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Rony Clanton Net Worth Rony Clanton is a famous American actor who is the owner of an estimated net worth of $11 million in 2021. We are going to explore Rony Clanton’s wiki, affairs, and lifestyle, so keep reading the post till the end to get all the details about this actor. First Name \| Rony \| Last Name \| Clanton \| Birthday \| 1 November 1946 \| Age \| 74 Years \| Net Worth \| Approximately $11 Million \| Parents \| Unknown \| Spouse \| Not Yet Published \| Siblings \| Unknown \| Gender \| Male \| Birth Sign \| Scorpio \| Rony Clinton Biography Rony Clinton is a famous American actor who was born on 1 November 1946 in North California, America and now he is about 74 years old. He spent most of his childhood with his siblings whose names are not yet published. He went to his hometown school to get early education. He also joined college where he completed his degree. There is no more information about his biography so let’s move to the next. Rony was very fond of the entertainment industry from his childhood therefore he started performing on small stages. He participated in many schools and college events where he got many awards. He was very supported by the teachers and parents therefore he started his career as an actor. He worked day and night to get a role in a big movie or drama. And finally, he was hired for a big hit movie “The Devil’s Advocate” in which he played an amazing role and it was directed by Jason Blumenthal. It was the biggest achievement therefore he has worked in other big movies like The Royal Tenenbaums and Hope Springs. These movies gave him huge popularity in the audience. Now, he is still making hit movies and being followed by millions of fans on social media. Rony has never shared any details about his affairs and girlfriends. Even according to the web it is not yet confirmed whether he is married or not. But we hope soon he will share information about his spouse. Who is Ronny Clanton? Ronny Clanton is a 74 years old American actor. How much is Rony Clanton’s net worth? According to the web he holds an estimated net worth of $11 million. We have tried our best to provide every possible detail about Rony Clanton, so we hope you will like & share our efforts with your friends. You can share your valuable feedback about this post and also follow this page for the more interesting biographies of celebrities.
Our ‘Cheers from Here or There’ series pays homage to great beers that we can’t seem to get enough of. Do you call yourself a beer connoisseur, enthusiast or guru? Whatever you call it and however much you love it, there’s always a seat at the bar waiting for you. Pull up a stool next to Ted. Enjoy a brew (or a few!) and a great conversation. You’ll have such a good time that you’ll never want to leave! Follow Ted on Untapped for more on his favorites or check back again for updates.
First, it should be made clear (since nearly everyone gets it wrong)that “Frankenstein” is the name of the man who made the monster and not the name of the monster itself. In the book the monster is only ever referred to as “the monster”. It was audiences watching the 1931 film Frankenstein who thought that the title referred to the monster and people have been getting it wrong ever since. Even today, “Frankenstein” is synonymous with a hideous monster. This much-filmed story was written in Geneva and the character of Dr Victor Frankenstein was supposed to be a local professor. It was thought that the British poet Percy Bysshe Shelley had a hand in the writing of the book, and also the even more celebrated and notorious English poet, Lord Byron. But it was actually written by Shelley’s 19-year-old wife Mary at Bellerive, near Geneva, in the summer of 1816. Since 1812, the handsome young poet Shelley had belonged to the intellectual circle that centred on the English philosopher and political journalist William Godwin. At the end of that year, Shelley met Godwin’s daughter Mary. And in 1813, when she was 16 and he 21, they had run away together to France. Shelley already had a wife and child. His first wife famously committed suicide by drowning herself in the Serpentine in London’s Hyde Park. In 1816, when Mary was 19, she married Shelley. Mary’s father expressed disapproval, but this did not stop him begging Shelley, who was relatively wealthy, for money. Mary Godwin had been born in London on 30 August 1797. In those days, many women died of puerperal fever within a few days of giving birth, and this was exactly the fate of Mary’s mother, herself an outspoken author on women’s rights. When Mary was 4 years old her father married for a second time a widow called Mrs Clairmont, but Mary never learned to like her new mother. However, Mrs Clairmont already had a daughter called Claire—please read on ! Britain had just emerged victorious from twenty-two years of the Napoleonic Wars, during which many industrialists had made fortunes. Now people began to travel to the continent again and it became very fashionable for rich young gentlemen to do the Grand Tour. Thus, Percy Shelley, Mary Godwin and Claire Clairmont met Lord Byron at the Hotel d’Angleterre in Geneva. Claire Clairmont had already become Byron’s mistress in London and she had arranged the meeting of these four in Geneva. Byron was very much the centre of attention at the hotel and people flocked from far and wide to catch a glimpse of him. During the course of the summer, the Shelleys moved to a villa at Montal ?gre on the lake near Cologny. Before long, looking for peace and quiet, Byron rented the nearby Villa Diodata (which is still there today). Claire Clairmont subsequently gave birth to Byron’s daughter Allegra. One stormy evening on the shores of Lake Geneva Lord Byron set them all a challenge—to write a ghost story based on German fairy-tales. Here is Byron describing a memorable thunderstorm over the lake : From peak to peak, the rattling crags among Leaps the live thunder ! Not from one lone cloud, But every mountain now hath found a tongue, And Jura answers, through her misty shroud, Back to the joyous Alps, who call to her aloud ! Byron devoted six verses of his epic poem Childe Harold to a storm over the Lake of Geneva. But only Mary Shelley carried his challenge through to its conclusion, publishing Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus in 1818. Conversations at the Villa Diodata that summer concerned the process of galvanism and experiments with electric shocks that made the muscles in a dead frog’s legs twitch. In a later edition of the book Mary Shelley revealed that she was also inspired by a dream of “a hideous phantasm” showing signs of life by “the working of some powerful engine”. What method Dr Frankenstein used to give life to his monster is never divulged in the book. Virtually every Frankenstein film has used lightning. Byron again : Bear, know, feel, and yet breath—into one word, And that one word were Lightning At the end of August 1816 the Shelleys returned to London where Frankenstein was published and became a huge success. No one could believe that a young woman had written such a book, and even today it is a bit hard to believe. In the original story, Victor Frankenstein, a young Genevan researcher from a wealthy family, intrigued by the idea of exploring the frontiers of death, describes how he created a living being from the assembled parts of dead bodies. He is successful, but becomes disgusted with the monster he has created and abandons it. The monster is rejected by all and, taking revenge on his creator, announces his intention to kill everyone around Frankenstein unless provided with a mate. At first, Frankenstein agrees to create a lady companion for the monster—but then decides that this is a mistake and destroys the female prototype. The monster goes wild. Rather like the Sorceror’s Apprentice, Frankenstein cannot anticipate the outcome of his actions and is punished for what he has done—by the monster itself. Curiously, the book begins and ends in the Arctic ! This is first time in literature that overcoming death is viewed from a scientific angle and not as supernatural black magic. In 1818, after publication of the book, the Shelleys left England again for Italy. Three children were born to this couple, but only one of them survived. Shelley himself was drowned during a heavy squall on 28 July 1822 while swimming in the Bay of Spezia near Livorno. The following year Mary returned to England and devoted the rest of her life to the upbringing of her surviving son. She did write other books but none of them enjoyed any great success.
Questions & Answers Dr. Avraham Gileadi will answer your most searching questions on the prophecy and theology of Isaiah once a week, opening your view to new vistas of understanding the words of Isaiah. The Book of Isaiah’s layered literary features entirely change the rules for interpreting it, transforming it into a series of allegories of the endtime. The Hebrew idea that events in Israel’s ancient past foreshadow endtime events appears in many biblical passages (i.e., Ecclesiastes 1:9). The Book of Isaiah is the best example of combining two scenarios—ancient and endtime—into a single prophecy. Its message enables us to use Isaiah’s hindsight of ancient events as foresight of what will yet transpire. Because God works within the parameters of the covenants he makes, covenants constitute the most powerful way we can interact with God. Collective agreements, such as the Sinai Covenant, God makes with a nation or people. Individual agreements, such as the Davidic Covenant, God makes with persons who wish to serve him on higher spiritual levels. God also honors personal covenants we make with him and arranges our circumstances so we may fulfill our righteous desires and attain the special blessings we seek. People who appear in the Book of Isaiah aren’t incidental. A closer look shows that the way Isaiah characterizes them defines ascending and descending rungs on a spiritual ladder. Isaiah’s descriptions of higher and lower categories of people, such as those he names Jacob/Israel and Zion/Jerusalem, illustrate this. As people keep higher laws pertaining to higher divine covenants, God recreates them on higher spiritual levels. Isaiah was the son of Amoz, brother of King Amaziah of Judah. He prophesied in Jerusalem during a pivotal period of Israel’s history (742–701 B.C.), when many things transpired that would typify events in the “last days” or endtime. Isaiah’s name, Yeshayahu, means “Jehovah is Salvation,” foreshadowing a message of hope to those who would understand his words. As both a prophet and a poet, Isaiah encoded many layers of meaning into his words, making it essential to search them in order to determine their meaning. At a young age, Isaiah saw Israel’s God Jehovah in the temple at Jerusalem. On that occasion, God called him as a prophet to his people: “Then I heard the voice of my Lord saying, Who shall I send? Who will go for us? And I replied, Here am I; send me! And he said, Go, and say to these people, Go on hearing, but not understanding; Go on seeing, but not perceiving. Make the heart of these people grow fat; dull their ears and shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears, understand in their heart, and repent, and be healed” (Isaiah 6:8–10). So far had his people drifted away from their God that he sent Isaiah to warn them of calamities that lay just ahead. Isaiah’s prophecies, however, divided people into those who would see, hear, understand, repent and be healed of their behavioral dysfunctions and those who wouldn’t. The Book of Isaiah spells out the evil consequences of people’s not giving heed to Isaiah’s words but also the glories God promises those who will take them to heart. When Isaiah was prevented by the ruling king from prophesying to the people, he called his children by symbolic names that portended Assyria’s imminent invasion of Israel and God’s deliverance of a remnant of his people. Isaiah’s wife, “the prophetess” (Isaiah 8:3), gave birth to two sons—Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz, “Hasten the Plunder, Hurry the Spoil,” and Shear-Jashub, “A Remnant Shall Repent/Return” (Isaiah 7:3; 8:3). Later, after more than forty years of ministering as a prophet of God during the reigns of five kings—Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, and Manasseh—Isaiah was sawn in half by the evil King Manasseh (Ascension of Isaiah 5:1, 11). Toward the latter part of his life Isaiah had lived mostly in Israel’s desert regions with a small entourage of prophets in order to escape the wrath of Manasseh. Eventually, however, the king’s false-prophet cohorts tracked him down. Isaiah describes his book as having been written in “parables” (Ascension of Isaiah 4:20). From that perspective, those parts of Israel’s ancient history that Isaiah selected and chose to write about function as an allegory of the “last days” or endtime. Having seen “the end from the beginning” in a great vision of eternity (Isaiah 46:10), Isaiah patterned his prophecies in such a way that “the end” of the world was typified by events in “the beginning.” Isaiah thus knew that his prophecies would be most relevant to the end of the world, not in his own day. At that time, Israel’s history would repeat itself on a world scale and Isaiah’s prophecies would at last bear good fruit among the people of God. (Taken from the book, Isaiah Made Simple.) My book The End from the Beginning has been translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Hebrew, Russian, Japanese, Korean, and Mongolian. I am anticipating further translations into Dutch, French, and German. Because translations are expensive, the Hebraeus Foundation has been able to fund these only according to donations from readers like you. Please let the foundation know if you would like any book among those listed on the Isaiah Institute’s websites translated into a particular language. I took a full year off during my Ph.D. program to attempt a modern English translation of Isaiah from the Hebrew Masoretic Text that as much as possible reflected the meaning of the Hebrew words. Although I knew Hebrew fluently from living five years in Israel, I used Hebrew dictionaries, lexicons, and concordances to research every word except prepositions. I also compared twelve different modern translations of Isaiah word for word, although I found most of these unhelpful. I additionally researched the complete Dead Sea scroll of Isaiah of St. Mark’s Monastery word for word and the Greek Septuagint Version. On occasion, I used their variant translations where they appeared more correct within their context based on the internal dynamics of the Book of Isaiah. In every such instance, I explained in footnotes how these variants compared to the Masoretic Text. One problem that arose was the dislocation of words and phrases from where they most fitted within the context of the text. Those dislocations were evidently the result of Jewish scribes who had memorized entire scriptural texts so they could survive the Babylonian and Roman destructions of their records. When they remembered these misplaced parts after they had inscribed the text past the point where they should have appeared, they simply inserted them at the point where they remembered them. Many of these misplaced words, I relocated where they best fit within the context of a passage, again noting all such instances in footnotes. The result was a much more intelligible and coherent reading than the King James Version, one that accords with the Book of Isaiah’s own internal check and balances we find in its variety of literary features. The Hebraeus Foundation is a non-profit organization originally set up in 1990 to support my research in the Book of Isaiah. Its board of directors oversees different aspects of spreading Isaiah’s message to the world, such as social media, marketing, special events, web design, publishing, online courses, finances, and translations. The Hebraeus Foundation depends on donations from readers like you to further its objectives. Questions & Answers Send us your questions and we will post responses as time permits. Disclaimer: Questions answered by Dr. Avraham Gileadi are intended to provide information and understanding regarding the book of Isaiah for the Hebraeus Foundation and Isaiah Institute. The content of each article is the sole expression and opinion of its author drawn from his research and analysis and does not proclaim implicitly or explicitly doctrinal views and beliefs for any church or other religious organization. All materials are copyrighted. The Hebraeus Foundation and Isaiah Institute shall not be liable for any physical, psychological, emotional, financial, or commercial damages, including, but not limited to, special, incidental, consequential or other damages. We caution the reader against quoting these materials out of context, drawing conclusions not specifically stated, or attributing other ideas to Dr. Avraham Gileadi.
In my defense, I didn’t lie about anything. None of my matches asked if I was in the hospital. It’s true, I didn’t bring it up, so if I’m guilty of anything, I’m guilty of lying by omission. It might be a Gen-Z thing. All of the nurses were stunned that I never turned on the TV that hung precariously off the wall opposite my bed. “Kids your age usually never turn it off.” One of them noted. I wasn’t about to tell her that most ‘kids’ my age- twenty-three, might I add- don’t watch TV. We tend to watch things on our laptops or phones. Besides, I knew there was nothing on that TV that I wanted to watch. My first roommate only played Fox news’ 24/7 coverage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. My second roommate played the church channel where she listened to the rosary prayer. My third roommate didn’t speak English, so she put on the channel with classical music set to the background of nature scenes. My TV remained off the entire two weeks of my stay. But there’s only so much Netflix you can watch. Of course, there were distractions constantly popping up on my phone. Well-timed notifications from dating apps. Return these new likes Chris liked you, check out their profile Being in a hospital makes you so desperate for entertainment and any sort of human connection, that even dating apps start to sound appealing. The good thing about those apps, a strange thing to say, is that they made me feel younger. Being in a hospital, where the average age is probably around sixty, was unnerving. And it certainly made me feel a bit more desirable, being that I had been languishing away in sweatpants, trying my best to make my hair work with the hospital-issued three-in-one shampoo, conditioner, and body gel. Of course, they were swiping on pictures of me from that past summer where I looked considerably healthy at a party and not recovering from malnutrition sitting in a hospital bed. Is it technically catfishing if you’re the one in the photos, just…different? Hey! What’s up? Nothing much, watching TV, HBU? Same, just a lazy Sunday Again, I wasn’t lying. I was watching TV and it was Sunday. Although I hadn’t even realized it was Sunday because all of my days had blurred together. But I could only imagine what would happen if I had been honest. Nothing really, just been in the hospital for a week. I’m struggling because I’ve been sick for about five months. Do you want to date me? There’s nothing cute about being in the hospital. Nothing cute about the itchy socks with grippy bottoms so you don’t face plant on the linoleum floor. Nothing cute about IV drips. Nothing cute about blood sugar tests. Nothing cute about discussing your symptoms with doctors you’ve only just met. So, I pretended I was elsewhere. Lounging on my couch, eating junk food, procrastinating, texting friends about tomorrow’s plans. Things that kids my age should be doing. I didn’t meet my soulmate during those long evenings in the hospital and I’m relieved for that. But I’ll say this, I was lucky to have my NG tube in during a pandemic. And that’s the last time you’ll hear me use the word ‘lucky’ in the same sentence as ‘pandemic’ and ‘NG tube’. The only reason I mention this is because I could wear a face mask without anyone looking at me funny. However, if anyone got close enough, they could see the inconsistencies with my appearance. I had tape on my cheek to hold in place the little tube sticking out of my nose. It sometimes jutted out from behind the mask, so I always had to wear my hair down to conceal it more. It was complicated and required more math than I’d done since graduating high school. This many liters a day…how many liters an hour…if I’m on it twelve hours a day…off twelve…that means…I’m bad at math, that’s what it means. It was supposed to be subtle and easy. I’d made a compromise, stay in the hospital on tube feeds or do the tube feeds on my own and get back to my college education. I chose the latter without thinking. The next day after being discharged, four boxes from a medical supply company arrived at my apartment door. Four heavy boxes that I had to carry up four flights of stairs after being in the hospital. My new life was pouring little bottles of baby-formula-smelling-liquid into a bag, hooking that bag up to a retractable IV pole, programming a finicky little machine, and falling asleep listening to the droning of the pump. Every so often, the machine would beep shrilly and I had to trouble shoot the issue before it would shut up. During the day I was in class and I prayed no one had X-Ray vision to see past my mask. Especially not him, the guy I had been interested in all semester. The one I would never work up the courage to ask out. Nothing about NG tubes is attractive. The process of getting one in is just as disgusting as it is painful. It shattered my self-esteem and I felt like a walking medical zombie. Every time I saw that tube sticking out of my nose, I cringed. Forget the fact that it felt like I had a wad of sandpaper in my throat every time I swallowed. And when I laughed, oh it hurt when I laughed. But he made me laugh all the time. That’s all I was, a little laughing shell of a woman, sitting in the far corner of the conference style table. These were supposed to be the best years of my life. Yet, I was too afraid to even acknowledge myself in the mirror, how could I approach someone about a date? My self-esteem had vanished years ago but my medical ordeal made me feel inhuman. I had no worth, I was just some living, breathing thing being propped up by a tube and formula. I graduated without the tube. Maskless and nervous, I wobbled across the stage in heels. Still underweight, there was still the looming threat of another hospital stay. I looked out for the boy who made me laugh. But I never saw him. Even if I had, I knew I wouldn’t have gone up to him. It still felt like I had an invisible feeding tube taped to my cheek. As if I had been branded SICK GIRL for the rest of my life. But a few days before graduating, I saw a baby in a stroller with an NG tube. She wasn’t some monster who needed to be hidden away. So why was I? Why did I need to hide? Maybe I didn’t need to hide. Maybe it was just easier. Jillian Eagan is a recent graduate of Emmanuel College in Boston, MA where she received her BA in Writing and Publishing. Her work has appeared in The Start Literary Magazine, Spoonie Magazine, and an upcoming edition of Wishbone Words Magazine. She frequently uses writing to cope with the lows of chronic illness.
If you aren’t a Jew you might be unfamiliar with a Ketubah. The Ketubah is the marriage contract. It outlines the husband’s duties to his wife and then asks that the wife be a good wife because apparently it is much simpler to be a good wife than a good husband. In this way it is an archaic piece of paper. But what you don’t see (because you don’t read Hebrew) is that in every Ketubah the husband is required to read all of his wife’s emails. I’ve circled the part that reads, “A good and righteous husband shall read all emails his wife sends him within two hours.” It’s amazing how an ancient document had this much foresight. Last night I asked Mr. G about the sarong thing and he just looked confused. Then I asked him if he could fly coach for nine hours and he said, “You know, you send me emails all day with absolutely no context and I don’t know what the right answer is.” I thought about it a bit and realized that I do send him a lot of emails without explanation but I’m not sure that these require explanation. I had mentioned that Alexander wanted to see Machu Pichu and it’s no secret that saying no to my son is not my strong point in the summertime so obviously when I send him an email that says: Can you take a nine hour flight in coach? He should know that we have enough miles for the four of us to fly coach and that business class is a $10,000 ticket and we need to either fly coach or pick a new location. Seriously, how hard is that to understand? And when I send him an email three hours later with a link to this kid he’s supposed to email back about how cute and funny it is. Even a robot could figure that out. Doesn’t every part of you know that this kid is going to be just fine wherever he lands in the world? The next day I spent hours looking up theorems online. You see I stumbled on The Sarong Theorem Archive and it’s quite simple. It’s an electronic archive of people solving theorems in sarongs. I became obsessed with understanding the Infinitude of Primes and since my brother was busy working I thought I’d email it to my husband who is contractually obligated to stop working and humor me. I’ve sent him out of context photos of the kids at camp, half written to-do lists and confirmed various appointments including but not limited to: Alexander’s school, the dog trainer, the cat behavioralist and the cat communicator. I’ve sent him comics, links to badly written blog posts about his corporation from bloggers that would otherwise never be read, and pictures of the animals. I’m pretty sure that we’ll be headed to Peru because we have determined that we can probably survive a flight of that length in coach. We have also determined that Mr. G will never be excited by sarongs and prime numbers and that kids with spoons on their faces sometimes depress him. He prefers that I not spend his money on a woman who communicates with cats and translates it to me. He likes the idea of the cat behavioralist and agrees that though the dog trainer is annoying we should continue to employ her. I’ve promised to try and add some context to the emails before I send them but we’ve been married long enough that neither of us are optimistic.
Music has always been an integral part of my life. From earliest days until now, music courses through every dimension of my daily existence. My first musical memories include things like playing the bells in Sunday school, learning to play the piano and listening to all kinds of music on my dad’s little transistor radio. My sister and I would attentively listen to the radio trying to catch the words of the songs of the times that we liked. I remember my sister would come home from school and watch “American bandstand” every afternoon. We came to know lots of different kinds of music, pop, jazz, calypso, opera, classical, you name it, we heard it. When we got a record player, we would play the records over and over until we successfully memorized all the words to our favorite songs. We were big R&B fans. For those who don’t know me, I grew up in Brooklyn, New York. During the late 50s and early 60s there was a theatre in downtown Brooklyn, The Fox theatre, where the latest Rock & Roll and R&B stars would come and perform. Infamous DJ Murray Kaufman, affectionately known as “Murray the K” became the Iconic emcee of those shows during the late 50s and early 60s. We would beg my mother to let us go to a show and to my surprise, she finally gave us permission. I was madly in love with Little Anthony and the Imperials and he was slated to perform. In addition to him being there, the line up included performers like: The Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Temptations, The Four Tops, Martha and the Vandellas, The Marvelettes, and the Righteous Brothers. Wow, what a concert that was. As much as I loved concerts, once I became an adult and on my own, there was very little money for concerts. Just because I couldn’t attend a lot of concerts doesn’t mean that my love for music faded in any way. I’ve already told you about the Valentine’s Day concert with Peabo Bryson….just in case you’ve forgotten: https://ladyjduchess.com/index.php/2018/02/28/a-special-valentines-day/ Well later on that same year that I saw Peabo, I found out that Stevie Wonder was going to be performing in Baton Rouge. I was living in Metairie, LA at the time. Baton Rouge was approximately an hour from where I lived. I had seen Stevie only once before and that was at the Fox theatre when we both were young teenagers. I was always fascinated with him. I felt and still feel that he is a musical genius. I used to daydream about being able to spend a day with him in the studio just watching him create. He is beyond talented. He was/is my idol (musically speaking). I was determined to get to that concert. Again, I got my girlfriend (the same one that went with me to see Peabo), to agree to go to the concert. She was down with the idea and even offered to drive. After getting the tickets I immediately went into “gotta get a new outfit” mode. I wanted something cute but comfortable. After multiple tries, I came up with a black bodysuit with a jumpsuit over top of that. The jumpsuit was unusual in that it was almost like overalls, with those types of straps but at the waist it had a closure that went underneath the bib part. Additionally, it had long straps that wrapped around the body of the jumpsuit approximately 2-½ times and culminated with a tie in the front. I was so excited about the concert, and now with my outfit complete I began to anticipate just how much fun it would be. During those times (and actually even now) I wore a lot of bracelets (silver bangles were the “in thing” (1981). I had a whole arm of bangles accompanied by silver necklaces, earrings – the works!!! I was R E A D Y! We arrived at the concert, found our seats, settled in to see the opening performance by Gil Scott Heron (a notable jazz poet). I was enjoying the ambiance. Everything was going great. Finally it was time for Stevie and my stomach started rumbling……I thought, oh no, please not now!!!! I thought maybe I could make it to the bathroom and back in time. I catapulted out of my seat, ran to the back and out the door, around the corner to the bathroom which thank God there was no line. By this time, I had broken out in a sweat. Remember that cute, comfortable outfit I had on? Did I mention that it wasn’t easy to get out of? Did I mention that the body suit I had on didn’t have snaps in the crotch? This means I would have to pretty much undress just to go to the bathroom (what was I thinking??). Meanwhile, by this time my stomach was violently cursing at me. It felt as if there was an active volcano inside of me ready to explode at any moment. I started trying desperately to get out of that jumpsuit except my bracelets got caught up in the bodysuit sleeve. The more I tried, the more entangled they became. I tried the other side with no success. By this time I’m almost in tears. I could hear Stevie singing “Hotter Than July” but I couldn’t see him!!!! I could hear the crowds screaming and where was I? I finally got out of my clothes, just in time I might add, but did I get to see the concert? – NO!!! I spent the entire time in the bathroom. So much for Wonder love!!!!!.
