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ARTIST - Elise Lieberth: Saturday, November 6
Colorado native Elise Lieberth has been singing her whole life. From the time she could talk, she would line her stuffed animals up as if they were her audience. While entering extremely dark years during her childhood, she would retreat to her room and turn the music up as loud as possible to drown out the pain, hurt, and screaming that often echoed throughout the house. She began putting her feelings into songs at age eight and has been writing ever since as a way to cope with the pain.
From the time she was ten years old until high school, she was kidnapped by her father for several weeks, she was severely bullied, her parents divorced, her father battled extreme, untreated bipolar disorder and alcoholism, she endured sexual assault, she contemplated suicide, and was exposed to many heartbreaking experiences that she hopes no other human, let alone a child, has to experience.
Elise has always had a strong faith in God and credits Him, her mother, and music for giving her strength during the tough times.
Things were turning around for her in high school: she was selected to be in the top choir, had wonderful Christian friends and mentors, and had big dreams of moving to Nashville to live in a box--if that's what it took for her to follow her musical endeavors and dreams. She fell in love with a fellow musician, he completely stole her heart, and before she knew it, she was pregnant at the ripe age of 17, changing the course of her dreams and life forever.
She was married at nineteen, had her second child at twenty, quickly was divorced, and was left a single mom of two kids at age twenty-one. She was determined not to let her past define her, ruin her, or stop her from dreaming. With two small kids looking up to their mom, she continued to pursue music. She was in several bands, including a disco band, but wasn't successful until 2009, when she reached out to local musician Tyler Ward to collaborate on several songs she had written and, to her surprise, found he was an incredible producer. She began writing and recording with Tyler and released a seven-song EP, Letters From Elise, in May 2010. She grew a nice fan base and YouTube following and credits the start of her YouTube following to a random idea she had to do a cover of "We Are The World", since it was being remade at the time. Tyler loved the idea, gathered several talented local artists for the project, and to their surprise, the song went viral and changed her musical career in the best way possible.
Her song, "You're Gonna Pay" was written the day after she was raped; the lyrics just poured out of her through tears, embarrassment, and pain in a matter of minutes, and it was not meant to be released, but after realizing her story had the chance to help others who suffered the same pain, she knew she had to release it, and the feedback was truly tremendous. It was painful to hear others' experiences, but it gave hope to her and others that she was not alone, that this is a real thing that happens, and something needs to be done in our society, because this can't be a social norm.
Elise is a romantic at heart, and waited for her prince, if you will. She normally fell in love hard and fast, and that often left her heartbroken. Finally, she met a man who swept her off her feet and reminded her what true love really means. During that time, she also released her self-titled, full-length album in December 2012. She was married in March 2013, and they welcomed their third child in October 2013. She decided to put music on the back burner as she focused her time on her family.
In 2014, she lost her dad in a tragic incident where, ultimately, his mental illness took his life. Elise took on a lot of the blame and became very depressed and felt hopeless. She had her fourth child in 2015, suffered from postpartum depression, and was later diagnosed with PTSD and anxiety disorder. After several years of battling depression, she sought the help she needed, went to therapy, and discovered that she had lost a little of what made her 'Elise'. The two things she was missing the most were music, the best therapy she has ever known, and Jesus, where her true worth and redemption was found.
In January 2018, she reached out to local musician/singer/songwriter/actress Rachel James. In Elise's words, she is, "the most talented human I have ever met, with the most beautiful, genuine, and kind heart." They began collaborating; bouncing ideas, lyrics and melodies off of each other; and eventually recorded the eight songs that make up her upcoming third album, titled Invincible. The expected release date is May 2019.
Elise owns several businesses: She owns an in-home dog boarding business, and she is an independent consultant and owner of her own virtual skincare business with Rodan + Fields. She is dreaming bigger than ever, has been through years of therapy, and she is a work in progress but chooses to continue to work on self-development. She has found a home church and is not letting her past define her--letting it inspire her and, hopefully, others, instead.


That phrase of Ziggy's rattled around in my head to the point where I had to write it down as a song lyric because it had a kind of bluesy rhythm to it: "Nothing that time won't fix." Downbeat on "time" is the three. You hear it? One-and-nothing that TIME won't fix.
Thing is, I didn't believe for a second that what he wanted time to fix was just me getting off the road with Nomad and onto the road with him. But I was used to Ziggy saying things that had multiple meanings. I'd come to realize that wasn't him lying so much as his truth: there's always more than one thing going on. Sometimes the multiple things going on were all in his head, and sometimes they were futures that wouldn't all come to pass, and sometimes they were based on possible interpretations of the past that hadn't yet shaken out.
If I thought like that, I'd go crazy. I'd spend way too much time worrying about whether my personhood was valid in the shifting realities around me.
We headed back to Great Woods in the early afternoon. Guess who drove? Not me–trying to drive with a cast on my hand was asking for trouble. Courtney. Apparently at some point in the past two years Christian had started trusting her with the van, and since there was a pretty big truckload of us heading back to the venue it made sense to take the van. It was also a Saturday, which might have added to the number of friends and family hanging out backstage. After all, I wasn't the only one with people in the area.
Remo, of course, wouldn't have it any other way, even if all the kids and hangers on meant extra work for security. Great Woods had a pretty extensive backstage area, with multiple outbuildings, and main catering was set up in a large tent alongside one of them. That tent was basically like a nonstop family barbecue, not least of which because Sheree turned up with her and Louis's kids. I think there were three of them… I may be wrong on the number.
I mostly remember Louis showing his daughter–who was about twelve?–how to control the lights before soundcheck. She moved her hands across the control board with fierce purpose on her face. Louis waggled his eyebrows at me behind her back and I came over.
"Diane, do you want to meet Daron?" he asked her.
She crossed her arms with an expression I interpreted as I'm always good. "Okay. What's this do?" She pointed to another row of controls.
I moved on before I could get tempted to/talked into letting DeeDee tag along with me since who knew what form of Ziggy being Ziggy I was going to encounter. For the most part lately, of course, he had been a fairly responsible and mature human being. But there was always the chance, I felt, that I might stumble upon him with the latest version of Ecstasy Girl. Especially since he'd disappeared from sight somewhat suddenly–or at least it had seemed sudden to me. There were a lot of people around to talk to besides each other. I was distracted.
I hadn't thought about it before, but as rock concerts go, a Nomad show is a relatively family-friendly one. We don't talk that much so there's only a little swearing, and there are no half-naked dancers. No half-naked musicians either, come to think of it. No one even smokes onstage (or off–they had all quit long before then). A couple of the songs are raunchy but in a roundabout way. Remo isn't the type to grab his crotch (or anyone else's), you know?
Anyway, I thought maybe I'd find Ziggy dishing with Clarice and Fran, but no. Getting into a fight with Jam? No. Talking gear with Colin and Flip? No. Psychoanalyzing me with Carynne and Court? No.
It was time for soundcheck before I found him. I told both Colin and Carynne to be on the lookout for him, but no one was ready to panic yet. Not even me.
"Who's got today's lounge act?" I asked, when the band was assembled.
No one moved at first, then a few looked around at each other. Still no one came forward. The horns mumbled about how they were working on a thing but they weren't ready to show it to the rest of us yet, looking kind of sheepish, like kids who hadn't done their homework. Gotta love 'em. I had to play along with clucking my tongue like they were letting me down but inside I was clicking my heels: they were practicing for this! So awesome. I couldn't believe how into my stupid stunt idea people had gotten.
I had been planning for the contingency of what would happen if we ever hit a day where nobody had anything up their sleeve and I had two choices. One was just hit them with a cover of something I knew, which was the easy fallback position, and the other was to force them to jam with me on the spot.
And I didn't play but kind of listened in my head to the riff I had planned, and I sang the first couple of words that came into my head: "I've got time, time. I've got time, time." I put in some hand claps almost flamenco like to keep that vocal riff going and Fran quickly turned it a little bit gospel by adding "Lord" on the offbeat.
So then I came in with a chugging guitar riff and they both sang at the same time, like the wheels of a locomotive going around and around. When the groove was well established they started to improvise a little, dropping out and coming back in like their two parts were call and response, and then both singing at the same time again. I took up Fran's vocal part while she went off on a nice little vocal solo, part blues, part gospel, building up a melody and some sentences that didn't have to rhyme, they just had to wrap around the concept of the words, which were vague enough that you could probably do a lot with it.
I was cheating a little because this wasn't a blues progression at all, it was almost all one chord with just one change with a jazzy note which is why it could just go around and around without ever resolving. But that meant the phrase was so short you could keep track of it just by instinct, no counting required.
With exhortations in between my verses from the band and onlookers to "Sing it!" "That's right!" and so on. I jumped back into the chorus then and looked at Clarice who waggled her finger no-no-no at me and said "Uh-uh, I ain't following that!" Which caused me and Fran to crack up and the song to come to a rather hilarious end. I took a bow.
"Yeah, yeah," he said, and laughed.
"All right, enough fun, time to work," I said, going to my actual microphone facing the audience instead of the band.
And that's when I found Ziggy. He was sitting all the way in the last row of amphitheater seats, smack dab in the center. By himself. He was too far away for me to make out his facial expression but he was hunched over, like maybe he was writing and had his notebook on his knees.
I didn't take my eyes off him the whole soundcheck.
That's exactly how I feel, most of the time! And he must love having someone as steady and straightforward as you, Daron, even when you're having your freakout moments. They're still straightforward.
He's definitely good at taking things to extremes. But I suspect that's part of what you love so much about him….
Wow. That was excellent writing. I have rhythms and snippets of melody and body percussion noises in my head.
Thank you. I feel like writing about music is sometimes like dancing about painting. :-) I can hear it in my head but the important thing is that readers hear something that fits in their own heads, too.
Look at you guys, together but working separately. A new normal.
why the heck was it called great woods anyway?


