having trouble describing when you asked me why I'm interested in rationality – the technical aspect of it. It's pretty much exactly what I was looking for 6 months ago, a good intro to both epistemic and instrumental (moreso epistemic).
I've managed to sorta find my way on my own since then, I'm taking that massively-online Intro to AI class through Stanford, and augmenting it with books from your list on LessWrong. I'm very much looking forward to what unfolds from your unedited thoughts in this series too. Keep it up!


text:
Biden Nominee Has CRIMINAL RECORD, Arrested For Theft
Perfect. Just perfect.
This is the same criminal who is calling for bankrupting the oil, coal and gas industries.
Biden Nominee for Treasury Calls for Bankrupting Oil, Coal and Gas Industries, 'Starve' Companies That Invest in Oil and Gas
Fraudulent Biden Picks Communist To Be In Charge Of The USA Nation's Banking System
Biden Banking Nominee's Radical Vision to Close Americans' Bank Accounts
Controversial Biden Nominee Arrested for 'Retail Theft' In 1995
By: Conservative Brief, November 17, 2021:
President Joe Biden's already-controversial pic to lead an agency that oversees the nation's banks despite a previous statement indicating she wants to "end banking as we know it" has now become mired in a new controversy: A prior arrest.
According to Fox News, Soviet-born Saule Omarova, whom Biden picked to lead the Treasury Department's Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), was arrested in 1995 for "retail theft," according to arrest records obtained by the network.
Fox News adds:
According to the background check, Omarova was arrested by Madison, Wisconsin, police officers on June 2, 1995 and charged with a misdemeanor count of "retail theft."
The background check also lists Omarova as having a deferred prosecution in January 1996 for the charge, which was dropped through the Wisconsin first offender program.
The White House defended Omarova's nomination in a statement to Fox News, saying the nominee has been "fully transparent" about the incident throughout her career.<
White House officials went on to defend Omarova.
"To be clear, Saule has been fully transparent about this incident her entire career, including to the Senate, in applications, and when she worked at the Treasury Department during the Bush Administration," said a spokesperson said.
"This case was ultimately dismissed in January 1996 – more than 25 years ago – and was the result of a misunderstanding and confusing situation," the spokesperson continued.
"It's sad that a far-right partisan group with a pattern of engaging in tawdry behavior would partner with Fox News to smear the name of a qualified nominee seeking to serve her country," the spokesperson added.
"Saule Omarova is eminently qualified and was nominated for this role given her strong track record on regulation and strong academic credentials. The White House strongly supports this historic nomination," the person noted further.
Fox News said that the White House failed to respond to questions about the "far-right partisan group" allegedly responsible for uncovering the information, "since Omarova's arrest is public record in Wisconsin and therefore accessible by any member of the media or public."
The network went on to report that a Senate staffer who is aware of the situation confirmed to Fox News that information regarding the charge was made available to the Senate Banking Committee. She has a hearing scheduled before the panel on Thursday.
The White House did not respond to Fox News' inquiry as to which "far-right partisan group" the White House alluded to, since Omarova's arrest is public record in Wisconsin and therefore accessible by any member of the media or public.
A Senate staffer familiar with the matter confirmed to Fox News that Omarova's charge was disclosed to the Senate Banking Committee. Her hearing before the committee is scheduled for Thursday.
Again, this is just the latest controversy regarding Omarova. Previous reports noted that she has said she would like to see the oil and gas industry in the U.S. bankrupted, ostensibly to combat climate change.
Describing her as "the administration's dubious pick for comptroller of the currency," the Western Journal noted that she "is a radical by pretty much anyone's definition."
"Up for a job that would put her in charge of regulating the country's largest banks, she published a paper earlier this year with a proposal to "end banking as we know it," the outlet reported.
"Here what I'm thinking about is primarily coal industry and oil and gas industry. A lot of the smaller players in that industry are going to probably go bankrupt in short order, at least we want them to go bankrupt if we want to tackle climate change," Omarova says in a video clip which was discovered by the American Accountability Foundation (AAF)
Read more at Geller Report
Report: Biden's Treasury Nominee Saule Omarova…
Joe Biden's Sixth Circuit Nominee, Andre Mathis, Has…
Left Explodes at Marsha Blackburn for Exposing Biden…
Illegal Aliens Accused of Assault, Theft Arrested…
« FDA asks for 55 years to release data on Pfizer's COVID vaccine – Israel National News
U.S. Considers Repatriating Afghan Evacuees Who Fail Vetting Process »