100 New Year Journal Prompts to Help You Reflect on New Year Here Are Some Cool New Year Prompt Ideas to Help You With Self-Reflection Keep reading if you’re here to see new year journal prompts. The end of the year is nearing. What better way to reflect on the year than by writing in a journal with some great introspective journal prompts for the next year? Reflecting on the year can be an excellent way to assess your accomplishments and experiences. It can help you identify trends and patterns in your life and be a useful tool for setting future goals. Reflection can also help you remember important events in your life that shaped who you are today. It can be a way to appreciate yourself and your journey. You might also like: Practical Ideas to Write in Your Notebook When You're Bored This post may contain affiliate links. That means that if you click on a link and purchase something I recommend, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Here’s a Cool List of Journaling Prompts for the New Year 40 Beginning of the Year Journal Prompts - How will I make next month memorable? - Am I pleased with the progress I’ve made in the last year? - List five life lessons you learned last year. - Have I forgiven myself? - What good habits do I hope to form this year? - What makes me excited about my future? - Do I have any new year goals I want to achieve this year? - Have I dealt with past trauma? Did I let go of the past and move on? - Who has caused me the most pain? Have I forgiven them? - Do I have a strategy in place to achieve my goals? - Am I prioritizing my life effectively? - What were my three favorite books from last year, and why? - How can I make this year better than the previous one? - How would I like to be remembered? - Are there negative thoughts that I can let go of? - What are my long-term goals? This is among my favorite new year journaling prompts because I love setting goals (and achieving them) way too much. - Write yourself a note to look back on on New Year’s Eve. - Am I putting money aside for the future? - What are the lessons I’ve learned from my regrets? - What steps did I take last year to become a better version of myself? - Do I waste my time? - What am I aware of today that I was unaware of a year ago? - What is something in my life that I am looking forward to? - What were my biggest mistakes? - What are my motivating factors? - What activities do I want to pursue more in my life? - What would I tell my younger self? - Who has been influential in my development? - What is the most painful aspect of my past? - What was my biggest personal success last year? You might also like: 84 Journal Prompts to Help You Finally Heal Your Inner Child - What are my short-term goals? - Write about a time when you pushed yourself beyond your comfort zone last year. - What surprised me the most about last year? - What was I up to a year ago? What am I up to now? - What are my goals and dreams for the next 1, 3, 5, and 10 years? - How can I stay on track with my goals and New Year’s resolutions? - What would I ask my future self if I could? - What can I do to stay inspired and motivated throughout this year? - What are the three things I can do to stay connected to myself and my passions this year? - What’s one thing I can do every day to feel more connected to my loved ones? 40 Intention-Setting Journal Prompts for the New Year - What lessons did you learn from the past year that you want to carry forward into the new year? - How would you like to grow personally, emotionally, or spiritually in the coming year? - What habits or behaviors do you want to release or let go of in the new year? - What activities or hobbies would you like to explore or prioritize in the new year? - What steps can you take to improve your physical health and well-being in the coming year? - How can you nurture and strengthen your relationships with loved ones in the new year? - What are your professional goals for the upcoming year? How do you plan to achieve them? - What steps can you take to enhance your financial well-being and achieve your financial goals in the new year? - How can you cultivate a greater sense of gratitude and appreciation in your daily life? - What self-care practices or rituals do you want to incorporate into your routine in the new year? - What fears or limiting beliefs are holding you back? How can you overcome them in the coming year? - What boundaries do you need to set for yourself to maintain a healthy work-life balance? - How can you prioritize personal growth and self-development in the new year? - What new skills or knowledge do you want to acquire or develop in the coming year? - What steps can you take to live a more eco-friendly and sustainable lifestyle in the new year? - How can you contribute to your community or make a positive impact on the world around you? - What places or experiences do you want to explore or visit in the coming year? - How can you cultivate a mindset of abundance in your life? - What areas of your life do you want to simplify or declutter in the new year? - How can you improve your time management and productivity in the coming year? - What steps can you take to enhance your mental and emotional well-being in the new year? - What creative projects or pursuits do you want to prioritize or undertake in the coming year? - How can you bring more joy and playfulness into your daily life in the new year? - What steps can you take to reduce stress and create more balance in your life? - How can you deepen your spiritual practice or explore new spiritual paths in the coming year? - What books, podcasts, or resources do you want to explore to support your personal growth in the new year? - What actions can you take to cultivate a greater sense of self-love and self-acceptance in the coming year? - How can you improve your communication and relationships with others in the new year? - What steps can you take to overcome any obstacles or challenges you anticipate in the coming year? - What new habits or routines do you want to establish in the new year to support your goals? - How can you foster a sense of adventure and embrace new experiences in the coming year? - What steps can you take to improve your mindfulness and presence in your daily life? - How can you prioritize rest and relaxation in the new year to avoid burnout? - What steps can you take to practice forgiveness and let go of past grievances in the coming year? - How can you foster a more positive and optimistic mindset in the new year? - What steps can you take to improve your creativity and embrace your inner artist in the coming year? - How can you deepen your connections and build a strong support network in the new year? - What steps can you take to cultivate a healthier relationship with technology and digital media? - How can you practice daily acts of kindness and make a difference in the lives of others in the coming year? - What steps can you take to cultivate a greater sense of purpose and meaning in your life? 20 New Year Reflection Journal Prompts - What were your biggest achievements and accomplishments in the past year? - What were the most significant challenges or obstacles you faced? How did you overcome them? - How did you grow personally, emotionally, or spiritually over the past year? - What lessons did you learn from your experiences in the past year? - What moments or memories from the past year brought you the most joy and fulfillment? - What are you most grateful for from the past year? - In what ways did you step outside of your comfort zone or take risks in the past year? - How did you nurture and maintain your relationships with loved ones throughout the past year? - How did you contribute to your community or make a positive impact in the past year? - What were your biggest learnings and insights about yourself in the past year? - What habits or behaviors did you let go of or overcome in the past year? - How did you take care of your physical, mental, and emotional well-being in the past year? - What opportunities did you seize or create for yourself in the past year? - How did you prioritize self-care and self-love in the past year? - What aspects of your life or areas of personal growth still need attention or improvement? - What goals or intentions did you set for the past year, and how did you progress toward them? - How did you handle moments of stress, uncertainty, or change in the past year? - What experiences or interactions have taught you the most about yourself and others? - What knowledge, skills, or interests did you develop or explore in the past year? - What are you most excited about and looking forward to in the upcoming year? And if that’s not enough for you, feel free to participate in my 21-day journaling challenge for beginners. You might also like: 85 Journal Prompts for Self-Love to Deepen Your Self-Acceptance FAQ: Why should I journal for the new year? First of all, journaling gives you a precious space that’s all yours. You can pour out your thoughts, dreams, and fears onto those pages, knowing that it’s a judgment-free zone. It’s your chance to reflect on the past, understand your emotions, and make sense of the whirlwind that is life. When you sit down with your journal and look back on the previous year, something magical happens. You start to see your journey unfold before your eyes. You notice the highs and lows, the lessons learned, and the growth you’ve experienced. Let me tell you, it’s empowering! But journaling isn’t just about looking back. It’s also about looking forward. It’s about setting intentions and goals for the new year. As you scribble down your dreams and aspirations, you bring them to life. You give them a voice and declare to the universe that they matter. It’s a beautiful way to manifest your desires and make them a reality. And here’s the best part: journaling is a journey of self-discovery. As you write, you delve deep into your emotions, uncovering layers of your true self. It’s a powerful tool for self-reflection and personal growth. You’ll gain insights about what makes you tick, what lights you up, and what holds you back. FAQ: How Do I Journal for the New Year? Journaling can be a great way to vent your feelings; it’s a place where you can write down your deepest thoughts without fear of judgment, guilt, or the need to make excuses. Journaling allows you to be yourself and to go through life’s emotions with gentleness, compassion, and deep understanding. If you haven’t tried journaling yet or if you have a journal but don’t use it very often, now is the time to get your mind moving by writing. This will connect you to your deepest thoughts and ideas. Choose the best type of journal for you. Choose whether you want to write it on paper or electronically. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages, so you must decide which is more convenient for you. Paper, for example, is always available, requires no electricity, and you can draw in your paper journal. Typing electronically, on the other hand, can be faster and easier. As a beginner, I find this 5-minute journal perfect for me as I’m learning the ropes of journaling. Then, find the perfect spot to write in your journal. To write, you should choose a time when you’ll be alone and without interruptions. Try to remain calm and not worry about being disturbed during the process. As an experiment, try writing in different places to see what happens to the content of your text. Some guidelines suggest that you should maintain a daily writing interval or regularity. On the other hand, if you don’t feel like writing in a journal despite having made a commitment to do so, it’ll most likely become something that irritates you. Instead of committing to writing on a regular basis, set a goal to write whenever you feel like using your journal to be creative, express yourself, jot down ideas, and so on. And if it’s daily, that’s fine; if you miss a month, two months, or even a year, that’s fine, too. If you often forget to write in your journal, keeping it next to your bed can help. Wise thoughts frequently pop up before going to bed, and journaling can be a useful way to summarize your day. Remember that your journal is an excellent outlet if you’re feeling restless or overwhelmed with ideas. Relax. Everyone has different things that help them relax and feel content. It doesn’t matter what mood you’re in when you write. Some people like to listen to music to get in the mood, while others prefer silence. When you want to reflect on the past year, choose one of the daily journal prompts for the new year that I gave you before. These will help you without overburdening you. Don’t worry about grammar, spelling, or perfectionism. The desire to correct mistakes as you work can disrupt the flow of thought, especially if you’re writing about deeply felt emotions or have a wellspring of ideas. Fill your journal with whatever you want. Use the new year journal prompts that you saw before and fill your journal with lyrics, photos, poetry, book excerpts, or newspaper clippings. A journal is a true expression of your mind, so it is uniquely yours. You might also like: The Best Forgiveness Prompts to Help You Forgive Yourself FAQ: There Are Three Types of New Year Journaling Prompts - Beginning of the year journal prompts. These prompts are all about setting the tone for the year ahead. They encourage you to reflect on the past year, express gratitude for the experiences and lessons learned, and envision what you want to manifest in the coming year. - Intention-setting journal prompts. These prompts are like your personal cheerleaders, nudging you to dream big and set meaningful goals for yourself. They invite you to explore your aspirations, identify areas for growth, and map out actionable steps to turn your dreams into reality. - New year reflection journal prompts. These prompts are all about looking back and celebrating your growth and accomplishments. They encourage you to reflect on the challenges you faced, the lessons you learned, and the moments that brought you joy. These Were My Favorite New Year Journal Prompts Do you journal? Did you find any of these new year’s writing prompts especially interesting? Tell me in the comments below. I’d love to hear your thoughts!
I have nasty allergies. Every year I have to change my antihistimine medication because it stops working for me. Well, I obviously didn't get it taken care of early enough and my allergies attacked me yesterday. I was minding my own business rotary cutting away, and I realized that I was feeling worse and worse and worse. I worried enough about it that I went over to the UrgentCare at 6:00pm on a Sunday. I got a doc who loves meds: now I'm on not just two for my allergies, but three (four if I can actually find Nasalcrom anywhere). Better living through chemistry. Hmmm, we'll see how this goes - gonna take awhile to know for sure. I have to be able to play with fabric, I just haveta, but I'm going to hold off for several days. At least I can still quilt on Hot Crazy Love (I'm halfway up the left border). Maybe it's just cutting it that makes the fabric spores go up my nose, or maybe it's that I used cold water to wash the last couple batches of fabric instead of warm. I won't make that mistake again. My sweetie is good (tho far away), my cats are good (little Pokey is still coming in to sleep with me and Lily at night) and I'm doing better.
I’m a newbie, writing for a national market, not the LDS market, but I’m hoping you can help with this anyway. I’ve been querying agents for my first novel. I’ve gotten three rejections but the rest haven’t responded yet. However, one of the rejections had a hand-written comment at the bottom. It said, “Sorry I have to pass this one up. Looks good. Please submit again.” I may be stupid to ask this—(Thank goodness you keep us anonymous. You do keep us anonymous, right? Right.)—but would he mean that I should rework the query and resubmit it? Or to submit another book? Also, am I wrong or is this comment on a rejection letter actually a positive thing? I can’t speak for everyone, and there may be an agent/editor out there who has time to hand-write a little note on every rejection, but most of us are way too busy doing the other parts of our jobs to soften the blow of rejection out of the kindness of our hearts. I only added hand-written notes to rejections if I thought they were very close to publishable or if the rejection was for some other reason other than quality of the work (like my calendar was full or it was too similar to something else we already have). So I would have to guess that yes, that comment was a positive thing. He’s asking you to submit a new book. That’s a very positive thing.
If you missed the book club discussion with author and international recognized leader, Terence Lester, LIVE Nov 4, 2020 then just Click for the replay: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/spark-my-muse—book powered by Crowdcast (When you support this work (at Patreon) you ease the financial burden I have when creating this work, but you also unlock many extras from years of episodes. You ALSO get sneak peeks on episodes, projects, and news on my book “The Wild Land Within” published with Broadleaf Books – patreon.com/sparkmymuse) SparkMyMuse.com contains over 355+ audio episodes, an online store, and resources. Roam around the website and enjoy! CONTRIBUTIONS? Some people don’t contribute to the helpful or creative work people do because of a lack of desire or a lack of funds. Most everything I create can be enjoyed for little or nothing. Some people to me they get excited to help out when they find something they enjoy. So here, it’s simple: you can pay-what-you’d-like to help. It’s appreciated. Thank you. ❤️ • VENMO: venmo.com/lisadelay • PayPal.me/lisacolondelay Listen to a recent episode: • Spark My Muse can thrive when you help in these two ways: 1. Share the program with another person today. 2. Leave a Rating/ Write a Review on iTunes HERE.AND! Don’t forget to pick a subscribe option that is best for you at (sparkmymuse.com) below:
Do you feel like your relationship is at a standstill? Are you and your partner stuck in the same argument loop every night? Do you feel like you and your partner are drifting away? Do you desire more intimacy between you and your partner? All things can be improved, changed and bettered, with just a little support, no matter how big or small. With couples therapy, you’ll learn how to communicate your feelings and needs, and get what you want out of your relationship. Some issues that bring couples to therapy are: - Addiction/Partner Addiction Support - Balance (Work/Life/Family) - Blended Families - Chronic Illness - Extended Family - Mental Illness In my couple’s therapy sessions, I help people develop the necessary skills needed to maintain sustaining love. If any of the above relate to your and your partner in your relationship, contact me today for a free consultation. I would love to speak about how I may be able to help reconnect and rekindle your love for one another.
The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog. What happened this week? Again not much difference this week. The fatigue might be getting a bit less, but it’s hard to tell. For now I still have to be really careful to not overdo things. This week was a full one with end of the month wrap up for work and then a lunch with my mom and sister, which was fun but tiring. Work wise I wrapped up last month’s assistant work and made a start on this month’s work. A blog tour I organized started and I did the usual checking for sign ups and emails too. I have a few extra author assistant tasks for December, which will be nice as it’s usually a less busy month. I am hoping some tour requests will come in to. What did I read this week? This week I blogged about: What to expect next week on the blog: – Review: Selah Loves Dante by Jordan Ford – Review: The Fate of Shin-Osaka by S.J. Pajonas Tours open for sign-up on Lola’s Blog Tours: – Review Opportunity: Lily Makes a Way by Susan Count – Review Opportunity: Scattered Legacy by Marlene M Bell – Review Opportunity: Silver Hollow book by Jennifer Silverwood – Review Opportunity: Close Your Eyes by Chris Tomasini – Blog Tour: The Christmas Party by Mikayla Davids – 19 till 31 December – Blog Tour: Copper Waters by Marlene M. Bell – 2 till 15 January
While international dating can be quite a lot of thrilling even a smart way to meet other folks, it can also contain its conflicts. Despite that, there undoubtedly s a lot of positive success stories with very happy consequences (so even! ). From the tender are 10 things learn before snorkeling in. A single: international seeing comes with its one of a kind challenges. For just one, when you are abroad, it beds not easy to install in standard social actions with residents. So what you require is certainly someone to join you in dates, that can speak your language and understand your preferences. Another thing is that if you are a foreign national trying to make friends which has a native phone speaker of the dialect you speak, you might find that doesn’t travel so well. Your aim is usually to find somebody, not produce him/her feel like a foreign secret agent! Two: Extended distance interactions can be tricky, especially when each party aren’t particularly open about their backgrounds and objectives. You definitely want to find an individual you can trust, however. Foreign long distance relationships include special difficulties for the two people engaged. While a major international dating can lead to some confident experiences, this may also lead to negative ones in the event the partners aren’t prepared to cope with different cultures and life styles. This is some thing worth looking at before opting for a romance. Three: There are plenty of international dating sites where you from numerous countries comes together. A lot of dating sites, such as Adult Friend Finder or perhaps Matchbox, have a pretty great reputation. Yet , it is definitely worth your while to perform a little research and go through some review articles go to website regarding the support before subscribing. If you do choose an online internet dating site, you will want to take a look at the profile pages and check out just how many lonely hearts are looking for you and just how many users there are. 4: A common issue that many people have with online dating sites is that they do not get personal enough. You need to spend some time getting to know somebody a little bit before opening up the conversation and asking them questions about themselves. If an individual is too eager to chat online, chances are you no longer want to satisfy these people offline either. You need to understand this is simply not a traditional very long distance romantic relationship and should end up being treated united. If you are comfy chatting with someone overseas, it can only be all-natural for you to start off meeting face-to-face as well. Should you be thinking of extended distance interactions, try looking with respect to international dating first. The knowledge you gain abroad will be much more enjoyable and it may be the beginning of an enjoyable relationship. Just be sure to take your time and energy and appreciate how things function overseas just before jumping into a relationship. Should you this, then you certainly will be able to understand what it’s choose to be a foreigner your self, and this may help make your marriage with the foreigner much more satisfying.
Doors are life savors and many people along with you might be thinking that how doors can be life savors? Well, you can imagine that if there were no doors then how could be even operate. There are some of us who are introverts and they don’t like to be seen much and they are like in hibernation mode at most times and that is why there are some people who want their privacy and just imagine if there were no doors the what could be happening to such people, they would be so devastated and their every day life would be so difficult and all they did was hide in the beds or behind the sofas. There are many of us who like to keep things simple and they are not into fancy things but there are many of us who want to be extra cute and so that people can think that they are very different and unique looking. People would have the best kind of homes and they would say that they have the best interior but before one enters the home, what do they see, they see a door and people clearly miss that the door is a part of a home and they need interior designing touch as well. if you are about to build a home, then we suggest that you design a glass sliding doors Dubai and get the best kind of cost-effective shower glass partition Dubai price, so, keep reading to know more; - Match: if you have a house that has a good interior and it is of some specific color and you have a door that is of wooden color and that clearly shows that it is a mismatch. And if you design a door as well then your house will give more impact as well. - Personality: like we said that the door is the first impression of the home an if some guests come to your home and they see the door is not so up to the mark, they will say that the rest of the house is also not that much of a thing. Preview of home: like we mentioned in the above point, you can say that the front door is the preview of your whole house.
In order to insure the first German edition of Robert Lax’s 33 Poems would be as accurate as possible, I recently helped the translator and publisher, Thorsten Scheu, with his translation. My contribution consisted primarily of matching the German to the English and, with my intimate knowledge of Lax’s work (and improving knowledge of German), suggesting where the translation might be improved. It was a small part of the overall work, but it was enough for Thorsten to list me in the book as an editor, which delighted me. My relationship to German is long and spotty. My grandmother’s parents were German and she grew up speaking German in the U. S., but I don’t remember her ever using more than an occasional German word in my presence. My first real encounter with the language was in grade school. I went to a Lutheran school with German roots and the only foreign language we could study there was German. If I remember correctly, I was forced to learn it from the 4th through the 8th grade. I didn’t love the language, possibly because of how it was taught, but when I went to high school I took two more years of it to fulfill a language requirement and then did the same thing in college. One reason I never embraced it more fully was I never thought I’d be in a position to use it. But then, just five years out of college, I started leading tours in Europe, including in Germany, and, for the next decade or so, found myself needing to use German every year. To my surprise, I started to like it and I did some studying of it on my own. During those same years, I met and then married my wife Sylvia. Her mother was German and Sylvia herself spoke German exclusively for the first five or six years of her life. It was a sad day for her mother when Sylvia told her she had to be careful because this new man in her life knew their secret language. Being with Sylvia and her mother improved my German immensely. But even then, I would never have had the confidence I’d need to help with a translation from English to German if I hadn’t decided in April of 2020 to take on a “pandemic project.” While clearing books from a shelf, I came across a Bible written in “heutigem Deutsch”: contemporary German. Sylvia told me a friend had given it to her years before. Since I had never read the entire Bible and I’d already thought about spending some of my pandemic time furthering my knowledge of one language or another, I decided to kill two birds with one stone. To keep my new task from seeming onerous, I told myself I didn’t have to read every day but I had to average a chapter a day. I struggled a bit at first but eventually I enjoyed the work more and more, and two weeks ago I celebrated a full year of reading the Bible in German. At that point, I had read 40% of it. Which means I still have a year and a half to go! When I first started reading the German Bible, I had to look up words in almost every sentence, but now I can cruise through several sentences at a stretch without looking anything up. It was that growth in my knowledge of the language that gave me the confidence to attempt translation work. One interesting byproduct of my German Bible reading and translation work was I found more in Lax’s poems than I knew was there. Because translating slowed me down, I paid more attention to every word and saw how very carefully Lax had chosen each one. Because my German teacher was the Bible, I saw how strongly Lax’s work was inspired by Biblical rhythms and language too. These good experiences with a language I once disliked have me thinking about maybe someday trying my hand at translating a German work into English. Meanwhile, though, I have the rest of that Bible to read.
People live better in big houses and in big clothes. I try to contrast life today is full of contrast. We have to change! I am not interested in the past, except as the road to the future. Give me time and I’ll give you a revolution. I think the idea of mixing luxury and mass-market fashion is very modern. I want people to be afraid of the women I dress. the idea of mixing luxury and mass-market fashion is very modern, no one wears head to toe designer anymore There has to be a balance between your mental satisfaction and the financial needs of your company. A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous. I can design a collection in a day and I always do, cause I’ve always got a load of Italians on my back, moaning that it’s late. Sometimes the simplest things are the most profound. I never look at other people’s work. I can’t get sucked into that celebrity thing, because I think it’s just crass. Give me time and I’ll give you a revolution. I can’t get sucked into that celebrity thing, because I think it’s just crass. Luxury will be always around, no matter what happens in the world. There is always the new project, the new opportunity. Attention to detail is of utmost importance when you want to look good. I have a fantastic relationship with money. I use it to buy my freedom. Elegance isn’t solely defined by what you wear. Clothes can transform your mood and confidence Confidence. If you have it, you can make anything look good. Abstinence from coffee, tobacco, and alcohol by many Adventists has afforded a near-unique opportunity for studies to be conducted within that population group on the health effects of coffee drinking, free from confounding factors. I think the idea of mixing luxury and mass-market fashion is very modern, very now no one wears head-to-toe designer anymore. I want people to be afraid of the women I dress. Fashion moves so quickly that, unless you have a strong point of view, you can lose integrity. I like to be real. I don’t like things to be staged or fussy. I think I’d go mad if I didn’t have a place to escape to. You have to stay true to your heritage, that’s what your brand is about. Elegance is not the prerogative of those who have just escaped from adolescence, but of those who have already taken possession of their future.
Liquid Silver Books, $5.75, ISBN 978-1-59578-817-7 Romantic Suspense, 2011 Poor Galen Hall. Our hero wakes up in a jail in Guishil, Ecuador, accused of murdering some banker and yet unable to recall the moments leading up to his current predicament. He does remember deflowering our 28-year old virginal heroine Dana Rutherford and then fleeing the scene, though. After all, he has plans to marry some rich woman and never having to be poor again, so it’s not like he is to be blamed for sticking his pee-pee into some woman without bothering to use protection. That puta is to blamed, using her virginity to… to.. make him feel guilty! Meanwhile, Dana is a heroine who knows that her reputation – a pristine one, at any rate – is everything to her brother (who is, of course, rich), which is why she sleeps with some man without protection. You can guess what happens next. When she learns that her baby daddy is in jail and there is no way she can ensure that he gets a fair trial, she decides to break him out of jail. Hey, why are you laughing? You think I’m making this up? It’s not so bad, fortunately. The author is aware of just how much her story resembles a bizarre amalgamation of a Harlequin category romance and an episode of Dallas, so this story may very well be written to be campy. However, it doesn’t really try to go over the top after the initial premise, which leads me to wonder whether I’m actually mistaken about the deliberate camp. Yikes, perhaps the author is really serious? Seriousness doesn’t go with this story, alas. With a premise like that and characters straight out of a walking Harlequin etiquette textbook, this one would have been better served as a parody of those category romances written by Iris Johansen and Elizabeth Lowell back in the 1980’s. Both main characters are too much like textbook neurotic stereotypes for their romance to be believable even with the author’s efforts to load on the unhappy childhood angst onto them, and everything about the story is “come and gawk” material, too silly in the first place to be salvaged by sober storytelling. Therefore, Unplanned only works halfway. There are signs that the author had her tongue pressed against her cheek when she was working on this story, but the story ended up trying to be tad sensible when it should have just let everything hang out and party with abandon. With a plot and characters like these, it couldn’t afford not to.
