The number 13 is supercool. It's the smallest "emirp" – a prime number that forms a different prime in reverse. And who doesn't love a "baker's dozen" of 13 delicious baked goods? It's also the number of eligibility questions that Terrafirma asks.
The 13 eligibility requirements must be fulfilled before your organization can join Terrafirma. If you are already a Terrafirma member and you are updating your application, you may be used to checking off "yes" to all of these without reading through.
This year, remember to revisit those eligibility requirements and make sure that you still satisfy all of them.
If you are awaiting your February accreditation decision, whether first time or renewing, don't hit that submit button just yet! Please fill out your application and then hit "submit" once your decision is received. There is an $11/parcel accreditation discount that we don't want you to miss.
Have questions? Please let us know. You can email us directly or call 802-262-6051 for Leslie, or 202-800-2248 for myself.


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Direct air intake to combustion chamber for option of sealed external fresh air system.
The AB/S is also available without the log storage unit below and instead standing on a pedestal. The pedestal version is called the AB/SN.


Please vote if you like the logos.
These logos are really good, one of your best logos IMO.
P.s. I believe you're using an overlay to create the iphone-style icons, could you tell me where I can get it or send it to me?
I would like to make iPhone-style logos too so that if users find it easier to create a Leopard Themed Fast Dial.
I did make it myself - It's basically a template.
It's a good idea to use the same template as then the logos are consistent - for example the gloss on one users iphone style icons aren't different to another users.
With mine, you can just change the colour then add the logo inside. Then just do reflection to within roughly the same distance of the bottom of the canvas as mine, I guess.
Thanks for your comments about the logos by the way. I'll send you a link to the editable PNG.
In fact I'll just post it here.
But I'm not sure you'll be able to edit it M_P - you might be able to, but I'm going to do a tutorial at some point.


Hendry en la Big Apple Con en Manhattan, en noviembre de 2008.
↑ a b c d e «Gloria Hendry». The New York Times (en inglés).
↑ Wilson, Julee (13 de febrero de 2013). «Trina Parks: The First Black Bond Girl, Starred In 'Diamonds Are Forever'». The Huffington Post (en inglés).
Paul, Louis (2008). «Gloria Hendry». Tales From the Cult Film Trenches; Interviews with 36 Actors from Horror, Science Fiction and Exploitation Cinema. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. pp. 90-97. ISBN 978-0-7864-2994-3.


Search For "Personal Car Leasing" Companies in Orland park, Illinois - Click Here Now!
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STAMFORD -- The hockey talent produced in lower Fairfield County has been a training ground for the boarding schools of New England for years.
The situation worked for the players who used these schools as a springboard to college and beyond.
Now, Stamford's very own King Low Heywood Thomas would like to provide a local option to keep those players closer to their families.
The problem has been connecting with the youth hockey community, and to bridge that gap even further, the school knew if it could find a quality coach who had experience building programs, it would be that much better for the Vikings.
Enter Jamie Bruno, a former star player at Trinity Catholic came back and helped rebuild the Crusaders into a power in the FCIAC as an assistant coach.
Bruno is uniquely qualified for the job because he has worked with most of the young talent in the area already and has the respect of the many youth coaches.
He knows, at this point with the Vikings, he is just scraping the surface of the program and King will not automatically be in competition with the established prep school programs.
But, Bruno said, five years down the line the Vikings will be a team that will form rivalries against the big schools both on their respective rosters and on the ice.
Although he did not actively seek the job, it was through recommendations from coaches like Jamie Tropsa, coach of the Darien girls program, that the King school got in touch with him and he is glad they did.
"I was coaching at Twin Rinks and they called me up and I went for an interview," Bruno said. "I really liked the athletic director, Tom Decker, and where he was trying to take the program. Being involved at Trinity Catholic the last four years, as the head assistant under Chris Gerwig, I learned a lot. I really wanted to accept the challenge and build a program. I'm very excited about being involved in the program and involved in the school. I have nothing but good things to say about the school."
The New England Prep School League is now just one division which includes 61 teams, so the Vikings will need to keep more of the local talent home just to be competitive, according to Bruno.
Out of that 61-team pool, Bruno explained, the league will be split up into large schools and small schools.
"What we're trying to do is get 10 or 11 teams from the small schools on our schedule for next year and then hopefully build the program up to where we will play the Tafts and Berkshires," Bruno said. "We're not trying to push the envelope too quick, but just steadily build on an incline. Hopefully kids get attracted to the school not just for hockey but for other sports and academically."
Bruno gave credit to Gerwig for teaching him how to manage the personalities on a team. He said Gerwig showed him how to taper his personality to mesh with the players and making their families feel good about the program.
"King unfortunately doesn't have that because they have always been kind of a club type team without anything really to play for," Bruno added. "We're also trying to put together an FAA league with seven teams so hopefully that will get going and attract some more kids."
Bruno said he wants to introduce an exciting brand of hockey to the school, but said the players will have to come together for it to work.
"I'm very aggressive, a lot of pressure on the puck, not passive at all, send everything to the net," Bruno said. "I want us to be constantly driving towards the net. I'm very big on communication out there. Like I always say, it's a hard game to play in your head. I think it starts outside of the locker room ... and then out on the ice."
Bruno is a local product who first hit the ice at six years of age.
At eight years old, he was handpicked along with 12 other players to play on a premier travel team called the Connecticut Yankees, which he remained a part of throughout his high school years.
He also played in high school at Trinity Catholic for the legendary Mickey Lione and was a part of the school's last hockey state championship team.
"He (Lione) was actually a cousin of mine. so we had more than the usual coach and player relationship. I kind of got it a little harder than most people," Bruno said. "He never wanted to show any favoritism so I started on the third line but nine games into the first season I worked my way up to the first line.
"What I learned from him? He wasn't just a hockey coach. He was also very inspirational and taught the life skills like we tried to teach the kids at Trinity and like I'll try to teach at King"
After his Trinity career was over, Bruno advanced to Sacred Heart University and played two years for the Pioneers.
After college, in 2002, he started coaching at the Greenwich Skating Club and led his team to a Division II state championship. He later coached in the Stamford youth hockey program and also the Mid-Fairfield hockey program for a couple of stints.
When you add it all up, King fans are hoping the ingredients seem to be there for Bruno to make King a power.


