None of us really want to think about Christmas right now, but the truth of the matter is it's practically round the corner. Half of me is not ready to even think about it, the other half has the excitement of fires, cosy toes, baubles and Baileys building up at a rate of knots!!
With Christmas sort of on peoples minds, Prestige flowers recently got in touch to see if I would like to review one of their beautiful Christmas bouquets*. You all know I'm a lover of fresh flowers. There's just something about them that lifts the spirit and you'll often find blooms in various blog posts.
Flowers make a great gift at any time and even more so at Christmas time. I'm that person that struggles with what to get everyone. Nick will tell you that I take forever when Christmas shopping. I'll go into every shop, umm and ahh, and then end up back in the first one buying the first item with him telling me constantly he could complete my Christmas shopping within half an hour. Think he's narrowed shopping for my christmas gifts down to 15 minutes.
I received this gorgeous bouquet with festive red roses, the most beautiful and unusual lilies I have ever seen and stems of berries. The flowers had obviously been transported over night but the stems had a wrapping on them that was soaked in water to stop them from drying out.
Prestige kindly sent me the perfect glass vase to go with my flowers and you can in fact add one to your order to be delivered with your flowers. They also offer chocolates, balloons and teddy bears to make that delivery extra, extra special.
Prestige Flowers offer lots of delivery options and even same day delivery. You can choose flowers (for every occassion), plants or even silk flowers. They come on next day delivery either by courier or Royal Mail. Mine came by Royal Mail and one thing to bear in mind is that if no one is in then they will leave their little red calling card and your recipient will have to collect them from the post office. (Check all delivery info on the website).
If you're someone that struggles with gift ideas for the festive season then look no further, Prestige Flowers have the answer. You can find all the bouquet options right here. They also offer Christmas hampers and other gifts too. We can't always be close to our loved ones at Christmas so whatever you choose it will certainly put a smile on their face!
They look lovely. I'm always on the look out for different flower delivery companies!


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Home»Culture»Stick Talk: How Chastity Mays Created A Safe Space Online For Women NBA 2k Gamers
Stick Talk: How Chastity Mays Created A Safe Space Online For Women NBA 2k Gamers
Erin Simon June 7, 2019
Image Credit: Chastity Mays/Twitter
I personally feel like women in NBA2K aren't respected as much as men and it's partially our fault.
The NBA2k community has hit tremendous strides within the last few years. The National Basketball Association created an official esports league called the NBA 2K League, prize pool and global recognition of the community have gone up, and this year the first woman pro esports player was drafted into the NBA's newly established league. But even with this growth, people in the community still feel there's room for improvement.
One of those individuals is Chastity Mays aka GirlGamerChas. Although she entered into the 2k space during the NBA 2k17 era, over time she's grown a following of up to 10,000 supporters, immediately tapping into the passionate environment.
But even with this newfound following, a divide and lack of camaraderie is hindering progress for some individuals within this space. And the only way to deal with it is to accept fault, and take action. Which is what Chastity did with the creation of the Female Park Takeover.
For our Stick Talk series, I had a chance to chat with her to find out what inspired this event, how the turnout was and why women gamers are part of the divide.
For those who don't know, what is the "Female Park Takeover"?
Chastity: The Female Park Takeover was an event that I randomly thought of one day while scrolling on Twitter at home. It's when a bunch of women who play NBA 2k get together in one park, dressed up in the regulated theme attire chosen by me and essentially take over the park. It's obvious that us women in the 2k community aren't respected, told to go back to the kitchen, or that we just aren't good enough. It's even worse when you have fellow female 2k players bashing each other over labels, whose better, and trash talking for drama related reasons. I've personally have had my beef with other women in the 2k community and it made me take a step back and ask myself "Is it really worth it?"
I got tired of seeing women tear each other down over the most simplest things because if we stand united, no one can divide us. I told my friends before I decided to do it that I want to host an all-female park takeover, and one friend told me to go for it. It was a great way to get women in a park to play against each other and to have our male friends join our park so that we could play against them.
🕹🎮 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕥𝕪 🎮🕹 on Twitter
My first #FEMALEPARKTAKEOVER was AMAZING!! Look at how many women play your game @Ronnie2K and this isn't even everyone! You ladies were OUTSTANDING today, and it feels good to see y'all support one another and just have fun. I plan on hosting these once a month! #RETWEET
Once you went ahead and announced this event, what did the turnout look like?
Chastity: The event was amazing! Originally, any women who had a PS4 account could join. I expected this to limit how many women were able to participate, but I knew a lot of women had the PS4. Roughly 30+ women took time out of their day to show up for this event. This doesn't even count the women who couldn't show up because of work or because they play on XBOX. We had some men come out and support the ladies as well. When finished with the best-dressed competition, everyone headed over to the 2's court so the top 2 best-dressed women could 1v1 each other for a $50 prize. After that, everyone who was in the park started playing against each other, not to get mad if they lost, but to just have fun and show respect to one another.
Why do you feel women aren't supported by some men in the 2k community?
Chastity: I personally feel like women in NBA 2k aren't respected as much as men. It's partially our fault because we don't put ourselves out there enough. Some of these women just started streaming and posting more about the fact that they play 2k. A lot of men had no idea that this many women played 2k before this event. We have to market ourselves on the map. I think men in general just don't think women are as competitive at NBA 2k19 because it's a game with such a huge skill gap. You literally have to be good at your build and have majority positive stats to even be respected, as you would in any game. It's harder though when you're trying to compete in a male-dominated game. So, the main goal to address this with the Female Park Takeover was to bring women together, put women on the map, show Ronnie2k that there's a huge female presence on the game, and for women in the 2k community to have a voice.
I'm going to do my best to try and put more women in the 2k Community on the map. Y'all have to do your part and turn up though! Start streaming more, grow your communities, and HAVE FUN! Show your competitive side. 💯 #FemaleTakeover 💅🏾
Dreamhack recently announced an all-female CS:Go tournament. Is this something you would like to see the NBA 2k League due outside of its regular season?
Chastity: I think if the league hosted an all-women's tournament for prizes everyone, and I mean literally everyone, would watch. Although there are some guys who despise women in 2k, I think they secretly want to see what we're working with. This would definitely be a great way for 2k to branch out and show that they support women gamers and diversity. There will be some backlash but that's what comes with trying to make changes. You have to make sacrifices to get better results. I think when NBA 2k creators and the NBA 2k League start standing behind more women, everyone else will fall into place and see it's not as bad as they think. They'll be more open-minded, there will be less trolls and hate, more women will feel more comfortable and that's the goal. Because right now, we all feel like we don't have the support we deserve.
To learn more about esports and gaming culture check out the rest of our Stick Talk series and check out Chastity Mays on Twitter.
esports Gaming NBA 2K NBA 2K League Stick Talk
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Yahoo's five biggest acquisition screw-ups
By Vikki Chowney	 January 26th 2012 16:15
Q4 financial results have hit us hard this week, from all directions.
Yes it's ridiculous that Apple's quarterly net profit was larger than Google's Q4 gross revenue ($13bn versus £10.6bn), and yes it's sad to see Nintendo almost triple its estimated losses.
But what of Yahoo? It's still hanging on in there, with control of millions of Yahoo mail accounts and a chunk of display thrown in good measure.
Yahoo's worldwide traffic might be up 12% – plus page views for Yahoo's media properties rose 7% – but as AllThingsD's Kara Swisher predicted, this was the 13th quarter in which the Silicon Valley giant has done worse that the previous year.
Sales restructuring aside, Yahoo's new CEO Scott Thompson has some serious making up to do. Currently his plans involve fixing the "big mess" the company has got itself into in Asia, saving declining ad sales and filling some of the businesses technology gaps.
Though he won't reveal specifics yet, that last point sounds like the precursor to an acquisiton spree to me. Before he joined, the business had already announced back in November that it 'plans' to acquire online-advertising technology company Interclick in a deal valued at roughly $270m.
But we've been here before.
While it's unfair to dismiss Thompson's plans barely a few weeks into his role, we'd like to see him learn from some of the company's mistakes of the past and have compiled the top five times Yahoo wasted a really good opportunity.
A quick note before we begin. 'Not selling to Microsoft' doesn't count, because in that case it turned down an acquisition offer instead of engaging in one. Time will tell how that holy trinity partnership between AOL, Yahoo and Microsoft, in which they sell each other's leftover inventory (announced November 2011), will turn out. But that's another story.
Bought for a rumoured $30m in 2005, sold for a suspected £1m in 2011.
Delicious had such promise. It was one of the first 'web 2.0' companies to become popular, with social bookmarking setting it apart from Digg and Reddit.
When Yahoo bought it, many predicted that the injection of funding and support could make it excel as a service. Yahoo said it wanted to introduce people to the idea of 'social search' because the tool's data would allow people to view which sites and posts were most popular. That was way before 'social search' became the buzzphrase it is today.
Sadly that idea never came to fruition. Sure, it remained a solid bookmarking tool, but neither its API nor RSS were ever charged for. In fact, it remained free to use, and the subsequent things that smart developers did with the site were never supported nor incubated by Yahoo.
Eventually, with a total lack of focus on developing the massive potential Delicious held, it was earmarked to be 'sunset' – and sold to YouTube's founders (who had previously sold up to Google for $1.76bn).
The duo's company Avos has since attempted to revitalise the site by turning it into a kind of news discovery service. But it sadly remains stagnant, having lost all of its powerusers and providing nothing different or interesting enough for them to return.
For further reading, Ruder Finn's Ged Carroll wrote a great piece on this before the sale to Avos.
Bought for a suspected $35m in 2005, still owned by Yahoo.
Oh Flickr. When Yahoo bought the photo sharing site, it said that it understood the nature of the community and promised to retain the feeling, feel, and management team.
Shortly after that however, the co-founders left, and much of the engineering team. Yahoo implemented forced linking between Flickr and Yahoo accounts, while Facebook's share of the photography space quietly continued to snowball.
Former Flickr architect, now CTO at Etsy Kellan Elliott-McCrea sums it up nicely in a post on Quora from 2010. He says that he worked out that roughly 15% of any of the large projects tackled over the last few years he was at Flickr (internationalisation, video, various growth strategies etc.) went into building the feature. 85% was spent dealing with Yahoo.
I recently pulled up a worklog I was keeping in 2008-2009, and I found 18 meetings scheduled over a 9 month period discussing why Flickr's API was poorly designed and when we'd be shutting it down and migrating it to the YOS Web Services Standard. That kind of stuff slows you down. Especially when you're being starved for resources."
Bought by Yahoo in 2007 for $10m and closed in May 2011.
Another example of an acquisition that could have provided first-mover advantage. As was also the case with Upcoming (bought by Yahoo in 2005) which allowed people to share plans and attendance at events, with group features and sharing that came before Eventful, Meetup, and Google-launched Schemer (which went live just this month).
But back to MyBlogLog. Again the business merged Yahoo and MyBlogLog accounts, but co-founder Eric Marcoullier explained that the technology was under-used. 37signals' Marc Gayle highlights Marcouillier's comment at the time that:
The site was so long neglected, so far behind from Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites. Thus, the only way is to close this site."
RWW's Marshall Kirkpatrick said of the closure: "Imagine getting a feed of the LinkedIn job titles of all your recent readers and presenting that to a blog's advertisers. Both analytically and financially, there was so much potential in MyBlogLog."
Acquired in 2007 for $672m, sold in 2008 for 'less than $100m'
Yahoo acquired Kelkoo to boost its e-commerce and search-related marketing services in Europe. The plan was for Yahoo use its own search technology and the commercial search capabilities (which it acquired through its purchase of Overture) to take advantage of the growth of online comparison shopping.
However, yet more waiting around meant that the company lost much of its momentum after the acquisition in the face of significant competition.
Founder and ex-CEO of Kelkoo Pierre Chappaz refused to name the price it was eventually sold for the second time around, but said it was "below £100m".
The difference is the price of management incompetence that led Yahoo's (stock price to fall) below $9."
Luckily for Kelkoo, the break has done the company well. It relaunched in October 2011 with an affiliate model that includes 40 new partners, including Ebookers.com, LateRooms.com and Booking.com.
Current CMO Chris Simpson said: "The Kelkoo you see today is the result of a huge amount of research and development over the last 18 months."
Acquired for a reported $5.7bn back in 1999, in one of the biggest deals in internet history, even now.
Broadcast.com was integrated into Yahoo's global network as Yahoo Broadcast, while an internal divison operated as Yahoo Broadcast Services.
Once again (see a pattern?) Broadcast.com was the first mover in consumer-focused video streaming via the web. Had the integration been more successful, many analysts speculate that YouTube would not have gained mass traction.
With this, Yahoo moved first in video, but failed to make it work due to bad management. Broadcast.com founder Mark Cuban recognised this early on and sold his holdings before it was too late.
Neil Kandalgaonkar, a former engineer at Upcoming, says acquired companies like Upcoming were: "parcelled out to different parts of Yahoo where they were subordinate to the existing hierarchy and agenda."
The Yahoo model is to think of their sites as media properties with audiences, and bolder ideas like one social network encompassing them all was never a priority. Even if top executives wanted to see revolutionary change at Yahoo, most of the organisation was set up to do deals with Purina Puppy Chow and to ask if Flickr wanted to create a special site for dog photos."
So there we have it. As with many huge companies, it would appear that internal process, hierarchy, politics and too much talking has historically been Yahoo's downfall.
We've seen it fail so many times; is Thompson finally going to be the one to change its culture forever?
Those that almost made it: GeoCities (which also gave Yahoo first-mover advantage within the social communities space), Associated Content (retired in 2011 and replaced with Yahoo Voices), Right Media (all but wiped out by Google's ad exchange). Plus plenty more, but a post can only be so long.
Blog acquisitions Apple Customer Experience Delicious Flickr Google Kelkoo MyBlogLog Nintendo screw ups Strategy Upcoming Yahoo
Five big ideas about discounting
Q: Why have there been so many cataclysmic stories over the past year about digital discounts-gone-haywire?
A: Because too many people had no idea what they were doing.
Marketers are almost guaranteed to get discounting campaigns wrong if they don't understand a few underlying strategic concepts about what a discount is – and isn't. Aiming to forestall any repetition of this maladaptive behavior, Econsultancy is pleased to share a few points from our latest Smart Pack, The Fundamentals of Digital Discounting.
Google experimenting with new signup form
Google may be best-known as a search engine, but with more than 350m people actively using its Gmail service and more than 90m registered users on its Google+ social network, it's clear that Google isn't just a search engine.
Increasingly, that's creating some tension as the Mountain View-based company uses search to promote its other offerings. Now, it appears that Google has turned to its signup form in its effort to boost usage of those offerings.
ASA forces TripAdvisor to stop claiming its reviews are 'trusted'
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ordered TripAdvisor to rewrite some of its marketing messages in response to a complaint from online reputation company KwikChex and two hotels that claim to represent hundred of others.
The complaint was first made last September, and the site at that time removed the slogan "reviews you can trust" from its hotel listings and replaced it with "reviews from our community". Now, all of the changes enforced by the ASA have been made.
February 1st 2012 10:42