Carpal tunnel syndrome is characterized by the compression of the nerve at the base of the palm. Patients referred to Carrie Swigart, MD, a hand surgeon at the Department of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation at Yale Medicine, often experience numbness at night as well as tingling during daytime activities such as driving and typing. This video looks at the symptoms, risks and treatments for carpal tunnel, highlighting when minimally invasive surgery is an option.


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5 Lessons I Learned During My First Year in Business
That first year in business is one of the hardest. You're learning how to sell your products and services while simultaneously figuring out how to build a business. It's a lot like flying a plane while you build it, as the saying goes.
The good news is that the vast majority of small businesses do survive their first year. In fact, a resounding 79.8% were still in business after Year 1, according to the US Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy. That's not to say surviving and thriving are easy. That first year provides many opportunities for growth.
So if you think back to the biggest and most important lessons you learned that first year as a business owner, what would they be? Or as you're creating the foundations for your business during your own first year, what have you learned so far?
We asked dozens of women entrepreneurs that question and distilled their answers down to the five we thought were the most insightful. You surely had your own five biggest lessons, and they may be completely different from this list. But as you continue to grow your venture, these may be lessons you need to learn now.
The people you hire at the start may not be able to grow with you. Paige Arnof-Fenn, founder and CEO of Mavens & Moguls marketing consulting firm, learned that lesson the hard way, she says. Her mistake that first year was "not getting rid of weak people earlier…I spent more time managing them than finding new customers." Loyalty is what led her to hold onto them even when they were no longer the best choice for the roles they were in.
"As soon as I let them go, the culture got stronger and the bar higher," she says. Hire slowly and fire quickly is now her mantra.
Prioritize what skills you should learn, rent, or buy. Juli Lassow, founder and principal of JHL Solutions retail business consulting and management firm, strongly advises assessing your areas of strength so you can build your business around your "superpowers." Then "focus on what needs you can't meet today and quickly decide how you'll want to address the gaps," says Lassow. She sees the options as learning the skill yourself, such as the basics of social media; outsourcing tasks to an expert, such as if you need a website designed and don't see yourself needing that skill regularly; or buying tools or systems that will help you solve issues or fill a need.
"For technical areas of expertise, such as legal or accounting services, I would highly encourage that you prioritize your funds to hire an expert. The upfront investment will help you build a stronger foundation and save you money in the long run," says Lassow.
Set boundaries for yourself. "The first six months are tough because there is no groundwork to build off of," says Ashley Lim, founder and CEO of Mansa Tea, a handcrafted aged tea company. You have to do everything from scratch, for the first time. "From product planning to supply chain management to marketing, there is so much on your plate and not enough time," Lim says. Feeling overwhelmed is common and possibly preventable, by taking breaks, setting limits on what you expect of yourself each day, and being willing to hand off tasks that you don't personally need to tackle, such as bookkeeping, ordering supplies, or creating online content.
Saloni Doshi, CEO of EcoEnclose, a sustainable shipping supplies company, avoids overwhelm by mapping out her priorities each month. "Then each week, I plan how much time I'd like to spend on each one. It's a great way to make sure you're organized, hitting your goals, and making time for the things that matter," Doshi says.
Test your product, again, and again, and again. Lori Cheek, founder and CEO of Cheekd, a Bluetooth mobile dating app, learned from not testing her website before earning major publicity. "When we got covered in the New York Times nearly five years ago, we got site traffic from all over the world until Cheekd crashed," Cheek says. Once back up, the company started getting orders from customers nationwide. "It was the biggest day in the history of Cheekd," she confirms.
But her jubilation turned to frustration when she discovered that the company's web developer had toggled a button "off" to prevent customer credit card data from being captured and saved. That was problematic since Cheekd's business model is based on a recurring subscription model that requires credit card data to be stored. She estimates the company lost on the order of $30,000 from hundreds of orders that couldn't be renewed. Her takeaway? Test everything to make sure it works as you expect before launching.
Communicate consistently with your customers. The number one reason that customers stop doing business with you is perceived indifference. According to the Peppers & Rogers Group, 60% of customers stop buying from you because they that they think you don't care about them. How can you combat that? Be in touch. Send friendly emails to see how they're doing, connect on social media, send out a newsletter, pick up the phone. Do all you can to show you care about your customers' well-being as individuals, and not just people who spend money with you.
Alex Tran, a deals and lifestyle blogger at Schimiggy, quickly discovered that online customers appreciate talking to a live human. About 13% of her customers are repeat buyers, she says, who "do more than just purchase. They interact with me on social media and through my blog and I've become friends with many!"
That first year is tough, but as time goes on, you should be proud of all you've accomplished—the connections you've made, skills you've developed, network you've established, and recognition you've received as a result of your idea and your efforts.
Your second year in business may not be easier, but it will definitely be different, full of new ideas, customers, and experiences you can continue to learn from.
Apply right now by telling us your story. No lengthy, complicated forms.
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Love love love this pic!!
Sure, Dino, you're the best golden pillow ever!!!
Your sis is soooooooooooo lucky to have you all for her!!!
HAppy New year to you and your special family!!!
Sweet golden hugs and licks!!!
Oh, what a nice moving ( and warm too) pillow you have Ashley.
You make the BEST pillow ever!!!


Join some amazingly talented PS 9 parents at our third annual Jazz Night: BK Collective on Saturday, March 30 at Littlefield!
PS 9 parents Stephan Crump, Miles Okazaki, Dan Garcia, Aruan Ortiz, and Sameer Gupta are deep in rehearsals and are planning a gorgeous evening of music.
We are going paperless! Physical tickets will not be issued for the show. Your purchase will be recorded and your name added to a door list.


Almighty God, your Son Jesus Christ has promised that you will hear us when we ask in faith: receive the prayers we offer.
Strengthen your people for their witness and work in the world. Fill your ministers with your Spirit, that they may faithfully preach the gospel and administer your holy sacraments. Unite in the truth all who confess your name, that we may live together in love and proclaim your glory in all the world.
the peoples of the world and their leaders; countries in crisis; the Queen of Australia, leaders of Federal, State and local government; the police and those who administer our laws; all who have responsibility; all men and women in their daily work.
Give wisdom to those in authority in every land, and give to all peoples a desire for righteousness and peace, with the will to work together in trust, to seek the common good and to share with justice the resources of the earth,.
We commend to your keeping, Father, ourselves and each other, our families, our neighbours, and our friends. Enable us by your Spirit to live in love for you and for one another.
Comfort and heal, merciful Lord, all who are in sorrow, need, sickness, or any other trouble. Give them a firm trust in your goodness; help those who minister to them; and bring us all into the joy of your salvation.
We praise you, Lord God, for your faithful servants in every age, and ask that we may share with them Christ's resurrection glory, through his death and rising again for our salvation.
receive the prayers we offer.
Guide with your wisdom and power the leaders of the nations, so that everyone may live in peace and mutual trust, sharing with justice the resources of the earth. Give the people of this land a spirit of unselfishness, compassion, and fairness in public and private life.
Send out the light and truth of your gospel and bring people everywhere to know and love you. Enable those who minister among us to commend your truth by their example and teaching. May we gladly receive and obey your word.
We commend to your fatherly care, merciful God, all who are in sorrow, sickness, discouragement or any other trouble. Give them patience and a firm trust in your goodness. Help those who care for them, and bring us all into the joy of your salvation.
We praise you for all your servants whose lives have honoured Christ. Encourage us by their example, so that we may run with perseverance the race that lies before us, and share with them the fullness of joy in your kingdom.
A Prayer Book for Australia (modified).
you generously provide all things for us.
and deliver them from all their afflictions.
All this we ask for the sake of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
and all you richly provide.
All governments rule under your authority.
seeking your justice and peace in every law and action.
to fulfil their responsibilities with integrity and an attitude of service.
weakened by illness, or oppressed by cruelty.
May they know your love and experience your care.
in the death and resurrection of your Son.
May all people hear the call to trust you.
Help your people to display your compassion to all those in need.
their true wealth and sure destiny.


