Originally named the Del Tones when they formed in Montreal in 1958, the groups' first single, called "Moonlight Party", climbed to #1 in Montreal in May 1959. However, there were other bands with the same name. The Deltones had a single on Vee-Jay Records that was a minor hit in Chicago. That group had a minor hit in Philadelphia on another label in 1960 called "Strollin' the Blues". There was also a band from Australia called the Delltones. To avoid confusion, the Del Tones from Montreal changed their name to the Beau-Marks in 1959 in response to a political controversy. Their new name was a pun on the Bomarc, the worlds first supersonic long-range, anti-aircraft missile, developed by Boeing. The development of the Bomarc missile was accompanied by problems with its propulsion system. In 1958 the Conservative Government, led by Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, was faced with two strategies for Canadian air defense. One was to produce the Avro Arrow, a very fast missile at a cost of over 12 Million per aircraft. It was created by the Canadian company, Avro Canada. The other option was to purchase Bomarc missles made by Boeing in Seattle, Washington, for 2 Million. The later missiles would be tipped with nuclear warheads. However, the Conservatives opted eventually not to have nuclear tipped missiles in Canada. With the cancellation of the Avro Arrow, the company lost over 14,000 jobs.
As the missile controversy swirled in the halls of the Canadian Parliament, the Beau-Marks had fun with their version of the missile's name. Their debut album, The High Flying Beau-Marks, had the Beau-Marks wearing red and blue plaid suit jackets, white collared shirts, black ties and navy blue pants. Smiling in the sun, they stood and squatted on a tarmac in front of a jet plane.
The Beau-Marks were comprised of lead vocalist and guitarist Raymond "Ray" Hutchinson, bass and guitar player Michel "Mike" Robitaille, pianist Joseph "Joey" Frechette and drummer Gilles Tailleur. Born in Montreal, in 1940, as a child, Ray Hutchinson had tuberculosis for twelve years. He got better and at the age of seventeen was writing and performing "Moonlight Party," that became the Del Tones first hit, prior to the group's name change. Two of the Beau Marks, guitarist and vocalist Ray Hutchinson, and bass player Mike Robitaille, were polio victims. They met at a school for handicapped children in Montreal.
The Beau Marks debut album contained a dozen tracks, five of which would be released on 45 RPM singles. The first four of these were "Clap Your Hands," "'Cause We're In Love", "Billy, Billy Went A Walking" and "Oh Joan" released through 1960. "Moonlight Party", which was released as a single in 1959 by the Del Tones, also was a track on The High Flying Beau-Marks.
The group recorded and paid for all their recordings. They also wrote all their songs. Initially, they released "Clap Your Hands" without any hand clappers on the recording. Gary Copeland, who knew the group when they recorded in the studio recalls the went on to market "they were finished, but they had some studio time left. Ray suggested to Joey that they record the Clap your Hands Song, but Joey said that nobody would like it. Well, Ray won and the rest is history." They recorded the record twice, the second time they added hand clapping. It was the response to "Clap Your Hands" that got the quartet bookings in both Manhattan's Carnegie Hall and Peppermint Lounge's as well as on American Bandstand. They also were among the first Canadian groups to appear on the Ed Sullivan Show. (The Four Lads had performed a number of times on the Ed Sullivan Show, including on July 11, 1954. And The Crew Cuts had been on Ed Sullivan's Toast Of The Town on December 12, 1954).
"Clap Your Hands" climbed to #1 in Australia for four weeks in August 1960. In the USA "Clap Your Hands" peaked at #45 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #40 on the Cashbox Top 100 Singles chart. Each article posted on Vancouver Signature Sounds involves research into the chart runs on the Billboard Hot 100 and the chart runs on the local radio stations in Vancouver, and selected radio markets of interest elsewhere. However, I don't typically include that data in the "References" section below. On my "Resources" page on this website, readers can access links to the Billboard archives and Vancouver Top 40 Radio.com, where most of the weekly charts for CKWX, CFUN and CKLG between 1958 and 1969 can be viewed. However, in the case of "Clap Your Hands", there is a lot of misinformation online about how well this song did on the national charts in the USA and in Canada. Numbers of online sites claim the song peaked at #1 in the USA, or #15. But it's best chart run was for 15 weeks on Cashbox where it peaked at #40. And in Canada the song was not a #1 hit in the nation. It peaked on 1050 CHUM-AM in Toronto at #14, and also at #14 on CFUN in Vancouver. On CJAD in Montreal, "Clap Your Hands" climbed to #21. It made the Top Ten in Calgary, but access to complete chart information on 960 CFAC radio in Calgary is not available online.
The second single from The High Flying Beau-Marks was "Billy, Billy Went A Walking".
"Billy, Billy Went A Walking" is a song about a guy who goes for a long walk after having an argument with his girlfriend. She doesn't think his love is real. He's going for a walk to try to think through some way to convince her he loves her. However, if his next attempt to demonstrate his love results in her throwing him out the door, he's resolved to walk away from the relationship. Likely she won't actually pick him up and throw him out the door, but show him the way out the door. In any case, Billy was in a dating relationship that was on the rocks. The final line was predictive: "now he's walking away." I wonder how many listeners at the time imagined that the couple would stay together? The song peaked at #4 in Vancouver, #10 in Honolulu, #13 in Seattle and #44 in Toronto.
The Beau Marks second album had no hit singles. However, their third album, The Beau Marks, included five single releases. (The spelling in the album created some ongoing confusion regarding whether or not to include a hyphen in the group's name). The first single release from this album was "Classmate". It was ready for the record buying public in June 1961.
From The Beau Marks album, there were other single releases. "Yours" climbed to #18 in Vancouver in October 1961. "Little Miss Twist" saw the group trying to cash in on the twist craze, and it climbed to #15 in Vancouver in January 1962. The 1930's standard, "Summertime" was a B-side to the commercial failure, "Clap Your Hands Once Again", in April 1962. A final single release from their self-titled third album was "The Tender Years". Though the song didn't chart in Vancouver, it made the Top 20 on CHUM in Toronto in the summer of '62.
At the peak of their popularity in 1960, the Beau Marks appeared on American Bandstand and the CFTO (Toronto) show Hi-Time. They also did some touring in the USA which included a gig at Carnegie Hall in New York City. After releasing their three albums in the early sixties the group split coinciding with the British Invasion.
In 1963 Ray Hutchinson joined Dave Nichol and The Coins. Eventually Hutchinson became a lounge act, as well as owning a restaurant in Montreal called Le Sentiment where he also performed. Gilles Tailleur lost his life at the age of 35 from a cerebral hemorrhage. Mike Robitaille went on build a career in video production. Lastly, Joey Frechette became the CEO of Capitol Records' April Blackwood publishing. From there he moved on to work as a program director at CHOO radio in Ajax, Ontario. He released his own version of "Clap Your Hands" in 1987 billing himself as Joey Conrad.
Ray Hutchinson bio, Ray Hutchinson.tripod.com.
Don McBrearty, The Arrow, Tapestry Pictures/CBC, 1996.
Cashbox Top 100 Singles, July 2, 1960, Cashbox Magazine, USA.
Number One Singles of 1960 (Canada), CHUM charts, Wikipedia.org.
C-FUN-Tastic-50, CFUN 1410 AM, Vancouver, BC, November 26, 1960.
Rick Jackson. Encyclopedia of Canadian Rock, Pop and Folk Music. Quarry Press, 1994.
Email from local music reporter, Richard Skelly, January 30, 2019.