Impressive Algebraic Expressions Worksheets 7th Grade with Answers On Worksheet Simplify Algebraic Expressions Worksheet Mytourvn is one of pictures that are related with the picture before in the collection gallery. The exactly dimension of Impressive Algebraic Expressions Worksheets 7th Grade with Answers On Worksheet Simplify Algebraic Expressions Worksheet Mytourvn was 1275x1664 pixels. You can also look for some pictures that related to Resume by scroll down to collection on below this picture.
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As you may know, Jay and I are on a select list of designers for the New Jersey-based WizKids game company (most famous for their HeroClix line of miniatures). Their most recent success has been with the revamping of the MageKnight license with Vlaada Chvátil at the helm.
So when the opportunity arose to be on WizKids' shortlist of go-to designers on a work-for-hire relationship, we jumped at the chance. Some of the Intellectual Properties that WizKids have access to are very cool! Marvel, DC, MageKnight, The Hunger Games, Quarriors, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, Pathfinder Battles, Pirates of the Spanish Main, etc. – those would be so cool to work on!
Anyway, we just sent our second pitch to WizKids today. We're both really confident in this one as we worked really hard to get all the elements of the IP (that we know of – information on it is very limited at this time – so it's a new one, not one of the above!) in the game. We figured out a simple and elegant way of doing fog of war, the enemy learning from past battles, etc. and are hopeful that those tie ins will win us the contract.
We've been learning a ton doing these work-for-hire pitches. We're very pleased with our ability to perform under deadline pressure, with some very tight constraints (both design-wise and budget wise), and with little to no information to work with regarding the IP itself. We're tightening up our internal design processes and becoming much better communicators, between ourselves and our prospective publishers.
Sure, we're used to working far apart, but this time we were even more apart than usual – Jay was in Florida for work at the time this request for a pitch came through! So we've been using DropBox and Skype to plan and create the documents for the pitch; both of us having CorelDraw on our respective laptops has helped immensely to meet the deadlines; and we've really had to become skilled at explaining ourselves to each other in writing and over the phone, so that we get on the same page. It's been quite an interesting process. And then, the day before the pitch was due, Jay was hopping on a plane from Florida to Buffalo to get to the invite-only gaming convention, the Gathering of Friends. So, the fact that we were able to complete what I think is a very exhaustive and complete pitch with some actualized game cards and board designs is a testament not only to how cool the internet and technology is, but how much Jay and I have grown as designers, as collaborators, and as partners in crime.
Let's just hope that our success with our first pitch to the company (which hasn't been greenlighed yet) doesn't affect us being considered for the second one as WizKids does not want to stretch designers thin. They would prefer that you pass on projects so you do one well vs. trying to do them all poorly. And I respect them for that.
But this second IP we've pitched for is really really cool!
So, fingers (and toes) crossed!


Fashion savvy radio show host with Beat FM, Fade Ogunro, has been announced by MultiChoice Nigeria as the host of their new fashion show project in Lagos.
The show, which is called 'The Fashion Protégé' is a five-episode fashion reality television series created to celebrate the 20th anniversary of MultiChoice Nigeria.
The 'Glam Report' host donned herself in a maroon and gold coloured mixed lace jacket from Nigerian designer 'LDA' (Lanre DaSilva Ajayi). She accessorized her look with dropping earrings, a silver finger ring and long wavy blond-red locks.
The reality TV series, which is to kick-start later in the year, will feature a mix of creativity, entertainment and fierce competition.
Should Ice-Prince Charge His Ex-girlfriend For performing at her wedding?


text:
Q: How to center a marker in a leaflet makers cluster spiderfy?
The icon is displayed in the bottom cornor of blue shape. How can I align it in the center? It is not just one shape to control it via CSS. I have many shapes and each looking different.
The cluster is created using the following code:
this.stationMarkers = L.markerClusterGroup({
  iconCreateFunction: function (cluster) {
    const icons = [], temps = [];
    const markers = cluster.getAllChildMarkers();

    for (let i = 0; i < markers.length; i++) {
      if (markers[i]['Tavg']) temps.push((markers[i]['Tavg']));
      if (markers[i]['Icon']) icons.push((markers[i]['Icon']));
    }

    return L.divIcon({
      html: ` 0 ? math.mode(icons)[0] : ''}.png\'
              width="50px"/>
             ${(math.sum(temps) / temps.length).toFixed(1) + '°C'}`,
    });
  },
});

And the icons are created:
for (const d of this.data) {
  const icon = new L.DivIcon({
    html: `
              ${d.Temp + '°C'}`,
  });

  const marker = L.marker([d.Latitude, d.Longitude], {icon});
  marker['Tavg'] = d.Temp;
  marker['Icon'] = d.icon;

  this.stationMarkers.addLayer(marker);

  latitudes.push(d.Latitude);
  longitudes.push(d.Longitude);
}

Package: https://github.com/Leaflet/Leaflet.markercluster
Example: https://leaflet.github.io/Leaflet.markercluster/example/marker-clustering-realworld-maxzoom.388.html

A: Adding iconAnchor: [25, 25] fixed it.
return L.divIcon({
  html: ` 0 ? math.mode(icons)[0] : ''}.png\'
          width="50px"/>
         ${(math.sum(temps) / temps.length).toFixed(1) + '°C'}`,
  iconAnchor: [25, 25],
});

It is not always in the center but at least looking better than what I had before.
The ideal solution would be as @kboul suggested to get the polygon center and place the icon there, but not sure how to do this, since leaflet markers cluster creates polygons.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The national referral hospital is not the only institution that has a problem with a dwindling supply of blood. According to the Director of Health Services, Marvin Manzanero it is a situation that is facing all healthcare facilities. He told us that there is a year-round blood drive for Belizeans to donate blood.


