A reader wrote to ask (after reading this blog's FAQ's on Moving to Maui), "So why do you still live there?" Obviously, Hawaii is not for everybody (where would we PUT them all?) But here are my top ten reasons. It was difficult to narrow it down to ten…so I'll be sharing more, later. Stay tuned!
6) The ocean is always there, waiting….
10) I feel safe, safe, safe here.
Please weigh in on what you love the absolute most about Maui…especially those of you who live here…and I will post the answers.
A hui hou! If you'd like to stay in the loop, please click the "Follow" button on the Homepage.
This entry was posted in Life in Hawaii and tagged is Maui safe?, Top Ten Reasons to Live on Maui, What is Pono, what is the aina? by jamaicawtr. Bookmark the permalink.
Ah yes…the Aloha spirit. Thank you for sharing!
You must have grown up someplace where there was a lot of snow?
Yep, I'm from CT. I do actually miss the snow, just not shoveling it!
How can you feel safe on an island where people have 'gone missing' and are yet to be found?
I feel deeply for the families of those who have gone missing on Maui.
And while I am aware and cautious as a woman, I was referring to the safety I feel here in comparison to the area of California where I just spent much of the last two years, caring for my ailing/dying parents. There, I was on high alert at all times…walking to my car in broad daylight at the grocery store, or at the mall. Not feeling safe walking in my parent's neighborhood, during the day. Checking and rechecking to make sure the doors were locked while I was at home, even during the day.
Those are the differences I feel here. It is my personal experience.
Thank you for raising the question.
Bad things happen everywhere, Terry, and they tend to overshadow the positive (see "negativity bias": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negativity_bias).
Where I live, people go missing fairly often, and usually there's just a small blip on the news about it for a short period. Maui being paradise, it's just emphasized. I felt much safer touring the island a few weeks ago than I did walking to a store a few blocks away from my house the other day in a large midwest city–definitely not paradaise.
Have been travelling, and just saw this. I came in '94 on a 2 week vacation, and have never left. I will add to the list that, although Hawai`i is beautiful, there are many places with even more beautiful greenery and waters than HI (would you believe it!?). However, Hawai`i has a special spiritualness (pili 'uhane), a feeling ( ka ʻike maka o) that ust isn't found anywhere else. One can be in the business of a city (such as they are here), or at a cliff overlooking the ocean and feel this. It doesn't come 'from' the people; it comes from the 'aina, and will come through the people who connect with the 'aina. No matter where nor when, all it takes is one moment of noʻonoʻo (silent reflection). Aloha, Jamaica. Mahalo nui loa for your blog.
Glad I could be of service. I think the answer to "Why not Costa Rica? Why not Belize?" is they are not America. After 9/11, when tourists finally dipped their toes back in the traveling pool, they weren't going to Mexico, Belize, etc. They came to Hawaii, because it was America, and they felt safe.
Best of luck on your move. "Lucky you"ll live Hawaii!" (Variation on a local expression). Keep me posted as the time nears!


IMCARES projects are very labor intensive and as such team members are the most important and valued assets of IMCARES. Committed and passionate people of God, who have given their lives to serve the poor and set captives free. We at IMCARES, over the years have realized that behind every success case story are the hands and feet of those who have dared to take the Good News of Abundant Life to the poorest of the marginalized poor. Behind every success case story is are the invisible but intensive hands of labor of the unwavering IMCARES workers who have braved the rains, heat, unhygienic conditions, opposition, and personal challenges, to proclaim freedom to the captives and bring health and healing to the sick. We at IMCARES are those who are in God's business of seeking the lost, setting the captives free, to clothe the naked, to give water to the thirsty, to feed the hungry, to be a friend to the lonely, to heal the sick, to be a family to the orphans and to be a support to widows, and to bring justice with humility.


These Awards are for original books published in a given year in print format only. They must be available for purchase in Australia and be written in English. The creators must be Australian citizens or resident in Australia for at least 2 years.
The Children's Book Council of Australia Awards are for books with an implied readership under the age of eighteen.


Investment potential in the African nations of Ghana and Ethiopia will be key focal points during the Germany African Business Forum, to be held November 28, 2017 in Munich. Hon. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, Minister for Business Development for Ghana, and H.E. Dr. Mebrahtu Meles, State Minister for Industry of Ethiopia, will be delivering key presentations to attending investors at the event, which is hosted by UniCredit with the support of the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Media, Energy and Technology.
There is a strong rationale for pairing the economies of Ghana and Ethiopia with Bavarian companies. Financial technology, agritech, food security and manufacturing will be main themes discussed during the Munich conference. Both countries are representative of maco-economic trends occurring on the continent.
Key speakers at the conference will include Franz Josef Pschierer, State Secretary of the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Media, Energy and Technology; Chris Ogbechie, Chairman of Diamond Bank, one of Nigeria's leading financial institutions; Amadou Daffe, Co-Founder and CEO of Gebeya Inc.; Munir Duri, Founder and CEO of Kifiya Financial Technology Plc; Richard Steck, Senior Vice President Food Processing & Packaging at GEA Group and Dr. Norbert Völker, Project Director @ German Engineering Association (VDMA).
Panel discussions will delve into some of the biggest hurdles and opportunities in the African technology and innovation sector today, including how technology is influencing the financial sector and Africa's rapid adaptation to Fintech; Africa's growing issue of food security and how agro-technology and how German innovations can improve market access to food across the continent; as well as how new innovations are driving growth in Africa's fast-changing market and the role German engineering and manufacturing can play on the continent.
Held at HVB Tower, the conference will also feature several networking opportunities, including coffee breaks, lunch and a networking cocktail hosted by the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs and Media, Energy and Technology at the prestigious Munich Residenz.
For more information, please visit www.germanyafrica.com.


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Sneak Peak – Smurf in Wanderland
Shhhhh it isn't announced yet but we wanted to give you a sneak peak into a fab new show coming up at Riverside next year, co-presented by Riverside's Resident Company National Theatre of Parramatta and Griffin Theatre Company.
With a funny sounding title….. let us give you a few clues about this show. It isn't about Smurfs as you might know them and it is not a kids show.
David Williams – acclaimed documentary theatre maker, writer and football fanatic – is the 'Smurf'.
For the uninitiated, 'Smurf' is the nickname given to a Sydney Football Club Fan and 'Wanderland' is the home ground of the Western Sydney Wanderers. Williams is a long-suffering Sydney FC fan, who frequented Western Sydney Wanderers' games on their home turf in Parramatta. Kitted out in his Sydney FC sky-blue jersey, Williams-the-Smurf stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the sea of red and black. Instead of fearing for his life he found a beautiful and profound unity amongst the ritual and fierce loyalty of the Wanderers fans.
A must see show for Wanderers and Sydney Football Club fans this is a story that breaks down the barriers of geography and debunks the myths of hooliganism at the football. It tells a tale of loyalty and unity integral and familiar to all football fans.
Accompanying the season of Smurf in Wanderland will be a photo exhibition by official Wanderers photographer Eric Berry who also works as a forensic photographer….how cool is that? Here is a link to find out more about him.
This show will also be part of the Griffin Theatre season which will be announced on the 5th September but we wanted you to know that it is coming to Riverside next April. We have partnered with Griffin Theatre to develop this work and we are really excited to share it with you.
You can now purchase tickets to Smurf In Wanderland here.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