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Q: how do i change the time interval of the bumblebee status bar in i3 the status bar configured with bumblebee refreshes every 6seconds in my case
https://bumblebee-status.readthedocs.io/en/main/features.html
This doc page suggests a technique to change the interval of particular modules but when I follow the doc it refreshes every 6+1second instead of refreshing every 1 second.
This causes the seconds part in the time module to refresh every 6 seconds
This is the link for the bumblebee installation
https://github.com/tobi-wan-kenobi/bumblebee-status/archive/refs/tags/v2.1.6.zip
I'm expecting a solution for refreshing my status bar every 1 second because seconds part of the time module refreshes every 6 seconds.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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A Dante Production – The Quiet Storm (Three Years Later)
By Black Men In America.com December 23, 2021 0123 views
By Gary Johnson – Founder/Publisher (Black Men In America.com)
I started seriously paying attention to the entertainment scene in central Florida about three years ago in the Fall of 2018, when my business extended its reach from the Washington, DC area. This was around the same time that A Dante Production, quietly stormed into central Florida to find music talent. Most cities have undiscovered talent. The successful entertainment companies do a better job of finding and developing talent.
ADP Owner, Chauncey Dunham, has taken his time, surveyed the landscape (culture, demographics, price points, etc.) and assembled a team of partners and staff who have adjusted to the challenges presented by COVID-19 and produce quality entertainment. The business is expanding. As this happens, this team is only going to get better because Dunham has a plan in place, scheduled for launch in 2022, to ensure that all staff and partners operate with autonomy and be consistent with his vision as the company continues to grow.
Fast Forward to December 2021, A Dante Production (ADP) has reached an impressive service milestone with the city of Daytona, having supported more than 21 artists since the company's inception.
Founded in 1984, top music marketing companies' mission has been to project musical artists of all genres to the next level. A Dante Production supports clients with a large and organic following, providing them with a platform to grow exponentially throughout the length of their careers and beyond.
Additionally, A Dante Production implements effective strategies to organically grow an artist's profile, including:
• Targeted ad campaigns
• Blogposts
• Social media promotions
• Dedicated featured articles promoting each artist
Such is the case with their female trio "Divas of Jazz." Listen as this outstanding trio covers Van Morrison's "Moodance" in this sneak peek of their performance. The "Divas of Jazz" will be at the Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center in Ormand Beach, Florida, on March 19, 2022.
Picture yourself in an intimate supper club setting, an opera house, or the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. A Dante Production has an artist to fit your venue. Don't even talk about FUNK and R&B. We'll follow-up with that after the holidays. For now check out the trio of Jeanine Nesbit on piano, Kisha Pugh on drums and Joela Oliver on bass.
Dunham reminded me about his vision and laser focus when he said, "I founded this company with the clear objective of helping emerging musicians achieve their dreams. Growing musically and having a professional marketing team promoting your music is fundamental to all of our artists – emerging or not."
After watching that video, Dunham is right on target. His partnership with Ladero Design led by L. D. Robinson, has been crucial to the firm's marketing campaign and the company's ascension to being the premier entertainment company in Central Florida. "Our thrust has always been passion, hard work, and dedication. Ladero Design has helped us make a giant leap when it came to building a company with a reputable marketing footprint in this region," said Dunham.
As 2021 comes to an end, take a look at the Quiet Storm of talent in the form of A Dante Productions.
Click on the links below to learn more about A Dante Production and some of their artists.
Join ADP and Scherezada Morales @scheryberry on January 15, 2022, at the @Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center as Schery opens for John Ford Coley in a special engagement hosted by the Friends of the PAC.
Purchase your tickets today at: ormondbeach.org
Chris Clark (Piano)
Daphne Cooper (Vocalist) and Jaquay Pearce (Violinist)
For More Information And To See More Artists Click Here To Visit The A Dante Production Official Website
Click Here To Visit Our A Dante Production Page
A Dante Production
Chauncey Dunham
Dante Productions
Ladero Design
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Ruby Rose And Her New Girlfriend Are The Ultimate Relationship Goals
By Katie Corvino
It was a sad day when Ruby Rose and her fiancée Phoebe Dahl called it quits six months ago. Since their split, it seems like Ruby has been off the market. Until now.
The "Orange Is The New Black" actress is currently dating entrepreneur Harley Gusman. HELL YEAHHHHH, RUBY.
Both ladies have posted several photos on Instagram showing off their new romance. I'm not gonna lie, the two make a pretty adorable couple.
Ruby also just wrote the sweetest message for her girlfriend and you have to read it.
On Thursday morning, the 30-year-old model posted this photo of Harley Gusman.
She captioned the photo,
Someone wake me up this can't be real
Stop it, that is too cute. I want someone to love me the way Ruby Rose loves Harley.
This one photo is enough to make these two the cutest couple on Instagram. But don't worry, there's more.
JUST LOOK AT THIS. STOP IT, I CAN'T.
I am so single and alone.
Let's take a look at Harley's Instagram. It's flooded with love for Ruby. Can you say, "relationship goals"?
They are both so perfect, it hurts.
This is everything I want in a relationship and more.
Ruby Rose has recently opened up about her new relationship and what it's been like to share her heart again.
In her message, she speaks to her fans about dating in the public eye and how invested people get in relationships they know nothing about.
She also encourages everyone to date whoever they want and not let judgement or criticism hold you back from being with the person you love.
I feel like this is the mentality fans have on celebrity relationships.. I get it that they invest in couples and root for them and it's sweet, but that relationship is still only between two people. If the relationship ends why do people assume something happened or someone is to blame? Why do they think they know anything about the relationship to be able to make a better call than those in it? Love is a beautiful thing. Some love one person their whole life, others love many, some never find love, and sadly some get so hurt so many times they get broken and stop looking. So if a woman moves on from a relationship 8 months ( or 2 weeks ) after a breakup isn't that beautiful? That someone can still continue to open their hearts to people despite times in their lives I'm sure it's been broken.. It's not an insult to every ex they have ever had...new love never erases old love. It's a separate thing, a new entity. You can't change the people you loved just be glad you loved at all they are all lessons and memories and make up our life story. I personally respect all of the people who never get jaded, who always love with their whole hearts. Over and over and I think it's twisted that we shame women for opening their hearts or label it as a weakness when in reality it's one of the scariest things to do. Date who you want, love who you want, love is the most valuable thing in the world and nothing comes remotely close to its significance during our time on this planet. So next time you want to tell me who I should be with or who anyone should be with... Maybe just use that energy to find your love. Because trust me.. We are adults and we know how to follow our hearts.
Well said, Ruby. Well said.
I wish Ruby and Harley all the best. I hope they continue to add adorable pics on Instagram because I need to live through their relationship since, you know, I don't have one.


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Derendingen je mjesto u kantonu Solothurn na sjeverozapadu Švicarske.

Stanovništvo
Prema službenim statistikama popisa stanovništva iz 2012. Derendingen ima 6058 stanovnika, većina govori njemačkim jezikom.