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Over the last few years, members of Calvary have been making an Irreplaceable Impact in the nation of Honduras through a partnership with Project Manuelito. Project Manuelito helps rescue street children from the streets and gives them life and hope. To curb the pangs of hunger these street kids sniff glue which has a devastating effect on their brain development. Project Manuelito helps these kids find a new life in Christ.
This week there is a team of people working there at the project. They will be doing some construction work as well as ministering to the children. Please pray for them.
A previous team member, Laura Ralfs will be travelling there shortly to spend a few months at the mission. She has felt God's call to leave her current employment and serve Him there. Please pray for her as she goes.
And please pray for the Arthur family. They will be heading there as a whole family over the March Spring break. Rick was there a year or so ago and is excited about having his whole family serve together.
God is at work. Lives are being changed and communities are being transformed.
Every day I hear the most amazing stories of how God is moving in our midst. Every day I realize I need to share them with you. Here is an attempt to regularly update you on those things you ought to know! Here are 3 recent ways God continues to work!
1. Six people prayed to receive Christ at our recent Art of Marriage Conference at the West Campus.
2. We have 8 people headed to Honduras on Saturday to work with Project Manuelito a ministry that provides homes for street kids.
3. God is listening to your prayers. A young woman was excited this week to tell me how God had just answered her bold prayer!!!
Please write and tell me what I ought to know about how God is working in your life!
As I said this weekend, I love the fact that Jesus took three of His close disciples up on the mountain to pray. They willingly went just so they could be with Him. In my own life, every time I have taken time away to pray God has revealed more of Himself to me. The sacrifice of time is definitely worth it. It can sound intimidating, but here is an outline of how to spend up to 3 hours in prayer at once. The 3 hours is not magical. If that seems too impossible, start with an hour or 2 and then over time challenge yourself.
In the midst of so many other demands and activities of life why bother to take time away to prayer.
First it gives us time to listen to Him. When we are distracted in prayer, rushed in prayer or demanding in prayer, we have little time to listen. Throughout the Bible, people took time to listen to God's still small voice.
Second, it helps us gain perspective. We get so caught up in the craziness of our schedules and the demands and needs of life, we forget to seek Him. An extended time away allows us to remember that He is God and we are not. He is in charge and not us. It gives us opportunity to see how great He is.
Thirdly, it allows us time to surrender to Him. Before He went to the cross, Jesus wrestled in prayer in Gethsemane and at the end of the prayer said nevertheless, not my will, but yours God. This is an important place in prayer. It isn't a place we come to easily. Jesus spent time in the Garden before He came to that place. It takes time for us to surrender. A surrendered person is powerful in the hands of God.
Fourthly, it allows us to catch up on our time of prayer. Like me, I am sure many of you feel guilty for not praying for those things you have promised to pray for. This allows us time to pray for those things we often neglect in prayer.
Fifthly, it can build community. At times I've gone away with 2 or 3 others. We have found separate places to spend time praying, but periodically during the 3 hours we have come back together to share what God has been saying and pray.
Find a time when you can carve out a few extra minutes. It may be during an evening when everyone is out of the house and you can be alone. It may be early in the morning on a Saturday or holiday. You might even want to take a Sunday morning to go somewhere…that is why there is a Saturday night service!!! Make sure can get away from other people or other distractions. Or commit as a couple to spend time together or if your children are older, invite them into the process.
Also find a place where it is relatively quiet. Maybe it is another room in the house. Maybe swap homes with someone else for that time. Book a room at the church. I've often spent extended time outdoors when the weather is nice.
What if I get bored or fall asleep or go crazy?
Some of us are introverts and crave alone time. We thrive on it and it refreshes us. Others of us who are extroverts are energized by being with people and the thought of extended alone time is not refreshing. It is draining. Here are some things to do to make sure that you don't get bored.
Be rested and refreshed before you start.
Change positions and locations regularly. You don't have to kneel for the morning or stand or sit. Have a place where you can change positions or walk for a bit.
Bring some snacks and drinks with you.
A variety of music for background and worship is helpful to have.
Write or draw or journal as you need to.
How do I spend the time?
This is always the key question. How am I going to fill up that time if it is me alone with Jesus? Here are some suggested divisions and activities.
Listen to several worship songs. Listen and sing along. Use them to help you focus on God. What do the songs say about God? What are His strengths? What does it say about His character? How do these draw you closer to God? Do they remind you of scriptures? Sing and worship and lift Him up. Draw near to Him in praise.
During this time things may pop into your mind. They may be concerns about what should be happening. They may be things to pray about. They may be decisions you need to make. Instead of ruminating on them at this point, write them in your worry book. And later we will take time to pray for them.
David invited the Holy Spirit to search His life. Take some time to do that. Ask God to show you the strengths and the sins of your life? What do people say about you? What are the frustrations people have? What are the issues between you and your family and friends? What are you frustrated about in your life? What do you wish you could change? Write those down on a sheet of people or in your journal. If you are afraid someone might see after, write them cryptically. Then take some time to talk to God about each of them. Confess your sins and failures to Him. Invite Him to do a deep work in you.
During this period of reflection, God may have reminded you of someone you need to ask forgiveness from. Take a moment and write them a note. Put down what you might write or email to them. Save that and send it to them later.
Celebrate your forgiveness. Write a letter to God thankful for the forgiveness you have. Express your appreciation for the cleansing He has given you. Write about your life as having a fresh start and a new beginning.
Take time to read an extended passage of scripture. If you are in a daily plan, take time to read it. If you want to read a particular passage then do that. Perhaps read one of the New Testament epistles all the way through from start to finish. Have a pen ready to underline and mark it. What does God say to you? What jumps out at you? Anything that you need to pray about from there.
Take a walk now. Enjoy nature or the landscape around you. Simple ask God what He wants to say to you. Let the still small voice of God prompt your thinking. Solomon in Proverbs often drew theological truths from things he saw. Solomon saw a broken down fence and learned about laziness. Look at the things around you. Let God speak to you about His character or life. What does God bring up to you? What do you think about? What is His voice versus the harsh or condemning thoughts you come up with. After a walk, write some of those things down.
As you return take time to pray for yourself. Pray for those things God just revealed to you. Pray about those things God may want you to learn. Pray about attitudes that need to change. Pray about decisions that need to be made. Take time to pray for you. Go through your calendar. What big events coming up do you need to pray for? Looking at your bankbook, what financial aspects do you need to pray for? Thinking through your roles a spouse, parent, child, etc pray for each one of those. If you don't know where to start, pray the Lord's prayer. Pray some of Paul's great prayers in Ephesians and Colossians.
For variety you may want to write these prayers out. Or speak them out loud. Write them on a white board or chalk board.
Take time for a snack and drink. You are 2/3 of the way through 3 hours already. Just an hour to go. Hang in there.
Read another passage of scripture or a selection from your favorite devotional. Is there something you can learn? Let God speak to you and fill your mind. Again, what jumps out at you?
Now pray for others. You might start by listening to another worship song. It will add energy to the silence and get your mind thinking. Do you have a prayer list you keep? Pray for them? Do you have a list of people you want to pray for, work through that? Take your address book or Facebook contacts and pray for those people. Ask God to lead you in what to pray for them if you don't know. Pray the scriptures for them. Pray for family members.
Take another walk. This time pray for those things you walk by. Pray for the area and the people who live nearby.
Pray for the church. Pray for the state of the church in America. Pray for the local church. Pray for missionaries you know. Pray for pastors in the area. Pray for unity amongst the church. Pray for Christian leaders that you know of.
Now jump up and down. Listen to a song. Celebrate that you have just hung with Jesus.
Now you don't have to end the time with some great discovery or extraordinary experience. Wait on God for Him to lead. Looking for a new experience or something exciting can get you off track. The test of the time spent is not how exhilarated we feel, but what it brings into tomorrow and the next day. If we have met with God, it will work into the every day grind of life.
Have some great times hangin' with our Lord!


Fine Cast Industries vision is to attain global leadership in manufacture of high quality cast iron machined engineering parts. We will strive to delight our customers by providing world-class machined parts and continuously improving people, processes & products.
Provide a safe living environment…… for people directly and indirectly using our products.
Inspire people to live a technologically advanced and easy life - by supplying well researched product solutions than just parts.
Creating value of our brand through consistent upgradations in our people, products and processes.
Processes - Consistent search for new technologies will enable us to innovate and create a better FINE CAST INDUSTRIES every year.


text:
Over 400 employed to build CH&PA model village
GINA, GUYANA, Monday, April 24, 2017
Over 400 persons are employed in building the Central Housing and Planning Authority's (CH&PA) model housing village at the Perseverance Housing Scheme on the East Bank Demerara.
This was disclosed by Project Manager, Kennard Dazzell as he led the media on a tour of the village today. Dazzell was accompanied by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the CH&PA, Lelon Saul.
According to Dazzell, just over 400 men are working on the construction of about 30 houses which will comprise the village. He said of this total, 100 of the workers are employed in the construction of the eight homes that are being executed by the CH&PA itself.
The model housing village is a collaborative effort between the CH&PA and private developers. The village's construction serves to inform and promote the government's focus of providing access to adequate and affordable housing solutions, in well planned communities.
The village, on which construction started approximately nine weeks ago, will be the feature of a three-day exposition set for May that seeks to highlight these government housing solutions.
The houses being constructed for display and sale, by the private contractors, range from low to moderate to middle income and are 600 square feet (sq. ft.), 900 sq. ft. and 1100 sq. ft. respectively and vary in options of concrete or timber (green heart) and flat or elevated. CH&PA is constructing six duplexes and two single units. Also on display would be two houses, constructed by a Polish company.
Dazzell explained that the latter is a result of the Minister within the Ministry of Communities with responsibility for housing, Valerie Adams-Patterson's visit to Poland earlier this year. Consequent to the visit, the company shipped pre-fabricated materials to the country that would demonstrate, how they construct fire proof houses, Dazzell explained. In fact, Dazzell noted that in addition to the Polish prefabricated houses, four other houses will be constructed using prefabricated materials.
The village plans also cater for a recreational ground and in each housing block, open spaces (vacant lots that are undeveloped and are accessible to the homeowners living in that block). It also covers the development and installation of other infrastructure such as roads, water and electricity in keeping with the government's focus of delivering cohesive communities.
Dazzell assured that the work delivered will be of the best standard. He said that the CH&PA has learnt from the mistakes of the 1000 homes (turn-key) project and has put systems in place to ensure that the end product is one that not only the beneficiaries are satisfied with, but one that the Agency can stand by. The 1000 homes project initiated by the previous administration developed defects in the structure of the buildings even before the homes were occupied.
Dazzell assured that in the construction of the homes for the model village, every step of the way, quality is being monitored. "From the concrete that is coming in, we are taking the necessary slump test. We monitor in terms of the water-cement ratio, and the stuff that is coming in to pour into the concrete. We are also monitoring the steel arrangement," he said.
He explained that this can be done, since the model that is being used for the construction of the buildings is one whereby the CH&PA is responsible for the supply of the building materials. Hence, CH&PA has greater control with regards to, "what comes in and what is issued to the contractors," Dazzell said.
This model allows for the CH&PA to send its own people to the suppliers, to handpick the material, Dazzell explained. "We handpick and if it is not of the standards that we are looking at, we send it back," he said.
This model also allows for the smaller contractors employed to deliver the houses, and build capacity whilst delivering work of the highest standards. Dazzell noted, "This is important, because otherwise, none of these guys here that are participating right now that is giving you this high-level of quality of work that we are getting here would have been able to do anything."
Meanwhile, Saul reminded that the government, through the CH&PA, is seeking to create a long-lasting model village that the public can, over the years visit and appreciate, the government's "new" housing ideas, for 2017 and beyond.
He reiterated that the project is the initial start of a programme which seeks to maximise the use of the government's available service lands to offer a range of housing solutions which will cater to the needs, of other low, moderate and middle income persons, particularly state employees and youth.
This programme is also about providing affordable options that aim at significantly reducing the 25,000 housing application backlog within the CH&PA system, and to have the 28,000 vacant house lots across the country occupied. Hence, the prospective home owners must have, previously applied or must make an application for the house lot with the authority, the CEO explained.
The eight housing units that are constructed by CH&PA itself are also part of an initial 265 buildings that will be constructed this year in 10 locations in six regions (2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10). These will be divided into 768 units, each housing a family and are expected to cost the government about $5 Billion.
By: Macalia Santos
A concrete two-storey housing being constructed by a private developer
A flat concrete house being constructed by a private developer
A wooden two-storey housing being constructed by a private developer
The concrete and wooden two-storey duplexes that are being constructed by the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA)
Wooden stilted (elevated) duplexes that are being constructed by the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA)
TAGS 2017400 employeeCH&PAfire proof houseGINAGuyanaHousing ExpoHousing Solutions 2017 and BeyondKennard DazzellLelon Saul housing model villagepolish