CARLSBAD, Calif. – If you're looking for a record-breaking performance, then Bernard Lagat is your man and the Carlsbad 5000 is your race.
The 39-year-old Lagat, one of the world's all-time great distance runners, will be making his Carlsbad debut on Sunday, March 30 and his goal is to try and break the American record of 13 minutes, 24 seconds set by San Diego native Marc Davis in 1996.
Lagat knows what he speaks of regarding world records. Since the inaugural edition of the race in 1986, the Carlsbad 5000 has produced 16 world records, including the all-time best of 13:00 by Kenya's Sammy Kipketer in 2000, a mark he matched in 2001. It also has been the scene of eight U.S. records and 11 world wheelchair records.
There's no doubt that Lagat is in shape to attack Davis' mark. He is coming off his third consecutive national record at the NYRR Millrose Games in New York, setting the 2,000-meter mark of 4:54.74 last weekend. Ironically, the record of 4:58.6 he smashed belonged to Steve Scott, and it was Scott who set the first world record (13:32) at the inaugural Carlsbad 5000 in 1986.
Lagat, a 10-time medalist in the Olympics and IAAF World Championships, including five golds, is also the American record-holder at 1500 meters and the mile indoors, and the 1500 meters, 3000 meters and 5000 meters outdoors, and still holds the Kenyan indoor 1500m record — no small feat for a country that has produced many great distance runners.
Lagat's achievements are multitudinous. In 2007, he became the first American man to win gold in the 1500m at the World Outdoor Championships and also the first American man to win an Olympic or World Championship in the 1500 since 1908. He also was the first American man to win the 1500m/5000m double at the World Outdoor Championships and the first American to win a 5,000 medal of any kind at Worlds.
Prior to that, he won both the 1500 and the 5000 at the USA Championships in 2006, becoming the first man to achieve that feat.
The personable native of Kenya and Washington State University Graduate is a four-time Olympian — twice for Kenya and twice for the United States. He has been ranked number one in the world and in the United States at various distances throughout his career and won the famed Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games a record eight times, surpassing the previous mark of seven held by the great Eamonn Coghlan.
Lagat will have an extra incentive at the Carlsbad 5000. For the first time, there will be U.S.-only prize money, with $2500 to the first American finisher, in addition to $5000 for the overall Carlsbad champion and a $5000 U.S. record bonus.
Organized by Competitor Group, Inc., the 29th running of the Carlsbad 5000 will take place on Sunday, March 30, 2014. Known as the 'World's Fastest 5K', the event is home of the current world 5K road records of 13:00, Sammy Kipketer (KEN), 2000 & 2001, and 14:46, Meseret Defar (ETH), 2006; as well as the current American records 13:36, Marc Davis, 1996, and 14:54, Deena Kastor, 2002. It is the only road race from a commonly run distance in the world that is home to the world records and its home country records for both genders.
Race day begins at 7:05am with the Masters Men 40 and over, the first of several age group races that take place throughout the morning. The 'Party by the Sea' gets started as soon as the first racers cross the finish line. After enjoying the scenic 3.1-mile course, runners age 21 and over can step into the beer garden, sip two free Pizza Port brews and then rock out to a live band.
Race weekend kicks off with a pre-registration party on Friday, March 28 for the Junior Carlsbad hosted at the Carlsbad Village Faire. On Saturday, March 29 more than 2,500 junior racers, age 12 and under, will take part in one of the eleven age group races. All runners receive a t-shirt and finisher's medal for their efforts. Awards will be presented to the top junior athletes ages five through twelve.


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Milwaukee Record Recommended: January 6-12
8,000 years and dozens of lawsuits later, Silk Exotic is finally opening a downtown strip club
SafeHouse, AJ Bombers, country prepare for National Cheeseburger Day on September 18
Comedy Crumbs: Festival submission, sex advice, and having a few
We're showing 'Wet Hot American Summer' at Avalon Theater again
MAM's "Haunted Screens" delves deep into dark world of German Expressionist cinema
Search For The Perfect Packers Bar, Week 13: The Winchester
Maggie Iken
My First Band: Jon Gabrus (High And Mighty, Action Boyz)
Jackass' Preston Lacy does, uh, something at Cactus Club
Ironically, comedy can oftentimes be a cruel and humorless industry. While the art of making others laugh can propel people to international notoriety, untold levels of wealth, and immense influence, the ascent is usually a treacherous journey that most abandon before coming anywhere close to completion. Those fortunate enough to reach the rarefied air of success in the realm of comedy must—in almost all instances—eventually come to terms with fame's fleeting ways, all while still having to make a living playing to smaller crowds in smaller venues than they've grown accustomed. It's why Pauly Shore plays rural Midwestern towns and strip club basements. It's why Marlon Wayans is freelancing with cameos in NBA recruiting videos, and it's probably why Preston Lacy allowed himself to be struck in the face by a raw chicken while eating an egg (shell and all) in front of fewer than 25 people at the Cactus Club on Thursday during the first stop of his "Fat Chance" comedy tour.
As a memorable member of the Jackass ensemble, Lacy and his masochistic mates Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Wee Man, Bam Margera, and Chris Pontius among others quickly rose to basic cable consciousness in the early 2000s with the irreverent MTV show. The short-lived series inspired an untold number of copycat stunts, spawned three wildly successful Jackass films, resulted in spin-off shows and movies like Wild Boys and Bad Grandpa, and landed Knoxville and Pontius legitimate acting careers. Wee Man and Steve-O took to comedy, and recently, Lacy has been piecing together his own material for an independent comic variety show. Following about 25 minutes of jokes, Jackass anecdotes, and disgusting "stunts," the hefty humorist left everything he had on the Bay View club's stage, including poultry and pie filling.
Before Lacy took the stage, young Kenosha comic Nick Davis turned in an impressive opening set before Sammy Arechar knocked out an awesome 20-minute performance that found him going off-book and riffing in response to the small crowd and absurd show setting. Tom Garland chased Arechar's homecoming set with 45 minutes of abrasive intensity that kept the intimate crowd cringing and laughing in about equal portions before finally giving way to the guest of honor. Propped on a bar stool and smiling wide, Lacy didn't seem to care that he was performing to, by our count, 22 people. Showing a bit of his greenness, he glanced at notes on his phone in the early-going, but the bullet points about going gay for Tom Brady, buying rolling papers, bestiality, and squandering his Jackass money by investing in greeting cards and video stores still landed with the decidedly crass crowd. He was upbeat and endearing throughout, and quick to reference jokes the preceding comics made.
Soon, he shifted from the monologue to storyteller mode. Specifically, he went into memories from filming Jackass. He started with a story about sleeping with a woman who was looking for Knoxville. "Mr. Knoxville never did come that night, but let me tell you, old Preston did!" he said. He followed with an admission about Wee Man's penis. "It's bigger than mine. It's kind of amazing, actually." He relived an on-set story about a pig eating an apple out of his butt…and staying for more. He talked about Steve-O snorting semen and reminisced about squirting a tube of mayonnaise into the asshole of his now-deceased friend Ryan Dunn. "I just filled Dunn's butt with mayo," he said, before paying his respects to his fallen friend. As graphic and shameless as they were, the stories were far and away the best part of the set.
Revealing and unashamed as his spoken material was, the last portion of the show literally saw him stripping down. He took off his trousers and walked in front of a folding table stocked with foods, beverages, condiments, and weaponry. Joined on stage by Garland, Lacy gagged on a raw egg while his feature act punched him in the face while using a leaky chicken corpse as a boxing glove. From there, he had whipped cream pies slammed against his head and he was shocked with a Taser. For the closer, they did the "Tequila Stuntman," which found the pair snorting salt, putting lime in their eyes, and drinking hot sauce. As the pants-less performer screamed and blindly ambled about the food-strewn stage, some of the tiny turnout laughed. Others looked at the spectacle unsure of how to respond.
Regardless of the reaction, Preston Lacy remained a showman through and through. Compared to the promising punchlines and intriguing tales he told while fully clothed earlier, the stunts seemed to be a strange and clumsy fit for an otherwise decent performance by a subculture footnote who seemed relatively at ease with his fading semi-fame. Before even putting his slacks back on, a cream-covered Lacy was glad to stay out and take photos with fans. Though the crowd was discouragingly small, those who came out saw something they're unlikely to ever see again (for better or worse). It was part stand-up showcase, part Southern fried "The Moth," and part freak show. More than anything, though, it was really, really fucking weird.
Cactus ClubFeatureJackassPreston Lacy
Before co-founding Milwaukee Record, Tyler Maas wrote for virtually every Milwaukee publication (except Wassup! Magazine). He lives in Bay View and enjoys both stuff and things.


