If you've been around for a few decades, odds are you'll have listened to, or at least heard of, Mike Oldfield's 'Tubular Bells.' An iconic tune from the '70s, it helped launched Richard Branson and was the theme for the then terrifying 'Exorcist' movie.
I watched an Iplayer documentary about it. And what a revelation! I just figured that it was a nice, well done piece of music that just did incredibly, incredibly well around the world.
But turns out, like most every success, there was great contrast which preceded it! When Mike was young his mother gave birth to a child with Down Syndrome who only lived for a year. She left his life for that year, living by the sea without her other children. He then spent a stint of time in a failed band with her sister. He spent ages practising and playing his instruments and became incredibly skilled.
It makes you think about the fact that there's 'no such thing as an overnight success.' When labelled, amongst others and quite easy to dismiss- Lady Gaga spent years playing bars in New York, Geri Halliwell was homeless, Katy Perry had been dumped by a record label, Sam Worthington lived in car before Avatar. The list is endless of those grand success stories who have come from great contrast.
So, if you've been through the mill in life, then it's ok. Now that what's coming next is going to be the greatest act of your life ever.
It's just now, you can be a bit more conscious about it all!
Things are always working out for you!!!
Oopsie, I dropped my old iPhone 3GS in the toilet. Not impressed! Lol. It's an old model I use- I prefer the sound quality on it, so I use it only for music. I've put it in a box of rice as is the recommended advice to wetter phones, so we shall see if that fixes it... But, er we shall see! Anyhoo, I thought I'd checked out to see how much an old used one from Ebay would be. I expected it to be a fair amount as it's an older, rarer model. But to my surprise, I saw some for as little as £20!
Though come to think about it, I guess demand would be non existent nowadays because who would want something so old? Me! That's who!
It got me thinking about the bigger picture. Some people who come into this vibrational school of thought wonder how it's possible for everyone's dreams to be fulfilled and how can everyone have their dream abundance? The thing is, amongst other things, everyone wants something different, so it means each one, will impinge even less than you might think, on the other.
I know those who would love to own the fanciest, blingest car that they can drive. But for me, I have no interest in that at all (though I wouldn't say no to a chaffeur!). Others want huge houses, I'd be happy with a small flat. Some love the country, I prefer the city.
There are a myriad of different preferences out there and the Universe has a myriad of ways to surprise, please and delight you. Your job is just to align with you and your dream and factor everyone else out!
Update: after leaving it in a Tupperware of brown rice for 3 days, the Iphone is working as good ever! An amazing testament to rice and Apple!
One of my nearest and dearest has got some skin issues at the moment and for some reason it has flared up quite badly. Whilst they weren't looking for my advice, nor do I know if they would take it (probably not me thinks!). I'm guessing that if they clean up their diet, as well as cutting out the main culprits- sugar, gluten and dairy (though it's worth speaking to a professional nutritionist before making any major changes...), they would almost certainly see positive skin results!
It got me thinking though, given the lifetime of eating differently, it could like be anywhere in the region of 3-6-12 months before they see any lasting change. Why? Because the body needs to clear out the crap that it's been going through, then readjust, then work from that better place. By which point they may give up or fall off the wagon, because they may not have seen the full positive results instantly.
It's the same with all this vibrational work! Yes, there may be some wonderful, good stuff manifesting straight off the bat (as can often be the case!), but not always and it definitely needs to be allowed time to unfold before truly letting the vibration clear and raise.
These things don't really happen overnight, it takes consistent work and practise. The body, the mind, the spirit, needs time to wade through the old crap and clean up and clean out. So give it time before you see results. Hit it with your best shot, fire away, then continue to be diligent.
Be easy about it, be easy with yourself, if it feels good, refreshing and you're enjoying it then continue it. There are so many paths to well being, just keep the faith and know somehow, some way it'll click!
As I've mentioned a little while ago, I was on the train coming back to London from my Birmingham group and upon leaving the train I found a kindle. I looked round and the carriage was empty, so I took it back home to try and find out who it belonged to otherwise I'd hand it to lost property at the station.
On a side note, I flicked through it and was pleasantly shocked and aligned to see that one of the few books on it was The Secret!
So I dug round the kindle and only managed to find the name of the owner and nothing else traceable. It is now in lost property and he has three months in which to claim it before it gets auctioned off somewhere!
That struck me as really interesting, because had it come with the address or some personal details, I would've just contacted them and got it back, no muss, no fuss!
You see, there are a variety people out there, some honest as pie, others not so much. But you will get what you expect on some level. And from there, you will find things which are a match to that.
If the owner of the kindle had felt guarded and left no hint of personal info on there, it would be impossible to get I back (which it was), but if the person had felt safe and open and left some sort of info on it (as some people do), then he would've got it back no problem!
So start affirming for what you wish to believe about the world and align!
All is well and unfolding perfectly.
It's funny how locked and blinkered we can be when we get in our heads what we believe to be the truth!
So after finishing my tours and bits, I went dashing up and down looking for the shuttle stop and eventually managed to find it after chatting to the tourist lady. I got to the stop but I saw the notice board and it has set times for the shuttle which were hours apart. I figured they must've made some cutbacks, after all, one every 15 mins is a lot!
It was only after looking at my leaflet and upon more careful perusal, I saw that it said 'public buses run to the centre every 15 minutes.' DOH! What struck me about this, was that I had looked at that leaflet so many times that morning and was convinced it was the free bus which was that frequent.
But it goes to show, when we convince ourselves of one thing, we can't see anything else which doesn't match it. We get some belief ingrained into us, see it as truth and anything else can't even present itself to us because we'll miss it.
So mix it up, open your eyes and read the leaflets properly lol!!!
Whilst I'm a clean roomie (defo no foods or snacks or crumbies!), I can't say I'm the tidiest... Also, given that I've got so much going on in life, despite my efforts to not hoard too much, my room gets quite messy!
However, what caught my attention and was a little surprising was when I was away, I had quickly got my hotel room in a bit of a state with piles of stuff everywhere and clothes strewn about. It wasn't anything that 10 mins of whipping round wouldn't fix but still, it struck me that you really do take yourself with you wherever you go!
Whether that's in the physical space you maintain, or even more potently, the emotional space you keep. It stands to reason, that if you're generally a happy person in your day to day life, you'll be happy in your other areas of beingness- if that's travelling, dealing with relationships or just other daily bits. And if you're a miserable bleep, then you'll continue to be so even if you get your dream partner, job and/or lottery win.
Now, it can be the case that by changing your externals, you can change your disposition. Like, who doesn't get excited by a holiday, or a pay rise or ditching their crappy boss. But, as Abe has been pushing so much recently, we want your happiness to be unconditional, that you can make it a truly inside job. Now we're talking!!!
It's like that with your mother or nightmare customer or whoever lol. They complain about something you are doing, you'll change that, and then they find something else wrong!
Years ago when I studied photography, I believe one of my teachers made the excellent point of highlighting to us, that it rather important to try to get as much right with your photo before taking the photo. As opposed to trying to fix it in post production such as Photoshop.
And that has stuck with me and really makes a lot of sense. It also saves shed loads of time as editing in Photoshop can be quite time consuming and still not quite as effective as I might like.
The vibrational lesson in this analogy is that it can be easier to nip your vibration in the bud, then trying to clean everything up post manifestationally, when it's already gone tats up!
Now, it is important to point out that nothing is so ever far gone that it cannot be worked back into alignment, it's just sometimes easier if you can grab it before it goes out of whack.
The way to do it early, is simple to be aware of how you're feeling and how you're viewing a situation. If you're feeling good, then great- continue to milk it. If you're really resistant- that sick, heavy feeling in your stomach, then try to offer better feeling thoughts. As you do so, you'll be living a more joyous life and you'll also be catching situations before they get a negative head of steam underway. And now we're talking!
I can't remember exactly what it was (as I make little notes about what to blog about for future reference), but I think I was doing some complaining in my head about something or rather and at the time it didn't phase me as being particularly stand outish.
However, a short time later, there were a group of people complaining out loud about the exact thing I was!
It was only when I heard my complains being verbalised that it hit me what a drain it was. Partly due to the fact that they were being so vocal but also the vibrational component behind it.
Now depending on where you are on the emotional scale, complaining may feel downstream and relief giving (especially if you're in a place of powerlessness), but to be honest- complaining is still complaining! Which is a far cry from that love, joy and appreciation we would prefer you to be in, if possible.
As we are in our minds all the time, what we're thinking might not be apparent as to how strong it is, but it is only when I heard the others moaning that it brought home to me what vibration was being emitted and it was not pleasant! And we wonder why crap happens! When we have usually been giving that subject so much of our negative attention.
It really does serve us to be acutely self aware. To know what you're really thinking and feeling as much as possible, will really lend itself to attracting more of what you want, as you can start thinking in a more positive way, when you choose.
So try to be aware of what you're saying and thinking and what those around you are doing. As you increase this, then hopefully you'll want to to increase your propensity for positivity!
Things are always unfolding perfectly for you!!!
One of the great things about the Abe cruise is meeting other leading edge peoples! It really is nice to be surrounded with others who are reading off the same page. Whilst it has to be said that we don't want your happiness to be conditional on those who are in your life, it does make things easier to be in the company of those who are of like vibration, for sure!
We were having dinner in one of the ships' speciality restaurants and were talking about abundance. One of our friends was saying how she loved playing the abundance game. I can't remember exactly which one but one of them (if you want to play) is that on day 1 you write down how you would spend £1,000, on day 2 - £2,000, day 3 - £3,000 and so on.
It was only a very brief conversation but it was a nice reinforcement to me the importance of these simple, fun but valuable games.
It can feel like 'Well how is playing these things or just sitting there feeling better really going to affect my life?!' But it can and it will! What these techniques do is start to train your vibration into the mode of receptivity. It brings you into alignment and puts you in a space of allowing, expectation and moreness. And as you shift your focus and vibrational offering, then you'll start to notice things which are a match, you'll be given the inspiration to do things which trigger off a sequence of events leading you to what you want.
There are an infinite amount of techniques you can try, but the key word is 'try', if you don't experiment, you'll never know!
I can't remember exactly what made think back to this, but I had a flashback to college and my Psychology A Level. Our main teacher was away for most of the year (I think she or her family member was ill or something!). Anyhoo, she came back close to the end of the academic year, by which point she was mortified that most all of us had done poop all!
Our coursework was either non existent or done to the level that it might as well have been. Thus causing her to scramble. So she basically spoon fed the whole class the coursework! She told us the experiment, hypothesis and probably the results and conclusion. Looking back, I thought that's hysterical!
You would've thought this resulted in 30 virtually identical courseworks. But, interestingly enough, it did not! It yielded a myriad of differently interpreted assignments.
30 people could be walking down the same street having 30 different points of view (although they'd be a little squished!). But the point is, there is not one way to look at anything. Especially if it's not good feeling. I know, that if I'm travelling and in a new city, I like to activate that feeling of awe and excitement. However, I'd imagine that those people who have lived their all their lives don't feel so exhilarated.
Decide how you want to feel then go from there!
Today I attended the funeral of the mother of one of my dear friends. Everyone looked beautiful in their wonderful saris with a splash of colour as requested by the family to celebrate the life of the departed.
It is always sad 'losing' a loved one but we must remind you, everyone is going to die at some point and it is definitely not the end. Just the beginning of your eternalness.
As one of my brilliant group members reminded me, as Abe said 'Seek them where they are and not where they were.' In other words, when you're ready, instead of focusing on the loss that was them, look now to where they are- which is that eternal, bright, unresisted being of pure light. They are now in their highest vibration and you have access to them at all times, it's just a matter of where you put your attention. It definitely isn't easy when a beloved one transitions, and give yourself time to emotionally process it, but know that they are there always- seeing you in your joy, calling you to your inner being. And that's why sad feels sad, it's your guidance system saying you're focused on the situation in a way that is not who you really are.
Thanks to the wonderful church for hosting and everyone involved, it is nice to have the closure of the ceremony- surrounded by all the family, remembering the life of the beloved one.
The feeling of separation is definitely not an easy one to cope with, be easy about it, be gentle with yourself. Time is definitely a healer.
As you may be aware, you are the creator of your own life because you are the perceiver of your reality. Because of the beliefs you hold, the thoughts you think and the way you see the world, it will be whatever you make it.
And it really is! A few of us were having a conversation about making connections with others, especially those of a higher vibe (like us of course!). And a couple of us thought it's a pretty easy thing to do and it definitely should've been for a particular person in the group because of who they were and all that was on offer. But to our surprise he said it really wasn't that easy or at least to the degree that he would've found satisfying.