Galerija

Vanjske poveznice

 Službena stranica općine Derendingen

 Gradovi u Švicarskoj

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Vicki May
Associate Professor, Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College; Public Voices Fellow as part of the OpEd Project; NH Professor of the Year
Vicki began her academic career in the Department of Architectural Engineering at the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, where she was awarded tenure in 2003. Upon relocating to the east coast, Vicki served as an Associate Director for Science, Math, and Engineering with the Dartmouth Center for the Advancement of Learning. In this role, she worked with faculty and graduate students across campus to improve and assess their teaching. A passion for teaching drew her back to the classroom. She is currently an Associate Professor at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth. Vicki was named the NH Professor of the Year in 2013 by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Vicki is currently a Public Voices Fellow as part of the OpEd Project.
Show Full Bio
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text:
María Becerra Talks New Album 'La Nena De Argentina': 'This Story Is Better Told Only by Myself'
Tech mogul spends $2 million a year as a 'guinea pig' to achieve the body of a teenager
Man shot on N train arriving at Canal Street station, NYPD searching for suspect
After months of anticipation, Argentine singer María Becerra's new album "La Nena De Argentina" dropped on Thursday night. The 12-song set sees the pop artist displaying her artistic range over sultry reggaeton, cumbia and pop rhythms with hushed confessions sprinkled throughout.
"I didn't develop a concept behind the album like in the last one," she tells Variety, in reference to her 2021 EP release "Animal," which featured several guests from Tiago PZK to Becky G. Becerra has also appeared as a collaborator beside many big-name artists, resulting in massive hits and fan favorites like hers and J. Balvin's "Que Mas Pues," which today boasts 557 million views on YouTube, and "Hasta Los Dientes," her collaboration on Camila Cabello's "Familia."
It's only natural the Buenos Aires native wanted "La Nena De Argentina," her sophomore album, to be all about her. "In a world full of collaborations, it's risky to release a completely solo album. But, because this is such a personal work, I felt like this was a story better told only by myself," she says.
She continues: "[This time] I wanted to be myself, María—La Nena de Argentina—and just go with the flow. This is reflected in my love of making music and my fascination with all genres of music. In these songs, my two sides are exposed; the wilder side—full of sexual tension and seduction—and my sensitive side, where I'm emotional and dramatic."
The new record, produced by Nico Cotton and Xross, includes the already-released singles "Automático" and "Ojalá," with bonus track "Desafiando El Destino" slated for official release in January 2023.
After the 2020 release of "Tú Me Lo Haces Fácil," Becerra became the first Latin artist to sign with 300 Entertainment, whose roster includes Megan Thee Stallion, Young Thug and Fetty Wap, among others. The following year, she received her first Latin Grammy nomination as a contender for best new artist.
News3 seconds ago


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Yankees Retired Bernie Williams' Number 51
We finally did justice! On the night of May 24, 2015 at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees retired Bernie Williams' number. And we mentioned that for years there had been delays to honor Bernie, one of the important pillars in the success of the team since 1996. In fact, they had several years of glory by winning four World Series.
Bernie and the others who formed the constellation of stars, the vast majority of the farm product, revived the memorable years of the Yankees, an organization that had not won a World Series for a period of 16 years, from 1979-1995. Yes, the last was in 1978 when they defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers. Years passed, and in 1996 in a classic autumn to remember, the Yankees rallied as good. They lost at home the first two games against the Atlanta Braves, but then won four games in a row to win the World Series. Well, there was Bernie Williams. Remember that to win the right to go to the classic of classics, the Puerto Rican was the stronghold in the ALCS against the Baltimore Orioles, credited MVP trophy. He hit two homers, drove in 6 runs and hit .474. Earlier in the Division Series that year, Bernie was the most prominent (NOT award is given to that event), but it was the best of all three homers, five RBIs and hit .467.
So in 1996 he started the new Yankee Dynasty and Puerto Rican flavor. Manager Joe Torre called Bernie as one of their top players to win those World Series 1996 , 1998, 1999 and 2000. Also, although the results were adverse , had good performances in 2001 and 2003 that the Yankees fell against Arizona Diamondbacks and Florida Marlins (now Miami) respectively.
Bernie was a five- time All-Star and won four Gold Gloves times . In 16 seasons he finished his career with a .297 batting average , 287 homers with 1,257 RBIs. Also in 1998 he was leading .339 batting average . In the Puerto Rican Horse twice hit more than 200 hits ( 202 in 1999 and 204 in 2002.
Finally he came the day, perhaps with some late, but never too late when joy arrives. Bernie Williams stood in front of the mound , surrounded by Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera , Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada, all properly dressed in smart suits and not the traditional uniform of blue stripes. The five legendary players showed up together for the audience that cheered delight for years and remember those great moments , this being the first time for years that they were all together before their fans , this in a ceremony honoring first a Latino . Yes, this is the first of our that he withdraws his number in the most famous sports franchise.
"I miss the sport and would like to continue playing," said Bernie, who last played in 2006.
The Puerto Rican unveiled the sign with the number 51 in the park, during a special ceremony prior to the Yankees v. Rangers game of Texas. The ceremony also marked the first public appearance of Jeter in the stadium since retiring last year.
"It seemed we returned in time to when we played ," said Bernie . "Psychologically , it all seemed like yesterday when we were playing. "
Along with Williams and Jeter , Posada Puerto Rican , Panamanian Rivera and Pettitte won the World Series four times in the period from 1996 to 2000. After the retirement of Williams , the rest of those present once again won the World Series in 2009 . the expelotero , who is 46 , played 16 seasons in the majors , always with the Yankees. "It's amazing," said Williams. " Never in my wildest dreams would have thought a skinny 17 year old and born in Puerto Rico guy be here today in this celebration. I am overwhelmed."
Williams looking like jazz graduate of the Manhattan School of Music , and as artistic credential is credited with a Grammy nomination , this in recognition of his great qualities of guitarist.
The event took place with a special gala worthy for one of the best Latin ambassadors in the majors. Bernie was not only a great player but a great gentleman , in addition to master English and their native language, Spanish perfectly. At the end of the ceremony, Bernie went to the mound for the ceremonial first pitch of the game.
We note that the number 51 is the 18th to retire the Yankees in history, and the number will increase this year , as they are in line number 20 Jorge Posada to August 22 , and the next day will be the turn 46 Andy Pettitte.
Congratulations to the Yankees for this deserved gesture to Bernie Williams, a being who gave so much glory to the team not only in the field, but as a true representative of the most successful organization in the beautiful game of baseball.
Jorge Posada Said A-Rod and Clemens Do Not Deserve the Hall of Fame
Jorge Posada Dice Que A-Rod y Clemens No Merecen El Hall of Fame
Michael Pineda Filled with Glory, Strikes out 16 Players in 7 Innings
Michael Pineda Se Llenó de Glorias, Ponchó 16 en 7 Entradas
Yankees Reafirman Que No Pagará Bonos a Alex Rodríguez
Yankees Confirmed That They Will Not Pay Bonuses to Alex Rodriguez


