text:
Profession, Local government
Two becomes one
Derek Myers is no ordinary chief executive. Having run one London borough for a decade, he has taken on responsibility for a second and is sharing a range of services with a third. He tells PF how this innovative partnership works
By Tim Smedley | 1 December 2011
On November 1, Derek Myers became chief executive of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham. Nothing unusual in that – except that he also holds the same post at neighbouring Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea.
Myers is the first chief executive to run two unitaries at the same time. But he is unlikely to be the last, he tells Public Finance as he sits in his Hammersmith & Fulham office for the first time. (So new is he that his predecessor's name, Geoff Alltimes, is still on the door and he has to introduce himself to the press officer chaperoning PF for the interview.)
'The general trend is only in one direction,' Myers continues. 'But ours is the boldest and most complete realignment of management functions so far attempted.'
It's hard to disagree, for Myers' responsibilities do not end with his dual post. He also jointly presides over a radical tri-borough arrangement, serving a combined population of 650,000. His two councils have joined with the adjacent London Borough of Westminster to share many back-office and frontline services. The three Conservative-led authorities expect to save at least £35m by 2014, with 150 management and 350 staff posts to go by spring 2012.
Already in place are three-borough directors of adult social care, children, and libraries, and a two-borough environment services director. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has praised the arrangement as 'the future of local public services'.
It all started four years ago, Myers recalls. He had been head of Kensington & Chelsea for six years. 'Hammersmith wanted to tempt our director of highways and transport across the border. Because we got on, they told us and we said "hang on – that way you win, we lose. Could he not do both jobs?" '
An innovative agreement was struck to share the post. 'That was our first experiment and it went well. It proved there was no great sense of loss, there was even a sense of advantage. We then tried it with a director of law, then the head of accountancy. We then adopted a protocol whereby you didn't recruit any senior member of staff without talking to your neighbour first.'
When they jointly approached Westminster to discuss broadening the arrangement further, he says: 'We could say this is not just a punt, we know it works and we know how it works.'
Things might have stayed at that level were it not for the austerity measures imposed by the Coalition government. The three boroughs face a combined budget challenge of £100m by 2014. On top of that, revenue from car parking and planning has fallen due to the recession.
'There was no easy way out,' Myers explains. 'So 18 months ago we had a nothing-ruled-in, nothing-ruled-out discussion of how we could work together further.'
He admits that cutting one chief executive position, saving £200,000 in salary, is more of a token gesture; a useful bone to throw to politicians worried about executive pay.
The big savings are to be found in management savings, aggregated procurement and 'by challenging why authority A spends more than authority B or C in a way that doesn't give better outcomes', he says.
'That's been the real revelation – when you put all your numbers together in a trusting way, you can deeply compare and contrast. There's big money in that. And you wouldn't achieve it with different people at the top of each organisation who, with the best will in the world, are going to be defensive.'
Westminster has remained outside of the full-scale sharing. It was decided that its role as an Olympic host borough (including the triathlon in Hyde Park and beach volleyball at Horse Guards Parade) required a dedicated chief executive. However, with an agreement to review the situation after the Games, one gets the sense that the first three-borough CEO is not far off. And that, were it to come his way, Myers would relish it.
Not everyone agrees that sharing management accrues dramatic savings, however. The New Local Government Network believes that, at most, back-office functions account for 8.9% of total spend, making even savings of 40% amount to only 3.6% of total spend. And talking with Myers, it's clear that a lot of work is required under the bonnet to keep the project from stalling.
'We are drawing up mandates, statements by each authority of what they want from a service,' he explains. 'Take adult social care. There are a range of things which are different in those three mandates in terms of the volume of funding that each authority wants to commit and the way they want that funding distributed.'
This 'doesn't cause any difficulty at all in managerial terms', he insists. 'Contractors work to a specification that sets out different service levels. Street cleansing contractors know that their service specification for a market area – say Portobello Road – is different than that for a residential cul-de-sac. There are lines on the map and as you step across that line the world changes – that is true today and it is the nature of local government.'
There are also some services that cannot be shared. The division between what is too locally sensitive and what isn't is necessarily subjective. Myers' rule for any partnership to work is trust and camaraderie at the top, so such conversations can be held openly. For this reason, he says, it wouldn't work if central government imposed shared arrangements on councils.
One of the services that the boroughs agreed not to share was planning. 'It has to speak to the local agenda and wishes of local people,' says Myers.
Policy and communications also won't be shared, he adds, because that department 'reflects each borough's need to communicate with its own residents'. However, the councils expect to be able to procure print and other items more cheaply.
This appears to provide an answer to Pickles' rhetorical plea last year when he asked: 'Is it really right, in this day and age, to have separate planning departments and communications teams?'
Constitutional arrangements were also not up for change. Myers says: 'There are always going to be three councils, which will always set their own budgets, raise their own tax, publish their own accounts, and be free to pursue their own agendas. We signed a sovereignty guarantee which stated that.' Alongside the mandates, this ensures that decisions do not affect the individual boroughs' political independence.
Some departments will retain separate heads but share certain expertise and personnel. Finance is one of these, because each borough's tax, budgets and accounts are independent.
'We will never share directors of finance,' says Myers. 'But we share a deputy director of finance because that person has deep expertise about accountancy rules, CIPFA expectations, and so forth. Where you get particular specialist expertise we will aim to share that. Our shared insurance manager is a good example of how three authorities working together should be able to get better rates.'
Rather than being daunted by such an intricate web, Myers seems genuinely enthused. He lives and breathes the boroughs he works in and is full of local knowledge ('did you know that Harrods receives more visitors a year than Belgium?'). He is also relishing his changing role as a professional manager. 'I've learned more in the past 18 months than I have at any other stage in my career.'
But he adds: 'We are freer than we've ever been to invent our own version of local government. The thing that we've got to prove to ourselves, and to others, is that councillors are just as well supported in their work.'
That, and the quality of service, is where the big question marks hang.
2011 – present:
Chief executive, London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
Chief executive, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Chief executive, London Borough of Hounslow
Director of social services, London Borough of Hounslow
Social worker and social services manager – Essex and London
Scottish library borrowing plummets
Myers appointed as lead commissioner in Rotherham
London tri-borough chiefs step down


IT'S ONLY FOR A WEEK! I PROMISE!
I have post written up already for next week. I just honestly don't want to post something in the middle of the week and throw off my schedule. Thus, I am taking a hiatus until this upcoming sunday. Meanwhile, you can however enjoy my LAST POST HERE.


text:
Q: Specify generics class where T should be subclass of other type Here is what I'm trying to do, not even sure if possible..
I'm creating BaseViewModel<T> and I want it to accept types inherited from Entity
Consider this code:
public abstract class BaseViewModel<T> : NotificationObject, INavigationAware
{

public T MyEntity;

public SomeMethod()
{
MyEntity.SomeEntityProperty = SomeValue;
}

}

So, I want to say that my T inherited from Entity and therefore I KNOW that it will have SomeEntityProperty.
Is this possible?

A: Just use the where keyword:
public abstract class BaseViewModel<T> : NotificationObject, INavigationAware
    where T:Entity
{
...

A: Try using the where constraint:
public abstract class BaseViewModel<T> : NotificationObject, INavigationAware
    where T : Entity
{
    public T MyEntity;

    public SomeMethod()
    {
        MyEntity.SomeEntityProperty = SomeValue;
    }
}

A: Salvatore's answer is totally correct, I just wanted to describe the concept a little better.
What you need is a "generic type constraint"; to specify that the type used as T must conform to certain behaviors (such as being derived from an object or interface more derived than Object), thus increasing what you are allowed to do with that object without further casting (which is generally to be avoided in generics).
As Salvatore's answer shows, GTCs are defined using the "where" keyword:
public abstract class BaseViewModel<T> :
    NotificationObject,
    INavigationAware

    where T : Entity;
{
   ...