Muad Noman came to a recent community forum on immigration with one big question on his mind: how can he get his sister to the United States? Noman, who lives in Hamtramck, left his native Yemen in 1999 as a youth to join his father who had been in the U.S. since 1971. “Now everybody’s here except one of my sisters who’s married with her family back home in Yemen, and we’re trying our best to get her here,” Noman says. “But it looks like it gets harder and harder every year.” In the weeks after President Trump issued his executive order limiting immigration from seven countries including Yemen, Noman and others in Detroit’s Yemeni-American community continue to question what the new president’s policies will mean for local families. Dozens of people filled an auditorium in Dearborn earlier this month to hear from local and federal officials and ask what they can expect in the coming months. A woman asks about the legality of having her mother’s passport confiscated by border agents. Officials with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services tell her that passports can be taken as they are U.S. property, but the confiscation does not revoke her mother’s citizenship. One man asks if his young child can sponsor his citizenship. The federal agents tell him that his son must be at least 21-years-old to do that. Another man asked about the delay of his application. He is told to apply again. These questions are familiar to Abdulhakem Alsadah, president of the National Association of Yemeni Americans, which is based in Dearborn. “What the executive order has done is made a bad situation worse,” he says. The association provides a variety of social services for metro Detroit’s Yemeni community, and Alsadah says since the executive order was signed, he has been working overtime. A Century in the City Metro Detroit’s Yemeni community has been established for a century, says Sally Howell, director of the Center for Arab American Studies at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Yemeni Merchant Marines came to Detroit in the 1920s to join the growing auto, followed by various waves of immigrants who chased job prospects throughout the 20th century. “In the 60s, 70s, maybe early 80s it was mostly a male population,” who would send part of their paychecks to families back home, Howell says. A real shift happened in metro Detroit’s Yemeni community during the late 1980s, according to Howell, when families began to immigrate. They established themselves in Detroit and the south ends of Dearborn and Hamtramck. “The Yemenis who were new to having families here, living in this space that had suddenly been abandoned and was dangerous, they started doing all sorts of creative things like working with the police to patrol the neighborhood,” Howell says. Many credit the Yemeni community’s effort to build their new communities with helping to revitalize the neighborhoods, further establishing Yemenis within metro Detroit. Howell, who authored the book “Old Islam in Detroit: Rediscovering the Muslim American Past,” says Yemeni Americans centered their lives around the mosques they established. One of those is Mu’ath Bin Jabil, which helped make Hamtramck the country’s first majority-Muslim city. “This is the land of opportunity, because people come here to finish their education, to improve their economic life, or to live good life here.” Saad Almasmari, Hamtramck City Council Yemeni Americans also are represented in local government. Hamtramck City Council Member Saad Almasmari came to the U.S. in 2009. “This is the land of opportunity, because people come here to finish their education, to improve their economic life, or to live good life here,” he says. Still, for someone like Noman, the U.S does not necessarily feel like a land of opportunity at the moment. His father in 2005 applied to sponsor his sister, and since then she has had several children. Then his father died while waiting for the paperwork to progress. Noman re-applied to sponsor her, but he says the federal government revoked the case. “As Yemeni-Americans in the United States, we are being treated differently,” Noman says. ”We feel that we are second-class citizens, that we don’t get our civil rights as any other American living under the skies of the U.S.A.” Noman is like nearly all Yemeni Americans who have direct relatives — parents, spouses, or siblings — currently living there, according to Alsadah. While it’s been difficult for all people affected by the executive order, Alsadah says it’s especially rough for those emigrating from Yemen. Just 12 people from Yemen have arrived in Michigan with refugee status during the last few years compared with thousand from Iraq and Syria, according to The Refugee Processing Center, which is operated by the U.S. Department of State. Click on the bar to see a breakdown by year: “It’s different because there is no American embassy in Yemen,” Alsadah says. “American citizens who want to bring their families, they have to get out of Yemen to go to other countries so they can apply.” Yemeni immigrants who end up in Detroit have sometimes traveled to Malaysia, Djibouti, Algeria and a host of other countries with lax visa laws, Alsadah says. There, they wait months, sometimes years, for the U.S. to approve the immigration paperwork, DNA tests and blood samples they submit. Alsadah says the vetting process was rigorous even before the executive order was signed and expensive. “If you’re in Malaysia for example, imagine, you need a birth certificate you need to go back to Yemen to get a birth certificate, he says. “That’s how hard it’s been for Yemenis.”
Like many, I’ve been finding ways to adventure in my own neighborhood. I take several walks to the park, run up and down the hill with my husband and our 3 year old son, 10 year old daughter, and 6 year old husky. I’m thrilled to see the joy of my 3 year old climb trees, something I SO loved as a child! We’re exploring the town, tracking down rivers, trains, butterfly eggs or larva and soaking up as much nature as possible. When I reflect on adventures we have together I’m thankful. I’m feeling the nudge to climb higher, explore more, and set my own goals. The pace I’ve been living is beautiful, yet slow. I need something fresh, exciting, and challenging that keeps me craving for more! I don’t sit still for long. The payoff for any goal needs to be well worth it or I will fail. I’ve had many ideas that just didn’t pan out. Things I’ve dreamt of doing and worked hard for and I had the heavy realization that those things just weren’t for me. This was actually a huge bummer and something I can get more into another day but basically not all career goals or things I thought I’d be IN love with were ME and so I moved on. I learned how to tell when it was time to move on, something that was hard and lengthy but has helped me grow in so many ways. Now, enough of all that. Let’s move onto when I felt motivated and determined to be and do more for me. First, I replaced my Facebook phone app(deleted it) with a fitness app. Yay! On average, I was spending 4 hours a day on Facebook! What a waste. I thought, what else can I do with this beautiful gift of time. I’ve always been the type of person who wished there were more hours in the day and now, I could make that happen?! Check! I started to dream about what I could do in 4 more hours, now that wasn’t all during the day in one block of time, it’s all the countless pickups and brief minutes of scrolling FB. It really adds up! I was a huge scroller at night or in the early morning. It kept my mind going and going a little too fast, anxious fast. Now….after a few weeks I’m averaging at only 15 minutes a day! Whew! It’s opened me up to try new things. I went from feeling anxious with a racing mind to feeling motivated, excited and ready to DO the things I love. Don’t get me wrong I still did things I loved before but there was always this excuse or that excuse. Maybe Moms or Dads, or anyone reading this that has ever pushed their life to the side(maybe you tucked yourself next to a pretty growing flower and you’re the little seedling in the shade) understands this. I don’t need to always get X, Y, and Z done anymore. It’s okay if I want to go running and my children don’t want to, it’s okay if I want to go bouldering and not everyone in my house wants to, it’s okay to do things that are my “own” things that make me feel free. I also don’t need to get sucked into things that just aren’t for me. I feel like I’m discovering myself. I don’t intend to make this all about me in this post. I’ve had a lot of support from my husband, homeopath(who is an adventurer too), and my counselor so I definitely didn’t get here easily or quickly. When I daydream and think of all the things I hope to do I always circle to writing stories on Nature Reel. It’s been a passion of mine and a happy release. I think of some of my environmental “hero” writers like Thoreau, Whitman, Berry, and Carson. For years I’ve been day dreaming up stories I would write on Nature Reel, some of them I’d like to co-write with my husband. There are wild trips I’d like to share with you. Many. I hope you stay tuned!
Very often as you manage to talk to one or two ladies seeking for love, you will hear them say, “I want to get me a Knight in shining armor” Well because of curiosity, I managed to have a chat with this one very wonderful lady who was willing to share some insights with me! According to Penny, most ladies want to get themselves that man who will protect and honor them, be the warmth in their lives, shine a light into their darkness and a man who will be there to help them face their evils. The Knight in British history was a soldier of the royal guard who was selected and chosen for his mercurial strength and fighting skills. Many a times these Knights were proven soldiers of the wars and battles. Also read: What to Do After a Breakup The armor on the other hand, is protective gear that the soldiers and knights wore whilst going to war in ancient history and these guys came back with some pretty scratched armors. Why the history, well I just wanted to have a basis for my counter on some of the things that women look out for in said topic. I completely agree with the ladies when they say that they need knights in their lives and if I might add, these knights should be able to throw themselves at every bullet to protect their ladies. Some ladies want knights but when the men start to throw jabs at those that would have caused embarrassment to them, they start wailing that the men are making them look bad in front of friends and that it’s a shaming. What do you guys really want? Kidding But for me the part that really irks me is the one of the armor, I mean I get the Knight, but a shining armor? What are you gunning for, a toddler? Knights with shining armors haven’t smelt the war, they haven’t fought the battles and so when it comes to protection, they could just look on like rabbits. I guess what am trying to say is that the shining armor is becoming more of a cliché and ladies should look for scratched armors, I however, don’t mean to say you go look for bad boys. Join the discussion to find out who the Knights with scratched armors are!
Hi everyone, I am in Saigon right now, where it is a 95 degrees and the humidity is so thick, you can use a knife to whittle out some humidity sculptures for your next silent auction. But, things have been great. Food is cheap and ubiquitous and good, so I’ve been loading up, especially on cold young coconuts and mangosteens, a purplish tropical fruit that tastes like general operating funds (You need to add “Eat five pounds of mangosteens in Southeast Asia” to your bucket list right now!). The relatives, meanwhile, still have no idea what I do, and while my Vietnamese is pretty good, it is not when it comes to advanced topics. I have the vocabulary of a ten-year-old, so it leads to awkward conversations like this: Aunt: We heard that you got a new job? Tell us about it Me: Yes, I work for a…location…that grows people who…drag others…to do good things… Aunt: Drag others to do good things? You mean, leaders? Me: Yes! Yes! Leaders! Leaders from groups of people who have …the darker…skins… Aunt: People of color? Me: Yes, people of color! We send these leaders into…businesses that don’t make money, but they help make the world better… Me: Yes, yes! I won’t recap the next part, where I try to explain capacity building and community organizing. Just be glad your elevator speech doesn’t last thirty minutes and involve a lot of wild gesturing, followed by your relatives looking disappointed at your career choice. Continue reading “9 awesome nonprofit trends we should all celebrate with unicorn cookies!”
Greetings in His matchless Name...from (sometimes) sunny Florida. I am in Florida visiting family and friends and attending 3 graduations for great grandchildren (2 Kindergarten & 1 High School). I also snuck in a day of deep sea fishing. I preached both services on the Lord's Day in the great Smyrna Baptist Church in Pensacola! I will be returning to PA next Wed. night. I will also celebrate(?) my 89th Birthday while down here (5/28). :( I have 3 urgent prayer requests for family members if you can add them to your daily prayer time: 1.My grandaughter, Stephanie Sims, has very serious blood issues. 2. My nephew's wife (Samantha Saufley) began losing spinal fluid after an epidural while giving birth, and now has serious issues, after 2 hospitalizations(! ). 3. My best friend, Evang. Herb Brail, had a massive stroke and is now having very high temps & is back in the hospital again (88 miles from his home! ) His wife (Marge) is staying nearby in a hotel. It would mean a lot if you would place them on your daily prayer list. Sincerely in the Savior, Pastor (e) Paul C. Fedena Dear Praying Friends This is part 2 of Fedena Flyer from Florida… Actually, I left Florida 2 days sooner than I had planned. The reason was that I had a severe breathing issue while there, and since my son, Dan lives in PA and has the responsibility of caring for my end-of-life issues, I felt it wiser to come back to PA. Although these issues have somewhat lessened since coming home, they are nonetheless a serious and ongoing problem. It is as though your next breath may be your last one down here on planet Earth. The good news is that my next breath may be in Heaven where I will see my Savior and live under His wonderful government and serve Him forever (and also get to see my wife Shirley who moved there 4+years ago. I miss her every day! My problem is that she is now Jesus’ Bride and I don’t completely understand what my relationship will be with her in Heaven.) The reason I went there to begin with was to visit with my daughter and her husband, and their kids and grandkids (my great grandkids). While there I attended 2 Kindergarten graduations and one High School graduation for my great grandkids. My daughter Crystal and her husband Jerry housed me and fed me (too much!) with all my favorite foods and their sons Paul and Jason and their spouses (Sarah and Sara), and Andrew and Stephanie all treated me like royalty. (Since every year my Birthday is celebrated nationally on Memorial Day weekend, the whole nation joins in! ) As I write this, I am officially 89.) While all six of my great granddaughters are so beautiful and loving (Amelia, Jack, Julia, Adriana, Hannah, and Chase, one is really special to me. Her name is Kenzie and she is on the autistim spectrum. I have faithfully prayed for her daily this past year. And the Lord has wonderfully answered prayers. She is now able to understand what you say to her and with a little urging will even respond verbally. She also hugged me several times (!), a major breakthrough for her! All three of Stephanie and Andrew’s kids love the water (ocean and pool) and it was a joy to see them frolicking in the surf at a remote area beach in Pensacola. Kenzie has no fear of water and loves to get in over her head with floaties and supervision. The other 2 stay in the surf, but their mom takes Kenzie out in deeper water and she is full of joy and laughter. I stayed in the surf. The weather was perfect and the water temp very comfortable. We (the whole clan) had a nice picnic under a pavilion at the beach. Stephanie’s daughter Hannah and Jason’s son Chase, both graduated from Kindergarten at Pensacola Christian Academy. Chase also graduated from AWANA club in their family’s local Baptist church. It was an impressive service with over 200 receiving awards and diplomas. Then, Paul and Sarah’s sweet and beautiful daughter, Amelia, graduated from PCA with special recognition with a national (Roanld Reagan) award and music awards (piano & violin) from High School. She is looking forward to going to college at Pensacola Christian College next year. She is well regarded and loved by fellow students as well as faculty. While there I had the opportunity to preach morning and evening in the Sunday services at Smyrna Baptist Church and renew fellowship with the good folks there. In the AM I spoke on the subject: “Blessed be the tie that binds Pastor & people”, detailing the threefold aspects of a true man of God “pastor, elder and bishop” and his relationship and ministry to his people. And in the evening a new message the Lord gave me on the subject of a daily devotional life, entitled “SINNING SAINTS” – explaining how we daily need to confess sins of commission, omission, secret (known only to us and the Lord), accidental,,known (obvious), unknown (accidental), secret (known only to you) and presumptuous (pre-planned) sins. The good pastor of this growing church is the kind and generous Rev. Bill Adams, a great man of God and a fine pastor to his people. I also renewed my acquaintance with a retired 98-year-old retired man-of-God (Brother Ken Sliger) who just published his autobiography! His ministry and mine paralleled each other in many areas over the years. He was a widely used man of God over many, many years and still plays his beloved trumpet occasionally in services (!). The family celebrated my birthday with a full course steak dinner at my grandson Jason’s beautiful Floridian home with the whole family present, except for Jason’s wife and son Chase, who were out-of-town in Ohio with relatives on her side of the family. This meant that Jason was stuck with the cleanup after this large family fellowship. Since there are no direct Phila. to Pensacola flights. I had long, boring and tiring 4 hour layovers in Orlando airport in both directions! I am still experiencing jet-lag, along with my breathing issues. Thus endeth this great (but unexpected health issues) trip to Florida. Sincerely in the Savior,
During the wait, I pulled out the October 8 edition of Commonweal. My eyes fell upon an interesting piece called "How to Shut Up" by someone writing under the pseudonym Unagidon. The essay, subtitled "An Old Devotion Quiets A Modern Mind," is about the author's personal experience of praying the Rosary. It included this great quote from Fr. Herbert McCabe, O.P.: "Prayer is like love; you won't really begin to understand it until you actually do it."
Find people with high expectations and a low tolerance for excuses. They’ll have higher expectations for you than you have for yourself. Don’t flatter yourself that this has much to do with you – this is just who they are. Don’t look for “nice” in these relationships. Look for trust. Be fearless in front of them with your ideas as many times as they’ll let you Beauty Dust is very pretty to look at and it tastes like nothing, which is great. Here is what it’s supposed to do: This ancient empiric formula expands beauty through alchemizing elements legendary for their youth preserving, fortifying and tonifying qualities. Glowing supple skin, lustrous shiny hair and twinkling bright eyes are holistically bestowed from the inside out. I actually first read this as alkalizing meaning effecting pH level, and I was like, OK I guess I understand how that could positively effect your body, but alchemizing means turning elements to gold basically through magic. That lead me to research each ingredient because I know alchemy is not actually happening in my body when I eat this, since alchemy is not real. In addition to loving beauty and taking care of myself, I also love opening people minds to other paths of self-care, and good marketing and I can honestly say that I use and personally love this product but I’m not sure for which reason. I think it made me think about it more and really consider why I was choosing to add this to my routine It poses an interesting question for me on the wellness category – will people be willing to buy in, or does eating something change your “sniff” test on the believe-ability of the claims? The color is very long lasting and they have an interesting texture that’s like a powder and a cream but neither really. They’re made with pure pigments and oils and will never melt with the warmth of your skin because they don’t contain any waxes. You can literally use them for anything – obviously as eye shadow and liner, but the light shade is a great highlighter, and the red can be used for lip or blush with a little balm. There’s also a little pouch to store the rollerballs, and a card with different inspirations as to how to blend them on your skin – but it’s foolproof. You can’t make a mess if you mix them all up. Badger Beard Balm is perfect for the bearded gents in your life (is this everyone? beards are so trending). It is filled with good things such as vitamins A, D, E & F to keep his beard healthy, thicker and cleaner, as well as helping to relieve itchiness as it soothes the skin under the hair. If you’re looking to get rid of this beard, maybe this is not the right angle for your gifting Further, no one wants to cuddle with a dirty beard – who knows, maybe you already are and are dying for a nice way to help this problem of yours his. Beard Wash made by Beard Buddy. Started in 2011 in California, all Beard Buddy products are hand crafted by beards for beards. Both founders have large beards of their own to tame, and wanted to do this with organic products – kudos, and cuddles, to them.
We pride ourselves on having Miss M as such a well-trained dog, but we have just realized the downfall: with all the extra treat incentives she has become a bit "rubenesque". When I first got Miss M she was a mere 50lbs. She looked like a Hollywood celebrity with her big lollypop head and super-skinny body. She was like the skinny kid that could eat anything. So even though I knew with training I was giving her extra treats--and I should account for that by taking that out of her food rations--I didn't do this. Flash forward several years and we realize she has become a bit rotund. When we wrote our post about how to prepare for our dogs aging, Southern-pooch Pauly James mentioned having dogs at a healthy weight as they age is one of the most important things. So now we're preparing Miss M to become the Biggest Loser. We already go on 2 long walks a day, so I'm thinking we need to alter her food intake. What have you found that works for dog diets?
If you have a choice, a few weeks earlier would be better in terms of crowds and likely weather, but these dates aren't bad. Considering that Monday, May 25 is Memorial day, this is the beginning of busier summer season, so on average it will be somewhat crowded, but not as bad as peak holiday times like 4th of July and christmas week. Although weather is always difficult to predict, on average May tends to be drier than June (which is the rainiest season), and the high temps will average around 88-90 as you approach June. Fortunately in summer the rains tend to be relatively short. Definitely keep track of the weather online as you get very close to your travel date. Please note that 10-day forecasts tend to not be very accurate, wait until you are within a day or two of your departure date, and re-check when you are there as much as possible. If rain is forecasted, I highly recommend you bring some rain ponchos/jackets. Overall, I think Pop Century is a great choice for a Value Resort for 21 year-olds. The themeing is a bit more adult than the All-Star Resorts, and you are less likely (it still could happen) to have large groups (bands, football teams, etc.) staying at this resort. The transportation is very simple from Pop Century -- the only option is bus, and there is only one central area to wait for the buses. In general the wait for a bus during peak times shouldn't exceed 20 minutes, but there are some cases where it may be a bit longer. In my experience, the availability and reliability of buses is good at WDW and it is basically the same at all resorts. Hope that helps.
A real love affair There are many self-proclaimed dating professionals on the Internet. Everybody say their own stories as if they were laws. The problem is going to have their say whether anyone really know. In the science of dating, there are "real love experts." Looking for research related to dating every day, People who study various papers and psychological theories. (With Tarot, today's horoscope, constellation The dimensions are different !!) Now, did you start riding a film thumb? Does your relationship with former lover like? Tinder, Amanda, as of noon Dating Are you using a blind date app? Meet real love tips from psychologists. Blind, thumb, marriage, dating, breakup, to sleep We will solve all the worries about dating. KakaoTalk conversation analysis Still worrying about love Do you solve with tarot or compatibility? Now KakaoTalk conversation with the other party Analyze the relationship between the two The KakaoTalk dialogue analysis of the science of dating Analyze KakaoTalk conversation the two men who are giving How much like each other, See who pushed who pull, How to contact less than once whether I will tell you exactly. Stop tarot and compatibility, groundless test! Now with "KakaoTalk conversation analysis" Try analyzing the inner thoughts of a blind opponent, sseomnam sseomnyeo lover. Embossed'd goose the accuracy? Love psychological test Tired of similar psychological tests every time? Constellation, is a psychological test that blood appeared I can't figure out a person's dating type. Love of science is used in the real psychological experiment It offers a variety of psychological tests. When you're on a blind date, Preview the blind date “Behavioral Tests in Action” To examine the six personality traits associated with wind Constellation, blood type psychological test is unknown Taro or even chemistry can not be resolved by Deception We will solve your dating problems perfectly. Real love app, love of science It's hard to start dating, Yieoganeun a happy romantic thing more difficult. Tinder, Amanda, Ie, noon date ... Arranged app lotta wood! App that will help you better love is jeongjak Does it make sense to have none? The science of dating, whether you're a solo or a couple It will help you be more happy dating! I still want to date Do you see the tarot, see today's horoscope, see the constellation? Tinder, Amanda, joints, such as date of noon Isn't it just a bunch of blind date apps? Now with the science of dating Try to start a happy love. It's different points of view dating! ◎ Love Science ◎ Facebook page ◎ Other bugs and questions Email us at [email protected]! [Access Rights Guide] • Required access rights • Optional access rights - Storage: the need to invoke the science of love message dialog file for analysis * You can use the app even if you do not agree with the optional access rights. * The access to the science of dating apps corresponds to at least Android version 6.0 is implemented by dividing the required permissions and select Permissions. If you are using a version lower than 6.0, you can not allow the selection right individually, so we recommend that you check if the manufacturer of your device provides the OS upgrade function and update to 6.0 or higher if possible.
Alright, folks! Let’s dive into the quirky world of Word Detector, an online puzzle game that has you feeling like a wordsmith secret agent. Seriously, it’s like if Sherlock Holmes went on a vocabulary bender. You’re thrust into a vibrant, interactive town where words have mysteriously vanished, and it’s your mission to bring them back! I mean, who knew that saving the lexicon could be so thrilling? The story? Oh, it’s delightful! Picture this: you’re a secret agent, armed with nothing but your dictionary and quick wits, tasked with uncovering hidden words that have pulled a “now you see me, now you don’t” act in this charming town. And let me tell you, the quirky characters you meet along the way could use a word or two themselves. Honestly, if I had a dollar for every time a character made me chuckle, I’d have enough for a solid pizza and a soda. Your primary goal? Restore those lost words, of course! You’ll be racing against the clock, hunting for letters like they’re Pokémon (gotta catch 'em all, you know?). And as you rack up points and collect bonus items, you’re basically the hero this town didn’t know it needed. Nothing says “I love you” to your fellow townsfolk quite like getting their vocabulary back. Now let’s talk mechanics. Think of it as a mashup of word formation and deduction. You’ll be clicking around, rearranging scrambled letters like a pro chef chopping veggies. The game’s controls are straightforward—point, click, and poof! Words pop up before your eyes. It’s so intuitive that even your grandma could join in (and trust me, she’ll crush you). But wait, there’s more! The game spices things up with mini-games and challenges that pop in like surprise visits from your overly enthusiastic neighbor. You even get time bonuses for quick thinking and power-ups that make you feel like a linguistic superhero. The visuals? Colorful and eye-catching, kind of like a candy shop exploded in the best way possible. And the sounds? They’re so immersive that I’d swear I could hear the words whispering back to me. In a nutshell, Word Detector is a charming puzzle adventure that tickles your brain while tickling your funny bone. Whether you’re a casual player just looking to kill some time or a hardcore wordsmith eager for a challenge, this game is your new best friend. So, ready to save the day? Let’s get those words back!
Redefining what it means to be ambitious and successful with more wellbeing, meaning and fun in your career, biz & relationships "Check out episode 33 of Holistic Ambition where I break down the 16 things that helped me so much as I was producing the show Holistic Ambition." ► Tell us about you and your podcast Hi, I'm Stephanie Thoma, author of the best-selling networking book Confident Introvert, and host of Holistic Ambition, the antidote to hustle culture, redefining what it means to be ambitious and successful. I interview millionaires, healers, visionary leaders and tastemakers who are successful, sometimes in unique ways or with unique methodologies. My listeners are aspiring or current entrepreneurs who are seeking expanders to show them that success can be achieved their way. ► Why & how did you start this podcast? I actually didn't listen to podcasts before creating Holistic Ambition! I did however produce my own speaker series more than once in-person and many of those interviews were not recorded. I got the idea to do preliminary interviews starting in December 2022 and debuted the weekly show in April 2023 and still record, sometimes with a live audience, to this day. My goal and motivation is to have the knowledge to inform and inspire, and fill the pages of my second book. Stay tuned. ► How'd you find the time and funding to do this podcast? Episodes are weekly, and they tend to take around 2 hours a piece including shooting (30-60 minutes) plus scheduling across platforms, coming up with copy and imagery and all that. Thank goodness I have a VA to support in the process. I was batch scheduling interviews and now I stick with most Fridays, doing one when I don't typically have other calls. This podcast is self-funded at the moment and welcomes support. ► What do you gain from podcasting? Podcasting is for the intrinsic value of creating and knowledge sharing at the moment, however, I would be open to sponsorship in the future as long as it's aligned with the values of the show. ► How does your podcasting process look like? I use anchor which is now spotify for podcasters as well as zoom, calendly, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Google calendar, Google Suite, Google Sheets, and I'm not sure of the editing tool my VA uses, although it's minimal since we typically only add a beginning and end intro/outro to the uncut interview. ► How do you market your show? I market my show on social media across platforms including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and sometimes LinkedIn. I would love to monetize my Youtube, so while I still have a ways to go I would love to see more traction there, and when it comes to viewership, Facebook Reels has been in the lead so far, 33 episodes in right now. ► What advice would you share with aspiring (new) podcasters? Check out episode 33 of Holistic Ambition where I break down the 16 things that helped me so much as I was producing the show Holistic Ambition.