Capturing sirens and fairytales in L.A.
For as long as I can remember I've been drawn to fairytales and fantasy. This love for all things otherworldly slips into my pictures, particularly those that I approach as personal work. Simply put, whenever I have 100% creative control. I approach this pictures as a fine art piece, a moment captured from a story.
When I was in L.A. this summer, Phase One kindly sent out a camera. It was a 645DF body with an IQ250 digital back (for the low light capabilities) and a couple of lenses, the 80mm and the 45mm. I tested both and decided that the 80mm felt the most suited to the images I wanted to create. That leads me on to my next story, creating the "Siren" series.
This was my first time to LA, however, thanks to the internet and Instagram in particular, I already had a couple of creatives in mind whom I wanted to work with. It was simply a case of reaching out and getting people on board. I always find that no matter where I am in the world the creative network is small, where everyone knows each other and LA was no exception.
I pitched the idea to Jessica Dru (the model) and Vanessa (the designer + assistant), both got on board and both women miraculously managed to give me some time despite their busy schedules! Caley of Miss G Designs, the headdress designer, loaned me some pieces especially for the shoot and Jessica bought along an incredibly lovely (and heavy!) shell mantle on loan to her from designer, Fortunate Nora. I didn't feel the need to involve a makeup or hair artist, as Jessica assured me she was quite competent at applying her own makeup and for the hair, I'd already prepped a wig that I wanted to use.
I often shoot in the late evenings, particularly twilight, using the last of the setting sun's soft golden light. I thought this would be a great opportunity to see how well the camera dealt with low natural light.
It was my first time using a Phase One on location and I can honestly say, I was quite impressed! The camera focused incredibly well, this is notable as I was quite paranoid about it. Since I only had this one opportunity to capture everything with this team and limited lighting, getting unfocused images was not an option. In the end it turned out that I was worried about nothing. I would often focus and refocus before capturing a moment and as a result nearly all of my pictures were sharp and in focus.
I often shoot around the subject to give myself options in case I wanted to expand the image later. Shooting with a Phase One was fairly straight forward and when it came to piecing the image together later in Photoshop I enjoyed being able to zoom in and select easily.
For this series, I began my post process in Capture One. After going through the images, and making selects using the star ratings, I enjoyed a little colour play exploring the various directions that the colour balance could go in with various tones. Since the Phase One retains so much information this part was quite fun as I could push the colours much further than if I had shot with my usual camera.
For these images I used the colour balance adjustments, using the 3-way colour wheels adjusting the shadow, midtones, and highlights.
I also adjusted the Exposure, High Dynamic Range, Clarity and Curves adjustments. Capture One offers a lot by way of colour toning and layers too but since I had some compositing to do in Photoshop I focused on getting a base colour that I could then build up from.
Once I was happy with the way the images looked, I copied and applied the adjustments across the set. This is such a useful function in the program. It allowed me to quickly get a particular colour scheme replicated across several pictures, which was perfect for my workflow. I then exported the pictures, saving them as PSDs and selected the "Open in Photoshop" prompt.
Once the images were open in Photoshop, I began the rest of the editing process. This usually starts off with image composition. Anyone who follows my work knows that I like to add and remove elements to create a unique picture, often bringing together several images to create one final shot. I then follow that up with dodge & burn and colour toning in a more controlled setting, using lots of layers, textures, and layer masks to create a depth of colour toning that is in keeping with my aesthetic.
I can honestly say, I truly loved creating with a Phase One and feel that it took my work to another level. If possible, I could happily use it for every picture I created. I enjoyed the size of the picture, knowing that I could print large scale prints from it.
I enjoyed the incredible clarity that comes from a perfectly focused picture. I was particularly taken by the lovely detail that is retained in the eyes of the subject. And lastly, I loved how I could push the colour toning in so many directions. It really does make for a versatile camera and I can see why Phase One's are used by so many of the industry's elite. I've already started saving up for mine!
Bella is a fine art and fashion photographer currently based in Oxford & London, England. Inspired by fairytales, nature and strong feminine characters Bella's pictures lift the veil of the overlooked and reminds us that there's magic in the most ordinary of spaces.
Congratulations on your fantastic work.
Post processing is a work of art.


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• Great chance for building development at popular location of Collingwood area.
• Existing is a solid bungalow in a very livable condition and tenanted.
• These two properties has to assemble together to build ten Stack Town Houses.


Today, we welcome our Carey Summer Pastoral Leadership student, Bryony Large. Bryony has completed her first year in the three year pastoral leadership diploma course at Carey. During the year, Bryony has been placed at Hillcrest Baptist in Hamilton. This morning, Bryony will share some of her story that led her to Carey; she will also be speaking on the story of Jericho from the Book of Joshua.


Variety – it's the spice of life! Whichever variety takes your fancy you'll be in for a real treat. Starting on Monday and continuing right through until Friday these breaks are packed full of traditional favourites. Plus of course, there's a packed programme of daytime activities to enjoy if you want to.


Drop in anytime to work with a tutor. Books and materials are provided. Tutoring is offered every week on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays at the Central Library, Thursdays at Rainier Beach Branch, and Saturdays at Broadview Branch.


Born in February 1972, the young Eastern Anmatyerr artist Abie Loy Kemarre comes with an impeccable artistic pedigree. Granddaughter of the Kathleen Petyarre, who has also been her artistic mentor, Abie is also closely related to a host of other famous women artists who are well-known names in the Australian art world. Among Abie Kemarre's relatives who are also painters are Gloria Petyarre, Ada Bird Petyarre and the late Emily Kngwarreye, to name but a few.
Yet despite being part of an impressive multi-generational artistic dynasty – the Indigenous equivalent of being a member of the Boyd family – Abie Loy's work on its own merits. Kemarre's work has not come to public attention because she is artistically well connected – far from it. In a nutshell, Abie Loy Kemarre is simply the most talented and exciting young Indigenous artist – or for that matter, Australian artist – to emerge for some years.
…When I was a little girl I would watch my grandmother Kathleen Petyarre and all the other mob doing the silk, making the silk. I began learning doing silk with Kathleen. Kathleen was also a schoolteacher at our school, Utopia School…When I was a very young child my grandmother told me she wanted me to be [an] artist – I love painting and so I thought it over and decided to be an artist then. Ever since those days of watching closely those ladies doing silk I wanted to be an artist too…When my grandmother Kathleen turned to painting [in the 1980s], I watched that closely too, and ever since, I've always been an artist.
Under the sometimes-formidable guidance of her grandmother, Abie Loy's talent has blossomed. For such a young person, she is a highly disciplined artist, often working and reworking ideas many times until she is satisfied with the outcome. Not only does Kemarre possess a strong technical command of all aspects of painting, including line, intrinsic form and surface quality, use of colour, and overall balance of composition, but, importantly, Abie Loy Kemarre is also willing to experiment with all of these elements. Kemarre is experimental in her work to the extent permitted by Eastern Anmatyerr law, of which she is deeply observant. Artistic experimentation is a conscious process for Kemarre and has resulted in some of her best and most recent work, examples of which are included in this exhibition.
Under Eastern Anmatyerr Law, Abie Loy Kemarre has the right to portray several Dreamings. These include the Bush Hen (Turkey) Dreaming and Bush Leaf Dreaming.
The Bush Leaf Dreaming is an inheritance from Abie's father's side. The bush leaf grows in a swamp near some sandhills close to the Utopia region in Abie's grandfather's country and it is known for its wonderful curative properties. These bush leaves are able to cure a whole range of illnesses including colds, headaches, and sores.
The Bush Leaf, as a Dreaming, is closely associated with women, and is a shape-shifter, a state-changer, possessing the ability to transform herself from her bush leaf-form into a woman and back into a leaf again. The aspect of the Bush Leaf Dreaming that Abie paints belongs to women only.
The accompanying Dreaming narrative contains a good deal of information about the precise locations of this leaf, in arid parts of the country.
The bush leaf is painfully shy. When people touch the leaves or pick this leaf she dies of embarrassment, because of the shame of being touched. Yet magically, although the leaf withers under the gaze and touch of people who covet the leaves of this plant, she has the capacity to regenerate herself and brings herself back to life after.
This story not only discloses some of the properties of this fascinating plant, but acts as a metaphor for the artist herself: a young woman who in some circumstances is painfully shy, but whose artistic talent is potentially a source of great fecundity.
Musée des Confluences, Lyon, France.
2005 - Abie Loy Kemarre, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne.
2004 - Abie Loy Kemarre - First Sydney Solo exhibition, Cooee Gallery, Sydney.
2003 - Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs, NT.
2012 - Paris Art Fair, Arts d'Australie, Stephane Jacob, Paris, France.
2011 - Art Elysees, Arts d'Australie, Stephane Jacob, Paris, France.
2011 - Galerie AROA & Arts d'Australie, Stephane Jacob, Neuilly sur Seine, France.
2011 - Parcours des Mondes, featuring the work of Abie Loy Kemarre, Crusoe Kurddal, Djambawa Marawili, Ngoia Napaltjarri, Walter Brown Napanangka, Dorothy Napangardi, Dennis Nona, Andrea Martin Nungarrayi, Alick Tipoti, Paddy Stewart Tjapaltjarri, Arts d?Australie, Stephane Jacob, Paris, France.
2010 - Desert Art: Collection 2010 featuring the work of Abie Loy Kemarre, Kathleen Petyarre, Molly Napurrurla Tasman, Rosie Murnku Marnku, Napurrurla Tasman, Lily Nungarrayi Yirdingali Jurrah Hargraves, Gadfly Gallery, Perth, WA.
2010 - Parcours des Mondes, Arts d'Australie, Stephane Jacob, Paris, France.
2010 – Art Elysees, Arts d'Australie, Stephane Jacob, Paris, France.
2009 - Art Elysees 2009, Arts d'Australie, Stephane Jacob, Paris, France.
2008 - Emily Kngwarreye and her Legacy, featuring the following artists: Abie Kemarre Loy, Emily Kngwarreye, Gladdy Kemarre, Gloria Petyarre, Kathleen Ngal, Kathleen Petyarre, Lily Lion Kngwarrey, Minnie Pwerle, Poly Ngal, Sarah Morton Kngwarrey, presented by Coo-ee Aboriginal Art Gallery, Sydney at Art Front Gallery, Hillside Terrace, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan.
2008 - Black and White - an exhibition of Aboriginal works by Ronnie Tjampitjinpa, Abie Loy Kemarre, Judy Watson Napangardi, Gloria Petyarre, Lily Sandover Kngwarreye, Nogia Polard Napalgarri, Ningura Napurrula, Kathleen Petyarre, Dorothy Napangardi, Rusy Peters at NG Art Gallery Sydney, in collaboration with Coo-ee Aboriginal Art Gallery.
2008 - Parcours des Mondes, Artists displayed:, Ngoia Pollard Napaltjarri, John Wilson, Dorothy Napangardi, Abie Loy Kemarre, Julie Robinson Nangala, Peggy Rockman NAPALJARRI, Jimmy An.Gunguna, Bob Burrawal, Alice Nampitjinpa, Gloria Tamerre Petyarre, Arthur Tjatitjarra Robertson, Alick Tipoti, Nawurapu Wunungmurra, Dymphna Kerinauia, Immaculata Tipiloura, Pantjiya Nungurrayi, Roy Wiggan, Lena Nyadbi, Michael Boiyool Anning, Ken Thaiday, Dennis Nona, Sam Tjampitjin, Thomas Rice Jangala, Ningie Nangala, Eva Nargoodah, Boliny Wanambi, Milminya Dhamarrandji, Galuma Maymuru, Yuyuya Nampitjinpa, Josephine Napurrula, Judy Mengil, Susie Hunter Petyarre, Sarah Morton, Nandabitta, Paul Nabulumo Namarinjmak, Terry Ngamandara, Marina Mardilanj, Arts d Australie Stephane Jacob, Paris, France; Lille Art Fair, Artists displayed:, Abie Loy Kemarre, Ningie Nangala, Julie Robinson Nangala, Dennis NONA, Alick Tipoti, Dorothy Napangardi, Kayi Kayi Nampitjinpa Kngwarreye, Walangari Karntawarra Jakamarra, Mulkun Wirrpanda , Alice Nampitjinpa, Yinimala Gumana, Melba Kanjarwanga, Samson BONSON, Haleema Djorlom, Arts d'Australie, Stephane Jacob, Lille, France.
2007 - Parcours des Mondes, Galerie Arts d'Australie, Stephane Jacob, Paris.
2007 - Kaos, Parcours des Mondes, Arts d'Australie, Stephane Jacob, Paris, France.
2006 - The second Shalom Gamarada Aboriginal Art Exhibition, Shalom College, University of New South Wales, Sydney; Arts d'Australie, Stephane Jacob 10th anniversary, Arts d'Australie, Stephane Jacob, Paris; St-Art - European Art Fair, Arts d'Australie, Stephane Jacob, Strasbourg, France; Dreaming Their Way: Australian Aboriginal Women Painters, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, USA.
2003 - Gallerie Australis, SA; Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs NT; My Grandmother and Me, World Vision Walkabout Gallery.