This GTC basically states that any T must derive (however remotely) from Entity. This allows you to treat T as if it were an Entity (except for instantiation of new Ts; that requires an additional GTC), regardless of how more or less derived the actual generic parameter type is from Entity. You can call any method that appears on Entity, and get/set any field or property.
You can also specify that:

*

*The type must be a class (where T:class), or alternately must be a ValueType (where T:struct). This either permits or prevents comparison and assignment of a T instance to null, which also allows or prevents use of the null-coalescing operator ??.

*The type must have a parameterless constructor (where T:new()). This allows instantiations of Ts using the new keyword, by ensuring at compile-time that all types used as Ts have a constructor that takes no parameters.

A: public abstract class BaseViewModel<T> :
    NotificationObject,
    INavigationAware

    where T : Entity
{

    public T MyEntity;

    public SomeMethod()
    {
        MyEntity.SomeEntityProperty = SomeValue;
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Sutta-pitaka är en av "de tre korgarna" i Tipitaka, som är det vanliga sättet att inom den tidiga buddhismen organisera buddhismens läror. Denna pitaka, sutrornas korg innehåller tusentals texter som tillskrivs Buddha, samt texter vars innehåll Buddha sägs ha godkänt. Liksom med Vinayapitaka finns det flera olika versioner av denna skriftsamling.

Indelningen i nikayor
Sutta-pitaka är uppdelad i fem nikayor, eller samlingar. De första fyra omfattar allmänna lärotexter och Buddhas tal och dialoger. Den femte innehåller berättelser, fabler, dikter och aforismer:

1. Digha Nikāya – "Samlingen av långa samtal". Samlingen består av 34 sutror, indelade i tre grupper:
 Silakkhandha-vagga — Delen om moral (sutrorna 1-13); som fått sitt namn efter det traktat som finns i varje sutra om munkars moral
 Maha-vagga —sutrorna  14-23
 Patika-vagga — sutrorna 24-34

2. Majjhima Nikāya – "Samlingen av medellånga samtal".. Samlingen nedtecknades mellan 300 f. Kr. och 200 e. Kr. och består av 152 samtal som tillskrivs Buddha och hans främsta lärjungar.

3. Samyutta Nikāya – "Samlingen av ihopkopplade samtal". Samlingen består av ett oklart antal sutror, mellan 2889 och 7762 beroende på auktoritet. Sutrorna, eller suttorna (pali), är grupperade i fem vaggor, eller sektioner. Varje vagga är dessutom indelad i samyuttor, eller kapitel, som innehåller ett antal sutror som hör ihop.

4.Anguttara Nikāya – "Samlingen av numrerade samtal".  Samlingen består av flera tusen sutran som tillskrivs Buddha och hans främsta lärjungar. Den är ordnad i elva nipatas, eller böcker, utifrån numreringar. Första boken innehåller sutror som behandlar enskilda ämnen. Den andra boken sutror som behandlar företeelser i par, till exempel föräldrar.
Böckerna i denna nikaya:
 Ekaka Nipāta – Boken om ett
 Duka Nipāta – Boken om två
 Tika Nipāta – Boken om tre
 Catukka Nipāta – Boken om fyra
 Pañcaka Nipāta – Boken om fem
 Chakka Nipāta – Boken om sex
 Sattaka Nipāta – Boken om sju
 Aṭṭhaka Nipāta – Boken om åtta
 Navaka Nipāta – Boken om nio
 Dasaka Nipāta – Boken om tio
 Ekādasako Nipāta – Boken om elva

5.Khuddaka Nikāya – "Små samlingar". Samlingen består av femton (Thailand), sjutton (Sri Lanka) eller arton (Burma) böcker i olika ämnen som tillskrivs Buddha och hans främsta lärjungar. Materialet i denna nikaya är skiftande och var inte accepterad av alla ursprungliga skolor som kanonisk. Den mest populära boken i västerlandet är Dhammapada.
Texterna i Khuddaka Nikaya kan indelas i en äldre del och en yngre. Den äldre delen omfattar böckerna: Dhammapada, Udana, Itivuttaka, Suttanipata och Therigatha. Den yngre delen omfattar: Jatakaberättelserna, Khuddakapatha, Vimanavatthu, Petavatthu, Theragatha, Niddesa, Patisambhidamagga, Apadāna, Buddhavamsa, Cariyapitaka, Nettipakarana, Petakopadesa och Milindapanha.

Fotnoter

Se även
 Digha Nikāya
  Samyutta Nikāya
  Majjhima Nikāya
 Anguttara Nikāya
 Khuddaka Nikāya

Referenser

Noter

Buddhismens kanoniska skrifter

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Home › Preaching professor: Poets and preachers both believe that words can change the world
Preaching professor: Poets and preachers both believe that words can change the world
Faith & Worship	 September 2, 2021
Dr. Anna Carter Florence leads a stimulating webinar for the Synod of the Covenant
by Mike Ferguson | Presbyterian News Service
Dr. Anna Carter Florence
LOUISVILLE — Dr. Anna Carter Florence, the celebrated preaching professor at Columbia Theological Seminary, said Wednesday that talking to pastors about preaching — especially during such a challenging time as the last 18 months have been — "is like sitting in an armchair talking to the people playing on the field. The ground you are breaking and the space you are holding is incredibly important. I am in awe of all of you."
Since 1998, the year she started teaching at Columbia Seminary, Florence has taught a class called "The Preacher and the Poet." On Wednesday, she brought her teaching gifts to the Synod of the Covenant, which is offering monthly webinars on equipping preachers. Florence called her talk "What Poets Can Teach Preachers About Surviving, Thriving and Talking About What We Do." Read Presbyterian News Service reports on the synod's previous preaching webinars here, here and here.
Poets "might be horrified to hear it, but they are the preacher's closest cousins," Florence said. Both have similar tasks: "The job is not to use grand or ethereal language to get people's attention," she said. "Their job is to look at things no one else wants to look at … We both tell the truth with reverence."
While "peeking over the fence" at poets, Florence has learned at least five lessons that apply to preachers as well:
Poetry gives preachers new ways to talk about what they do. Florence suggested substituting "preaching" or "sermon" for some pronouncements on poetry, including W.H. Auden's "A good poem is the clear expression of mixed feelings," David Bottoms' "Poetry doesn't belong to those who write it but to those who need it" and Adrian Mitchell's "Most people ignore most poetry because most poetry ignores people." Swap "preaching" for "poetry" in this Bill Knott poem, she said: "Poetry/can be/the magic carpet/which you say/you want,/but only if/you stand willing/to pull the rug out/from under/your own feet/daily." "It's difficult," Florence said, "pulling the rug out from under your own feet rather than the congregation's feet."
Poetry gives preachers new ways to talk about how they do what they do. "Preachers are obsessed with biblical texts," Florence said. They love it, honor it, argue and wrestle with it, embrace it, push it to the limit, are spellbound, irritated and surprised by it, raise it up and are laid low by it, are wounded and healed by it, and are committed to reading and rereading it every day. "Learning to preach involves sets of interpretive practices, the rhythms of reading and the interpretive muscles we stretch every day to keep us supple and strong," Florence said. "The text isn't barbed wire we need to crawl under … We read Scripture first and foremost to fall in love with it … and so our people will fall in love with it. Poetry gives us new ways to talk about how we do this."
Poetry gives preachers new ways to talk about where they do what they do. "Where we stand as preachers is important," Florence said, citing the example of the great Russian lyric poet Anna Akhmatova, who unlike many poets refused to leave her country after the Russian Revolution. When it became too dangerous for her to keep publishing, her loyal friends memorized her poems for her. Like Akhmatova, preachers "choose to remain with our people, standing in line with them day after day, and we do more. We describe what we see. Our people ask, 'Can you describe this? Can you describe how angry and hopeless some of us feel? Can you describe the hope?' A preacher is rooted in a particular place with a particular people and is asked to tell the truth about it."
Poetry gives preachers new ways to talk about what they bring along and when they bring it along. Scripture is loaded with beautiful metaphors, such as "the trees of the field shall clap their hands." "We speak of God in ancient and contemporary metaphors. Some totally miss the mark and others rile up the faithful," Florence said. Sometimes preachers "are met at the door with anger after the service." Metaphors, taught the late poet Tony Hoagland, are "little engines of equivalence." Some people might think of viewing God as father as "a ladder to the sky. It takes us somewhere beautiful," Florence said. "For others, it throws us off the horse. The image rears up and threatens to stomp us."
Poetry gives preachers new ways to think about why they are preaching in the first place. "Poems aren't something you have to take off a Sunday to hear," Florence said. "It's ready and waiting. You can pick it up and read it as often as you want to. You can try it on and decide it's yours or it's definitely not yours — and you don't have to shake the poet's hand at the door. A poem can be the word if you have lost your faith in the power of proclamation. A poem reminds you it is real, this power of proclamation, that you matter — and that just may save a preacher's life."
The Rev. Dr. Chip Hardwick, the synod's interim executive, thanked Florence for her efforts putting on the 90-minute webinar. "I feel like you have reintroduced the miracle of the Holy Spirit into preaching," Hardwick told Florence.
You may freely reuse and distribute this article in its entirety for non-commercial purposes in any medium. Please include author attribution, photography credits, and a link to the original article. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDeratives 4.0 International License.
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Categories: Faith & Worship, Seminaries
Tags: Anna Akhmatova, bill knot, Columbia Theological Seminary, david bottoms, dr. anna carter florence, equipping preachers, metaphors, rev. dr. chip hardwick, synod of the covenant, the preacher as poet, w.h. auden
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Ministries: Theology and Worship, Worship, Theological Education