- A good set of features in a nicely styled package… What’s not to like? - … running the face of the rollers showed no hint of yawing or the bow digging in. - Instead of seeking the last half a knot, the hull gives a soft ride in the chop and adequate performance… With RIBs being so popular, especially from other Italian boatbuilders, Ranieri have been a long time bringing one out. But has the wait been worthwhile? Simon Everett gives us his thoughts. Anybody who has even the slightest interest in boating, including those new to the scene, can’t fail to have noticed the upsurge of RIBs in the marine leisure industry. So for a company with the market placement of Ranieri not to have any boats in that popular sector seems strange. But the Ranieri family do not do things by halves – when they decide to produce a model, or in this case a range of models, they want to do it right, which is why the Ranieri RIBs were kind of late on the scene. However, given the state of the marine industry over the first few years of the second decade of this century, maybe it was fortunate timing. The new Cayman RIBs have been deliberately aimed at the core of the RIB demand and come in at highly attractive prices. The Cayman 23s is the longest of the three hulls on offer at the moment, with 19 and 21 feet as alternatives with similar styling and layout. Together they form the basis for extending the size range offered, especially in the Mediterranean, where anything short of 8 metres is considered small. We Brits have always been less size conscious – even back in the days of Nelson our naval fleet consisted of smaller, more manoeuvrable craft that proved their worth. Following on the tradition of the Ranieri family sports boats, the Cayman 23s has a sporty rather than a racing-style hull. Designed to give a soft and predictable ride, the deadrise angles chosen are quite aggressive, but these are tempered by a broader beam and larger-diameter tubes to ensure solid stability at rest and secure handling at speed. For the family boater, these attributes go a long way to ensuring that youngsters and other less confident passengers enjoy their time on the boat. Powered by Suzuki’s new 200AP outboard, the 23s achieved over 46 knots in a rolling swell and the south-westerly breeze against the falling tide at the entrance to Salcombe harbour. The engine was brand new, with less than 3 hours on the clock, so it should spin more freely once run in. For most people, the DF150 will make a perfect complement to the boat, with enough power for the easy-planing hull to give a good turn of speed with a useful saving on the initial purchase cost. If a bit more load-carrying capability or extra speed is required, then you might like to meet halfway with the DF175, which should still give 44 knots and excellent fuel economy. The 200hp turned the 23s into a frisky sports boat with rapid acceleration that will satisfy all but the thirstiest of petrol heads. With more than a nod to the Mediterranean lifestyle, the bimini covers the entire aft cockpit, throwing everything from the bench seat to the console into stylish shade and turning the boat into a floating patio. The good thing about the bimini is that it is well enough supported to leave up when running, within reason. The aft backrest has three positions: bolt upright, relaxed and laid out. With the seat back, laid flat, there is a ready-made changing platform. The access to and from the water is unobstructed on the port side, with the stainless A-frame high enough to provide walk-through headroom and good handholds to make the transition easier. The forward sun area is similar to many others, with the use of the entire foredeck once filled in. The attraction is obvious. What is less in your face are the two upright mouldings, with a choice of consoles for the 23 hull in either the slimline Sports or chunkier Sports Touring version, where the console volume is increased forwards to house a possible heads compartment with a lifting door for access. The Suzuki 200AP is the newest version of Suzuki’s lean-burn range, with fly-by-wire control and their new security system that causes total immobilisation through the sophisticated and well-thought-out electronic keyless fob. Once the engine is activated by the fob coming within 1 metre of the sensor, the engine remains ‘live’, so there is no possibility of being stranded offshore through the loss of the fob. To secure the boat, one simply presses a button like locking a car. Once shut down, it is impossible to re-energise the engine without the fob, so a stolen engine is useless other than for breaking for parts, because the entire engine control system needs to be replaced. Upon purchase, numerous fobs can be supplied, which is ideal for fleet operations where crew need access to different boats. They can all be synched to run off the same set of fobs. It is quite nifty when you see it action. The graphite-coloured tube goes well with the black engine to create a visual effect from afar. Closer inspection reveals flexiteek decking throughout and stylish stainless cleats of Ranieri’s own design, embossed with the name. One graces either side of the bow step with its recessed anchor warp run to the chain locker tucked away right in the stem. This arrangement prevents any chance of tripping over a mooring line if boarding over the bow. There are similar cleats astern, again outboard and clear of the boarding steps aft. It would seem that most practical situations have been given due consideration and acted upon. That goes for the performance and handling too. Instead of seeking the last half a knot, the hull gives a soft ride in the chop and adequate performance, but more importantly, early planing and economic cruising. For the leisure boater with family and friends aboard, those are far more useful attributes than sheer speed. We did have some rolling swell to test her mettle, and found some white tops too. I have to say that while she will play the airborne game quite happily if you want to, taking the conditions at a speed to suit provided a very confident and safe ride. The bow profile is unusual in that it is a departure from the normal steep rake and looks as though it would cause a bit of bow steer, but in reality, running the face of the rollers showed no hint of yawing or the bow digging in. The wide collar carried all the way forward keeps her head up, although I am sure an inattentive helm could get water over the bow – but it would need some effort, or lack of it, to do so. While the boat coped with the rough stuff pretty well, that leaning post seat isn’t quite wide enough to take four buttocks, and the room at the console is a little cosy. The helm position is well protected, and provided you fight for your space on the leaning post it is a nice position to steer from. I prefer to stand at the wheel in any case, so this arrangement suits me, but I can’t help feeling that just another 10cm on the width of the seat module would have been beneficial, despite making the walkway narrower in the process. Extending the upholstered section to the very edges might be sufficient – that would be a case of trial and error, but wouldn’t be difficult. The overall effect of the Ranieri is positive, though – good manners at sea, a healthy turn of speed with economical cruising, and family-orientated layout with excellent over-stern access to the water. A good set of features in a nicely styled package … What’s not to like? - LOA: 7.10m - Beam overall: 2.85m - Tube diameter: 0.60m - Chambers: 5 - Dry weight: 700kg - Fuel tank capacity: 205 litres - Max. persons: 15 - Max. power: 1 x 250hp - CE category: B - RPM Speed (knots) Litres/hr - 600 1.6 0.76 - 1000 3.4 1.9 - 2000 7.4 6.8 - 3000 20.0 12.1 - 3500 26.1 17.0 - 4000 30.9 21.2 - 5000 39.8 36.7 - 5900 46.3 46.9 - Ease of boarding access to/from the water over the stern - Bow step with recessed anchor warp run - Handling and sea manners - Economy of cruising Reddish Marine Limited T. +44(0)1548 844094
Spotlight: Gary Gensler: RESIGN. • September 18, 2022 4:59 pm • CommentsWe’re re-running this article because it seemed very timely… Is an XRP settlement soon to be announced? We’ll find out soon. In the meantime, please enjoy this Editorial from ProCoinNews. You know the beauty of being your own man? Not taking orders from anyone? You can publish whatever you want, limited only by the truth. And that’s what you get at ProCoinNews! In case you missed it, earlier this week Roslyn Layton published an article on Forbes titled “Gary Gensler: Resign”. It stayed up for a hot minute before Forbes execs made her take it down. But here at ProCoinNews, we publish whatever we damn well want, as long as it’s ethical and truthful. Those are our guiding principles. And so in honor of Roz getting cancelled, we thought we’d pick up the torch and proudly publish this article titled, you guessed it….Gary Gensler: RESIGN. Catchy, isn’t it? In case you’ve been living under a rock and don’t understand what Gary Gensler has done to be so almost-universally hated, allow me to elucidate you. He is essentially running a government sanctioned version of the mob shakedown. Except the mob guys were nicer, had more humanity. Gary is ostensibly in charge of crypto regulation in America with two main goals: protect investors and foster innovation so America continues to be the leader in the world. He’s failed miserably on both fronts. He’s failed so badly you have to wonder if it’s incompetence or gross conflicts of interest. A few days ago, Roslyn Layton published an article in Forbes titled “Gary Gensler: Resign” and very soon there after the article went POOF. — Digital Asset Investor (@digitalassetbuy) August 25, 2022 There’s always humor to be found, and for any 80s or 90s kids out there, you gotta love this: — ONE (@b_vangogh) August 25, 2022 Personally, I’m here to testify to the fact this was a much bigger problem with the 8-bit NES than the SuperNES, but still it’s a great meme video! Here is proof the article did at one time exist: — ⚫ HGTP://BESATREE (@besatree) August 25, 2022 As always, the good thing is the internet is written in ink, and try as hard as you might you can’t ever really delete anything: Download this article before they shadow ban my tweets! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/nKahq3czgX — Howard XRP (@Howard_XRP) August 25, 2022 It’s still up. I just screenshot these. 👍 pic.twitter.com/qbr2z406mx — Crypto fan.GaryGenslerResign (@CryptoHarleyman) August 25, 2022 Courtesy of the Wayback Machine, this appears to be the full article: But now let’s advance the story… Is this a good enough reason for Gary to resign? This clip where he is basically describing how to buy off the banks to get your new ventures up and running? — 801_XRP.GaryGenslerResign (@801_XRP) August 30, 2022 Shouldn’t this video alone be cause for impeachment or resignation? Or if not that, how about Anti-trust violations? Sherman Act Monopoly-ANTITRUST! Conspiracy to Monopolize requires an agreement between two or more parties with the specific intent of acquiring monopoly power. Following the agreement, it requires at least one overt act to accomplish the objectives. Where are yo Congress? https://t.co/YB7hLUTXQL— Digital Asset Investor (@digitalassetbuy) August 18, 2022 Surely, that’s enough for his ouster, right? Do we still have a rule of law in America? Actually we may not. Gary may be taking cover under the Clinton Cabal, who never seem to face any repercussions for anything they have ever done! Even getting a wang sucked off in the Oval Office while serving as President and then lying about it. Let alone the infamous “Clinton Kill List” which we can neither confirm nor deny exists. But many of you know exactly what I’m talking about. Oh America, what happened to you? It’s a small penance, but on the road to redeeming America, the first step is GARY GENSLER: RESIGN! And no, this article will NOT get taken down, so please feel free to share everywhere! Who loves ya, baby? Join the conversation! We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.
When we listen to a foreign language, we may hear sounds which do not exist in our mother tongue, and may sound different from anything we have ever heard before. The first time we hear something new, a foreign sound or word—even an unknown word in our own languages—something in it may provoke delight or revulsion. Often with familiar words, it’s almost impossible to simply look at one and separate it from its meaning. Words like “putrid” or “disgusting” have nasty connotations already built in to our subconscious and therefore meaning will play a key role. However, when we learn a new language, we encounter words free of associations and connotations in our mind. This presents an opportunity for researchers to determine what’s in a word itself that the mind finds pleasing or unpleasant. From a very young age, everyone is exposed to music and to language, and every culture has its local variants of both. We all perceive words in different ways. How we feel about different words, whether we like the sound of some of them more than others, will depend mostly on what experiences in our life we attach to them and how people in our community use those words. The British linguist David Crystal conducted some research on phonaesthetics, the study of what makes certain sounds beautiful, and noted that the most popular words have positive connotations—no surprises there. But what’s interesting is what these words have in common: two or three syllables, short vowels, easy-to-produce consonantal sounds such as /l/, /s/ and /m/. None of these sounds—or “phonemes”—require much energy or effort to be pronounced and so evoke natural and peaceful tones. Some examples are: autumn, melody, lullaby, velvet, luminous, tranquil, marigold, whisper, gossamer, caress. For centuries, the repetition of certain sounds in literature has been popular in poetry, often with the aim of mimicking nature to elicit moods and feelings. Both in English and Spanish poems, words where /s/ is a prominent sound symbolize the hissing sound of the the wind or the sea, and words with nasal sounds like /m/ are soothing and mellow, like a soft murmur. Separating meaning from words In the English language, the very same word will sound differently when pronounced by speakers of different areas, within the UK and abroad. Geography not only affects the way a word sounds but also its meaning—like “close”, which describes proximity and the feeling in the air immediately before a storm. When we hear a word, the way we perceive it will be influenced not only by denotation but also by connotation. Understandably, words associated with positive experiences will be perceived as pleasing. However, the way our experiences influence what words we like remains fluid throughout life. For the last 20 years or so, I have witnessed this with my Spanish beginner students. If we effectively “conquer” a word, it becomes a word we like to say and hear. Sounds that at the start of the course British students struggled with – /θ/, /x/, /ɲ/, the rolled /r/ and /ʧ/—because they are scarce or do not exist in their mother tongue, became more popular by the end of the year. There are also words which students used to find challenging at the start of their course but after some months have grown confident using and pronouncing with the kind of pride that arises from knowledge, hard work, and learning, regardless of the word’s connotations. This is particularly striking in the example of “desafortunadamente.” This means “unfortunately” in Spanish. Desafortunadamente therefore has obvious negative connotations, but learners of a new language are more likely to experience disassociation with a word from its meaning, which rarely happens in your mother tongue. Speakers of a new language can therefore enjoy a word on its own merits, disregarding its connotations. When I teach pronunciation and intonation to Spanish beginners, I use the word “jeringuilla” as an example. It has all the makings of a word our brains love—syllables that flow, short vocalic sounds, /n/ and the strong Spanish /x/, which offers a worthy challenge for a native English speaker—but imagine their surprise when they learn it actually means “syringe”…
Have you ever felt like some people are just destined for greatness? Maybe they always seem to be in the right place at the right time, or they have an unstoppable energy that sets them apart. Well, astrology might have something to do with it! Some zodiac signs are naturally wired for success, no matter what life throws at them. They have the drive, charm, and resilience to rise above everything else. Let’s dive into the five zodiac signs that are ready to take on the world and come out on top. If there’s one zodiac sign that was born to lead, it’s Aries. These fiery individuals are full of passion, energy, and determination. They don’t just wait for opportunities to come their way—they create them! Aries is never afraid to take risks, and that fearless attitude often leads them straight to success. Ever met someone who never backs down from a challenge? That’s Aries in a nutshell. Their competitive spirit pushes them forward, and they don’t let failure stop them. Instead, they use it as motivation to work even harder. Whether it’s in their career, relationships, or personal goals, Aries always finds a way to come out on top. Leos are natural-born stars. With their confidence and charisma, they attract success like a magnet. People are drawn to their energy, and it’s no surprise that many Leos end up in positions of power or fame. They love being in the spotlight, and they’re not afraid to work hard to stay there. What makes Leo special is their ability to inspire others. They don’t just want to rise alone; they want to bring their friends and loved ones up with them. Their generous nature, combined with their determination, makes them unstoppable. When a Leo sets their mind to something, nothing can stand in their way. Scorpios may not always be the loudest in the room, but they are definitely among the most powerful. These deep thinkers know how to play the long game. Their patience, intelligence, and determination make them masters of success. Unlike some signs that rely on luck, Scorpio relies on strategy. Ever heard the saying, “Revenge is a dish best served cold”? That’s Scorpio’s mindset when it comes to winning in life. They may face obstacles, but they always have a plan to rise above. Their intense focus and resilience mean that no setback can keep them down for long. If they set a goal, you can bet they’ll achieve it—no matter how long it takes. When it comes to persistence and discipline, no one does it better than Capricorn. These earth signs are known for their strong work ethic and never-give-up attitude. While others may dream of success, Capricorns put in the effort to make it happen. They don’t believe in shortcuts—only hard work and dedication. Have you ever met someone who seems to have everything planned out? That’s a Capricorn. They set goals, make detailed plans, and work tirelessly to achieve them. Their patience and determination mean that even if success takes time, they’re willing to wait and work for it. Once they reach the top, they stay there. Aquarius is in a league of their own. These forward-thinkers see the world differently, and their innovative ideas often set them apart from the crowd. While others follow trends, Aquarius creates them. They are always looking for new ways to improve and change the world. What makes Aquarius rise above the rest is their originality. They don’t follow the rules; they make their own. They thrive in creative and intellectual fields, always thinking ahead of their time. With their humanitarian nature and big dreams, they often end up making a lasting impact on the world. These five zodiac signs—Aries, Leo, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Aquarius—are built for success. Whether it’s their fearless ambition, magnetic charm, strategic thinking, strong work ethic, or visionary mind, they each have unique qualities that push them to the top. While anyone can achieve greatness with hard work and determination, these signs seem to have a natural advantage. If you belong to one of these signs, embrace your strengths and keep pushing forward. The stars might just be on your side! Which zodiac sign is the most successful? There isn’t a single “most successful” sign, but Aries, Leo, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Aquarius are often among the most driven and ambitious. Do zodiac signs really influence success? Astrology suggests that personality traits linked to certain signs can influence motivation and determination, which can impact success. Can other zodiac signs also achieve success? Absolutely! Any sign can achieve success with hard work, determination, and the right mindset. Why is Capricorn considered so hardworking? Capricorns are ruled by Saturn, the planet of discipline and responsibility, which makes them naturally hardworking and persistent. What makes Aquarius different from other signs? Aquarius stands out because of their unique ideas, innovative thinking, and ability to see the bigger picture in ways others might not.
Here at Quartz Countertops Indiana if you come to work every day with the month, ready to get things done. We absolutely love what we do to work out every single day to make sure our customers are satisfied. Customer service customer satisfaction is the top two priorities every single day. It’s very important for you. Use the line products and document line services. Focus on the details. We get done in a very timely manner. We are very efficient at what we do and we love doing what we do. He would absolutely love working with you as we would love to Morgan with our customers in the past. At Quartz Countertops Indiana works extremely hard every single day to make sure that we get our things done. We use the top one product so like I said, we have the best prices on the market hands-down. Nobody can touch us when it comes to our prize. Around for a measure to install a countertop that is absolutely amazing. We do press match guarantees. Would you be any of our competitors by 10%? That’s 10% which is absolutely amazing. Customers absolutely love it. Our weekdays are 8 AM to 3 PM and Saturdays 9 AM to 12 PM which is absolutely immaculate. Quartz Countertops Indiana has the best services hands-down no doubt about it. We do the courts countertop services as well as natural stone services as well as solid surfaces for our customers. Which is absolutely amazing. We eliminated countertops as well. Along with beautiful culture and marble and specialty services for our customers. We also offer countertop comparisons for a customer to understand and we do visualization tools so it’s easier for us to pick out a countertop for photo albums and care product so that the countertops last longer faucet sinks and fixture services as well for a customers, and we have an amazing warranty guarantee for customers as well, which I love Our favorite countertop service is our quartz countertop. It’s so popular because it’s a handmaid‘s life and it’s 93% natural quartz and it’s consistent in the color. People like the natural look that is sleek and it catches your eye at the same time. It’s a really good look. It’s virtually maintenance free which means it looks clean even when it’s not and it’s impact resistant, very scratch resistant which is absolutely amazing and its resistant to acid and chemicals, which is absolutely amazing. It’s very durable If you’re excited to get the ball rolling with us, we’d strongly recommend that you visit our site. We have everything perfectly laid out for you so you can see all the benefits and services that we have to offer. https://www.qualitysurfaces.com/quartz after seeing our website you’re ready to get the borrowing with us. We highly recommend reach out to us.812-876-5838 Quartz Countertops Indiana \| Awesome Countertops For You Here at Quartz Countertops Indiana comes to work every day with a positive attitude to get things done. We absolutely love doing what we do. We love going to work every single day. We love working closely with our customers to make sure they get the best customer service possible, and the best service is possible, depending on what their needs and wants for countertops and kitchen love what we do. We work with our customers closely. We pay attention to detail every single day and we get things done in a timely manner. We are very efficient with what we do. We meet the deadlines always and so I guarantee when you come through our customer. At Quartz Countertops Indiana the best service is the best countertops. We have the best prices on the market as well. Which is absolutely outstanding over a five day business turnaround with the Measure install on the countertop. Then we fabricate. We also beat our competitors’ prices by 10%, which is absolutely outstanding because the customers love it and we love it too because we work hard. We also have an amazing pet price match guarantee which is absolutely outstanding and something else that we offer the others don’t offer. Quartz Countertops Indiana we love what we do and we work hard every single day to get things done timely. Our workday or 8 AM to 4:30 PM during the week and Saturdays are 9 AM to 12 PM so reach out to us. Services such as countertops, such as countertops, natural stone, countertop, solid surfaces, as well as laminated countertops that are absolutely beautiful and amazing. We also have culture. Marvel is beautiful to look at. We also have special services as well. We also have countertop comparison so it makes it easier for the customer to pick up. We also have visualization toys to help us pick up countertops. We also have a photo album antique product counter to sink and fish. Also have an amazing warranty guarantee for customers. We work extremely hard every single day to make sure our customers are happy and satisfied with the results that they get and the customer service they receive and the services ticket. One of our customer service services we offer is a court countertop service. Course is amazing. It’s very durable and it’s a consistent color that grabs your eye. It’s a 93% quote and it’s a man-made slab. It’s stain resistant and it is very scratch resistant as well as as well as it is impact resistant virtually maintenance which means it looks clean even when it’s not. And it’s resistant to acid and different types of chemicals. We are willing to make sure you find all that you ever needed to find. If you’re excited and ready for borrowing with your kitchen and countertop dreams, we’d highly recommend that you visit our website. We’ve made it easy for you to see all of your benefits and services you receive while going through our company. https://www.qualitysurfaces.com/quartz after going through an amazing one of the account websites if you’re still interested, please give us a call so we would absolutely love working with you. 812-876-5838
It’s officially spring and with that comes the start of spring cleaning and organizing. This year I’ve created a Spring Organizing Series here on the blog, which will be a collection of blog posts dedicated to getting specific areas of your home organized. First up in the series is the topic that I get asked about most often: kids stuff! As a mom to identical twins, I can completely relate to the amount of stuff that accumulate when you have children. From the paperwork that they bring home to the trail of art supplies that make their way on to our kitchen counter, I’m no stranger to the feeling that kids stuff surrounds us. There are tips that we can incorporate into our home’s to help contain all of that stuff and–better yet–ways to get the kids involved in the process so that the organization sticks. My girls are no strangers to sharing ways that kids can get involved in organization throughout the home. In fact, they have shared their tips several times on our YouTube channel (here, here, and here) and earlier this week they got to share their tips with Rachael Ray on the Rachael Ray Show. TIPS FOR ORGANIZING KIDS SPACES On the show the girls talked about the importance of: Putting items into groups so that you always know where to find you stuff Using labels (that you can make on your own!) to help you know what is stored where Creating lists for your to-dos and to help pack for upcoming trips Categorizing and storing clothing so that you can find what you want to wear quickly Adding a donation bin or basket to your closet to collect clothing that you no longer fit in to or wear Here’s the full video if you’d like to take a look (click here for the full story): I know that there are some categories that weren’t covered in the video but that we all know exist when it comes to children…the “collections” that your kids have created (you know, from scraps of paper that look like trash to their latest play-doh design that has hardened out on their bedside table). Creating a home for everything–down to the ever growing collections–is key. Sure, you’ll have to put some work in to pare down collections and categorize what actually is being used, but once you know the contents that you are working with it will be easier to bring in organizing products that can corral the clutter (aka collections). Use small clear bins to keep categories contained and dedicate “zones” to encourage play and display for said categories. Also, spend time every couple of months to review what’s on display. Chances are your kids may no longer be attached to the popsicle stick creation they made last month and are ready to let it go. If you’re still on the fence on how to get kids involved in the process in a way that they will actually enjoy, here’s what’s worked for me and many of my clients: incentivize and get them involved in the process. Just as it goes with adults, hanging on to items that you don’t use, love, or need only takes away from the opportunity to see and access the items that you truly do reach for on a regular basis. Creating a purpose for the task will also make the process seem more meaningful. Add a bin to the floor of the closet so that as your kids come across clothing that no longer fits or has seen better days they can just toss it in the basket rather than hanging it back up. Or, set a timer and make a game of it! See who can categorize their clothing first or give them a treat when they’ve finished paring down their toy bin. I’d love to know: do you involve your kids in the organization at your home? If so, let me know in the comment section below. I’d love to know any strategies that work to keep them interested and involved!
In a time when emotion in rap feels rare, Fakhro drops a project that’s as introspective as it is impactful. TOP 3 SONGS 3. Road To Perdition If there’s one thing Fakhro excels at, it’s delivering wisdom with weight, and “Road to Perdition” is packed with it. What stands out most in this track are the wise, introspective lines woven into his verses. Whether he’s saying “A man should only cry / when he reads the Quran or when a soul dies” or “One day you’re breaking bread / next day you’re left with crumbs,” Fakhro pulls from a deep well of experience and emotion. These aren’t just bars—they’re lessons. The production enhances everything beautifully. There’s an ancient, sacred aura to the instrumental—something that feels both cinematic and spiritual. That energy is doubled by Fakhro’s soul-clenching chorus, which is as hypnotic as it is heavy. As for the verses, they’re delivered with purposeful conviction. Fakhro doesn’t just rap—he testifies. He speaks on rising from adversity and pushing wickedness off his plate, all with the calm strength of someone who’s lived it. More than just a good listen, “Road to Perdition” is a track you appreciate—for its honesty, its weight, and its unshakable soul. The message in “Remedy” is crystal clear: Fakhro wants to be the safe space for the woman he loves. On this touching track, Fakhro opens up about the kind of love that’s deeper than just attraction. He raps about being her light in the darkness, the one who understands her anxiety and supports her through it all. The connection he describes feels real, grounded, and healing—like the kind of relationship where love becomes a form of therapy. The production matches that emotional depth beautifully. The beat is wrapped in nurturing tones—soft, melodic, and designed to make you feel safe. It’s the perfect canvas for what may be Fakhro’s most hypnotic and heartwarming chorus to date. His verses are delivered with a rare sense of calm and clarity—the kind that lets you know this isn’t just a performance, it’s a genuine outpouring. It’s that effortless confidence and sincerity that makes “Remedy” feel like more than a love song—it’s a promise. “Damn” isn’t just an intro—it’s a statement of survival. From the very first few seconds, Fakhro pulls listeners into his world with a beat that balances dark textures, a steady tempo, and an old-school flair that feels both timeless and current. On the mic, Fakhro wastes no time getting personal. He raps about his resilience, the obstacles he’s had to overcome, and how he continues to sidestep the negativity of those hoping he falls. The lyrical content is raw yet calculated—he’s not just venting; he’s making it clear that his pain has sharpened his perspective. What really stands out is the hook. It walks that fine line between catchy and cathartic, making it stick in your mind while still feeling genuine and hard-hitting. And Fakhro’s delivery? Focused, tight, and defensive in the best way—like someone swatting away threats with the calm precision of a seasoned fighter. In a genre where intros often get overlooked, “Damn” does the opposite—it demands your attention. This is Fakhro at his most intentional, and it’s one hell of a way to open a project. SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN In today’s rap landscape, it’s not every day you come across a project that makes you feel something. That’s exactly what Fakhro achieves with his powerful new release, What’s Past Is Prologue. This isn’t just a rap project—it’s a lesson in values. Throughout the project, Fakhro explores themes like resilience, loyalty, spiritual grounding, and the importance of staying true to yourself. What’s especially impressive is his lyrical depth. He doesn’t approach these topics on a surface level; he dives in with poetic flair and real-world scenarios that hit home. One of the most standout elements? The hooks. Channeling a vintage 50 Cent energy, Fakhro crafts hypnotic, emotionally charged choruses that stick with you. They’re catchy without feeling forced and powerful without being preachy. Production-wise, the beats perfectly match the project’s emotional weight. Sacred-sounding melodies, rich textures, and traditional hip-hop drums make up the sonic backbone, providing a canvas for Fakhro’s introspective bars. While What’s Past Is Prologue is relatively short in length, it leaves a lasting impression. It’s not only a strong introduction to Fakhro’s artistry, but also a reminder that meaningful rap still exists.