Investment bankers who work on mergers and acquisitions in the finance sector had a busy year in 2018. Some of the biggest names in capital markets were involved in billion-dollar deals to expand their businesses. There was also a significant number of smaller deals, particularly among technology vendors and brokerages looking to expand their geographic footprint, target a niche market, or bring in additional capabilities.
The following six M&A transactions reflect key trends in the global capital markets and indicate what kind of deals we might expect in the year to come. In some cases, such as CME Group's acquisition of NEX, the transactions involved companies directly engaged in the trading and clearing of derivatives. In other cases, such as Intercontinental Exchange's acquisition of Bondpoint, the transactions were outside the derivatives markets, but we have included them on the list because of their implications for trading technology, data solutions and market structure.
For a full timeline of noteworthy 2018 deals, click here.
One of the biggest deals of last year came in January, when a consortium of private equity investors led by Blackstone entered into an agreement with Thomson Reuters to spin out its financial and risk businesses. The $17 billion deal closed in October, with the consortium taking a majority stake of 55% of the new company and Thomson Reuters retaining 45%. The new company, now known as Refinitiv, boasts that it is one of the world's largest providers of financial markets data and infrastructure, serving more than 40,000 institutions worldwide through products such as Eikon, Elektron and Redi. The company also owns two OTC trading venues: Tradeweb, a leading electronic platform for bank-to-client trading in fixed income products, and FXall, a similar type of platform for foreign exchange. Blackstone reportedly is considering whether to sell its stakes in these venues, a move that would trigger another round of deals in 2019.
In March, CME Group offered up $5.5 billion for Britain's NEX Group, the owner of two leading trading platforms as well as a suite of technology companies focused on serving financial institutions. The deal extends CME's operations into the cash FX market through the addition of EBS, one of the largest platforms for spot trading of FX, and into the fixed income market through the addition of BrokerTec, the largest platform for Treasury securities. The deal cleared a key regulatory hurdle at the end of October, when the U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority said it would not investigate the deal further for any antitrust concerns, and closed in November. CME executives see great potential from cross-selling of cash and futures products in both FX and rates, from integrating access to cash and futures, and from cross-margining the two set of products. Another big benefit could come in the post-trade area, where NEX's TriOptima compression service can be used to drive more capital efficiencies for users of CME's clearinghouse.
Through a pair of 2018 acquisitions, Nasdaq continued its efforts to establish itself as a leading provider of data, analytics and trading services for exchanges, intermediaries and investors. In September, the exchange group made a $190 million bid for Cinnober Financial Technology, a leading provider of trading and clearing systems for exchange-traded markets. Nasdaq said the deal would strengthen its position as one of the top providers of market infrastructure technology to exchanges and clearinghouses around the world. Getting shareholder buy-in proved harder than expected, however. Nasdaq raised its offer to $220 million in December, and as of mid-January it had succeeded in getting more than 90% of the company's shareholders to agree to the sale. In December Nasdaq made a smaller but equally interesting deal for Quandl, a Canadian company founded in 2012 that distributes financial, economic and "alternative" data to asset managers and other market participants. Quandl's database spans information on capital markets, energy, shipping, healthcare, education, demography and more, with more than 30,000 users at hedge funds, banks and other firms using it to get an edge in their trading decisions. Shortly after closing the deal, Nasdaq integrated Quandl with its Analytics Hub, the platform it created in 2017 for collaborating with alternative data providers.
ION Group added yet another business to its family of technology solutions through the acquisition of Fidessa, one of the top providers of front-end trading technology and exchange connectivity in the equity and listed derivatives markets. Though Fidessa had agreed to sell out to Switzerland's Tenemos, Ion Group outbid them with an offer worth roughly $2.1 billion. Privately held ION has made nearly a dozen acquisitions over the last decade, including Rolfe Nolan in 2008, Patsystems in 2012, FFastFill in 2013, Caplin Systems in 2015, and Openlink Financial in 2018. In 2016 it raised $400 million in capital for future growth through the sale of a minority stake to Carlyle Group, the Washington, D.C. based private equity firm. ION said Fidessa's footprint in equities and derivatives will complement its strengths in fixed income and FX and cement its position as a leading provider of trading technology to banks and brokers.
In May Intercontinental Exchange spent $685 million in cash to buy TMC Bonds, an electronic trading platform for municipal bonds, corporate bonds and other fixed income securities. Established in 2000 as TheMuniCenter, TMC Bonds is particularly strong in the retail segment of the fixed income marketplace. The move was the latest in a series of acquisitions ICE has made in this sector, including the $5.2 billion purchase of Interactive Data Corporation in 2015, the purchase of a securities pricing service and a credit market analysis service from S&P Global in 2016, the purchase of a majority stake in a mortgage registry in 2016, the purchase of Bank of America Merrill Lynch's fixed income index platform in 2017, and the $400 million purchase of Bondpoint from Virtu Financial in late 2017. Key to the strategy is the combination of trading and data infrastructure, which ICE believes will become more valuable as the fixed income marketplace migrates to electronic trading and the trading process becomes more automated.
One of the final deals of the year, commodities broker Marex Spectron announced in December its plans to acquire the customer business of Rosenthal Collins Group, an independent futures commission merchant based in Chicago. RCG is a specialist in North American markets for grains and livestock while Marex Spectron traditionally has focused on European markets for energy, metals, and agricultural commodities such as sugar and coffee. Marex Spectron said that it will take control of roughly 14,000 client accounts and 150 RCG employees, and highlighted the value of RCG's extensive network of introducing brokers across the U.S. and its deep roots in the Chicago futures marketplace. Financial terms of the deal were undisclosed, and the transaction is still pending finalization.


text:
package org.apache.taverna.security.credentialmanager;

import java.security.cert.X509Certificate;

/**
 * Defines an interface for providing ways to confirm/decline trust in a given
 * service (i.e. its public key certificate).
 *

 * Used by Credential Manager when looking up the username and password for the
 * service in its Keystore - if it cannot find anything it will loop through all
 * providers until one can provide them. If none can, the service invocation
 * will (most probably) fail.
 *

 * A typical implementation of this class would pop up a dialog and ask the user
 * for the password. Such providers should check
 * {@link GraphicsEnvironment#isHeadless()} before returning to avoid attempts
 * to pop up dialogues on server/headless installations.
 *