That was quite an interesting revelation! Who's right, who's wrong?! We all are, only because we have our different points of view which we could easily justify. You can never really know for another person, but you can bet your bottom dollar, that something that they are living is because of something they hold within them.
The trick is to firstly, be aware of what's going on in your internal dialogue and changing it, if you wish. That is true self empowerment.
I believe it was Alicia Keys (though I could be wrong!), who said 'Notice what you notice.' Which just struck me as quite profound. In other words, see what you see! What patterns keep cropping up in the way you view the world, do you keep an eye out for all the things that are wrong with a situation or do you try and make the best of where you are?
So see how you go, try to be more self aware. That is the first step to leading a more joyous life!
The other day we were having a convo about family relations. It can be really tough if you're living a fabulously great life, but your loved ones aren't! Especially if you're thriving and they aren't. However, it isn't our job to improve anyone else's life, as tempting as that is and as much as we believe that we have the answer for them. And by the way, doesn't it drive us mad when they do it to us?
Live a life well lived, thrive and be happy and those who are interested will be open to hear what you have to say. Just be mindful that if you're on two different ends of the emotional scale, then it is unlikely that either of you will be able to really hear each other!
I thought of when Abe was recounting the story when Esther was in the middle of a session or something. Her mother came in and saw what was happening and tried to de-possess her! Not wanting any trouble, Abraham made a quick exit lol.
They keep their Godhood underneath their cap- when strangers would ask what they do, J-Esther would say they write. When asked 'What?' They would reply 'books.' Haha! If they continued questioning them and seemed genuinely interested then Jerry would give them more information.
Be you, be the happy, shiny you and let them come to you. Those who are eager will seek you out and you can help them. But it is not our advice to foist this upon someone, it makes for a less comfortable journey. Concentrate on your own wonderful life and fly dear ones!!!
Oprah was discussing the acting roles that she had, the success of The Colour Purple, The Butler and the unsuccess of Beloved (so much so that she ate tons of mac and cheese after that 'failure').
When asked if she would act in certain roles, she replied that she is selective about what she would play, as she wouldn't want to bring that type of energy into her space- i.e. characters that were too dark emotionally.
And that is quite a wise choice! Don't get it twisted though, there can be great fun and challenge in playing a villain or criminal as part of an act. But you want to be able to keep a clear, light focus on who you really are. Being chosen to play a 'bad' guy because you're a wonderful actor is far different from being chosen to be a baddie cos you're naturally a b*tch! Ha!
So be conscious of the roles you're playing on a day to day basis. Where are you vibrating and what is the energy you're bringing in to your space- make it a good un!!!
Wow! Majorly profound! And it's true. It speaks to the nature of contrast, and that's why I say- the worse it's been in your life, the better it will be when you clear it. You just have to actually clear it!
If you listen to all the wildly successful entrepreneurs, musicians, actors etc. They all have had their fair share of failures, rejections, depressions and mega contrast. But it's only because of this that they were able to give birth to so much more!
Odds are you're here, on this path of consciousness because your level of asking has been beyond most anyone you know. And for that, be thankful! You are a powerful, masterful creator, all you need to do is start, re-start or continue on feeling good and being fabulous!
Watching some of the greatest modern movie directors being interviewed (Lee Daniels, Alfonso Cuaron etc), it really struck me that for some reason or another they dropped out, didn't go or couldn't afford to attend film college. And yet they have created some amazing world renowned work. And on the whole, quite a lot of incredible entrepreneurs and 'successful' individuals have had learning 'disabilities', were rebels and/or didn't fit the system.
Now this is not to say that if you do fit the system and thrive in that, that you may not do as well as the rebels! But it is to say that, you can thrive whoever you are, whatever you've done or not done, you just have to believe and be in alignment with you and you.
There are so many shoulds and shouldn'ts given to you in your life- all the time, from growing up as a child to present day. The only thing is that they are written from someone else's perspective! They were written to fix in place what someone else wants from you. But that is never a match to who you really are. You must follow your gut, bliss, intuition, heart and then you'll achieve the greatness that you think you desire.
Feel no regret over what you have/haven't/should/shouldn't have done, instead work from your powerful place of now and how you can be inline with you and your dreams.
So, I've been back about a week now from my adventures and I defo had the post holiday blues! I also came down with quite a bad cold too, so that didn't help.
- I met my Vortex friend for a bite to eat before group and we barely sat down when a chap saw my LOA hoodie and asked me what it was about. Turns out, he's also into all of this too, he then remembers that on Facebook he has a contact that he met in Vegas who was into Abe. And he had just come back from the same Fiji cruise! He ended up joining us at the group that evening and his website was something along the lines of 'we met for a reason.' Incredible!
- Upon leaving my train back to London that evening, I noticed a Kindle left behind (gave it into Euston lost property, although I can't say I'm overly impressed by their handling system!). Anyhoo, I checked to see what books it had on it and out of the 11 or so that were on there, one of them was The Secret!!!
- I won £3 on the lottery and it's been a wee while since I last won lol!
- Since my London group last night, I had a little trip booked. I did it ages ago and selected the cheapest room and POW, I find out I've been mega upgrades to one of the higher sub-categories of that category!
It's definitely nice to be back in alignment and a huge thanks to the groups. I couldn't have done it without ya!
Keep going and keep the faith! Whilst it's definitely not necessary to need other people or circumstances to bring oneself into alignment, it sure can help!
All is well and things are always working out for you!!!
Thank you all!!! OMG!!! What an amazing group and a pitch perfect end to the year. So blessed to know you all!
Like some of you, I was a wee bit tired before the group, but as always, I'm buzzing and flying high as ever! Thank you so much for your wonderful stories, energy, brilliance, kindness, advice and amazingness, so truly leading edge!
- Keep working it! It can be really easy to get sucked into everydayness and complain along with our work colleagues or whoever, but it can require extra effort and consciousness to not go along with all of that. Feeling better/good is truly the work. Make that your priority and see how good life can be!
- Be in the frequency of the solution and not the issue. It's a whole different vibrational offering going on there. And as you shift your focus, things which match the solution will make themselves known to you and from there you can take the necessary inspired action.
- Let go, surrender and feel good! Whether you're focusing upon a subject or forgetting about it completely. Do so with the intention to feel good it. That's the key, that releasing of resistance that you're truly reaching for.
Thank you as always! I love all that this is here, which is the leading edge. Thank you for your brilliances and greatnesses! Love you guys!
Thank you all sooooo freaking much Birmingham!!! As I start to wind down the groups, it was a most wonderful beginning of the end haha!!!
I just love the power of alignment! As I and Sanjay sat down this afternoon to have a catch up and bite to eat, we start talking to a wonderful chap. Turns out he's totally into this material, he finds out I've been on the Abe cruise, and makes the connection with a contact he met in Vegas who had just been on the same cruise! OMG!!! You cannot make that sheet up!
- Connect with self and self, it can get easy to be sucked into all the whizz and buzz around us, but just tune into you! Appreciate all you've done and release the need to compare. What's easy for you, may not be for someone else, so congratulate yourself often on how brilliant you are and how far you've come!!!
- Gratitude, appreciation for the 'smallest' things. There is so much to love and appreciate about and around you, each moment is filled with so much goodness and wellness. Just take a second to appreciate it all!
- Surrender and let go! A wonderful story of how being inspired from an early Meetup we had, they let go and boom, they are now dating someone! How wonderful!
- Set you intentions and shift your beliefs to what you want. That is it. Because what you believe will come true for you. What's 'reality' got to do, got to do with it?! You set your tone and allow the Universe to bring to you, all you need and want.
- The thought, the desire, the manifestation- is all a manifestation! If you can really focus on the journey and not purely on the end goal, you'll be doing fabulously well! And you'll always be having fun!
OMG, thank you Birmingham so much for the most amazing year as always, it really has been so great. I/we are so blessed to have a powerful, leading edge group of people, being and thinking the best that life has to offer!
Life is so good and always working out for you!
I love you all tons and tons and tons!!! Have a great closing to the year and see you in 2016!!!
It was at the end of the Bond concert which I totally loved- absolutely stunning and was definitely ovation material (or at least in my opinion it was!). As the last notes played and the applause started to kick in, I was wondering if the performers would get a a standing ovation! But I sure as hell wasn't going to start it lol.
I looked round and slowly but surely people began to stand and applaud, til most of the auditorium was on their feet! Well deserved for sure!
It did get me thinking though, something like that has to start somewhere! It begins with one person, or small group of people. They have the courage to rise above then slowly but surely, others start to join in and before you know it, most everyone becomes a part of it! Same as those Mexican waves that happened in the concerts I went to in days gone by.
Change starts with you! Be brave enough to follow your heart, even if it separates you from the crowd. It doesn't matter how anyone else sees you, but you must follow your calling. One on alignment is more powerful than loads who are not.
All the great leaders stand out in some way. And more often than not, if not always, have come at it different. One of the Oscar nominated costumiers was emphatic that her being different from everyone else, allowed her to be who she was in her career. It defined her very beingness.
Stand tall! Be divergent! Be you!
All is well and you are so loved exactly as you are!!!
One of the great things in the groups and I find as a student, are the personal experiences and sharings. It is one thing to speak from a place of theory but things can take on a whole new resonant level when you share from the heart.
At the James Bond concert, the presenter did a great job. But it was particularly when she was recounting her stories of working in the movies that she lit up, she painted a vivid picture and I felt she really created a connection with the audience.
On some level, you know when someone is being genuine (usually!). It comes from years of evolutionary survival and your intuition. But more over its just more entertaining, touching and endearing when someone shares a personal story. It takes on a different energy compared with someone repeating some meaningless info memorised by rote.
This couldn't more true if you've got your own business, are sharing a passion or some other sort of thing where you're putting yourself out there. As Amanda Palmer and Brene Brown's TED talks beautifully demonstrate- being able to ask and be vulnerable are strengths and not weaknesses! It can take you to new levels of connectedness with those in your world.
Too often when we present ourselves, we worry about how we'll be perceived or what the other people out that would like to hear from us. But what really matters is what we would like to offer, how we can best feel good about ourselves and being open enough to share what we have to share.
Just be you, is what we really want to say. Because you are uniquely you! No one else can offer whatever you can, in the way that you can.
So we are a few weeks into The Apprentice UK 2015 (which I would like to add- that I could've been in! Well not really, I was just invited to a prelim selection ting for this year's series). Anyhoo, the episode I was watching was when they have to buy items and get them for the lowest price.
Ain't that surprising? I was stunned to hear her say that quite as blatant as she did, as that's more woo woo speak. Or at least I would've thought for Sir Alan! But it just goes to show, that what we believe can be found in all successful schools of thought.
I'm presuming that from the sounds of it Ms Brady, who has had extensive success in her life, has followed her gut on many occasions!
And that is what we ask of you! Your gut instinct, emotions, feelings are all guidance on where you are in relation to where you truly are and what would be best for you.
So give it a go, follow your gut (start with smaller decisions first!) and observe what happens!
The Hollywood Reporter had a roundtable of showrunners. Incidentally, they are the guys who outrank the director (who knew?!). Anyhoo, they were speaking about how they need to get their work out by a certain deadline. Especially with things such as TV shows, there is no leeway- actors need their lines, studios need their shows produced! So if when they are creating material, it just needs to be done. No excuses!
One of the ladies said that when she's in a funk, she goes and washes the dishes! To which another chimed in- that he got so many 'aha' shower moments.
This is perfect example of the technique that we call 'distraction'. It's changing the state, so that you are withdrawing from the vibration of stuck/not being able to solve/in a rut, allowing that vibration to naturally shift and raise and boom, then the answer can come.
The vibration which created the problem is not the same vibration which can find the solution. The frequencies are different. You cannot get there from there.
What they did is mix it up, removing their negative attention away from the situation can allow the answer to come in. You have ask, and so it will be given, when you're in the right space mentally.
That is deliberate and what we highly recommend! Have a plethora of tools at your disposal so you can work through them when you need. That is so much fun and it'll help you no end. It's being focused but in a completely different way!!!
We definitely want you to expect good things and have them as the next logical step, so it's a normal occurrence, but we also want you to take that time to be appreciative of the 'everyday' miracle of all things around you. Even something as simple as turning on the tap and getting water is amazing when you come to think of it!
Now, as quotidian as one's iPod is, it truly is phenomenal! I remember spending hours and hours recording, editing and selecting songs for my cassette tapes (remember those?!). Or waiting next to the landline for it to ring before the advent of mobile phones lol.
In one of the lectures, Abe was saying that you make going to you daily job something of an adventure. Whilst most of us go to work begrudgingly, we can make it what we want. Sometimes it does make a good idea to mix things up, but you can be happy wherever you are, unconditionally!
On a side note, a huge huge thanks (in order of preference!) to Etihad (the best as far as I'm concerned!), Emirates, Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia for transporting literally around the world in perfect perfection!!!