The St. Louis Cardinals (56-52) just took two of three from the Texas Rangers at home and now travel up to Chicago for a four-game series against the Cubs (52-58) at Wrigley Field. Ever since Mother's Day, the Cardinals and Cubs have been going in polar opposite directions. Since May 12th, the Cardinals have the third-best record in all of baseball and the best record in the National League at 41-28, while the Cubs have been 29-41 over that stretch of time. Even so, we all know how competitive games between these two teams seem to be, no matter what the season standings show. For the record though, the Cardinals are winning the season series six games to three entering this series. For Cardinals fans, something very important to watch out for in tonight's game is their ability to hit left-handed pitching. The offense has been a bottom-three unit in all of baseball vs. southpaws this year, but they were able to put up six runs in 4.1 innings against lefty Andrew Heaney yesterday. The Cubs are sending out one of the best left-handed starters in baseball tonight, so the Cardinals need to bring their best if they want to give their own ace run support. It does feel like the addition of Tommy Pham is helping the club in a major way already. Probable starting pitchers - Sonny Gray (10-6, 3.79 ERA) has been going through it as of late and needs to get back to pitching like the Cardinals' ace tonight against the Cubs. Since May 9th, Gray has a 4.87 ERA in 81.1 innings pitched, but there are still a lot of encouraging signs. During that rough stretch, Gray has maintained a 3.35 FIP, 2.86 xFIP, and 29.7 K% with an unlucky BABIP of .317. The length of time Gray has been struggling is concerning, but I have no doubt that he is the type of guy who can turn things around, and his stuff certainly plays a lot better than it has as of late. - Toeing the slab for the Chicago Cubs the Japanese sensation Shota Imanaga, who took the league by storm in the first two months, looking like a front-runner for the National League Cy Young Award. And much like Gray, things have been rockier since then. Over Imanaga's last seven starts, he has posted a 4.65 ERA with less than nine strikeouts per nine innings. The Cubs are in last place in the National League Central, and if they have any hope of pushing for a playoff spot, they need Imanaga to be dominant again. St. Louis Cardinals starting lineup, August 1st - SS Masyn Winn - DH Willson Contreras - 1B Paul Goldschmidt - 3B Nolan Arenado - LF Tommy Pham - 2B Brendan Donovan - RF Lars Nootbaar - C Pedro Pages - CF Michael Siani Chicago Cubs starting lineup, August 1st - LF Ian Happ - 1B Michael Busch - RF Seiya Suzuki - DH Cody Bellinger - 3B Isaac Paredes - 2B Nico Hoerner - SS Dansby Swanson - CF Pete Crow-Armstrong - C Miguel Amaya What channel is the St. Louis Cardinals game on today? - Game time: 7:05 PM CT - This evening's game will be aired on Bally Sports Midwest and on Marquee Sports Network How do I stream the St. Louis Cardinals game today? How can I listen to the St. Louis Cardinals game today? - The Cardinals radio broadcast will be on KMOX 1120 AM/98.7 FM, Cardinals Radio Network - Cubs fans can listen to the game on 670 The Score, WRTO 1200
- "Music is always a commentary on society. I never set out to be weird. It was always other people who called me weird. You can't always write a chord ugly enough to say what you want to say, so sometimes you have to rely on a giraffe filled with whipped cream." Music is an activity enjoyed by 95% of humans. In fact, there are around 5% of humans who do not enjoy (or presumably understand) music. Anything can be music, but it doesn’t become music until someone wills it to be music, and the audience listening to it decides to perceive it as music. Music is the only religion that delivers the goods. Everything on this planet has something to do with music. Music functions in the realm of sculptured air. Polluted as our atmosphere might be, air is the thing that makes music work. Since all other things that occur in the sound domain are transmitted to the ear through that swirling mass, depending on how wide you want to make your definition, you could perceive quite a bit of human experience in terms of music. Music, in performance, is a type of sculpture. The air in the performance is sculpted into something. Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid. Certain forms of music are deadly weapons, or even act as important military tools in the psionic cosmic wars. All the good music has already been written by people with wigs and stuff. I'll tell you what classical music is, for those of you who don't know. Classical music is this music that was written by a bunch of dead people a long time ago. And it's formula music, the same as top forty music is formula music. In order to have a piece be classical, it has to conform to academic standards that were the current norms of that day and age … I think that people are entitled to be amused, and entertained. If they see deviations from this classical norm, it's probably good for their mental health. Classical musicians go to the conservatories, rock´n roll musicians go to the garages. The rock and roll business is pretty absurd, but the world of serious music is much worse. A composer is a guy who goes around forcing his will on unsuspecting air molecules, often with the assistance of unsuspecting musicians. Rock music was never written for or performed for conservative tastes. The Ultimate Rule ought to be: 'If it sounds GOOD to you, it's bitchin'; if it sounds BAD to YOU, it's shitty. The more your musical experience, the easier it is to define for yourself what you like and what you don't like. American radio listeners, raised on a diet of _____ (fill in the blank), have experienced a musical universe so small they cannot begin to know what they like. Most people wouldn't know music if it came up and bit them on the ass. Just because I don't like it doesn't mean anything – it's a matter of personal taste. One size does not fit all. All items (14)
A few of my friends have said they won’t allow their children to play with toy guns of any kind. My 5-year-old son likes to play with guns, and it results in creative and imaginative play for him and his friends. Is it okay? This is a question that comes up every time I speak to parents of young boys. Given our heightened awareness of gun violence, I think that all parents want to get this one right. This was an issue my husband and I struggled with while raising our own son. There is much research that points to the old adage boys will be boys, and that when left to their own devices, they will find a way to play in an aggressive way. Many parents report that while they have never given their sons (and it almost always seems to be the boys) toy guns, they find them making guns from sticks, cardboard, LEGOs, or whatever materials are available to them. The question we grapple with is, does the violence in our culture rub off on even young boys and shape their behavior, or is there something innate in the male nature that makes these toys irresistible? I believe the answer to these questions is yes. Both have an impact in driving behavior. I could write enough to fill this entire magazine trying to explain the male brain and how it is hardwired, but to keep it simple, there does seem to be a difference between the male and female brain when it comes to aggressive behavior. In addition, many boys have a body that is well-suited to move and to defend. Men and boys are drawn to action such as that which takes place on the sports field. It is one of the ways in which they release tension. Many might call this good clean fun, but if aggression is not held in check, it can cross the line into violence. Young boys don’t always have the impulse control or life experience to know where that line is. My own belief is that to deny this drive for action and aggressive behavior in your son is to say to him “part of who you are is unacceptable to me.” This was not a message I wanted to send my son. Here is how we handled this dilemma. While we did not allow our son to have realistic-looking metal guns, we did allow him to play with water pistols and other guns that were clearly and unmistakably toys. We also set some ground rules for how he could play with these toys. He knew that everyone involved in the play had to be okay with it, and that if things got out of control, meaning someone was in danger of getting hurt or was uncomfortable with the style of plan, then the play was over, and we would put the guns away for a period of time. I must admit that this never happened, and that he handled our expectations well. It is important to set kids up for success by stating boundaries before they find themselves in these situations. While I was never truly comfortable with this kind of play (I am, after all, a long-practicing yogi!), it seemed to be short-lived, as my son went on to other interests. I believe that our commonsense approach kept this play to a minimum as there was no taboo to rebel against. This strategy worked well for us. It might be worth a try. For parenting books on this subject, I recommend It’s a Boy: Your Son’s Development from Birth to Age 18 by Michael Thompson, and Mitten Strings for God: Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry by Katrina Kennison. The second title is a wonderful memoir by a yoga teacher raising two young boys who is struggling to come to terms with the kind of aggressive play she observes in her sons.
Ranger talks don’t have to be boring. They can be interesting, informative, and fun – especially if your ranger is a vivacious young lady like the one that lectured us about Glacier’s ravens. After introducing herself, she asked the question, “If you could be any animal in the park, which would it be?” My mind immediately turned to grizzly bear… big, fast, powerful – top of the food chain. Then I thought about plastic bullets. Ouch! If I got too close to people, they would shoot me without provocation in an attempt to manage me. Or perhaps I would be relocated to a place far away from my home. Another drawback of being a grizzly, halitosis. Grizzlies are always getting a bum rap about their breath. People in the know, those that have fought with bears, always say how putrid they smell. But I’ve heard that their breaths really don’t stink at all because they eat a diet high in berries and other plants. Who knows? I don’t ever want to get close enough to find out. I decided I would prefer to be the sure footed mountain goat. I would be agile and my leg muscles would be super-strong and carry me to the highest peaks with ease. People would stop their cars to admire me, and I would receive lots of compliments on my cute kids. Then I thought about 9 months of winter in a harsh, windy, and inhospitable environment. I would have to survive sub-zero temperatures and nuzzle through snow to look for food. I was about to change my mind again, when the ranger piped up and said that she would like to be a raven. Yes, a raven – the object of poetry and myth; the sleek black bird with the throaty croak, the scavenger, the bird of prey. Ravens are very intelligent birds, she explained. They are excellent hunters, can be easily taught, they reason well, and have extraordinary memory capabilities. They have been known to unzip hikers backpacks and open garbage cans in search of food. They are quite ingenious birds. And how do you tell the difference between a common crow and a raven? Look at the tail feathers. A raven’s tail is triangular and the feathers form a curve at the tip. We learned a lot that day about the remarkable raven, but I don’t think I want to be a bird. Although I would love to fly. When a few weeks later, we saw a raven pecking away at this bicycle seat at Logan Pass, I wondered of his motive. After taking a couple of pictures, then shooing him away, I couldn’t help thinking that he would return. I have a hunch he was a persistent fellow. Ravens are smart, you know. Everywhere you look, life is an adventure!
Creepy old photos Discover Pinterest’s best ideas and inspiration for Creepy old photos. Get inspired and try out new things. 767 people searched this Last updated 3d Scary, Haunting Vintage Pics from the Spooky Olden Days. Creepy Old Photos you'll love in a terrifying way. This experimental micro fiction is written by AI. While it’s not the most riveting short stories we’ve ever read so far, we are surprised AI can write with such a colorful attitude and personality. Give it a read and tell us what you think. OMG, so get this! My sister and I were stuck at… Sometimes we come across photos that seem to be normal on the surface, but in the back of the mind, we do know something is off about the subject. Julia Stilley Lynn standing, and sister Hannah Stilley Willard. Mannsville, Oklahoma. Daughters of Alfred & Nancy Ann Stilley. These might keep you up at night. I am so confused right now. Shop from the world's largest selection and best deals for Reprint Collectible Vintage & Antique Photos (Pre-1940). Shop with confidence on eBay! Alice Elizabeth Doherty – The Minnesota Woolly Girl Born in Minneapolis on March 14, 1887, Alice Doherty had a rare condition called “dog-faced” hypertrichosis. She had normal par… The safest and most inclusive global community of photography enthusiasts. The best place for inspiration, connection, and sharing! Many people keep a bowl of candy by the door during Halloween for the many trick-or-treaters that come calling on October 31st. But if anybody turns up on your doorstep dressed like anyone in the pictures below, it's not candy you're going to need. No, it's a crucifix and a bottle of holy water. Because as you can see from this list compiled by Bored Panda, these vintage Halloween costumes are absolutely terrifying.
There are analysts and columnists and strategists galore, but leave it to musical theater to pronounce the truth about the sport that’s holding us spellbound. “This game of baseball is only half skill,” the coach in “Damn Yankees” tells his gloomy players. “The other half is something else. Something bigger!” He sings out the rest, half belting, half purring one of the great philosophies of winning: You gotta have hearrrrt/ All you really need is hearrrrt …. The fact that the coach in that 1955 Broadway musical was singing to his Washington Senators team (the American League’s real-life last-place finishers that year) is interesting in this context, but it’s beside the point. The point is that while the song doesn’t come near explaining how you win ballgames, it perfectly captures how you win fans. It crystallizes why we’re in such thrall to this World Series between the underdog Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros. I’m not going to lie: as a lifelong Washingtonian, I’ve lost my heart to the Nats. And like anyone in this town who wasn’t around in 1933–the last year a D.C. ballclub was in the World Series–I’m glorying in the unusual feeling of rooting for my own home team this year. But I suspect that even without the Nats’ first two wins, the odds are that the underestimated Nats would still be fan favorites. As history’s great artists and storytellers know–lyricists, playwrights and novelists–you hook your audience through feelings: with compelling characters who take us on an emotional journey as they plunge into a high-stakes conflict. The Nats have aced that. Theirs is a dream team of characters with pointed emotional appeal. Even the leadership has laid bare its soft side, though no one would wish it this way. Manager Dave Martinez’s cardiac scare last month exposed the vulnerability of a hardened leader, who now talks of how the team has healed him. Candy hearts — outfielder Gerardo Parra’s “Baby Shark” walk-up song, and the joyful dugout dances — exist alongside great, big hearts, like indomitable, unruffle-able pitcher Stephen Strasburg in Game 2. And the grunting Max Scherzer, muscling through an arduous night in Game 1 on the pitcher’s mound, without an ounce of surrender. Pitch after pitch, Scherzer’s big body flew apart, like a rubber doll wrenched by a maniac’s hands: torso snapped in half, right leg kicking out to third base, left knee horribly torqued. But those eyes locked forward, watching his sliders, and sometimes watching his hopes die. The star simply got back to business. Scherzer gathered his exploded joints back together and set up for the next ordeal. He doesn’t have the cool composure of the Astros’s Gerritt Cole. But Scherzer is achingly human, a workhorse who can fail and fail and still find a way to sort through the mess. As my husband put it, his walk-up music ought to be Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man.” As for heartbreakers? Let’s agree: We’re all in love with the impossible Juan Soto, who wasn’t of legal age to drink the champagne and Budweiser the team was surely drowning in during a charmed postseason. He turned 21 the day of Game 3. A large part of baseball’s appeal is nostalgic — memories of fathers and sons (and daughters) tossing balls in the backyard. Soto, with his cocksure youth and that fluffy, adorably boyish hairdo, embodies this. He’s everybody’s kid. He reminded us of this in a lovely story about his father, telling reporters, “My dad told me when I was 10 years old, that you’re gonna play baseball on your birthday. You’re gonna play in the World Series.” A natural entertainer, Soto thrives in the spotlight. He can be cheeky, for sure, but he stops short of arrogance. Even his “Soto Shuffle,” a quick pitcher-taunting routine of foot-scuffing and a laser stare, is somehow not insufferable because he doesn’t overuse it. The World Series has become an immensely watchable TV series, no matter if we’re die-hard baseball fans or if we’ve just tuned in to the drama unfolding live before our eyes. Each four-hour marathon so far has the settle-in-with-popcorn-and-blankets feel of a binge. There are moments of soaring grace. Third baseman Anthony Rendon skims lightly across the dirt, unencumbered by gravity or physics, to spoon up the ball and in the same spiraling motion flick it across an oceanic expanse into Ryan Zimmerman’s glove. It’s grand and Herculaic. But I also love Zimmerman’s small action, the devastating downward swipe of his glove on the ankle of an Astro. Such routine dramas, big and small, have inspired countless artists to muse about the mystical side of baseball. Think of the mythic poetry in Bernard Malamud’s novel “The Natural,” and the wishful fantasy of the film “Field of Dreams.” There’s a charming bit of magic realism in a current TV commercial featuring astronaut Buzz Aldrin, who confesses that he went to the moon to retrieve a World Series ball, hit out of the park in his boyhood. It’s not too difficult to imagine such a thing. Every home run disappearing into the upper decks of Minute Maid Park seemed bound for the stars. Then there’s the poignancy of imperfections. At one point in Game 2, the camera zoomed in on shortstop Trea Turner’s swollen right index finger, just before he tucked it into his belt loop. It looked like a raw, lumpy sausage. He broke it in the spring; it hasn’t fully healed because he came back to the game too soon. He’s had to teach himself how to throw differently; he bats and fields with nine fingers. Well, one moment Turner is a miracle-maker, sucking a grounder into his glove with his eyes closed, pirouetting with a dancer’s finesse and making a play. And the next moment, because this is life, not art, the Astros’s José Altuve guns a line drive in Turner’s general direction. Turner pounces, a beautiful, full-bodied extension in midair — and belly flops into the dirt. Miles and miles and miles of heart. Read more by Sarah L. Kaufman:
Tropical Cyclone Alfred live updates: wind and rain intensify as category 2 storm nears south-east Queensland and northern NSW Gale-force winds accompanying the storm have already hit a large stretch of the Queensland and NSW coast. This has led to widespread power outages. As of 5.30am, Queensland’s Energex power network was reporting 28,655 customer outages across south-east Queensland, all attributed to “damage due to cyclone”. In NSW, the provider Essential Energy said that as of 6am, Cyclone Alfred had left more than 35,000 homes and businesses without power in northern NSW overnight after severe winds and heavy rain covered the region. The worst hit communities were in the Northern Rivers and far north coast. The company said in an online update: Essential Energy crews worked late into the evening to restore what they could safely until conditions became too dangerous to work in. Once safe to do so, crews will continue to restore power where they can until they are able to access areas of the network that are flooded or damaged by wind or vegetation debris. Due to the extreme conditions, the extent of the damage and the continuing weather event it may take several days before power is restored to customers. Let’s move to some political news for a moment: AAP is reporting that a majority of voters have backed Labor for the first time in eight months, amid its multibillion-dollar Medicare boost and support for Ukraine. Fresh polling by YouGov found the federal government is ahead of the Coalition, at 51% to 49%, in the two-party preferred vote while its primary vote has risen by three percentage points. Labor has not been ahead in the pollster’s data since July 2024. Last week, it was trailing the opposition, at 49% to 51%. Anthony Albanese has widened his lead as preferred prime minister to six percentage points from two, with 45% of voters now backing the Labor leader compared to 39% for Coalition leader Peter Dutton. Labor’s $8.5bn boost to Medicare, announced in late February, played a significant role in lifting the party’s primary vote to 31%, although it still trails the Coalition on 36%. The number of respondents satisfied with the prime minister rose to 42%, from 40%, while those content with Dutton’s performance fell to 43% from 44%. The YouGov poll of 1,504 people was conducted between 28 February and 6 March and has a margin of error of 3.4%. NSW SES receives 1,850 calls for help in past 24 hours The NSW State Emergency Service says that throughout the entire TC Alfred event, it has received 3,494 calls for assistance. It said 1,850 calls were made in the last 24 hours. You can see a map of the 97 warnings that have been issued across the state below: Lismore MP evacuated overnight amid cyclone The MP for Lismore, Janelle Saffin, also spoke with ABC RN this morning – after she herself was evacuated overnight due to the cyclone. I left yesterday … I understand how hard it can be because you’re not just leaving behind your shelter, [you’re] leaving a bit of your life behind. So I get what that feels like, and that’s why I just appeal to people – better safe than sorry. Always better safe than sorry. She said the CBD had “packed up quite early” and a lot of people had evacuated. We are as prepared as we could be … We’ve got a lot of boots and boats on the ground. Gold Coast acting mayor urges people ‘foolishly swimming’ in surf not to Donna Gates was also up on ABC RN to provide a cyclone update. The Gold Coast’s acting mayor described the weather as “murky” this morning, with rain overnight: I’ve got a big leak in my roof overnight, so that’s an indication – it’s coming right through, dropping on the floor. Gates said “major erosion” was also occurring along the coast, with waves up to 15m at the beaches – which are closed. She, like David Crisafulli earlier, continues to urge people not to enter the surf: People were foolishly swimming yesterday. It took the resources of Queensland police and their lifeguard – so as strong as possible messages, stay away from the beach and the rock pools. In terms of property damage on the Gold Coast, she said there was potential for “up to 8,000 properties to be severely affected by this event”. She also said the council was short of sandbags and “ran out”: Although the government had a few 100,000 delivered, we missed out on getting them. Our sandbagging is closed now. Brisbane lord mayor provides cyclone update The Brisbane lord mayor, Adrian Schrinner, said impacts to the city would be “a little bit delayed” behind the Gold Coast, where the cyclone is expected to hit first. Speaking to ABC RN, he said Brisbane was facing similar risks – “trees coming down, power lines coming down, power outages, damaging winds that impact pieces of roof sheeting and that sort of thing”. Then on top of that, following the cyclone coming through, is the rain risk and flooding risk that comes with it. So we’re all prepared as much as we can be. He said the council had distributed around 470,000 sandbags across the LGA, “which is unprecedented.” As the cyclone moves across Brisbane he said there were projections of 200mm in a 24 hour period, “but there’s also a chance that it could be even higher than that.” That’s the key risk at the moment, the damage from wind, plus the flood risk that follows as well. But he said unlike previous flooding events, the city has had days to prepare: In previous floods, often they’ve come with little warning – and particularly the one in 2022 there was next to no warning from the Bureau about that event. And this time, we’ve had days and days to get ready. Ben Holland, the head of integrated operations at Qantas, says Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Ballina airports continue to be closed. He told the Today Show that Qantas had also extended its suspension of services through the international market for Brisbane. But he said an aircraft is expected in Coffs Harbour “within the next hour” as it attempts to “resume services and keep passengers moving safely to their destination.” He expects planes to resume on Sunday, but noted this is still 48 hours away: There’s still some variability in the model, and we expect landfall early on Saturday morning, but we need to reassess … [and] understand what the infrastructure and resource support will be prior to resuming services. Holland said 4,600 passengers were waiting overseas for flights – and while Brisbane is closed, the airline was looking at flights to other Australian ports: Maybe we can fly passengers into Melbourne, get them a bit closer to their destination and get them to Australia to support their travel and returning home. ‘Inappropriate’ for PM to call election this weekend – Ley Sussan Ley was also questioned about the timing of the federal election being called and said it would be “inappropriate” if Anthony Albanese called it this weekend, amid the cyclone. It would be inappropriate when people are worried about their safety, their lives, and we’re about to be smashed by something … as it crosses the coastline, we’re not sure where. It wouldn’t be appropriate for the prime minister to call the election this weekend. Ley says Dutton in Queensland electorate amid report he attended Sydney fundraiser The deputy Liberal leader, Sussan Ley, has been asked whether Peter Dutton was right to “duck down to Sydney for a fundraiser” this week as a cyclone heads for south-east Queensland? She turned the heat back on the PM while speaking to ABC News Breakfast and responded: I note that Anthony Albanese has recently left to come back to Canberra. He was also in Sydney on that day. No one can doubt Peter Dutton’s commitment to his electorate … Peter Dutton is in his community, with his community of Brisbane … NSW SES has issued almost 100 warnings, 24 for evacuations The deputy commissioner of the NSW SES, Deb Platts, says the agency has already issued nearly 100 warnings. Speaking on the Today Show, she said 36 were watch and acts, with people prepared to evacuate, and there were 24 emergency warnings, which are for people to evacuate now. They’re extremely widespread from parts of Lismore down to Port Macquarie and everywhere in between … We need people to keep up to date with the warnings [because] we’ve seen that overnight where we’ve been able to change some evacuation warnings based on the Bureau of Meteorology’s information and forecasts. A teenager who allegedly tried to force his way on to a commercial flight before being dramatically overpowered by passengers will face court charged with a string of offences. AAP reports that police were called to Avalon airport near Geelong, Victoria, yesterday afternoon following reports a male wielding a firearm had attempted to board the Jetstar flight. Acting alone, the 17-year-old from Ballarat allegedly climbed through a hole in the airport’s security fence before making his way on foot to the plane, Victoria police superintendent Michael Reid later told reporters. The flight, which was carrying about 150 people, was bound for Sydney. Police have charged the youth with multiple offences including unlawfully taking control of an aircraft, orchestrating a bomb hoax and possessing a firearm. He has been remanded in custody to appear in a children’s court on a date to be determined. The teen allegedly tried to climb the front stairs into the plane cabin but was noticed by passengers carrying the shotgun and subsequently overpowered by three civilians, Supt Reid said. Jetstar said it was working with police and the airport to understand what happened. Crisafulli says residents from some aged care centres moved to higher ground David Crisafulli was also on ABC RN this morning, where he said a number of residents in aged care homes were lifted to higher areas ahead of the cyclone. Where evacuations are needed, they have been done. In some cases, there’s been residents who lifted to higher areas. We always take the approach, if it is possible to keep people in their location, that is always the first and overwhelming principle – but you never [want to get] in harm’s way either. He said council’s led the work with air mapping to determine where vulnerable centres were, and also made contingency plans for a number of places. David Crisafulli also called out a “handful of idiots” who are heading to closed beaches amid the cyclone. He said most people were “really doing the right thing”, but those going to the beach were putting themselves – and emergency services – at risk. We had someone out on a jet ski who had to be rescued. I would rather see that emergency services worker being able to go and knock on someone’s door and talk to them about preparation than having to get an idiot on the sea … I plead to the people who might think that now is a great time to go out on the surf – it’s not. It’s not just for you I’m concerned but for the innocent person who has to go in after you. Premier says Queenslanders’ preparation means state can go from response to recover ‘really quickly’ Authorities have repeatedly spoken about TC Alfred in terms of three stages of impact – big surf and erosion, damaging winds and flooding. David Crisafulli said just now: We’re moving into that part where yes, you will continue to see [those] winds in the course of today, but then there’s that rain, and often in cyclones that rainfall – lots of it in a short window – can be really problematic. The premier said Queenslanders had overwhelmingly done the correct things to prepare for the cyclone, and this meant it could “go from response to recovery really quickly”. The difference that makes in getting people back on their feet is just night and day. Crisafulli says energy crews will work to reconnect power as soon as it’s safe The Queensland premier, David Crisafulli, has described the impact to the Gold Coast overnight amid TC Alfred. He told ABC News Breakfast: Over 20,000 homes lost power on the Goldie. We saw trees come down … it’s the rain and the wind which make the trees fall over and then all of a sudden you have issues with power. As Jenny McAllister also flagged a moment ago, Crisafulli said Energex crews were on standby and had flown from other ends of the state. They’re waiting. The moment it is safe they will reconnect … It’s also on some of the island communities who have lost power. BoM says Alfred could cross in daytime tomorrow Miriam Bradbury, a meteorologist with the Bureau of Meteorology, says TC Alfred is still a category 2 system sitting just under 200km to the east of Brisbane. Also speaking with the Today Show, she said the coastal crossing was still expected to occur “sometime tomorrow” during the daytime. It is worth noting that the system is likely to reach the offshore islands before it reaches the coast … But for today, we are already seeing very windy conditions, particularly about the Gold Coast, where we’re having those power outages. Bradbury said wind gusts up to 100km/h were being felt at the airport – and throughout today, winds would increase. The rainfall will keep coming down, really building up to that time of crossing tomorrow. As TC Alfred continues to move around a bit in its approach to the coast, Bradbury said the exact crossing point wasn’t the most important thing to focus on, but “the warnings that are surrounding that crossing point”. Because we’re not going to see those strong winds and heavy rain just where the system crosses. That’s where we might see the top wind gusts. But those extremely destructive winds and heavy rainfall are going to be across a much, much wider area. McAllister updates from SES headquarters The federal emergency management minister, Jenny McAllister, spoke with the Today Show from the State Emergency Service HQ and said “very significant preparations” were under way. She flagged potential power outages, and said energy workers were lined up and “extra workers in place to support when outages do occur.” On reports some supermarkets were closing their doors ahead of the cyclone, McAllister noted that “they, of course, have their own families [and] own homes to prepare.” The advice from the supermarkets, with whom we’ve been working really closely, is that they’ll be assessing on a case by case basis when their stores can be open. She said safety, and the availability of staff, were the two main factors supermarkets had to consider. For those workers that are there, I say a big, big thanks. And I really ask the community to look out for them and be kind to them when they’re in there as well. Send us your photographs and videos of TC Alfred Guardian Australia’s readers have provided thousands of images and videos to support our coverage of major news events over the past decade. Now, we’re asking for any pictures or videos you can provide to help in our reporting of Tropical Cyclone Alfred – but your safety and security are most important. You can read more on how to stay safe, and where to send your photos, below: Good morning – Emily Wind here, signing on for blogging duties. I’ll be taking you through all the latest Tropical Cyclone Alfred news today, as well as other notable news from across the country. If you see anything that needs attention, you can get in touch via email: [email protected]. Let’s go. MPs help sandbagging effort as rivalries set aside Political rivalries have been put aside as Tropical Cyclone Alfred approaches the Queensland coast with a wave of volunteers, including federal MPs, pitching in at Brisbane’s sandbag depots. Greens volunteer Harrison Rees has been working shoulder to shoulder with a Liberal for the last three days at the former Toowong Bowls Club site, as the activists get on with the job amid a “no shop talk” policy. Read Andrew Messenger’s full report here:
AC Milan’s pursuit of a new striker is at risk of turning from an intriguing soap opera into a frustrating farce as targets continue to come and go. As our colleagues at SempreMilan.it write, the Milan directors have known for some time now – months rather than days or weeks – that they needed to sign a new starting striker to replace Olivier Giroud this summer, and yet any pre-planning is yet to yield any desired reports. The name that has so far been linked most concretely was Joshua Zirkzee and we can confirm that he was the number one target for the entire mercato. It was a negotiation that begun some time ago, progressed quickly but then came to a brutal halt due to the huge commissions demanded by his agent. According to what our sources in Bologna state, Manchester United have overtaken Milan in the race for the Dutchman, getting themselves in pole position for the Dutch striker. The Red Devils would in fact have no problem satisfying Kia Joorabchian’s requests, given their vast resources. However, it still seems premature to talk about Zirkzee – who is still busy with the Dutch national team at the European Championships and wants time to decide – as a vanished objective. Nonetheless, alternatives are naturally being probed and are vanishing. Guirassy goes, Demirovic disappears, Sesko stays Serhou Guirassy scored 28 goals in 28 games in the Bundesliga last season, and he will leave Stuttgart to join Borussia Dortmund. It is potentially real bargain for the Champions League runners-up who will acquire the Guinean by paying only the €17.5m release clause in his contract. Milan made a move for Guirassy last January, but the 28-year-old refused, reluctant to leave Stuttgart mid-season. Despite the negotiations carried out with his agent this summer, Milan backtracked due to the increased costs related to his salary and commissions. BVB were happy to pay it. The player who will replace Guirassy at Stuttgart is another player who has been linked to Milan in recent weeks: Ermedin Demirovic. The Bosnian striker will leave Augsburg, where he scored 15 goals and 10 assists last season, to strengthen the squad of another Bundesliga club. Demirovic was one of Milan’s possible back-up plans in the event that Zirkzee didn’t arrive, and we reported that Paulo Fonseca gave his approval. It was an operation worth around €20m that the Diavolo passed up on to continue their pursuit of the Bologna star, who costs double. Benjamin Sesko was the name who emerged a couple of months ago as a rival to Zirkzee. The 20-year-old Slovenian was courted by Geoffrey Moncada already at the beginning of 2024, but in this case the difference was made by the resistance of his current club to sell him. In fact, RB Leipzig refused to sit at any negotiating table, even when Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea were after him, instead proposing Sesko a contract renewal until 2029 with a significant salary increase attached. Viktor Gyokeres was also linked with Milan by various sources, and yet it seemed like an unreachable dream. The Swedish international plies his trade at Sporting CP with whom he scored a whopping 43 goals last season and added 15 assists in 50 games. Due to this incredible form his market value has seen a surge, pushing his price tag to €100m or more. Chelsea and Arsenal are now the teams that are being mentioned, with the Premier League seemingly in his destiny. The last ones standing If Zirkzee were to end up at United, there is a risk that Milan could end up having to accelerate for a striker that was not near the top of their list going into the summer, like Jonathan David or Romelu Lukaku. Even then, these are two very different profiles. However, as far as we know, Milan have never entered into any negotiations with the agent of Lukaku. The rumours that he would be the new face of the Rossoneri attack for next season are therefore not credible. The reasons are pretty obvious: the player’s age (31 years old), his salary (€12m net per season at Chelsea), as well as Chelsea’s decision not to let him go on loan anymore which means a permanent deal is needed. Not only that, but it feels like it could potentially be a lazy link by the media because Lukaku is a striker with the opposite characteristics to Zirkzee, something which Hernan Crespo spoke in more detail about earlier today. On the other hand, Jonathan David fits at least partially with Zirkzee’s characteristics, while in terms of the economic aspect of the deal he would be the most accessible purchase of the centre-forwards that are still available. The Canadian striker is valued at around €30m by Lille given he has a year left on his deal, while they are a club that Milan are on good terms with after the Rafael Leao, Tiago Djalo and Mike Maignan operations. Not only that, but there is another obvious connection: Paulo Fonseca knows the Canadian forward having coached him in each of the last two seasons, seasons in which he scored 52 goals combined (26 in each). For these reasons – and there could always be twists – if Milan are unable to land Zirkzee, they are more likely to turn to David, ending a long-standing admiration with what could be an ideal marriage.