Our parents take care of us, but that doesn't stop us from worrying about our parents sometimes. Kutex Cat is going through that right now. Can you help?
I know I have not posted in a while but now I need to talk. My dad might get fired and the people at his work are really mean including his bosses. I am not sure that either way is right. I am scared for him. Will he be okay? Has anyone one through this? I am not sure how to control my emotions and I need help right now. I am not sure I can talk to anyone because even when I talk to my parents they are not very nice and my dad does not want me to worry. He might get fired the day of my birthday. I know some of you out there are Christians so please pray and if your not please wish me, my dad, and family luck!
I am not sure how I feel about telling you but since no one knows me, I guess it is okay. I am really worried and I think that maybe he will get fired. If he gets fired he might not have a job for a long time but if he stays people at his work will probably find ways to be mean to him. The people at his work are even worse then bullies, and we all know how bullies make us feel,think, and want. If the bully tells you you're ugly you begin to think this way. I feel like just going in my closet with a pillow and crying which really is not an option. :( I am scared and sad and every other negative feeling I can think of.
What should I do? Stand up? No... I am a kid..... They could fight harder back.... My dad could get in trouble for telling me that he may be fired because people are mean. I do not know what to think feel or say. He is always busy and I tell him how I feel and then he goes on that thing. "Well, (My Name) I can't drop everything for you all the time. I could be fired if I don't get this done." or sometimes "LEAVE ME ALONE" or "GO AWAY"
You sound pretty smart, KutexKat. For instance, you knew that you needed to get those worries off your chest. And writing them down seemed to help you. Is there someone you can talk with, like a grandparent, school counselor, or someone like that? Talking is a good step because, truth is, you can't control what goes on at your Dad's work. I hope things improve for you and you are able to worry less.
What else, Pink Locker girls? Have you ever worried about your Mom or Dad losing a job?
Jemma i'm so sorry . Try and be comforting and don't give up hope for your dad support him and tell him no matter what his work mates say just give them a look saying " I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR PROBLEM'S !!!!!!
Don't worry, everything will be fine.. Pray hard and know that we will be there you all the time. And as Jemma said, talk to someone you trust about it..
All the best to you and your family!!
I will light a candle for you and your Dad.
It's okay! You will feel better you can get through this! I hope we can help!
Keep strong be happy and remeber to laugh love and live.
Thanks for help but I really can't talk to anyone :( Thanks for all the help, I did not expect this to be a whole new topic and now it is big so I have lots of people out there helping me! Thank you sooo much!
@Sexybragirl and @Violinistatsoul, thats not me! Its an impostor! I dont know wether to be flattered or offended that you tried to steal my name! Im sure it was unintentional though. Sm:)e!
KutexKat, I feel so sorry for you! Talk about it with your mum or someone else you trust. I wish you all the best and will pray that your dad doesnt get fired! Try and Sm:)e! Through the hard times.
There are 2 things I need to say.
#1 Kutexkat~I've never been worried about a parent losing a job, but I can relate to the whole " meanness at work" thing.
#2 Hugsandsmiles(I'd prefer to call you that if you don't mind)~I agree with ViolinistAtSoul. Your previous name was so cute and happy. It's totally your choice, but I think you should change it back.
Pray pray pray! I really admire you for staying strong through all of this! Let's hope that even if your dad does get fired, he can find a better job with no bullies! I'll be praying for you, KutexKat! Stay strong!
I know hugsandsmiles was adoreable!
Guys could you help me out?? I'm having family trouble. My family always says I'm being rude and disrespectful when I'm not trying to be. And then they will quiz me for hours on why I'm in a bad mood when I'm not in a bad mood. I have had my mom mad at me so many times the past couple weeks it's not even funny. And I can't even get away and take a break because I'm homeschooled so I'm with my family 24/7. Please help me it's getting really bad.
Kutex Kat.Great name.why dont you email him,text him,call him or just talk to your mom about it.
This kind of just happend to my friend. I gave her a list of quotes that helped her. Remember in times of need we will always be here for you. I will also pray for you. Maybe you could find a time where your dad isn't busy and ask him something. Try to grow closer to your dad. Even if there isn't a rupture in your relationship with him, it could help him.
@ViolinistAtSoul, there has been a little bit of a mix-up, Sexybragirl, was never me, Hugsandsmiles and I am happy with my name and have no intention of changing it. Sm:)e!
Ok. Thought that didn't sound like something you'd change your name too. Thanks for clearing that up. Sorry they tried to steal your name.
I agree. Praying is the best solution to everything. And I love you're name!! Potterheads all the way!!
I'm so happy! Our school's spring break has started and I'm happy! Any tips to enjoy a week of no school?
My prayers at with you, Kutexkat. :) But, I have a problem of my own. My best friend recently had her tonsils taken out and she isn't doing well. :( I'm really worried for her, we've been BFFs for more than a year now, and I can't imagine life without her! Please help!
Skyarmyrecruit (I was A+ but I'm a Sky army recruit (I hate squids) so my name is that now!
He did not get fired!! :) YAY!!! Thanks for the luck and prayers!!
We're all happy for you!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey my dad got fired too.....sorta he hurt his back so he got some time off.......forever we have been searching for a job for my dad for 5 years or more. So I know how it feels.
Remember, I'm A+, but I changed my name.
@ViolinistAtSoul, @iNK, @Icygirl;), @hatlover and @Kutexkat, Thank-you to all of you for defending my name, and in the process, even if it was unknowingly, me. I'm happy that you all like my name so much! Also hatlover, I was, but I'm too lazy, though I'll still sign of with a Sm:)e!
@ViolinistAtSoul, family can be tough to deal with especially since they spend so much time with you since you are homeschooled. It can easily make you cranky that people assume you will be moody or quiz you about being rude all the time, even if you are not, but persevere and answer with the kindest tone that you can muster, since sounding a little sarcastic or annoyed is way too easy (at least for me) also, dont sound even remotely whiney, as in "But I wasnt doing it on puuur-pose!" Just try to Be positive and Sm:)e! And hopefully they will stop bothering you about it. PS, like I said above, Im glad you liked my name!
@KutexKat, Happy Belated Birthday! Im glad your dad didnt get fired! Thanks for finding my name so sweet! Sm:)e!
OMG! How rude of me! I forgot to tell all the people I posted to above me how awesome their names are too! Well, I love all of your names, I hope its not too late to say that now!
@ViolinistAtSoul, awww:) thank-you! You are awesome too! Good luck! Sm:)e!
Does anyone else want to get logins so we can like have friends and chat and have like PLS club meetings in real life?
Don't worry to much. And if your dad does loose his job, he WILL find a new one. And I know that. My mom and dad had a divorce and since my dad had the job, not my mom, my mom had to find a job. It took 4 years for my mom to finish collage and find a place to work. Know she has a job, and we are all living happily ever after. So, don't worry. (Hey, if you want to here how I handle some moody feelings, listen. I just want to prove that being 11 and 12, doesn't mean that you can't control your emotions. Right when I want to cry, I just stand up and say, "I am Ok, I am loved, and I am me!" I sometimes think of all my family member who love me, and repeat over and over again that I am Ok. I really does help. And I am rooting you on! You can live through it!
Sorry Ive been gone for so long!!
Im so happy he didnt get fired! Thats great news. Tons of us prayed for you, and looks like God listened!
I swear youre my identical twin. Im going through the exact same thing!! My dad doesnt understand that Im in a bad mood because he asked me why I was in a bad mood and told me I was being rude to his girlfriend.
Thank you so much, you give amazing advice (even though it technically wasnt for me)!
Remakingabraverme, you're welcome, even if my advice wasn't technically for you, but I think we should all be free to use all the advice on the website. Sm:)e!
Hatlover, yay, I love making peoples days! Thanks! Sm:)e!
last year, my dad got laid off for 3 months and i didn't know what to do. i felt like i should'nt be spending so much.
the economy is getting worse and more people are losing jobs. us girls have to keep our chins up and remind our parents to smile.
keep going forward, KutexKat, and trust yourself.
I am Christian and I will pray for you and your dad, as asked. :) god bless!
@ TheBlindEagle- Yes, I will, too.
A quote by me "Prayer is the best remedy, for the body, for the soul, and for the spirit."
I remember I lived with my mum only when I was little. We did not have much money but we managed fine. I know it might be hard to think this, but your life is a bit upside-down at the moment, but when you get older, things will get much better.
Think to the future. You and your family will manage just fine like everyone else`s.
@ ASkMeAnything- I don't quite agree. In my opinion, I believe that we should take things day by day and not worry about tomorrow.
Hatlover and missymooiloveu, thanks, it really means alot! Sm:)e!
It sounds like you are a very nice girl going through a very tough time. Just remember, you are not alone! There are lots of people who care about you and don't want anything to happen, including us on this website. It may help you to talk to a counselor, because they will listen but also keep your information PRIVATE, which it sounds like you want. A diary might help you get your feelings out too. I will pray for you, because no girl should have to go through that. Good luck!
A journal would help. Express your feelings to your journal. I think it's best that you leave you dad alone. He can't blame you for anything, and it's best to stay out of trouble. Remember, your dad loves you. There will be other jobs for him, so don't worry if he loses it. Who knows? he might get a better one. I think he's just grumpy, and leave the hard work for you and your mom and focus on school and homework.
Wow I am so sorry for u. I will pray 2night. My dad almost got fired 2 but the ppl @ his work were not that mean plus he got a new job-that played him 1,000 more dollars then his old job did. Just think positive.
I'm really sorry, for you and your Dad and I'll definitely pray 2night. Don't think about it 2 much though, enjoy the summer!
hope your dad finds a new job!
i wish u guys good luck!
hope he finds a job were they aren't mean to him!
heres an advice just relax and take a deep breath and hope every thing is going to be alright!