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Home » Scientific Научные исследования Продукция Анализ частиц Applications Colloids
Colloids Applications
A colloid is typically a two phase system consisting of a continuous phase (the dispersion medium) and dispersed phase (the particles or emulsion droplets). The particle size of the dispersed phase typically ranges from 1 nanometer to 1 micrometer. Examples of colloidal dispersions include solid/liquid (suspensions), liquid/liquid (emulsions), and gas/liquid (foams). A more complete range of colloidal dispersions is shown in the table below.
Particle Interactions
As particle size decreases, surface area increases as a function of total volume. In the colloidal size range there is much interest in particle-particle interactions. Most colloidal commercial products are designed to remain in a stable condition for a defined shelf life. Milk is an example where homogenization is used to reduce droplet size to delay the onset of phase separation (i.e., creaming with the fat rising to the surface). Commercial suspensions may be formulated to keep particles in suspension without sedimenting to the bottom. Examples of phase separation mechanisms are shown below.
Colloidal Stabilization
Stabilization serves to protect colloids from aggregation and/or phase separation. The two main mechanisms for colloid stabilization involve steric and electrostatic modifications. Electrostatic stabilization is based on the mutual repulsion of like electrical charges. By altering the surface chemistry to induce a charge on the surface of particles it is possible to enhance the stability of the colloidal dispersion.
Zeta Potential
Zeta potential refers to the potential in the interfacial double layer (DL) at the location of the slipping plane versus a point in the bulk fluid away from the interface. In other words, zeta potential is the potential difference between the dispersion medium and the stationary layer of fluid attached to the dispersed particle. A classic example of colloid chemistry is to measure zeta potential vs. pH to determine the conditions where the zeta potential reaches zero, known as the isoelectric point.
Download the application note on Isoelectric Point Determination (You need to be logged in).
Instrumental Techniques
Scientists working to improve colloidal stability measure particle size, zeta potential, or both. Various techniques are now capable of measuring particle size into the colloidal region including dynamic light scattering (DLS) and laser diffraction. The SZ-100 nanoPartica DLS system can measure particle size and zeta potential of colloidal dispersions and has the option of an automatic titrator for zeta potential vs. pH studies. The LA-960 laser diffraction particle size analyzer is the best choice when particles above 1 micron may also be present in the particle system.
Learn how dynamic light scattering measures particle size.
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Learn how electrophoretic light scattering measures zeta potential.
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Industry's widest range and highest precision measurement instrument for Nanoparticle characterization.
LA-960 Laser Particle Size Analyzer - High Performance Laser Diffraction Analyzer
The LA-960 uses Mie Scattering (laser diffraction) to measure particle size of suspensions or dry powders. The speed and ease-of-use of this technique makes it the popular choice for most applications.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I giggled a bit when my email update said Owen now weighs the same as a "mini watermelon" at seven pounds. Being from Hope, I may be a watermelon snob, but I can't recall eating a seven-pounder. I don't even think the off-season circular variety are sold that small around here. Maybe they're too embarrassed to hang out with the ones that weigh as much as... well, the mini melon's mama.
Yes, I am a whopping 39 weeks and one day pregnant, showing no signs of that changing any time soon. My doctor asked if I had any desire to induce yet, but I decided to put it off and give Owen a chance. I go back this Friday and we'll approach the same question. At that point, I may have a different answer.
Today was a blustery one and Grammy got a good Nathan-style scolding when she accidentally let go of the super long kite string. It went sailing right to its new permanent home - wrapped around a power line. With storms forecast for tonight and straight line winds tomorrow, I bet we'll enjoy hands-free kite flying for a while! I hope you all had just as much fun and half as many laughs as we did today. Happy Sunday!
Yes, folks, the woman who went on bed rest at 33 weeks and feels like she has been dilated for the majority of her pregnancy still has a full womb. And I'm okay with it. Really. I'm just as ready as everyone else to meet this little guy, but I'm not going to start any jumping jack marathons or down a castor oil cocktail. As I've stated over and over (even if it's just to keep my spirits up) - he will come when he is ready!
As for the other 38-week stats, my doctor said I was still dilated to 2 cm and in the exact same condition as I was the week before. He figured I would make it to my next appointment, which is now just two days away. However, Jonathan is betting that the big storm forecast for tomorrow and the shift in barometric pressure that comes with it will send me straight to the hospital. There are only 10 days left in the countdown, though, so whenever it happens, "soon" describes it well. Happy Wednesday!
I watched from the porch swing as Nathan made his rounds, cutting down the "fields" of clover, dodging the doghouse and sandbox, and discovering just how fast he could go when he kicked it into second gear. He even promised he would attach the wagon and help haul plants and soil when gardening season arrives! It was so fun watching this little guy zoom around the yard that I couldn't help but duck inside to find my camera. I hope everyone else is taking advantage of the nice weather today, but if you're stuck inside, at least you can enjoy these cute pictures. Happy Thursday!
Leave it to Arkansas - the second the snow melts, temperatures bump up to the 60s and the sun starts shining. And if you know me at all, you'll know I'm not complaining! Although it was still a bit chilly for an all-day adventure, we put on our jackets (please note the early 90s McDonald's track jacket) and headed to the frost-free front yard. Visions of vegetable plants and compost danced in my head while I took in the first glimpse of spring, but I know all that is still several weeks (not to mention a birth recovery) away. No, February is not spring, but when we see an opportunity to get outside, we seize it. Of course, the camera tagged along.
BABY UPDATE No news is... okay news. :) Owen still hasn't joined the outside world, but I'm pleased to announce that I hit 37 weeks for the first time yesterday. No, I'm not absolutely miserable to be more pregnant than I've ever been, but I'm pumped that it could happen any day now. So, while you await that very special text, call, update and/or blog post, check out how cute Nathan is. Happy Sunday!
Although I'm okay with my second pregnancy lasting longer than my first, it's blowing my mind. Even before the bed rest, I knew that come 34 or 35 weeks, Owen would be out of my tummy and in my arms. I'd always heard that each consecutive pregnancy is shorter, so I thought that would be the case. However, as everyone knows, each pregnancy is different. I'm just hanging out until Owen decides it's time to bust out of there. :) For those of you wondering about the above-pictured fruit, Owen is now a six-pound crenshaw melon. I don't know what that is, but it seems big! At this rate, Owen will probably be big enough to skip the hamburger warmer. Woohoo! Other than that, though, there's not too much going on around here. I visit my favorite OB tomorrow to see if things are progressing any more.
Well we did wake up to another round of winter this morning. There were already two inches of snow when we first looked out the window and that cold junk kept falling all day. Nathan took it well when I refused to put on anything other than pajamas, so we snuggled, watched movies, and played until Daddy got home. The second Jonathan walked through the door, though, the kid scrambled into his snow pants, gloves, and hat, ready to mess up the smooth blanket of snow. They threw snowballs at each other, made designs with their footprints, and whacked all the snowy trees with sticks. Owen and I stayed in our warm jammies and watched from the window. :) No paramedics showed up today, so I'm thinking (hoping... praying) we'll leave that kind of storytelling to TLC. On the other hand, round three is expected to come Wednesday. He is my child, though, so he should think twice before making his debut on a yucky, icy day. Fingers crossed!
Ever since those pink lines popped up last June, I've been wondering what my new blog name would be. 'Nathan's Daily Adventures' has existed since the kid was 7 months old. It was simple, straightforward and seemed to serve me well for the past three years. But now that our family is growing, I sure can't leave our newest guy out. 'Life with the Bauer Boys' isn't that creative of a blog title, but I am happy with it. I like it because it is precisely what I do here - document the lives of my boys. :) Heck, I've been doing that long before now, so I figured a change was due. So there you have it, a brief update about an update. I know it's not an enormous feat to change a few words on a blog, but graduating from one boy to two will be the change of a lifetime. I can't wait until we meet sweet Owen and I begin my journey with the Bauer Boys.
PS: The above photo (and those awesome new ones to the right) come from an amazing set of maternity pictures taken by my BFF Meredith. I'm so proud of them that I'm sure there will be another post featuring more adorable shots. Right now, however, I'm taking these boys to bed.


THE K108 million royalties for landowners from the PNG LNG project in Bank of Papua New Guinea will not be touched until the clan vetting process is completed, Mineral Resources Development Company (MRDC) says.Managing director Augustine Mano, said MRDC was waiting for the process to complete before the funds could be distributed.
MRDC manages the equity funds for landowner companies from the major resource development areas of PNG.
Mano said: "The monies parked there are royalties and are currently waiting clan vetting.
"We are currently waiting for clan vetting and land owner identification and only after that then these monies will be distributed.
Bank of Papua New Guinea governor Loi Bakani had reassured the people that all revenue streams from the PNG LNG Project were paid by the operator on time and as required under the PNG LNG Project Agreement.
Bakani further confirmed that landowner royalties were being paid by the operator into a trust account with the Bank of PNG.
"I would like to allay landowner concerns that their royalties have not been paid.
"To date approximately K108 million in landowner royalty payments has been deposited by PNG LNG, into a trust account set up by the Government of Papua New Guinea with the Bank of PNG.
"The money has been safeguarded for landowners with multiple government signatories required before the money can be released.


I'm looking to meet friends from all over. I love learning about new cultures and different ways of life. The world is full of so many fascinating things and people. I enjoy good conversation on many different topics. I love the outdoors and animals. I'm friendly, try to see the good in people and enjoy talking with others.