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An English and journalism teacher by day, I escape into food at night. I am a self-taught cook who obsessively reads, thinks and watches TV and movies about food. I dream about switching careers and becoming a food writer, but for now this blog will be my outlet.
I live in a suburb just outside Washington D.C. with my soon-to-be husband, Thomas. I am excited to share with you all of the yummy things I create and discover in this great city.
I wanted to say thanks for following my blog. I note from your "about" that we have plenty in common. We're a long way away in New Zealand, but my husband grew up around DC, so reading you blog reminds him quite a lot of home. Love the O'Kelly Salsa story. I could just image you stalking around the dumpster for ingredient clues. Kind of thing I'd do if I thought I could get away with it.
Looking forward to many more posts to come.
Thanks for the message! It's interesting that you have a connection to DC; I have no connection to New Zealand but it is a place I would love to visit.


Album Review: Babymetal - Metal Resistance. J-Metal Review.
As soon as I typed out the name 'Babymetal' in my word document, I immediately realised the amount of constructive criticism that I was going to receive from my Rockhaq peers. Babymetal are a Japanese pop metal group composed of Suzuka Nakamoto (Su-metal), Yui Mizuno (Yuimetal) & Moa Kikuchi (Moametal). The trio have somewhat grown to become a peculiar phenomenon within the metal community due to their controversial approach to the genre. Metal Resistance is the sophomore album to their self-titled record Babymetal.
Road of Resistance opens the album with an epic harmonising guitar riff that has musical similarities to 1980's power metal. British speed metal group DragonForce guitarists Herman Li & Sam Totman were responsible for bringing this musical quality to the opener. The song's ripping tempo and retro-video game sounding guitars will leave you in a relentless moshing frenzy.
Karate is a song you'd expect to be used as an opening theme for a Japanese anime television show because of the grandiose qualities it internalises through its chunky distorted guitars and earth-shattering percussion section. Karate carries a positive message about overcoming the barriers that life presents you with "Still more, seiya soiya, let's fight on even if we get sad and unable to stand up".
Awadama Fever contains Babymetal's signature wacky soundscapes such as the dizzying synthesiser riff which sounds like a buzzing bee on drugs. However if the drum & bass style of Awadama Fever wasn't weird enough, the song's theme is equally bizarre as lead vocalist Su-metal sings about eating bubble gum "Bubble ball, bubble fever/Ah yeah! Fly off, chew, chew, chewing gum".
Meta Taro is the battle cry that Babymetal would sing if they were heading into war with their own army of Viking pirates!
The hyperactive techno groove that's found in YAVA! perfectly summarises why Babymetal's musical formula is so unique. The song effortlessly alternates between its different music styles, as the guitar strumming patterns in the verses resembles those found in reggae and ska music. Meta Taro has influences of Scandinavian metal written all over it, which can be heard through the military marching beat, accordion and anthemic chants. Meta Taro is essentially the battle cry that Babymetal would sing if they were heading into war with their own army of Viking pirates!
Monumental power ballad No Rain, No Rainbow allows Metal Resistance to take a breather for a couple of minutes and features such as jagged metal riffs and bombastic soundscapes are absent. No Rain, No Rainbow has glimpses of stadium rock where the influences of Queen's guitarist Brian May can be heard in the guitar solos. It highlights the huge musical potential that Babymetal can go on to achieve in their future albums. The track also proves Su-metal who, at the age of 19, can vocally stand up alongside the key singers in today's pop scene.
Metal Resistance displays the beauty of Babymetal's unpredictable musical nature and how well they balance the contrasting genres in their songs, from heavy metal to Japanese idol pop. The band have also learnt from their predecessor to dial back the crazy soundscapes and as a result of this it sees them build a heavier and cohesive sound. However there are some minor inconsistencies with Metal Resistance. Tracks such as Dusk Till Dawn seem as if they've just been added to the album to see how many other genres can be packed onto it, which can sometimes feel off-putting.
By sacrificing some of the wilder elements that the band is known for, Babymetal's mature approach to Metal Resistance gives an insight to what they can go on to achieve sonically in their future albums.


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BOMA PROJECT
TRACTORS TO BOMA
Kitale Kids
Boma News
Farming for Peace
Give a Gift Today
In March 2018, a team from Texas came to Boma to begin Phase 1 of a new water project by raising a 20 foot tower. In July 2018, John Burch and his son JD returned to install the two tanks that will be used to flow water to local villagers and to irrigate the demonstration farm.
With the help of Fellowship Church in Nashville, TN and other individuals, SEA Partners was able to drill four water wells in Upper Boma. Currently, we are seeking ways to provide clean water to the surrounding villages of Bien and Kiowa where the rugged terrain makes it impossible to take a drilling rig.
In June 2014, SEA Parnters installed a solar-powered water pump to provide running water throughout the compound. When resources are available, the long term goal is to raise the water tank 18 feet off the ground. This will allow water to flow to tanks throughout the village and to provide easier access to clean water for all residents of Boma. In July 2017, Harvest Community Church and several private donors provided funds to repair the solar powered well.
In March 2018, Phase 1 of a water project to improve the water availability for the people of Boma began with the raising of a 20 foot water tower. In July 2018, Phase 2 was completed when two tanks were raised on top of the tower. Now there is running water, from two large 10,000 liter tanks, to the community and throughout the SEA Partners compound. In addition, water from the tower now provides water to the demonstration farm. All the fruit trees and vegetables can be watered on a daily basis. Praise the Lord! Thanks to many donors and volunteers who helped make this a reality.
Tracy Smith and John Burch began to set up the new irrigation system for the demonstration farm and raised the 20 foot tower. (3/15/2018)
PO Box 271209
© 2016 by SEA Partners


standard high-explosive round (HE) Sprgr.Patr.34.
Expertly machined Armorscale ammunition should be excellent addition to German armor models or dioramas.
Armorscale set contains 12 brass shells and nine machined aluminum projectiles of 75mm German WW2 tank ammunition.