Finally! We get some help. Some folks thought it was nuts to keep writing this stuff out and created a template by carving into a wood block. This actually continued to serve well for illustrations but not for the text. Remember all the rubbing when you had to do your first linoleum block in school? Surely there must be another way! Introducing the – the Moveable Type Printing Press!
Here are some concept art pieces for this scene by Claudio Mazzoli.
Letters are produced separately, then arranged into an infinite number of new combinations and can be reused (thus creating a font)*. Eureka! This process of casting the letters was not invented by Gutenberg, it was just applied to this process.
*Note that a study of the Gutenberg bible shows that the same letters were not reused through out.
In the this large wooden tray (letter case), the different letters are kept organized (lowercase/uppercase) etc. The straight edge on the table in front of this tray is a composing stick that is used to arrange the letters. The composing stick was left there by a composer who upgraded his use of fonts in the future and leaves this era.
The composer reads from the text of a handwritten version of the text to be printed, then arranges the letters on the stick till one line is complete. This is repeated until the full page of letters is ready and are loaded into a frame. The frame is then loaded onto the bed of the press and ink is applied (1).
There are two parts to the press itself. The first is the carriage that holds the bed. The press used is a screw press, the same used from winemaking. The carriage has dampened paper placed above the frame of letters. The carriage is slid into the press. The handle of the press swings from left to right and back at 90 degrees so that a wood or metal plate could press the paper onto the ink.
Note the hand prints of ink on the sides of the press. Remarkable detail for the print process including all the pages hung up to dry.
This scene's main character is Gutenberg seen examining a page of the Bible that has been printed. This sheet is a replication from an actual original Gutenberg Bible in the Huntington Library collection. There were approximately 180 copies made and about 50 can be accounted for (2). One of them is at Harvard where I work!
An original paper Bible cost about 20 gulden – almost what a master craftsman would make in a year or about 1/4 the cost of a stone built house (2)!
The previous iteration of the ride showed the printed pages bundled together in stacks to be bound. In the current version they are already bound – an art in and of itself.
Because animatronics are complex, time intensive to create, and expensive – its common to duplicate the models that are made and dress them differently. In this scene – The printer who is pushing/pulling the tray is said to also be the Andrew Jackson from the Hall of Presidents (3).
Johannes Gutenberg is said to also be the James Buchanan from the Hall of Presidents (3).
The pressman is said to also be the Andrew Carnegie from American Adventure (3).
In 1450, Gutenberg invents the movable type printing press. Now knowledge can travel as fast as these new books, and travel they do.
Finally, from the depths of the Dark Ages came the Age of Enlightenment: the Renaissance. And with this era, came a powerful new invention: the moveable type printing press.
The dawn of the Renaissance brings a wondrous new machine, the printing press. Now books and authors flourish as never before.
At last, a new dawn emerges. The dawn of the Renaissance-and a wondrous machine performs as a thousand scribes. Now for all: the printed word.
We lit the walls with printed words, filled them with ideas that taught – informed – inspired. Some old – some new – ideas to share and spread to far and distant shores.