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Tag Archives: Jude Johnstone
Album Review: Emmylou Harris – 'All I Intended To Be'
3 Comments Posted by J.R. Journey on April 27, 2011
Emmylou Harris' third album for the Nonesuch label found her reunited with producer and former husband Brian Ahern. All I Intended To Be would feature Harris' most country arrangements in over a decade, and would be hailed by most as the singer's triumphant return to a traditional country sound, which it certainly is. More than a return to form, this is also an album that finds Harris bringing the broader songwriting selection that characterized her Americana work, and striking the perfect balance between the two in sound and song. Peaking at #4 on the Country Albums chart and #22 on the Billboard 200, Harris earned her highest showing on either since her hit-making days.
The slow-burning opener 'Shores of White Sand', is a tale of a woman not sure where to go in life and features steel guitar flourishes to help illustrate the lonely feel of it all.
The album's centerpiece is Jude Johnstone's exquisite 'Hold On',a tender tune addressed to a man who behaves as if life has lost all spark. As the singer attempts to assuage his uncertainty and remind him of better times,
I know you didn't plan for this
But that's the way it always starts
Just lookin' for a little kick
Instead you bought a broken heart
the tempo progressively builds, aided mostly by dualing acoustic and electric guitars, and Harris' delivery becomes more forceful.
Emmylou co-wrote 'How She Could Sing The Wildwood Flower' which tells the story of A.P. and Sara Carter, with Kate and Anna McGarrigle, after the three saw a documentary about the legendary country music family. The recently deceased Kate McGarrigle appears on this sweetly acoustic track singing harmonies, and plays a banjo solo as well.
Aside from those co-writes, Emmylou's songwriting is represented here with 'Take That Ride', a melody-driven mid-tempo tale of a flame burned out, with the narrator staying more out of lack of interest in leaving than love. Harris also wrote the sparse 'Not Enough', which recounts the story of the death of a dear friend, and the emotional steps that surround it. As Harris' plaintive vocal bends the hard-hitting lines – "Oh my dear friend, what could I do, I just came home to bury you" – it's clear she's mastered the art of melancholy story-telling.
Emmylou's songs stand up with the other Americana mainstays like Patty Griffin and Tracy Chapman she's included here. That's best evidenced by the must-hear 'Gold', with Dolly Parton and Vince Gill contributing harmonies. In it, the singer admits defeat in a relationship where she simply couldn't meet her lover's ridiculous expectations. 'Gold' also features the album's most traditional arrangement, complete with a rolling steel guitar solo.
A nod to two of country music's greatest songwriters come from Emmylou's take on Merle Haggard's 'Kern River', where exquisite harmonies from Stuart Duncan, Mike Auldridge, and John Starling play perfectly with the mournful fiddle backdrop. She includes a mostly acoustic, and somewhat plodding, take on Billy Joe Shaver's 'Old Five and Dimers Like Me', sang as a duet with John Starling.
While re-exploring the more acoustic sound of her best-known work, Harris delivered an album of solid songs, made all the better by the greatest instrument in the credits: her own seasoned voice.
Buy it at amazon.
Album Reviews, Retro Reviews, Spotlight Artist	A.P. Carter, Anna McGarrigle, Billy Joe Shaver, Brian Ahern, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, John Starling, Jude Johnstone, Kate McGarrigle, Merle Haggard, Mike Auldridge, Patty Griffin, Sara Carter, Stuart Duncan, Tracy Chapman, Vince Gill
Album Review: Trisha Yearwood – 'Inside Out'
5 Comments Posted by Occasional Hope on October 25, 2010
In 2001, Trisha took another break from working with Garth Fundis, choosing to co-produce Inside Out with Mark Wright. It is one of her most pop sounding productions, with heavy use of string sections and a punchy sound, but the material is strong and Trisha's vocals cannot be criticized. On the whole I think it is a vast improvement over Real Live Woman, my least favorite of Trisha's albums. Lyrically the tone of the record leans towards survival in the face of adversity, and refusal to regret past choices.
After the disappointing chart performance of the singles from Real Live Woman, it must have been a relief when the debut single from the new project stormed to the top 5. That was 'I Would've Loved You Anyway', a strongly sung ballad where Trisha defiantly declares in the painful aftermath of a failed relationship that yes, she would do it all again if she had the choice. The production is a bit heavier than necessary, but Trisha's interpretation is effective at subtly conveying the emotion.
The title track stalled outside the top 30. It is one of Trisha's more pop-leaning records, a love song written by the unusual combination of rocker Bryan Adams and Gretchen Peters, with jerky rhythms and features a guest vocal from Don Henley. It is a far cry from the magic of Trisha's previous collaboration with Henley, the classic 'Walkaway Joe'.
The third and last single was one of my favourite tracks, but sadly did not perform as well on radio as it deserved to do. The intense 'I Don't Paint Myself Into Corners', written by the talented Rebecca Lynn Howard with Trey Bruce, is an excellent big ballad with a metaphorical lyric about discovering self-sufficiency and survival, with an intense vocal from Trisha with Vince Gill supporting on harmony:
I never knew just how far a soul could fall
Like a rock, couldn't stop, didn't try
I locked myself behind shades of misery, yeah,
But when I let you go I set myself free
And I don't paint myself into corners anymore
In a brittle heart of clay
I threw my brushes away
The tools of the trade that chained your memory to me are out the door
I don't paint myself into corners anymore
Howard had recorded this song herself on her debut album the previous year, and Trisha picked up another great song from that record, the weeper 'Melancholy Blue', written by Tom Douglas and the legendary Harlan Howard. This portrays woman who has lost her lover and is lost herself as a result. She wanders around the country trying to find a path for herself, and we learn in the hushed last verse:
Now and then I go back to Biloxi
Whenever I feel brave
Visit that little country church down there
Lay some flowers on your grave
You sure got a hold on me
I don't know what to do
I ain't got no future
I can't see my future without you
This is the highlight of the album, with Trisha's delicately understated vocal supported by a tasteful string arrangement, and both these tracks stand amongst Trisha's finest moments.
I also very much like Jude Johnstone's wistful piano-led 'When We Were Still In Love' about lost hopes, which closes the album on an emotional low but a musical high. Another very fine track, but one with the opposite message, is the optimistic 'Second Chance', written by Irene Kelley, Clay Mills and Tony Ramey. Trisha's vocal is superb on a song which tempts the listener to think it might have been addressed to Garth Brooks, with whom she was just embarking on a relationship following their respective divorces:
Here is your second chance
Take it and fly
Another highlight is a faithful cover of Rosanne Cash's sophisticated and melodic 'Seven Year Ache' (a #1 from 1981), with Rosanne herself on harmony and the odd solo line.
'Harmless Heart' is another fine AC sounding ballad, written by Kim Patton Johnston and Liz Rose with a fine and subtle vocal perfectly interpreting the lyric, and tasteful strings. Trisha's character has been rebuffed in love by a man afraid of commitment, and is hurt but not vindictive, as she gently tells him:
I meant every word I said
But what's the use?
You believe whatever you want to…
You set me up to fail the test
And prove that you were right
"Everyone lets you down"
Matraca Berg and Ronnie Samoset's 'For A While' is a mid-tempo number about the process of gradually getting over someone, which is uncompromisingly turn-of-the-millennium contemporary both in its lyrical details and in its musical setting; not really to my personal taste but very professionally done.
There are some tracks where the heavy production is too much, particularly the very pop/rock opening track 'Love Alone' (although it has an interesting lyric about self-reliance and the expected strong vocal) and the echoey 'Love Me Or Leave Me Alone'. Hugh Prestwood's lonesome bluesy wailing 'Love Let Go' gets a heavy production which totally overwhelms Prestwood's typically poetic lyrics; I think I would have liked this if it had a more stripped down or acoustic treatment but as it is it stands as one of my least liked of Trisha's recordings.
The album hit #1 on the country album charts, and has been certified gold. However, after the failure of the last single, Trisha took a break from making music for the next few years and concentrated on her personal life.
Album Reviews, Retro Reviews, Spotlight Artist	Bryan Adams, Clay Mills, Don Henley, Garth Brooks, Garth Fundis, Gretchen Peters, Harlan Howard, Hugh Prestwood, Irene Kelley, Jude Johnstone, Kim Patton Johnston, Liz Rose, Mark Wright, Matraca Berg, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Ronnie Samoset, Rosanne Cash, Tom Douglas, Tony Ramey, Trey Bruce, Trisha Yearwood, Vince Gill
Album Review: Trisha Yearwood – 'Hearts In Armor'
12 Comments Posted by Occasional Hope on October 7, 2010
Trisha's second album, released in 1992, is still my favorite. Garth Fundis's production is sympathetic, with a number of special guests who support the record without overwhelming it. Trisha, who I regard as one of the most naturally gifted vocalists in country music and a subtle and tasteful interpreter of emotion, was at the peak of her vocal powers and interpretative ability, and the song selection was excellent.
The hypnotically bluesy lead single 'The Wrong Side of Memphis' (written by Gary Harrison and Matraca Berg) was a big hit, peaking at #5, with a semi-autobiographical tale of a young singer on her way to Nashville. The instrumentation is punchy without being over-produced, with harmony vocalists including Raul Malo, whose Mavericks' bandmate Robert Reynolds was shortly to become Trisha's second husband. It is atypical of the album as a whole, which is focussed on failed and failing relationships, a theme perhaps resulting from Trisha's own recent divorce from her first husband.
Harrison also co-wrote (with Tim Mensy) 'Nearest Distant Shore', a beautiful ballad addressed empathetically to a friend (or perhaps to the protagonist's inner self) trapped in a destructive relationship, and advising:
You vowed you would not fail
But this ain't success
It's a living hell
There's nothing left to lose
You're already alone
Swim to the nearest distant shore
There's only so much a heart can endure
You gave it your best
You can't hold on anymore
It's not as far as it might seem
Now it's time to let go of old dreams
Every heart for itself
Trisha perfectly conveys the intensity of the emotions here without ever seeming melodramatic, supported by Garth Brooks' harmony.
The second single, and the album's biggest hit, adhered to the general mood, while being less obviously personal. The exquisitely sung 'Walkaway Joe', featuring a harmony vocal from former Eagle Don Henley, tells the cautionary tale of a young girl who makes a catastrophic choice of boyfriend ("the wrong kind of paradise"). Ignoring her mother's words of warning, she finds out the hard way when he robs a gas station and then abandons her. It peaked at #2 on Billboard, making it the album's biggest hit, and was nominated for a Grammy.
Read more of this post
Album Reviews, Retro Reviews, Spotlight Artist	Beth Nielsen Chapman, Don Henley, Emmylou Harris, Garth Brooks, Garth Fundis, Gary Harrison, Jamie O'Hara, Jude Johnstone, Keith Whitley, Matraca Berg, Paul Kennerley, Raul Malo, Robert Reynolds, Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan, The Mavericks, The O'Kanes, Tim Mensy, Trisha Yearwood, Verlon Thompson, Vince Gill