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Opinion | Recognition
Editorial: It's time to recognize Chinook Nation
"Years of behind-the-scenes work came to partial fruition last week with U.S. Rep. Brian Baird's announcement that he has lined up congressional support for formally recognizing the Chinook Indian Tribe.
It defies belief that this profoundly significant tribe has long been consigned to the status of non-being by the manipulations and incompetence of Washington, D.C.'s corps of professional Indian managers. The glorious past of the Chinook people has brought nothing but ignoble treatment by the American bureaucracy.
A decades-long social, political and genealogical process finally brought the tribe to the very brink of recognition by the Bureau of Indian Affairs at the messy conclusion of the Clinton administration. Although the decision was right, the Byzantine way in which it was reached opened it to reversal by the newly arrived Bush administration.
Baird said then that he would pursue the matter in Congress, which along with BIA and top federal courts has the authority to enter into government-to-government relations with tribes. Always highly competent and usually on the correct side of issues, Baird deserves to be permanently honored for his persistence in stewarding this matter to what looks like a just conclusion."
Editorial: It is time (The Daily Astorian 8/8)
Get the Bill:
Chinook Nation Restoration Act (H.R.6689)
Vote not expected on Chinook recognition bill (8/6)
Bill introduced to recognize Chinook Nation (8/1)
McCaleb reverses Chinook decision (7/8)
Chinook recognition delayed (3/6)
Chinook recognition sent back to BIA (11/8)
Chinook recognition to be reconsidered (11/7)
Norton won't review Chinook recognition (3/20)
Chinook Nation eager to tell story (3/2)
Gover reverses Chinook decision (1/04)
brian baird
Judge issues final ruling in Cobell trust case
Opinion: Arctic drilling not worth the cost


Home / PC/Laptops / How to Know History of turn-on & off in windows?
TurnedOnTimesView is a simple tool that analyses the event log of Windows operating system and detects the time ranges that your computer was turned on. For every period of time that the computer was turned on, the following information is displayed: Startup Time, Shutdown Time, Duration, Shutdown Reason, Shutdown Type, Shutdown Process, and Shutdown Code.
TurnedOnTimesView allows you to get this information from your local computer, and from the remote computer on your network if you have enough privilege to read the event log of Windows remotely.
On Windows Vista/7/8, TurnedOnTimesView generally works without elevation (admin rights). However, in order to get information about system shutdown caused by a system crash (blue screen), you should right-click on TurnedOnTimesView.exe and choose 'Run As Administrator'.
UninstallView – Edit, merge and fix the AutoComplete files (.NK2) of Microsoft Outlook.
TurnedOnTimesView based on a few types of events on the event log of Windows to detect when the computer was turned off and on. It generally works quite well, but it's still possible that you'll get a false positive, which means that TurnedOnTimesView will show that the computer was turned off and on, even when the computer was not actually turned off.
Added option to connect multiple remote computers (In 'Advanced Options' window).
Added 'Last System Event Time' column, which displays the time of the last system event before the computer was turned off. This column is useful when there is no shutdown event and the 'Shutdown Time' column is empty.
When there is no shutdown event ('Shutdown Time' is empty), the duration is now calculated according to the 'Last System Event Time'.
When event 41 from Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power is detected ('The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first'), the 'Shutdown Type' column now displays 'Unexpected Shutdown'.
Fixed issue: Under certain circumstances, TurnedOnTimesView detected the turn on/off events incorrectly because the algorithm assumes that the events are sorted by their timestamp, but in some cases, they are not… TurnedOnTimesView now sorts the events by their timestamp before processing them to ensure that the turn off/on detection algorithm works correctly. Be aware that due to this change the loading process might be slower and consume more memory.
You can now choose whether to read the archive log files in the 'Advanced Options' window.
TurnedOnTimesView now scans events of computer sleep/resume and treats them like turn-off/turn-on events (The 'Shutdown Type' displayed for these events is 'Sleep').
You can turn off this feature from the 'Advanced Options' window ('Consider the sleep/resume events as turn off/on' ).
TurnedOnTimesView now reads archive log files (Archive-System-*.evtx) when using the external disk mode and local computer mode. Be aware that in order to read archive log files from the local computer you have to run TurnedOnTimesView as Administrator.
Added 'Run As Administrator' option (Ctrl+F11).
The settings of the 'Advanced Options' window are now saved to the .cfg file.
Added browse button in the 'Advanced Options' window to choose the external folder.
After running it, the main window of TurnedOnTimesView displays all time ranges that your computer was turned on. You can easily export the list to HTML/XML/tab-delimited/comma-delimited file by using the 'Save Selected Items' option. You can also copy the selected items to the clipboard (Ctrl+C) and then paste them into Excel with Ctrl+V.
If you want to get the times that a remote computer on your network was turned on, go to the Advanced Options window (F9), choose 'Remote Computer' as a data source, and type the name of the remote computer to connect.
Previous How to Know History of installed and uninstalled programs in windows?