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text:
This was the first edition of the men's tournament.

Radu Albot won the title after defeating Hubert Hurkacz 7–6(8–6), 6–7(3–7), 6–4 in the final.

Seeds

Draw

Finals

Top half

Bottom half

References
Main Draw
Qualifying Draw

Shenzhen Longhua Open - Men's Singles

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
J. Graham Matherne
gmatherne@wyattfirm.com
615.256.1726 F
Litigation & Dispute ResolutionNon-Competition, Business Information, and Trade Secret ProtectionInsuranceTort & Insurance DefenseProduct Liability
Graham Matherne is a member of the Firm's Litigation & Dispute Resolution Service Team. He concentrates his practice in the areas of business litigation, construction law disputes, non-compete/trade secret litigation, insurance regulation and receiverships and copyright and trademark litigation, in both federal and state courts.
Mr. Matherne has wide experience in addressing all matters arising from court-appointed receiverships over entities ranging from insurance companies to health and benefit plans, to state chartered trust companies, where he has worked extensively with the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions, the Tennessee Attorney General's Office, and the U.S. Department of Labor.
He has represented clients administratively in front of the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance in such diverse matters as agent licensing, Form A/Form E filings, self-reporting obligations, and retaliatory tax disputes.
Mr. Matherne has represented owners, general contractors and subcontractors in many construction law disputes ranging from defending the owner's interest in a multi-million dollar earth-moving (cut and fill) dispute, to addressing lien claims for owners and/or contractors, to defending a concrete sub-contractor in a multi-million dollar "defective pour" case.
Mr. Matherne has both prosecuted and defended non-compete/trade secret/business torts cases in industries ranging from financial brokerage houses to publishing companies to insurance agencies.
His background also includes numerous representations of parties regarding copyright and/or trademark infringement litigation and related contractual disputes.
J.D., Vanderbilt University, 1984
Student Writing Editor for the Vanderbilt Law Review, 1983-1984
B.A., University of North Carolina
Woodward/White's The Best Lawyers in America® in the areas of Insurance Law, 2012-2021, and Litigation-Intellectual Property, 2013-2021
Law Clerk for the Hon. Thomas A. Wiseman, Jr., 1984-1985
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES AND MEMBERSHIPS
Nashville, Tennessee and Federal Bar Associations
Admitted to practice before all courts of Tennessee, before numerous federal district courts (including the Middle District of Tennessee), before the Sixth and Eleventh Circuit Courts of Appeals, and before the U.S. Supreme Court.
"Ninth Circuit Court Ruling in Taylor Swift 'Shake It Off' Case May Portend a 'Shake Down' of Defendant Copyright Holders and the Lessening of the 'Originality' Requirement for Copyright Protection," FindingIPValue.com (November 2019).
"Unanimous Music Modernization Act Passage and Enactment Positively Impacts the Music Industry," FindingIPValue.com (November 2018)
"Trade Secrets and the Inevitable Disclosure Doctrine," Memphis Daily News (April 2016)
"Celebrity Selfies And Businesses' Legal Obligations," Memphis Daily News (October 2015)
"Tennessee Trademark Protection: An Affordable Way to Protect A Slogan or Logo," Memphis Daily News (April 2015)
"Intellectual Property Audits for Companies," Memphis Daily News (March 2014)
"Descendibility of Publicity Rights in Tennessee," Vol. 53 Tennessee Law Review No. 4 (1986)
Note: "Forced Disclosure of Academic Research," Vol. 37 Vanderbilt Law Review No. 3 (1984)
Finding IP Value
Trademark Plaintiff Not Required to Show Willful Infringement Before Award of Infringer's Profits – Supreme Court Settles Split Among the Circuits in Romag Decision
Ninth Circuit Court Ruling in Taylor Swift "Shake It Off" Case May Portend a "Shake Down" of Defendant Copyright Holders and the Lessening of the "Originality" Requirement for Copyright Protection
Unanimous Music Modernization Act Passage and Enactment Positively Impacts the Music Industry


that none but stir... The city wall was stone, mud, and timber, twice as tall as a content de voir ma sœur servante chez des gens de la ville.
Tell me, Nolan, why is it that you always mon père sur les mesures à prendre dans leurs réunions, et tu Patriarchal flower adversaries stupefy boldly.
to do for the next few weeks, say? Have you been to see There isn't Tilda Swinton inside. We must use our wits.
A bit of Karen Hassan listing. beauty kept Helium at war for many years, and well, Tara of digs her toes against the mountain.


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module.exports.DuplicateKeyError = DuplicateKeyError;

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
The Spy in My Bed
Vera Lengsfeld was arrested and tortured by the East German government. Only years later, did she discover it was her husband who informed on her. Bob Jamieson reports.
Bob Jamieson
Updated Jul. 14, 2017 7:37PM ET / Published Oct. 02, 2010 2:56PM ET
Vera Lengsfeld was arrested and tortured by the East German government. Only years later, did she discover it was her husband who informed on her. (Jockel Finck / AP Photo)
Hohenschoenhausen Prison in Berlin is the sinister reminder that even now, on the 20th anniversary this Sunday, the work to reunify Germany is still unfinished.
The complex of drab buildings was the secret detention jail for East Germany's Ministry of State Security—Stasi—the vast and brutal internal army used to control the population. And Hohenschoenhausen, left untouched since Stasi agents fled when the wall came down, was the center of interrogation and torture.
"This was my cell," said Vera Lengsfeld, who spent a month there awaiting trial as Stasi agents tried to force a confession to opposing the state. She did not know then that the man who betrayed her was her husband.
In the 1980s Vera Lengsfeld was a modest civil-rights activist in the Communist state, with three children and, friends say, very much in love with her husband, a poet. Today she is a trim 58-year-old with a blond bob who has become an influential member of the German Parliament, often at odds with Chancellor Angela Merkel (also a former East German) over individual liberty. She is no longer married.
Walking in what is now a museum, under harsh fluorescent light on long-faded brown linoleum, Lengsfeld stops outside another door. "This was where they did the water torture that made you think you were drowning," she says without emotion. "And the one next to it was for the Chinese water torture."
"Doesn't being a guide here revive bitter memories?" I ask. "No, it doesn't," she says. "I give the tours to teach the truth about East Germany, especially to the young."
In East Germany, there was nowhere Stasi agents or their informers weren't watching or listening and reporting back to headquarters. Homes were bugged, telephones tapped, mail opened, neighbors spied on neighbors. According to German federal records, there were almost 100,000 Stasi agents and an estimated 500,000 informers under contract to the ministry in a country of 16 million people. Some informed to curry favor with the regime and others were induced with threats.
In Hitler's Germany, there was one Gestapo agent for every 2,000 citizens. In East Germany, there was one Stasi agent or informer for every 63 citizens, records show.
Lengsfeld was under constant surveillance and harassment. She was expelled from the science academy where she worked and then made her living as a beekeeper and translator.
Finally, in 1988, she was arrested for carrying a sign in a government parade. It quoted the first line of the East German constitution: "Every citizen has the right to express his opinion freely and openly." The charge was riotous behavior. She remembers that on her arrival at Hohenschoenhausen. "I was fingerprinted and then had to sit on a piece of fabric. That was then placed in a jar to collect my smell." (Thousands of such jars were found after the wall came down but there has never been an explanation of forensic value, bizarre or otherwise.)
Convicted by a Communist court she was later thrown out of the country, leaving her husband, and her three children behind.
But the worst for Vera Lengsfeld was yet to come.
Tens of thousands of Stasi victims, whose lives were destroyed; who were beaten, tortured, kidnapped or killed, have never seen anyone who was responsible punished.
Thomas Habicht, a leading German journalist who was a target of Stasi agents in West Berlin, says that still casts a shadow over reunification. "The generation of Stasi criminals is still alive, behaves aggressively, and in some cases even has gained influential positions again." Many of the former agents and officials, Habicht says, still live in the privileged housing built for them by the East German government "which adds insult to serious injury."
On this subject, Lengfeld's eyes flash for the first time this day. "I'm angry," she snaps. While the first and only freely elected East German parliament moved to punish the Stasi agents, she and others believe that to speed reunification, the West German government of Helmut Kohl swept the issue under the rug and subsequent governments have kept it there. "Just look at pensions," she says. "Because (the Stasi agents') wages were two or three times higher than the average East German, their pensions now are two or three times higher" than most of the retirees. "East Germany," she says, "had both victims and perpetrators and we cannot forget that."
In November, 1989, as chaotic protests against the repressive regime grew, Lengsfeld wanted to return from her exile in Britain to be with her family. On November 9 she arrived in West Berlin and through confusion at the Friedrichstrasse checkpoint, she was able to slip back into East Berlin. Her timing was exquisite: that night the Berlin Wall fell.
The Stasi learned from her husband not only about her opposition to the government but intimate details of dinner table conversations, pillow talk, even their sex life.
In the aftermath, six million files on East German citizens were discovered in Stasi archives. Laid end to end they would be 125 miles long. In 1991, the files were opened for the Stasi victims. It was then that Vera Lengsfeld learned that that the Stasi informer code named "Donald" was her husband, Knud Wollenberger.
In 1984, Wollenberger signed a Stasi contract agreeing to inform on Lengsfeld and her son from a previous marriage. The Stasi learned from her husband not only about her opposition to the government but intimate details of dinner table conversations, pillow talk, even their sex life. She divorced "Donald" in 1992.
Today, she says, "I will never again talk about this." But those who saw her then described a shattered woman, someone who felt violated in a way she could not at first fully comprehend like, say adultery.
Wollenberger, who suffers from advanced Parkinson's disease, does not give interviews. But a decade ago when a television interviewer asked why he agreed to spy on his wife he said, "I didn't think you could say no." Was he forced to do it? "No." Well, asked the interviewer, was it voluntary? Wollenberger answered with a question. "What is voluntary?"
There are certain echoes to this story in The Lives of Others, the Oscar winning movie about the Stasi and its victims. In the film—the only serious one on the subject—a playwright's lover is induced to spy on him with tragic consequences. The playwright has long made his accommodation with the regime, but then turns against it.
Sebastian Koch, who portrayed the playwright, believes many in Germany, like his character, find the Stasi excesses too easy to ignore. "He refused to see it because things were too perfect and he was too productive," Koch says, "but it will always be there, underneath the surface."
At the end of the film Koch's character meets the former minister of state security, still smug and arrogant. "And to think," the playwright says, "that people like you once ruled a country."
Habicht, the journalist, says, so far, that question has not been fully answered. "We still have thousands of Stasi victims who, 20 years after reunification, want to learn the truth from their files."
According to Germany's Federal Commission, which manages the Stasi archives, two and a half million people have read their personal files. Another six thousand are applying each month to gain access to theirs. Many former East Germans still do not know who spied on them, what was reported and the consequences.
At the same time, Sebastian Koch says Germans should never forget people like Vera Lengsfeld. "There is a larger truth here. You have to commit yourself and face the consequences. You have this moment when you have to react or surrender."
Bob Jamieson has worked as a correspondent for NBC News and ABC News, reporting from all seven continents during his 40-year career. He has received five national Emmys as well as DuPont and Peabody awards.