 * It is safe to return null if the provider does not have an
 * opinion.
 *
 * @see CredentialManager
 * @author Alex Nenadic
 * @author Stian Soiland-Reyes
 *
 */
public interface TrustConfirmationProvider {
	/**
	 * If the given public key certificate should be trusted or not.
	 *

	 * This method is called when a SSL connection is attempted to a service
	 * which certificate could not be confirmed using the Credential Manager's
	 * Truststore (i.e. it could not be found there).
	 *

	 * A typical implementation of this class would pop up a dialog and ask the
	 * user if they want to trust the service. Such providers should check
	 * {@link GraphicsEnvironment#isHeadless()} before returning to avoid
	 * attempts to pop up dialogues on server/headless installations.
	 *

	 * The provider can return null if it does not have an opinion
	 * whether the certificate should be trusted or not (in which case other
	 * providers will be asked), or an instance of {@link TrustConfirmation}
	 * confirming or denying if the certificate is to be trusted.
	 *

	 * If the provider returns true, the Credential Manager will
	 * also save the first certificate of the certificate chain (chain[0]) in
	 * its Truststore so the user will not be asked next time.
	 *
	 * @param chain
	 *            X509 certificate chain to confirm whether it is trusted or not
	 * @return null if the provider does not have an opinion,
	 *         true if certificate is to be trusted and
	 *         false if not.
	 */
	public Boolean shouldTrustCertificate(X509Certificate[] chain);
}


text:
Stepping Up
NewsBites
News about faculty and their research
Set challenging but realistic goals for your organization
When establishing organizational goals, managers should avoid setting overly ambitious goals because they can hurt productivity, market performance and employee morale, according to new School of Management research.
The study indicated that employees are motivated more by small wins and challenging, incremental goals than by seemingly impossible stretch goals.
"Some managers attempt to rapidly improve their organization's competitive position by adopting goals for impressive achievements that will excite staff and stakeholders," says lead author Jim Lemoine, assistant professor of organization and human resources. "But if those goals are unrealistic because of current resources, employees may lose confidence in their performance and the organization."
Published in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, the study analyzed 219 substance use disorder treatment centers — a field in which stretch goals are used frequently because of resource uncertainty and fiscal instability.
The researchers found stretch goals were most harmful in organizations that had recently experienced success.
"In organizations with a strong record of efficiency and growth, employees may become burned out or demotivated by being asked to perform at even higher levels," Lemoine says. "In fact, we found centers with relatively abundant resources became inefficient when managers set unrealistic expectations."
Of course, the question of whether a goal is difficult or impossible to achieve is subjective. Lemoine recommends managers consult with employees on what they perceive as realistically attainable.
"For those without prior experience in managerial goal-setting, establishing high-reaching goals might seem like a harmless exercise with potentially huge payoffs," Lemoine says. "Our research should serve as a cautionary tale for organizations in all industries and encourage managers to take a thoughtful look at their short- and long-term goals."
Lemoine's co-authors were Terry Blum, professor, Georgia Institute of Technology Scheller College of Business, and Paul M. Roman, Distinguished Research Professor of Sociology, University of Georgia.
Double cheeseburger and a diet soda, please
While more consumers than ever are concerned about eating a healthy diet, they tend to purchase a balance of healthy and less-healthy foods, according to new School of Management research published in the Journal of Retailing.
"There is a disconnect between what people say they want to eat and what they actually purchase," says co-author Minakshi Trivedi, professor of marketing. "Each group we studied made tradeoffs on healthy and unhealthy food to varying degrees."
The researchers analyzed two years of scanner data across more than 70 stores of a major U.S. retail chain, along with survey responses from 400 of its shoppers to see if consumers consciously balanced their health concerns with their food purchases.
The study grouped consumers using a mathematical model based on their attitudes and concerns: the first group was health-driven, the second took a more moderate approach and the third was indifferent to healthier versions.
Trivedi
When faced with healthy choices — which the study based on the level of fat, sugar or salt — the consumer segments showed distinct variations in characteristics, purchasing behavior and response to price and discounts.
Price had the smallest impact on the health-driven group, where 92 percent of buyers consistently purchased healthy options. The moderate group was more price sensitive and likely to balance between healthy and regular versions of products — about half of buyers in this group chose healthy options. The third group was most affected by price and preferred regular versions over healthy alternatives.
Retailers can use these findings to design strategies to meet demand for and encourage purchases of healthier products, according to the authors. The study provides guidance to retailers about products to bundle for promotions and which element of the bundle to promote.
As for public policy, "If government agencies are to have any impact in promoting healthy consumption, they need to tailor their strategies to specific behavioral segments," says Trivedi.
Trivedi collaborated on the project with Karthik Sridhar, assistant professor of marketing, Baruch College Zicklin School of Business; and Ashish Kumar, assistant professor of marketing, Aalto University School of Business.
Hamlen, Rao retire
Hamlen
After 43 years of service, Susan Hamlen retired in May. An associate professor, Hamlen was chair of the Accounting and Law Department since 2003. She earned a doctorate in accounting and a master's in management from Purdue University, as well as a bachelor's in accounting from the University of California at Berkeley. Hamlen taught introductory, intermediate and advanced accounting at the undergraduate, master's and doctoral levels, and is author or co-author of several accounting textbooks, book chapters and scholarly journal articles.
Hamlen also served on the Faculty Senate, the Provost's Advisory Task Force on Incentives and Resource Allocation, the President's Task Force on Women at UB, and the Graduate School Personnel Committee. Most recently, she co-led the school's successful AACSB reaccreditation for the accounting program.
H. Raghav Rao, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor in the Management Science and Systems Department, retired in July after nearly 29 years. He has a doctorate from Purdue University, an MBA from Delhi University and a B Tech from the Indian Institute of Technology. Rao was co-architect of UB's Information Assurance (IA)/Cybersecurity program and taught information assurance, networks and e-commerce. He has received numerous distinctions, including the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities and a Fulbright Fellowship. He also was honored as a World Class University Professor at Sogang University from 2010 to 2013.
Rao and his colleagues raised several million dollars in grants for research, capacity building and scholarship, and his research has been funded by the National Science Foundation. He is delighted that his IA students have landed careers with the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, the FTC and such firms as Deloitte, HP, Ernst & Young, M&T Bank and Microsoft.
How to prevent your workplace from turning toxic
When employees are undermined at work, they begin to undermine their colleagues — causing a vicious cycle, according to new research from the School of Management.
Published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, the study advises organizations to develop workplace ethics training programs and hire employees who value morality, to limit the cycle of undermining. Managers can also emphasize moral values at work by displaying posters or slogans with such values.
"When an employee is undermined, it hinders their ability to achieve success, maintain positive relationships and build their reputation," says lead author KiYoung Lee, assistant professor of organization and human resources. "This kind of interpersonal aggression costs organizations about $6 billion each year in health problems, employee turnover and productivity loss."
The researchers surveyed 182 employees at 25 branches of two Korean banks. They conducted two rounds of surveys to measure whether those who had been victims of undermining would later become perpetrators. The first survey measured employees' levels of undermining victimization, moral identity and interpersonal justice and included control variables. The second survey, conducted one month later, measured employees' levels of moral disengagement, resource depletion and engagement in social undermining.
The study found that as victims feel they've been treated disrespectfully and unfairly, they feel entitled to be selfish toward co-workers.
"The fact that victims become selfish is troublesome because it makes it easier to rationalize doing harm to others," says Lee. "We use this to justify our actions, for instance, by calling undermining 'part of the game.'"
Lee collaborated on the project with Eugene Kim, assistant professor of organizational behavior, Georgia Institute of Technology Scheller College of Business; Devasheesh Bhave, assistant professor of organizational behavior and human resources, Singapore Management University; and Michelle Duffy, Board of Overseers Professor of Work and Organizations, University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management.
Study finds three key factors to crowdfunding success
For entrepreneurs using crowdfunding to bring new products to market, high-quality photos and video, previous crowdfunding success and positive comments from backers are the keys to a successful campaign, according to new research from the School of Management.
The study found that by receiving these signals, potential investors, also known as backers in crowdfunding, gain valuable information that motivates them to participate and increases the likelihood of a project achieving its funding goal.
"These sources are important because backers of crowdfunded projects have less access to information than typical private equity investors," says co-author Yong Li, associate professor of strategy and entrepreneurship. "Private equity investors follow a stringent due diligence process to assess the quality of a startup, while crowdfunding backers rely more on the information on the campaign's webpage."
Researchers also found that these signals interact to impact crowdfunding success. For example, video and photos will be more important when the project founder has no prior crowdfunding success, and positive backer comments certify the credibility of video and photos.
Crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter or Indiegogo allow entrepreneurs to fund their projects through a large number of relatively small contributions via the internet, bypassing the usual private equity investors like angels and venture capitalists.
Kickstarter is currently the largest and most dominant crowdfunding platform. Globally, crowdfunding campaigns raised nearly $2.7 billion in 2012 and $35 billion in 2015, showing promise as a viable option of financing entrepreneurship, according to the study.
The researchers analyzed a sample of more than 170,000 Kickstarter projects from the site's inception in 2009 through Dec. 27, 2015. To review backer comments, they used a computer-based algorithm to measure the strength of positive sentiments and examine the impact on crowdfunding success.
Li collaborated on the project with School of Management colleagues Supradeep Dutta, assistant professor of operations management and strategy, and Christopher Courtney, Western New York Prosperity Fellow and doctoral student.
Lemoine
Lemoine honored by Buffalo schools
Jim Lemoine, assistant professor of organization and human resources, was named the 2016 Buffalo Public School Wellness Team Higher Education Partner of the Year by the Buffalo Public School District.
The award recognizes Lemoine's work to help improve student health, wellness and academic success, and his impact on team leadership, development and visioning in the district.
As part of a partnership between the district and the School of Management's Center for Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness, Lemoine provided a series of team building and strategic planning training sessions for health and wellness teams within Buffalo schools.