Malick Thiaw is looking forward to the battle against Inter on Saturday in the derby, and is also relishing the personal duel he will have with Lautaro Martinez. The build-up to the derby has not been ideal for Stefano Pioli, who saw 15 internationals leave Milanello to go and represent their country while Pierre Kalulu went down with a muscle problem meaning he can’t replace the suspended Fikayo Tomori. Although the experienced Simon Kjaer should now partner Thiaw at the heart of the defence it is arguably the German who will have to lead, given that he is now an immovable member of the starting XI and has shown growth game by game. Thiaw was present with Rafael Leao and Davide Calabria at the Gentleman Fair Play awards ceremony last night, and he was asked questions by the journalists present, with his words relayed by MilanNews. On the award: “This shows that I did a good job and made me realise that I have to work even harder and that I can achieve my goals.” On the derby: “The derby is special, this time we try to do our best.” On Lautaro: “He is a really strong player, I have challenged him several times but I will try to stop him.” On Kjaer: “The coach decides who plays with whom. Kjaer? I think he is a very experienced player, very good, who talks a lot and I feel very comfortable playing with him. I hope he feels comfortable too to play with me.” On Maignan and Theo: “Yesterday we played against France and we won the match, this makes me happy. After the match we talked a bit and I made some jokes with them.” On if the team have studied recent derbies: “Yes, of course, last season wasn’t very good, but now we have a new team and I think we will prepare well for the match and then we’ll see.” On Maldini: “Paolo did a good job, in football you always change and you have to be prepared for certain situations.” On the new signings: “Yes, we have a lot of good players and I think this makes the job easier and we hope to prove it on Saturday. I really like playing with them, they have had a good impact and I hope to be able to talk even more in the future, I am very important players for this.”
Summary: An incomprehensive study of the 'one another' verses. Part 1 This sermon is our first installment in a seven-part study on what I’ve referred to as the ‘one another’ verses. These seven sermons do not represent a comprehensive coverage of the verses in the New Testament that address our relationship to one another as believers in Christ; but they will certainly constitute a good cross section of those verses. We’ll talk about building up one another, admonishing one another, bearing one another’s burdens, being subject to one another, forgiving one another, encouraging one another, and confessing to one another. Some of it, I promise, will be a little difficult for us to take. Some of these admonitions concerning our relationship to one another in Christ go diametrically opposed to our human nature. But they are the teaching and exhortation of the Holy Spirit nonetheless, and we’ll not cut corners in our study for the sake of personal comfort. A theme you’ll hear running through all seven of these installments will be the one foundational truth, without which none of it could make sense or serve a purpose; that theme being; love as Christ loved us. You’ll read it again and again; and if you retain nothing else out of this series, I pray that the Holy Spirit will etch those words deeply into your minds and your hearts. LOVE AS CHRIST LOVED US. He told us with His own lips that this is the fulfilling of the Law; and it is also the only real and lasting fulfillment of these verses we’re about to study. So keep that phrase in mind if you please, LOVE AS CHRIST LOVED US, and let’s go. In part one we are studying specifically, verse 19 of Romans 14. It says, “So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.” I want to look most closely at what we mean by ‘pursuing the things which make for peace’, and ‘building up of one another’. But first, as always, we have to be careful to look at what is being said in this chapter, to keep us from straying from the primary focus of the text verse. Paul spent chapter 13 of this letter exhorting believers to proper behavior toward God and men, emphasizing the need for love to be the foundation of our behavior. It is there that he says, ‘love is the fulfilling of the law’. In chapter 14 Paul goes deeper into what a ‘love’ relationship with those in the church is. He talks about gentle treatment of weaker vessels (brothers/sisters in Christ), and the fact that we should be accepting of one another, not judging (condemning), for Christ has died for each of us, and we each shall give our own account of ourselves to Him. Now I’ve moved quickly through, just giving a very brief overview, up to verse 13. I’ll slow down just a little now to bring out his thoughts and the Holy Spirit’s teaching up to verse 19, but I’ll only slow down a little. If you read verse 13 carefully and take time to think about it before moving on, you’ll see that Paul is slamming his hammer right down on the head of one of the most destructive problems in Christ’s church. He exhorts not to judge, saying that we should instead determine not to put stumbling blocks in a brother’s way. I am seeing two things here: 1. The act of judging (condemning) is putting a stumbling block in a brother’s way, and 2. While we are judging, some of the liberties we allow ourselves are indeed a stumbling block to the brethren...maybe even the one we’re condemning. Now I ask you; if a Christian man has a habit or a short-coming that is unattractive to the collective body of Christ, and those who are condemning him for it both, fail to love, AND have sins in their own lives that are causing that weaker vessel to stumble; who has the greater sin? You know the answer already. Paul, the spiritually mature Paul, says in verse 14 that nothing is unclean in itself. Did you hear that? Can you read that in your own Bible? Some translations say “No food”. But ‘food’ is not even implied there in the Greek. The text says ‘nothing’. Now a big stumbling block to the early church was food that had been sacrificed to idols. That issue is addressed in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. And food that had been sacrificed to idols was probably on the minds of many Roman Christians as they read this letter. In our day it wouldn’t be food sacrificed to idols. It might be smoking, or going to the movies, or eating at a public place on Sunday, or accepting a glass of wine when a friend has invited you over for Thanksgiving dinner.
- Shades and Layers - 🤰🏾🤰🏾MOTHERS AND THINGS 🧐🧐 🤰🏾🤰🏾MOTHERS AND THINGS 🧐🧐 📸 Me and baby first born 😌 How is life treating you these days? All good over here in Belmont. The sun has returned and the days are longer. Seasonal allergies suck, but it’s all going in the right direction. We have five new pod friends! 🎉🎉🎉 Welcome to all of you and thanks for subscribing. I hope you’ll bring some other friends along for the ride by sharing the newsletter, and telling them to subscribe. There is so much to discuss in today’s edition and we need to get on with it. First let’s start with the pic: I’ve been a mom for eleven years this year and that is me and my first born enjoying the sunshine together for the first time. We arrived home a couple of days before the pic was taken, after spending a month in hospital. He was a premie - you can read more about this below - and this moment meant everything to me at the time. First born is a big brother to a 7-year old mischievous athletic gamer with the most wicked sense of humor. The two of them keep things fun and …erm…interesting, LOL. Hope you had a wonderful MOTHER’S DAY! - oh how my heart has softened towards this ‘holiday’ 😆 Here’s what else we’re doing in this edition: -Giving Me Joy All protocol observed (😆 IYKYK), LET’S GO! Rachael Osborne, Founder of RAINA In the latest episode, we are redefining luxury for curls with Rachael Osborne, founder of the hat brand RAINA. She used the Spanish word for queen to signal how she wishes and intends for afros and other textured hair types to be treated. Our conversation gets into the ins and outs of creating these luxury hats. They are silk-lined (no more frizz or snags) and adjustable (wear your braids and wigs and any hairstyle you want). The intentionality and thoughtfulness that went into the making of this brand will not only warm your heart but make you want to own one of these beauties to elevate your style. Go ahead and check out Rachael’s story and get inspired. REWIND AND POLISH THAT CROWN Stephanie LaFlora, Founder of CROWNHUNT Crownhunt is where tech meets natural hair. Founder, Stephanie LaFlora came up with the idea of a Netflix for hair, as she calls it, after a futile search for a stylist who could care for her natural coils. Stephanie was routinely turned away from hair salons and when she discovered that the problem was a gap in the cosmetology education, the solution became very clear and she set out to address this obvious need in the beauty industry. As a bonafide troublemaker with a background in the tech industry, and a conviction that living with curly hair should not be as difficult as it sometimes is, she quit her full-time job, partnered with a long-time friend and colleague, knuckled down and got to work. And then what happened? 👇🏾 PS. I was stoked to find out that Stephanie LaFlora and Rachael Osborne (above) were acquainted. How could they not be? They are both based in Denver and working in the natural hair space. 👏🏾🔥
Today is an exciting day for me! My E-book, Building a Life Out of Words, is finally available! I wanted to try to tell you what it’s about, but then my friend Stacy Barton (author of Surviving Nashville) wrote this, and I love how she describes it: sometimes you try something based on a hunch, you stride out, hopeful that your instincts are true. so is the case with my friend shawn smucker’s book, Building a Life Out of Words. i had read his work on his blog, enjoyed his perspective on life, faith, writing and family…appreciated the lyrical quality of his words. and so when he asked me to contribute to his latest project, i was downright glad. he published two of my short non-fiction pieces in this book and today i finished reading the whole of it. it was as lovely as i had hoped…as honest and as hopeful. i cried at least three times at the beauty and purity of his struggle and his hope. Building a Life Out of Words is the story of his early travels as a full-time writer – how he fell into it almost accidentally, but not quite. it is about the difficulty we face when being true, and the possibility of hope fulfilled for those of us who persevere. it is a compelling story. You can save yourself some time and purchase it now for your Nook, your Kindle, or you can go HERE and purchase the PDF version to read on your computer. But if you need some more convincing, here are ten reasons you should buy Building a Life Out of Words: 1) It costs $3.99. You can get a box of cereal, or a Starbucks coffee, or one gallon of gas, or……you could purchase my book that contains over 25,000 words of hope and encouragement. 2) If you wish you were doing something for a living besides what you’re currently doing, this book might give you some ideas on how to begin making the transition. 3) If you’re a writer, the following alone makes it worth the price of admission: nine awesome contributors give practical advice about how to write for a living. Andi Cumbo talks about Kickstarter; Bryan Allain regales you with tales of aliens and roller coasters; Ed Cyzewski gives away his number one way of finding work; Jason Boyett talks self-promotion; Jeff Goins gives practical advice on where to begin; Jennifer Luitwieler is the reluctant PR master; Ken Mueller talks about life on the other side of a pink slip; Kristin Tennant reframes the introvert’s writing life; and Stacy Barton likes rejection. Sort of. 4) Going through a rough patch financially? During the time frame covered by this book, my wife and I were $50,000 in debt. Two and a half years later, we’ve almost climbed out. And not by pursuing wealth, but by pursuing our passions. This book tells the story. 5) Feeling stuck in one of life’s semi-comfortable ruts? This book might just give you the motivation to hop on out and live a more effective life. 6) Feeling financially behind your peers? Read about a writer (me), and you’ll automatically feel like Donald Trump! (Wait, that might not be a great reason…keep reading.) 7) If you’ve been following our trip in a bus named Willie, and you want to get some back story on what brought us to the place where we would travel around the country for four months with our four young children, you’ll find some explanations in these virtual pages. 8) Enjoy all the free posts I put on my blog? Show your appreciation! Buy a copy of my new E-book! 9) Despise all the free posts I put on my blog? Buy a bunch of copies and convince your friends to do so as well. Then I’ll be a millionaire, inherit all kinds of problems, get sued by loads of people, and become too busy to blog. You could be solely responsible for the demise of my blogging career! Go for it! 10) If you take the few minutes required to put in your info and buy this book, it might teach you a small lesson about patience. When you’re in your car later today, this small lesson on patience might keep you from engaging an idiot driver with hand gestures and profanity. By refraining from this exchange, you won’t get shot by this stranger in a fit of road rage. Don’t get shot by a stranger in a fit of road rage – buy my book. Thanks! I hope you find the courage to build your life out of whatever fulfills you. What’s that? You say that not only do you want to buy it, you also want to help me spread the word? You ARE generous! In that case, click on the Facebook “Like” button at the bottom of the page and share it on your wall. Or click the Twitter button and share it with the hashtag #BuildingALife.
Once upon a time a 16-year-old girl in Sri Lanka didn’t want to go to school, and who knows if it was because her father drank and brought his buddies to the hut at night or if she had trouble with kids at school or if she was simply sixteen and not wanting to go. Who knows. But the 16 year old’s mother had been working in Saudi Arabia for seven months because the fights with her husband were too much and she wouldn’t come home, even when they begged her. So the girl took care of her two younger sisters and her younger brother and her father sometimes traveled 50 miles to make 500 rupees a day ($5), and most of it was spent on travel and lunch before he even got home. So the 16 year old wrote her name in blue chalk on the plywood walls outside of their hut. Her younger sister dreamed of drawing and art and being a teacher. Her youngest sister smiled and stared with big brown eyes at the strange people sitting in a circle of chairs. And her little brother clutched at the strange gifts they brought. And this was the 16 year old’s life. * * * * * Once upon a time a Sri Lankan husband and his wife moved into apartments supplied by a factory on the condition that they work six days a week, ten hours per day. Which they did until after their second child when the mother tried to take a few days off and they got kicked out. So now they live in a hut with their five children and the oldest works at a hotel on the weekends so that he can pay for drum lessons and the father tries to find work on coconut plantations and makes 600 rupees per day. And sometimes they do not have enough food, so the father and mother do without. And sometimes they have less food, so the older three children join them in not eating, and they can do it because they understand that life is hard. And sometimes, during the rainy season when they run out of food completely and have to stash all their stuff in the roof beams of the hut, no one eats, not even the little ones, and they cry all day in the mud because they are hungry and because they do not yet understand that life is hard. * * * * * Once upon a time, a 35-year-old man lived in Pennsylvania with his wife and four children. And he was disappointed because he lived in his parents’ basement for a short time, and the space seemed small – only a full bathroom with running water and a toilet, one large bedroom, a kitchen, and a living room, all carpeted and temperature controlled. And he had access to fresh water and not much money but enough to buy groceries and pay bills and have two cars and educate his children. And he ate when he was hungry. And he slept without worrying. And his children had everything they needed, and could become anything they wanted. Then he traveled to Sri Lanka and he met these people. And the amount of money required to change their lives – only $35 a month – caused him to sit quietly because he had just spent nearly $400 on his vehicle inspection before he came on the trip, and that would have covered a child in Sri Lanka for a year. * * * * * Friends, I have seen an amazing thing this week. As my friend Roxanne Wieman has written, I have seen the end of poverty. Perhaps not on a global scale, but I’ve seen a community be restored. After 15 years of involvement, World Vision has backed out of a small area of Sri Lanka, and what is left is a vibrant, self-sustaining community. I don’t usually ask for much here at the blog, but this is something I’m asking you to seriously consider. I’ve seen what World Vision does in action. I’ve met the staff making it happen. I’ve seen the people helped. And I’ve seen people waiting to be helped. People like the families in the stories I’ve mentioned above. Your $35 a month will change the trajectory of their lives. Please. Click HERE to sponsor a child. Photo by Laura Tremaine (aka Hollywood Housewife)
The GuavaPass For Kids Two Singaporean mums have launched a new site to help kids stay active Active families are sure to love KinderPass website. Launched by the team behind Social Weaver, KinderPass gives families the chance to try different activities around the city without having to sign up for a year’s membership to an array of different gyms. A starter plan with KinderPass is priced at SGD$49 and includes 10 credits. Activities start at two credits each. If you are new to the city or need some inspiration for a rainy day, this could be perfect for your own tribe. The pass has activities for children aged from 0-12+ and there are even some activities for pregnant mums too. Companies that can be found on the site include Jiggle Wigs, Ground Up Climbing and LK Taekwondo Institute. We spoke to one of the mums who co-founded the site and tested it for ourselves. THE CO-FOUNDER SAYS… Ex-marketing guru and fitness fan Sumedha Khoche tells us more about KinderPass… How did the idea for the site come about? The idea for KinderPass came from the experiences and frustrations of myself and my cofounder Kaivalya while raising our children. Technology has disrupted so many industries, saving us time when we buy property, plan weddings, book cabs, or reserve a restaurant table. But when it comes to saving time for the most time-strapped people on the planet (young parents), there seemed to be no equivalent. So we launched KinderPass to remove the stress from finding and booking fun activities for the family. How would you describe KinderPass? It’s a pass that lets parents easily discover and book the best kids’ activities at the best prices, saving them both time and money. Who is the KinderPass aimed at? Parents with kids from ages one to 12 who are looking for great activities for their children to learn and grow. How long did KinderPass take to develop? It took less than two months from the conception of the idea to the launch of our pilot. What is your favourite tool on the site? Add to calendar (so you don’t forget) and Filter by location. What is your top tip for someone using the site? Getting a standard subscription is the best value for money. That way, you save a minimum of 55 per cent on any activity that you book. Have you launched a business before? Funnily enough, yes. Both Kaivalya and I ran a children’s library when we were kids. That project had to be shelved when we lost half our inventory due to loan defaults (laughs). What are your plans for the site in 2018? We plan to officially launch late May in Singapore, and by end of the year in other markets. We are also developing a mobile app so that KinderPass will be an even better experience for parents. THE MUMMY TESTER SAYS… Helen Wailes trialled the site and answered our quick questionnaire… Tell us about the site: KinderPass is a monthly subscription that gives you access to discounted kids’ activities. It allows you to find different activities for kids to try without you having to sign up to a contract or make a long-term commitment. How does it work? You choose one of three plans, each of which provides a set of credits (10 for $49 a month, 22 for $99 a month, 35 for $149 a month). You then use the credits to book discounted kids’ activities online. How easy it is to navigate? I found it pretty easy to navigate the site by date as it listed all the activities on offer on a given day and the number of places available for each. The general search was a bit frustrating as it seemed to throw up results that didn’t have a KinderPass activity as well as those that do. What do you think about the selection of classes on offer? There looks to be a wide range of activities from music to art to sport and I guess this will grow as KinderPass becomes more established. Before signing up, I’d like to know how many suppliers are on the site and their location so I don’t have to travel too far. How was the booking process? Very smooth, the booking was done with one click and I got a confirmation email straight away. It’s also really easy to cancel the booking and get your credits reimbursed, as long as you do so within the cancellation period which seems to vary for each activity. Do you feel that it’s value for money? It really depends if you’re looking at activities at the higher end of the discount spectrum. The variety of activities and fact that you don’t have to commit to them long-term is more of a pull for me personally.
Well, we’ve come down to the valley, Yeah, we’re looking for the honey. I see a rainbow- I said, “That’s the land of milk and honey” Me and my cousin, Me and my brother, Our little sister too… We’re going looking for a rainbow. I’ve seen plenty of my friends articulate exactly what the results of Thursday’s referendum on UK membership of the EU means to them. And while I can’t speak for experiences as someone with a foreign spouse, or as someone who’s moved here from elsewhere in Europe, I can talk about how I’m feeling at the moment. I grew up on the Yorkshire coast. Wikipedia tells me that the current ethnic makeup there is 97.5% white. That sounds about right. As an area of ethnic diversity, it wasn’t exactly cosmopolitan. I’m not saying that there’s a problem intrinsically with that (though I do remember some racist bullying at school). It’s just fact. After I left home, I went to university in Manchester. For two years I lived in Rusholme, right off the curry mile. As a district it couldn’t have been much further from the place I’d lived for the vast majority of the previous two decades. People of all faiths and nationalities, living beside each other and for the most part getting on perfectly well. After I left university I went to work for a small company, with clients across Europe and a few further afield Then I came to London. Working for a startup with global ambitions, and then two large international companies. I can talk to my colleagues in India and China in the morning, and Canada and the US in the afternoon. Every now and then Australia comes into the mix too. And that’s before I’ve even discussed the rainbow of nationalities I come across every time I go to the office in the morning. I listen to Canadian and West-coast American music. I eat food made in Indian, Chinese and Mexican traditions among others, and drink beer made from New Zealand hops. I have friends and co-workers from pretty much every part of the planet. I guess what I’m saying is that I don’t see myself as a citizen of the UK so much as the world. And the thing that’s upset me the most over the past few days is discovering that there are so many people in my country that don’t share my worldview. People that insist that the UK is full, who aren’t interested in learning about different cultures. Who post racist graffiti, who claim to “just be saying what we’re al thinking”. Who stand outside the tube station draped in the Union Flag and cheering at the fact that the entire country and future has been plunged into a state of disarray and whose pensions just lost a huge chunk of their value. Who rail against difference because they don’t know any better and don’t want to learn. Truth be told, I don’t know how I feel about the UK any more. Right now, I don’t feel like it’s the place I thought it was, or wanted it to be. And I don’t know if it’s even possible to turn it into the place it by all rights should be.