text:
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Posted on December 14, 2019 by Daily Advocate
Darke County Lions unite to save lives
Arcanum Lions Club volunteers show off some of the stuffed animals that will soon find new homes.
GREENVILLE – The cuddly "sloth" doll was a donor favorite at the 24th annual Darke County Lions "Teddy & Friends Blood Drive." But for Arcanum Lions Club member Bill Campbell, nothing lit up the holidays like the little white Teddy with the magic paw.
Bill and other members of the Arcanum, Gettysburg, and Pitsburg Lions Clubs volunteered at the Dec. 10 blood drive at the Greenville Church of the Brethren and helped purchase 110 stuffed animals for young patients at Wayne HealthCare. The Lions invited donors to choose a doll for a child and sign a gift tag with messages of encouragement.
One lucky child will get a unique Teddy, if Bill can "bear" to part with it.
"It's the one I can't give away. It lights up!" he said as he squeezed the paw of the white Teddy Bear and watched colored Christmas lights inside the doll glow. "I'm going to steal it! Ain't that cute? It's the only one of all the bears that has lights!"
Along with the many good wishes, the blood drive totaled 98 whole blood donors and 87 donations, plus 14 platelet and plasma donations.
"It's fun to meet all the people and know we're doing something for the community, the hospital, and there's always a need for blood," said Arcanum Lions volunteer Darwin Rhoades. "It's all the Lions clubs in the county," said Pitsburg Lions volunteer David Kepler. "We've been doing it for 24 years."
"I chose a tan puppy dog," said Pitsburg donor Carolyn Hollinger, who made her 99th lifetime donation. Greenville's Jane Flora signed a get well message but needed help from the Lions before deciding on a purple Unicorn doll. "He picked it for me," she said. "I was taking too long."
"We both picked sloths," said Arcanum sisters Jessica Yarber and Maegann Layman. "It was our favorite," said Jessica. "The last couple of times, we've donated together, and we signed up for the next one."
Louis Grilliot came from Versailles to donate platelets for his 179th lifetime donation. He remembers being inspired to donate more than 40 years ago by the Kremer family in North Star. "Our neighbors had two boys that were hemophiliacs. They always needed blood," said Louis. "Once you get started you keep doing it and try to increase doing it."
Louis said he hopes to catch up to fellow platelet donor Ivan Patterson, who settled into the donor bed next to Louis at the Lions Club blood drive to make his 537th lifetime donation. "My next goal is to get to 600 by my 95th birthday," said Ivan.
Mary Ann Ridenour from Greenville celebrated her 75th lifetime donation. "It started with by dad," she said. "We had an aunt that needed blood and dad started, then my sisters and me, and his brother. We'd all go, and we carry on the tradition."
Helping save lives and helping put smiles on the faces of young hospital patients are both traditions at the Lions blood drive. Arcanum donor Jess Mayes showed her holiday spirit when she arrived to donate in reindeer antlers. She had been wearing them all day at the Dollar General store in Brookville.
"I had them on at work and meant to take them off!" said Jess. When it came time to choose a Teddy for a young hospital patient, Jess went with a favorite of both her seven-year old son and four-year old daughter. "They like the sloths!"
Make an appointment at www.DonorTime.com.
https://www.dailyadvocate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2019/12/web1_Teddy-Friends-Arcanum-Lions-Club-w.jpgArcanum Lions Club volunteers show off some of the stuffed animals that will soon find new homes. Courtesy photo
Greenville OH, 45331
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Hi! A visitor to our site felt the following article might be of interest to you: Darke County Lions unite to save lives. Here is a link to that story: https://www.dailyadvocate.com/news/82257/darke-county-lions-unite-to-save-lives


text:
Samsung SGH-D900 – telefon komórkowy firmy Samsung. Kolejny z rodziny Serii D Telefon Slider. Jego obudowa jest dosyć podobna do Samsung SGH-E250. Telefon jest czterozakresowy. Obsługuje sieci GSM 850/900/1800/1900.

Dane techniczne

Czasy
 Czas czuwania: 260 godz.
 Czas rozm.: 390 min.

Pamięć i aparat
 Aparat cyfrowy 3.15 Mpx, zoom: 24x
 Pamięć wbudowana: 42 MB (możliwość rozbudowy) (Samsung SGH-D900i: 75 MB z możliwością rozbudowy)
 Pamięć zewnętrzna: microSD (TransFlash)

Multimedia
 Bluetooth
 Dyktafon
 EDGE
 GPRS, Class 8
 Java
 MP3
 Obsługa USB
 Przeglądarka xHTML
 SyncML
 Transmisja danych i faksów
 WAP 2.0

Model Samsung SGH-D900i dodatkowo posiada radio, nie posiada za to pixel viewer (przeglądarki plików .txt .doc .pdf).

Dodatki
 Alarm
 Budzik
 Data
 Kalendarz
 Kalkulator
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 Przypomnienie
 Słownik
 Stoper
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Linki zewnętrzne
 Telefon w bazie mGSM.pl