text:
Sideshow: 9 Holiday Gifts for Someone Looking to Be a Little Bit Healthier
Looking for a gift for that someone who wants to be healthier - but not interested in supplements and bodybuilding? TheWho Cares Guys share nine ideas for non-intimidating, budget-friendly, life-improving gifts for that person in your life looking to be just a bit more health conscientious.
This content was originally created for audio. Some elements such as tone, sound effects, and music can be hard to translate to text. As such, the following is a summary of the episode and has been edited for clarity. For the full experience, we encourage you to subscribe and listen— it's more fun that way.
Scot: It's a Sideshow episode of "Who Cares About Men's Health," and it's a very festive Sideshow episode. It's our Christmas episode where all three of us pick out three gifts each that you can give to somebody in your life that would help them be healthier. Not like the hardcore healthier, but the kind of health that we talk about on the show. So it might impact the core four or it might impact something else.
My name is Scot. I bring the BS to the "Who Cares About Men's Health Podcast." And to counter that, the MD to my BS is Dr. Troy Madsen.
Troy: I'm here and I've got my gifts with me. I'm so excited.
Scot: And Mitch Sears, Producer Mitch in the mix.
Mitch: I'm ready for today.
Scot: Who wants to start?
Troy: Oh, so much pressure. Who's it going to be?
Scot: All right, Troy. Why don't you go ahead and start since you've probably put more thought in this than the rest of us?
Troy: I've put a little bit of thought into this, but I have based my gifts on gifts that have been inspired by our guests this past year. So each gift relates to one of our guests.
So my first gift I'm going to give, Scot, is a wellness coach appointment. And we kind of said at the start we were going to try and keep these gifts under $40 each. So I looked at Peak Fitness through the University and you can get a 30-minute appointment with a wellness coach for $35. And that's as a member of the general public, not a university employee.
This is a tribute to listener Scott who set up an appointment with a dietician, but I think also was looking kind of for a wellness coach. So that would be my gift. You give this to someone and say, "Hey, it's free. I paid for it. Just do it. Just get whatever you can out of it." It's 30 minutes, and it might be something that helps point them a certain direction in terms of their general health and maybe gives them some ideas.
Mitch: Now, I actually did one of these a while ago. I think we mentioned it on a previous episode about Mitch's personal health journey, and they're great. I mean, in those 30 minutes . . . I ended up doing additional ones with this person, but they were able to take baselines, they were able to give me some directions on where to go, they were able to give me resources on types of workouts that might work best for me, numbers of dieticians to call, etc. And it was really nice. In that 30 minutes, I was able to get at least started in the right direction to improve my physical health and my nutrition. What a great idea.
Troy: That's cool.
Scot: Awesome gift.
Troy: Yeah, I remember you mentioning that now that you said that. That's cool that it wasn't just 30 minutes, like, "Okay, let's get some info." But they really gave you something to work with. So that would be my idea. You give that to someone, they can take out of it what they want, and hopefully come away with something useful.
Scot: One of the challenges can be just getting started or knowing what direction to get started in or getting some resources to get started, because it can be a little overwhelming at first, as we've learned when we've talked to our couple of listeners.
I'm not saying that they were overwhelmed, but I'm saying as we went through the thought process of what kind of advice to give, it's kind of a challenge if somebody has never really ever actively engaged in what they eat or actively engaged in types of exercises. So good call.
Troy: It's a starting point, yeah.
Scot: All right, Mitch. Gift number one from you.
Mitch: In the same vein, I was looking up online . . . One of the things that we talk about a lot is kind of this idea of getting social connections. It's good for your mental health, but I also wanted to mix in how do we make sure that we're doing nutrition and things.
A cooking class. I found some group rates on cooking classes that we can come in under that $50 range, get a couple people, and go learn how to cook something new. It doesn't have to be 100% the healthiest food ever, but just the practice of learning to cook.
I think about the series that we did this year with Theresa Dvorak, TD. And just those recipes that I learned how to do, I'm doing them. And so by getting out, by going and learning how to do another dish, what a great way to start cooking for yourself again.
Troy: Yeah, that's a great way. I was the person in this who had no idea what he was doing, and I think for someone who has maybe no experience with cooking, a cooking class would be intimidating, but I'd be like, "Hey, it's a gift. It's free. I'm not paying for it. I'm just going to go there and enjoy it and then probably walk away feeling more comfortable in the kitchen." So that's a great idea.
Mitch: Well, go with them. If they're nervous, get yourself a ticket too. The two of you can go and cook together.
Troy: Go together, yeah.
Scot: Yeah, that takes care of that emotional health because you're getting some good relationships in there, and then maybe you might learn some skills in the kitchen, what some of those confusing words mean in recipes, some knife skills, that sort of thing. So that's a great idea.
My first one is also about cooking, and it was inspired by our series with Theresa Dvorak, the healthy man meals that you can make in bulk that are easy. I thought maybe some sort of a healthy cookbook with quick and easy recipes.
So we learned that preparing good food not only can help your emotional health, but it helps your physical health as well. For me, it was kind of a meditative state almost when I was in the kitchen and it feels good to make food for somebody else.
And I know Troy's spouse was really excited, and so was mine in a way that I haven't really seen her excited about other things that I've done around the house. I mean, that was really gratifying from an emotional standpoint.
I just Googled "healthy cookbook quick and easy recipes," and started kind of going through some.
Now, if you're not sure what type of cookbook to get, maybe go back to our healthy man meals series, go through those, and you might be able to have a better idea of what to look for.
I found one called "Easy 5-Ingredient Healthy Cookbook: Simple Recipes to Make Healthy Eating Delicious." It looked like she had a spaghetti squash recipe like we made. It looked like she had some sort of a Thai Curry thing like we made. That's $19.
And I'm going to take it another step further. Maybe do what we do. Find a friend and then make them . . . Say, "On Saturdays, we're going to both make the recipes and then talk to each other and compare notes."
It gives you something to talk about. It's good motivation. We know that when you do something with somebody else, you're more likely to do it as opposed to just going, "Eh, that's not a big deal."
And one last option that could be free. Maybe you put together a few recipes, there are a lot of free recipes online, and make up your own little cookbook for a friend, somebody maybe who wants to eat out less or wants to eat better.
I don't know how to package that as a present, though. I don't know if you put it in a physical binder or something like that, but if money is an issue or you have some favorite easy recipes you like, you could go back and use the ones that we offered in our series as a starting point, because we posted those online.
That's my idea.
Troy: Yeah, I like it. And even with that, Scot, maybe you give them those recipes you found online and say, "Hey, I'll come over and we'll make one of these together," or something like that. Make it more, again, that social thing, like Mitch was talking about. Also a great idea.
Scot: Yep. And I'll tell you if you listen to that series, having recipes you can make and then having recipes that you have food in the fridge makes all the difference because then when you're hungry, it's there. You don't have to make a choice. You don't have to go for the poorer options.
Mitch: So one of the things I want to say is being someone who got way into cooking for a while and got a bunch of cookbooks, and my partner is way into cookbooks, if you're looking for a cookbook and you're looking and you're trying to find one for someone who isn't the biggest cook already, stay away from some of the more complicated ones. They look really nice, they look really fancy, but if you get some of these really technical cookbooks, they are so overwhelming even for the more experienced cook.
If you're trying to give the gift to someone who is just starting out, be sure to find to cookbook that's on that level.
Troy: And didn't you mention one on the show? I thought you mentioned one that starts off super easy, like making eggs.
Mitch: "America's Test Kitchen." They have a cookbook series that's 101 recipes, and it really does. It starts out, "Here is an egg. Here is how you cook an egg. Here's what makes an egg delicious." And you kind of roll your eyes at it, but suddenly your scrambled eggs are the most delicious scrambled eggs you've ever had.
It's not just what you made in college, and it's like, "All right. Let's see what I can do next," rather than . . . I don't know. There's a Gordon Ramsay book that I've been handed before and it's like, "I can't even pronounce half the ingredients or know where they are in the store. No, thank you, Gordon Ramsay. I appreciate it, but . . ."
Troy: I'm liking the idea of the "America's Test Kitchen" 101 Recipes. That's a good way to go.
Scot: One last thought I have on that that you maybe think about. The best scrambled eggs ever, it's food that then maybe you will look forward to eating that's just as good as some of that fast food. We all know that the fast-food restaurants have labs and they chemically engineer that food to be addictive. I mean, in order to battle that, you've got to make some decent food. So I like that. That's good.
Troy, circling it back around to you for number two.
Troy: Okay, gift number two. This is inspired by Chris Gee when he talked about "nerd neck." So this is a laptop stand. As I'm sitting here at my desk right now, I'm thinking, "I wish I had one of these," because I hunch over my laptop. A lot of us are working from home in areas that are just not at all ergonomically suited for us, and we hunch over our laptops and now we're spending hours and hours doing this every day.
So these laptop stands lift the laptop up and tilt it towards you to create a more ergonomically suitable environment where the laptop screen is at your eye level and the keyboard is up higher. So it's more comfortable just for your back, your neck, your hands, everything.
You can find these for $20, $30 online, and just a nice gift, something to hopefully prevent the "nerd neck" or help someone treat it if they're already experiencing it.
Scot: Love it, especially because we know that when you have poor posture, not only does it not look right, but we know those muscles get tightened. And in a state of tightened, they start to get weakened, and then you could be more likely to hurt yourself when you do exercise and do those sorts of things. So preventing that is super crucial.
Mitch, gift number two.
Mitch: All right. So gift number two is now thinking a little outside the box. Thinking about sleep hygiene and some of the stuff that Kelly Baron has talked about, one of the original gag gifts, which has significantly changed my life, is a toilet light. Do you guys have toilet lights? Do you know what toilet lights are?
Troy: No. This is a light on the toilet to help you at night so you're . . .
Mitch: Yes.
Troy: Interesting.
Mitch: They're like $10. You can get them on whatever online source. And it seems so ridiculous. They come in different colors. They perch on the side of your toilet. But what happens is in the middle of the night, if you need to go to the bathroom, rather than turning on a light, it has a blue-light-blocking, non-sleep-disturbing light so you can see exactly where the toilet is and you don't have to turn any lights on.
And I cannot tell you . . . It started out as a "ha-ha" funny gift, "thanks for the white elephant gift." That thing has broken and I have replaced it twice now. It is such a vital thing in our environment. We have the bidet. We could go into the bidet. A good bidet is expensive. But just that idea of waking up, not having your sleep being disturbed, go right back to bed. No need to turn on the light.
Scot: You don't have to turn on the big bright lights.
Mitch: Nope. It's wonderful. It's beyond wonderful. Toilet light. Look them up.