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Now in its 29th year, the Finger Lakes 50s Trail Races is one of the oldest ultramarathons in New York State. The course loops around the Finger Lakes National Forest, winding through lush beds of pines, exposed cow pastures with expansive countryside views, shaded equestrian trails, and some rolling hills through the woods. Runners may choose to run three 16.5-mile loops (plus a half-mile "baby loop") for 50 miles, two loops for 50k, or a single loop for 25k. Top runners at the ultra distances are traditionally awarded a growler of local craft beer and a chainsaw-carved, wooden cow trophy.
The afternoon before the race, as I ran the course to assist with flagging, it was immediately obvious this would be a wet and wild race. Twelve hours before the start there was already plenty of mud and standing water along the route as a result of substantial rainfall over the previous several days. The Finger Lakes 50s course is infamously muddy on any given year, and impending race day storms guaranteed 2017 would be a year to remember! When race director Steve Shaum declared after the bone-dry 2016 race, "Next year there's gotta be mud," I doubt this is what he had in mind.
Downpours alternated with moderate drizzles all throughout the race, while the sun made an occasional appearance, briefly, as if to taunt us with the idea of a reprieve. From my position as a finish line and aid station volunteer, I heard reports all day of waist-deep water along the trails. "Course conditions this year were slogging and river-like, to say the least," said 50-mile finisher Tommy Hayward. "It made my foot placement a mystery. I had to unlock my fear of twisting an ankle and just go for it." If that wasn't enough, some runners traversing the cow pastures had their paths blocked by curious bovine, anxious to get a front row seat to the show.
Despite the weather and course conditions, Rich Heffron went out fast and finished his first loop in 2:08:54, just ahead of 50k course record pace. Heffron continued to flirt with the course record the rest of the morning, ultimately finishing just three minutes shy. The 50k also saw a few milestones, as Lorrie Tily earned her twentieth FL50s finish, and David Keifer completed his first ultra at 70 years young.
Of the 73 runners who'd registered for the 50-mile race only 19 completed the distance. Many dropped down to the 50k mid-race and were counted as 50k finishers. Those who gutted it out received raucous applause as they rounded the final half-mile loop to the finish.
Mother Nature thoroughly tested each and every runner's resolve like a game of chicken, with both parties vowing not to blink first. The runners all seemed to take it in stride, realistically altering their expectations to adapt to Mother Nature's wrath. "You have a little extra sense of accomplishment because you were foolish enough to start the race, stay on the course, finish it under such conditions, and then earn bragging rights, too," wrote 50k finisher Tim Hardy. I overheard a few comments from returning FL50s veterans that at least all the rain was keeping their legs mud-free, which is nearly unheard of at this race.
The Finger Lakes 50s will turn 30 years old in 2018, and the Finger Lakes Runners Club is planning something special to mark the occasion. Registration for next year's race will open on January 1, and typically sells out in only a few hours.
Great read! So glad I came across this, as I am considering signing up for the 2018 event as my first 50k. What is your opinion on the race as a first ultra?
I think the race is very beginner friendly, with generous cutoffs and ample aid stations. (I ran the 50M as my first ultra in 2013.) At 33 miles, The 50k is long, but the course isn't too technical and there's only about 1,900 feet of gain and loss per loop.
Registration for 2018 opens on January 1, and always sells out in only a few hours, so make sure to get online then if you're hoping to sign up.
The Finger lakes 50(K) was my first ultra in 2007. Great event. Great race to choose for a first ultra. Well organized, challenging but runn-able, great setting.


The S&P 500 Futures is trading at 2,716.88 with a loss of -0.46% percent or -12.62 point. Other U.S. stock futures lower in pre-market trading for February 07.The Dow Futures is trading at 25,220.50 with a loss of -0.42% percent or -106.50 point.The Nasdaq Futures is trading at 6,957.62 with a loss of -0.55% percent or -38.13 point.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Wednesday trade representatives from Washington and Beijing would both aim to reach a dealnext week. The talks come with less than three weeks to go before a March 2 deadline could see an increase in U.S. tariffs on Chinese products.
In overnight trading in the Eastern Hemisphere, Japan's Nikkei 225 is trading at 20,751.28 with a loss of -0.59% percent or -122.78 point. Hong Kong's Hang Seng is trading at 27,990.21 up with +0.21% percent or +59.47 point. China's Shanghai Composite is trading at 2,618.23 up with +1.30% percent or +33.66 point. India's BSE Sensex is trading at 36,927.79 with a loss of -0.13% percent or -47.44 point at 12:15 PM.The FTSE 100 is trading at 7,164.39 with a loss of -0.12% percent or -8.70 point. Germany's DAX is trading at 11,221.08 with a loss of -0.92% percent or -103.64 point. France's CAC 40 is trading at 5,055.60 with a loss of -0.46% percent or -23.45 point. The Stoxx Europe 600 is trading at 363.94 with a loss of -0.43% percent or -1.60 point.