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Throw your businesswoman hat in the ring
Businesswoman Anne O'Donnell shares her tips for women on getting onto boards and into senior management roles.
By Catherine Robson
Anne O'Donnell is a businesswoman and an expert at making the best of what she's got. But it's been "throwing her hat in the ring" that's been key to her career success in senior management and as a woman on boards.
Her 30 year career in the finance and superannuation sector has evolved from humble beginnings as a typist at the ANZ Bank in small town of Trundle, NSW to an impressive portfolio of responsibilities.
Anne's current positions include non-executive directorships of Australian Institute of Company Directors, investment firm Equity Trustees and Chair of the Beyond Bank Australia Board.
She is a passionate advocate for greater diversity on Australian boards and in this interview on The Constant Investor Success Stories Podcast she shares her insights on governance and advice for young execs looking to grow their board experience.
Tips to landing a board role
Serendipity and luck often play a part in landing a board role but it's not all up to chance.
Anne suggests tackling the task of securing your first board role with a three pronged approach: Regularly keep an eye on Australian Institute Of Company Directors and Women On Boards an independent and action-oriented social enterprise supporting women to leverage their professional skills and experience into non-executive- director and other board level roles.
Let people know you are looking for a board position – network and get your CV out there!
Try and tap into the director search via recruitment agencies which specialize in this area.
Be selective
Anne is Chair of the Investment, Audit and Risk Committee (IARC) of The Winston Churchill Fellowship. The Fellowship has a corpus of approximately $100 million dollars which funds around 112 fellowships per year.
It's a role she thoroughly enjoys but her advice for building a portfolio of directorships is to keep a balance between paid and philanthropic commitments. Be mindful, she says, not to load yourself up with too many unpaid roles.
While it's great to build experience, in some cases not-for-profit environments can be challenging and not necessarily "a great place to be a learner, to have your L plates on" warns Anne.
Personally, she commits to one unpaid role at a time to strike a balance in giving back in the not for profit sector while not overloading herself.
Of equal importance, is remaining selective about paid roles to take on.
There's a temptation, believes Anne, when you've been offered a role to accept, sometimes simply out of fear you may not be offered another! In her experience, if you are offered a role, it won't be the last time, so don't rush into the commitment without taking time to consider if it is truly the right fit for you.
Managing information overload
Anne has a few tips for managing the overwhelm of papers that come with board positions.
When you first start, you just need to get stuck in and do the reading, she says. Reading through papers in one sitting, rather than an hour here and there is Anne's preferred method.
She also writes personal notes and questions as she works her way through, coming back to them to refresh her memory just prior to meetings.
Always think of the next step
If you are in a good job, great, but don't become complacent. The advice given to Anne years ago is something she still holds too – always be thinking of your next opportunity, what your next role will look like and what you need to do to land it.
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tips for getting on boards
Catherine Robson is the CEO of boutique advice practice Affinity Private She believes that financial security is vital for confidence and independence. She says that by women taking an active interest in the management of their money, not only leads to better financial outcomes, but positively impacts health, careers and relationships. Catherine has been advising wealthy individuals and families for 19 years. Catherine's commitment to quality advice and strong alignment of interests with clients by eschewing all commissions, has earned her numerous awards including the Financial Planning Association's Victorian CFP professional of the Year, AFA Female Excellence in Advice Award, Money Management Magazine Adviser of the Year and the Australian Private Banking Council's Outstanding Investment Advisor of the Year. Catherine has an Honours Degree in Law, a Bachelor of Arts (Asian Studies), a Masters of Laws majoring in Tax, a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance, is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and has completed the AICD Company Directors Course. Catherine is also Deputy Chairman of Equity Trustees Superannuation Limited and has a fortnightly 'Money Brain' column in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald newspapers.
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Safeguard Properties demonstrates the SecureView window product to Las Vegas police and firefighters Thursday, May 5, 2016, at a former squatter house along Shiloah Drive.
Friday, May 6, 2016 - 2 a.m.
At first glance, the small, decades-old house off East Charleston Boulevard looks worn-down, in need of a paint job and landscaping at the very least.
But inside, the Las Vegas home shows what it's become: a trashed gathering spot for squatters, vagrants and junkies.
Shopping carts are scattered about, floors are covered with trash, mattresses are stacked on each other, and walls and ceilings are torn apart.
The house has been a problem for years, and it's not the only abandoned, beat-up property in Las Vegas. Now, in an effort to prevent this sort of blight, City Hall is testing whether boarding windows with an alternative to plywood will keep people from breaking into vacant houses again and again.
Safeguard Properties founder Robert Klein, whose Ohio-based company inspects homes for lenders, held a news conference Thursday at 106 Shiloah Drive and showcased his SecureView product to Metro Police officers, Las Vegas firefighters, code-enforcement officers, reporters and others.
Installed on the abandoned, 1,000-square-foot home as part of a city pilot program, SecureView is a sheet plastic made of polycarbonate. According to Klein, it's "unbreakable" and lets first-responders see what's occurring inside a house before entering.
He says plywood pushes down property values and sparks a rise in vandalism. SecureView, however, looks like a window and, city officials say, doesn't mark a house as being abandoned, like plywood does.
"Plywood is a cancer," he said.
Las Vegas planning director Tom Perrigo said city officials would evaluate the product, though he did not say how or for how long. They plan to install it on homes that are prone to break-ins and then expand the roll-out.
The city boards up about 100 homes per year, he said, and about 10 to 20 percent of them are "constantly" broken into.
"Hopefully it will stop some of the recidivism we're seeing with properties," code enforcement supervisor Vicki Ozuna said.
Ozuna said the sheets installed on the one-story house on Shiloah — near Charleston and U.S. 95 — were given to the city for free by Klein's company. But it was unclear Thursday how much the product would cost if installed on others.
Klein said SecureView is double the price of plywood, though he did not provide dollar amounts. Ozuna said it usually costs $1,200 to $2,000 to clean a house and board it with plywood; she said she didn't know the cost of using SecureView but indicated that people have said it's about four times as much.
The business of boarding up houses seems to be growing in Las Vegas. About five years ago, city officials normally cleaned and secured homes just 35 times per year, Ozuna said.
Despite its improved housing market and economy, the Las Vegas Valley still is littered with thousands of empty homes — about 13,360, according to foreclosure-tracking firm RealtyTrac.
Metro Police, for instance, say they received at least 4,458 squatter-related service calls in Las Vegas and unincorporated Clark County last year. That's up 24 percent from 2014, 69 percent from 2013 and 169 percent from 2012.
Many of the vacant homes are tied to the recession, which pummeled Las Vegas harder than almost every metro area. Residents valleywide lost their homes to lenders amid sweeping job cuts, and the majority of borrowers were left underwater due to plunging home values.
Such problems have eased considerably the past few years, but Las Vegas still has one of the highest rates of foreclosures and underwater borrowers in the country among large metro areas.
Although "everybody believes the foreclosure crisis is over," there still is a "very large inventory" of homes whose owners have "walked away" and whose lenders show no interest in selling, Ozuna said.
She could not confirm how long the house on Shiloah has been abandoned but said it's been boarded up at least twice. A homeless camp was in the backyard at one point, and she said a contractor who was recently sent to the property found needles on the ground.
And even though it's been ripped apart, it's not the worst-looking abandoned house in town.
"Actually, it's kind of clean compared to most of them," Ozuna said.
Built in 1956, the one-bathroom, two-bedroom home sold in 2004 — during the real estate bubble — for $200,000, county records show. But problems started mounting by 2012, after the market crashed. Liens were filed for unpaid garbage bills, and city officials claimed a range of code violations.
Among other things, they ordered the owner to board up the "entire structure" due to a "history of vandalism"; fix a damaged block wall; remove a "brown Chevy pickup"; and haul away the garbage from the property, including "loose trash, broken concrete, dumped debris (and) dead vegetation," according to filings with the Clark County Recorder's Office.
A notice of default was filed against the house in September 2014, alleging the owner owed about $47,900. A month later, she sold the house for $35,074, county records show — some 82 percent below what she paid a decade earlier.
The problems, however, didn't stop. The city filed a nuisance notice against the house in summer 2015 and another one last month, alleging several code violations. Among other things, the owners were told to "not allow homeless individuals to occupy the premises" and to remove graffiti, garbage, dead vegetation and a "junk vehicle," a gold Chevy Cavalier.
Since May 1, 2014, Metro Police have had five calls for service at the property, including a narcotics arrest and a dead body, said Officer Jesse Roybal, a spokesman.
A neighbor says a woman overdosed there. Roybal says a woman's body was found there in March, but at the time, nothing suspicious was reported about the death.
In a phone interview Thursday, owner Dante Pugliese said he's tried to arrange a short sale, but the banks are "not responding" and he's "pretty much walking away" from the home.
"At this point, I'm probably just at the end of my rope on it," he said.


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Q: Unknown provider error when injecting factory I am using yeoman angular full stack generator. Trying out ToDo items tutorial with MongoDB.
Everything worked fine i.e. I was able to read from DB using  $http.get. However I decided to go further and create a factory so I can perform CURD.
After creating factory I tried to inject it but getting error as follows:
Error: [$injector:unpr] Unknown provider: factToDoProvider <- factToDo
http://errors.angularjs.org/1.2.6/$injector/unpr?p0=factToDoProvider%20%3C-NaNactToDo
at http://localhost:9000/bower_components/angular/angular.js:78:12
at http://localhost:9000/bower_components/angular/angular.js:3538:19
at Object.getService [as get] (http://localhost:9000/bower_components/angular/angular.js:3665:39)
at http://localhost:9000/bower_components/angular/angular.js:3543:45
at getService (http://localhost:9000/bower_components/angular/angular.js:3665:39)
at invoke (http://localhost:9000/bower_components/angular/angular.js:3687:13)
at Object.instantiate (http://localhost:9000/bower_components/angular/angular.js:3708:23)
at http://localhost:9000/bower_components/angular/angular.js:6758:28
at link (http://localhost:9000/bower_components/angular-route/angular-route.js:897:26)
at nodeLinkFn (http://localhost:9000/bower_components/angular/angular.js:6212:13)

Main.js controller looks like
'use strict';

angular.module('angularFsApp')
.controller('MainCtrl', function ($scope, $http, factToDo) {
    $http.get('/api/awesomeThings').success(function(awesomeThings) {
      $scope.awesomeThings = awesomeThings;
    });

    $http.get('/todo/todoItems').success(function(todoItems) {
      $scope.todoItems = todoItems;
    });
    //$scope.newtodoItems = factToDo.getAllItems();

   });

Where factToDo is my factory which look like as follows (todo.js)
angular.module('angularFsApp')
.factory('factToDo', function() {
    return {
        getAllItems: function () {
            return [
                {description: 'Hello World 1', priority: '15'},
                {description: 'Hello World 2', priority: '15'},
                {description: 'Love for all', priority: '1500'}
            ];
            }
    }
});

I tried by changing my code in main.js as described in AngularJS error ref as follows
angular.module('angularFsApp')
.controller('MainCtrl', ['$scope', '$http', 'factToDo', function ($scope, $http, factToDo) {

as well as  I tried Dan Wahlin but i got same issue.

A: Make sure the file with the 'factToDo' is included into your app.
For a convenient development and to avoid issues like this in the future try the Grunt task runner to concatenate all your code for you and include it as a one file.
This tutorial seems to be sufficient for starting with Grunt and file concatenation.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Following a full brand revamp in October 2015 and the launch of a stunning new website in March 2016, the UK and Ireland's leading gift list provider The Wedding Shop has announced a luxurious new makeover and increased service offering at its Selfridges Oxford Street showroom. As the 'Official Gift List Provider' to the three time award winners of the World's Best Department Store, The Wedding Shop has expanded its service offering by creating a dedicated space for their new GIFT LISTS service which will be located on the Fourth Floor, as well as a beautiful new retail space in Selfridges Home Department on the Lower Ground Floor.
Taking design cues from its showrooms in Chelsea and Dublin, The Wedding Shop's new GIFT LISTS service located in the Selfridges Services Lounge on 4, is a relaxing and welcoming environment, allowing couples to spend dedicated time with an experienced Gift List Advisor as they browse the brand's 30,000+ products from over 350 suppliers.
Open from 9.30am to 9.30pm from Monday to Saturday and 11.30am to 6.00pm on Sunday, the GIFT LISTS service on 4 will also feature private rooms with VIP service as couples plan the wedding list for their big day. Complementing this will be a display area in Selfridges Home Department on the Lower Ground Floor.


Democratic Left was a democratic socialist party which was formed following a split in the Workers' Party in 1992, which saw six of the Workers' Party's seven TDs and half the Ard Comhairle depart, under the leadership of Proinsias de Rossa.
It was initially named New Agenda, under which title it contested the 1992 Westminster elections. The party also supported a 'Peace Coalition' candidate, June Campion, in the 1994 European Parliament elections in Northern Ireland, along with the Green Party in Northern Ireland and some Labour groups.
Democratic Left participated in the 1994-1997 'rainbow coalition' government with Fine Gael and Labour, in which de Rossa was Minister for Social Welfare. Following the loss of two of its six seats at the 1997 general election, the party entered talks with Labour and merged with the latter in 1999.
Documents relating to Democratic Left annual delegate conferences.
A number of election leaflets from the party and individual candidates.
Includes election manifestos from 1992 and 1997.
Archive of programmes for government, which includes the 'Rainbow Coalition' of Democratic Left, Labour and Fine Gael.