Troy: I am looking it up. I'm already intrigued because this sounds great. You stumble in the bathroom at like 2:00 in the morning. Number one, your partner is going to appreciate it because it's probably going to help a little bit with the aim. But number two, it probably makes it that much easier, like you said, to go back to sleep because you're not flipping on lights. And if your bathroom is right next to your bedroom, it's not disturbing your partner or whatever. So it sounds like that's a gift for the whole family.
Mitch: Absolutely.
Scot:All right. That was a good one. My number two is not necessarily inspired by anybody, but it's going to help with sleep as well. I'm completely copying Mitch, it sounds like, because every category he has put out there, I come in with something after that.
Mitch: Did you also get a toilet light?
Scot: No. A white noise machine for sleep. So these things, you plug in. They're $20 to $30, and you can get just the white noise, which is that noise or fans or they make the . . . These things you can change the noise. You could have a brook or sea waves or birds or bonfire or train. I don't know who uses trains, but whatever. I like the sea waves and the rain myself.
I started using it more and more when we got our new dog because our new dog is a little bit of a heavy breather when he sleeps. So it covers that really well, and it helps me get to sleep.
In the summertime, we have fans in our windows that run, so that drowns out noise. And then at the end of that summer season, it's so deathly quiet in the house it's almost disturbing.
They're cool, too, because you can take them along with you. They're very portable. They just use a little USB cord. So if you go to a hotel or something and you need a little help sleeping, they're $20 to $30. So just a little white noise machine for sleep.
Troy: Yeah, I love having white noise. I have an app I use on my phone, but I use it with headphones. I actually have these headphones I can sleep with. I started doing that several years ago. I had white noise before, but doing this, I'm just like, "I don't care. We're traveling, dogs are barking, I'm trying to sleep during the day, I don't care. I can't hear it." I have noise-blocking headphones and I use white noise. Yeah, a white machine, anything like that, I agree, I think it helps sleep for sure.
Scot: All right. Gift number three and the final gift. Troy saved the best for last. This better be good.
Troy: It better be good? So the theme here, it seems we all keep talking about TD, about Theresa Dvorak, and the amazing series she did with us on cooking. This gift would make her proud.
So my final gift is a windowsill herb garden. You can buy these little things. It's like a little herb garden. Just imagine how proud Theresa would be if we emailed her in a couple months and told her we made our recipes again with mint we grew ourselves, parsley, basil, oregano.
I had a hard time finding these things in the store, but it would be so cool to grow it and then use it in your recipe and just be like, "Not only did I make this, I also grew some of the ingredients."
So just a fun little gift, I think, for if you know someone who cooks or even maybe someone who doesn't cook a lot. Maybe even combine that with Scot's gift of the cooking book, or Mitch's gift of the cooking class, something fun like that. It'd be kind of cool to do.
Scot: I don't know if you guys have ever had plants before. Again, we come back to mental and emotional health. I find pleasure taking care of plants and watching them grow. That's just kind of neat. So not only would it help maybe make your recipes pop a little bit more, it might help your emotional health.
Troy: Agreed. Yeah, a little something for the winter months to bring a little life into your home and then make a nice meal in February.
Scot: Yeah. All right. Number three for me is something called YogaToes. I've sent you guys a picture of what they look like, and I'm going to try to describe them. Help me with this. So these are things you put over each one of your toes, but what they do is they kind of spread your toes out.
So I don't know if you ever did this when you were a kid? Put marbles between your toes.
Mitch: No.
Troy: Yeah. And walk around with them? Yeah.
Scot: I mean, I was a weird kid I guess.
Troy: I did it too.
Scot: Oh, you did? Okay.
Troy: Oh, yeah.
Scot: Imagine putting marbles between your toes. What YogaToes are is they spread your toes out in the same sort of way, except it's not marbles. It's a silicone/rubbery sort of thing, and you put those things on.
I'll tell you, when I was training for my marathon or if I had days where . . . I'd take them on trips with me, like when I went to New York one time and I got in 20,000 or 25,000 steps. My feet were just sore.
You put these on, it stretches out your toes, it helps your calves feel better, it helps your toes feel better, the bottoms of your feet.
And I just put them on when I'm watching TV. You put them on 10 or 15 minutes a day and it's amazing what a difference it makes.
I think feet are really ignored a lot of times, and I noticed as I was getting older, my toes were starting to kind of get into weird shapes and I couldn't even physically move my toes separately anymore, which I think could be a problem. I started using these YogaToes and started kind of wiggling my toes and doing toe exercises, and it makes a huge difference in how my feet feel at the end of the day. So that's my gift number three.
They've got various kinds and they're various prices. My only tip is if you use them, use them for only five minutes a day at first. You've got to get used to them. Otherwise, you can hurt yourself, like with any muscle thing that you do. I mean, it's crazy.
Troy: Yeah, I'm looking at that. I want to try those. That looks really cool. Yeah, I think it's that gel kind of stuff, it looks like, and that feel having that between your toes. Like you said, there's nothing . . . I don't know. I'm a huge believer, too, in taking care of your feet, and I think this could go a long way toward helping, like you said, your intrinsic muscles of your feet feel better and really working out some of that soreness there. So I'm thinking if I don't get this for Christmas, I'm buying it for myself.
Mitch: "I would like that."
Scot: Dropping a little hint. All right, Mitch. Gift number three from you.
Mitch: Okay. So being just a touch off-color again, this is inspired by a gift I got years ago from my parents, who are listeners. Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad.
Troy: Hey, Mitch's mom. Hey, Mitch's dad.
Mitch: Hey. Just awkward question, how much have you paid for the pair of underwear you are wearing right now?
Troy: How much have you paid?
Mitch: Yes. Is it a six-pack that you get from Smith's? Is that what you are wearing right now?
Troy: I will say it is not expensive. I will tell you that.
Scot: No. And I will also tell you it's time to be replaced.
Troy: I think this is just a guy thing. Underwear, you're just like, "Who's going to see it? I don't care."
Mitch: Exactly.
Troy: I don't know when I bought this underwear. It's been around a long time. I couldn't put a year on it, but yeah.
Scot: All right, Mitch. You've got us intrigued. Are we going to splurge? We're going to splurge on something?
Mitch: Yes. This is the year that you buy the $30 pair of underwear. I cannot tell you . . .
Scot: I don't know.
Mitch: No, I know you are like . . . I don't know if I've brought this up before, but this is the way that a lot of people respond to it. I was the same way until my sweet parents got me a pair. And they're like, "This has been life-changing. Your father loves them. Try them."
They got me and Jonathan a pair. They're amazing. I cannot tell you, when I started running, there's no rubbing. There are no problems with sweating down there. There's no anything. They're amazing. Everything stays where it's supposed to be, they wash up really good, they last forever, and that's kind of it.
We spend our whole lives doing these cheapo pair of underwear that we just throw away and we don't even look at the options. I'm just going to tell you I've tried a bunch of different brands. I'm not going go too far into them, but SAXX, Separatec, there's a whole bunch of different ones. Some that are more geared towards runners, different activities, but they all are about $30 and everyone just gasps and it's like, "Ugh, $30 for underwear? Why?"
Scot: I don't even pay $30 for dress pants or jeans.
Mitch: I know.
Troy: My shirts are around $20.
Mitch: That's why I'm saying just one. Just one to try it out.
Troy: And are these boxers or boxer briefs?
Mitch: Whatever you need. They come in briefs. They come in boxer brief, loose-fit boxer, long-leg, trunk. I'm a big trunk guy. I love the trunks.
Troy: See, I just feel like if you had that, though, you would wear it once and then obviously you're not going to wear it multiple days, and then you would just be . . . Are you washing these every day, or do you just feel like, "Now I've got to buy 10 pairs of these so I can just have them and have them every day"?
Mitch: I mean, you will eventually find yourself spending a whole lot of money on underwear, but I'm just going to tell you it's night and day. I have never gone back. There's been a time or two when you're on Week 2 of not doing laundry and you're back to the old underwear, and it's like, "What am I doing to myself?"
Scot: "What am I doing with my life?"
Mitch: Right. And that's why I'm saying go out and just get one. Just try it out.
Troy: Yeah. Obviously, women are a whole lot better about this than we are as guys. They clearly will buy nice underwear, and it doesn't have to be like anyone is seeing it or anything. It's just like, "I just want to feel good." And us, as guys, we're just like, "Hey, I don't care. I've got my $2 pair of underwear," or whatever it is from the multipack. But yeah, it's a great idea. Something that you're comfortable in.
Too, like you said, I think if you're participating in any kind of athletic thing, if you're running, whatever, it does make a difference. If you're wearing cotton underwear while you're running, forget it. You're going to be so chafed up. It's just miserable.
Troy: And maybe that's it too. Maybe's it's a nice pair, like you said, that you're wearing on a daily basis. And maybe if you know someone who's an athlete who would just like a nice pair underwear, you get them a nice pair of whatever. Nike, Under Armour, they all make some more expensive, nice underwear for working out.
Scot: Well, there you go. Three guys, nine Christmas presents for people that are perhaps interested in becoming a little bit more healthy. So if you get any of these, be sure to let us know. There are lots of ways to reach out to us, which Troy will tell you about now.
Troy: Oh, man. We have not done this in months. You have your little tag on the end, you do, so I've forgotten everything, but I know you can . . .
Scot: All right. I'll go ahead and take care of it.
Troy: I'll try. You can contact . . . we're on Facebook at facebook.com/whocaresmenshealth. On the web, whocaresmenshealth.com. You can email us at hello@thescoperadio.com. Or you can call our listener line. We would love to hear from you. It is 601-55SCOPE. Did I get that right?
Scot: You got it right. You did it all.
Troy: Sweet.
Scot: Nice work. All right. And if you do any of these Christmas presents, let us know how it works out for you. Thanks for listening, and thanks for caring about men's health. "Jingle Bells" me out.
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Preacher Book Five (Paperback, NEW)
"The most intense adult comic in ages."--Spin
Writer Garth Ennis's violent, scabrous journey across America's religious landscape continues in this fifth hardcover volume.Preacher Jesse Custer's dark journey to find God, accompanied by his gun-toting girlfriend and Irish vampire buddy, continues as Jesse becomes the sheriff of a troubled Texas town. Then, he decides it's high time to renew his quest to find God and hold him accountable for all of his actions. But before he can continue down that path, he must reunite with his girlfriend, Tulip.
"Just about the best thing to come along since comics started finding their way into books."-- Washington Post
"Features more blood and blasphemy than any mainstream comic in memory. Cool."-- Entertainment Weekly
"It will restore your faith. In comics."-- New York Daily News
Irish-born writer Garth Ennis is the acclaimed author of the PREACHER graphic novel series, and also has written numerous John Constantine/Hellblazer graphic novels, as well as The Authority, The Boys, War Stories, Pride and Joy and other titles.
Artist Steve Dillon grew up drawing from an early age and the London native received his first professional assignment at age 16. His work for various UK publishers led to his being offered work on Vertigo's Hellblazer which paired him with writer Garth Ennis. They went on to create the award-winning Preacher, now in development as a feature film.
ASIN  :  1401250742
Publisher  :  Vertigo; Illustrated edition (August 19, 2014)
ISBN-10  :  9781401250744