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Gay Sex Therapist on Gay Relationships and the 'Sexual Thaw': Restoring Sex After a Long Stalemate
December 29, 2021 December 8, 2020 by Ken
In a recent informal Facebook poll I conducted on suggested blog topics, this topic won the most votes, so here goes: (Readers are encouraged to notify me at Ken@GayTherapyLA.com if you have suggestions for future blog/podcast topics.)
In my long (28 years in 2020) career as a gay men's specialist therapist and gay sex therapist, providing couples therapy for gay men in California, and relationship coaching for gay men all over the United States and the world, this topic of gay men expressing frustration over the lack of sex, or at least the lack of sexual frequency, in their relationship, is one of the most common. It is so oft-heard, and so pervasive, that the complaint transcends location, length of relationship, ethnicities/national origins of the partners, and ages of the men involved. (Straight couples often have this complaint, too, but here we focus on gay male relationships, which has been the majority of my clinical work, writing, research, and speaking).
We define these complaints as being focused on the fact that one or both partners in a gay male relationship expresses complaint, frustration, demoralization, boredom, anger, or sadness – or some combination of these, and more – over the fact that to that person's mind, there is not enough sex in the relationship to satisfy the man's physical and emotional needs. This topic is widely discussed socially, formally and informally. There is a joke that I heard a long time ago somewhere from a standup comic that says that if a couple puts a marble in a jar every time they have sex in the first year of marriage, and take a marble out of the jar every time they have sex after the first year of marriage, they will never empty the jar.
Now, this might be a bit of an exaggeration, but the hyperbole fits the sense of frustration guys can have. Esther Perel, LMFT, who wrote the great book, Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence, explored this topic (for all kinds of couples) in impressive detail. But the original tag line for that book was not "unlocking erotic intelligence;" it was "reconciling the erotic with the domestic," which I actually prefer.
Because in relationships, especially long-term, cohabitating ones (whether it's legal marriage or not), we often find this dichotomy that starts with the domestic bliss of making a home: sleeping together in the same bed; making meals; being social; vacationing; perhaps raising children; pooling our incomes; redecorating the living room; providing mutual emotional support; doing each other favors; sharing the domestic chores; and integrating each other's greater families of origin, and, especially for gay men, families of choice.
The other side to that dichotomy is the erotic: not the way we are in the living room, as well-behaved gentlemen, but how we are in the bedroom, where, as Perel says, we lose the "political correctness" of everyday life and give in to our more primal desires. (In another article, I talk about reconciling the living room with the bedroom; that is available here.)
But today, I'd like to describe more of the "too-infrequent sex" complaint, and offer some actual options and practical steps on what to (fucking) DO about it, at last. I find this kind of helpful advice generally lacking in articles, and in my identity not only as a gay men's specialist therapist (individuals and couples), I'm also an adjunct professor of a Couples Therapy course at USC, as well as a trained sex therapist (through the Sexual Health Alliance) and very close at the time of this writing (December, 2020) to earning a full, formal certification in that area (more on that another time). So, I tend to write more frankly and candidly about gay men's sexual issues/challenges, and more importantly, how, in my practice experience, gay couples can address them to find relief.
Defining the Problem
Conceptualizing a "sexual thaw" can be multifactoral
What a lot of gay men that I see in practice seem to need, first off, is just an acknowledgement that the problem of too-infrequent, or even non-existent, sex in a long-term gay relationship exists. Somehow, some way, the couple has fallen into a sexual complacency, where they just plain ain't doin' it. And yet, with a reasonable medical health and overall physical functioning, their body still wants sex, perhaps as much or more than when they were very young men (such as a guy in his 40's having just as much desire as he had when he was 19, and possibly closeted).
The etiology of this "sexual stalemate" can have many contributing factors. Certainly, in 2020, the global pandemic of COVID-19 has put a damper on all "fun" things, sex included, whether it's fear of death or disability from having COVID itself, or knowing someone with it, or being affected by the loss of someone who has passed away from it, or being hurt by the economic impact of public health restrictions closing businesses (with next to no government financial aid or meaningful leadership to make up for it in the United States, unlike all other Western countries that provided generous, stabilizing financial relief to their people). COVID is a certain "time-limited" stressor in current times, but the problem of sexual infrequency pre-dates COVID, and it will persist beyond it.
Other stressors include the opposite, which is having "too much" work that makes a guy too tired to be sexual most days/nights. Or the demands of raising children. Or something stressful in the environment, like an unsafe housing situation or other economic pressure. Or, certainly, medical issues: low testosterone, other hormonal factors, hypertension (and its related medication side-effects), depression (and its related medication side-effects), penile blood flow problems, prostate issues, or practical issues like erectile dysfunction (my article on that, here) or premature ejaculation.
Other times, there can be psychosocial stressors, which is why sex therapists are trained in a combination of a psychological/psychotherapy angle in talk therapy, but also with an eye toward the medical influences, and of course, the psychosocial dynamics of the couple's relationship. Sex therapy is often inter-disciplinary, between the sex therapist and various MDs (primary care physician, urologist, endocrinologist, psychiatrist, hematologist, etc.).
The interpersonal couple dynamics that can contribute to "sexual stalemate" include an unacknowledged, un-discussed, perhaps even unconscious anger or resentment at your partner (which could be anything: a sense of competition, resentment about a disparity in incomes (my article on that is here), resentment about an uneven distribution of household chores, or resentment about perceived power and control imbalances (power and control issues in gay male relationships, I contend, are exaggerated from straight relationships, because men in general (gay or straight) are so socialized to "get their way", that another man "telling them what to do" doesn't go over well (and I always say, if you don't realize how much privilege men have (especially White ones) in society, go ask a Black lesbian; she will tell you all about it!).
So between psychological stressors, medical conditions, psychodynamic/interpersonal issues, and social pressures/influences, it's no wonder that the complaint about sexual stalemate is so pervasive.
Fixing It
OK, some of you skipped the preceding paragraphs and went right to this one because you saw the heading of "fixing it," and that's OK. People are busy, I get it. But part of "fixing it," if we can use that term cautiously, is understanding the etiology of the sexual stalemate situation in the first place. Naming a problem is the first step toward solving it. So, to "fix" it, you have to consider what kind of influences and pressures got you to the place you are now: all dressed up with a hard dick and no place to go.
Couples therapy or relationship coaching can help you uncover the interpersonal, relational dynamics that might be the culprit, such as unexpressed or unresolved resentments. But let's say both you and your partner/spouse agree that you each want more sex, and want help and support for making that happen.
First, you have to differentiate whether you want more sex, period, or more sex with your current partner. This is an important distinction. If you want sex with that hot guy from the gym – yes, that one (we all have one) – but not with your partner, think why. Is it because of these underlying resentments? Or is it because your mind, body, and soul have gotten so used to sex with that one partner that you crave what I call "novel stimulation" to get yourself aroused sexually? Both gay and straight men can have this craving for novel sexual stimulation (there is rather vulgar term some straight guys might use, that "sometimes you just want some strange pussy.") If you watch a scary movie for the first time, you might jump at certain scenes when the axe murderer jumps out from the dark. However, if you've seen that same film 5 times, you'd be like, "Yeah, yeah, dude; go out to the tool shed so that your flashlight burns out, and cue Axe Murderer in 3…2…1…, boom!" After that, you don't jump in your seat anymore. Sex with a long-term partner can be like that: "OK, so this is when he kisses my neck…now the right ear…now he takes his hand and cups my balls, been there, done that, yadda, yadda, yadda."
Then you imagine what Gym Hot Guy would do if you were both naked and alone (at long last). He would be different from your partner: He would have a different hair color (possibly). Or different color eyes. Or a different chest hair situation. Or a different height. Or a different scent. Or a different voice, and different words he said with it. His hands would feel different on your body. His mouth would feel different when you kissed him. All of that "novel stimulation" would be like watching a new horror movie (only much more fun) and you would "jump" all over again.
And for some couples, going down the road of opening their relationship through a compassionate, communicative, above-board discussion of Consensual Non-Monogamy (I'm in a certificate program for therapists for extra training CNM relationships now, and for the next year, through Sexual Health Alliance). My previous articles on gay male open relationships are here and here. And for some very long-term, happy couples (where the relationship both endures a long time (decades, even) and the partners each report high levels of relationship satisfaction, some version of a CNM relationship style with lots of discussion about "ground rules" to prevent emotional hurt or feelings of abandonment anxiety can do the trick (so to speak) (my article on troubleshooting the special challenges of an open relationship is here).
But for couples where both partners want to remain monogamous, for all kinds of very meaningful (for them) reasons (and my article on hotter monogamy is here), then having "novel stimulation" in the form of "outside" people isn't an option; the "novel stimulation" must come from the creativity generated by the two monogamous partners in collaboration.
Tips for the Sexual Thaw
"Thaws" take time, under a consistent source of warmth.
So, how does a monogamous couple perform a "sexual thaw" after a long stalemate?
Of the couples I've seen in practice who are successful with this (and there are some, although not all – we'll get to that), this is part of how they did it:
They each acknowledged that there is a sexual stalemate, and they have been avoiding talking about it, but no more. They bravely sit down and just accept that it might be an awkward conversation, but they approach it with compassion, patience, validation, and acceptance of their respective feelings. They express a basic desire for their relationship to move from the non-sexual to the again-sexual.
They begin to "relate" to one another not as partners they take for granted for sharing household chores, but to allow themselves to each revisit the purely sexual objectification that they had for each other at one point, even if it was long ago.
They acknowledge that it can be cognitively difficult to both love your partner profoundly, emotionally, with all you've shared over the years (good and bad), and still think of the time when everything about them that sensually stimulated you (their hair, body, face, skin, scent, musculature, laugh, smile, personality, humor, philosophies, talents) were all very new.
They allow themselves to begin to think of their partner in sexual terms again; not what they say, but what they look like saying it. Not how they move, but how sexy their body is moving. They give themselves permission to put "respect" aside and allow their primal lizard-brain to take over; the Superego takes a break while the Id comes out in full force, allowing themselves to think of their partner as a highly-doable man again.
They allow for a slow pace and some awkwardness as they re-introduce physicality into their relationship. Many of these couples already report a good "cuddle relationship" or casual affection of sleeping together, cuddling on a couch, kissing hello/goodbye, and hugs. But it's taking that next step – from a G-rated video to a PG-13 or X-rated video – that is a line that they walk back up to, just like "the old days", and give themselves and each other the permission to cross that line once again.
They recognize that it is a cognitive shift to think of your partner from the everyday guy who's "always there" to being the hot piece o' meat you just want to fuck (blow, tie up, massage, etc.) from here to next year. They give themselves permission to sexually objectify their partner at home, just as they sexually objectify subjects of novel stimulation in other settings, like their fantasies of Hot Gym Guy (who, by the way, has a name and a life well beyond "those" biceps (or hair, ass, shoulders, chest, legs, etc.) of his).
They experiment with one sexual act at first: Taking their partner's penis in their mouth for the first time in years. Pressing their cock against their partner's hole, like entering the front door of the summer cabin after it's been locked up for the past winter, or like Howard Carter breaking the seal to King Tut's tomb after it hadn't been entered in 3,200 years.
They realize that the first acts in a sexual thaw probably aren't going to be as easy as subsequent acts later in the thaw, and there should be subsequent acts. (After Howard Carter entered King Tut's tomb once, he went back in subsequent days to dive deeper and enjoy the treasures that being in the tomb over and over offered.)
They actually don't talk about it at first, and let their bodies do the talking, in order to move from the "heady"/cognitive to the more genital/primal for a bit, letting go of the domestic and focusing only on the erotic.
They DO talk about it later, to "process" the feelings of how sex today differs from when they were first together, and how/why those differences are important. Sometimes there are variations on the sex they were once used to, such as experimenting with top/bottom roles, vanilla vs. kink play, or different ways to mutually stimulate each other's bodies in the ways that work for each of them today.
While I realize some of this is a bit simplified, it's important also not to over-think it. Over-thinking and focusing on the domestic/cognitive and ignoring the primal is what got them into the stalemate in the first place. Sometimes, the finer points of the sexual thaw are the topics of sex therapy sessions, as each partner has the opportunity to express and advocate for his own needs, as they are today.
Other tips that I've seen work (remember, I'm old: I've been in practice a long time and helped hundreds of gay male couples by now) include options that can feel outrageous (at first) to talk about. Do you "jump start" their sexual thaw by having a three-way (often on a vacation – and my article on three-ways is here)? Do you accept an offer for a four-way that you previously rejected? Do you visit (after COVID, of course) a commercial sex venue like a sex club or a bathhouse, so the couple is surrounded by the erotic energy of the setting? Do you hire an escort who knows how to stir things up (my article on the risks and rewards of seeing escorts is here). Do you utilize porn to get you guys in the mood (one of my mentors in sex therapy, the excellent David Ley, PhD, wrote the wonderful book, Ethical Porn for Dicks)? Do you spice things up by purchasing sex toys or bondage products that you use on each other (one classic vendor for this that is especially high quality, if perhaps also high prices, is here)? Do you explore more edgy options in non-monogamy, like cuckolding (another great book by Ley on that is here)?
What permeates the discussions (either at home or in a session with a professional) are themes like mutual respect, patience, consent, non-exploitation, mutual pleasure, compassion, equal opportunities to talk/listen, and forging mutually-beneficial compromises in good faith.
But even in this context of compassion, there can be a place for frank and candid feelings to be shared. Sometimes, a partner has to disclose that they have turn-offs from a partner, and brainstorm what to do about them. They can be issues of attraction (the most common complaint is a reduced desire for a partner because one or both partners have gained weight as they transitioned from young men, to middle-aged men). Another one can be medical or physical traits, such as the role of psoriasis or other dermatological conditions, anorectal conditions that make being penetrated uncomfortable (even if it was fine before), skin growths, degree of hairiness, changes in personal scent, personal grooming (facial hair, hair styles), changes in personality dynamic (from the submissive twink to the more-assertive later adulthood), and sexual style (one partner cultivated an interest in kink play, while the other did not). The down side of admitting "turn-offs" is how it can come off as insulting to a partner you love, but the up side is that the issue can be brought out into the open, and coping strategies can be brainstormed or compromises identified.
What If It's Not Fixed?
The other huge option in the "sexual thaw" is, frankly, not doing it. Sometimes passively, a couple is making the decision not to have the sexual thaw, because being non-sexual with each other is actually reasonably OK. There's a reason why the stalemate has persisted for so long, and that's because it works. There isn't enough "pain" to provoke change, or enough necessity for the Mother of Invention to be invoked. If this is true, it's still worth discussing why. Maybe both partners are older with less interest in sex. Maybe a relationship arrangement where they get their emotional, domestic, social, and "home instinct" needs met with one partner, but erotic needs met with others (a fuck buddy, a series of hookups, an outside "paramour" in polyamory, etc.) is actually workable, practical, and stabilizing.
Other times, doing the work of the sexual thaw (communicating about it, scheduling time for sex, doing exercises, processing them after, confronting the associated feelings) is just too much work, and the status quo is just less painful and less arduous. In that case, it's accepting that these are the choices that both partners are making.
Other times, a sexual stalemate "can" mean the end of a relationship, but that's a broader discussion in couples therapy, and the (actually) "good" reasons for a relationship to end are another topic entirely (my article on reasons why a relationship should end is here). I will say, in most of my experiences with the sexual stalemate couple, they actually do not want their relationship to end, at all, which can actually make the situation more complicated, because they are both clear that they want the relationship, but just with changes that work.
Of course, "fixing" a sexual stalemate and achieving a sexual "thaw" does not mean that the couple will not face sexual stalemate again. It can be a cyclical thing, and each instance needs its own examination of the forces that created it, and its own solutions, which might be different from the solutions that were achieved last time. This is common, because as both individuals in the relationship age and move into different developmental stages in the lifespan, so does the lifespan of the relationship. The emotional and sexual needs of two men in a gay male couple who meet at 37 will be different from their respective needs by 57 (speaking from this exact experience).
Conclusion and Resources
Part of my goal in working with these couples is first to reassure them that they are not "doing it wrong" simply because their relationship has reached a sexual stalemate phase. Gay men in general are under-served when it comes to psychotherapy, as evidenced by the dearth of gay therapists (especially gay male specialist therapists) outside of major urban settings, and even more so when we talk about the huge dearth of available gay male specialist sex therapists. And yet these guys need and deserve help, just like straight or lesbian couples. Part of my pride as a mental health and social services provider is to close that gap between the (global) community need the resource pool of providers who can (or want to) help.
Getting support from various self-help books, videos, and seminars can all help, although finding affirmative books specific to gay men's sex therapy is tough. Despite my obvious "horse in the race" of providing these services as my livelihood, I think there is no substitute for direct, customized, culturally-specific, and culturally-affirmative services.
If you, as an individual, or you, as part of a relationship (dyadic or polyamorous) need or want these services, I would be happy to help. For more information, call/text 310-339-5778, or email Ken@GayTherapyLA.com. We have a couple of service options, providers, and price-points, and offer all services (currently) online via phone or webcam platform consultations. There are no minimum number of consultation sessions, or frequency, required.
Part of the coming out process in being gay is simply to affirm that you have a human right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that happiness includes a right to sexual enjoyment with another consenting adult(s). That's why gay men come out in the first place, which is an act of affirming your identity and your sexuality. We may have to do these kinds of actions – asserting our right to a rewarding sex life — many times throughout the lifespan. It's work, but I think you'll find it's worth it.
Categories Blog: Musings on Current Events, Gay Men's Sexuality and Sex Therapy, Life Changes Tags gay couples, gay couples therapy, gay men's sexual relationships, gay men's sexuality, gay relationship sex life, gay sex therapist, gay sex therapist west hollywood, gay sex therapy, no sex gay relationship, resuming sex in a gay relationship, sex therapist for gay men, sex therapist los angeles, sex therapy for gay men, sex therapy los angeles, sexual frequency in gay male relationships, sexual thaw Post navigation
Gay Men, COVID-19, and Avoiding the Pitfalls: Substances, Lethargy, and Despair
Gay Men's Relationship Vocabulary: Partner? Husband? Hookup?