text:
Karen Skolfield
How To Write an Acceptance Speech
May 11, 2015 May 11, 2015 / Karen Skolfield / 2 Comments
"How To Write an Acceptance Speech" – I actually googled this because, tomorrow, I have to give one. And what do poets know about such things? I'm sure there was good advice in the sites that popped up, but I'll never know, because I started writing the poem "How To Write an Acceptance Speech" instead, which was full of not-very-useful advice on a lot of things not related to speechifying, like the correct color of a roux for your gumbo (chocolate-milk color, y'know).
Maybe there are poets who like to give speeches. I'm not one of them, but New England Public Radio is giving me their Arts & Humanities Award tomorrow, so I had to shape up. Over the past few weeks I briefly considered a call-and-response acceptance speech (nixed), then a poem acceptance speech in which the words "new" "england" "public" "radio" were part of a sestina's end words (nixed), and I dreamed I had to sing my acceptance speech (woke in cold sweat). I've gone through all the grief-stages associated with loss as part of my need to write an acceptance speech, and here I am, 36 hours out, finally at acceptance. I'm even excited (which I'm sure is not part of the grief-stages).
NEPR has been fabulous – they even made a broadside of one of my poems to give out to everyone at the event tomorrow. If they let me put it online, I'll do that in an upcoming post.
Hopefully I'll see some of your shiny, happy faces tomorrow. I promise I won't sing.
Poetry Society of America's 2015 Robert H. Winner award
March 11, 2015 March 11, 2015 / Karen Skolfield / Leave a comment
Well, here's a nice bit of news to get while traveling! I just got word that I've won the Poetry Society of America's 2015 Robert H. Winner award. Congratulations, too, to finalists J.C. Todd and Jonathan Weinert. The award "acknowledges original work being done in mid-career by a poet who has not had substantial recognition, and is open to poets over forty who have published no more than one book." So: look! Recognition, AND a reminder that I'm over 40! Poetry giveth, and poetry taketh away…
Here's the link to the announcement.
And here's the fabulous write up by judge Alan Shapiro:
"These poems are distinguished by their sonic and semantic flexibility and range. They take on important subjects—racism, domestic, political and natural disasters, mortality and time, the contingencies of love, the vulnerabilities of flesh ("the soft parts of us…the first thing we give away,")—in language that feels both improvised and exquisitely controlled, highly cadenced even when it looks like prose. Their tone is nothing if not companionable, good humored, fiercely clear sighted, full of passion and heart wrenching wisdom. From poem to poem, and even sometimes within the same poem, they shift from mode to mode, descriptively precise and essayistic, realistic and surreal, conversational and song-like. Simplicity of means, complexity of effect–that's how I'd characterize the marvelous achievement these poems embody in every line of every piece."
If you've read this far, it's because you're curious where I went on vacation. California: the coast (harbor seals, whales) and the desert – Joshua Tree National Park and Death Valley (no seals or whales). We're warmed all the way through.
2015 Arts & Humanities Awards from New England Public Radio
February 16, 2015 February 16, 2015 / Karen Skolfield / 1 Comment
I'm very pleased to announce that I've been awarded the 2015 Arts & Humanities Award from New England Public Radio (emerging artist). Big congratulations, too, to the Community Music School of Springfield, MA (2015 Outstanding Organization) and musician Andrew Lawrence (2015 Outstanding Individual).
New England Public Radio has given the Arts & Humanities awards since 2008; I'm the first poetry-only writer, second writer on the list (Jane Yolen received last year's Outstanding Individual). Go poetry!!
Here's what NEPR has to say: "Established by the New England Public Radio Foundation, Inc. in 2008, the New England Public Radio Arts and Humanities Award has been recognizing the rich and varied arts scene in the region for six years and counting. The award recognizes the contributions of local talent, and brings greater public awareness to the critical role played by musicians, artists, dancers, actors, writers and teachers in western New England."
You can read all about the award and the gala and fundraiser on May 12 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke by clicking here. Check out the past recipients of the award, listed at the bottom of the page. I think I'm reading a couple of poems at the gala. There might be acceptance speeches (I'll be ridiculously brief: one goofy look at the audience, one breathy thank you, how's that?). I've already told my kids they need to dress up: you can imagine the eye rolling. "Again?" my son wailed (he had to wear a shirt WITH A COLLAR at the PEN New England & Hemingway awards last year). My daughter, on the other hand, said "Oh, I'm wearing a shirt and tie!" She's a flexible dresser. I appreciate this.
My thanks to New England Public Radio for the recognition and for supporting the arts!
BFWW Panel: "From Zero to One: First Books and What We Wish We'd Known"
February 9, 2015 February 9, 2015 / Karen Skolfield / Leave a comment
Lecture and panel discussion moderated by Karen Skolfield with Amy Dryansky, Susan Kan, Sarah Sousa, and Michelle Valois
Miss Hall's School, Centennial Hall, 492 Holmes Road, Pittsfield, 11 a.m.
This event will be of special interest to writers submitting a manuscript or about to publish a first book. We'll discuss the happy but often bewildering aftermath of acceptance: book design, publicity, the vulnerability of being newly published, postpublication contests, second and beyond books, and the importance of continuing to write after a manuscript has been assembled or even published. We'll also talk about prepublication editing, researching presses, and contests, realistic publishing expectations, and dealing with a difficult publisher. Although the panel will focus on life after an acceptance, we will have handouts that address the business side of preparing a manuscript. Panelists include a publisher/editor, poets, and a prose writer in various stages of their career. Discussion will be audience-driven—bring your questions! Afterward, the panelists and Perugia Press will have books for sale and will be available for some follow-up questions.
Amy Dryansky's newest poetry collection, Grass Whistle, was released in 2013 by Salmon Poetry and received the MA Book Award for poetry. She's also a MA Cultural Council Poetry Fellow. Her first book, How I Got Lost So Close to Home, was published by Alice James, and individual poems appear in a variety of anthologies and journals.
Susan Kan is founder and director of Perugia Press, a nonprofit, independent literary press publishing the best new women poets in the country (first and second books only). Prior to starting the press in 1997, Susan earned her MFA from Warren Wilson College. Many Perugia books have gone on to win national book awards. See http://www.perugiapress.com.
Karen Skolfield's book Frost in the Low Areas (2013) won the 2014 PEN New England Award in poetry and the First Book Award from Zone 3 Press. She is a 2014 Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellow, teaches writing to engineers at the University of Massachusetts, and is the poetry editor for Amherst Live and an associate editor for Sundress Publications.
Sarah Sousa is the author of the poetry collections Church of Needles (Red Mountain Press) and Split the Crow (Parlor Press); she also transcribed and edited The Diary of Esther Small: 1886. Her poems have appeared in the Massachusetts Review, Fugue, and Passages North, among others. She holds an MFA from Bennington College and lives in western Massachusetts.
Michelle Valois is a writer and teacher who has published poetry and prose in the Massachusetts Review, Triquarterly, Brevity, Fourth Genre, the Florida Review, Slipstream, and others. Her chapbook My Found Vocabulary (Aldridge) is forthcoming. She teaches at Mount Wachusett Community College.
Fear of the One-Person Audience
November 13, 2014 December 4, 2014 / Karen Skolfield / 1 Comment
Oooh, I ran across these photos, courtesy of Christopher Clauss, of my time at Manchester's Slam Free Or Die reading in May 2014 and realized I'd never posted 'em. There aren't a ton of photos of me reading, but then, I haven't done a billion readings.
But I'm getting better – and what I mean by that is I'm setting up more readings. There's nothing like a PEN award to give a gal confidence that perhaps her words are worth hearing. I've been terrified of going to a reading and having only one or two people show up, and there I'd be, reading to the empty corners of the room.
It finally happened – at a reading in September, I did indeed have a grand total of one person (not required to be there) show up. I was shocked: it was billed as an open mic, and open mic usually attracts an audience. I still read, and with some flair, because hey, that one person did drive all the way to see me. But I spent the next couple of days in a funk, wondering why the heck I was doing this and feeling grumpy. That was my initiation into the one-person audience. I'm certainly not the only writer that's happened to: my friend Corwin Ericson tells a hysterical story about his reading with a one-person audience when he was on a book tour for Swell. As his one soon-to-be audience member walked toward the empty chairs, his only thought: "Please don't sit down. Please don't sit down."
So I lived through it. Yay?
And if I have to, I can live through it again.
It helps that I've also had well-attended and attentive crowds. The Manchester reading was fantastic: an open mic with probably 75 people. Mckendy Fils-Aime is the host with the most. Brandon Amico treated me lavishly (WAFFLES!!). Lots of great poetry & prose at the open mic (Brandon, Mckendy, Christopher, Peter Kispert, William James, Sarah Newton, Dillon Welch, so many more!) I had a ball. I also read 10 minutes too long (yay math, but math in front of a crowd maybe too much pressure). I've had readings with enthusiastic audiences in Amherst, Greenfield, Cambridge, Boston, Northampton, Orange, and more. This weekend I'm on TV, in Hopkinton. Next week I'll be in Albany.
My goal this year was to have 10 readings. It looks like I'll have more than 20, with another half-dozen scheduled or being scheduled. I'm actively working on my stage presence and delivery and feeling really good about that. I've been to some incredible readings this year by other poets, and I study what makes their readings work: Philip Levine, Cornelius Eady (WOW), Li-Young Lee, Sharon Olds, all the incredible Split This Rock poets. I have friends and compatriots who are wonderful readers: Corwin of course, Kristin Bock, Ellen LaFleche, Sally Bellerose, Lori Desrosiers… Dillon, you are killing it on stage… Em Jollie, Brandon, Floyd Cheung, Paul Richmond – I hope I can claim you as a friend at this point… mia amica Nicole DiCello, Adam Stone (!!!), Daniel Hales, ahhhh so much goodness!
The fear of the one-person audience has made me slower to get on the reading circuit. But now I've done it. I've looked that one person in the eye and I read my poems and though I can say my time might have been better spent that night with my family, that reading was an outlier.
Here's to more poetry, out loud and outspoken.
May 13, 2014 November 29, 2014 / Karen Skolfield / Leave a comment
My book Frost in the Low Areas was a finalist for the 2014 Massachusetts Book Award, along with Amy Dryansky's Grass Whistle (her book won top spot, and it's wonderful!), Stephen Burt's Belmont, Mark Hart's Boy Singing to Cattle, Myles Gordon's Inside the Splintered Wood, and Ben Berman's Strange Borderlands. Click the link below to see all the "Must-Read Books" of 2014 – fiction, nonfiction, children's, and poetry – and read a little about them.
Massachusetts Book Award