The chance of earthquake damage in Dimondale is about the same as Michigan average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Dimondale is higher than Michigan average and is higher than the national average.
No volcano is found in or near Dimondale, MI.
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Dimondale, MI.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Dimondale, MI.
A total of 80 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Dimondale, MI.
Brief Description: A brick, ranch style home in Fairplain Township was totally destroyed by an apparent tornado. No one actually saw a tornado, but the debris pattern and localization of the damage strongly suggested a tornado rather than straight-line thunderstorm winds. Seven people were in the home at the time, but no one was injured. A small shed was also torn up. The path length and width were estimated from the debris pattern. Trees up to 10 inches in diameter were broken off at the ground in a counter-clockwise pattern.
Brief Description: A F2 tornado produced maximum estimated wind speeds of 120 to 130 m.p.h. and caused extensive damage 4 miles west of Richland, in Kalamazoo county. The initial damage occurred approximately one third of a mile south of the intersection of C Avenue and 24th street, extending north for about a mile. Extensive tree damage occurred along the tornado's path, and there was structural damage to several homes. One home along the tornado's path was completely destroyed, while several others sustained significant roof and shingle damage. The home that was destroyed lost it's roof, which was carried roughly 75 yards north of the home, and it also lost most of it's interior and exterior walls. The tornado's path length was one mile long with a width of 150 yards.
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: Several trees and large branches were knocked down across North 28th Street near the tornado touchdown. The most extensive damage was located approximately two-miles northwest of Richland south of E C Avenue. The roof was torn off a ranch-style house and completely destroyed with pieces of truss carried one-half mile. Insulation was found over one-mile away from the tornado damaged home. The back deck of the home was destroyed with a large piece of the deck thrown approximately 100 yards. All trees were snapped or uprooted around the house with two uprooted trees carried 30-40 feet. Nearly 1.8 miles northwest of Richland, about 50% of trees were snapped or uprooted with numerous branches down along the tree line. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Thunderstorms developed and moved across Lake Michigan during the evening hours on June 19th. Several hours of intense rainfall occurred starting around 7:00 PM EST. The ground was already saturated from early morning thunderstorms that produced very heavy rainfall. In addition to the heavy rain, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes accompanied the thunderstorms.