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Grace Johnson
Dancer, singer, actress. (read complete bio)
Latest News on Grace Johnson:
ArtsBridge Foundation Announces Nominees For 2022 Shuler Awards
(Mar 24, 2022)
VIDEO: FKA Twigs Shares 'Tears in the Club' Extended Dance Scene
VIDEO: FKA Twigs & The Weeknd Share 'Tears In The Club'
Latest News on Grace Johnson
The Girl He Couldn't Leave Behind Him
[Broadway]
Grace Johnson Biography
Dancer, singer, actress.
Grace Johnson News
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Mar 24, 2022
In a special online presentation, ArtsBridge Foundation today announced the nominees for the 14th Annual Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards for the 2021-22 school year. View the full list of nominees.
by Michael Major - Dec 23, 2021
FKA Twigs has shared an extended dance cut from the music video for 'Tears in the Club,' her recent collaboration with The Weeknd. The song is produced by Cirkut, Arca and El Guincho and official video is directed by Amber Grace Johnson (Rihanna, J. Cole, Kali Uchis). Watch the new extended dance scene now!
FKA twigs returns with "Tears In The Club" featuring The Weeknd, new song and video out now. The song is produced by Cirkut, Arca and El Guincho and official video is directed by Amber Grace Johnson (Rihanna, J. Cole, Kali Uchis). Watch the new music video now!
New Musical GRACE to Have World Premiere at Ford's Theatre in Spring 2022
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Apr 20, 2021
Grace, an electrifying musical celebrating the perseverance of family and the power of tradition by American composer Nolan Williams Jr., will make its world premiere at Ford's Theatre in Washington in spring 2022, directed and choreographed by Robert Barry Fleming.
Carla Hall and Sheila C. Johnson Sign On As Ambassadors For New Musical GRACE
by Stephi Wild - Mar 23, 2021
Hospitality and entertainment mogul Sheila C. Johnson and celebrated chef and TV personality Carla Hall are teaming up with composer Nolan Williams Jr. to promote his new musical "Grace" as hospitality and culinary ambassadors, respectively.
Kali Uchis Unveils Music Video For 'Solita'
by Kaitlin Milligan - Dec 18, 2019
Grammy-and Latin Grammy-nominated artist Kali Uchis unveils music video for new track "Solita" today.
DACAMERA Announces 2019/2020 Young Artist Program Class
by A.A. Cristi - Nov 19, 2019
DACAMERA announces the lineup of emerging professional instrumentalists, vocalists and composers selected to join its Young Artists Program for the 2019/2020 season. The fellowship program is designed to provide career-expanding experiences and training to the next generations of artists, encouraging them to create music for the community throughout their careers. Through the Young Artists' involvement, DACAMERA is able to offer young students and neglected audiences exposure to great music and talented performers, using music as a vehicle for scholastic exploration and inspiration.
DACAMERA, Boniuk Institute And Holocaust Museum Houston To Present Free Performance And Panel Discussion
by A.A. Cristi - Sep 26, 2019
DACAMERA of Houston, together with Rice University's Boniuk Institute for Religious Tolerance and Holocaust Museum Houston, presents The Music of Mieczyslaw Weinberg, a free performance by pianist and DACAMERA Artistic Director Sarah Rothenberg with DACAMERA Young Artists on Thursday, Nov. 14 at 6:30 p.m., at Holocaust Museum Houston, 5401 Caroline Street. The performance will be preceded by a panel discussion featuring Rothenberg in discussion with Patrick Summers (Houston Grand Opera music director) and Jeremy Eichler (critic, essayist and author of the forthcoming book Time's Echo: War, Modern Music and the Soundscapes of Memory). The performance and panel discussion are part of the Boniuk Institute's ongoing efforts to promote religious tolerance and literacy.
Ground Floor Theatre Announces World Premiere Of TRANSom
by Julie Musbach - Jul 1, 2019
Ground Floor Theatre announces the world premiere of TRANSom, a devised play by the TRANSom ensemble running August 15-31, 2019. Co-directed by Lisa Scheps and Jess O'Rear, TRANSom tells the story of a found family of trans and non-binary people living under the same roof with 100% of the creators of identifying as trans or non-binary.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL Comes To GREENBRIER VALLEY THEATRE In December!
by Richard Allen - Nov 30, 2018
Lewisburg, W.Va.,- Greenbrier Valley Theatre, the State Professional Theatre of West Virginia, is proud to present the immortal classic A Christmas Carol. This family favorite runs December 7 & 8 at 7:30 p.m., December 13-15 at 7:30 p.m. and December 20-22 at 7:30 p.m., with a Pay-What-You-Can Preview Performance December 6 at 7:30 p.m. and a matinee performance December 22 at 7:30 p.m.
Grace Johnson Frequently Asked Questions
How many Broadway shows has Grace Johnson been in?
Grace Johnson has appeared on Broadway in 1 shows.
How many West End shows has Grace Johnson been in?
Grace Johnson has not appeared in the West End
A Guide to Currently Running and Upcoming National Tours
VIDEO: Watch Reneé Rapp Duet With Jennifer Hudson
Video: Stephanie J. Block, Derek Klena & More Get Ready to Bring SUNSET BOULEVARD to the Kennedy Center
BROADWAY MERCH


The start of the new year means that we all have resolutions, goals, and intentions to reach. Many of us in the social media world tend to create these goals on a monthly basis, trying to hit specific follower counts and links on our platforms. One goal on everyone's list this year seems to be how to finally understand Instagram and make it work for them! With over 400 million active users daily Instagram has become the #1 social media platform for brands and businesses to connect with clients. Engagement with brands on Instagram is 10 times higher than Facebook, 54 times higher than Pinterest, and 84 times higher than Twitter.
When brands approach us for a social media consult, overwhelmed with having to juggle Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Youtube, Snapchat and their day-to-day operations, we stop them mid-sentence. You do NOT have to do it all! Whether you decide to hire Shored Up Digital to manage it all for you or are determined to learn how to do it yourself with our one-on-one consults, the first thing we always tell clients is this: pick ONE platform and excel at it before adding the other accounts. And of course, the one platform we recommend starting with is Instagram. Below, we're sharing our top five tips to make your brand stand out on Instagram this year!
Tip #1: Switch over to a business account - now.
If you are on Instagram to promote your business or brand, the first thing you need to do is switch over from having a personal account to a business account. This will only work if you have a business Facebook page, as it needs to confirm you are an actual business. If you've got it, switch over–you can easily search how to do this on Google. Once you have switched over, Instagram now gives you more control and insights on your posts. You'll be able to see how many people your posts reach, what your demographic is and where your followers are located, along with other crucial information you'll need for future social media marketing.
Tip #2: Content quality over quantity.
No, you don't have to post to Instagram ten times a day. Yes, you should try to post at least ONCE a day, but make sure the content you are posting is compelling and delivers some sort of value every time. Yes, daily posting might seem overwhelming to some, but a consistent presence on the platform will ultimately deliver more likes and followers to your account.
Tip #3: Good photos matter.
Please don't post a blurry photo, even if it's all you have. The photos you post directly reflect your brand and business, so if they are sloppy, unedited photos–what does that say about you? Almost everyone has a smartphone these days and the cameras are great , don't blame not having a professional camera for not posting! Just remember: natural light is your friend. Snap photos during the daytime if possible–even if you have to bring your product outdoors!
Tip #4: Research hashtags in your niche - and use them!
Hashtags are the way Instagram users search for content they want to see. So much so, you can now follow hashtags in the same way that you can follow users. Posting a great photo isn't enough, marketing it to the world is the next step and hashtags will get you there. Do some research online on to determine what the most popular hashtags in your industry are and create a note with all of them, that way you can simply copy and paste them every time you post! For example the most popular hashtags in marketing are: #social #branding #socialmedia #success #sales #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #marketing #branding #tech #business #contestalert #sweepstakes #giveaway #discount #travel #deal and #smallbiz.
Tip #5: Engage, Engage, Engage!
Now that you've learned all these tips for posting, it's time to embrace your community and engage! You can engage by liking others posts or even better, commenting a thoughtful comment on it! Users that engage by commenting on accounts gain followers faster. It's a reflection of human nature–we love when people pay attention to us and say nice things!
Let us know in the comments below what your biggest social media struggle is–we'd love to set up a complimentary discovery call with you. Want to drop us an email instead? Reach out to shoredupdigital@gmail.com and we'll get back to you soon!


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Deadly attack in Kenyan game reserve
Kenyan driver killed and one Swiss tourist wounded in attack by gunmen on safari vehicle in Shaba National Reserve.
Kenya has cited recent attacks and abductions of foreigners as a reason for last month's incursion into Somalia [AFP]
Gunmen have attacked a safari vehicle in a north Kenyan game reserve, killing the Kenyan driver and wounding a Swiss tourist, according to local police.
Friday's incident in the Shaba National Reserve, 300 kilometres north of Nairobi, the capital, comes with the country watchful following several attacks and abductions targeting tourists and aid workers near Kenya's border with Somalia.
A policeman told the AFP news agency that two groups had carried out the attack.
"The information we have is that the (first group of) attackers came from the forest and opened fire at the vehicle; it sped off and another group a few metres away, also from the forest, shot at it, fatally wounding the driver," he said.
The Swiss embassy in Nairobi said that one female Swiss citizen was wounded and was receiving medical care. Another Swiss national, a male, was not injured.
Marcus Ochola, a police commander, said the injured woman had sustained gunshot wounds and that a manhunt for the perpetrators of the attack was under way.
The previous attacks, taking place near the Somali border in the last two months, left two dead and three Western Europeans abducted and taken across the border into Somalia.
A British man was killed and his wife abducted from a beach resort in northern Kenya on Sept. 11. The gunmen fled to Somalia where the woman is still being held hostage.
A French woman was kidnapped nearby in the Lamu archipelago three weeks later and taken to Somalia. She subsequently died. Two Spanish aid workers were snatched from the Dadaab refugee camp later in October and also abducted across the border.
Those attacks were cited by Nairobi as one of the reasons it sent troops into Somalia last month to pursue al-Shabab fighters which it blamed for the abductions.