Between 1980 and 2000 Peru suffered an internal armed conflict [This report adopts the terminology of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission] that led to the death of over 69,000 people, besides a large number of indirect victims (e.g. displaced persons, widows, orphans, etc.). According to the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), [More details] the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) rebel group was the main party responsible for the deaths, but the actions of state forces also resulted in the deaths of innocent people.
The investigation and later prosecution of those responsible began after the fall of the Alberto Fujimori regime. Human rights activists, as well as United Nations (UN) Human Rights Special Rapporteur Martin Scheinin, have pointed out that while many of the trials are still ongoing, [Rivera, C. (2010) El estado del proceso de judicialización de graves violaciones a los derechos humanos en el Perú, Justicia Viva, 22 July. www.justiciaviva.org.pe/notihome/notihome01.php?noti=333; see also Burt, J. M. (2010) Los juicios invisibles, Noticias SER, 4 August.] they are at risk due the fact that political groups close to the military are lobbying to end the prosecution.
This report refers to the use of social networks by human rights activists to prevent the application of a law – Legislative Decree 1097 (DL 1097) – that would pardon the soldiers being prosecuted for human rights violations in Peru.
Social networks have for some time been used as a platform for activism and alternative media in Peru. However, the number of professionals and institutions registered on them was low until late 2010, when the electoral campaign boosted their use. The case of DL 1097 is special because it represents one of the first times human rights activists have used social media to create awareness of a cause amongst the general population. The success of this campaign has become an incentive for civil society groups and human rights activists to use new technologies in their campaigning.
On 2 July 2010, during the second term in office of President Alan García (who was implicated in human rights violations during his first term between 1985 and 1990), the Peruvian Congress gave him powers to change the laws concerning individuals being prosecuted for human rights violations. He was given 60 days to enact the changes.
On 1 September, a day before the deadline, the Congress approved a package of decrees presented by the government, among which was DL 1097. This decree mandated that ongoing trials for military and police personnel accused of human rights violations would need to end if they exceeded the period stipulated for the prosecution of regular crimes. This measure went against international treaties signed by the Peruvian government, which stipulated that crimes against humanity did not have a time limit for prosecution.
When the decrees were passed, Peru was immersed in local government electoral campaigns. All the front pages of the main newspapers were filled with news referring to the elections, and the decree was hardly mentioned.
The day after DL 1097 was approved, an NGO called the National Coordinator for Human Rights held a press conference in order to publicly criticise the decree. Realising that this issue was not getting enough public attention, a group of activists also decided to take action, and started a Facebook campaign. These activists were Javier Torres, head of the SER association, [Servicios Educativos Rurales] Félix Reátegui, expert on transitional justice matters, and Eduardo Gonzales, head of the International Centre for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) Truth and Memory programme.
The response was immediate. Nearly 300 intellectuals, artists and politicians, amongst others, signed a petition launched by the activists that was posted on their walls. [ Complete list] A further 230 people signed up on Torres' personal Facebook page.
Given the great response to the initiative, the need to create a page entirely devoted to the campaign was urgent. Dánae Rivadereyra, a well-known local blogger and reporter on the news and blog platform Lamula.pe, met with Torres to propose starting a dedicated Facebook page. The intention was to continue with the signature collection process and to channel news and comments referring to the matter. On 4 September, the page called No al Decreto Legislativo 1097 (No to Legislative Decree 1097) was created. During the fifteen days of activism, which ended in the decree being withdrawn, the page attracted over 4,000 followers.
The traditional media also started to provide more coverage of the issue. There were not enough headlines, but there was a certain general interest growing in newspapers, radio and TV shows as the subject gained importance on Facebook and on blogs.
On 9 September, as part of the strategy to annul the decree, activists used the Facebook page to call for a sit-in in front of the Palace of Justice the next day. The turnout was not as strong as expected: around 300 people signed up to attend the event, but only around 100 showed up.
However, according to Torres, the use of social networks had already managed to get the media's attention and the collaboration of more personalities. Thanks to their support, on 12 September the organisers of the Facebook campaign published a statement objecting to DL 1097, which included supporters' signatures, in a national newspaper.
On 13 September, Mario Vargas Llosa, head of the Memory Museum project (which commemorates the victims of the conflict), publicly resigned from his position, declaring that the reason for his resignation was "the recent DL 1097 that (…) constitutes a thinly disguised amnesty to benefit a large number of people linked to the dictatorship and sentenced (…) for crimes against humanity." He called for "this ignoble decree" to be abolished.
On the same day, President Alan García sent an urgent request to the Congress to annul the decree. On 14 September, only thirteen days after it had been approved, DL 1097 was annulled with 90 votes in favour and one against.
After that, the activists continued their campaign, trying to get other anti-civil rights decrees annulled. [Such as DL 1095 which authorises military intervention and the use of force to deal with social demonstrations.] However, they did not succeed in keeping the public's attention and the Facebook campaign was a failure. Those decrees are still in force today.
This was not a revolution. No regime fell. What happened in the first half of September 2010 was an attempt by civil society activists to use social networks as an alternative media channel for campaigning. The campaign's aim was to generate awareness on an issue that, otherwise, would have passed by unnoticed.
As we can see, the role that social networks played in the campaign was mixed. According to Torres, social media boosted the impact of the campaign, which otherwise would only have involved a small group of activists. For him, Facebook served as a tool to raise public awareness. However, Reátegui says that "the direct impact of social networks in the annulment of the decree was insignificant." He believes they only echoed issues that emerged in other media spaces.
As noted by Castells, "Not every person in the world participates in the networks (…). But everybody is affected by the processes that take place in global networks." [Castells, M. (2009) Comunicación y Poder, Alianza Editorial S.A., Madrid, p. 51. ] Although the author is referring to the global "network society", the principle is applicable to the case at hand. Exclusion from digital networks is a product of the social structures of society. [Castells, M. (2009) Comunicación y Poder, Alianza Editorial S.A., Madrid, p. 52]. Internet and social network users in Peru represent a privileged sector of society, which has greater capacity to apply political pressure.
The reason why media are considered a "fourth estate" is because they have the capability to exert pressure on the government by generating public opinion. Traditionally, public opinion was measured through surveys or by the evidence of mobilisation. The feelings expressed during daily conversations could not be measured because they were fleeting. This does not happen anymore. Social networks offer tangible evidence of how the population is processing certain information. In the Peruvian case, while they did not have great mobilising power in terms of numbers, the political role of social networks was to capture a sense of public discontent that proved powerful. They let the government know how people felt, albeit not through demonstrations in the streets.
Facebook played two roles during the campaign against DL 1097. The first was as an alternative means of information dissemination due to the traditional media's concentration on electoral news. This created awareness amongst the general population. Second, it was used as a tool for the expression of public opinion.
While the surreptitious manner in which DL 1097 was approved helped provoke a strong public reaction, the use of Facebook allowed the activists to respond quickly to the decree.
However, the commitment to the cause did not manage to transcend the social networks. As mentioned before, the attempt to translate the Facebook support into a public demonstration – through a sit-in in front of the Palace of Justice – failed. This could be because the issue had already been taken up by the mass media, and political personalities had already spoken out against the decree. That is, there was a feeling that the matter had been adopted by actors who had more influence over the government than Facebook users. The consensus that was generated around the need to annul DL 1097 (except for the position of its main defender, Defence Minister Rafael Rey) diminished the necessity to be committed beyond the social networks.
Finally, the commitment to human rights was intense – even though the intensity was circumscribed to the networks. However, it was short lived and focused on a particular issue. This is seen in the failure to campaign against another decree, DL 1095 (which sought to authorise military intervention against social demonstrations).
The bottom line, for me, is that these social networks, at least among us [Peruvians], have for now a reactive character rather than a preventive one, and that, in any case, they still do not have the capacity to be "translated" into popular demonstrations. In other places in the world where social networks have had shocking effects […] what has happened is that the net is little more than a "coordination platform" for collective action... A government is not afraid of the net per se, but of the people who come out into the streets, who have been coordinated using the net.
• In the Peruvian context, where social mobilisation is very rare amongst the middle and upper classes, social networks are a good way to express opinions and generate pressure on governments. However, they have to be used with moderation for campaigning. People seem to lose interest very quickly.
• Human rights movements should focus on a particular case in order to generate support using social networks. A long campaign should be thought of in terms of a series of time-separated causes.
• It is, of course, very important to engage social networks, so that users can share issues with their contacts.
• Finally, it is important to engage the traditional media in social media campaigns, using press releases and holding media briefings.