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Everyone wishes to display inspired, decorative and welcoming objects in their carefully planned living room. In our modern age, lamps have overcome their purely practical and technical purpose and can help us achieve just this. They are visually and effectively a significant part of our everyday life and the design of our home.
Let's see some modern pendant lamp designs which can truly make a difference in the living room, some of which have made history.
Designed by Poul Henningsen and first created 40 years ago, The PH Artichoke is one of the masterpieces of the house Louis Poulsen. Manufactured in a limited edition of 50, this exquisite pendant lamp is the final and perfected product in a series of variations. If you follow the PH series, you notice that each lamp seems to be a blooming and unfolding sequence, from the smallest lamp variant up to the refined artichoke. It is made from 72 leaves which cover the light source in such manner that one only perceives the reflected light. This gorgeous, golf leaf plated artichoke, with an 840 mm diameter, is an anniversary version that celebrates fine taste, exquisite design and not least, stuffed pockets.
This pendant lamp is bold, wild, temperamental and exciting. Lampshades with a clipped, scissored aspect have the advantage of filtering the light and creating a sweet shadowplay, in addition to favoring the distribution of some indirect light to the ceiling. Thus, the contrast between the lamp and the surface of the ceiling is diminished. Red and glossy, a funky pendant lamp such as Devil easily finds its place in a modern, retro or punk living room.
Designed in 1968 by Roberto Menghi, these sleek and shiny globe lamps come in large and medium sizes and in different attractive metallic colors. This makes them suited as single and cluster arrangements. A shiny red globe over the coffee table for a trendy look or, huge silver globes hung at the same height for a sci-fi effect or a few smaller gold globes, falling at different heights toward your glamorous furniture arrangement – the possibilities are numerous.
Kundalini Light Design are skilled in their bold use of round, organic geometry in their products. An art piece of Guglielmo Berchicci , the ETA Sat Lamp looks like a huge bulb, somehow tropical, and creates a jolly atmosphere. It is hand-made with ecological resin on a metallic structure with a polycarbonate reflector body. An instant eye-catcher in any style of living room , whether in white, red or discreet yellow.
The eccentric German lamp designer is known for his bold and delicate designs and artistic improvisations.
Without being heartwrenchingly expensive, this original designer lamp can add a touch of modernism and glamor to your living room. Simple and geometric, it impresses through texture and light effect. The light source is enveloped by shades covered with actual 24 karat gold leaves. A bit of optical physics has gone into this design, in addition to the glam. The gold is hand-finished to be so thin as to permit the short-wave blue light to pervade through it, while the warm light components are reflected on the inner side of the lamp shades. That is why the light source appears a gentle blue through the shades, while the inside of the shades is covered in a deep golden shine.
One of my personal favorites, the pendant lamp Dandelion was designed by Richard Hutten, in 2004. Its technical details read as intricate design of laser-cut steel with white powder coat finish, but the result is endless, ethereal and feminine poetry. As weightless as the flower it received its name from, Dandelion pendant lamp filters the light through the pure and geometric 'petal' elements and provides direct and ambient illumination for a optimal effect. At first sight, it may be somewhat pretentious, but it can work wonders in the right color scheme. What its designers say about this lamp: "True to its name, Dandelion was initially inspired by the plant the creates the famous and poetic 'dandelion snow' of fuzzy, cotton-like seeds when a gush of wind blows on it.
A design piece by Patricia Urquiola and Eliana Gerotto of the tradition-rich manufacturer Foscarini. For connoisseurs already a beloved modern classic, the Caboche pendant lamp needs a living room that is able to celebrate it. Glamorous and extravagant, it reminds of the glassblowing tradition of its home town Venice. Glamorous and extravagant, it comes in clear and gold colors and in pendant, floor and wall lamp versions.
The light is filtered through a precious shade of reflecting and refracting mouth-blown glass and polymethylmethacrylate beads to create subtle and intricate models on the walls.
Designed by Francesco Giannattasio for the company Lumen Center Italia, this delicate and feminine lamp is not ridiculously expensive and easily finds its place in a modern, a minimalist or a vintage-inspired living room that is defined by one condition: the love of detail.
The diffuse light is partly filtered through the epoxy lacquered metal frame whose shape reminds of stars. This decorative frame, in spite of being made of metal, seems delicate, airy and origami-like. It is available in glossy black, white, red or chartreuse green. This lamp is suitable to be hung as a cluster, at varying heights, in one larger and one smaller version in the same color or 2 different colors according to your design scheme, and makes a lovely and original impression.
This is one of the most sci-fi and intricate lamps you can imagine, but no less can be expected of sacred monster Artemide. There is a debate about how much usable light this lamp actually gives, but it is a spectacle for the eyes and that is also the reason it is bought at its painfully high price.
Designed by Ross Lovegrove, it is similar to a mobile crafted from sleek and shiny metal pieces. The lamps are encased in the sleek aluminum rock-shaped elements that are stylized dew drops suspended in mid-air under an upside down pond lily leaf. The shape of this unique lighting artwork can be interpreted in many ways. It is mostly decorative, since its light emission is not direct, but purely ambiental, reflected on the large aluminum disk.
Designed by Louise Campbell for lighting company Louis Poulsen, the Collage pendant lamp is feminine by definition. The light source itself is concealed and shines diffusely through 3 layers made from laser cut acrylic layers. The vine and strand shaped cutouts make up an elegant and highly decorative pattern and filter a diffuse glow through and also allow for indirect light on the ceiling. It is a beautiful and versatile lamp, whether pink and trendy in the hotlips version, funky in the juicy orange version, ethereal and minimal in snow white, fresh and vivid in lemon yellow or timelessly elegant in the smoke-tinted version.
So, which one is your favorite pendant lamp for the living room?