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History of the Commission
Rita McBride (American, b. 1960) lives and works in Los Angeles and Düsseldorf. Her art explores architectural infrastructure as sculptural form; in parallel to the interests of many postmodern architects, she is interested in making operational apparatus like vents, ducts, and scaffolding not only visible but central, putting pressure on the distinction between aesthetic display and practical use in the built environment.
Rita McBride, Bells and Whistles, 2009–14 (detail). Rita McBride © 2019 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn
The title of McBride's New School installation, Bells and Whistles, emphasizes this tension, boldly labeling the work with a phrase implying fancy but unnecessary add-ons. The brushed-brass form winds from the second through the seventh floor at University Center, following the egress-stair pressurization duct upon which its pentagonal cladding is, in certain segments, parasitic. Appearing to weave in and out of classrooms and communal areas—the structure is actually discontinuous—Bells and Whistles dramatizes not only the interconnection of areas within the building but the relationship of physical substrate to decorative overlay.
In Bells and Whistles, McBride adapts an interest in ductwork that she had explored in Servants and Slaves (2002–03), another duct-based site-specific sculpture, whose title plays on Louis Kahn's idea of "servant" spaces—the shaftways, storage closets, and technical rooms that support a building's habitable square footage. Deploying terms likewise applicable to the New School project, Servants and Slaves has been described as an assembly of "custom-modeled ducts and conduits, transformed by trophy-like metals.… built to inhabit peculiar architectures as visible material objects."1 Such works emphasize McBride's interest in zones of transit, function, and exchange—zones that one critic describes as "the public domain, public spaces, public activities, public symbols."2
When University Center opened in January 2014, it was just the second stand-alone building commissioned by the school since Alvin Johnson hired Joseph Urban more than sixty years before, and this unique construction project allowed McBride to work in a way that was distinct from any of the artists commissioned by The New School before or after her.3 Benton, Orozco, and Egas had worked closely with Urban, and Puryear and Van Valkenburgh created a comprehensive design for Vera List Courtyard, just as Glenn Ligon later would for the Event Café at University Center. Muller's series engages intimately with the graphic-design history of the school as a whole, and the rescaling of LeWitt's wall drawing in response to the secondary renovations at Arnhold Hall was not insignificant. Nevertheless, for the most part, the artists commissioned since the 1930s—including, in their very different ways, Fonseca, Jaar, Walker, Tolle and Denes—had responded or would soon respond to New School spaces as given rather than made. McBride, in contrast, worked closely with Roger Duffy of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, conceptualizing her work in tandem with the development of the building that would house it; indeed, McBride's commission was advanced at the recommendation of the architect and functions in dialogue with the architecture.
"Servants and Slaves, 2002–2003," in Rita McBride: Public Works (Museum Abteiberg Mönchengladbach, 2008), 52.
Susanne Titz, "Public Works," in Rita McBride: Public Works, 9.
In the 1880s, Thomas Alva Edison's electrical company was headquartered in a brownstone on this site, which became one of the first buildings in New York exclusively lit by electricity. In 1951, a Lane's department store was built on the parcel, and when this store failed in 1967, The New School for Social Research bought the building to house its Graduate Faculty, which had been founded in 1933 as the University in Exile.


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How Rod Dreher's 'Benedict Option' misunderstands Christian liberalism
by Dan Hugger • April 16, 2019
Rod Dreher is once again exasperated. He is frustrated by a rumor that George Weigel hasn't bought the tireless promotion of his 'Benedict Option':
A few months ago, Weigel appeared at an event in Providence, RI, to discuss the Benedict Option. I had a couple of Catholic friends in the audience that night. One said Weigel sneered at the Benedict Option, and just wanted to talk about all the good things going on in the Catholic Church now. The other, a Weigel fan, had the same reaction that Peter Wolfgang did: he said Weigel is living in a perpetual 1998.
Later in the post Dreher seems to grant that Weigel may have grounds for not buying what he is selling:
[I]n my own defense (and in partial defense of George Weigel), the challenges are so massive and protean that I don't think it's possible to discern a comprehensive vision of the near-future, much less formulate a battle plan… Neuhaus, Novak, and Weigel failed.
What vision of the future does Dreher believe Fr. Richard John Neuhaus, Michael Novak, and George Weigel failed to realize?:
"The Neuhaus-Novak-Weigel project, crudely considered, was to Christianize liberalism. It depended on both a strong, credible Christian witness (especially a Catholic one), and using political power for broadly Christian humanist ends."
The notion that liberalism, a commitment to economic and political freedom, needs Christianization rather than liberalism being, as I have argued elsewhere, itself a tradition of Christian moral and theological reflection on the institutions, ethics, and law of early modern Europe is sorely mistaken. (See Alejandro Chafuen's Faith and Liberty: The Economic Thought of the Late Scholastics or any of the volumes in the first or second series of Sources in Early Modern Economics, Ethics, and Law).
Dreher draws his historical misunderstandings, and his branding for the 'Benedict Option,' from the philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre's After Virtue. MacIntyre's mistake was best summarized by Mark Lilla in his review of Brad Gregory's similarly flawed Unintended Reformation (On that book see Jordan Ballor and Herman Selderhuis as well):
After Virtue is catnip for grumpy souls. By blurring the lines between intellectual history and philosophical argument, MacIntyre developed a compelling just-so story about how our awful world came to be. Once upon a time the Aristotelian tradition of moral reflection, which ran continuously from antiquity through the Catholic Middle Ages, gave Europeans a coherent narrative for understanding and practicing virtue in their individual and collective lives. That tradition was destroyed by the "Enlightenment project." (Note to students: distrust any book that uses this empty phrase.) Once the Lumières undid the work of centuries they were left to justify morality on rational grounds, which they necessarily failed to do, since morality can only be understood within a living tradition of practice. Their failure then prepared the way for acquisitive capitalism, Nietzscheanism, and the relativistic liberal emotivism we live with today, in a society that "cannot hope to achieve moral consensus." MacIntyre expressed no explicit hope or desire to return to Middle Ages. Instead, his book ends with a visionary call for the creation of future moral communities based on old modes of thought, where a coherent moral life might once again be sustained. The final sentence reads: "We are waiting not for a Godot, but for another—doubtless very different—St. Benedict." …AFTER VIRTUE IS NOT an academic work of history and does not pretend to be. It is a strong work of advocacy that ends with a prayer.
This 'just-so story' just doesn't hold up under any actual historical scrutiny. It would not have surprised Lord Acton that contemporary critics of liberalism who look back longingly at the Middle Ages are, in fact, unanchored to the actual past:
If the Past has been an obstacle and a burden, knowledge of the Past is the safest and the surest emancipation. And the earnest search for it is one of the signs that distinguish the four centuries of which I speak from those that went before. The Middle Ages, which possessed good writers of contemporary narrative, were careless and impatient of older fact. They became content to be deceived, to live in a twilight of fiction, under clouds of false witness, inventing according to convenience, and glad to welcome the forger and the cheat. As time went on, the atmosphere of accredited mendacity thickened, until, in the Renaissance, the art of exposing falsehood dawned upon keen Italian minds. It was then that History as we understand it began to be understood, and the illustrious dynasty of scholars arose to whom we still look both for method and material. Unlike the dreaming prehistoric world, ours knows the need and the duty to make itself master of the earlier times, and to forfeit nothing of their wisdom or their warnings, and has devoted its best energy and treasure to the sovereign purpose of detecting error and vindicating entrusted truth.
The so called "Neuhaus-Novak-Weigel project" is simply an attempt to build a free and virtuous society based on the actual and not the imagined tradition of Christian reflection on the principles of ordered liberty. It is no more a failure than the earlier "Maritain-Eliot-Lewis-Auden-Weil project" so deftly explored in Alan Jacobs' The Year of Our Lord 1943: Christian Humanism in an Age of Crisis.
The power to know and the power to determine the shape of our future is something all Christians should realize belongs only to God, "For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?" (Rom. 11:34)
Dreher is right that the economic, social, and political problems we face are real and secularization is exacerbating them. I'm not suggesting we live in a perpetual 1998 nor do I think living in a perpetual 2006 is a difference maker. What I'm suggesting is that we stand within our tradition and not retreat into sectarianism. Standing in the old paths is difficult and often meets resistance from the world as the prophet teaches us, "Thus says the LORD: "Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'" (Jer. 6:16)
As Albert Jay Nock reminds us the job of the prophet is the only real job there is,
If a prophet were not too particular about making money out of his mission or getting a dubious sort of notoriety out of it, the foregoing considerations would lead one to say that serving the Remnant looks like a good job. An assignment that you can really put your back into, and do your best without thinking about results, is a real job; whereas serving the masses is at best only half a job, considering the inexorable conditions that the masses impose upon their servants. They ask you to give them what they want, they insist upon it, and will take nothing else; and following their whims, their irrational changes of fancy, their hot and cold fits, is a tedious business, to say nothing of the fact that what they want at any time makes very little call on one's resources of prophesy. The Remnant, on the other hand, want only the best you have, whatever that may be. Give them that, and they are satisfied; you have nothing more to worry about.
Christ himself told us, "For many are called, but few are chosen." (Matt. 22:14)
I do not feel as discouraged as Dreher because ultimately I know the battle is not mine but God's (2 Chron. 20:15). We should fear, love, and trust in Him above all things for He really is the only option worth taking (Ex. 20:3).
Dan Hugger
Dan Hugger is Librarian and Research Associate at the Acton Institute.
Posted in Bible and Theology, Book Reviews, Christian Social Thought, Church and State, Civic Engagement, Conservatism, History, Individual Liberty, Intellectuals, Natural Law, Politics
The dangers of Catholic anti-liberalism
What does politics have to do with virtue?
Benedict of Nursia on the Value of Work
Samuel Gregg: Benedict XVI and the Pathologies of Religion