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As Illinois homeowners may know, the rate of foreclosures has been high since the economic downturn of 2008. This is a complex situation but often involves a homeowner's loss of employment causing default on mortgage payments. The mortgage lender used the house as collateral when the loan was granted and wants the property. There are steps that might be taken to avoid foreclosure.
Homeowners may be able to avert foreclosure by selling assets or using savings to keep mortgage payments current. If this is not an option, they may benefit from contacting the mortgage lender to see if the mortgage may be modified. A borrower may ask the lender to allow repayment of missed payments by tacking a small amount onto each monthly payment until the late or missed payments are recovered. If the mortgage qualifies as a VA loan, the agency may buy the mortgage and become the new lender. Some lenders will allow a process known as refunding, according to a private mortgage insurer. The homeowner may be able to lengthen the term of the loan or reduce the rate to a more favorable one for a time.
Other ways to modify a mortgage include forbearance, which changes the payment schedule for a limited time. Sometimes missed payments are allowed in cases where natural disaster occurs. Lenders usually will forgo reporting late payments or eliminating late fees and allowing loan modification.
Measures to avoid foreclosure also include a short sale, where the lender accepts less than the original amount. This may have hidden problems associated with it, and consulting with an attorney may be advisable. On occasion, none of the tactics work, and foreclosure may be inevitable. Talking to an attorney about the type of bankruptcy that may save the home may help the homeowner retain the property.


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It was a perfect story… Public transportations are the worst thing ever! I try to take classes that are not in the morning so at least I wouldn't have to take a bus filled with people at 6am… My second biggest dream is to live near a beautiful beach and away from big cities..
I am so sensitive & tenderhearted who try level best to umderstand feelings,demands of others and by fufilling it feel satisfied. But noone cares about my feelings even those for whom i sacrificed everying are not ready to spend few minutes or speak few words. But everyone expect help in their misries. Now its ending point of my life that i think .without love, attachment i am feeling to pay homage to this beautiful world. Without mistake everyone expect from me to stop travelling in life-journey. Why? Dont know… I am ambituous but no ambition is yet fulfilled till the age of 33. Can u give me feeling of happiness?
Generally, we tend to judge ourselves by how other people treat and react to us. It's wise not to let them define who you are and their reality.


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See timetables by hourly period (the icon).
Prepare personal timetables (start at the icon), this is Yatt's original personal timetable interface.


text:
FAMILY Online Funding Campaign Raises Over $400,000 for Christian Pizzeria Forced To Close...
Online Funding Campaign Raises Over $400,000 for Christian Pizzeria Forced To Close After Death Threats
Updated: April 2, 2015
By Greg Holt
(above) Christie O'Connor, co-owner of Memories Pizza, was forced to close her business following threats from same-sex marriage advocates.
Written by Leo Hohmann
The Christian, family owned pizzeria in Indiana forced to close after it received death threats from the "gay marriage" movement has raised more than $400,000 in just over 24 hours through an online GoFundMe account.
It took the account set up for business owners Kevin and Christie O'Connor of Memories Pizza only 20 hours to eclipse its goal of $200,000.The O'Connors, who were asked by a reporter how they would respond to the state's new Religious Freedom Restoration Act, said: "We would serve gay individuals at the restaurant, but due to religious beliefs, would decline to cater a same-sex wedding."
That was enough to bring an avalanche of pressure crashing down on the small-town pizzeria owners, including threats to harm or kill the family.
A female coach at Concord High School named Jess Dooley threatened in a tweet to burn the family's house down, saying: "Who's going to Walkerton, IN to burn down #memoriespizza w me?"
Fearing for their safety, the O'Connors shut their doors.
In an interview with the Blaze, Christie O'Connor said the family was considering leaving Walkerton, and possibly even the state of Indiana.
"I don't know if we will reopen, or if we can," she said. "We're in hiding basically. Yep. Staying in the house."
She said news reports about their comments were quickly distorted. Speaking up for her faith destroyed their family's income in a matter of hours.
"I just got an apartment, and this was my income to keep that apartment going. I am suspended on another job that I have until this is cleared up," Christie said, her voice hesitating. "So I have absolutely no income coming in, at all."
Watch interview with Christie O'Connor on WND News
Christie O'Connor said she hasn't talked to many of her customers yet, but the ones who have reached out to her have been "very supportive of us."
A Facebook page reportedly home to thousands of other threats against the pizza shop and its owners was "unavailable" on Thursday. But a Yelp page formed to protest the owners was still operational.
One commenter wrote: "Well I just can't go here or would ever because they engage in discriminatory practices based on I guess perception & 'religious belief.'"
Blaze reporter Dana Loesch said she could hardly believe that in 2015 "we would be dealing with such persecution like this, just because someone said that they want to stand up for a tenent of their faith. It's awful to see."
That was why the Blaze set up the account at GoFundMe/memoriespizza.com, she said, apparently surprising Christie O'Connor with the news of financial support.
"We know how a lot of this backlash is, and we know how zealous some people are in terms of depriving someone of their livelihood or ruining their lives simply because they cannot tolerate their Christian faith, so we set up a GoFundMe account where people can go and they can make a donation, because nobody should have to suffer, or suffer alone, for their faith for standing up for Christian principles," Loesch said. "We wanted to make you sure are aware of that as well, Crystal. God bless you for being fearless, and for standing up for your faith. And as Christ said, 'If they persecute you, remember they came for me first,' so you did nothing wrong here. You did nothing wrong."
SOURCE: WND News
Greg Holt
About the author: Greg is a strong believer in Jesus Christ and is also a political analyst, author, and is the Editor-in-Chief for the National War Council. By day he is a self-employed non-emergency medical transport driver, as well as being an author and blogger. His articles are first published on TCP News and Inspirational Christian Blogs, and from there the articles are widely published on many well-known conservative websites. If you would like to republish his articles, please feel free to do so leaving all links intact and crediting the author and the website that the article appeared on. Greg is the author of the newly released book: Spiritual Darkness is Destroying America and the Church. Subscribe to my daily newsletter, and join hundreds of daily readers and receive news and relevant commentary. Don't forget to follow TCP News on Parler, USA Life, Gab, Facebook, and Twitter
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Meet Terry Frick, founder of Frickaccio's Pizza Market in the West Side Market and Fairview Park. Frickaccio's, with five employees, is the maker of the Famous Pizza Bagel, better known as the Pizagle.
The Pizagle is sold at the market, our Fairview Park location, and several other locations. We also are a wholesaler and retailer of our organic dough balls. We have 14 flavors and are certified USDA organic in three of our dough balls. We make organic artisan breads and sell them at our Fairview store and other locations.
Additionally, at our Fairview store, we have European communal dining. Every night there is a new menu and a vegan menu is available on Tuesdays. We cater, too.
I came to open Frickaccio's because I loved the idea of having a stand at the West Side Market, and when the pizza bagel stand went up for sale, I was the first one to reply! I didn't know anything about pizza or pizza bagels, but I like challenges, so game on.
I also had to learn how to run a stand at the market. The hours, the customers, purchasing and making food to sell was all new to me. In time, with the help of my daughter Lindsey, my husband Jim, family and other vendors, I began to feel like I could do this.
I never made pizza bagels before, so that was my biggest challenge. But in time I learned. I think they are really good, because there is a lot of love and myself in them; that makes a difference, when you make your own food and sell it.
What do you like about being in the West Side Market?
The Market is the best. There is so much energy there. People come from all over the world to see it. We had Jeff Mauro from the Food Network come to taste our bagels. One day we got a call that the President wanted to have our pizza bagels at his conference. Then he came to the market to personally get them!
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs starting a business?
If you want to start a business, the best advice I can give is: you have to have tenacity, a good attitude and network. Give it 100 percent. But it won't seem like work, because you love it.