You may think of debit and credit cards as nearly the same thing, with the exception of having money withdrawn from your account immediately (debit card) or receiving a bill for payment later (credit card). There are some key differences beyond this that you should consider the next time you decide on using a debit or credit card.
Although most debit card issuers treat disputes the same as in a credit card transaction, you have no dispute rights under federal law if you're not satisfied with a product or purchase. Experts advise that you use a credit card rather than a debit card for online, catalog or big-ticket purchases. Check the terms of your debit-card agreement to see what protections it offers.
On lost or stolen credit cards, your loss is limited to $50 per card. And if you notify the issuer before the thief makes any charges, you may not be out anything. You're also free from liability if unauthorized purchases occur when the card is not physically present, for example when used for an online purchase.
1) Your loss is limited to $50 if you notify the financial institution within two business days after learning of loss or theft of your card or code.
2) You could lose as much as $500 if you do not tell the card issuer within two business days after learning of loss or theft.
3) If you do not report an unauthorized transfer that appears on your statement within 60 days after the statement is mailed to you, you risk unlimited loss on transfers made after the 60-day period. That means you could lose all the money in your account plus your maximum overdraft line of credit, if any.
4) Federal protections are a bit more generous if a thief just steals your debit card number (and not the actual card), but you still have 60 days after receiving your bank statement to report any unauthorized transactions. If a thief steals your card and your PIN, the federal rules are your only defense.
Zero-liability policies, like those offered by Visa and MasterCard, add a second layer of protection. Under these programs you won't pay anything if someone fraudulently uses your credit card online or off. These policies also apply to debit cards, but only to non-PIN transactions.
For additional protection check your homeowners or renter's insurance policy. Most cover up to $500 for losses from unauthorized card use. And no matter which card is stolen, always follow up with a certified letter to your issuer -- return receipt requested.


Are you a trader in Wadebridge ?
Would you like your business to be included in a new independent guide ?
Wadebridge Town Council and Little Birdie Guides are looking to create a 'Wadebridge Map'.
Little Birdie maps and online guides lead visitors and locals to a hand-picked selection of unique independent businesses. The maps absolutely fly out (excuse the pun!) and with so many new, interesting places popping up, Wadebridge needs it's own!
Your business will feature on 20,000 beautifully illustrated pocket-sized, FREE maps, distributed over an entire year in Tourist Information centres, hotels, B&Bs, campsites, train and bus stations and other high footfall areas around town.
Each business will receive their own maps and stand and will feature on the ever popular online guide.
If you are interested in purchasing a space in the new guide please contact louise@littlebirdieguides.com or call 07539324185.
The cost is £149 and there are 30 advertising opportunities.


text:
package de.tudarmstadt.ukp.clarin.webanno.project.page;

import static org.apache.commons.collections.CollectionUtils.isEmpty;

import java.io.File;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

import org.apache.commons.lang.exception.ExceptionUtils;
import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
import org.apache.uima.UIMAException;
import org.apache.wicket.markup.html.form.Button;
import org.apache.wicket.markup.html.form.DropDownChoice;
import org.apache.wicket.markup.html.form.ListMultipleChoice;
import org.apache.wicket.markup.html.form.upload.FileUpload;
import org.apache.wicket.markup.html.form.upload.FileUploadField;
import org.apache.wicket.markup.html.panel.Panel;
import org.apache.wicket.model.LoadableDetachableModel;
import org.apache.wicket.model.Model;
import org.apache.wicket.model.ResourceModel;
import org.apache.wicket.spring.injection.annot.SpringBean;
import org.springframework.security.core.context.SecurityContextHolder;

import de.tudarmstadt.ukp.clarin.webanno.api.AnnotationService;
import de.tudarmstadt.ukp.clarin.webanno.api.RepositoryService;
import de.tudarmstadt.ukp.clarin.webanno.api.UserDao;
import de.tudarmstadt.ukp.clarin.webanno.model.Project;
import de.tudarmstadt.ukp.clarin.webanno.model.SourceDocument;
import de.tudarmstadt.ukp.clarin.webanno.model.User;

/**
 * A Panel used to add Documents to the selected {@link Project}
 *
 * @author Seid Muhie Yimam
 *
 */
public class ProjectDocumentsPanel
    extends Panel
{
    private final static Log LOG = LogFactory.getLog(ProjectDocumentsPanel.class);

    private static final long serialVersionUID = 2116717853865353733L;

    @SpringBean(name = "annotationService")
    private AnnotationService annotationService;

    @SpringBean(name = "documentRepository")
    private RepositoryService repository;

    @SpringBean(name = "userRepository")
    private UserDao userRepository;

    private ArrayList<String> documents = new ArrayList<String>();
    private ArrayList<String> selectedDocuments = new ArrayList<String>();

    private List<FileUpload> uploadedFiles;
    private FileUploadField fileUpload;

    private ArrayList<String> readableFormats;
    private String selectedFormat;
    private Model<Project> selectedProjectModel;
    private DropDownChoice<String> readableFormatsChoice;