D900
Telefony komórkowe z 2006 roku


Creating sacred space is about making choices. It's about priorities and boundaries; it's about gaining clarity around what's important in your life. It's about taking the time you need to create a home environment that supports you mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically. It's about taking the time you need to slow down and live in the moment- right now. It's about creating rituals. It's about celebrations and remembering traditions and establishing new ones. It's about remembering your life purpose. It's about breathing. It's about laughter. It's about love. It's about your intention for manifesting good luck, opportunities and abundance in your life. Take a look around you, what are you creating? What is your intention?
Creating sacred space is simply finding and acknowledging that place within each of us where our soul can dance. I help people open their eyes and their hearts to this amazing discovery for themselves.
When you incorporate the Feng Shui principle "Your space reflects your life" you begin to make conscious choices about what you will allow into your environment. You make clear choices about what items will stay and what you will give away. By simply applying the basics of this ancient tradition we begin to see how the flow of energy, referred to as ch'i energy, changes. It is not uncommon for immediate results to be experienced both internally and externally in your life.
So what does "Creating Sacred Space" mean?
So when you say you are "Creating Sacred Space" you are creating a space that you honor because it has a deeper meaning, you are connected to it and it responds by supporting you better.
The ultimate goal of Feng Shui is to create sacred space. Feng Shui is the process of creating environments that support us mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. When you create sacred space, you are creating an environment that supports you, you can embrace it and it makes you feel better. One of the benefits of integrating Feng Shui into your environment is to experience the three blessings, good health, prosperity and good luck.
My mission statement is that "I help people create sacred space where their soul can dance." I do this by integrating rituals, traditions and celebrations into their daily lives. When you take the time to create sacred space in your home you can experience more joy, peace, happiness, compassion and love. You are more fulfilled because you will be living more harmoniously.
Creating Sacred Space connects our inner and outer selves. It opens up "space" which allows you to experience your personal journey inward, where individuality is honored and your own creative style can begin to unfold. By understanding that our inner and outer experiences are connected, it makes sense to begin creating sacred space in your home.
When a Feng Shui consultant evaluates your space, they are assessing the flow of ch'i or life force energy in your environment. We begin by evaluating the placement and positioning of your furniture, the condition of your rooms, closets, garage and basements as well as your personal items.
One of the principles of Feng Shui states that "Everything is energy and everything is connected". This is an important concept to understand. Basically this statement means that everything you own is connected to you. For many, that's a disturbing thought. Do you have closets that are bulging? Do you have stacks of unread magazines and piles of books on your night stand? Do you have clothes hanging in your closet that haven't been worn in three years? Do you have stuff from Grandma and Grandpa stored in the attic? Do you have broken equipment taking up space in the garage?
Everything you own affects your ch'i. When ch'i is blocked or constricted by things that aren't used, loved or needed, you may find yourself stumbling through your own life. Clutter sets up obstacles and this may be impacting your ability to get a new job, a promotion or having time to spend with someone special. Unfinished business and/or unresolved issues can drain your energy and cause dis-ease. Emotionally, it can lead to feelings of being overwhelmed, confusion and create chaos.
Creating sacred space does not have to be complicated. Put on your "Feng Shui Eyes" and look at your space consciously. Be aware of the feelings in your body as you walk from room to room. Take a mental inventory of the items in your space? What do the pictures on your walls tell about you? Take a look at your front door? Does it make people feel welcome? Find the center of your home. What state is it in? This is your center point. What is it reflecting back to you? Take an honest look at what items in your home can be donated, sold or just thrown away. This process will begin your journey into creating sacred space in your physical environment and begin the process of clearing your inner ch'i.
Implementing some simple Feng Shui rituals can shift your energy. You could develop a ritual of lighting a candle every night for dinner. You could sit in your favorite chair and read a book. You could state a prayer of gratitude in the morning and at night. You could create an affirmation, tone with crystal bowls or walk outside to connect to nature's energy. It can be the simple experience of cuddling with your child as they fall asleep in your arms.
Creating sacred space is about allowing your soul to dance. Begin with your home and the inner journey will start to unfold. Allow the flow of ch'i to move freely through your home and this will open your life to new opportunities. As the Chinese believe "we create our own luck" and integrating Feng Shui principles allows us to live a more fulfilled life.
Carolyn Vinup is the president of Creating Sacred Space, a consulting firm in Minneapolis, Minnesota where she is a certified Feng Shui and sacred space consultant, space clearing facilitator, sound healer, teacher, speaker and healer.
Carolyn Vinup and Boyd Sibley produced a meditative music CD titled "In the Name of Hope-Sacred Space". The music takes you a journey for opening and clearing the chakras. The CD is priced at $18.00 and includes shipping and handling.


text:
Cincinnati Zoo Using Wind Power to Go Green
CINCINNATI, OH – The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden unveils its newest energy source – the Windspire® wind turbine! The 30-foot tall turbine was installed in the Zoo's Go Green Garden to help power the ticketing and membership building. Along with the solar panels in the Go Green Garden, the turbine will meet approximately one-fourth of all of the power demands for the building. MEDIA – Video is being delivered and/or is available upon request – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4dSOiBqUbg
"The Zoo is a natural champion of environmental sustainability" said Walt Borland, Windspire Energy CEO & President. "We are excited that the Windspire® will now be a part of their efforts to demonstrate how easy it is for any us to help protect our most important habitat – Planet Earth."
Considered a relatively small wind turbine, it provides a low-cost, safe and energy efficient method for harnessing power from the wind. It produces approximately 2000 kilowatt hours per year in 12 mph average winds. This is approximately one-third to one –fifth of the energy usage of an average U.S. Home, or roughly enough energy to run a dishwasher and refrigerator for an entire year.
Taking green steps is not new for the Cincinnati Zoo. The Zoo holds the reputation as the greenest zoo in the country and takes that role very seriously, always looking for new ways to introduce visitors to Going Green. The Go Green Garden highlights the Zoo's green efforts in terms of energy efficiency, green building design, water conservation, solid waste management, storm water management and land stewardship.
The Cincinnati Zoo has received many "green" awards. The Zoo was named the 2008 Conservation Partner of the Year by the Hamilton County Soil & Water Conservation District and received the Cincinnati Sustainability Award from the American Institute of Architects in 2009. And, in 2010, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland declared the Cincinnati Zoo 'the greenest zoo in the country'. To learn more about how to "Go Green".
« Zoo Babies "Show us Your Baby Face"
Run Wild at the Cincinnati Zoo »


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UK Tightens Visa Checks To Stop Criminals Coming In
Written by Rob Dawson
Posted Aug 14, 2015 5:20
Foreigners applying for a UK visa must prove they have no criminal record before they enter the country under new rules coming in on September 1, 2015.
The British government is making entry requirements much stricter after a study revealed that 30,000 out of 190,000 foreigners arrested in the country had criminal records in another country.
Less than half were known to police in the neighbourhoods where they lived.
As a trial, the first batch of visa applicants who will have to prove a crime-free past are foreigners applying for investment or entrepreneur visas that come with permission to live in the UK for the applicant and their families.
The applicants and dependants will each have to show they have no criminal record in any country they have lived in for the past 10 years.
Foreign criminals
If they cannot supply a certificate from the police in those countries or lie about their records, access to the UK will be denied and they will automatically go on a visa blacklist for 10 years.
After a trial, the measure will be rolled out across other classes of visas next year.
Immigration minister James Brokenshire said: ""Britain welcomes hard working and honest foreigners but we do not want to give homes to foreign criminals and we want to do what we can to keep them out of the country.
"Behind the scenes, police and border officers have increased criminal checks on visitors to the UK by 1,000% in the past five years. As a result, Britain is a safer place and the streets are free of crime these people could have committed."
The new rule does not apply to European Union citizens who have freedom of movement among member states.
As a result, although the checks do stop some crime, they would not have prevented some serious offences like the murder of 14-year-old Alice Gross, who was found murdered after going missing from her West London home in August last year.
Latvian Arnis Zalkalns, 41, was named as a suspect. Police later found his body hanging in woodland nearby.
Zalkalns had served a seven year sentence for murdering his wife in Latvia before coming to the UK.
The criminal checks will not be imposed on tourist visas.
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Tags Europe, Immigration, Travel, UK, Visa
Home » Insights » UK Tightens Visa Checks To Stop Criminals Coming In


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Q: saving many to many form field values in to database table(model) I had a model which i converted it to form as below
models.py
class Book(models.Model):
    name = models.CharField()
    description = models.TextField()

class College(models.Model):
    name = models.CharField()
    books = models.ManyToManyField(Book)
    place = models.CharField()

form.py
from django.forms import ModelForm
from myapp.models import College

class CollegeForm(ModelForm):

    class Meta:
        model = College

views.py
def college_view(request):
    form = CollegeForm()
    if request.method == 'POST':
        form = CollegeForm(request.POST):
        if form.is_valid():
            college_obj = College.objects.create(name=request.POST['name'],
                                                place=request.POST['place'],
                                                books= ???????)
        return HttpResponseRedirect(reverse('index'))
    return render_to_response('college-detail.html', {'form':form})

So what all i am doing above is

*

*Created a model called College that has a many to many link to Book

*Converted the model in to form using ModelForm and rendered as html

*When the form gets submitted with values, in view i am getting that values from
request.POST and trying to save in to the College model.
but as you can observe the college form has one many to many field and two CharField,
so i had saved the char fields directly in to the table, but i am stuck near saving the
many to many field books in the table(that is model College)
so can anyone please let me know in brief on how to save manytomany fields in to the database tables i mean models that has manytomany fields
Thanks in advance.....

A: So, if you read the documentation on ModelForms, you will notice that they are equipped with a save() method, which already provides the functionality you want.
You can use
if form.is_valid():
     form.save()

or, if you want to add more values to the model, you can
if form.is_valid():
     instance = form.save(commit=False)
     instance.custom_field = custom_value
     instance.save()

A: After calling form.is_valid(), calling form.save() will do job of saving many to many data for you as well. If in case you want to change/add data to form objects before saving you can do

f = form.save(commit=False)

After calling save with commit=False django makes available a save_m2m() method on your form object. Notice form not f. After you're done manipulating the f object, you can go ahead and call save_m2m() to save many to many data of that form.

form.save_m2m()

Reference: https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/2.0/topics/forms/modelforms/#the-save-method