Over 35 Finnish companies will be returning to the Arab Health Exhibition & Congress, the largest healthcare exhibition and medical congress in the Middle East. The event which is taking place at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre will run from 29 January to 1 February 2018.
This year's focus is to showcase the latest innovations in Finnish healthcare services and technologies highlighting their benefits to the expanding industry in the United Arab Emirates and the region. A Finnish pavilion, organized by Business Finland in co-operation with Business Oulu, will feature a total of 21 companies at Arab Health. In addition, 16 companies will participate in a delegation led by Ms. Pirkko Mattila, Minister of Social Affairs and Health.
Following last year's successful mission to map out the UAE market and promote business, the aim is to support the UAE with its goal to become a medical hub in the region. The healthcare market in the UAE is expected to grow by 60% between 2017 and 2021 and be worth $28bn by 2021 according to a study by MENA Research Partners.
Key highlights include Adesante's Clinical Operation Simulator (SurgeryVision™) which is a virtual reality solution for surgery planning. Virtual reality planning has been shown to be 40 % faster and 10 % more accurate than current solutions ensuring higher surgery success rates. Aino Health, who form part of Finland's prevention offering and who have been active in the GCC market for years, will also be at the event. They are the leading solution provider in Corporate Health Management, offering a complete system of digitalized services that reduces sick leave, related costs and delivers long term prosperity, increased productivity and employee engagement by adopting health, wellbeing and safety as an everyday activity.