I work a job. It's a good one—matter of fact, I love it. I meet with people from organizations that are doing interesting work, and get to learn about all of their hopes and challenges. I help them develop a plan, come up with ideas, and build out the required elements.
Those who aren't designers might be surprised by how difficult this vocation can be, but most are somewhat interested in the pursuit. My hunch is that even a designer's worst day is better than a life insurance salesperson's best day.
Most of the designers I know feel the same way: design is an honest craft—not without challenges, but worth all the sweat. This leads me to wonder why so many designers are trying to ruin it.
Now, I don't mean to disparage what these folks are trying to do; it's likely an effort to build presence for their shop, and connect with others in the community. It's just that I'm so terribly sick of this trade being invalidated—even unwittingly—by other creative people.


C.1870. A gorgeous pair of Victorian banded agate gold earrings. The geometric shapes and the open frame work in these earrings offer such a timeless feel and a bold presence. With the rich contrast of black and white, the consistent banding patterns and colors correspond beautifully. The earrings are in 15k yellow gold, and have new wires (15k). These are English in origin, and overall in great condition.


We are always looking for sponsors that are interested in a mutually beneficial partnership. A sponsorship is your shortcut to increased awareness and an efficient way of building your brand in the Nordics. Our sponsor packages will vary from each conference and we offer different opportunities to match any budget or marketing ambitions.
Can you inspire HR professionals? We are constantly on the lookout for senior professionals with relevant HR insights. If you are passionate about HR and have gained domain insights based on real-life experience combined with a solid speaker track, then please reach out to us and initiate the dialogue.