Here's what the judges had to say about my book: "Karen Skolfield's debut, Frost in the Low Areas introduces a poet who encompasses both the beauty and darkness of the natural world, the particulars of her children, and the corrosiveness of family secrets. Yet even in the darkest of circumstance, each poem is filled with joy, humor, and elegance."
It's pretty fabulous being in such good company, and I love that the state of Massachusetts (specifically, the library system) does so much to promote books. I've added the other books to my own "Must-Read" list – hey, they're librarian endorsed! No one's on more intimate footing with books than a librarian.
A nice side benefit: I've now met Amy Dryansky, Mark Hart (also from Amherst!!) and Ben Berman. It was such a pleasure. I hope I'll get to meet Stephen Burt and Myles Gordon, as well.
Split This Rock Poetry Fest (the nonlinear post)
April 17, 2014 November 29, 2014 / Karen Skolfield / 5 Comments
So, yes, the incredible Split This Rock Poetry Fest in Washington D.C. was at the end of March, before the PEN awards, but I was so busy getting ready for PEN (got my hair cut, took a shower, shined my boots, that sort of thing) that I didn't have a chance to write this entry.
I am so glad I went. Because of the semester teaching/grading crunch, I flew down Friday morning and stayed through Saturday night, but I missed some incredible readings and panels with such a short window. Next time – I am definitely going next time – I'm going for the whole of it.
If you're not familiar with Split This Rock and their mission of "poems of provocation and witness," check out their website here:
…and, at the very least, sign up for their poetry emails. The poems of the week are ones that make me pause and listen and consider the space I inhabit: white, female, middle class, mother, in a heterosexual relationship, American, New Englander, educated. I listen and learn, carry these poems forward.
I went to some brilliant panels and was a small part of one of the readings, pictures below courtesy of the official Split This Rock photographer, Kristen Adair. I read first:
Dan Vera introduced us with his great stage presence and warmth and obvious passion for poetry.
Then came Malachi Byrd, a member of the DC Youth Slam Team. Very inspiring, sweet guy, big heart. Keep at it, Malachi.
The features followed: first, Maria Melendez Kelson. I have her gorgeous book Flexible Bones (now signed, yay!). What a performer – big gestures, big presence, moving poems. She owned the stage. She's also adorable and a sweetheart. You know how it is when you meet someone and have the sense they will be part of your life, somehow, at some point? I had that sense with Maria. May I be so lucky.
Tim Seibles next – I love his book Fast Animal (now also signed – love the festival signature gathering!). Tim was the judge for this year's Split This Rock poetry contest, so he's the reason I went. He read one long, incredible poem: "One Turn Around the Sun." Later, I heard someone say "Now there's an argument in favor of the long poem." I honestly sat on the edge of my seat through the whole thing, loving the way the narrative looped back on itself, the ants and the lover and so much sexy goodness returning and returning and me, the happy listener along for the ride.
Anne Waldman was the closer. Later, my friends asked me what I thought of Anne, and I understand why they asked. She's not linear, not overtly narrative – she's a poet of susurrus and sweat and song, of discord and concordance, of disturbance, of thunder. I honestly have never seen anyone quite like her, and rather than try to trap her words under some story line, I very happily let her verse wash over me, a great wave of sound and rumbling and melody. At times, I had no idea what was going on, and I frankly did not care. If she had not stopped on her own, I tell you I would still be sitting in that seat in D.C., ridiculously hungry but wildly happy, not caring that my plane home had passed me by. Look at this energy:
By the end, you had the feeling that she might jump off stage, gather the whole crowd on her shoulders, and take to the streets. Take over the streets. I think she eats sheet metal and bench presses pianos.
That was ONE reading. Crazy, no? I also had the joy of hearing Eduardo Corral, Natalie Diaz, Claudia Rankine, Myra Sklarew, Gayle Danley, and more at panels and readings, so I'll put a few of their photos below. Their words broke me in the way only poetry can.
Who's responsible for all this, you ask? Sarah Browning, below, at one of the Take Poetry to the Streets events. Small world: she's the daughter of Preston Browning, activist and owner of Wellspring House, where I like to go for writing retreats. I'd met her only in passing a year before, so it was great chatting with her before the Kelson/Seibles/Waldman reading.
I met so many fabulous folks! Special thanks to Karren Alenier, who found the text for Tim Seibles's poem and made me feel welcome in a city not my own.
Overheard at the conference: "This is what AWP used to feel like, before it got so big." I never went to AWP when it was smaller (there were upwards of 15,000 attendees at this year's AWP), but I can imagine it. All the big names at SLR were approachable, in attendance at the events, happy to talk. And yet – names didn't seem to matter. No one's giant ego knocked anyone down. There was space for being heard, for listening.
The festival is every two years. 2016. Sign me up.
PEN New England & Hemingway awards ceremony
April 7, 2014 November 29, 2014 / Karen Skolfield / Leave a comment
It will take me about a week to recover from this weekend – mostly because Karen Wulf did *not* present me with a seven-foot-tall trophy (kidding, KW). My head's a swarm of bees. Nothing a little quiet time and some chocolate can't cure.
I got to meet and chat with the other winners and finalists and they were, to a person, lovely. People with whom you are glad to be associated. I couldn't detect any ego, any arrogance, just gratitude, joy, warmth. Jennifer Haigh (PEN NE fiction) and Doug Bauer (PEN NE nonfiction) were so kind and open. Mitchell Jackson, Anthony Wallace, and Kris Jansma (PEN Hemingway finalists & honorable mentions) were gems, humble, down to earth. NoViolet Bulawayo (PEN Hemingway winner) has an accent you want to listen to forever.
And Richard Blanco was there! I can announce it now, since it was a public event – Richard Blanco, most widely known for being the inaugural poet at Obama's second inauguration, was the judge for the PEN NE poetry award. I can hardly get over that he READ my book, much less LIKED it, much less CHOSE it for this award. And can I add – Blanco is the most genuine, funny, and smart person you could ever want to meet. My husband Dennis & I were smitten.
I'm going to post what Blanco wrote about my book, then I'm going to post some thanks to friends who drove all the way to the awards ceremony, then I'm posting some amateur photos.
What Blanco wrote:
"In her magnificent debut collection, Karen Skolfield made me fall in love with poetry all over again, reminding me of its divine power to find the extraordinary in the seemingly ordinary. She understands that poetry does not exist independently; it is pulled out of all we see, without pretense or artifice, and not in the obvious and expected ways either. Her poems surprise with each turn of the line; they foray into the unexpected discoveries and dimensions. After reading her poems, I will never again look at a baby, a fossil, a painting, a key, a homunculus – or myself – as I had before. If poetry is meant to challenge and change our perceptions of the world and ourselves, then Karen is by all means an extraordinary poet."
Some thanks: to Nicole DiCello and Robyn Heisey, good friends and poetry goddesses, for coming to the ceremony; and to Ali and Jeannette Wicks-Lim for handling my two squirrelly children at the awards reception and putting up with Red Sox traffic BOTH ways (bummer).
The PEN New England award ceremony speech (that never was)
First: I'm not giving a speech. When I got the news from Karen Wulf of PEN NE, though, it was on crummy cell phone reception and right before I went backpacking in New Mexico with my family. I had three days of hiking and getting snagged by various cholla cactuses to contemplate the award, and over that time I began to wonder if I would give a speech – if, in fact, Karen Wulf had told me I'd be giving an acceptance speech but the phone had cut out at just that moment.
I am not a giver of speeches. But I began to write one in my head, just in case, on our hikes, up and over these huge boulders cast down by the mountains around Dog Canyon. I won't get to give this at the awards ceremony, but here it is.
"Three weeks ago, after getting the call from Karen Wulf, I turned to my husband: 'Lucky you,' I told him. 'You get to be with the winner of the PEN New England Award in poetry.' Later that day, when my children asked for dinner, they were told a PEN New England Award winner would not be handling their corporeal needs. Red lights and stop signs held no meaning for me. Dust and dog hair might build up in someone else's house, but not in mine.
"So far, the PEN New England has made me an egotistical lover, a detached parent, a distracted driver, and a slovenly housekeeper.
"But I can tell that the less-savory effects of the award are fading. I've cooked a few times, pushed a vacuum around the house, apologized to my husband – you can guess how – and even re-acquainted myself with the brake pedal in my car.
"Those of you who know my writing know that I use humor as an interface for the more serious thoughts that follow, so I will say that what's left after the vainglorious last few weeks is gratitude, a river of it, and with it, a new level of confidence that I did not even know I lacked. A desire to never again apologize for being a poet by calling myself by the generic 'writer.'
"I'm still shocked that I, a PEN winner, must sometimes mop the floor. That the dogs need to be walked, the homework graded. I still get junk mail and sometimes, when the phone rings, it's one of those annoying surveys. In these ways, PEN has not improved my life one bit. But my back is straighter. I can't stop smiling. Turns out, it is my thank-yous that don't see red lights or stop signs, but will continue on and on."
2014 PEN New England Award in poetry
March 31, 2014 November 29, 2014 / Karen Skolfield / Leave a comment
So – strange. I've put off writing this post for a few weeks, partly due to travel (vacation, yay) and partly because, as it turns out, winning a big award comes with certain obligations. The obligations are fun – an award ceremony this weekend (April 6), alerting all the publications who have ever been so kind as to publish something of mine or a review (I'm still not done yet), and in the future, some readings. All good.
Mostly, though, I've had to let this one sink in. My book, out of all the books of poetry published in New England in 2013 and submitted to PEN, was chosen. I don't know if I can say who the final judge was, as PEN has not made this announcement, but my book had to rise in the usual path through all those books and somehow, somehow, get chosen. Over the past weeks, I've felt both ridiculously giddy and very humbled, mostly at the same time. I'm a little closer to tears than usual. My husband is so happy for me that I think even he is closer to tears than usual. I wish I could tell my mom. I wish, I wish. Why is it that an award leaves me wishing?
When Karen Wulf of PEN New England called me, she told me my book just "levitated" to the top. Ms. Wulf, nothing before has made me believe in the supernatural, but my book levitating anywhere makes me believe. I'm going to keep an eye on my contributor copies at home, see if they occasionally hover.
I know there's some ground down there, and my feet will eventually encounter it, but for now, my book and I don't feel gravity's tug.
Here's the link to the PEN announcement:
PEN New England Awards
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text:
The Toyma (; , Tuyma) is a river in Udmurtia and Tatarstan, Russian Federation, a right-bank tributary of the Kama. It is  long, of which  are in Tatarstan, and its drainage basin covers . It begins in Udmurtia and falls to the Kama near Yelabuga, Tatarstan.