text:
Pakistan paceman Shaheen signs for Middlesex
London (AFP) –
Pakistan pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has signed to play for Middlesex for the 2022 season, the English county cricket club announced on Wednesday.
The 21-year-old giant left-arm quick will play first-class and white-ball cricket for the club until he joins up with Pakistan for international duty in mid-July.
Afridi has played 19 Tests, 28 one-day internationals and 30 Twenty20 matches since he made his international debut.
"We are absolutely delighted to have secured the services of one of international cricket's most exciting talents," said Middlesex chief executive Andrew Cornish.
"Shaheen is a world-class pace bowler, and we are thrilled that he will be representing us in 2022."
Shaheen said he was delighted to have the chance to play at Lord's, where Middlesex play most of their home matches.
"I am very excited to be playing for Middlesex next season," he said. "I know from my time in England they are a great county and to play at the home of cricket really will be a dream come true."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
var nodemailer = require("nodemailer");

var ContactProcessor = module.exports = function ContactProcessor(config) {

    var Mailer = function(transport, options) {
        this.smtpTransport = nodemailer.createTransport(transport,options);

        this.processForm = function (req, email, errorCallback) {

            var mailOptions = {
                from: req.body.message.email,
                to: email,
                subject: req.body.message.name,
                text: req.body.message.message
            };

            var transportObject = this.smtpTransport;
            this.smtpTransport.sendMail(mailOptions, function(error){
                if(error){
                    console.log(error);
                    console.log(mailOptions);
                }

                transportObject.close();
            });
        };
    };

    return new Mailer(config.transport, config.options);
};

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


This tattoo image is believed to have been originally created by Hunter at Read Street Tattoo Parlour located in Baltimore, MD on or around Mar 17, 2018. The image, image's subject and the tattoo artwork involved in the image shown above are property of Read Street Tattoo Parlour.
peony sternum piece by Professional Dot Maker, Hunter!
Tattoo images by Hunter from Read Street Tattoo Parlour.
Tattoo images from Read Street Tattoo Parlour in Baltimore, MD.


text:
require 'filmbuff'

class IMDb
  include Cinch::Plugin
  plugin "imdb"
  help "!imdb <title> - Search for film <title>"

  match /imdb (.+)/i

  def initialize(*args)
    super

  end

  def self.search(title)
    @imdb = FilmBuff::IMDb.new
    # imdb.locale = config[:locale] if config[:locale]

    movie = @imdb.find_by_title(title)

    "#{movie.title} - #{movie.rating}/10 - http://www.imdb.com/title/#{movie.imdb_id}"
  end

  def execute(m, title)
    m.reply(self.class.search(title))
  end

end


text:
Cancer Care Costs U.S. $156 Billion Per Year; Drugs a Major Factor
Private insurers paid out about $156.2 billion in 2018 for U.S. patients with the 15 most common cancers.
Medication was the largest expense and drugs for breast, lung, lymphoma and colon cancers accounted for the largest chunk of those costs, according to a Penn State College of Medicine study.
"The public often hears that the U.S. spends an inordinate amount of money on health care, but no one has quantified exactly how big that number is and how that number [is] broken down for exactly what types of services," said study author Dr. Nicholas Zaorsky. He's an assistant professor of radiation oncology and public health sciences at Penn State Cancer Institute in Hershey, Pa.
"We wanted to look at what private insurances are paying for each kind of cancer and for each type of services," Zaorsky said in a college news release.
The researchers analyzed a nationwide database that included more than 402,000 privately insured cancer patients under age 65. The patients were treated in 2018 for lymphoma, melanoma, and cancers of the breast, prostate, colon, lung, uterus, head and neck, bladder, kidney, thyroid, stomach, liver, pancreas and esophagus.
In all, the patients received 38.4 million types of procedures and services. Breast cancer led the way with about 10.9 million, followed by colon cancer with about 3.9 million.
Breast cancer was the most expensive type of cancer ($3.4 billion), followed by lung cancer and colon cancer, both about $1.1 billion.
The $4 billion spent on drugs was the most expensive treatment category -- double the cost of cancer surgeries, according to findings published Oct. 6 in JAMA Network Open.
The study didn't assess whether treatments provided were cost-effective, but the findings may help guide future research into that area.
"It's hard to say like what is a reasonable price for a drug or service, but I think it's fair to say that they make up the plurality of our health care spending in the U.S., then some would argue that this money may be better spent elsewhere in other services," Zaorsky said. "These figures basically just show you how much the medical system spends on certain types of cancers versus another one."
He said one might ask if the costs are justified. For example, pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest, Zaorsky said, but the total cost of care devoted to it is relatively low compared to something like indolent prostate cancer, which may exist for a long period without causing problems.
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more on cancer treatment.
SOURCE: Penn State College of Medicine, news release, Oct. 6, 2021
Cancer: Kidney
Cancer: Pancreatic