    @SuppressWarnings({ "unchecked", "rawtypes" })
    public ProjectDocumentsPanel(String id, Model<Project> aProjectModel)
    {
        super(id);
        this.selectedProjectModel = aProjectModel;
        try {
            readableFormats = new ArrayList<String>(repository.getReadableFormatLabels());
            selectedFormat = readableFormats.get(0);
        }
        catch (IOException e) {
            error("Properties file not found or key not int the properties file " + ":"
                    + ExceptionUtils.getRootCauseMessage(e));
        }
        catch (ClassNotFoundException e) {
            error("The Class name in the properties is not found " + ":"
                    + ExceptionUtils.getRootCauseMessage(e));
        }
        add(fileUpload = new FileUploadField("content", new Model()));

        add(readableFormatsChoice = new DropDownChoice<String>("readableFormats", new Model(
                selectedFormat), readableFormats));

        add(new Button("import", new ResourceModel("label"))
        {
            private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;

            @Override
            public void onSubmit()
            {
                uploadedFiles = fileUpload.getFileUploads();
                Project project = selectedProjectModel.getObject();
                if (isEmpty(uploadedFiles)) {
                    error("No document is selected to upload, please select a document first");
                    return;
                }
                if (project.getId() == 0) {
                    error("Project not yet created, please save project Details!");
                    return;
                }

                for (FileUpload documentToUpload : uploadedFiles) {
                    String fileName = documentToUpload.getClientFileName();

                    if (repository.existsSourceDocument(project, fileName)) {
                        error("Document " + fileName + " already uploaded ! Delete "
                                + "the document if you want to upload again");
                        continue;
                    }

                    try {
                        File uploadFile = documentToUpload.writeToTempFile();

                        String username = SecurityContextHolder.getContext().getAuthentication()
                                .getName();
                        User user = userRepository.get(username);

                        SourceDocument document = new SourceDocument();
                        document.setName(fileName);
                        document.setProject(project);

                        String reader = repository.getReadableFormatId(readableFormatsChoice
                                .getModelObject());
                        document.setFormat(reader);
                        repository.createSourceDocument(document, user);
                        repository.uploadSourceDocument(uploadFile, document);
                        info("File [" + fileName + "] has been imported successfully!");
                    }
                    catch (ClassNotFoundException e) {
                        error(e.getMessage());
                        LOG.error(e.getMessage(), e);
                    }
                    catch (IOException e) {
                        error("Error uploading document " + e.getMessage());
                        LOG.error(e.getMessage(), e);
                    }
                    catch (UIMAException e) {
                        error("Error uploading document " + ExceptionUtils.getRootCauseMessage(e));
                        LOG.error(e.getMessage(), e);
                    }
                }

            }
        });

        add(new ListMultipleChoice<String>("documents", new Model(selectedDocuments), documents)
        {
            private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;

            {
                setChoices(new LoadableDetachableModel<List<String>>()
                {
                    private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;

                    @Override
                    protected List<String> load()
                    {
                        Project project = selectedProjectModel.getObject();
                        documents.clear();
                        if (project.getId() != 0) {
                            for (SourceDocument document : repository
                                    .listSourceDocuments(project)) {
                                if (!document.isTrainingDocument()) {
                                    documents.add(document.getName());
                                }
                            }
                        }
                        return documents;
                    }
                });
            }
        });

        add(new Button("remove", new ResourceModel("label"))
        {
            private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;

            @Override
            public void onSubmit()
            {
                Project project = selectedProjectModel.getObject();
                for (String document : selectedDocuments) {
                    try {
                        String username = SecurityContextHolder.getContext().getAuthentication()
                                .getName();
                        User user = userRepository.get(username);
                        repository.removeSourceDocument(
                                repository.getSourceDocument(project, document));
                    }
                    catch (IOException e) {
                        error("Error while removing a document document "
                                + ExceptionUtils.getRootCauseMessage(e));
                    }
                    documents.remove(document);
                }
            }
        });
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


If there is one word I used when writing about the market last week which I feel has turned out to be appropriate, it is "possibly". A week ago the market had bounced, interest rates were down, God was in his heaven. Last week, it all gently fell apart again. Heaven alone knows what treats the rest of the summer has in store for us.
We benefited from a surfeit of information last week. Two central banks published two weighty tomes. The Federal Reserve Bank of the US published its Beige Book – a survey of regional economic trends and a very good indicator of what was happening in corporate America. The Bank of England added its Quarterly Inflationary Report. Neither made very happy reading. The Fed painted a picture of an economy that had all but ground to a halt. Even the consumer had thrown in the towel. No wonder markets were downbeat.
The Bank of England had a rather more positive story to tell but one that was not without its concerns. It is now clear why interest rates have been cut. The bank feels more threatened by the slowdown in the world economy and, in particular, by what is happening in Europe, than by double-digit inflation in the domestic housing market. So concerned is it that more rate reductions look likely. Given that Germany added its own ha&#39penny&#39s worth to the tale of woes last week, its concern appears justified.
Gerhard Schroder admitted that forecasts for German growth during the current year were almost certainly too optimistic. Two per cent was the government&#39s expectation. A more deliverable number looks like 1.5 per cent. Oh how the mighty are fallen.
But it was not all bad news. Germany may have had to ratchet down expectations for economic expansion but at least inflation appears to be receding from the agenda. German inflation lost a whole one percentage point last month, bringing it down to a much more manageable 2.6 per cent. At this rate, the European Central Bank will soon run out of excuses not to lower interest rates.
In America, we had some most encouraging productivity figures. It seems American workers are still becoming more productive. This is good news that should not be underestimated. There were worries that the productivity gains during the American economic miracle of the late 1990s were a bi-product of that economic upswing – that they were cyclical rather than structural changes. The fact that these gains are still coming through when economic activity is on the decline suggests there has been real progress made, particularly through new technologies. This has positive implications for company margins. But it was good news that was swept aside last week as we were dealt still more bad cards on the technology and telecom front.
Cisco Systems briefly enjoyed pole position in world stockmarkets when it overtook Microsoft to become the world&#39s most valuable company as Microsoft reeled under blows from American anti-trust lawyers. Last week, Cisco disclosed sales were down by around a quarter and profits had all but disappeared. Worst of all, it was still unable to see the bottom. There was a belief that things were not getting any worse in America itself but, as for the rest of the world – well, there seem to be depths still to be plumbed in Europe and Asia.
The immediate effect was to send the whole of the technology sector into retreat. It all felt very uncomfortable. But then to be fair it always does at the bottom of the market. With so many professional investors on bucket and spade duty, it is unsurprising there is a lack of bargain-hunting at present. Perhaps this is the opportunity nosy buyers have been waiting for. Oh well, here goes.


Times are hard these days. Cash still does not grow on trees and shrubs and a lot of people have to squeeze their devices to allow them to survive. However there are matters in life that needs to be prioritized. Occasionally if you need to commit more in order to save more income over time. Selecting furnishings are something which one should become more large monetarily, since furnishings are important fittings that have for everyone their function for very long times. Who would rather sleep in the damaged bed or take a seat on a creaky chair? When buying furniture, you have to spend as much as you possibly can in order to get fixtures that might stay functional for long.
Occasions are hard these days. Cash still takes care of not develop on trees and lots of people have to squeeze their devices to allow them to endure. However there are matters in life that should be prioritized. Occasionally when you have to invest more to save more income in the long run. Selecting furnishings are something that one needs to become more generous financially, since furnishings are essential fixtures which have for everyone their perform for very long occasions. Who would prefer to sleep within the damaged mattress or take a seat on a creaky seat? When buying furniture, you need to spend just as much as you can to get fittings that may remain functional for long.
But this doesn't mean that whenever buying furnishings, you haven't any option but to invest all your financial situation. Strategies to economize when choosing furnishings. A good way to do definitely to purchase furniture at at an affordable, but is very functional. When choosing furnishings, you should not only stress about how inexpensive it can be, but additionally about how exactly useful it is.
But this does not imply that when purchasing furnishings, you don't have any choice but to spend all of your finances. Strategies to spend less when choosing furniture. A good way to do certainly to purchase furniture at at an affordable, but is extremely functional. When selecting furniture, you should not only be concerned about how cheap it may be, but also about how exactly useful it is.
It is best to buy furnishings anytime there are sales. Whether in the shopping mall or in normal furnishings stores, you can always find good deals. The advantage of furnishings are it's not like clothes that go out of style. A piece of furniture generally won't walk out style, aside from some stylish ones. So it is very much alright to buy furnishings off season.
When selecting furniture it's good to select items that are multi-practical. Furthermore such furniture save money, they also conserve space. You will get ottomans and beds which have storage space underneath. Big wood chests may also serve as bedroom furniture. If you reside in small condo, a sofa-bed might be a great alternative to getting both a couch and sofa. A covered basket may serve as a center desk aside from being a storage.
When selecting cheap furniture you need to be really wary of its supplies and workmanship. Don't only leap right into a transaction and buy a light fixture the way it is affordable. Look into the whole piece to check out splits and imperfections, several nicks wouldn't harm purchase a large break might be dangerous over time. If at all possible request the seller why the furnishings is affordable and appearance if this is seem sufficient.
During these hard times, selecting cheap but practical furnishings is a must. It might be challenging, but it is definitely essential.
Premium Shop Demure Design 84.25W – 93W Closet System by TidySquares Inc.