4339 N Ocotillo Canyon Drive listed at $379,900 by Long Realty Company is under contract. This slightly over 2,700 square foot, two-story home has such upgrades as granite counter-tops and outdoor BBQ. The floorplan has two bedrooms downstairs and three bedrooms (including the master bedroom) upstairs. It last sold in 2013 for $335,900 as a foreclosure; since that time the Sellers put various upgrades into the home.
If you are interested in viewing homes for sale in beautiful Sabino Mountain or are thinking of selling your Sabino Mountain home, contact me at Donna@DonnaAnderson.com or call me at 520-615-2598.
Sabino Mountain owners do not pay for subscription fire to Rural-Metro. As of a few years ago Sabino Mountain owners are part of the Hidden Valley Fire District and therefore their fire coverage is included in the yearly property taxes and is tax deductible. Most of the homes in the Catalina Foothills have to pay for fire coverage as a subscription service and therefore, Sabino Mountain is in a better situation. For instance– owners of a 3,500 square foot home were paying about $700 in annual fire subscription costs; now it is included in the property taxes and although as a result the property taxes went up, it usually went up less than the fire subscription costs and unlike before the cost of fire coverage is tax deductible.
I still see some listing agents put this fire coverage information incorrectly in the listing to the owners' detriment.
Beautiful Home on Quail Canyon Already Under Contract in 3 Day's Time!
4181 N Quail Canyon Drive has been listed for sale by Realty Executives Tucson Elite for 800K and was put under contract in 3 day's time! The price range from 800K – 900K is really moving more quickly than last year.
This 3,170 square foot ridge-top home is sited on .76 of an acre and boasts both sparkling city lights and high Catalina Mountain views.
You are currently browsing the Sabino Mountain Blog blog archives for October, 2017.


I thoroughly enjoyed the reveal as he gives the results of his work to company executives. Most of this story was just plain fun. However, the cover of this book asks the question, "Would you trust a computer hacker?" Unfortunately my answer to that question highlights my biggest issue with this superbly written short story. The catalyst for this adventure leaves me flat. I would have to agree with Mel that Brody went about it all wrong, because yes, yes I would. In an increasingly digital world where hackers in the shadows are spilling information about everything from Hollywood sexting and ingredients of fast food items to eyes only government information, there has to be a first line of defense and it stands to reason that those people are going to be hackers at heart.
I was glad to see that this is not a single story, as with most excellent short stories, for me it just wasn't enough. I hope in subsequent novels Brody doesn't feel he needs to engineer his reality quite so much. I am looking forward to reading more about him.


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Information servicesISIN ServicesInternational Securities Identification Number (ISIN) ISO 6166
International Securities Identification Number (ISIN)
The standard for the International Securities Identification Number (ISO 6166) is the recognised global standard for unique identification of financial instruments.
ISIN codes are a 12-digit alphanumeric code and are comprised of:
Country Code: alpha-2 country code specified in ISO 3166 (AU for Australia);
Basic Number: 9 alphanumeric characters of the national number;
Check Digit: computed according to modulus 10 "double-add-double" formula specified in ISO 6166.
In February 2018, ASX will change the methodology it uses to allocate the Basic Number by replacing the ASX Code (or market identifier) with a unique number to align with global standards. Further information is provided in the implementation brief: International Securities Identification Numbers: Removing the ASX Code – Implementation Brief 13 September 2017.
The ISIN standard (ISO 6166) may be accessed here. Additional information is available on the ANNA website and may be accessed here.
ComNews & ComNews Direct
ReferencePoint
Securities lending disclosure
ISIN Services
Classification of Financial Instruments (CFI) ISO 10962
International Securities Identification Number (ISIN) ISO 6166
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Request an ISIN
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text:
Food, Families and Work
by Rebecca O'Connell
Rebecca O'Connell is a Senior Research Officer at the Thomas Coram Research Unit, UCL Institute of Education, UK, where she currently manages a European Research Council funded study of Families and Food in Hard Times. A social anthropologist, her research interests focus on the intersection of care and work, particularly foodwork and childcare, as well as social research methodology. Rebecca has published on these topics in leading peer reviewed journals and given numerous presentations at national and international conferences. She is co–convenor of the British Sociological Association Food Study Group. Author affiliation details are correct at time of print publication.
and Julia Brannen
Julia Brannen is Professor of Sociology of the Family at the Thomas Coram Research Unit, UCL Institute of Education, UK and Adjunct Professor at the University of Bergen, Norway. She has an international reputation for her work on family life, work–life issues, intergenerational relations and for her expertise in mixed methods, biographical approaches and cross national research. Author affiliation details are correct at time of print publication.
Rebecca O'Connell and Julia Brannen
With dual–working households now the norm, Food, Families and Work is the first comprehensive study to explore how families negotiate everyday food practices in the context of paid employment.
As the working of hours of British parents are among the highest in Europe, the United Kingdom provides a key case study for investigating the relationship between parental employment and family food practices. Focusing on issues such as the gender division of foodwork, the impact of family income on diet, family meals, and the power children wield over the food they eat, the book offers a longitudinal view of family routines. It explores how the everyday meanings of food change as children grow older and negotiate changes in their own lives and those of their family members. Drawing on extensive quantitative data from large–scale surveys of food and diet — as well as qualitative evidence — to emphasise the larger global context of social and economic change and shifting patterns of family life, Rebecca O'Connell and Julia Brannen present a holistic overview of food practices within busy contemporary family lives.
Featuring perspectives from both parents and children, this innovative approach to some of the most hotly–debated topics in food studies is a must–read for students and scholars in food studies, sociology, anthropology, nutrition and public health.
1. Introduction, themes and methods
2. Is parental employment linked to children's diets? The survey evidence
3. Who does the foodwork in working families?
4. When do working families eat together? Families, meals and mealtimes
5. How much power do children wield over what they eat?
6. How does children's food play out across the different spaces of their lives?
7. Changing families, changing food: How do children's diets change over time?
8. In conclusion
Appendix I: Children's participation in interview activities at Waves 1 and 2
Appendix II: Sampling and retention in the qualitative longitudinal study
Appendix III: Defining and measuring 'family meals': Methodological considerations


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One Senator Told The Shocking Truth About Mask Mandates
Gun Owners Are Concerned Over One Stunning Development
The Wuhan virus continues to hold the entire world hostage.
Pro-lockdown officials are using the virus as a pretext for a host of terrible policies.
But one senator told the shocking truth about mask mandates.
Senator Rand Paul is not afraid to stake out unpopular positions.
He caught flak from the so-called mainstream media for asking basic questions about voter irregularities.
He's routinely gone after the neocon foreign policy establishment.
Now he's questioning Dr. Anthony Fauci and other health officials that are enforcing COVID tyranny.
Americans have been scolded to "listen to the science," but the scientists aren't taking their own advice.
That prompted Paul to call out the true purpose of the coronavirus policies such as mask mandates.
During an interview, Paul said, "If Fauci has his way, you'll never give up on the mask…It's all about submission. They want you to submit to their will, whether there's any science."
Multiple studies have questioned the efficacy of masks, but that hasn't stopped Fauci and other pro-lockdown officials from insisting on masks at all times.
America is one of the most mask-compliant countries in the world, so clearly masks aren't the main issue with regard to stopping the virus.
Paul continued:
"In fact, like, on schools, I've been telling Fauci for six months, the evidence is that if you open schools, you will not get a surge. The whole world accepts it, except for Dr. Fauci. He finally accepted it last week, six months after I started showing him the evidence."
And there is no evidence that suggests schools should remain closed. Children are by far the least vulnerable population to the virus and are not considered super spreaders for it.
Kids are also suffering significant setbacks in terms of education and development because of the draconian lockdowns.
Children need to be in schools, but the "follow the science" crowd is ignoring the science when it's politically expedient.
The teachers' unions are using COVID as an excuse to negotiate.
Some teachers' unions have set conditions for school reopenings such as divestment from police departments as part of the Marxist Black Lives Matter movement.
Senator Paul was scolded for pushing back against the establishment narrative on COVID, but it turned out he was right.
Many doctors and politicians have been rebuked or flat-out censored for going against the grain only to be proven correct down the road.
For example, months ago, Fauci told the American people that masks were ineffective, then later changed his story and said he lied to ensure frontline workers got the equipment first.
If a doctor had challenged Fauci at that time, they would've been dismissed as a crank.
Pro-lockdown officials have shown absolutely no desire to relinquish the control they've seized due to the virus.
The only way citizens will get back their rights is if they speak up against the shameless power grab.
Coronavirus Dr. Anthony Fauci Masks Mandates Rand Paul
New Study Exposes A Dark Trend About The COVID Lockdowns
One City Is In Serious Trouble After The Mayor Uttered Two Words
Top Official Dropped A Bombshell About What China Is Doing