Sen. John McCain was not "America's lion." Since the death of the late Arizona Republican from brain cancer on Saturday, the mainstream media has been peddling an endless diet of propaganda and lies. McCain was not a "great" senator. He was not a great American. And he certainly was not a hero.
The fawning, sycophantic media coverage of McCain's life and career is becoming a national disgrace. Don't get me wrong: I feel sorry for him and his family. I lost my mother (and mother-in-law) to a long battle with cancer. His wife, children and grandchildren are grieving; and they deserve to have McCain's memory respected and treated with dignity. Yet, our political and media elites are going way beyond that. They are politically deifying the man—and in the process doing severe damage to the truth. They are deliberately twisting and manipulating history to advance their globalist, anti-Trump agenda.
The real reason the establishment is in mourning is a simple one: McCain was one of them. He was a major creature of the Washington swamp. With his passing, RINO Republicans lost their leader and champion.
Moreover, McCain was the number one Never-Trump Republican. He loathed Trump. In October 2016, the Arizona maverick urged all Republicans to vote against Trump—even if it meant a Hillary Clinton presidency. He also played a key role in disseminating the now-discredited Steele dossier to the FBI in order to bring down President Trump. McCain was part of the Deep State's plot to oust Trump and overturn a free and fair democratic election. There is a word for that: treason. Not content with trying to drive the president from power, McCain twice voted against repealing Obamacare. His goal: Stick it to Trump.
Even when diagnosed with brain cancer, McCain remained spiteful and vindictive to the end. He demanded the president not be invited to or speak at McCain's funeral. (Sarah Palin, McCain's loyal running mate has also been excluded from attending his funeral). Former President Obama—who not only defeated the establishment Republican in 2008, but did almost irreparable harm to America—will be speaking. Ex-Vice President Joe Biden will be a pall bearer. Former President George W. Bush, the man who beat McCain in 2000 for the GOP nomination and gave us the disastrous Iraq war, will be a speaker. In other words, he could mend fences with rivals from within the ruling class, but not Trump. Even from the grave, McCain could not restrain his hatred and loathing. In a farewell message, he launched a thinly veiled attack on Trump, blasting his call for a border wall and an America First foreign policy.
McCain despised Trump because he is the real maverick—the real outsider. Trump's brand of economic patriotism and populist-nationalism is the antithesis of everything McCain stood for. McCain was never a Reaganite conservative; he just pretended to be one in order to keep getting elected. Rather, he was a free trade-open borders globalist, who championed mass amnesty for 12-30 million illegal aliens and unlimited Third World immigration. NAFTA, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, free trade with communist China—McCain backed every transnational trade deal, regardless of the costs in the loss of millions of U.S. jobs, the destruction of our manufacturing base, and the erosion of our sovereignty. Instead of "country first," he put the donor class first.
McCain was a warmonger and a dangerous military hawk. He never met a war he didn't like. In fact, McCain was a modern-day imperialist, who fanatically defended the American empire—he called for a 100-year occupation of Iraq; he supported Bill Clinton's bombing campaign against Serbia; he backed Obama's illegal war in Libya; he sneaked into northern Syria, urged the radical Sunni Muslim rebels to rise up and overthrow Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, and aided the CIA's secret operation to send weapons to anti-Assad terrorists, including al Qaeda and ISIS; he openly embraced neo-Nazis in Ukraine, helping to foment a war against Russian-backed separatists in the Donbass; and he wanted to invade Iran, as well as bomb North Korea and Russia. Had America listened to McCain, we would now be engulfed in World War III.
But, according to his supporters, McCain is a Vietnam War hero, a five-year survivor of the infamous Hanoi Hilton. He was repeatedly tortured and beaten after his plane was shot down. In fact, his record in Vietnam was shameful and scandalous. In July 1967, due to his reckless flying, McCain caused a major accident on the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal. The results were that 134 sailors were killed and 161 injured. American POWs have claimed that, during his capture, McCain gave away to his North Vietnamese torturers operational knowledge and key positions of U.S. forces. The notion that McCain was some kind of a Rambo, who heroically stood up to the Vietcong, is self-serving nonsense—a manufactured myth to cover-up his treasonous and criminal actions.
It's remarkable that the same media outlets that demonized McCain as being a "racist" and "Islamophobic" a decade ago are now lionizing him as the second coming of Winston Churchill. Their goal is obvious: To turn McCain's death and funeral into a giant, week-long anti-Trump rally. The ruling class so hates (and fears) Trump they are politicizing the passing away of an old, discredited and washed-up senator.
McCain was part of the decrepit, venal establishment that was overthrown in the 2016 Trump revolution. The media may mourn his passing. Middle America, however, has moved on. John McCain, R.I.P.
and having family friends investigate came first before the lives of the enlisted sailors . Of course I respect his POW history. However, plenty of POWS were heroic and get little if any publicity. He constantly attempted to thwart President Trump in his efforts to secure our borders and bring back U.S. jobs. If anything, I think that McCain represented an elitist attitude.
Jeff, you are right on point! I don't enjoy talking about the dead, but the fact is McCain is an Veteran and I respect all Veterans. My respect ends there. He is a ONE WORLDER, OPEN BORDERS, IMMIGRANTS BEFORE AMERICAN CITIZENS, RINO WHOSE HATRED AND JEALOUSY OF PRESIDENT TRUMP IS AND WAS ICILY PALPABLE!!!!! The SOCIALIST DEMOCRATS MADE HIM A SAINT WHEN IN FACT HE WAS INFERIOR !!!!
Jeff,I read your great and brutally honest story on the passing of Sen. John McCain.From my words to you,You Nailed It ! God Bless you Jeff.
Of course I am saddened by McCain's passing. However, I'm tired of his passing being used as a political show. The multi-day funeral services. This morning his daughter today eulogized her father by strongly criticizing Trump. She said that her dad was a hero and that Trump enjoys great privilege. Her mommy comes from extreme wealth. Her daddy was promoted and covered up for because his grand-daddy and daddy were admirals. Many witnesses on the USS Forrestal felt that McCain played a major role in the tragic fire that killed so many sailors. The tragedy was investigated by McCain's family friends. Talk about privilege. If her daddy wasn't so privileged then he'd probably have ended up in the Portsmouth, NH Naval Prison. Another example of the flaws of the system and how low informed people blindly worship jerks.
What about his first wife, Cathrine?
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How do I know how much I'll need in retirement?
You're right that your goal should be able to accumulate enough income from Social Security, withdrawals from savings and any other resources you might have (a pension, home equity, other assets) to cover your actual expenses in retirement, not necessarily to replace a certain percentage of what you earned before you retired.
Problem is, when retirement is many decades away, it's hard to know with any sort of precision what those future expenses will be. So most people rely on an estimate of how much income they'll need to cover their retirement costs. Typically, most people estimate -- or guesstimate, if you prefer -- that they'll need somewhere between 70% and 90% of their pre-retirement income in order to have a reasonable shot at a secure retirement.
Those percentages don't come out of thin air. They're mostly based on the "replacement ratio" research performed starting back in the 1980s by Georgia State University and consulting firm Aon. Essentially researchers attempted to calculate for people with various annual incomes how much of their pre-retirement salary they would need in retirement to maintain the same standard of living they enjoyed during their career.
The basic idea is that since you won't be stashing away money in 401(k)s and other retirement accounts and because your tax bill is likely to drop, you'll be able to get by on less income after you retire than you required during your working years. If you'd like to delve into the assumptions and calculations behind replacement ratios, this 2008 replacement ratio study lays it all out in detail.
Related: How many funds do you really need to diversify?
Of course, no estimate, no matter how carefully derived, will be 100% accurate, nor will it ever apply to every individual situation. If you saved like a demon during your career, you may be able to get by on substantially less than you earned during your working years, since a large part of your income went not to supporting your lifestyle, but funding your savings accounts.
If, on the other hand, you plan to live large in retirement, you may need more than 90% of your pre-retirement income to afford the lifestyle you prefer.
Clearly, replacement ratios aren't an exact science; choosing the percentage that's right for you involves a bit of subjective judgment based on your experience and expectations. Still, if you're planning for a retirement that is a decade or more away, I think that setting a target replacement rate -- whether it's 70%, 80%, 90% or some other figure -- is a reasonable approach for estimating how much you need to save each year for retirement and to gauge whether you're on track.
Many retirement calculators, including T. Rowe Price's Retirement Income Calculator -- rely on this approach.
But when you get into the home stretch to retirement -- say, within 10 years or so of calling it a career -- you'll want to get a more detailed and accurate assessment of what your actual retirement expenses will be. And the best way to do that is to create an actual retirement budget.
You can do that a number of ways, but I think you'll find it most convenient to use one of the free online budgeting tools. For example, BlackRock's Retirement Expense Worksheet lists more than four dozen separate outlays, including ongoing living expenses (mortgage/rent, home maintenance, transportation, food, clothing, health insurance, etc.) as well as discretionary items (entertainment, travel, charitable donations, hobbies, etc.).
Even as you draw closer to retirement, however, you'll still be dealing in estimates. Without a crystal ball you can't foresee exactly how your expenses might change or what unanticipated expenditures or emergencies might pop up.
But the closer you get to your planned retirement date, the better the sense you should have of what your actual spending needs will be. Plus you can refine your budget as you go along. And in fact, if you take the time to put a little thought into how you plan to live after you retire -- an exercise I call "retirement lifestyle planning"-- you should be able to come up with a fairly decent estimate of the expenses you'll incur and how much income you need to live the post-career life you envision.
Once you've arrived at an estimate you feel comfortable with, you can then plug that figure into a retirement calculator instead of inserting a percentage of your pre-retirement income. By going through this process every year or so -- i.e., updating your retirement spending estimate, your nest egg's balance, expected retirement date and projected Social Security benefit -- you can get a sense of whether you're on track to retire or whether you need to make some adjustments.
All of which is to say that, as a practical matter, I think most people have no choice but to base their retirement planning on some target replacement ratio, usually between 70% and 90% of their pre-retirement income. But once you're within shouting distance of retirement, it makes sense to switch to estimating the actual expenses you're likely to incur.
Even then, however, you won't be able to forecast your retirement expenses with 100% accuracy. Health care expenses alone are a big wild card. So you'll still need to allow for some uncertainty and, assuming you want your nest egg to last as long as you do, be willing to be flexible about how much you spend.


Resistant, accessible and clean, three qualities present in all Venesta products.
The major airline hub in the Middle East consists of three terminals which cater for around 80 million passengers a year. There are over 7,000 weekly flights operated by 140 airlines to over 230 destinations. Terminal 3 is the largest airport terminal in the world and also the largest building in the world (by floor space).
Venesta were asked to design a washroom which could cater for the hustle and bustle of a busy airport, catering for millions of individuals on a day to day basis. The products therefore needed to be resistant, accessible and clean, three qualities present in all Venesta products meaning they were definitely up to the challenge.
Venesta's Urban range was the perfect solution. A flush fronted cubicle with a floating appearance and stainless steel fittings, coupled with solid grade laminate panels offering the ultimate combination of strength and elegance, epitomising the image of one of the world's busiest airports.