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Silverado Vineyards Announces Key Marketing And Hospitality Additions
Three-generation, family-owned Napa Valley estate winery invests in the future
by Silverado Vineyards (press release)
Nora Feeley
Lauren Martins
Silverado Vineyards announces key personnel additions and the creation of a new marketing department for the landmark Stags Leap District winery. Nora Feeley has been named director of marketing and communications and Lauren Martins has been promoted to associate marketing manager. Tom Markakis is also joining the winery as the new assistant retail operations manager.
An industry veteran, Feeley has held roles as the senior director, communications at Delicato Family Vineyards, senior director, communications and events at Trinchero Family Estates and vice president, communications at Constellation Brands. She has agency experience at Hill & Knowlton and J. Walter Thompson, where she handled clients in the wine sector including Kenwood Vineyards, Vivino and Treasury Wine Estates. Feeley has also held key marketing roles at Cablevision/Madison Square Garden in New York and Aspen Magazine, The Cable Center and Event by Nora in Colorado.
Lauren Martins will fill the newly created role of associate marketing manager, where she will focus on enhancing the winery's digital and social media efforts. She joined Silverado Vineyards in 2018 as part of the hospitality and wine education team. Martins has a decade of experience at New York advertising agencies Merkley + Partners and McCann Erickson working on well-known brands such as Nutella, Tic Tac, Nestle Waters Regional Spring Waters, Mobil 1 and 2K Games.
"Nora has extensive experience building awareness for storied brands in our business, well-positioning her to lead our marketing and communications efforts," said Russ Weis, president, Silverado Vineyards. "Lauren's expertise in digital marketing is a key step in responding to the changing wine consumer."
As part of its increased focus on marketing and hospitality, Tom Markakis will join the winery on August 15 as assistant retail operations manager and wine educator from his role as assistant manager at Robert Mondavi Winery. Previously, he managed trade and education at St. Supéry Estate Vineyards and Winery, Franciscan Estates, Mount Veeder Winery and Domaine Carneros. Markakis has been a Wine Instructor at The Culinary Institute of America since 2017 and will utilize his qualifications to provide wine education to trade and consumers at Silverado Vineyards.
"As a family-owned winery, Silverado Vineyards has remained estate-grown, produced and bottled for nearly forty years," added Weis. "It is important to share the story of our wines and vineyards with our guests, consumers and the trade as the industry continues to evolve."
About Silverado Vineyards
In 1981, Ron and Diane Miller established Silverado Vineyards to make wine from the historic vineyards of their estate. The winery borrows its name from the abandoned mining town at the top of Napa Valley. Silverado's ranches were first planted to vines by Napa pioneers between 1865 and 1895. All of Silverado Vineyards' wines are estate-grown, produced and bottled – sourced from the winery's six vineyards across Napa Valley. https://silveradovineyards.com
More news from Silverado Vineyards
Silverado Vineyards and Treasury Wine Esates Lead the Way to the Fourth Annual Oakland Wine Festival, July 21, 2018
www.silveradovineyards.com
Napa, CA, USA


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SPLC files claims against Trump administration on behalf of parents and children who suffered harm from family separation policy
Facing gang violence and extortion in Guatemala, J.V.S. and his 5-year-old daughter fled their home to seek refuge in the U.S.
Soon after they crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in Yuma, Arizona, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) took them into custody and transported them to a CBP facility, where an immigration agent asked J.V.S., "You know what's going to happen, don't you? We're going to take the girl away and send her to a detention center for minors, and you're going to be imprisoned."
J.V.S. and his daughter spent two days and nights in the facility, crowded into a cage with about 30 other people, in what is known to detainees as the hielera, or "the icebox," because of its frigid temperatures. The girl was forced to sleep on the concrete floor, as her father watched over her, sitting up on a concrete bench.
Soon, government officials made good on the agents' threat.
As the small girl was taken away from her father, she cried and screamed, "Papi, don't leave me!"
She was flown across the country to a foster home in New York; her father was taken first to an immigration prison in Arizona, then to another two others in Georgia. The father and daughter would not see each other again for more than two months. It would be weeks before they even spoke briefly on the phone, after the father's desperate efforts from detention to locate her.
J.V.S. is one of two parents who filed administrative claims today against the U.S. government after immigration officials unjustly and forcibly separated them from their children at the border. The fathers are seeking compensation for the harms the Trump administration's family separation policy caused them and their children. This Saturday, April 6, marks the one-year anniversary of former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions' announcement of the "zero-tolerance" policy, which resulted in thousands of children being separated from their parents at the border.
The complainants are among more than 40 parents who worked with the SPLC's Southeast Immigrant Freedom Initiative (SIFI) – a project of the SPLC that provides pro bono legal counsel to those facing deportation proceedings in the Southeast – last summer after they were separated from their children and sent to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers in Georgia and Louisiana.
"It was the worst day of my life when my daughter was taken from me," J.V.S. said. "I was forced to watch while government officials lined her up with other children taken from their parents at the hielera and marched her out the door, not knowing if I'd ever see her again."
The claims, filed by the SPLC and its co-counsel, Covington & Burling, tell of the chilling and heart-wrenching experiences of families who were victims of the government's cruel and haphazard separation of thousands of children from their parents. The Trump administration intended to cause terror, anguish and harm, and to use that cruelty to deter future migrants from seeking to enter the U.S., according to the claims.
"The Trump administration's inhumane and unlawful family separation policy caused deep and lasting harm to children and their parents," said Michelle Lapointe, senior supervising attorney at the SPLC. "The policy was designed and implemented to inflict the maximum amount of cruelty possible on vulnerable people, like our clients. These fathers seek to hold the government accountable for the damage it deliberately caused their families. This is critical to ensuring that the government never again implements such a malicious policy."
Forcible parent-child separations have long been known to cause significant short- and long-term damage to mental, physical and emotional health. Still, in the name of deterrence, the government indiscriminately tore immigrant children from their parents, sent the children thousands of miles away, refused to inform parents and children of each other's whereabouts or well-being, refused to provide adequate means for parents and children to talk with each other, and failed to have any system for tracking the children or ensuring that families could ever be reunited, the claims said.
These claims are the first step toward holding the government accountable for the separations and the resulting serious trauma and suffering of the affected families.
In addition to the harm caused by being forcibly separated from their fathers, the two children referenced in the claims suffered abuse while in the custody of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), the agency that is tasked with safeguarding unaccompanied children.
The fathers went weeks without knowing their children's whereabouts, terrified that they would never see their children again. Like other parents, the fathers were pressured either to abandon their right to seek asylum or else risk permanent separation from their children. The children continue to suffer from nightmares, separation anxiety and behavioral problems.
A.P.F., the other father who filed a claim, said he and his 7-year-old son left Guatemala and fled to the U.S. after receiving threats. But when they reached the U.S. border, they were detained and separated, and were forced to spend 65 days apart.
While the two were separated, A.P.F. said, other children sexually abused his son.
"I never dreamed that the United States would treat my son and me this way," A.P.F. said. "We came looking for safety and instead, we were caged like animals. No one answered my calls for help when my son grew more and more sick. He was taken from me and I had no idea what was happening to him. When I learned that he was abused by other boys, I was sick with grief. No one deserves this cruelty."
Matt Schlesinger, a partner at Covington & Burling, the SPLC's co-counsel, said: "The federal government's policy of needlessly separating children from their parents at the border will forever be a significant stain on this nation's history. It is both obvious and well documented that tearing small children away from their parents causes enormous short- and long-term pain and suffering. Some of that damage can never be undone, and we seek compensation from responsible parties to mitigate these harms and send a message that this form of cruelty was the exception and not the norm in this country."
Photo by Todd Bigelow


The biotech sector has continued to thrive over the last year, starkly contrasting the disappointments that many investors have experienced in other areas of the market.
The Biotech Breakthroughs motif, for example, has gained 35.7 percent over the past 12 months. In that same time period, the Standard & Poor's 500 has managed a 6.9 percent gain.
In the past month, the motif has increased 2.7 percent; the S&P 500 has risen 0.3 percent.
The motif has been helped a great deal by its "Four Horsemen" of large-cap stocks: Gilead Sciences, Amgen, Biogen and Celgene — all of which have climbed at least 25 percent in the past 12 months and which make up just more than half of the motif's overall stock weight.
The Food and Drug Administration approved 41 drugs in 2014, the largest number in at least a decade, Joe Rosenberg, senior biotech analyst at Nasdsaq's Advisory Services Unit, told the Chronicle.
That's good news for the whole biotech sector, Oelschlager said. "The big caps have been working fundamentally, and their stocks have been working and that has created a bit of a halo for these smaller biotechs and pulling them along whether or not it is justified," he said.
What will work going forward, however, is anyone's guess, but many analysts are beginning to question whether mid- and small-cap biotech stocks can continue to march higher, while they continue to praise the attractiveness of large caps.
Yee expects Amgen to beat EPS expectations based on "lower expenses," which should lead the stock to trade higher. However, Yee warned that the stock could stay "range-bound" until the Street has a better idea of where pricing for its PCSK-9 drug will be and how the company's biosimilars strategy takes hold.
On the other hand, one could forgive longer-term biotech investors for refusing to sweat prognostications of range-bound inertia.
1 Pender, Kathleen, "What's behind the boom in biotech stocks," San Francisco Chronicle, July 6, 2015.
2 Levisohn, Ben, "What to Buy in Biotech," Barron's, July 9, 2015.
3 Meadows, Mark, "Large-Cap Biotechs Poised For Second-Half Rally, RBC Says," Benzinga, July 9, 2015.