Unforgettable Anniversary Ideas was created to bring you great tips and ideas on how you can celebrate your anniversary or plan an anniversary party.
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The new perspective? Home Inspection! Chrissy Doremus a home inspector from Chantilly, Virginia allowed her post 'How to Prepare the Home for the Open House' to be Re-Blogged.
We all know that problems with larger items or systems like roofs, or basements can become issues when selling a home. But often—it is not the"big" things—but many smaller items "all added-up" that can cost or slow down a sale.
Luckily, making some smart choices and small repairs prior to the open house can cost very little, but make a big difference. Here are some ideas—beyond the basics—to help prepare the home for the open house (and, incidentally, the home inspection that will soon follow when all your hard work pays off!).
This checklist is a unique guide for home sellers and their agents about ways to prepare the home for the open house from a home inspection perspective. It can help eliminate red flags and address some commonly overlooked areas of the home, that could otherwise show up later in home inspection reports and at negotiation tables.
All exterior doors should be accessible. Just because the secondary entrance is not currently in use, doesn't mean that others won't want to check it out.
All interior areas should be accessible. Don't lock the dog in a spare room or otherwise reduce access to the features in the home for buyers and inspectors.
The crawl space access should be clear.
Make sure the A/C unit is uncovered and de-winterized.
Remove anything blocking the Electrical Panel. It needs to be accessible to the inspector later.
Remove excess belongings from utility rooms used for storage.
Make sure the attic is accessible and the stairs can be pulled down without endangering belongings or people below.
Remove excess personal belongings from closets, so they are clear for buyers and inspectors.
Make sure the sprinkler system is turned on.
Make sure the A/C System is on, as seasonally applicable.
All utilities should be on (Electricity, Gas, Water and all Pilots lights).
All door locks should be operable.
Doors should also open and close properly, and with ease.
Make sure smoke detectors are working and have fresh batteries.
Make sure CO detectors are installed and have fresh batteries.
Make sure appliances are working: dishwasher, oven, microwave, and garbage disposal.
Replace any burned-out light bulbs. You don't want to leave any questions about the integrity of the electrical system.
Repair Leaks, drips, or water stains. If there is water anywhere where it shouldn't be, it's time to take care of it and repair the damage it left behind.
Make sure all light switches operate properly, eliminating any "mystery switches" that could give buyers doubts about the quality of the electrical system.
Eliminate anything that wiggles, shakes or teeters. While homeowners may know where to grab the basement handrail so it doesn't wobble, buyers won't and inspectors will be sure to list the item in the report.
If you have any water penetration issues, in a basement for example, it's better to address it now, rather than later.
Trim shrubs away from the foundation and away from A/C Condenser Unit.
Remove wood, debris or stored items away from the foundation.
Clear debris from under the refrigerator.
Remove debris from shower drains.
Dryer vents should be cleaned/cleared.
Remove "creative wiring" such as extension cords used in attic, interior and exterior spaces.
Install a clean heating/A/C filter.
Consider having the A/C unit cleaned and serviced especially if it's been a while.
Consider having the fireplace and chimney cleaned.
It's best that pets are removed from the premises when possible. Also keep in mind that buyers (and inspectors on inspection day) need access to the entire home, so the garage and the backyard are not a great idea.
Repair pet damage. Scratched or urine-soaked wood floor, wood trim, walls, or carpet should be repaired or replaced.
Consider propping baby gates open so that walking through the home is easy.
Reduce toy clutter if possible.
Check out this blog post as a handout in our Agent Resource Center.
Mayb I will add my logo, etc and print it out.
There is no property you spamming jerk. Same comment you left on 9 other posts, I see!


CineMart, heading into its 24th year Jan 28-Feb 1, isn't the lone co-production market it used to be. Competition is now tough to line-up projects, as almost every festival worth its weight features some project market element.
Tougher for CineMart, as it likes to be the first to bring a feature to buyers, financiers, and sales agents.
But co-heads Marit van den Elshout and Bianca Taal have responded with a strikingly strong line-up for 2007; 48 projects from a record 520 submitted, including new works by Stephan Elliot, Bodhan Slama, Kim Ki-duk, Pablo Trapero and Fien Troch.
CineMart's 2007 projects range in budget from the $5.5m (A$7m) Black Oasis, directed by Priscilla, Queen of the Desert's Elliot and with Fortissimo attached as sales agent, to $399,000 (Euros 300,000) (Tan Chi Mui's Living Quietly), and run from script development phase to already-completed (Bruce Weber's Robert Mitchum documentary Nice Girls Don't Stay For Breakfast).
Certainly, splitting the international travel between the two chiefs means they can cover the world more comprehensively.
With CineMart holding steady as she goes, focus at Rotterdam has shifted to establishing a new sales club and industry accreditations at the festival itself, and hiring two former Fortissimo faces - Marnix Van Wijk as head of international public relations and Esther Bannenberg as an advisor to the Rotterdam Lab, an intensive meeting for 48 aspiring new producers.
New faces at CineMart this year include two upcoming female film-makers already selected for the Tiger Awards competition of Rotterdam's Film Festival - Malaysia's Tan Chi Mui (Love Conquers All) and UK/China's Xiaoliu Guo (How Is Your Fish Today').
Guo brings La Chinosie to Cinemart 2007 while Tan will present Living Quietly. And the Rotterdam line-up once again this year features its fair share of former CineMart projects - six so far, including Jia Zhangke's Venice-winner Still Life, Lou Ye's Cannes title Summer Palace. It's certainly a record to be proud of.