Major tributaries are the Vozzhayka, Yurashka, Karinka rivers. The maximal mineralization 400-600 mg/L. The maximal water discharge was  in 1979. Drainage is regulated. Average sediment accumulation at the mouth per year is . Since 1978 it is protected as a natural monument of Tatarstan.  Mendeleyevsk and Yelabuga are along the river.

References

Rivers of Tatarstan
Rivers of Udmurtia


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City of Detroit: Counsel to Chapter 9 municipality, responsible for investigation and prosecution of preferential transfer claims.
Rockefeller Center Properties: Sole counsel to the debtor in the restructuring of mortgage and other indebtedness involving 12 historic landmarked buildings in the heart of Manhattan.
Nortel Networks Inc.: Counsel to the Official Committee of Retired Employees; obtained a nearly $100 million settlement for retirees.
Refco LLC Counsel to the Chapter 7 Trustee for a registered futures commissions merchant in the largest Chapter 7 case ever filed, involving more than $4 billion in assets.
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Kat Graham, also credited as Katerina Graham, is an American actress, singer, model, and dancer. She is famous for appearing on will.i.ams track I Got It From My Mama. She was born in Geneva, Switzerland, and grew in California, U.S. She is able to speak four languages.
Kats s father, Joseph Hartford Graham, is Americo-Liberian. Her mother, Natasha, is Jewish (from a family that emigrated from Poland and Russia). Kat was raised in her mothers faith, and attended Hebrew School.
Kats paternal grandfather was Joseph Graham, a U.N. Ambassador, serving for 40 years in the Netherlands, Sweden, Romania, and Kenya.


A group of photographers across the country is helping parents of children with disabilities or serious illnesses to capture some precious memories.
Jack MacDonald-Pickering didn't have the same opportunity to be oohed and aahed over like most newborns, despite being decidedly worthy of admiration.
Within hours of his birth, the Summerside, PEI, newborn had to be airlifted to the IWK Health Centre in Halifax for emergency medical treatment.
"We never got to enjoy that, 'Oh my God — he's beautiful' time after the birth," his mother, Mary MacDonald, recalls.
Jack was born with VACTERL association—an acronym that is used to describe a cluster of congenital conditions that tend to be found together, including heart, spinal, kidney and other organ anomalies. During his first six months, he had three major surgeries. "We had a teenager at home and Jack in NICU. And we weren't even sure Jack was going to make it through," recalls MacDonald.
By the time he was seven months old, Jack was usually home ("we weren't at the hospital every two weeks") and the family was easing into a new kind of normal. One day when MacDonald was visiting the website of PEI photographer Jill Hardy — whose work she had long admired — she noticed that Hardy had signed up with Helping Hearts (helping-hearts.ca), a community of Canadian photographers who donate their services to families with children with a life-altering illness or disability. MacDonald emailed Helping Hearts to find out if her family might be eligible.
And as for the experience from the photographer's side of the lens?
Kayla Boyle of Toronto was the first photographer outside of British Columbia to apply to Helping Hearts and she is one of the program's most passionate advocates.
"Each child who is photographed is unique and beautiful — and each photographer takes the time to capture the essence of that child.
Ann Douglas is the author of The Mother of All Pregnancy Books (2nd Canadian edition, Wiley 2011). Her website is www.having-a-baby.com. You can find her columns on the Star's parenting website parentcentral.ca.