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Tag Archives: country music
Modern Blue
Music Review: Rosanne Cash – 'The River & The Thread'
Rosanne Cash's latest release illustrates how the label of country singer is far too limiting for a person of her talents. Perhaps she can be called a modern musician.
Here's a look at the songs on The River & The Thread, which was produced and arranged by her husband, John Leventhal.
"A Feather's Not a Bird" is a fine opening, as a Bonnie Raitt style attitude meets Creedence Clearwater Revival type instrumentation. It's clear that there's nothing tentative about Cash. She's confident and in charge as she sings, "…a river runs through me." "Sunken Lands" is unique as a blend of classic and modern country built upon a Johnny Cash pulse.
"Etta's Tune" is an introspective love song that might have been written by Jackson Browne: "We're just a mile or two from Memphis/And the rhythm of our lives." One can easily visualize Tom Petty singing Cash's rocker, "Modern Blue": "I went to Barcelona on the midnight train/I walked the streets of Paris in the pouring rain/I flew across an island in the northern sea/I ended up in Memphis, Tennessee…." There's also a touch of the Eagles in the lyrics: "Everybody around here moves too fast/It feels so good but it's never going to last/Everything I had is twice what I knew…."
"Tell Heaven" is an unplugged song about faith. The Judds would have loved to have sung this. "The Long Way Home" is an angst-filled song about lost love that calls to mind Don Henley, Mark Knopfler and Carly Simon ("You're So Vain"). It's beautifully realized: "You thought you left it all behind/You thought you'd up and gone/But all you did was figure out how to take the long way home…."
"World of Strange Design" is a song about differences and discrimination, with a musical presentation that channels Dire Straits. "Night School" is a Tori Amos style ballad: "I'd give anything to be lying next to you/In night school." The uplifting "50,000 Watts" is reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen's "The Rising": "To be who we are/And not just who we were/A sister to him, a brother to her/We live like kings/without any sin/Redemption will come, just tune it on in…."
"When the Master Calls" is a touching song about the Civil War which would have fit well on Elton John's Tumbleweed Connection album. "Money Road" is the relaxing closing song about a dream, but the standard eleven-track edition of this album is only 38 minutes long. Consider purchasing the Limited Edition Deluxe version, which adds three additional songs and 10-plus more minutes of music.
"Two Girls" is the first bonus track on the Limited Edition, and it sounds like a song from Neil Young's Harvest Moon album. "Biloxi" is one of the great songs written by the late Jesse Winchester: "Beautiful girls are swimming in the sea/Oh, they look like sisters in the ocean/The boy will find his path with salted water/And the storms will blow off toward New Orleans."
"Southern Heart" is a short, 2 minute long, song with plucked violin strings that would have been a great single in the 1960s; it's a song very much in the style of the Andy Williams hit, "Can't Get Used to Losing You."
Cash has laid out her musical skills for the world to see on this release. It's a highly recommended masterpiece or very close to it. But forget the ratings, just think of this as a near priceless gift delivered by Cash to her fans, current and prospective.
A review copy was provided by Blue Note Records.
This review was first posted on the Blogcritics site:
http://blogcritics.org/music-review-rosanne-cash-the-river-the-thread/
http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/blogcritics/article/Music-Review-Rosanne-Cash-The-River-The-5411097.php
Tagged as 000 Watts, 2014, 2014 music releases, 50, A Feather's Not A Bird, a music review by Joseph Arellano: The River & The Thread, album review, Andy Williams, Barcelona, best albums, Biloxi, Blogcritics, Blue Note Records, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen, Cant Get Used to Losing You, Carly Simon, country music, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Dire Straits, Don Henley, Elton John, Etta's Tune, Harvest Moon, Jackson Browne, Jesse Winchester, John Leventhal, Johnny Cash, Joseph Arellano, Limited Edition Deluxe version, Mark Knopfler, Memphis, Mississippi, Modern Blue, modern country music, Money Road, music review, musical masterpiece, Neil Young, New Orleans, Night School, recommended albums, Rosanne Cash, Seattle Post Intelligencer, Southern Heart, Sunken Lands, Tell Heaven, Tennessee, The Boss, the Civil War, the Eagles, The Judds, The Long Way Home, The Rising, The River and the Thread, Tom Petty, Tori Amos, Tumbleweed Connection, Two Girls, When the Master Calls, World of Strange Design, You're So Vain
A Raisin (City) in the Sun
Fresno Growing Up – A City Comes of Age: 1945-1985 by Stephen H. Provost (Craven Street Books, $24.95, 230 pages)
Anyone who grew up in Fresno, California, or who has lived there for a period of years, should enjoy perusing and reading the coffee table book Fresno Growing Up. This is a 230 page biography of the Raisin Capital of the World accompanied by beautiful color and black and white photographs. The first two-thirds of the book is strong as it fondly examines restaurants and movie theaters that used to exist, the once prominent Fulton Mall downtown (similar to Sacramento's K Street Mall), TV and radio personalities, and the offerings for adults and children in Roeding Park.
Fresno also provides a detailed look at the past noteworthy music scene. Stephen Provost's argument that Fresno gave birth to "the Bakersfield Sound" in country music is not fully convincing, but worth considering.
The book flounders in its third section which focuses on sports. Readers who are not fans of bowling, baseball, college football, boxing or hockey will find that it stretches on for far too long. This space might have been better devoted to the history of dramatic arts in the area, bookstores that once flourished (like the Upstart Crow Book Store), family businesses, etc. And the growth of greater Fresno-Clovis from west to east, and south to north might have been visibly charted. Still, this work might serve as a template for future efforts looking at the modern history of Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto, Chico and Bakersfield.
Go, Bulldogs!
Well recommended.
A review copy was provided by the publisher. Note: The finished product I received contained a large number of typos. Hopefully, these will be caught and corrected in future printings.
Tagged as 1945, 1985, 40 years of Fresno history, a book review by Joseph Arellano: Fresno Growing Up, A book review site, A City Comes of Age, A Raisin City in the Sun, Bakersfield, book review, book review site wordpress, book reviews, California, Chico, city biography, city history, closed movie theaters in Fresno, Clovis, coffee table book, college football, country music, Craven Street Books, Dean and Don, Dean Opperman, Fresno, Fresno biography, Fresno boxing history, Fresno County, Fresno Crest Theater, Fresno Growing Up review, Fresno history, Fresno music scene, Fresno State Bulldogs, Fresno State football, Fulton Mall, Joseph Arellano, Joseph's Reviews, K Street Mall, Modesto, nonfiction, raisin capital, recommended books, Roeding Park, Sacramento, Stephen H. Provost, Stephen Provost, Stockton, Sunnyside Drive-In Theatre, the Bakersfield Sound, The Best Little City in the U.S., the Raisin Capital of the World, the story of Fresno, the Upstart Crow Book Store, Upstart Crow Book Store, Upstart Crow Book Store Fresno, Wordpress book review site
Music Review: Gene Clark (of The Byrds) – 'Two Sides to Every Story' [2014 Deluxe Edition]
I've been a huge fan of the music of the late Gene Clark. In fact, when I purchased the 2006 Byrds 4-CD box, There Is a Season, the first thing I did was to find all of the songs written or co-written by Clark and place them on a single CD-R. So I anxiously looked forward to hearing Two Sides To Every Story, a record that, as noted by Clark's biographer John Einarson, "was (less than) appreciated in 1977." After listening to the 10 tracks on Two Sides To Every Story, I can understand why the album was not a commercial success.
Story has been re-issued by High Moon Records in a deluxe hardbound Eco-Book (actually, a booklet) with 26 color pages. An enclosed download card allows one to hear over 90 minutes of Clark songs performing live in 1975.
Here's a look at the content of the album.
"Home Run King" sounds like a Michael Nesmith tune. The lyrics do not make much sense: "You are either the newspaper boy/Or you're either Babe Ruth." Interestingly, the song is structured a lot like "The Bug" from Dire Straits: "Sometimes you're the Louisville Slugger/Sometimes you're the ball." It's a whimsical track but Clark did not seem to enjoy singing it.
"Lonely Saturday" is a straight country – not country-rock – tune that might have fit well on a Jimmy Clanton ("Just a Dream") or Jimmie Rodgers album. It's a high quality song but Clark's limited vocal range in '77 does not do it justice.
"In the Pines" is a banjo and violin-laden track that's 110% country and needlessly over the top. This song speaks of a "black girl" who causes the singer to leave his home, while "Home Run King" referenced "the black Madonna sleeping with a star." Autobiographical?
"Kansas City Southern" is a rocker, fortunately. It's kind of like Bob Seeger-meets-the Eagles. If only the entire album was like this! "Well, I'd sit and watch those trains go by/And wish that I was homeward bound." It's a track that requires some attitude to be done properly – Clark is not quite up to the task here. I'm sure that either Rosanne Cash or Bonnie Raitt could record a dynamite, knock-your-socks-off version.
"Give My Love to Marie" is Clark's cover of a song written by James Talley about a black lung miner. It's an emotional ballad about a poor dying man ("There's millions in the ground/not a penny for me….") that would have been a splendid B-side if "Kansas City Southern" had been released as a single. It's definitely the best vocal performance by Clark on the album.
"Sister Moon" is a simple 12-line song in the vein of "Moonlight Mile" by the Rolling Stones. There's too much orchestration because there's not much content to the song: "Ah, Sister Moon, I am your son."
"Marylou" is a gritty blues-rock cover of a song written by Sam Ling and Obie Jessie. It's somewhat reminiscent of "Steamroller" by James Taylor. If John Cougar Mellencamp were to ever record a covers album, he might want to include this one.
Should Jackson Browne be countrified, he would sound like Clark does on "Hear the Wind": "Life's the house where we live/We cannot feel tomorrow/Only feel what we give." It's a three-minute track that's pretty weak. "Past Addresses" is a wordy Clark composition – wordiness never being a problem with his earlier songs – that imparts a wistful Late for the Sky feel: "I can only make guesses/On some of my past addresses/And tell you what my broken memory recalls."
The album concludes with "Silent Crusade," a song about life as a journey on the ocean. It reads as a nice, admirable poem performed in the style of Gordon Lightfoot. But Clark's voice cracks and fails him on this closer.