text:
Drum Workshop Presents:
Alex Acuña The Rhythm Collector
Alex Acuña is one of the most respected percussionists and drummers in music. From classicial music to movie soundtracks to jazz to rock to world rhythms, Alex has done it all and has played with some of the world's most respected artists. This DVD features Alex in performance and demonstrations of his many percussive skills but it relates the story of his rise to fame in the music industry. Let's check it out.
Around the World - Opens with Alex performing on a variety of percussion instruments from around the world concluding with the drumset.
The Gift is Born - Alex Acuña begins teaching himself to playing the drums at the age of four. At ten, he was already playing with many popular bands, later becoming one of Peru's most in-demand session drummers.
Peru and The Cajon - Alex performs on this instrument and demonstrates three of the most popular Cajon rhythms.
United States - Lucking out at the age of 18, Alex is hired to play in the USA!
Puerto Rico - After moving to Puerto Rico, Alex spends ten years there studying and playing the music. Here he demonstrates authentic Puerto Rican rhythms with the help of an authentic percussion section.
The Weather Report - Alex goes back to the USA with $1200.00 in his pocket, a wife and 3 kids - and plays with some of the greatest artists in the business including Elvis Presley and a jazz album with Weather Report!
Jazz Drum Solo - Alex demonstrates his jazz chops on the drum kit.
Canela - A May 18, 2006 performance recorded live featuring Alex playing with his jazz group Canela, featuring Patrice Rushen, Juston Almario, and Abraham Laboriel.
Brazilian Rhythms - Alex improvises with fellow percusionists. Also demonstrated is the Brazilian Martial Art/Dance Capoeira.
Kinky - Alex performs live with the Mexican band Kinky, whose main influence was Alex's work with Weather Report.
My Gift - Concluding words of encouragement including Alex's personal formula for success.
Peru - Festejo
Festejo on Drums
Cajon Techniques
Uruguay Rhythm
Domican Rhythm
Merengue on Drums
Alex's drum and percussion setups
Alex Acuña - Rhythm Collector: The Bottom Line
Alex considers himself a Rhythm Collector because he has been collecting various styles of rhythms from all over the world during his career of more than 50 years. Indeed, Alex Acuña is one of the world's most versatile percussionists. Through this DVD, Alex not only shares his rise to fame but he shares some of the favorite rhythms that he has collected over the years.
I highly recommend this DVD not only to percussionists but to drumset players of all styles. It will considerably expand your own collection of rhythms.
This Drum Workshop DVD is distributed exclusively by Alfred Publishing and, along with its booklet containing Alex 's favorite rhythms in standard music notation, represents a good value at the $39.95 retail price. You can purchase it online at a discount by following this link: Alex Acuna The Rhythm Collector
Alex Acuna
Alex Acuna The Rhythm Collector DVD
Do you want to improve your drum technique? Buy Tiger Bill's Concepts of Tension Free Drumming DVD


text:
https://apnews.com/article/college-football-wisconsin-dallas-michigan-football-45e3b07e327b63f458dd5913325dc5a5
Pregame.com Line
FAVORITE LINE O/U UNDERDOG
at MIAMI 4½ (226) New Orleans
at MILWAUKEE 9½ (232) Golden State
Brooklyn 2½ (228) at BOSTON
at LA LAKERS 6 (227½) Dallas
LA Clippers 2 (224) at DENVER
FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG
Wisconsin 2 at MICHIGAN ST.
at PURDUE 5½ Maryland
Michigan 8 at NEBRASKA
Iowa 6½ at MINNESOTA
FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG
At Frisco, Texas
Houston 12½ 8 (59) Hawaii
Camellia Bowl
At Montgomery, Ala.
Buffalo 3½ 4½ (54) Marshall
At Orlando, Fla.
Coastal Carolina 6 7½ (59½) Liberty
First Responder Bowl
At Dallas, Texas
Louisiana-Lafayette 12 14 (56) UTSA
LendingTree Bowl
At Mobile, Ala.
Georgia St. 4 3½ (50½) W Kentucky
Cheez-it Bowl
Oklahoma St. 3½ 2 (58½) Miami
At San Antonio, Texas
Texas 12 9 (63½) Colorado
Mayo Bowl
At Charlotte, N.C.
Wisconsin 7 7 (52½) Wake Forest
At Nashville, Tenn.
Iowa 14½ 15 (50½) Missouri
At Arlington, Texas
Florida 2½ 3 (72) Oklahoma
Liberty Bowl
At Memphis, Tenn.
West Virginia 7 7½ (42½) Army
At Fort Worth, Texas
Tulsa 2½ 3 (49) Mississippi State
Arizona Bowl
At Tucson, Ariz.
San Jose St. 7 8½ (62) Ball St.
Texas Bowl
At Houston, Texas
TCU 6½ 6 (57) Arkansas
At Atlanta, Ga.
Georgia 6½ 7 (50½) Cincinnati
Northwestern 2½ 3½ (43½) Auburn
Alabama 19½ 19½ (66) Notre Dame
At New Orleans, La.
Clemson 7 7½ (66) Ohio State
Gator Bowl
At Jacksonville, Fla.
Kentucky 3 2½ (51½) NC State
At Tampa, Fla.
Indiana 7½ 6½ (66½) Mississippi
At Glendale, Ariz.
Iowa St. 3 4½ (57½) Oregon
At Miami Garden, Fla.
Texas A&M 5½ 7 (67½) North Carolina
at NEW ORLEANS 7 7 (51) Minnesota
Tampa Bay 7½ 10 (54) at DETROIT
at ARIZONA 4 5 (48½) San Francisco
Miami 1½ 3 (47½) at LAS VEGAS
at LA CHARGERS 4 3 (49) Denver
Cleveland 9½ 9 (47½) at NY JETS
at HOUSTON 8½ 8 (46) Cincinnati
Indianapolis +2½ 1½ (44½) at PITTSBURGH
Chicago 6 7½ (47) at JACKSONVILLE
at WASHINGTON 2½ 2½ (43½) Carolina
at BALTIMORE 10 10½ (43½) NY Giants
at KANSAS CITY 12 10½ (54) Atlanta
at SEATTLE 1½ 1 (47½) LA Rams
Philadelphia +1½ 2½ (49½) at DALLAS
at GREEN BAY 3½ 3½ (56) Tennessee
Buffalo 5 7 (46) at NEW ENGLAND
Updated odds available at Pregame.com