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Home > Articles > Poison and Prayer
Poison and Prayer
Living Among the Unreached, Teaching by Example
FOCUS ON: INCARNATIONAL LIVING
"Mama! Come quickly! Kadiatu has been bitten by a snake!"
Kadiatu's older sister ran onto the porch of Colette's house with her little sister tied to her back. She called frantically to her mother, who was visiting Colette. The bite was only a few minutes old, but three-year-old Kadiatu was already feverish.
Venomous snakes are a common danger in this town in West Africa, where Colette and her family serve with Pioneer Bible Translators. Knowing that the venom is especially deadly in such a small body, Colette told her friend how to slow its spread. Then, with much prayer, mother and daughters left in search of a doctor who treats snake bites.
Minutes after their departure, two women—Mata and her sister Dayo—arrived at Colette's house to study the book of Luke and to pray. "I told them about Kadiatu," Colette explains, "and together we fervently prayed that God would spare her life and heal her."
Colette and her husband are literacy evangelists serving among the Rakinda people. As they teach people to read, they disciple seekers one-on-one using Scriptures that their colleagues are translating. Living incarnationally among the Rakinda people is essential for learning the language and demonstrating Christ's love to their neighbors. Regular Bible studies, like the ones Colette conducts with Mata and Dayo, are a key strategy in engaging those who want to learn more about what it means to follow Jesus.
Incarnational living is one of Pioneer Bible Translators' core values. Missionaries live among the people that God has led them to serve, building deep relationships as they learn their hosts' language and culture. They intentionally adapt their lives to the local context, maintaining a sacrificial and sustainable lifestyle that shows respect for their host culture and government. In every way they seek to glorify God, living in ways that demonstrate the impact that God's Word has had on their own lives.
Not long before Kadiatu was bitten by the snake, Colette and Mata had read Luke's account of Jesus sending out His disciples two by two to teach and to heal. After reading about how the disciples had returned overflowing with excitement at the miracles they had performed in His name, Mata asked a hard question. "Could we do the same?"
"As my mind scrambled to compose an answer," Colette says, "I prayed that I would respond in a way that would strengthen her faith rather than limit it."
Colette began by reminding Mata that they weren't in the same situation as Jesus' followers, who had been sent out on a special mission. She showed Mata that James 5:13-15 does, however, instruct Christians to pray for healing. "Although we cannot dictate how God will respond," Colette also told her, "Matthew 7:7-11 tells us that we can be confident He will, because He is a good Father who loves each of us deeply." She continued by reading James 1:6-7, which tells Jesus' followers to believe and not doubt when they pray, then concluded with Hebrews 4:14-16, explaining to Mata, "The source of our confidence in prayer is not our own merit, but rather the righteousness conferred on us by Jesus' death and resurrection."
Colette admits that her words that day weren't only for Mata. Her own faith has often been tested while living in Africa. "I have head knowledge, but I haven't always had confidence that God will answer my prayers. As these Scriptures spoke to Mata, they also spoke to me, changing my attitude immensely. No longer is my heart harboring niggling doubt. Now it is a privilege and an opportunity to rejoice in God's love, care and provision. Now I pray with confidence."
Colette and Mata sat down to study more of God's Word. Because of their previous discussion, it was natural for them to pray that Kadiatu would be healed from the snakebite. They continued to pray for her for the remainder of the day and throughout the night.
The following morning, the three women went to visit Kadiatu and her mother. As they walked into the yard, they saw Kadiatu playing as if nothing had happened. There was no sign of swelling or pain where the snake had bitten her. "In answer to our prayers, God had stopped the effects of the venom in the little girl's body and enabled her mother to find a doctor who had the needed medicine," Colette says. "We left marveling at God's mercy and thanking Him for His intervention and His care."
A month later, Dayo decided she wanted to make Jesus her Lord. When asked why, she replied, "I have experienced so many answers to prayer!" In Dayo and others like her, the years of friendship and personal discipleship that Colette and her family have invested continue to bear fruit for the Kingdom.
You Can Pray:
for missionaries to live in a way that points people to Christ
for wisdom to model Biblical principles in unfamiliar contexts
for relationships that lead to evangelism and discipleship
The photo above is ©Flickr user Herman Pijpers, https://flic.kr/p/qSPu2K, made available under Creative Commons Attribution License 2.0
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Discovery June 2023
Jun 4 – Jun 7, 2023


Morgan James Publishing, 9781683509523, 220pp.
Mindfulness has become a major buzzword in culture today, and yet very few people understand what this word actually means and how to integrate this practice into their daily lives. In a world filled with noise and distractions--including cell phones, millions of advertisements, and increasing pressure to do more, be more, get more, and make more--it is no wonder there is an alarming increase of anxiety and depression cases reported.
In Making Sense of Mindfulness, Keith Macpherson offers an accessible, solid, five-step framework that demystifies the buzzword "mindfulness" and offers a legitimate formula to help combat the high stress levels and anxieties that plague daily life. Come back into balance as you discover the tools and techniques to successfully integrate and sustain a daily practice of mindfulness in your life. It's time to discover how to live your best life.


They wanted to dam the river, to harness its power, and use it to generate hydroelectricity. No ill will was meant to the 32 metre high waterfall known as Gullfoss (meaning Golden Falls), but it would be severely altered, at least three-quarters of its water diverted. A pity, but can't halt development for some silly sentimental reason like wanting to preserve a pretty waterfall. So said its owners, Tómas Tómasson and Halldór Halldórsson.
They were greeted with opposition from the most unlikely of sources: Tómas's daughter, Sigríður.
Sigríður was so strongly opposed to the destruction of Gullfoss that she threatened to end her life by jumping into the falls if the hydroelectricity project were to go ahead. If the falls were to die, then she would die with them.
She marched all the way to Reykjavík to make her case, and pitted herself up against many powerful foreign and national parties. The fight went on for decades.
In the end the hydro-electricity project failed to receive funding and was abandoned. Gullfoss was left intact.
A small memorial has been erected at the site honouring Sigríður's role in the protection of the falls.
Gullfoss is 115 kilometres from Reykjavík. It is often combined with excursions to Þingvellir and the geysers of Haukadalur as part of a convenient day-trip referred to as the Golden Circle. More transport info here.
Read more on Gullfoss here.
How wonderful she could stand up to her father. Not so usual in her day I would think. Another place I would love to go to, all that lovely snow and ice!!
Iceland is pretty green in summer. Not so much snow and ice.