I had NO idea how many questions I would get, what was I thinking? LOL I had fun reading through all of them. I hope you all don’t think that I think I’m a total expert on everything decorating, because I assure you, I am not. These are just my observations and opinions from doing this for a long time, so please keep that in mind. Here’s one that I think you’ve been considering also…My home is decorated mostly in reds, golds & greens. I want to incorporate some of the beautiful robin’s egg blue that has become so popular now. I’ve noticed spots of it in my rugs, couch, etc…Want to include more through the accessories but it seems so different. Any ideas? I’m actually redoing my living room right now. Thought about painting the ceiling a very light version of that color. Rhoda, you are going to get bombarded! Here’s mine.Since we took down the wall length mural and painted that wall, I have no idea what to put in its space. Plus I don’t want to spend too much $$. http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/fringe_elephant/frwall.jpg Dear Carol: You can put any kind of artwork on this wall. If I were you, I’d wait until something special comes along that strikes you and then add it to this wall. One large pretty piece of artwork would look great on that wall or a grouping of 3 smaller ones would work too. Go thrifting or yardsaling, you never know what you’ll run across. I know you don’t miss the mural! My son has done some art work for me that I would like to have framed and display….where do you put things like that in a home? Also my hall walls are bare and would like to hang family photos here…is this appropriate? Dear Jen: I don’t love to have a lot of family pics all over the main areas of a house, like HUGE framed pictures of family all over the livingroom wall or over the fireplace. I know many people do this, but it’s just not such a good look and is frowned upon by most decorators. But, I have a few family pics and our wedding pics in smaller frames on tables in the livingroom. That’s about the extent of my family pics, except on the shelves in my office nook. I think hanging your family pics in the hallway is a good idea, it’s away from the main areas of the house. When you do it, keep all the frames unified by painting or buying them all one color…like all black frames with cream mats or all white frames with cream mats. Unifying all the frames to one color really makes a grouping like that work. On your son’s artwork, do you have some wall space in your laundryroom or somewhere off the beaten path that you could frame and display them? That might be a solution. Is it time to start putting away my seashells and decorating with pumpkins? Dear Anon: I’m seeing lots of girls getting out their pumpkins, although for me it’s a bit too early. My seashells are still out! I think that’s a matter of personal choice, but I’d wait until October to really get going on the fall decor. That’s me though! I’m not huge on fall decorating anyway. I save it all up for Christmas. Frantic Home Cook said… Oooh! Free decorating advice from the master? Goody!We have a beautiful cherry 4-poster that we splurged on years ago. The rest of the furniture in that room is hand-me-down 60’s modern dressers covered with scratches. Given our current financial situation, I don’t see us buying new new dressers soon. I’d paint them black but that doesn’t seem to go with the cherry bed. Any ideas on how to cheaply make this room cohesive? Dear Francie: Well, congrats on the cherry 4-poster! That’s a good classic piece. As far as the other pieces, you know they aren’t working already. Here’s what I would suggest…get out to the thrift stores and consignment stores and see what you can find on the cheap. There are tons of older cherry pieces out there for probably not a lot of money. If you have any extra money that you could put towards a dresser or chest, that’s what I’d suggest. Even if you find some beat up pieces that you can paint for cheap, that would be a good start. If you absolutely can’t get anything right now (or in the near future), then I would suggest painting those pieces you have (even though they are contemporary) in a satin black finish. I like black mixed with cherry just fine, it’s a good look and putting some black painted pieces in with stained pieces works too. That’s my 2 cents, for what it’s worth! The Tomball Three said… Yes- here’s one. What is the square footage of your house? I wonder that you can keep adding on and never fill up! Dear Tomball Three: I think our house was advertised when we bought it at 3,000 s.f. It’s large, but not overly large and lives well for us. If you’re talking about adding more of my yardsale finds to it…YES, it is filled up now and I don’t have much room for more. I do edit and get rid of things periodically (I’m probaly going to have my own yardsale next month). I just took out some of my old flower arrangements that were looking a little tired to me and am putting other things in their place. So, I do edit and delete things as needed to make room for my new finds. Love your blog!I have a 4 poster bed that sits up high off of the floor…what are some ideas on bedspreads or comforters to use. The bedskirts I find are too short to come to the floor….plus, I think I’d like to show off the pretty maple wood (oh, and I’ve finally cleaned out from under the bed) Dear Prissy: Karin said what I would have said on this already, so I’ll post her comment here too. Karin said “but I saw Prissy’s question about a skirt for a tall four poster bed and I wanted to throw out what we did for a while. Get out your staple gun! I stapled fabric to the back of the side rails. Once time, I took apart a bedkirt and stapled that and one time I bought fabric and stapled that to the rail. You don’t ever see the staples so nobody will ever know.” That’s a perfect solution, fabric and the staple gun. I’ve even heard of girls taping up fabric underneath the side rail too, as well as using a tension rod under there. Love your blog! Just wondering if you do your own house cleaning? If you do, I am sure you must have this down to a science on how you get it all accomplished (with so many items to clean. Care to share your organizational skills on this?Also, would love to know what church you attend??Keep up the great work! You are a doll and such a joy! XOXO Gena Dear Gena: YES! I do my own housecleaning. And probably not enough of it. Like many of you, I waste a lot of time blogging (although it’s such a fun outlet & I love it). I clean once a week and don’t spend a lot of time the other days on the house. I vacuum upstairs and down and do the bathrooms. Some weeks I break it into 2 days & clean downstairs, then upstairs. I have to admit, I’m not a fanatic about dusting every single thing in my house all the time. Most things on the tables and shelves get a light dusting every couple of weeks and then I’ll take everything off the shelves when I can’t stand it any longer and dust it all. That’s my weak area! Since it’s just me and my hubby at home, the worst rooms to keep clean are the kitchen and our master bedroom/bath area. I do concentrate most on those areas every week and mop the kitchen floor and keep those areas tidy and clean. I do deeper cleaning, like baseboards and windowsills every few months as needed. I think our house is clean, but not fanatically clean. I’m more fanatical about clutter and dirt. Can’t stand either of those. I have to constantly work on getting rid of mail, newspapers, and magazines. We attend the Church at Brook Hills here in B’ham. Great church and large church! The Berry’s Patch said… Rhoda,You have such a popular blog. How do you manage your time blogging? Do you have set hours during the week to blog? Do you stick to those hours? I’m trying to schedule my blogging so that I can get everything else done as well. I would love to hear how you do it.Seems like I’m the only one going for the personal question.lolBrandee 🙂 Dear Brandee: Oh, that’s a hard one! I don’t do all that well at managing my time blogging. When I’m home, I tend to let the computer suck up my free time. Since it’s hot out, I haven’t been getting outside as much as I used to, but I want that to stop when the weather cools off. I do get out of the house all the time, but when I’m home, I do spend WAY too much time blogging, as I’m sure everyone else seems to also. I don’t have a great answer for how to handle blogging time better. I do use Bloglines for reading all the blogs I enjoy on a regular basis. I do all my posts ahead of time and keep them in draft and I have just started to use the Scheduled Post feature on a regular basis. I love that! If only there was a way to keep up with all you other bloggers better, I would love to find that out. It’s just hard to keep up with it all, no doubt about that! What I need to do is limit myself to a certain amount of time every day for blogging, but I haven’t been able to get that down to a science. My hubby thinks I blog way too much & I probably do! Pamela Terry and Edward said… Where do you put your Christmas tree? Dear Pamela: Our Christmas tree goes directly in front of the front door, upstairs in our split foyer house where our livingroom railing is. I have a console table there that I move and that seems to be the best spot that I have found for it. Laura @ the shorehouse. said… Here’s one…How do you find such great yard sales? LOL. ;-)Do you have any advice for covering up scratches in wood floors (other than the area rugs that are consuming our home? ;-)? We have soft wood floors that scratch super easily (thanks in part to the dog — no matter how many times we trim her claws). I’d love a scratch cover-up solution since we just refinished the floors when we moved in in January! Dear Laura: Well, the yardsales seem to find me! Really, when I lived in Atlanta, there were great sales over there too and I have not been disappointed in the almost 3 years we’ve lived here. We live in a large community with lots of neighborhoods, so there is never a shortage of yardsales within a 5 mile radius of our house. I just get the paper out when I want to scout them out & see what’s out there for the weekend. OK, that’s all the questions and answers for this post! I promise, I’ll get to more of them later on. I may ask some of you who asked decorating questions for some pics or posts to share when we do get to those. Thanks SO much for all the participation! This was a lot of fun. ********************************************* Have you ever had tile grout SO dirty that you were willing to tear up the tile and start over? Well, I had some dirty tile grout in my old kitchen in Georgia that I was tired of trying to keep clean, so I resorted to painting it with Patio Paint. I chose a color called Natural Tan Grout, got a small paintbrush and painted away. You can see that old tile above in my old kitchen. It held up well for the 4 years or so it was painted before I moved. I even left the bottle of Patio Paint for the new owners to use if they needed it. It barely got scuffed at all and took care of that nasty grout once and for all. I know there are grout paints out there in the big box stores, but this Patio Paint worked for me (I hear they’ve changed the name of it). My friend, Judy from Montgomery, and I got together a couple of weeks ago and she was lamenting her dirty grout in the kitchen and had just about decided to rip it up and put in hardwoods. I talked her into trying out this outdoor paint on her dirty grout and here are the results. Check it out here! Just thought I’d pass this info along, just in case there are anymore out there with dirty grout syndrome. I know there are some pretty excellent grout cleaners on the market (Finazzle comes to mind), but if you have light grout, it seems to be an ongoing problem to keep it clean. I’m going to do a post soon on that old kitchen of mine in Georgia. It went through a really great overhaul 6 years ago when painted and glazed cabinets were just coming into vogue. New doors for the cabinets, which were painted and glazed by me, new granite tile countertops, tumbled marble backsplash, AND some really nifty wood moldings and corbels were added for a LOT of pop. I’ll share that with you soon! I know many out there are always looking for kitchen inspirations and how to update on a budget. This one was done for less than $3K. Stay tuned…. No more dirty grout! Me and the hubby went over to Grandma Eleanor’s little house yesterday to check it out. Oh my! Talk about a before and after opportunity. It’s a cute little house & needs some major TLC right now. Peeling paint everywhere. Two bedrooms, with a cute fireplace in the livingroom, hardwoods all over. Tiny little place, but it will be adorable when it’s all painted and ready to show. We are going to have to hire a paint crew to come in and do all the prep and painting, it’s obviously been years since this house has had any upkeep done to it. I’ll share some before pics soon. This might be my toughtest challenge yet! On Thursday, we are headed up to the mountains of NC for a few days to visit my parents. Home grown veggies are awaiting us, as well as fresh blueberries right off the trees. My mom said she’d make blueberry pancakes one morning. Yum…can’t wait! I’ll have something scheduled while I’m gone. See you in a few…
Homily of Bishop Alan Hopes, Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster, on the occasion of the visit of the Icon on its pilgrim journey from across Russia and Siberia to Portugal. In London the Icon visited Westminster Roman Catholic Cathedral before going on to the meeting of the Pan-Orthodox Assembly of Bishops of the Orthodox Churches in Great Britain. It was also taken to the triple sanctuary of Our Lady of Walsingham in Norfolk, with its Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox churches. Thus the visit of the Icon celebrates many hopes for the unity of East and West, Catholic and Orthodox, especially towards the Alliance with the Catholic Church of which the Patriarchate of Moscow has spoken, and the “New Evangelisation of Old Europe” which Pope Benedict has made the heart of his pontificate, stressing the importance of Catholic-Orthodox unity in proclaiming the one Apostolic Faith to a contemporary society and culture which chooses death over life. Tonight we welcome into our Cathedral the replica of the famous and much venerated icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa. It was commissioned in January of this year to be a witness to the Gospel of Life and to the Civilisation of love – pro Life and pro Family. It was solemnly blessed in the shrine at Jasna Gora in Poland and has been part of a pilgrimage since June, taking it from Vladivostok in Russia to Fatima by Christmas. It will make its way through many nations – from Ocean to Ocean – and will be a sign of healing, reconciliation and hope. How appropriate that this Cathedral, the Mother Church of Catholics here in England and Wales, should be the first resting place for the Icon before she continues on her travels. From here the Icon will be brought to the Pan Orthodox Assembly of Bishops and priests in Great Britain and Ireland who will receive it at the Church of the Royal Martyrs in Chiswick. This has enormous significance as Christians of the two ancient Churches of East and West join together in prayer, entrusting to her maternal intercession a reclaiming of the dignity of human life and of respect and support for the Family and of a restoration of family values. The distinctive features of Our Lady of Czestochowa make her instantly recognisable throughout the world. Her face is deeply darkened – so much so that she is known as the Black Madonna of Czestochowa. The blackness comes from a fire the soot of which penetrated the paint of the icon. Also on the face of Our Lady are two scars. They were inflicted during a raid on Jasna Gora, the monastery where the Icon is enshrined. The raid was carried out by a sect known as the Hussites, who plundered the shrine and stole the sacred image of Our Lady. They placed it on a wagon but the story tells us that the horses refused to move. The icon was thrown to the ground. The one of the plunderers drew his sword and, out of frustration and anger, inflicted two deep strikes on it. To this day, the Icon bears the scars of that attack. And there is a third scar – inflicted by the arrow of a Tartar invader which struck Our Lady’s image in the throat. The icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa, then, has been the object of desecration, abuse and contempt. Scarred by assaults the message of this sacred image is a reminder in spite of anything man can do, the true beauty of God’s love will shine brightly. How marred is our own world by such assaults on the dignity of human life – from the easy discarding of innocent lives in the tragedy of abortion, to the easy discarding of life as it nears its completion in the so called “right to die” and “mercy killing”. In a world which increasingly believes that it is in control of its own future and destiny, this cheapening of the value of human life leads to so many other indiscriminate killings of human beings through warfare, through crime and violence, through greed and self absorption. So in the Litany of Our Lady of Czestochowa we shall invoke her prayers as the Mother of those who resist evil, the Mother of Orphans and the Mother of the mothers who weep. We bring to her our prayers tonight for all mothers who have suffered from the effects of abortion, those infants who have never seen the light of this world because they were killed through abortion, for all mothers who lose children because human life is not given its due respect and dignity. How marred too, is our world by the assaults on the dignity and the sacred nature of marriage and family life. From the beginning God shows us that the family is a sacred unity given by him to provide stability for the human race. Jesus, God’s own Son, is born of a human mother. He is guided by her and by his foster father, Joseph. He is surrounded by the love and commitment of them both in the security of that loving family. Today’s ideas of living with one another and entering into the commitment of marriage, the acceptance of unfaithfulness and sexual immorality, the provision in law of pre-nuptial agreements which is symptomatic of a general disregard for marriage, the proposed marriage of same sex couples – none of these can replace the ideal of the family – mother, father children – which God intends should provide stability for society as a whole. And where the family unit breaks down there are very real threats to the social order. Let us pray fervently, today, before the image of Our Lady of Czestochowa that those who are in power will seek to uphold the dignity of human life until the tragedy of abortion and assisted killing is no more; and to support and strengthen the family and the values of family life. May the Gospel of God ‘s love, always shining through human sin and the atrocities that we are capable of, shine also through this image of his wounded Mother as this Icon continues her Pilgrimage from Ocean to Ocean. May she inspire all who come to venerate her, to work and to pray for the Gospel of Life and the Civilisation of Love. Our Lady of Czestochowa – Pray for us +Bishop Alan Hopes Westminster Cathedral, 5 November 2012
John had attempted to access credit score rating from his financial, but as he demonstrated: I actually do consider its some exorbitant, but i might nonetheless get back and possess a differnt one if I recommended one. I wouldn’t think twice. I suppose, when you need cash, during the time, that you do not really proper care just how much you’ve gotta pay off do you really, and you just go on it. For the reason that his previous experience with personal bankruptcy, Edward had been reluctant to bring any credit score rating but, as a result of his urgent want to pay their electrical energy expenses, believed that his cash advance could not happen averted. Whenever asked why he couldn’t call the electrical energy business to try and arrange a repayment arrange, Edward reported: I believe it is worth spending twenty unusual quid interest instead of obtaining twenty quid’s really worth of calls wanting to do this, and then they most likely set you on an increased tariff or they mentioned that you need to have. . . a prepay meter therefore’d have significantly more https://samedaycashloans.org/title-loans-id/ aggro this way. The guy managed to repay the loan inside the two-week cycle, as he couldn’t would like to get caught in a constant dependence on credit score rating, declaring: because that’s when they really start making money of you. In my opinion absolutely a charge for failing to pay it back and they roll it over in addition they compound the interest up and that’s how, you understand, the thing is that these individuals who’re spending, just who become these huge bills, it is simply because they kept them moving more in addition to combined interest went up and up. (mere…)
STAGE LEFT: ALL THINGS MUSIC What's up everyone! Thank you for reading my blog Stage Left: Discussing all things music. I’m thrilled you’re here—because I have so much I want to share with you. I’m here to make a life out of what I love, and what I love is blogging. I am passionate about live music, discovering new music and just pop culture in general haha. I truly believe that passion is relayed back to my readers through the innovative and exciting content that I post. Explore my site, and all that I have to offer; perhaps you can also respond with your opinions as well as I love to hear what others think. Oh and I also have a photo blog as well that are from concerts that I have attended. Our Recent Posts
It's pouring with rain outside, I'm suffering from bunged up nose, runny eyes and throaty cough, so don't feel like doing anything excertive. Just thought I'd post a picture of my painting desk as it is this morning. This holds two 54mm FLW regiments, one cavalry one infantry, a batch of based mounted commanders from the Great Wars Crimean range who will be the General Staff for my 28mm Grand Duchy of Humperstein army, a batch of Foundry ACW artillerymen in shirtsleeves who will end up as Engineers for same, and an assortment of civilians from various makes to act as politicians and bystanders. I haven't painted anything this small for years, so it will be interesting to see how I get on. I'm not a fan of 'black lining' (my hand shakes too much) and I prefer gloss finish. Pictures eventually.
April is just around the corner and this month will bring a great excitement and enthusiasm to the blogging world. Yes! This is the month of “A to Z Blogging Challenge”, hosted by Blog chatter. I am a big fan of Blog chatter community. Blog chatter is an excellent blogging community that always helps, guide and inspire bloggers to do better and achieve their dreams. It was not a long ago, when I had joined Blog chatter community, I had participated in #Blogchatterprojects, and since last few months I am trying to attending all the awesome blog chatter weekly activities such as weekly Wednesday twitter chat, Friday Facebook live etc. and I could say confidently that it is one of the best experience of blogging journey. And now, it is the time of Blogchatter A to Z Challenge.“ “A to Z Blogging Challenge is an exciting, thrilling blogging challenge where we bloggers will write a post every day except Sunday, from A to Z alphabet. Though it would be my first participation, but I am aware that participating in this challenge will have numerous benefits. Such as, - You get in the flow of writing consistently - You would be able to make more blogging friends - You will get a constant guidance of awesome Blogchatter community and they will always guide you to write better. So, I am getting geared up, and keeping the fingers crossed that I would be able to complete this exciting blogging challenge. It is highly recommended to pick a theme for your “A to Blogging challenge”, and because it is my first participation, I am trying to put my best foot forward and nothing could be better than the “Share your area of expertise and special skill”. Being a qualified homoeopath ( and a gold medalist too), I always love to share the goodness and greatness of homoepathy with others. It is such an amazing life science that treats sick people gently, ideally and holistically. I am sure you all have heard about homeopathy as a mode of treatment that is gentle, free from side effects, prescribed in the form of tiny globules, and increases immunity and resistance power of the body. but another side, so many of you may have so many doubts and questions regarding the efficacy of homeopathic treatment. so, if you want to learn A to z about homeopathy, stay tuned with A to Z Blogging challenge hosted by Blogchatter. and if you had questions please feel free to ask in the comment box! I would love to help you! I can make you a promise, that this series, would be exciting, inspiring and something out of the box. So, be prepared “Exciting things are going to happen come April. Stick around for more!
Lots of people I’ve met here at the Animal League greet me with “How did a wonderful dog like you get lost?” Isn’t that sweet? Of course, I must reply that I don’t know. Beyond noting that I was found near Walden Grove High School, my history is a mystery. But whatever happened, it gave me the chance to make lots of new friends and their attention sure makes me happy. I’m a Golden Retriever female and you can guess my color—golden—and if you think I’m often smiling, well, I probably am. I may have been a lost dog, but I’m real good at finding the joy in life—and certainly find it in my friends! If you let me into your heart and home, I’ll share that joy with you forever!
I do love this quilt too. Something about the fabrics and the whimsy of it. I need to make one for a baby gift some day. I'm a borders person, myself, so I vote yes. But sometimes that decision is based on how big I need the quilt to be (ie, poor planning on my part). eeeee! I love that pattern! It is so wonderful to show off those beautiful fabrics! Looking forward to seeing what you decide on the border/no border issue.... i love it too...it really is a great pattern! I actually really like it both ways, with and without a border Can't wait to see the finished product. Love the quilt! I love all your quilts! what do you use as your background? plain white? cool design...never heard of it. simple, easy...striking.I vote no border. although I usually go for borders seems like it'd add a calming effect to a not so calm quilt.... Oh I like this one - I've got a quilting pattern that I think the name is "whirlygigs". I'd say no borders. Border--YES--love those orange dots! I was going to say no border, until I saw that orange fabric...how could you not use as much of that as possible?? ;) Another border dispute? As a lover of orange, I say go for it. I could also see quilting those spiky flowers from the dark print into the solid green... I have a lot of the fabric you used in this quilt, and I feel all pumped up and inspired. That quilt is next one on my list... after the Christmas quilt and the Amandajean's star quilt. Very cute. I like the combination of fabrics. The brown flowered in the foreground is especailly striking. I love the fabrics. I love the tangerine dot border, too. Looks great! Makes me smile too. I want to make something like that now. Add it to my list. :-) I love the quilt. If you want a vote on your border/no border dilema, I love the way the border brings out the whirly gigs and frames the quilt. And I love your inner border fabric. I love it. And I love all those fabrics. They all make me happy. It makes me smile too! I like it both ways. I love, love, love those fabrics together, especially the orange! Those are great! Love it! Where did you get this pattern from? I love it, and I vote for the orage dot border, so cute! Lovely! I may have to try that pattern. Border ... if it were me I'd do a strip of white and then of a print or color. Love your whirlygiggles, or whatever their name is!!An orange dotted binding will be great... with or without a border! Thank you! This is going on my list of "i wanna make this!" You are so funny . . . I have the same dilemma every time! On the last little quilt I made I loved how the borders acted as a frame for the piecing - that's probably what they all should be like - I'm still learning. I do love the combo you laid out there, the orange is fab! I simply love it for the same reasons you do. I'm jealous its not mine! To border or not is the question. I say yes 1 border. But thats just me. Adorable quilt! As for the border? It will look great either way. I know, I'm no help. I looove this quilt! The fabrics and color combos are perfect. But of course I love all of your quilts! As for the border, I was thinking it might be nice to put a small white one on first (whatever you used for the background), so the whirlygigs would be floating, and then that great orange for the next border...just an idea! Can't wait to see it finished! x I see some of my favorite fabrics in there! IMHO, I love the orange moon dots laid out as a border. My goodness girl - how do you accomplish so much?! And I'm not even going to the gym . . . Awesome quilt, love the choice of fabrics too. WOW...fun this is definitely going into my quilt idea file. i LOVE the way this is turning out and the fabrics are fantastic! Is there another way to say it - I love it!! I say borders - both orange dots and green. Is that also the windmill pattern? What a fun quilt. Love the fabrics. The pattern is delightful. Woohoot! I love it. I personally like the border but I know it would still be beautiful without it. Awesome quilt top either way. Jackie,if that quilt is mine...:) I'd like to give it a bright orange border. Seems that color can makes me smile. i am really liking your fabric selection. its hard to tell, does it have an overall color scheme?boy 35 comments, thats a lot!its a good thing i dont have to worry about being that popular! I'm with sarahmurray with the small white border first so the whirlygigs float and then your borders. I have a whirlygig on my looooong list of to-do's because of your other list. Now, with this one, I have to move it up higher on the list. I do have to say that it looks fabulous, but when I scrolled down and saw the picture with the borders I quietly gasped (because the kids are sleeping). I do love those borders! Yes...very happy fabrics...love the spot you are putting in the border... I vote no border - just so you could then send me the orange dots instead. :o) this quilt looks great.........I don't have any oranges but they look good in this quilt........and yes I like the orange border I love whirlygigs and your is wonderful - great choice of fabrics! What a great quilt . . . and a great name, too s Girl! Where do you find the time to make all these quilts!!! The fabrics are wonderful. And the quilt would look wonderful with or without a border. Hmmm. Maybe you could do an asymmetrical thing and only put a border on one side ;) Love that quilt you are super fast. such great fabrics!!! Have I said this before? It's very Jacquie-esque! ;-) Hugs from ND! so cute! I still have this quilt on my wish list of things to make :) As usual - I love it! I like it with the boarder. wow! i love this quilt! i love how you use white in your quilts - the effect is stunning! Post a Comment
Lindsay Pollock points to a "no money art show" this weekend in Chelsea -- Art4Barter. The press release explains: "No works shall be sold for money but rather for services and goods. The exact service or good that the artist requires will be on the label next to their art. For example, if an artist were to ask for dental work or other medical procedures in exchange for their art, or for a studio to work in, etc., it will give the community an opportunity to barter for those items that are missing from the artists' lives." I would add just a word of warning. UPDATE: Economist Michael Rushton points out that there was a similar exhibition in Philadelphia in March. A Philadelphia Inquirer story at the time quoted him as follows: "I see it as not an awfully important thing. The barter in modern times is a bit of a gimmick, really. It's a fairly ineffective way to go about your business. The electrician always had the option of going to an art fair and a gallery and looking for things. . . . All you've done is made things more difficult for obtaining the services."