Story is a collection of songs with more losers than winners. It's more country than country-rock, which limited its appeal back in 1977 and may well do so again. The remastered sound is fine. However, at an Amazon price of $33.47 it's awfully expensive (even with the live tracks that can be downloaded), especially when you consider that the limited edition deluxe of Rosanne Cash's The River and the Thread, also packaged in an Eco-Book with 36 color pages, goes for $16.19 on the same site.
I think Two Sides to Every Story will appeal to Gene Clark completists. It's unlikely to hold much appeal for others.
This article first appeared on the Blogcritics site and in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/blogcritics/article/Music-Review-Gene-Clark-The-Byrds-Two-Sides-5918222.php
Tagged as 1975, 1977, 2006, 2014 Deluxe Edition, album review, Blogcritics, Bob Seeger, Bonnie Raitt, Byrds music, country music, country rock, Dire Straits, download card, Full Circle, Gene Clark, Gene Clark album review, Gene Clark live recordings, Give My Love to Marie, Hear the Wind, High Moon Records, Home Run King, In the Pines, Jackson Browne, James Talley, James Taylor, Jimmie Rodgers, Jimmy Clanton, John Cougar Mellencamp, John Einarson, Joseph Arellano, Joseph's Reviews, Kansas City Southern, Late for the Sky, Lonely Saturday, Marylou, Michael Nesmith, Moonlight Mile, music review, Obie Jessie, Past Addresses, reissued music, Rosanne Cash, Sam Ling, Seattle Post Intelligencer, Silent Crusade, Sister Moon, Steamroller, The Bug, the Byrds, The Byrds box, the Eagles, The River and the Thread, The Rolling Stones, There Is a Season, Two Sides to Every Story, Two Sides to Every Story review, whimsical song
From This Moment On: An Autobiography by Shania Twain (Atria Books, $27.99, 448 pages; Audioworks/Simon & Schuster Audio, $29.99, 7 CDs)
An autobiography from a 45-year-old? Oh my, yes! Shania Twain has done enough living in her 45 years to put most everyone else in her age group into the category of slacker. Shania's deep love of music and the comfort it has provided through a really hard life gives her the right to tell her story. Although she has received the accolades only dreamed about by singer/songwriters the world over, it is doubtful many of them have experienced the level of childhood deprivation and anxiety that motivates her career.
The version reviewed here is an audio book that is unique because the introduction and epilogue are recorded in Shania's own voice. The text of the autobiography is read by Broadway actress and writer, Sherie Rene Scott. Scott's voice resonates with the simple, straightforward attitude conveyed by Shania's words. Most autobiographies are intended to provide the writer's side of a story or an event of particular note. In this case, the narrative serves to inform the public that becoming a world-wide success in the music industry is a daunting task with serious downsides.
Ms. Twain, who began her singing career very early in life as Eilleen Twain, did so at the prompting of her mother. The family often did not have enough to eat or a secure roof over their heads. The tale is straight out of a mournful country song. Daddy and mommy are trapped in a cycle of poverty and spousal abuse, the children are forced to become self-indulgent at a very young age, and tragedy strikes just when Eileen thinks she has escaped the grip of her childhood.
There's no need to dwell on the timeline or life events that serve as milestones. The internet has taken care of the particulars for anyone who can use Google. Rather, it is the one-on-one experience of hearing about Shania's feelings of yearning and betrayal that are the payoff for a reader/listener. In some way, the audio book seems the best way to experience her life. True, there's no checking back a few pages when a particular passage is noteworthy; however, enough of her wisdom comes across in the telling that the essence is clear and well experienced.
One curiosity of note is that the vocabulary and grammar in the book are well beyond the level of formal education that Shania received in her childhood. She states that when she was out on her own, she spent time writing songs and playing music while her roommates attended college. Perhaps Shania absorbed the tone of the more educated people around her. There's no doubt that she has a great capacity to learn and benefit from her diligent efforts. That said, a thoughtful and sensitive editor no doubt assisted in making this a compelling read (or listen).
A copy of the audiobook was purchased by the reviewer's husband. From This Moment On is also available as an Audible Audio, Kindle Edition, and Nook Book download.
Tagged as 45-year-old, An Autobiography, Atria Books, Audible Audio Edition, audiobook, Audioworks, autobiography, childhood deprivation, compelling true story, country music, divorce, domestic violence, Eilleen Twain, From This Moment On, Get Over It, Google, hardbound release, Joseph's Reviews, Kindle Edition, life lessons, memoirs, mournful country song, music, music industry, Nook Book, painful childhood, recommended books, Ruta Arellano, sexual assault, Shania Twain, Sherie Rene Scott, Simon & Schuster, singer-songwriters, spousal abuse, success, tragedy, Wordpress book review site, young Shania Twain
June 13, 2012 · 5:34 pm
A review of From This Moment On: A Memoir by Shania Twain.
Tagged as A Memoir, Atria Books, Audible Audio Edition, audiobook, Audioworks, autobiography, country music, divorce, From This Moment On, Joseph's Reviews, Kindle Edition, Nook Book, painful past, personal tragedies, Shania Twain, Sherie Rene Scott, Simon & Schuster Audio, Wordpress book review site
May 2, 2012 · 9:47 am
Corn Flakes with John Lennon and Other Tales From a Rock 'n Roll Life by Robert Hilburn (Rodale, $14.99, 280 pages)
"…the best music doesn't just fill a void in the listener… it can also fill a need in the artist." Robert Hilburn
"I look at people as ideas. I don't see people as people." Bob Dylan
"And we all shine on, like the moon and the stars and the sun." John Lennon
The fine long-time music critic for The Los Angeles Times, Bob Hilburn, takes us along on his trips with "the best rock stars" in this engaging account of his years in the music business. It is mostly a study of personalities, big ones, such as John Lennon, Bob Dylan ("The most important figure in rock… rock's most celebrated living figure… the greatest songwriter."), Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Presley, Neil Young, Bono of U2, Johnny Cash and Janis Joplin. There are also quick, brief encounters with Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, Joni Mitchell, John Prine, Waylon Jennings, and Jack White.
You're probably thinking that you'll enjoy this memoir if you happen to like these artists, most of whom were blessed with the approval of both Hilburn and Rolling Stone magazine. You'll be right in that thought, and also will likely find that it has less charm if these artists are not your cup of tea or Java. Hilburn makes quite clear that he dislikes "superficial artists" (a term coined by Dylan), among whom he includes Rod Stewart, the "cold" Steely Dan, and Madonna. He writes of the latter that she's a "sharp cookie" who always provides good quotes for an interviewer, but "I'm not generally a fan of her music."
So, yes, this is an account of hanging out on the road with the stars of boomer rock and country music. The true tales from the 1970s are the most interesting ones – when rock was seemingly full of excitement and energy (and played on vinyl) – and the telling seems to get tired and grumpy as we approach current times. Hilburn, in fact, closes the book with a tremendous sense of pessimism about the music trade's prospects for survival.
If Hilburn has a fault, it's an obvious one in that he often gets close to being over the top about those artists, those geniuses – such as Dylan and Mitchell, that he favors. Not only does he realize it, but so do some of the performers he's supported. For example, at one point he asks Bono if the musician fears that the public will become tired of him. Bono replies, "Look, I'm tired of Bono and I am Bono."
"Paul's like a brother. We've gone way past all that." John Lennon
If there's a reason to buy this book, now available in trade paperback form, it's for the touching overview of Hilburn's days spent with Lennon in New York City just two weeks before the former Beatle's tragic death. This Lennon is a man at peace with himself, in love with his life, and ready to forgive and forget. One very revealing note is when John tells Hilburn that all of the stories about the deep rift between him and Paul McCartney were just that, stories. John noted he and Paul were, deep down, brothers still.
Hilburn's book is a brief for the magical power of rock 'n roll. It may now be an endangered art form, but Hilburn reminds us that, at it's best – as when it's performed by The Boss (Springsteen), "rock 'n roll can still be majestic."
Take Away: This is a very entertaining journal of life within the rock 'n roll circus tent. However, Hilburn sacrifices a bit of credibility when he refers to Kurt Cobain as one of rock's greatest figures and as "the great talent" of the 1990s. As he admits, "I often had a hard time convincing… people when it came to Kurt." In the words of The Band, take what you need and leave the rest.
This book was purchased by the reviewer.
Tagged as 1970s, 1990s, Audible Audio Edition, baby boomers, best rock stars, big personalities, Bob Dylan, Bob Hilburn, Bono, book review, boomer music, Boomers, Bruce Springsteen, Corn Flakes with John Lennon, country music, Elton John, Elvis Presley, Instant Karma, Jack White, Janis Joplin, John Lennon, John Prine, Johnny Cash, Joni Mitchell, Joseph Arellano, Joseph's Reviews, Kindle Edition, Kurt Cobain, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, Neil Young, New York City, Nook Book, Other Tales From a Rock 'n Roll Life, Paul McCartney, recommended books, rock geniuses, Rod Stewart, Rodale, Rolling Stone magazine, Steely Dan, superficial artists, The Band, The Boss, The Los Angeles Times, the music business, U2, unabridged audiobook, vinyl records, Waylon Jennings
I Ain't Living Long Like This
Chinaberry Sidewalks: A Memoir by Rodney Crowell (Knopf; $24.95; 256 pages)
"To be well-loved is to be free of the evil lurking around the next darkened corner. Every child should know that feeling."
The country music artist Rodney Crowell is known for his singing and songwriting skills. His singing voice, often compared to that of Kris Kristofferson (but higher pitched), may leave something to be desired. But the artist who has written songs like Shame on the Moon, I Ain't Living Long Like This and (The Way You Burn Me I Should Be) Ashes by Now, has shown himself to be a bright star in this category. Crowell is also known as being the ex-husband of Rosanne Cash, which has presented other issues, such as coming off second in comparison to her singing, songwriting and writing skills.
It proves to be true again. For while Chinaberry Sidewalks is interesting in some places, it does not hold the reader's imagination and interest the way that Rosanne Cash's brilliantly written memoir Composed does. Cash displayed a skill for always finding the right interesting words to describe the happenings in her life; and her voice was just as unique as Bob Dylan's in Chronicles.
Crowell never seems to find his voice or his style here, although he has stated that he felt freed from the strict rules of song writing in putting together – over a decade – this autobiographical account.
"With my grandmother and Charlie (the shoe shine man)… I experienced love as something tangible between myself and another human being."