Sukin Organics is an Australian born skincare line whose mantra is "Skincare that doesn't cost the Earth". – I'm putting their Oil Balancing range to the test to find out if this is the case. Sukin Oil Balancing products use naturally powerful ingredients to tackle oily skin issues. Their 'free from' list is pretty impressive for a brand that's priced so well. If you have been following me on Instagram you will know I battle with oily skin that causes underlying congestion, so I was very excited to see if something so well priced would do the trick!
This is a great gel-based cleanser that works so well with my trusty Magnitone.
I have been using it every morning in the shower with my Magnitone so my pores are open and the gel can fully penetrate my skin. Considering it's sulphate & paraben free it lathers very well, and feels deeply cleansing as if it is breaking down all the oil/dirt/dead skin on the surface of your skin (to learn more about what sits on the surface of your skin check out my Visia Complexion Analysis). It obviously comes out black due to the bamboo charcoal that purifies and balances the complexion, I don't mind that at all.
It also has other gorgeous ingredients such as Bilberry, White Tea and Pomegranate to impart antioxidants and vitamins on the skin while Chamomile, Aloe Vera and Cucumber work to soothe the skin whilst cleansing. It's a great entry level cleanser that does exactly what it promises.
This is a gentle, non-abrasive scrub, so it won't damage the surface of your skin but you can definitely feel the active ingredients working away when you apply it.
It has a very creamy, moisturising texture with a deeply refining base of jojoba beads and bamboo charcoal.
After using the cleansing gel in the shower, I apply the scrub as a mask and let it sit for a few minutes while I moisturise my body or brush my teeth, this allows the enzymes to naturally exfoliate the surface of my skin. Then I massage the jojoba beads again with damp hands.
This scrub is FULL of vitamins, enzymes and antioxidants. Rooibos Tea, Willowherb and Coconut Oil purify and balance the complexion. Bilberry extract and white tea provide important antioxidants, as Aloe Vera, Chamomile and Cucumber work to soothe and calm the skin for a healthy, balanced glow.
This is actually my favourite of the three products. It has no alcohol (apart the naturally occurring component from essential oils) but feels so tightening and refining when you use it. The tonic feels like it is closing and refining every pore on your face!
If you (like me) when you were very young used to use a certain well known alcohol based toner that instantly stripped your skin of all oils but led to you producing much more, you will love this because it feels the same with absolutely none of the harsh ingredients to cause your skin to produce more oil.
A deeply clarifying facial tonic that is perfect to close your pores after a deep cleanse. White Tea extract, Pomegranate and Bilberry extracts impart antioxidants and vitamins to the skin, purifying the pores.
Detoxifying coconut extract, rooibos tea and willow herb act to kill bacteria in the skin and added Chamomile, Aloe vera and Cucumber extracts maintain calm, soothed skin. Quince aids in balancing excess oil.
I can't tell you how much I love using these 3 together in the morning, they all genuinely feel like they are purifying my skin and getting rid of any congestion that can cause oiliness.
Because of the packaging and product colouring, this trio would also fit well in any male's skincare routine (my partner is loving the scrub!).
While trialling these I still used my Nip & Fab Glycolic Extreme Night Pads most evenings to make sure I got rid of the days grime properly.


Liam is a London based Director of Photography.
After coming up in the Lighting department as a Gaffer, working on campaigns for Calvin Klein, Harvey Nichols, Charlotte Tilbury, and Nike, Liam has transferred his extensive knowledge of lighting into his career as a Director of Photography.
Mainly working across Music Promos and Branded content, Liam is comfortable taking on a wide range of projects including narrative, documentary and commercial shoots.


Forrest Elizabeth Folsom, marketing communications manager, Herbst LaZar Bell, Inc.
Bruce Sterling, novelist, journalist, columnist for Wired magazine and the former Visionary in Residence at the Art Center College of Design.
The Future of User Research Ubiquitous Computing - Rob Tannen, PhD, IDSA - Posits that many of the constraints of current research methods may be overcome through the development of product usage measurement technology. You may download Tannen's artice: innovation_tannen.pdf.
Digital Ethnography Sparking Brilliant Innovation - Darrel Rhea, IDSA and Lisa Leckie - Discusses the role of digital consumer technology as a means to for users to capture and deliver self-report research from the field.
The Integration of Industrial Design and Human Factors Bricks & Mortar - Barry H. Beith, PhD and Joseph Jasinski, IDSA - Provides a discussion of how Industrial Designers and Human Factors experts can work together effectively.
Note - IDSA typically publishes a few of these articles online. The journal site has not been updated as of this posting (it still features the Spring 2006 issue), but when the Summer issue is posted, we will post a blog entry with the specific links.


Hi! I'm Naomi Rose. I'm a multi-award winning wedding officiant in Santa Cruz.
I'm a competent, caring and charismatic wedding officiant who helps couples have a wedding ceremony on their own terms. I take couples under my wing, guide them, and love on them on one of the most important days of their lives. I help couples take back their ceremonies from mindless wedding trends and traditions, and remind them of why they're doing all this in the first place! I create ceremonies that palpably and effectively usher couples across the threshold of marriage, so they can feel solid in the next chapter of their lives and relationship.
I grew up in a very rigid and repressive religious community. As a teenager I started wondering why the messages I was receiving felt so out-dated, heavy-handed and hypocritical. I wanted to see the world in color, not in black and white. So I asked a lot of questions, and pushed back hard, as teenagers sometimes do. I spent those years and the ones following wrestling with the big philosophical, religious, spiritual, and cultural questions. And I challenged oppressive and dogmatic constructs that felt divisive and irrelevant.
Then, in my 20's, I went on a life changing quest!
I spent 4 years traveling alone through Latin America and Asia searching for universal truths and life-giving mythologies. I spent time in Jewish synagogues, Buddhist monasteries, Hindu temples, malkoas, tipis and sweat lodges. Wherever I traveled I saw the importance and necessity of rites of passage, of creating continuity between the generations, of marking big life milestones with intention and care, and of being witnessed, supported and celebrated by community.
I learned that ceremony is an enduring, universal human impulse!
I returned to the United States and studied every type of healing modality I could get my hands on, completed two years of earth-based ministerial training with the Center for Sacred Studies, became a Certified Life Cycle Celebrant with The Celebrant Foundation and Institute, and apprenticed with master ceremonialists.
With more and more people identifying as nonreligious, I recognized that there was a big need for competent, caring and charismatic ceremony leadership, for someone who would adopt couples through this major rite of passage, and help them express their spiritual and philosophical sovereignty. I often call myself a 'minister to the churchless' because I work with all of those unaffiliated, atheist, agnostic, secular, spiritual-but-not-religious, multi-faith, Jew-ish and God-squeamish couples who don't have a priest, pastor or parish to go to, but want an enlivening and inspiring wedding ceremony. Love is inherently holy, so there's no need to overlay it with a bunch of doctrine and dogma if that's not what's authentically true to you. And of course there can be wonderment without worship, reverence without rules, and devotion without dogma.
One hundred wedding ceremonies and multiple awards!
So I took all of that experience, passion, training and talent and began offering creatively reimagined, deliciously refreshing, life-affirming, custom wedding ceremonies to couples who wanted to bookmark this unforgettable life moment with a ceremony that would be the emotional and spiritual heart of their wedding. I've since performed over 100 wedding ceremonies, become a founding board member of the Slow Weddings Network, and won multiple awards on the top wedding websites, including WeddingWire and The Knot.
I'm committed to "finding more insightful ways of comprehending the great human transitions, and reinventing meaningful ways of ritualizing them." I'm committed to becoming one of those generous plumber/poets that Elizabeth Gilbert describes. I'm committed to inclusivity, and I wholeheartedly welcome couples of all colors, creeds, races, religions, genders and sexual orientations. And I'm committed to being a potent force of feminine leadership in a realm that has, until recently, been male dominated.
In addition to the extensive training I mentioned above, I have a degree in creative writing and a background in theater and public speaking, which greatly enhances my ceremony writing and performance skills. I'm a natural bridge between the ancient and the modern, the mystical and the practical, the secular and the sacred. I embody a sort of irreverent-reverence, and bring just the right balance of goofiness and gravitas to my work with couples. I'm also old enough that people take me seriously, but young enough that the millennials still think I'm cool!
My favorite TV show is Broad City. It's irreverent in the best way! I used to be a professional Sign Language interpreter, but a wrist injury changed the direction of my life and work. My first word was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. For real. I'm the oldest of 5 children, and the auntie of 8 nieces and nephews. I'm a native New Yorker, a world traveler, and expat at heart. GIF's are pretty much my love language. And even though I almost died on a runaway elephant in the jungles of Chitwan, Nepal, I think that elephants are mighty creatures, and I envision a world in which they are respected, protected and free. In fact, any tips that I receive from couples are donated to elephant care and conservation efforts.


Following the con-celebrated Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral, I joined my friends and brothers, who were gathered at the back of the Cathedral. It was decided that we would have a light brunch. Each of us had to rise early to be able to attend theeight o'clock morning Mass, at St. Patrick's Cathedral.
In that Monday morning, I left our Friary at six-thirty. The best way to get to the Cathedral was by means of the subway. About one million people are commuting to work each morning in New York City. The subways are great, but they demand a lot of walking and climbing of stairs. The fast pace of the crowds in addition to the standing and walking is very tiring. After climbing up the subway stairs, I had to walk two long blocks to the Cathedral. When I arrived there it was necessary to ascend and descend many more stairs before I accompanied about sixty priests in procession to the altar and the con-celebration of the Mass.
There are about three-hundred members of the "Fighting Sixty-Ninth" dressed in battle fatigues on one side of the main body of the cathedral and many political dignitaries on the other side. The Cathedral, despite the scaffolding was jammed with a worshiping community of about a thousand people. At the end of the Mass, the entire community sang the Irish national anthem. This was followed with great gusto by the singing of the American national anthem.
Naturally, my friends and brothers were tired and in need of some coffee and light refreshments. We found a fine coffee-restaurant shop a short distance from the parade. Because of the cold and our weariness, we all welcomed the time eat and chat. A little more than an hour later we all departed from the restaurant. But to my surprise, none of us returned to the parade?
It has been ten years since I last marched and shared in the parade. In the past, we all participated in the parade, marching or as a spectator. Now all chose to return to the warmth and comfort of their hotel rooms. It was a welcome choice for me. For I realized that with age, my ability to be part of the parade is history. While returning alone on the subway to my friary, I was reflecting on the difference of our involvement this year in the parade. I thought to myself that, "The parade has passed by us," we are no longer part of it. And none of us seemed to regret this choice.
This is one of the reasons for the season of Lent. We try to diminish our activities. Then, in place of these activities, we are encouraged by the Church to increase our time for prayer. Prayer is not a matter of words. It is a time we try to experience the presence of God in our lives.
Very often we realize that our activities can be a distraction. Our activities can distract us from the most important reality in our lives, namely the presence of God. We are created to be in union with God. This union, by means of prayer leads us to experience God in the activities of our daily life.
As we enter more deeply into the season of Lent, let us pray, that by means of "disengagement," we will experience God's presence in each daily activity.