text:
Signs of our Times
Navigation Home Archives About Signs of our Times Search
This Post is For Real
The Brooklyn Hood
Taking a Chance
God's Lucky Day
Dad, Deans, and the New York Mets
The Relic
My sister sent a text last week, a link to schedule information about a relic that's coming to the United States in September. I Googled the saint connected with it, and boy, it was a rough story about Maria Goretti. an eleven year-old child who was murdered in 1902. The event that followed her death was even more startling and it brought about transformation and redemption. I know little more than nothing about relics, but I encountered one in 2006 that I will never forget...
A Granddaughter's Rescue: The Untold Story
There were large helium balloons floating solo as well as in clusters attached to long strands of ribbon tied to weights. I imagined a child holding onto them and being taken for a ride. But the story of these balloons was more intense than anything my vain imaginings could conjure. They hovered over this milestone event in Andrea's life to honor loved ones no longer with us, and they were a reminder of an extraordinary event that involved her Grandpa. Dad...
Family, Friends and Stigmas
Unlike the separated, erect branches of a tree, the family system can feel like a complicated mangle of vines or brier. And because we start out with an expectation of the way family aught to be, it can take a lifetime to accept that sharing roots doesn't guarantee the ideal. I was aghast when Dad put it this way, "Hey, you're lucky if you're friends with your family when you grow up."
Posts listed by title and date:
Margaret Garone 161
Jan 3, 2017 Overthinking Jan 3, 2017
Aug 20, 2016 This Post is For Real Aug 20, 2016
Mar 18, 2016 Taking a Chance Mar 18, 2016
Jan 7, 2016 The Sign Jan 7, 2016
Nov 24, 2015 God's Lucky Day Nov 24, 2015
Oct 16, 2015 Dad, Deans, and the New York Mets Oct 16, 2015
Aug 4, 2015 The Relic Aug 4, 2015
Jul 20, 2015 A Granddaughter's Rescue: The Untold Story Jul 20, 2015
Jul 8, 2015 Family, Friends and Stigmas Jul 8, 2015
Jun 19, 2015 It's About the Journey Jun 19, 2015
Jun 10, 2015 CALM DOWN AND KEEP SCROLLING Jun 10, 2015
Apr 29, 2015 The Other Side of the Tracks Apr 29, 2015
Apr 15, 2015 Food Trauma and Legacies Apr 15, 2015
Mar 31, 2015 Let There Be Ham Mar 31, 2015
Mar 12, 2015 Family, Cars and Car-ma Mar 12, 2015
Mar 5, 2015 Spring Cleaning: Essential Tip! Mar 5, 2015
Feb 5, 2015 Going Separate Ways Feb 5, 2015
Dec 19, 2014 Photos, Family, and The Facebook Effect Dec 19, 2014
Nov 21, 2014 Holiday: The Assumed Name Nov 21, 2014
Oct 24, 2014 Send in the Clowns Oct 24, 2014
Oct 11, 2014 Facebook: Feeling Stuck to the Wall? Oct 11, 2014
Aug 30, 2014 Letchworth II: The Addendum Aug 30, 2014
Aug 28, 2014 Letchworth State Park: Grand Canyon of the East Aug 28, 2014
Aug 9, 2014 Power Falls Aug 9, 2014
Jul 12, 2014 God Writes Straight With Crooked Lines Jul 12, 2014
Jun 19, 2014 Change: The Starting Place Jun 19, 2014
May 25, 2014 Stuck in Chapter 4 May 25, 2014
May 11, 2014 Motherhood: Childbirth Not Necessary May 11, 2014
Apr 26, 2014 Recovering Creativity Apr 26, 2014
Mar 26, 2014 Surrender Mar 26, 2014
Mar 14, 2014 Responding to Unkindness (shortest post in blogging history) Mar 14, 2014
Mar 6, 2014 Bill: the Macho Fisherman Mar 6, 2014
Feb 27, 2014 Cyber Confusion Feb 27, 2014
Feb 27, 2014 Earth to Cyberspace Feb 27, 2014
Feb 20, 2014 Life Back Stage Feb 20, 2014
Feb 13, 2014 Reflections from the Snowstorm Feb 13, 2014
Jan 25, 2014 Gripping Weather Words Jan 25, 2014
Dec 31, 2013 Please Take the Gun AND the Cannolis Dec 31, 2013
Dec 12, 2013 A Friendly Reminder Dec 12, 2013
Nov 27, 2013 Happy Thanksgiving! Nov 27, 2013
Oct 28, 2013 Honest Oct 28, 2013
Oct 24, 2013 A Foul Thanksgiving for Retail Workers Oct 24, 2013
Oct 17, 2013 "Likes" Can Be Deceiving Oct 17, 2013
Oct 16, 2013 Saving Wilbur Oct 16, 2013
Sep 25, 2013 Reflections from the Web Sep 25, 2013
Sep 17, 2013 Releasing the Grip of Resentment Sep 17, 2013
Sep 3, 2013 A Yodel for Your Troubles Sep 3, 2013
Aug 21, 2013 Cloudy With a Chance of Rainbows Aug 21, 2013
Aug 11, 2013 Celebration, Change and a Second Chance Aug 11, 2013
Aug 6, 2013 Supermarket Madness Aug 6, 2013
Jul 31, 2013 Let the Wedding Bells Ring! Jul 31, 2013
Jun 28, 2013 Loss and Hope Jun 28, 2013
Jun 18, 2013 The Wedding Magnet Jun 18, 2013
Jun 1, 2013 The Angel from Bombay Jun 1, 2013
May 29, 2013 Remembering The Radio Relay Man May 29, 2013
May 19, 2013 The Model Family: Ode to a Script May 19, 2013
May 16, 2013 Whinese: the language of choice May 16, 2013
May 5, 2013 An Amazing Night at The Carlyle May 5, 2013
May 3, 2013 Clicking and Linking Madness May 3, 2013
Apr 27, 2013 Happy Holiday... in April? Apr 27, 2013
Apr 9, 2013 Troll Down Memory Lane: The Dream Vacation Apr 9, 2013
Apr 5, 2013 Seeking a Path at a Dead End Place Apr 5, 2013
Apr 3, 2013 The Challenge of Change Apr 3, 2013
Mar 25, 2013 Udder Avoidance Encore! Mar 25, 2013
Mar 18, 2013 Cry Me a River Dance Mar 18, 2013
Mar 13, 2013 Another Admission Mar 13, 2013
Mar 7, 2013 Happy Tail Backlash Mar 7, 2013
Feb 26, 2013 It Is Balloon! Feb 26, 2013
Feb 26, 2013 Re-wind Feb 26, 2013
Feb 9, 2013 WEATHER WORDS: MONSTER SNOW STORM POUNDED EAST Feb 9, 2013
Feb 7, 2013 Storm Staples: Milk, Bread, Eggs... oh, and Ginger Root (for ojida) Feb 7, 2013
Feb 7, 2013 Remotes, Crosswords and Casserole Feb 7, 2013
Jan 3, 2013 Prescription for negativity: Carpe Diem! Jan 3, 2013
Dec 31, 2012 Anew Day and Winter Sore Throat Tea Dec 31, 2012
Dec 26, 2012 THE WONDER OF CANINE INTER-INTRUSION Dec 26, 2012
Dec 24, 2012 Christmas: Give, Receive, Therapy Dec 24, 2012
Margaret Garone 1
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The change in ice conditions and recent rise in the use of the high Arctic as a trading route requires more infrastructure support to facilitate the provision of adequate insurance, the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) has stated in a position paper.
Chair of IUMI's Policy Forum and co-author of the position paper Helle Hammer said: "The marine insurance sector, like all sectors, wants to see enhanced safety for ships operating in Arctic waters. We would strongly encourage an improved infrastructure to provide the required level of search and rescue capacity alongside suitable places of refuge. We would also like to see updated surveys and more reliable charting of the region. This would assist marine underwriters to quantify the risks involved".
IUMI's position paper lists a number of considerations to be taken into account when assessing individual voyage risk. These include regional rescue and salvage facilities, potential places of refuge, expected weather conditions, experience of crew and the operational performance of the vessel itself.
Historical information, due to the current limited number of sailings and constantly changing ice conditions, is not available and this is forcing marine insurers to take a more cautious approach to risk assessment.
Hammer explained: "When assessing risk for insurance purposes, historical loss data is a key factor, and that's missing for Polar operations. This means that underwriters must assess each voyage on a case-by-case basis. Alongside the availability of suitable infrastructure, IUMI is encouraging insurers to consider the vessel's Polar Ship Certificate and take into account the vessel operator's level of preparedness and planning."
IUMI is an active supporter of the Polar Code (International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters) as a method for lowering the risks associated with Arctic sailings. IUMI would also like to see an instrument in place for non-SOLAS vessels (ships of less than 500 GT, including fishing vessels) to ensure there is a safer regime for all vessels operating in Arctic waters.
IUMI believes the sharing of best practice is also important and participates in the Arctic Shipping Best Practice Information Forum.


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