Welcome to the membership process of Christ Covenant Presbyterian Church. Becoming a member of Christ Covenant is a significant step. We believe that it should be a process that encourages you to grow as a Christian, provides you with information about our church, and in the end allows you to biblically commit yourself to our faith family.
We need a separate application for each member of your family who wants to join as a communing member (someone who participates in the Lord's Supper).
This application is a bit lengthy and must be done in one sitting. Please make sure you have enough time before you begin. Also please don't forget to hit SUBMIT at the bottom so that we can receive your submission.
If you have any questions about this process or about who needs to fill out an application, please don't hesitate to get in touch with Joe.
In this section you'll be providing the elders of Christ Covenant information about you and your family. Please be as detailed and candid as you'd like to be in answering these questions. Your answers will help the elders get to know you before your membership interview.
The next section is completely optional. This is your chance to tell us about any particular needs you or your family might have that could help our elders minister to you better.
Do you have any pastoral concerns that you'd like to share with the elders of Christ Covenant?
Do you have any health problems you want the elders to know about?
Have you ever had any professional counseling or therapeutic treatments that you want the elders to know about?
Do you have particular family problems or concerns that you want the elders to be aware of?
Are there any child custody or child support arrangements that you want the elders to know about?
Have you ever been or are you now under any sort of church discipline that you want the elders to know about?
Are there any other unique or personal aspects of your life that would help the elders better minister to you?
The membership interview is a time for the elders of our church to get to know you better. At this point in the process you have been acquainted with Christ Covenant and our elders have become better acquainted with you. When we sit down together we want to cover four things. First, we want to know if you have any questions about the church. Second, we want to hear you give a brief definition of the gospel and how you came to understand it. Third, we want to follow up with anything of note in your membership application. Fourth, if you and we think you should proceed, we'll ask you the questions of membership. The term "interview" sounds intimidating but this meeting really should not be. We want it to be the beginning of our pastoral care of you and your family. It is not uncommon for this meeting to turn into two or three meetings. This is completely normal. We want you to be comfortable with Christ Covenant. And we want to know that we've pastored you well into church membership. After you have completed the following questions, an elder will get in touch with you to schedule the interview.
What is the best time, day, or date to meet with you?
Do you have any specific concerns or questions that you definitely want to cover in the membership interview?


Rosemary Knak, 66, of Florence, died June 26 in Wichita.
Born Nov. 22, 1944, to Clear and Elizbeth (Doddy) Munson in Heart, Mich.; she married Don Knak Dec. 19, 1981, in Hillsboro.
She was preceded in death by a brother Meritt Munson and a son Dion Munson.
Survivors include her husband, Don; two daughters, Darla Conklin of Florence and Dawna Mosher of Newton; two brothers, Kevin Munson of Montague, Mich., and Lowell Munson of Muskegon, Mich.; five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Services are 2 p.m. Thursday at First Mennonite Church in Hillsboro with Pastor Susan Jantzen officiating.
Memorial funds have been established with the American Diabetes Association and Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice.


Why has the Commission developed an outdoor access mapping system?
Respect for property rights is important. So are the public rights of access over various forms of public land.
What access rights and privileges do I have?
Legal public access to the New Zealand outdoors is covered by a variety of statutes and provided by a variety of land classifications.
What forms of legal public access are available in New Zealand?
There are many different types of legal public access. This page details some of the main ones you are likely to encounter.
Can I use a motor vehicle on walking tracks?
Generally not. Even where access with vehicles is legally allowed, such as on an unformed legal road, it is a courtesy to inform the landholder.
What is the difference between a walkway established under the Walking Access Act and other walking tracks or trails?
"Gazetted walkways" are those walking tracks that have been established under the Walking Access Act 2008 and the New Zealand Walkways Act 1990.
The Outdoor Access Champion awards recognise those who have made significant and lasting contributions to public access to the outdoors in New Zealand.
We are working with Federated Farmers and Rural Women NZ to provide signage for landholders to use to mark agreeable and voluntarily granted access routes.


All of the inks in this set were provided by Franklin-Christoph for me to review. I always do my best not to allow that to sway my reviews, but it is something that I always have to put upfront in sponsored reviews.
This first one is called Midnight Emerald, and it's a bit of an enigma. I can't really figure out what to call this color. It's definitely a green/blue of some kind, but I can't put a name on it. It's a cool ink, though, and it's not much like the other blue/greens that I've got in my collection. It reminds me of some inks in the blue-black range, but it's not quite like any of them. It's more green than inks like Noodler's Air Corps or Private Reserve's Ebony Blue. It's closest to Sailor's Yama-Dori, I think, but it lacks the sheen. It's its own color.
That Targa has a nib like a paint brush, and this ink looks much different in that one than the tiny "medium" on the Tanaris. Both write smoothly with this ink.
Lots of blue, right? There's certainly a band of green in there, though.
This ink definitely looks more blue when it is wet than when it is dry. It looks like a straight-up blue when you look in the bottle, but it's certainly got green in its heritage, and that shows more when the ink dries.
This might seem kinda silly, but I really like the plastic insert in the cap of these bottles. I don't know exactly what it does, but I like it.
If there's one quibble about this ink, it's that the name on the bottle could be easier to read. It's legible here, but this is really bright sunlight, and it's harder to read inside a house.
You can find these inks at Franklin-Christoph's site for $12.50 in a 2oz glass bottle. Midnight Emerald is a unique ink, it behaves well, and it would be a good addition to your ink rotations.


text:
core50 » Rap » MC Ren - The Villain In Black
MC Ren - The Villain In Black Full Album
Mc Ren Ruthless Records Relativity Conscious
Performer: MC Ren
Title: The Villain In Black
Category: Rap
Label: Ruthless Records, Relativity
1 I Don't Give A Damn 3:53
2 It's Like That 4:34
3 Mad Scientist 4:20
4 Bring It On 4:41
5 Keep It Real 4:51
6 Live From Compton It's Saturday Night 5:54
7 Still The Same Nigga 5:26
8 Mind Blown 4:41
9 Bitch Made Nigga Killa 4:01
10 Muhammad Speaks 1:31
11 Great Elephant 3:44
483900 2 MC Ren The Villain In Black (CD, Album) Ruthless Records 483900 2 Australia 1996
88561-5544-4 MC Ren The Villain In Black (Cass, Album) Ruthless Records 88561-5544-4 US 1996
REL 483900 1, 483900 1 MC Ren The Villain In Black (LP, Album) Ruthless Records, Ruthless Records REL 483900 1, 483900 1 Europe 1996
483900 2 MC Ren The Villain In Black (CD, Album) Ruthless Records 483900 2 Europe 1996
REL 483900 4 MC Ren The Villain In Black (Cass, Album) Ruthless Records REL 483900 4 Europe 1996
Duplicated By – 52nd Street
The Villain In Black - MC Ren. Лента с персональными рекомендациями и музыкальными новинками, радио, подборки на любой вкус, удобное управление своей коллекцией. The Villain in Black is the second album by rapper MC Ren, released April 9, 1996, on Ruthless Records and distributed by Relativity Records. After the release and success of his critically acclaimed debut studio album Shock of the Hour in late 1993, MC Ren immediately began working on his sophomore album. The deaths of DJ Train and Eazy-E would however prove to be a huge setback and Ren stepped off the scene for a while. Meanwhile, he continued his work with the Nation of Islam, and visited Egypt in. The Villain In Black is the second album by American rapper MC Ren. It was released on April 9, 1996. Released shortly after the death of Eazy-E, the Villain In Black is MC Rens 2nd studio album and was released in 1996 on Ruthless Records. Singles: Keep It Real and Mad Scientist. The Villain in Black Q&A. Art Direction By Don Cunningham. Executive Producer Eazy-E. Mastered by Michael Sarsfield. Songs in album MC Ren - Da Villain in Black 1996. MC Ren - Bitch Made Nigga Killa. MC Ren - Keep It Real. MC Ren - It's Like That. MC Ren - Mad Scientist. MC Ren - Live From Compton Saturday Night. MC Ren - Still the Same Nigga. MC Ren - I Don't Give a Damn. Listen free to MC Ren The Villain In Black Bitch Made Nigga Killa, Keep It Real and more. 11 tracks 47:37. MC Ren born Lorenzo Patterson, June 14, 1969, Los Angeles Compton, California joined up with the groundbreaking gangsta rap group as he finished his senior year at Dominguez High School in Compton. By contributing hard-hitting vocals on the Straight Outta Compton 1989 album, Ren soon found himself a much more valuable member of the group after Ice Cube departed in 1989. Album 1996 11 Songs. The Villain In Black MC Ren. Hip-Hop Ren's solo career has suffered from an over-reliance on gangsta rap clichés, and his second full-length album, Da Villain in Black, is no exception. Working with Above the Law's Cold 187um, Ren has constructed an album that doesn't deviate from clichéd G-funk grooves. Furthermore, Ren hasn't come up with lyrics to match his first two solo records, let alone those of Dre, Ice Cube, or Eazy-E. Relying on profanity instead of insight, the half-hearted raps sadly fit the unimaginative music perfectly. Track Listing. Play jigsaw puzzles for free Home. MC Ren. The Villain In Black, 1996. The Villain In Black. Released: Apr 1996. Label: Villain Entertainment. B ch Made Ni a Killa
Related to MC Ren - The Villain In Black
Hassio (COL) - For My Nigga
Mafia Causin' Pain - Chillin Lika Villain
Various - Death Row Presents Dr Dre & Snoop Doggy Dogg From Compton To Longbeach
Capleton - Who You Callin' Nigga / Or Wah
TIM DOG - Bronx Nigga
Prince Jazzbo - Every Nigga Is A Winner
Clint Holmes - Got To Give In To Love / It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference
Tim Dog - Penicillin On Wax
Dope Ammo Feat Shaddy MC & Amiah - Junglist Villain (Marvellous Cain Rmx)
Coming Of Age - Compton Long Beach Style