This is a tough read because much of it covers the sad scenes of a childhood filled with bickering parents and domestic violence. No doubt Crowell is being brutally honest, but it is often difficult to wish to read about a childhood described as filled with nothing "but a primal instinct for survival, theirs and mine." In one of the hard-to-concentrate on scenes, Crowell's inebriated mother hits his father whereupon his very drunk dad responds by punching his mother in the face. The young Crowell intervenes by breaking a Coke bottle over his own head, requiring a trip to the hospital for stitches. Yes, a few stories like this go a long way.
It must be noted that this memoir contains some near-charming stories of growing up as a boomer child (Crowell was born in August of 1950). But the reader interested in tales of playing soldier, or cowboys and Indians, etc. will find better written accounts in the memoirs of Bob Greene (When We Get to Surf City).
"…my parents' deaths were unique to their personalities."
At the end of Chinaberry Sidewalks, Crowell's parents have found a sense of normalcy in their lives before they depart the earth. And love in a marriage that somehow lasted for decades. It is a comforting message but one that arrives only after a narrative that might have benefited from tighter editing. Crowell's narrative never equates to the level of his songwriting skills in this account.
This is not a bad first effort, but the Rodney Crowell that's found in Cash's Composed – such as in the classic scene where a nervous young Crowell meets his legendary future father-in-law for the first time – is a far more interesting person than the one found here.
A review copy was provided by the publisher. Chinaberry Sidewalks was released on January 18, 2011.
Tagged as Ashes By Now, audiobook, autobiography, baby boomers, best songwriters, Bob Dylan, Bob Greene, book review, Boomers, brutal honesty, childhood, Chinaberry Sidewalks, Chronicles, Composed, country music, deaths, domestic violence, dysfunctional family, epilepsy, grandparents, grief, growing up, I Ain't Living Long Like This, Jan and Dean, Johnny Cash, Joseph Arellano, Joseph's Reviews, Kindle Edition, Knopf, Kris Kristofferson, life lessons, Love, marriage, memoir, musician, new release, non-fiction, normalcy, parents, Pentacostal, Rosanne Cash, Shame On The Moon, singer, singer-songwriter, songwriter, songwriting skills, tent revivals, Unabridged audio book, When We Get to Surf City
Corn Flakes with John Lennon and Other Tales From a Rock 'n Roll Life by Robert Hilburn (Rodale; $14.99; 280 pages)
"…the best music doesn't just fill a void in the listener… it can also fill a need in the artist."
The fine long-time music critic for The Los Angeles Times, Bob Hilburn, takes us along on his trips with "the best rock stars" in this engaging account of his years in the music business. It is mostly a study of personalities, big ones, such as John Lennon, Bob Dylan ("The most important figure in rock… rock's most celebrated living figure… the greatest songwriter"), Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Presley, Neil Young, Bono of U2, Johnny Cash and Janis Joplin. There are also brief encounters with Elton John, Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, Joni Mitchell, John Prine, Waylon Jennings, and Jack White.
You might be thinking that you'll enjoy this memoir if you like these artists, most of whom were blessed with the approval of both Hilburn and Rolling Stone magazine. You'll be right in that thought, and also will likely find that it has less charm if these artists are not your cup of Java. Hilburn makes very clear that he dislikes "superficial artists" (a term coined by Dylan), among whom he includes Rod Stewart, the "cold" Steely Dan, and Madonna. He writes of the latter that she's a "sharp cookie" who always provides good quotes for an interviewer, but "I'm not generally a fan of her music."
So, yes, this is an account of hanging out on the road with the stars of boomer rock and country music. The true tales from the 1970s are the most interesting ones – when rock was full of excitement and energy – and the telling seems to get tired and pessimistic as we approach present times. Hilburn, in fact, closes the book with a lot of pessimism about the current music trade's prospects for survival.
If Hilburn has a fault, it's an obvious one in that he often gets close to being over the top about those artists, those geniuses, he favors. Not only does he realize it, but so do some of the artists he's supported. For example, at one point he asks Bono if the musician is afraid that the public will become tired of him. Bono answers, "Look, I'm tired of Bono and I am Bono."
"Paul's like a brother. We've gone past all that." John Lennon
If there's a reason to buy this book, now available in trade paperback form, it's for the touching overview of Hilburn's days spent with Lennon in New York City just two weeks before the former Beatle's tragic death. This Lennon is a man at peace with himself, in love with his life, and ready to forgive and forget. One very revealing note is when John tells Hilburn that all of the stories about the deep rift between him and Paul McCartney were just that, stories. John noted that he and Paul were, deep down, brothers still.
Hilburn's book is a brief for the power of rock 'n roll. It may now be an endangered art form, but Hilburn reminds us that, at its best – as when it's performed by Bruce Springsteen, "rock 'n roll (can) still be majestic."
Take Away: This is a very entertaining journal of life within the rock 'n roll circus tent. However, Hilburn sacrifices a bit of credibility when he refers to Kurt Cobain as one of rock's great figures and as "the great talent" of the 1990s. As he admits, "I often had a hard time convincing… people when it came to Kurt." Take what you need from this account and leave the rest.
Tagged as 1970s, 1990s, Bernie Taupin, Blue, Bob Dylan, Bob Hilburn, Bono, book review, books, Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen, commercialism, concert tours, contentment, Corn Flakes with John Lennon, country music, Darkness on the Edge of Town, death of Elvis Presley, death of John Lennon, death of Johnny Cash, deaths, Don Henley, Double Fantasy, Elton John, Elvis Presley, Folsom Prison, For the Roses, George Harrison, Introduction by Bono, Jack White, Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Janis Joplin, John Lennon, John Prine, Johnny Cash, Jon Landau, Joni Mitchell, Joseph Arellano, Joseph's Reviews, June Carter Cash, Kindle Edition, Kris Kristofferson, Kurt Cobain, Los Angeles, Love Minus Zero, Madonna, majesty, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, music, music criticism, Neil Young, New York City, Nirvana, No Limit, nonfiction, nostalgia, Other Tales From a Rock 'n Roll Life, Paul McCartney, rap music, Ringo Starr, Robert Hilburn, rock music, Rod Stewart, Rodale Books, set lists, Steely Dan, suicide, Sunset Strip, The Beatles, The Boss, the Eagles, The Highwaymen, The Los Angeles Times, the power of music, The Roxy, U2, Walls and Bridges, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Yoko Ono
Composed: A Memoir by Rosanne Cash (Viking, $26.95, 245 pages; Penguin Books, $17.00, 256 pages)
"It's me. They are all me, the good and the bad."
Rosanne Cash's memoir starts off flat and rather dull before it kicks into gear; it then becomes more engaging with every page. Composed has the same type of non-chronological structure as Bob Dylan's Chronicles, which perhaps is not an accident as Bob gets a lot of play in this account of the life of Johnny Cash's daughter. It almost goes without saying that this is also a first-hand tribute to her late father, the Man in Black.
"On Friday, September 12, air had still gone in and out of his lungs; he had moved his limbs and made sounds. He had actually squeezed my hand and lifted his eyebrows. It was a difficult day, the last day of my dad's life, but not unbearable to me. The next day, the beginning of my dad's life in the past tense, was unbearable."
Rosanne paints her father as a man with faults and addictions (brought on by a jaw broken during dental surgery), but also as a loving man who quietly gave guidance to his daughters. She came to take him for granted during his life – always sharing him with the world – but has found life difficult without him.
Early in his career Bob Dylan wrote songs based on dreams, and here Rosanne points out that her life has been shaped by a series of remembered dreams. One of them involved Linda Ronstadt and Cash's realization that she had been faking it in her career to that point, afraid to take serious chances. After having that momentous dream, Rosanne resolved to work harder, especially as a serious songwriter.
Another dream involved her father and her need to let him go: "When I woke… I felt relief. It was no longer my job to take care of him, as he was being taken care of, wherever he was. The legacy of his work was intact, in my dream preserved as carefully and conscientiously as if it had been in a museum. Something settled… I could let him move on now."
One surprise about reading Composed is finding out that Johnny Cash's daughter is far more a fan of rock musicians than country singer-songwriters. Yes, she has her idols and heroes in the latter category but she was heavily influenced by Dylan, Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell, Janis Ian, James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen and the Beatles. All of these influences seem to have come together in her biggest hit single, "Seven Year Ache."
As with the afore-mentioned Chronicles, Rosanne Cash writes in a style that is so unique it could not have been ghostwritten. She has been a long-time student of words and she finds just the right ones to accompany each and every tale of her life told here.
"If Magritte had painted my childhood, it would be a chaos of floating snakes, white oxfords, dead Chihuahuas, and pink hair rollers."
Perhaps the biggest compliment that can be paid to a memoir is to say that it enabled the reader to come to know the person who wrote it. Having read Composed, I feel that I now know Rosanne Cash and I like her. I look forward to hearing more of her music. As a songwriter she's joined her idols as one of the best.
Tagged as a book review by Joseph Arellano: Composed, a book review by Joseph Arellano: Composed A Memoir, A book review site, A Memoir, Ashes By Now, biography, Black Cadillac, Bob Dylan, book review, book review site wordpress, book reviews, books, Bruce Springsteen, California, Carnegie Hall, Chronicles, Columbia Records, Composed, country music, country rock, Emmylou Harris, George Harrison, George Jones, hardbound book release, I Ain't Living Long Like This, I Don't Know Why You Don't Love Me, I Still Miss Someone, James Taylor, Janis Ian, John Leventhal, Johnny Cash, Joni Mitchell, Joseph Arellano, Joseph's Reviews, June Carter Cash, Kindle Edition, King's Record Shop, Linda Ronstadt, London, Los Angeles, Magritte, Manhattan, memoirs, music, music recording, Nashville, Never Be You, New York City, painting, Patsy Cline, Penguin Books, recommended books, Rhythm & Romance, rock music, Rodney Crowell, Rosanne Cash, Seven Year Ache, singer-songwriters, singers, southern California, The Beatles, The Fabulous Johnny Cash, The List, the Man in Black, trade paperback, Vanderbilt University, Ventura, Vivian Liberto Cash Distin, Wordpress book review site