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Truth, Learning, and Change
About BBDP
"Can We Talk?" Film
Reading Morgan V. Hennigan
Racism and Class Literacy Education in Boston
Unfinished Business Report
Is "2" the Best You Could Do, REALLY?
Truth, Learning and Change: An Update on the Boston Busing/Desegregation Project
Truth, Learning, and Education
A Brief(ish) History of Student Assignment in Boston, or, Unified Enrollment: Same S#!t, Different Day
VIDEO: Ise Lyfe- "My Best Friend"
History and Learning With MIRA
A Testimony to Boston City Council's Committee on Education….
The Gender of Reflection
The Roots and Branches of Busing
Posted: November 12, 2013 by barbaralewis2013 in Uncategorized
Tags: August Wilson, Boston
In Boston, we started pushing for educational opportunity in the shadow of the American Revolution, but we were rebuffed. Since then, the education seekers have been pushed back, but still they keep coming and making progress inch by inch. August Wilson, the most important and ground-breaking American playwright of the 20th century, is a case in point. He had to educate himself because the schools had no place for his genius. Teachers told him he didn't have the skill to write a good paper so anything he turned in was the result of fraud and cheating. Trusting himself more than them, he decided to teach himself to be a first-class writer, and he did that by relying on the greats who defied the odds, like he wanted to do. Before he died in 2005 at the age of sixty, he completed ten plays about the spunk and vernacular pride of urban black folks. His grand oeuvre, ten plays, set one decade after the other, pays tribute to the blues, Baldwin, Baraka, and Bearden, his four B's. All ten of his plays are being seen across Boston thanks to The Emancipated Century, which marks the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. The last three plays of the series will be presented this month and next: Jitney, set in the 1970s and about the often tortured love between fathers and sons, will be staged on November 18 at Boston Playwrights; King Hedley II, set in the drug-infested 1980s, will be at Hibernian Hall on December 4; the series ends on December 18 with Radio Golf, set in the 1990s, which looks at the reclamation of historically black neighborhoods within the context of a mayoral run by the city's first black candidate.
I wrote the blog below just after the series hit its mid-point with Seven Guitars:
Friday, October 11, 2013 • 12:04 PM Post a Comment
August Wilson's 20th Century
posted by Barbara Lewis
"Hold up. You're not done yet," the woman in the corner told August.
"Who are you?" August asked, blinking.
"My name is Vera, and I belong in that story you're telling," she said. "That play is about me. You got it set right in my back yard, and you won't be finished telling the whole of it until you get me right. So put down that glass of wine, put down that cigarette, and get back to work."
This scene happened not in a play, but in real life. That's what Benny Ambush, who is directing the October 21 reading of Wilson's Fences at Central Square Theater, shared after the October 7 CST performance of Seven Guitars, which was greeted with resounding applause. Summer Williams of Company One directed that performance, which attracted a big house of over a hundred. Wilson's ten-play cycle depicting the ups and downs of the 20th century from an African American perspective is being staged in five theaters across Boston, first and third Monday evenings through December, in tribute to the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation (www.theemancipatedcentury.com).
Re-Visioning Tomorrow: Emancipation for a New Century is a companion program, a series of six public forums exploring themes that Wilson addresses, which still matter today. The sixth forum, scheduled at Boston Center for the Arts on January 13, is not drawn not from Wilson's work, but from his life. When he was fifteen, Wilson left school after a teacher accused him of turning in a paper he had not written. It was too good, she felt, and a boy of his background was incapable of excellence. August Wilson left the classroom and went to the library. He would educate himself, and he was consistent in his devotion to learning. Not all the young men and women who are discounted because of complexion and circumstance are incapable of achievement. The education conundrum has not yet been solved, but it is key in Boston history. In the abolition era, for which Boston is well-known, a once captive community fought to extend educational rights and then in the 1970s, the schools in Boston were again at the center of the fray in the busing era. What educational legacy will Boston claim for the future?
August Wilson was a baby boomer, born in 1945 as one war ended and another accelerated. The second one, not usually referred to as a war, although full of fight and skirmish, was domestically enacted, and it continued struggles that had a much earlier beginning, going back, in the northeast, to the third decade of the seventeenth century, when a ship named Desire arrived in the Bay Colony with African bodies for sale. Those earlier times have passed and reconciliation is afoot. Through community dialogue, a new convening might render new insights and initiatives. That is the hope.
Back in the 1960s, when Wilson was a young man, he went shopping in a thrift store and bought a record. He took it home and its sound and message took hold. He listened to it over and over. On it, a woman was singing the blues, and her name was Bessie Smith. He was mesmerized. Her voice talked to him. He heard rhythm. He heard tale. He heard feeling. She told of history and living day to day.
After much trial and error, he became a playwright. He left his mother's house in Pittsburgh and went north to another city. He started fresh in a place where he could create a different future, like his ancestors had done when they walked out of the south to create a new covenant of change. But he took grounding with him, and he studied and learned his craft, painstakingly.
His first play to sprout wings was about a woman recording a blues song. It wasn't Bessie, but Ma knew Bessie, and gave her a start in the business before they parted ways. Ma Rainey, a southern traveling performer, recorded for Columbia in Chicago and knew her worth. As a public character, she was big and bold and outrageous, risqué. She sang about a dance craze that predated the Charleston, and she resisted the constraints that her manager and the studio boss used to control her. She was her own woman, and she found favor on Broadway.
Wilson wrote another play, which was about baseball, the segregated kind. Fences went to Broadway too, starred James Earl Jones, and earned Wilson a Pulitzer. A third Wilson play, about a man wrongly jailed and haunted by loss, also made its way to the star-making avenue. It was set in 1911. The big mama blues play was set in 1927 and the baseball play of a different stripe was set in the 1950s, when a quiet woman named Rosa bucked custom, a community campaigned long for change, and a boy named Till went to visit relatives in Mississippi and lost his life and his face for whistling.
Wilson noticed a pattern. He was setting his plays in different decades. Why not go all the way, he asked himself. He could write a play for each decade of the twentieth century, and, if he did that, he would be investing pattern and worth in a mold-breaking time, revealing trends and themes.
So he continued his push to Broadway, and a development circuit emerged, which included New Haven, Los Angeles, and Boston, among other cities. Then, early in the 21st century, he learned he had liver cancer. With months left, he used his energy to finish his last play, set in the 1990s, and retired his pen.
His suite of dramatic song expressed his individuality inimitably. No one could take that away. As he wrote in Joe Turner's Come and Gone, his 1911 play, staying intimately attuned to the inner self and joining personal voice to others in harmony ennobled a life. Owning and commanding one's song was the ultimate freedom, he believed, and Wilson, bard of a once captured people, dedicated his poetic genius to achieving that distinction.
Last year, as I puzzled over what to do to celebrate and mark Emancipation's sesquicentennial in Boston, I immediately thought of Wilson. He had friends and admirers here. The Huntington Theater consistently produced his plays, and there were Boston actors and directors who knew his work intimately.
Besides, the book was not yet closed on Boston and its racial past of abolition and busing. What was going to be its new 21st century legacy? Revisiting Wilson, his words and his people, and taking both across the city to new as well as committed audiences might just set off a spark, might start a vigorous, healthy conflagration of change. So learning about Vera, the truth teller who would not be silenced and came forward from the dark corner of a room to let Wilson know she deserved her moment in the public ear and eye, was a welcome revelation. For me, it was a harbinger that history's tale is not yet done and we, the wielders of the living hands that signify approval and ratification, have another role to play.
Busing/Desegregation across Three Generations
Educating the Eyes


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Sweet Generation is an artisan bakery creating beautifully handcrafted pastries. Voted "Best Cupcake in NYC" by the Village Voice, we pair unique and memorable flavors using natural, whole ingredients whenever possible.
But we are more than just a bakery. With every purchase of our award winning cupcakes and pastries you are supporting our internship program for at-risk youth, teaching job readiness skills in our creative bakery space. Our pastries are not mass produced - they are handmade with care by pastry artists, with the help of young people from the community developing their professional and technical skills.
We leverage the power of the Arts and creativity to make change in one's life and the world.
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For centuries, tea has been considered medicine in the East and used to relieve a myriad of ailments. Dried flowers and herbs have been made into tisanes all over the world to restore the body. We're happy humanity is returning to using properties abundant in nature to assist in healing. For comfort and balance in both body and spirit, we've formulated and hand blended these teas with a specific purpose in mind.


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2018 Las Vegas Bowl Betting Guide: Who Has Motivational Edge in Arizona State-Fresno State?
USA TODAY Sports. Pictured: Marcus McMaryion and Manny Wilkins
Dec 15, 2018, 08:30 AM EST
2018 Las Vegas Bowl Betting Odds: Arizona State-Fresno State
Odds: Fresno State -5
Over/Under: 52.5
Date: Saturday, Dec. 15
TV: ABC
>> All odds as of Thursday afternoon. Download The Action Network App to get real-time bowl odds and win probabilities on your bets.
Herm Edwards is looking to cap a surprisingly successful first year in Tempe with a bowl victory, but he'll have to go through Fresno State.
The Bulldogs have proven themselves as a truly elite Group of 5 team after winning the Mountain West title on the road at Boise State to end the year. Fresno State ranks 33rd in our power ratings (tied for the top G5 spot) and No. 10 in S&P+. It has an excellent quarterback in Marcus McMaryion, who ranks 12th nationally in yards per pass attempt.
Since 2006, the Mountain West has sent its winner to the Las Vegas Bowl to play the Pac-12's sixth-best team, which has created the narrative that Fresno State should care a lot more. But that hasn't led to any motivational problems for either conference — the Mountain West is 6-6 against the spread in this game since 2005.
Will Arizona State's talent edge and body of work against a tough schedule win out, or does Fresno deserve the credit its getting in the market? Let's dive in.
Odds Movement for 2018 Las Vegas Bowl
By Danny Donahue
As of Wednesday afternoon, this game is on pace to see more bets than any other bowl on Saturday. Of those bets, 64% are playing the favorite, which have accounted for 68% of the money wagered. That support has brought Fresno from -3.5 to as high as -5 around the market.
Early betting action on the total brought the number down from 52.5 to 51.5, but by Tuesday, it had shot back up to 52.5, where it sits now. Fifty-five percent of bettors have taken the under and they've accounted for 64% of money wagered.
Key Trend: Fresno Defense Stood Tall on the Road
By Evan Abrams
One of the biggest keys to this game will be Fresno State's defense, which has allowed just 13.7 points per game this season, tied for the second-lowest mark in the country with Clemson. This season, Fresno State has played seven games away from home and the under is 6-1 in those games, going under the total by 13.6 points per game.
When Fresno is on the road, none of its opponents have scored more than 24 points, with five of the seven scoring fewer than 20 points.
Arizona State Missing Top Target
Arizona State will be without star receiver N'Keal Harry as he prepares for the NFL Draft. That could be a problem against Fresno State's excellent pass defense. The Bulldogs rank 13th in passing S&P+ defense and 18th in yards per pass attempt allowed.
Mismatch: Fresno Secondary vs. ASU Passing Attack
Steve already mentioned how the loss of Harry will hurt Arizona State's passing attack against a very stout Fresno pass defense. (His absence will also hurt in the return game).
That pain will especially be felt on third downs against a Fresno defense that ranks in the top 25 in third-down conversion rate (.33). While ASU's offense ranked a respectable 49th on third downs (.414), Harry was by far Manny Wilkins' favorite target when the ASU quarterback looked to extend drives.
Harry had 46 of his 73 receptions go for first downs this season. To put that into perspective, without Harry, the Sun Devils won't have a receiver suit up who had more than 40 total catches on the season.
Sun Devils Played Tight Games
Arizona State finished 7-5, but the Sun Devils were in almost every game this season. Their five losses (at Washington, at San Diego State, Stanford, at Colorado, at Oregon) came by a combined 30 points, all within one possession, with four on the road.
It's insane how close Arizona State games were this season. Nine of its 12 finished by a margin of seven points or fewer. The last three games were decided by a total of six points.
The Sun Devils fared much better as an underdog, too. They were 5-2 against the spread when getting points and 2-3 as a favorite.
Who's More Motivated?