text:
Librettist? Ah, Pathetic!
Screenwriter legend William Goldman states in his cranky classic, "The Season": If you actually think of yourself as a writer, writing a musical comedy book is degrading... You are just not going to find any writer of genuine talent making a career in this field. Well, I don't love to degrade myself, but I understand Goldman's point. I may lack genuine talent, but at least I love what I'm doing.
There is no guarantee that you will live longer if you never spoil yourself with those tempting unhealthy treats. But life will no doubt feel longer.
An Artist's Compass
I pay no attention whatever to anybody's praise or blame. I simply follow my own feelings.
Jorinda and Jorindel
There was once an old castle, that stood in the middle of a deep gloomy wood, and in the castle lived an old fairy. Now this fairy could take any shape she pleased. All the day long she flew about in the form of an owl, or crept about the country like a cat; but at night she always became an old woman again. When any young man came within a hundred paces of her castle, he became quite fixed, and could not move a step till she came and set him free; which she would not do till he had given her his word never to come there again: but when any pretty maiden came within that space she was changed into a bird, and the fairy put her into a cage, and hung her up in a chamber in the castle. There were seven hundred of these cages hanging in the castle, and all with beautiful birds in them. Now there was once a maiden whose name was Jorinda. She was prettier than all the pretty girls that ever were seen before, and a shepherd lad, whose name was Jorindel, was very fond of her, and they were soon to be married. One day they went to walk in the wood, that they might be alone; and Jorindel said, 'We must take care that we don't go too near to the fairy's castle.' It was a beautiful evening; the last rays of the setting sun shone bright through the long stems of the trees upon the green underwood beneath, and the turtle-doves sang from the tall birches. Jorinda sat down to gaze upon the sun; Jorindel sat by her side; and both felt sad, they knew not why; but it seemed as if they were to be parted from one another for ever. They had wandered a long way; and when they looked to see which way they should go home, they found themselves at a loss to know what path to take. The sun was setting fast, and already half of its circle had sunk behind the hill: Jorindel on a sudden looked behind him, and saw through the bushes that they had, without knowing it, sat down close under the old walls of the castle. Then he shrank for fear, turned pale, and trembled. Jorinda was just singing,
'The ring-dove sang from the willow spray,
He mourn'd for the fate of his darling mate, when her song stopped suddenly. Jorindel turned to see the reason, and beheld his Jorinda changed into a nightingale, so that her song ended with a mournful _jug, jug_. An owl with fiery eyes flew three times round them, and three times screamed:
'Tu whu! Tu whu! Tu whu!'
There stay! Oh, stay!
Hie away! away!'
Jorindel could not move; he stood fixed as a stone, and could neither weep, nor speak, nor stir hand or foot. And now the sun went quite down; the gloomy night came; the owl flew into a bush; and a moment after the old fairy came forth pale and meagre, with staring eyes, and a nose and chin that almost met one another. She mumbled something to herself, seized the nightingale, and went away with it in her hand. Poor Jorindel saw the nightingale was gone--but what could he do? He could not speak, he could not move from the spot where he stood. At last the fairy came back and sang with a hoarse voice:
'Till the prisoner is fast,
And her doom is cast,
When the charm is around her,
And the spell has bound her,
On a sudden Jorindel found himself free. Then he fell on his knees before the fairy, and prayed her to give him back his dear Jorinda: but she laughed at him, and said he should never see her again; then she
went her way. He prayed, he wept, he sorrowed, but all in vain. 'Alas!' he said, 'what will become of me?' He could not go back to his own home, so he went to a strange village, and employed himself in keeping sheep. Many a time did he walk round and round as near to the hated castle as he dared go, but all in vain; he heard or saw nothing of Jorinda. At last he dreamt one night that he found a beautiful purple flower, and that in the middle of it lay a costly pearl; and he dreamt that he plucked the flower, and went with it in his hand into the castle, and that everything he touched with it was disenchanted, and that there he found his Jorinda again.
In the morning when he awoke, he began to search over hill and dale for this pretty flower; and eight long days he sought for it in vain: but on the ninth day, early in the morning, he found the beautiful purple flower; and in the middle of it was a large dewdrop, as big as a costly pearl. Then he plucked the flower, and set out and travelled day and night, till he came again to the castle. He walked nearer than a hundred paces to it, and yet he did not become fixed as before, but found that he could go quite close up to the door. Jorindel was very glad indeed to see this. Then he touched the door with the flower, and it sprang open; so that he went in through the court, and listened when he heard so many birds singing. At last he came to the chamber where the fairy sat, with the seven hundred birds singing in the seven hundred cages. When she saw Jorindel she was very angry, and screamed with rage; but she could not come within two yards of him, for the flower he held in his hand was his safeguard. He looked around at the birds, but alas! there were many, many nightingales, and how then should he find out which was his Jorinda? While he was thinking what to do, he saw the fairy had taken down one of the cages, and was making the best of her way off through the door. He ran or flew after her, touched the cage with the flower, and Jorinda stood before him, and threw her arms round his neck looking as beautiful as ever, as beautiful as when they walked together in the wood.
Then he touched all the other birds with the flower, so that they all took their old forms again; and he took Jorinda home, where they were married, and lived happily together many years: and so did a good many other lads, whose maidens had been forced to sing in the old fairy's cages by themselves, much longer than they liked.
"It's advantageous to an author that his book should be attacked as well as praised. Fame is a shuttlecock. If it be struck at only one end of the room, it will soon fall to the ground. To keep it up, it must be struck at both ends."
Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)
"Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."
Christopher Robin to Winnie-the-Pooh (A. A. Milne, 1882-1956)
"I am not alone at all, I thought. I was never alone at all. And that, of course, is the message of Christmas. We are never alone. Not when the night is darkest, the wind coldest, the world seemingly most indifferent. For this is still the time God chooses."
Taylor Caldwell
"There's nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child."
Erma Bombeck (1927-1996)
"Berlioz says nothing in his music, but he says it magnificently."
James Gibbons Huneker
"There is no wealth but life."
John Ruskin (1819-1900)
An American producer had commissioned Igor Stravinsky to compose a ballet. After the opening in Philadelphia, the producer sent Stravinsky a telegram which read: Your music great success Stop Could be sensational success if you would authorize Robert Russell Bennett retouch orchestration Stop Bennett orchestrates even the works of Cole Porter Stop. Stravinsky wired back: Satisfied with great success Stop.
Wrong Priority
"Men take only their needs into consideration - never their abilities."
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821)
Aaron Talkin' About Face Book
Great Heretics
"For you are not to suppose, brethren, that heresies could be produced through any little souls. None save great men have been the authors of heresies."
Saint Augustine (354-430)