SARA BUTLER JESSEN is a faculty member at the University of Southern Maine�s Muskie School of Public Service.
This commentary article looks at the differences between the political contexts of the original small schools reform movement in New York City, attributed to Deborah Meier and the East Harlem "miracle," and the current small schools reforms. It argues that many of the problems raised in the recent report released by The New School's Center for New York City Affairs, The New Marketplace, are rooted in the conflicts between the current small schools movement and other, simultaneously occurring policies.
Financial Market Failure and School Choice: What Can Policy-Makers in Education Learn?
This article looks at the recent fall of financial markets, comparing it with lingering questions about market-based reforms in education. The author argues that there are valuable lessons to be learned for educational policy-makers from current financial crises.
In the wake of the presidential election, the author argues that we must shift our educational policy values toward more collective and democratic goals.
This commentary examines the ways in which marketing and branding in education, or "edvertising," come into conflict with the distribution of information and rational choice processes.


text:
Category: Indigenous knowledge
We landed excitedly in Alaska in early February with an internship lined up, a few hundred bucks, and colorful plethora of wildly misconceived notions : it is a giant ice cube where polar bears run amuck, grizzlies attack at the slightest provocation, and every man, woman and child hunts moose for their dinner. Of these misconceptions most have been broken as definitely untrue, usually accompanied by a cringe of embarrassment.
In short order we acquired a truck and then a dog, which seemed to be required by law, and moved into a shoddily built dry cabin on six acres, not a neighbor in sight, down a gravel road in the bog. "Dry" cabin does not mean there's no liquor, quite the contrary, because once you start to live in a cabin with no running water in Alaska, you suddenly really want hard liquor. Dry means there's no plumbing, and there's quite a few of these cabins in the frozen north; it's often easier than putting up with freezing pipes all winter. We deemed it the Bogland Estates, or Chateau de Bog.
Initially, I was thrilled. The exquisite freedom of six acres! So little rent on this bogland with no plumbing! I don't need running water, showers are for wimps! Early spring months passed by in a rosy glow, buffered from reality by our exuberance, anticipating the snowmelt and longer days. Trips to the frozen outhouse required mental preparation, gently coaxing myself, "Okay, it's time. You can do this. Walk over there. It's not that gross" (it undeniably was). I'm not ashamed to admit I peed in buckets to avoid moose encounters in the middle of the freezing night.
Spring nights were spent staring intently into the fire stove. I started dreaming about bears, as though my subconscious was trying to connect with the spirit of Bear, and because that which you fear has a way of finagling itself into your dreams. Mini earthquakes rattled the flimsy frame of the cabin for a terrifying few minutes every now and then.
We found ourselves quintessential Alaskan gigs for the summer: him on a fishing boat bound for Bristol Bay, me at a bear viewing bush flight company. He left for the sockeye salmon season just as the sun started to linger longer in the sky.
I turned to the water, tracking my days in the movements of tides thrumming in and out of the bay; the cycles were a sureness, a consolation, something to hold onto. A moose and her two calves began to visit my front yard every morning and evening like clockwork, ambling along their own paths, often emerging unexpectedly from behind the outhouse, stopping in their tracks to eye me as I eyed them; a strange daily communication.
Months of living alone in a dry cabin will turn you a little feral. I realized this with certainty when the bear guides suggested that I shower. Hauling water, bathing in buckets, filling the wood stove, WiFi a distant memory; survival chores take up the bulk of the day. It is essentially camping with the slightest veneer of a home.
Why on Earth would anyone do this?
It's like hitting a reset button.
In that unwashed state, I felt glimmers of the reason that propelled me here in the first place, driven by some inner force, some inner knowing that in placing your body in a wild environment, some alchemy of spirit can happen.
Living simply, immersed in the dirty off grid, I was able to release myself into wildness. Becoming an observer of nature, letting the changing of the seasons wash over me, really feeling the building of every lunar cycle, the waxing and waning across the sky over the mountains. It's slower and more subtle than we usually perceive, but always there for us to feel.
Midnight sun began roaring in earnest above, building in an intense crescendo towards the solstice, making my nerves and metabolism go into frenzied overdrive. A creative exuberance pulsed through my veins; the joy of an Alaskan summer in full swing, so gorgeous it seems to shimmer and shake and glitter.
The water called me to it every day, drawn to the liquid immensity underneath me. The scent of algal blooms, kelp, and sea rot became the sweetest intoxicants to inhale. In the bay, I could breathe in and out with the environment, feeling the intimacy and connection with the salty water. I could notice the exchange of gases between my inner worlds and outer atmosphere, my skin feeling more and more like a porous interface, aided by an awareness that we are made of water and elements recycled from the stars.
Otters and seals in the water tracked my movements; I could feel their awareness on me. Water birds dove and skimmed. Bull kelp grew large and bobbed to the surface in alien looking blobs, their long roots tethered to the sea floor like an underwater forest, otters slumbering coiled in the fronds. Salmon from the open ocean returned to their spawning grounds in a mass frenzy of movement into the streams and tributaries of the bay. Orca hunted the seal, seal hunted salmon.
As the light began to shorten again, the animals responded. Salmon skeletons began to wash ashore; their decaying remnants fed the ocean. Bears prepared for hibernation and migratory birds attuned to the Earth's electromagnetic fields to lead them south for winter, guided by a magnet in their brains.
Having nothing but the bare necessities: shelter, food, water, space, allows you to open the curtain behind the veneer of civilization to reveal a natural world so complex it blows your mind: the goosetongue grass that feeds the bears fertilizes the humus and michiorzhial fungi web of the forest floor that in turn grows the spruce trees and blueberry bushes that shelter and feed the bears again. The cycle repeats everywhere.
This indivisibility with nature, it slowly falls over your body. In the ever-present awareness of large creatures around you, you feel yourself to be woven into the web of life — human, not superior. We hunt moose and dipnet salmon in order to stock our freezers, participating in the universal preparation for winter, just like the other creatures. It casts in stark relief how much we rely on and need our environment and our animals to be healthy.
We humans think, ponder, reason, extract, build, create masterfully, but who is to say a tiny songbird completing its 1,000 mile journey across the Atlantic using magnetic poles as its guide has accomplished a feat any less epic? Or a family of whales navigating their blue world using sonar to ride ocean currents from one hemisphere to another? Or the cultural knowledge bears have of their ancestral lands, passed down through generations?
To learn and witness these myriad adaptabilities and ways of existing in the environment, whether underwater or skybound, is to know there is a force of creation. The biodiversity of creatures we live amongst is a tangible reminder of this: endless forms, most beautiful. I began to feel that in conserving our animals, honoring the sacred ecology of wild creatures, we would be conserving our humanity.
I began to see our skin as an interface holding something encased. This something, You, the endless god knows of you, in a thin cell, sharing the world with other conscious beings. Whether its a bear smelling prey miles away, or a migratory bird seeing Earth's magnetic field, or a newborn whale learning to sing, or deaf and blind human building up a rich tactile awareness with which to experience and communicate. Life, in all forms, has a Oneness, an undeniable divine interconnectedness. This awareness toppled me from the supposed top of the food chain down into the grit and muck, and in that muck I found an intimacy, like returning home.
This could happen anywhere. There is equally unruly wildness in a patch of grass between highway medians in Newark, but by the very fact of its vastness and its creatures it seems to happen a little easier in Alaska. I still won't feel resourceful until I've fished and hunted for my sustenance, and I've unequivocally determined that running water is the bomb, but for now I can still feel it working its strange, slow magic on me, an alchemical change, a cosmic homecoming, and I know I won't ever be the same.
This piece was originally published at Medium under the title 'A Cosmic Homecoming' and is reproduced here with kind permission of the author, Jennifer Tarnacki
Beautiful and rich, these films and article reintroduce the inner world of mapping, inhabited by memory, living spirit and the stories of who we are….
"The Zuni maps are, first and foremost, for the Zuni people. But they hold a powerful message for a non-Zuni audience as well: we are all part of a greater process. We would not be here if the sun did not rise every morning, if the rivers stopped flowing. The maps are in many ways an invitation: How would you map the places that live in your memory? What are the voices of the land that are forgotten, unheard? To ensure the resilience and well-being of the places where we live, we cannot assume that land is simply ours for the taking, a means to our own ends. The Zuni maps remind all of us that we, too, must take the time to deeply listen, to hear and share stories in which we and the land have equal voice."
Follow this link for the full article and films >>>
Everything is
passing through,
pierced by
invisible arrows,
the imaginal,
whose flight
we chase,
to learn
the meaning
are born old
entering life
through death