DANITY KANE lyrics : "sucka 4 love"
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DANITY KANE lyrics are property and copyright of their owners. "sucka 4 love" lyrics are provided for educational purposes only.


2012 Long Jing harvest season started with great expectations, yielded some great tea, and, unfortunately, ended too early. This has turned out a shortest harvest season in years.
Due to the cold and dry weather in early spring, 2012 Long Jing harvest season started rather late. Cold and dry weather caused the tea leaves to grow slowly, which was actually very good for the quality of tea. Due to the late harvest, there was very small production of pre-Qingming tea. The price was very high, but tea farmers had lower pre-Qingming income than past years due to the low production. Harvest of the few days after Qingming (Apr. 4) was rather low too. So in Chinese market, tea drinkers have been complaining about Long Jing prices, yet farmers' income actually decreased. And then, due to the rapid rising of temperature and strong sunshine from early to mid-April, tea leaves have been growing faster than the pace of harvest. Then some precious Long Jing leaves grew old on the tree before ever having a chance to be harvested. With a lot sighs, farmers in Hangzhou ended their spring harvest at an unusually early time.
I was lucky to have obtained some post-Qingming (Apr. 6th) harvest from my buddy in Long Jing Village. I think it's comparable to, if not better than, the Apr. 3rd harvest of last year. But I will not be able to get the good deal of pre-Guyu Long Jing as last year's Apr. 8th harvest, because this year, 5 days of high temperature makes much bigger difference than the 5 days of last year (here is a blog post comparing the pre-Qingming and pre-Guyu Long Jing of last year) in terms of flavor change, yet the low production causes the price to remain relatively high.
Here is the 2012 Long Jing that I've got.
In China, price of Xi Hu Long Jing has been so high that it's not affordable to a lot of people. Many tea drinkers have switched to other Long Jing districts or switched to other green teas. This has also generated certain degree of resentment among some tea drinkers, who would say Long Jing farmers are so spoiled by their natural resources and the high market prices of Long Jing.
Although Long Jing price is very high to begin with, a more expensive Long Jing doesn't always mean more money to the tea farmer. A few years ago, a tea farmer showed me a selling receipt of their pre-Qingming tea to a brand-name Long Jing company. It was a price equivalent to about $140 per pound. I can't say I could predict the exact market price of a tea, but the above-mentioned tea looked to me comparable to the $600-700 per pound level products offered by a few top notch brand-name companies in China. I wouldn't say $140 is not a fair price, considering a brand-name company would have to hire a lot of people and invest a lot of money all over its operation. But at least, we could see there is much opportunity that tea farmers could grab in the difference between their selling price to large companies and the Long Jing price in the retail market.
In recent years, more and more Long Jing farmers sell tea themselves, to friends, tourists, acquainted vendors and sometimes through family-run tea houses. If my estimation of the nearly $600 market price for the above-mentioned tea is not too far off, then for a tea like that, a price anywhere between $200 and $500 would benefit both farmers and tea drinkers. Meantime, I have to admit this is only a rather abstract and simplified discussion, and brand names sometimes do have their unique values. But there is a lot to explore about the "middle-ground" price for farmers and tea drinkers/sellers/wholesalers. In addition, some local farmers/wholesalers associations are seeking for good ways to get fair prices, and sometimes, such efforts benefit both producers and consumers. An example of such exploration is the price index of Da Fo Long Jing in its local wholesale market.
Below I want to quote some writing from my Long Jing Village friend 家在龙井村. Long Jing farmers are already financially doing well compared with many other tea farmers. But still, life is not easy! The article is rather sad, not because Long Jing farmers can't make a living out of tea cultivation, but mainly because they feel their hard work is not always respected, and their voices are often not heard.
Here is the article, and I added some notes at the end.
But this is a bad year for Long Jing farmers. In a regular year, the harvest would end after Gu Yu till around April 25. (***) But this year, the harvest had to end on April 15, as there was already no good tea leaves to pick off. My parents worked hard for a whole year with great expectations on the harvest season, but are poorly rewarded by the yields of tea. They can do nothing but working hard on the tea fields for another year, and hoping the next year would be better. They belong to the most underrepresented group of our society.
* This is not paranoia, as it happens from time to time tea leaves are ruined by disastrous weather right before harvest. However, such concern of weather conditions sometimes would cause tea harvest to be earlier than its "natural time".
** Many tea harvest workers are from surrounding counties and provinces. It's estimated that this year, the typical average cost of hiring each migrating tea worker is about $16-20 per day, and the labor cost is probably one of the largest expenses in Long Jing cultivation. According to some Long Jing Village farmers, a tea worker typically can harvest 1 - 6 pounds of fresh tea leaves per day (1 pound when it's first day harvest, and 6 pounds when it's near the end of the harvest season and tea leaves are larger). About 4 pounds fresh leaves are used to make into 1 pound of final product of Long Jing. The pan-frying of the tea is usually done by the one or a few skillful family members (usually men). The tea is usually fully manually processed when harvest is low earlier in the season, and semi-manually processed when harvest is high later in the season.
*** Traditionally, lower grade tea was also produced in summer and autumn. But in recent years, summer and autumn harvests are no longer carried out because the income of low grade tea cannot justify labor costs.
**** The ¥180,000 per jin price was from a charity auction on first day harvest Long Jing, run by a large tea company before the harvest started. This is not the fist time a super high auction price of a tea is created. I don't know what's behind this one, but I suspect many of such charity or commercial auctions mainly serve for advertising purposes and intend to manipulate public attention. Just my cynical thought... This is not the first time either, that news media are obsessive about reporting the high auction price of a famous tea (probably many of you have heard of auction prices of Da Hong Pao and other teas before). Often in their reports, the media omit the fact that prices of such charity auctions mean to be symbolic (as the money is supposed to be donated for charity causes) and have nothing to do with market prices. Therefore such news reports could be very misleading but continue to draw broad public attention.
***** Long Jing Village is dominated by Jiu Keng Group cultivar, the traditional cultivar of Long Jing. The above-mentioned harvest dates are all about this cultivar. In Haongzhou region, harvest of Long Jing #43 cultivar started and ended earlier than Jiu Keng Group cultivar.
****** This late start and rapid progress of warm temperature affected harvest of quite a few green teas this year. I will write about a few other teas later.
It's not. As far as I know, there is no certified organic Xi Hu Long Jing. There may be some smallsale experiment that I'm not aware of.
I'm not sure if I should write more in the blog, because I feel people are more interested in the theme than the scientific analysis (or lack of it) behind the report.
I see you have already covered this topic. Never mind. You are Omni-tea-present.
Thank you for your insider knowledge about how life is for the tea farmer. Not having ever worked in a line of business so dependent on the weather, what you have posted is somewhat eye-opening for me. I can understand the farmers needing to charge more per unit due to a smaller harvest, AND I can understand why tea drinkers would complain about higher prices (that is, while not being aware of the true circumstances of the tea farmers). It brings up deeper topics for me, as in, how I tend to take things for granted (i.e. good weather, and availability of the things I routinely enjoy in life).
It also emphasizes for me the importance of transparency when it comes to doing business. For example, if the price of something changes without any explanation, I become skeptical and wonder about the reason for the change (even if it goes down, as sometimes happens when the product degrades in value, as in tea that is past its prime, or when the merchandise is damaged). But if the seller keeps me in the loop as to why the prices change (or are likely to change), I am much more likely to accept them when they do happen. In regards to tea, although I have heard from a number of tea retailers that the harvest this year will be DELAYED due to exceptionally cold weather, I did not know this could affect the VOLUME of tea produced, which could then consequently affect the price. If I know this in advance, then if the price does end up being higher, it would be easier for me to stomach. What you stated here (and what David of Verdant Tea helped explain in a response to a query on Steepster) puts a context to the change in the availability, and possibly in the price, of the spring green tea this year. Thank you for keeping me in the loop!
Hi Gingko, I'm curious if the Chinese gov't. does any subsidizing of tea farmers or any farmers for that matter when crop failures happen. Is the current gov't only socialist/communist in name only?
SimpliciTea, yeah the weather is determining factor for tea harvest, and sometimes no one can predict the outcome even within few days before the harvest. I also wonder if climate change plays a role here. It seems this year many tea districts have got late warm-up and then quick rise of temperature. Here in Massachusetts, we got two big snow storm in October and March, and not much snow in between :-? Then in March and April, we got a few days in 90s and upper 80s, and then below-zero at night in the past week!
Ho Go, I think China is current much more capitalism than US and Canada :-p Besides, in words of my high school textbook, it's "initial stage of capitalism, which is completely bloody" :-o Nowadays there are still some subsidies, most of which are rather symbolic and worth around $10-20. But even in the old days, there were very few subsidies for rural populations compared with urban residents.