"Integrity has no need of rules."
In his novel Lotte in Weimar, Thomas Mann lets Goethe make a remarkable statement: "People forget that you must first be a great man before you can be a great poet." I think Mann/Goethe is absolutely right, and not only with respect to poets. You cannot be great in anything without being a great human being. We should revise our education system from this perspective.
A Writer's Fate
Why is it that even successful writers are often too modest to demand their share of credit and respect? It has to do with our profession. As writers, we're always starting all over again. Being a playwright, you have to live with despair, resentment, rejection and failure. Whenever you deserve praise, there are many others to take it away. If what you wrote is a success, it's the director's merit; if it's a flop, you get all the blame. Take it and live with it, or try to find another line of work. You can always become a director.
Dispraise
"People are never more ready to believe you as when you say things in dispraise of yourself; and you are never so much annoyed as when they take you at your word."
Somerset Maugham
"Life is like a blanket too short. You pull it up and your toes rebel, you yank it down and shivers meander about your shoulder; but cheerful folks manage to draw their knees up and pass a very comfortable night."
Marion Howard
Defuse Hatred!
"Hatred is corrosive of a person's wisdom and conscience; the mentality of enmity can poison a nation's spirit, instigate brutal life and death struggles, destroy a society's tolerance and humanity, and block a nation's progress to freedom and democracy. I hope therefore to be able to transcend my personal vicissitudes in understanding the development of the state and changes in society, to counter the hostility of the regime with the best of intentions, and defuse hate with love."
A motorist caught speeding in London two years ago moved to New Zealand only to be booked by the same police officer for again exceeding the limit, reports said Wednesday.
Former London bobby Andy Flitton ticketed the man in Britain two years ago, shortly before migrating to New Zealand -- then caught him again in September on a highway in the South Island, the New Zealand Herald reported.
Flitton, who now works for the New Zealand traffic police, said he had forgotten about the original booking until the man approached him while he was writing out the ticket.
"He asked if I had worked in London, I said 'yes'. He asked if I used to operate the laser gun on the A5 in North London, I said 'yes'," Flitton told the newspaper.
"And he said 'I thought it was you, you gave me my last speeding ticket there two years ago'."
Flitton said the man told him he had moved to New Zealand two weeks before his latest booking, unaware his nemesis was also in the same country.
"We must have some sort of connection," he said. "He only ever broke the law twice and both times I was the one to give him a ticket... it just shows what a small world it really is."
"Those who belong to the orthodox faiths claim that the authority of their faith rests on revelation, and that revelation is given in the pages of books and accounts of miracles and wonders whose nature is supernatural. But those of us who have long discarded the belief in the supernatural still are in the presence of revelations which are the foundation of faith. We too have our revealed religion. We have looked upon the face of men and women that can be to us the symbols of that which is holy. We have heard words of sacred wisdom and truth spoken in the human voice. Out of the universe there have come to us these experience which, when accepted, give to us revelations, not of supernatural religion, but of a natural and inevitable faith in the spiritual powers that animate and dwell in the center of [a person's] being."
John Lovejoy Elliott (1868-1942)
"This would have been the 70th birthday year for John if only he was here. But people are not questioning if he is here or not. They just love him and are keeping him alive with their love. I've received notes from people in all corners of the world letting me know that they were celebrating this year to thank John for having given us so much in his 40 short years on earth."
Wonder Drug
New research shows that taking one Aspirin per day reduces the risk of tumor cancer. From two groups of people the one that took Aspirin over a ten year period developed 21% less cancer, reports the New York Times in yesterday's edition.
It took me fifteen years to discover that I had no talent for writing, but I couldn't give it up because by that time I was too famous.
Robert Benchley (1889 - 1945)
Illiterates
"Musicals continue to be the only art form, popular or otherwise, that is publicly critcized by illiterates."
Three Pianos
"An evening based on Schubert's "Winterreise" seems an unlikely antidepressant. But Rick Burkhardt, Alec Duffy and Dave Malloy give this gloomy song cycle an amusing theatrical makeover in Three Pianos ...in the scrappy and surreal piece, the 24-part song cycle unfolds amid cleverly constructed mayhem, with Mr. Duffy, Mr. Malloy and Mr. Burkhardt metamorphosing among characters and centuries. Scenes shift with dizzying speed…they leap among pianos and pound out the songs with irreverent twists…Like the drama, the pianos are never static — energetically pushed and pulled around the set as giant props. Liquor was plentiful on set and off; bottles of wine and cups were distributed among the audience, which seemed thoroughly entertained by the trio's goofy and touching musings about love, life and art."
Helen Shaw, Time Out New York
A Good Reason For A Trip To London
The well-reviewed Broadway production of The Merchant of Venice, starring Academy Award winner Al Pacino, could possibly cross the Atlantic for a London run, according to the Daily Mail. British producers Duncan C. Weldon and Paul Elliott are reportedly in talks with the Public Theater and the Merchant producing team about bringing the production to the West End. There has also been speculation that The Merchant of Venice will likely extend its Broadway engagement, which is currently scheduled to conclude its limited, 78-performance run Jan. 9, 2011.
Musical Boom On Broadway
It's hard to recall a Broadway season full of so many expensive musicals like the upcoming first half of 2011. One, "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark," with its record-setting price tag of $65 million, has disproportionately skewed the shows' total costs of more than $135 million, in their Broadway debuts. Among the other coming big-budget musicals are "Wonderland," at a cost of $15 million and featuring music by Frank Wildhorn, who works regularly on Broadway ("Dracula, the Musical," "The Scarlet Pimpernel"); "Catch Me" at $13 million, featuring music by the Tony winners Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman ("Hairspray"); "Sister Act" (with music by Glenn Slater and the Academy Award-winning composer Alan Menken) and "Priscilla" at about $10 million apiece; and "The Book of Mormon," whose cost has not been disclosed but is likely to total at least several million dollars. The "Mormon" music is by another new team, Robert Lopez of "Avenue Q" and Trey Parker and Matt Stone of the television series "South Park." One reason for the bounty of new musicals is ready money. The stock and bond markets remain uncertain investments, but there is still plenty of investor money sloshing around, as record-setting art auctions have shown. While only 25 to 30 percent of Broadway shows make back their investments each year, a hit musical has been an abiding dream for generations of investors, and taking a chance on Broadway can be considerably more fun than watching stock tickers, producers say.
About Failure
In choosing the perfect project to work on, all artists must follow their creative conscience and their instincts. There is no such thing as a certified success. There is nothing wrong with falling, as long as you don't fall from the lowest rung of the ladder. It's better to be proud of a gem that failed than to be ashamed of some successful trash.