#743 The umbrella of comedy So You’re A Little Sad, So What? Nice Things to Say to Yourself on Bad Days and Other Essays by Alicia Tobin Vancouver: Arsenal Pulp Press, 2019 $17.95 / 9781551527871 Reviewed by Natalie Lang A delicate manner must be found in comedy to deal with the sad and unfortunate events in our lives. Every line delivered must walk a razor’s edge between the sad reality and the light-hearted joke based on it. When it works, hilarity can result — not just because something is funny, but because we start to see ourselves in the story being told. In So You’re A Little Sad, So What? Nice Things to Say to Yourself on Bad Days and Other Essays, Alicia Tobin, a Vancouver-based comedian, writer, and podcaster, delivers sharp anecdotes about her life. With Jessica Delisle, Tobin is the co-host of Retail Nightmares and, with Kevin Lee, of Super! Sick! Podcast! She is also the creator of her own comedy show, Come Draw With Me. This collection of essays, with a foreword by the comedian Charlie Demers – known from the CBC radio segment, The Debaters – offers a fine example of Tobin’s refreshing and honest comic ability. It offers a quick read through self-contained yet beautifully-connected anecdotes filled with all-too-familiar moments that soon you’ll be sharing with everyone. Tobin starts with a childhood story about shopping with her mother. Here, she plays on her lifelong insecurity caused by her wide feet, her “Iguana” shaped body, and her childhood horror of having to wear an eye patch. The premise of this essay, aside from a deep-seated physical shame, concerns Tobin’s desire for Velcro shoes, which all the cool kids had. After her mother conceded, Tobin found that the shoes were entirely too small for her. Instead of admitting this, she wore them despite the pinching pain as she performed a ribbon dance to Madonna’s “Like a Virgin.” Completely unaware of the meaning in the song, Tobin danced her little heart out until her teacher promptly stopped the music. More shame. The Velcro essay sets readers up for who Alicia Tobin was at the start of her life: headstrong, odd, a little bit neurotic, self-conscious, brave, and hilariously unaware of life’s little nuances. With clues from the other essays, we soon develop a solid picture of Tobin as she is today. Her essays are funny, as when she compares riding in a city bus to “sitting in a can of shared misery and smells,” and occasionally involve a practical pointer. “If you’re going to cry in public, do it on a bus,” she advises (p. 131). Tobin’s fourteen essays – ranging from light complaints over Vancouver rental housing, to sympathetic reactions to rude customers and sales clerks, to food as a gateway to love, communication, and comfort – allow her to draw a roadmap through her life and over a bridge spanning troubled or frigid waters into which she herself has made a few dips and splashes. She is frank when discussing the physical and mental health of her friends and herself, including the trials of diagnosing Hashimoto’s disease, and she is witty when describing the trash fire of traversing the Vancouver dating scene — a valley of broken hearts and broken people. Yet above it all, Tobin is laugh-out-loud hilarious when instructing readers how to talk to city animals, and how to convince yourself that you are not a “dirty diaper garbage bag” (p. 77) as you march down to the corner store to buy all the junk food you can eat, while the guy behind the counter can’t hide a silent, knowing, and judgemental glance. Tobin’s book is more than a collection of essays. It is also a series of love letters to her friends and family, to a lonely child, to a desperate pet, to cities that are both cold-hearted and home. Sharp, witty, and real, her essays are road markers for how to get through the variety of human tragedies that plague us in our own personal paths of pain. Tobin seems to sit with us and drink a cup of tea while we read So You’re a Little Sad, So What? and consider our own stories and reflections. She left me confident that in spite of a landscape of family drama and trauma, failed loves, depressing jobs, grey cities, sick pets, and sick selves, with a little bit of humour and good friends we may ease our suffering just enough to remember to grab our umbrella as we step out into life’s torrential downpour. Natalie Lang is a teacher at Rick Hansen Secondary in Abbotsford. She graduated from the University of the Fraser Valley with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and Anthropology and then completed the PDP (Professional Development Program) and Bachelor of Education at Simon Fraser University. She is now a master’s student in the GLS (Graduate of Liberal Studies) program at Simon Fraser University. Natalie lives to the beat of her own drum, allowing experience and life circumstances to help determine where she goes, what she does, and how she lives. As such, she has lived in China, walked across Spain, and travelled to many areas of the world. Natalie now lives in a renovated barn in the Fraser Valley where she can be found studying for her GLS classes, designing lessons for her students, listening to records, and dabbling with her own experiments in writing. The Ormsby Review. More Books. More Reviews. More Often. Publisher and Editor: Richard Mackie The Ormsby Review is a journal service for serious coverage of B.C. books and authors, hosted by Simon Fraser University. The Advisory Board consists of Jean Barman, Robin Fisher, Cole Harris, Wade Davis, Hugh Johnston, Patricia Roy, David Stouck, and Graeme Wynn. Scholarly Patron: SFU Graduate Liberal Studies. Honorary Patron: Yosef Wosk. Provincial Government Patron since September 2018: Creative BC “Only connect.” – E.M. Forster
Começando 2015 em grande estilo com o mais puro sexo, drogas e rock´n´roll, cortesia do The Virgin Tongues, capitaneado pelo excêntrico Duncan Mcknight, os caras praticam a arte de enlouquecer tudo e todos e isso desde 2007 e notem, o tão aguardado álbum do Virgin Tongues é uma verdadeira lenda, até hoje não saiu e não há nenhuma previsão disso acontecer. Reza a lenda que os caras ao vivo são completamente caóticos, seguindo a trilha de seus ícones, leia-se, Gun Club, V.U., J&MC e outros. E assim vai se escrevendo a história de um culto ao redor do The Virgin Tongues, enquanto isso sugiro se embriagar com o já pequeno clássico Six Feet Underground. *** Interview with The Virgin Tongues *** Q. When did Virgin Tongues starts tell us about the history... We started somewhere around 2007, I can't really remember the exact date... I moved to Berlin with a best friend from California, and we met the rhythm guitarist in a bar and shared all the same musical interests. We decided to jam and played our first show within a week. My friend (the drummer) wasn't a musician at the time and we urged him to grab a tambourine. So the first shows were him just playing tambourine and smoking while we played guitar and I sang. After a few shows we asked him to play two drums standing up and thats how the band really took off. Two guitars, two drums and a lot of soul. Q: Who are your influences? There are too many to list of course, we were into many different styles of music. At the time, especially krautrock and shoegaze bands. Q. Made a list of 5 albums of all time… Only 5? Come on... 1. The Virgin Tongues album that has yet to be recorded. 2. The Gun Club - Fire of Love 3. The Velvet Underground - White Light / White Heat 4. Syd Barrett - The Madcap Laughs 5. The Jesus and Mary Chain - Darklands 6. T. REX - Electric Warrior Haha there's too many albums of all time Doors LA Woman Maybe we should change it to 10 best albums of all time hahaha Q. How do you feel playing live? I can't speak for the other members, but in general, Electric and alive. Like you're exactly where you're supposed to be. Time was non-existant. Q. How do you describe Virgin Tongues´ sounds? Rock and roll. Listen for yourself. Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ? Each song was different but our most popular one "Six Feet Underground" sort of came like a message from the heavens. I heard the lead in my head that you hear in the beginning, and then we just jammed what came out. After we recorded the music we went outside for a smoke break and then I got the urgency to go in and sing. I recorded the vocals/lyrics in one take with no pre-meditation. Q. Which new bands do you recommended? Once Again, I can't speak for the other members, but I really dig Magic Castles, Jay Reatard, White Fence, Ty Segall. Thee Oh Sees, Night Beats, The Blue Angel Lounge, The Underground Youth, Temples, Crystal Stilts, Wooden Shjips. Once Again, too many to list. Q: Which bands you love to made a cover version? We did a cover once of "Thats how I got to Memphis" by Tom T. Hall, an old country tune. Not sure where that recording went. We used to do a lot of covers purely for fun, Wicked Games by Chris Issak being one of them. Q: What´s the plans for future.... There are no plans. The band is no longer. As much as I want it to go on, my accident in 2009 completely fucked everything up and everyone went their seperate ways. I tried to get it back together but it just wasn't meant to be. So what you hear is what you get. You never know what the universe has in store though. Q: Any parting words? Dont be selfish. Always put others needs before your own. Have a lot of fun, but make an honest effort to make the World a better place. Make the ride easier for the ones you love, and for the ones you dont love. To sum it all up: Karma's a bitch.
Thank you all for your very generous and positive response to my Stoned Critters. It is very much appreciated. I have plans for others as well and will share them when (if) they happen:) I have been playing around with the epoxies, mostly to get a feel for them and figure out how they work in different situations. I always learn best by doing rather than watching so I tend to go straight to the trial and error stage after doing a bit of homework. These are some of those trials.... Rocks in green mica. My bees swarmed this summer, but failed to find a home so they built a hive on the side of one of my small trees. I tried to rehome them into a hive box, but they adamantly refused. When the weather got cold, they did not last long out in the open, but they did leave some lovely comb behind. This is a bit of brood comb encased in clear resin. Tree twigs and green clay. Winter beech twigs in the center, these would be leaves in the Spring. Coal and coal-ash = light and dark ponies...These and the Stoned Donkeys are 2.25x4 inches Honeycomb from the bottom of the cells. Fungus among us. Bits of flower fluff in bracelets. If anyone would like any of these, let me know. I can get some some fittings for them so they can be worn as pendants. The bracelets are rather small (and my hands are rather large), they would fit a child or small wrist. If you would like one of the Stoned Donkeys or ponies let me know about that as well. I have thought of selling them on Etsy, but I have no idea what to charge. Any thoughts about that??? What, if anything, would you pay for something like that? I like making stuff, I do NOT like shopping:)
Mater Dei parishioner Irene Hinman learned to help at an early age By Jill Ragar Esfeld Topeka — Last Thursday, like every Thursday at Mater Dei Parish here, parishioner Irene Hinman was stuffing bulletins and bantering with receptionist Debbie Meyer — this time about her age. When Meyer cautiously guessed Hinman’s age at early 80s, maybe 84, the older woman responded with a laugh. Meyer was off by 10 years; Hinman is 94. “She seems very young to me; she’s so full of spunk,” said Meyer. “I’m half her age and sometimes I just feel like — God, if she can do it, I can do it, too.” But Hinman doesn’t think she’s doing anything out of the ordinary. “I’ve done a little bit of everything, not much of anything,” she said. She avoids further query by adding, “I always figured if you did a good deed, you kept it in a box; you didn’t tell.” But her family and friends aren’t shy about the “little bit of everything” Hinman does. “You don’t just drop by her house,” said her daughter Mary LeGrefley, a parishioner of St. John the Evangelist, Lawrence. “You call her to make sure she’s home, because she’s gone doing something every day.” At 94, Hinman still helps deliver Meals on Wheels, visits nursing homes and volunteers with the election board. In addition to stuffing bulletins for Mater Dei, she helps with the church bazaar, garage sale and Sunday morning coffee. “And she’s with a group called the Holy Name Rollers,” said her daughter Carolin Moore, a St. Mary, Newton, parishioner. “They roll silverware for funeral dinners. “She was recognized by Mater Dei this summer with a really nice plaque for her volunteer work.” For the last 25 years, Hinman has also been an important part of Let’s Help Topeka, an organization that provides clothing and meals to the poor. “I’ve always sorted [donated] clothes at Let’s Help,” she said. “Nobody else wanted to do that.” Hinman credits her mother with setting an example of helping others. When she was very young, she said, “hobos” often came to their door looking for handouts. “They called them hobos,” she explained, “but they were really men that were looking for work and they would go from town to town and ride the boxcars.” Hinman’s mother always fed them. “I remember sometimes, she would give them what we were going to have for supper,” she recalled. “And she would remind us that these were people that were looking for work, they were hungry and maybe they hadn’t eaten in a day or so. “So we always understood if we didn’t have much for supper that night.” Hinman lost her mother when she was 11. A few years later, her father was hit by a car and left an invalid. So before she was out of high school, Hinman found herself working to support her father and younger sister by charging 50 cents for three hours of baby-sitting or housework. Once she graduated and entered the workforce, she discovered a natural skill with numbers that enabled her to progress quickly from being a dime-store clerk at $8 a week, to a bookkeeper for $13 a week. “I was always lucky,” she said. “Even during the Depression, I always found a job.” Hinman met her husband Nelson at work, and together they shared the responsibility of caring for her father until he died in 1945. And then, Hinman said, “I really prayed hard that God would send us some children.” Her prayers were answered with her two daughters and a son, Nelson Jr. For the next 40 years, the couple owned and managed a four-story apartment building in Assumption Parish in Topeka. “We had 19 sleeping rooms and 13 apartments,” said Hinman. “I did bookkeeping and helped Nelson when I could. And the kids grew up painting.” While caring for the building, the Hinman family also cared for the people inside, doing everything from helping elderly residents with shopping to preparing meals for those who were ill. “With an apartment house,” said Hinman, “you’ve got lots of people you can help.” But tragedy struck again, when Hinman’s husband developed Alzheimer’s disease. “He was young when he got it — very young,” she said. “We had the apartment house, and my children were little. “He wasn’t bedridden, but I really had to watch him because he would wander off. So I took care of him till he passed away in 1986.” When asked if those were difficult years, Hinman doesn’t hesitate. “I never thought of it as being a burden of any kind,” she said. “I look back now and sometimes I wonder how I did it. “But, you know, you just take what God gives you every day.” After her husband died, Hinman sold the apartment building and moved to a house. But she found it impossible to relax and retire. And so she began volunteering — every day, in every way she could — for the next 25 years. “I guess my calling is as a caregiver,” she said. “There are always more and more people to help, and it always makes me feel good.” “Besides, it’s a reason to get dressed and get going every day,” she added. “And as long as I have good health, I want to do it.” Part of Hinman’s charm is her unflagging optimism — clearly evident in her assessment of her own life, which, by anyone’s definition, hasn’t been easy. “Oh, listen,” she said, “I’d like to live my life over again if it would be half as good as the one before.”
For many of us the Holidays can be a time of Major Stress. Some dread that time with family that brings back all those childhood issues. Some stress over having to spend so much money that they do not have for the children or for gifts they feel obligated to buy. For others, it is the tug-a-war between obligations and in-laws. Or, should we say, in-laws and out-laws? And, for still others, it is too much eating and drinking. And, too much to do. How much stress you allow to touch you has everything to do with how conscious you are or can be about what is in your mind. How aware are you of what pushes your buttons? How much can you prepare for avoiding being stressed by in-laws and sis’ jealousy and mom’s critical attitude? Do you have a plan? If you have a plan, will you follow it? Too often we think we can just play it off the cuff. But, when we try to do that, we are often overwhelmed by a concert of things going Not Quite as You Wanted or Expected. If you are truly aware and conscious, you will be monitoring your mental pulse all the time. What will you do if something gets under your skin? Will you be able to quietly slip out and find a quiet place to regroup, meditate and do some mindful breathing. If you are the Cook or Host and things are not going according to schedule, what can you do to regain mental control? Self-talk about how the season is about love and joy and not how spectacular the turkey is could help.
Central to our work of educating and training therapists, artists, pastors, and leaders is the crucial calling to study and tell the stories of our deepest wounds—and to help others to the same. Here, Paul Quinlivan (MA in Counseling Psychology ‘15 and MA in Theology & Culture ‘14), an Assistant Instructor at The Seattle School, writes about how his inner artist was wounded as a young boy—and how he began to reclaim the desire to create. This blog originally appeared on the Miracles in the Mundane blog. Like many a young boy, I was prone to doodling. You know—typical stick figures of my family dog or the pretty girl who sat next to me in Mrs. Gauthier’s 2nd grade class. The craft began in the margins of my composition books while my teachers attempted to impart the finer points of grammar or mathematics. As my imagination evolved, so did my art. There were the sketches of soccer players, which transformed into beach scenes, which of course morphed into surfers on waves. I imagine I’m not the only person reading this who has found themselves mind-surfing across the page. My sketches were by no means “good” art, as if one could put value judgments on such works by an 8-year-old, but they were true creations of the heart. A theme that consistently graced my pages was superheroes. I was obsessed—obsessed with the idea of characters who could be blessed with powers that enabled them to somehow step outside the realm of possibility and wrestle with those who threaten hope. I lived in comic books and Saturday morning cartoons, and of course my imagination created its own heroes. One of the characters I created was a man with a square head, neatly parted comb-over Mohawk, a cape, and a giant “BM” on his chest. Contrary to what may have first graced your mind, BM stood for “Block Man,” protector of the universe. He was a hero so strong and fierce and good and moral and block-headed, literally, that all evil fled from his presence. He was my imagination’s amalgamation of all the heroes I admired. One day I was with my father and a friend of his. This friend had a son who truly had a gift as an artist and would often draw elaborate, life-like sketches of his favorite heroes. The two men began talking about this son’s gift and how he could potentially cultivate it. I remember looking up at the two men with longing eyes and saying, “I can draw too. Look, see, I call him Block Man.” My father looked down with sadness on his face and replied, “You do not have a single artistic bone in your body.” The horror of his remark raced through my body, mind, and soul, wounding so deep. Did he not see my sketches of Block Man? Sure they would never end up in the Louvre or even the county fair, but was that not still art? When measured against his friend’s son, I paled in comparison. I was ruined. When we arrived home I went straight to my room and trashed all the drawings I had. Out went the heroes and beach scenes. Out went the crayons, pastels, charcoal, and the watercolor kit. I did not pick up the artist’s tools for years, and each time I did the wound still stung as if I had just heard the words. The internal message was always the same: I could not possibly be an artist. My dad wasn’t entirely wrong. I am an athlete and always have been. Like a dancer, I create feats of art with the movement of my body and the teammates around me. But he most definitely was not right. Let me be clear: I believe my father meant me no harm, but was instead moved to speak what he believed to be a truth—I would never become a professional artist. Intent, however, does not change impact. I know I am not alone in having a wounded artistic child inside. I know this because I am human, and being human I, like you, am a product of a long-ago broken relationship that opened the door for hurt and trauma and well-intentioned words that cut to the core. It is part of the human condition of being cast out of the presence of that which created life. For many of us, the shame we hold stems from the culture of comparison, the pressure to live up to some impossible and invisible standard. Maybe for you, like me, it was a family member, or coach, teacher, pastor, friend, or bully. Each of us has a story of betrayal and faces that go with it. Each of us has a story of betrayal and faces that go with it. But each of us has also been created in order to create. The commission in the Genesis text is to “be fruitful and multiply” or, in other words, to create. When we create we begin to move closer to that which has created all, to fulfill our purpose for being and being known. For most of us, this means finding a way to embrace the woundedness of our inner artist, to share our stories of betrayal and harm with those in community who can hold the pain and help us to (re)create and to again pick up our pens, paints, cameras, or clay. My challenge for you is to tend to your wounded artist and to once again embrace the younger you that had a vibrant imagination and longing, and to allow it to run wild. Godspeed in your recovery.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” ~Revelation 1:8 God has always known what would happen, even before anything else existed. Before the heavens and the earth, before time itself, God was there. He has existed forever. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.” ~Isaiah 46:10 The knowledge that God knows everything that will happen as well as when it will happen, makes it all that much easier for us to surrender. Accepting that He is in control is what gives us peace. “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” ~Revelation 13:8 This verse points to the fact that He had the plan of salvation figured out before He created man. He has had our eternity in place right from the beginning—from the foundation of the world, He knew we would need a Savior. He has it all under control, even the sacrifice of Jesus “the Lamb slain” to purchase our eternal life. He's had it all in place even before He created the world! Satan’s intervention with humanly was no surprise to God. We need to understand that God doesn’t have the restriction of time. He moves forward and backward through the realm of time, and therefore He can see the future before it happens. God is never, ever surprised! So, the answer posed in the title of this post, is most definitely, yes. God knows everything! And with this insight, who better to trust with not only the affairs of this life, but with your entire eternity! The blog site, Answers in Genesis posted the following… “We want the world to know that the Bible is not just a book of religion, or morality, or just a book of spiritual things—although it is all those things. We want people to understand that the Bible is a book of history. You see, the first book of the Bible relates to us the account of the biological, geological, astronomical, and anthropological history of the universe—and this history is confirmed by observational science in genetics, biology, geology, and astronomy. Because this history as revealed in the Bible is true, then the message of the Christian gospel (concerning salvation from our sin of rebellion in the first man Adam) is true—that the Son of God stepped into history to become one of us and to die (but as a sinless man) on a cross (because death was the penalty for our sin), was raised from the dead (conquering death), and now offers a free gift of salvation (to live with God for eternity in a New Heavens and earth—with no death) to those who will receive it.” This is such a powerful statement, and it is 100% biblically accurate as well. I felt the need to include this quote because I just couldn’t think of any better way to explain the point of today’s post. After all, the object of The Truth Mission blog site is to share the absolute truth of the Bible and to share the salvation of Jesus Christ with as many as will hear, and to encourage others to do the same. We must come to the point of acceptance regarding the entire matter. God is real. God was not created and has always existed. He pleads with every single one of us to accept this offer to spend eternity with Him! He has procured such an easy way for everyone to accept this invitation and live forever. So, why would anyone say no? There is only one reason, and his name is Satan. He’s been trying to keep us from connecting with Jesus since the first day of creation. Satan had been exiled from heaven and was watching every move Jesus made. He was jealous of Christ’s divine ability to create. He chose to do everything in his power to corrupt all of creation, to separate us from God in any way possible, and his primary weapon was sin. If we can simply accept that sin is what separates us from God, we can then grab hold of God’s perfect all knowing plan of redemption. By acknowledging the fact that we are all sinners, are all in need of His plan of salvation, we acknowledge that we are all in need of Jesus. God knew before humans were created that we would need this rescue plan. He knew we would all betray Him and succumb to sin, and He still created us anyway. Wow...what a God! "Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.” ~Isaiah 42:9 Q: Are you willing to accept that God knows best? Please leave comments below. Sign up below for a weekly email reminder!
I'd like to start this blog by saying, for some of you, this may be TMI, as in "too much information," but as I've said before, we cloth-diapering moms are not typically overly-squeamish so with that warning, I'll continue. After 23 months, I just had a visit from Aunt Flo. That's right. My monthly. My cycle. My friend. My period. After over nine months of pregnancy and then 14 months of breastfeeding (and still going strong, thank you very much) I wasn't sure if I would ever get it again. And truth be told, I hadn't missed it at all. So anyway, as I was dealing with Aunt Flo and getting ready to use a maxi-pad, into the bathroom walks my four-year-daughter, Kate--Mommy wants privacy? What a ridiculous concept. Anyway, curious Kate asked about the "diaper" I was holding. After I gave her a very simplistic, yet truthful answer, I started thinking. These pads are a lot like diapers and a whole lot of them end up in landfills every year. Surely someone had already invented a cloth version. A quick internet search revealed that yes, indeed, cloth pads do exist and actually, they seem to get great reviews. One of the companies I found Gladrags even asks has a program that will donate their products to girls in Africa, living in poverty, who have little access to feminine products. A starter kit costs a little over $100 and comes complete with the specialty detergent and a small bucket with a lid (to keep near the toilet, I assume). Like using cloth diapers, this would be a great way to save money and put less trash into the landfill. Another cool looking company that makes and sells cloth pads is called Luna Pads. Their pads have wings and come in dark colors, like black, with colorful trim. Personally, if I end up investing in cloth pads, I would go with black--it just seems to make sense, if you know what I mean! While on the Luna Pad site, I came across a very disturbing blog called The Moldy Tampon Turmoil. I hadn't heard this story but I am pretty grossed out by the picture. The woman who discovered the moldy tampon only discovered because she accidentally popped it out of the applicator--otherwise, anyone who has used a tampon knows that you don't see the tampon before you put it in--so who knows how many moldy tampons exist? Ewwwwwww! The environmentalist in me is thinking maybe I should give these a try. And since I have two daughters, I've already decided that I'll be buying the girls each a set when they get their first periods. They'll think this is just the way it's done if I start them early enough--or at least I hope so. What do you think of reusable sanitary pads? Would you? Could you? Do you? Let us know what you think.
After adopting a baby, parents are responsible for the care and well-being of that child until it reaches the age of 18 when they are considered a legal adult. Many parents think they need to treat their adopted kids differently than kids they had on their own, but this is not the case for all situations. Children will thrive as long as they are being given adequate attention, and are being genuinely cared for. Treat Them Equally As an adoptive parent, you should make an effort to treat all your children equally. Sometimes it can be hard to manage, but relying on your spouse will help a lot. If you have biological children in your household, treat your adopted kid(s) the same as you would your biological children. This is the best policy for any parent who is wondering what to do in this situation. Unless your adopted child has some sort of medical condition or complication that creates a situation where they need more attention, you should be able to do this without much trouble. Teach Them Life Skills Teaching your children valuable life skills is something every parent should be concerned with. By teaching your kids life skills, you enable them to live a full and complete life, especially when they become adults and have to fend for themselves. Parents have the responsibility to teach their kids all the skills they will need to be able to excel and progress in life. As a parent, you want your kids to be ready for the big world out there. By teaching them what they need to do and how to conduct themselves, you are creating a bright future for them. Show Genuine Love and Care You should always make an effort to show love and care for all your children. Whether you are thinking about adoption in Idaho or other places, remember to be consistent with all your children. Be genuine and show them that you love them from the deepest corners of your heart. Kids need to know that they’re loved, they feed off of it. Be sure to allow them to feel your genuine love each and every day as best you possibly can. By showing your children genuine love and care, you in turn teach them how to love others around them as they go through life. This can make all the difference in the lives of all of your children. When it comes to adopting a new child, parents should make every effort to treat their adopted kids the same as they do their biological children. Maintaining consistency in a family is incredibly important, especially when raising kids.
Do you love succulents as much as I do? There seems to be a growing love for sure and when I saw these I knew they had to be shared with succulent lovers everywhere! You can now have succulents (faux) in your car with you! They hang right from the rearview mirror and look fantastically real! They have their own little macrame holder that they hang in and I love it! My mom used to have hanging macrame planters in our home when I was a kid. I always thought they were so cool! So this is a miniature version of that and you just have a little faux succulent in there. I mean a real one would be cool, but I am pretty certain they would burn up quickly in the summer heat in the car. I happen to love this one I found on Etsy! You can order it with a pot and plant, or order it alone to put your own pot and succulent in it. I love the variety of color choices she offers. It’s a mini macrame plant hanger and made from 100% cotton strings. It hangs from a 2″ loose-leaf ring and can be clipped pretty much anywhere. Totally perfect for your rearview mirror! The plant hanger is approximately 10 1/2″ long. The mini terra cotta pot is approximately 1 3/4″ W x 1 1/2″ H. You can choose from the following colors! - Primrose Pink - Sage Green - Soft Pink - Pure White - Powder Blue - Deep Green - Heather Grey - Dusty Rose - Dusty Mint - Dusty Jade So many choices! Which one is your favorite? I love the tones of them! I really love this one, called Dusty Mint! Isn’t it gorgeous? This one has a little eucalyptus plant in it. Totally adorable. You can get your own from CottonandTreeHome on Etsy for only $20 for the hangar alone, or $25 for the hangar with the pot and plant.
Fundamental → Tactical → Strategic My personal definition of agency is the weighed score of all actions that have paid off in the way they were planned to, with greater weights assigned to those aimed farther into the future. Like in machine learning, we cannot simply optimize for that score numerically due to the sheer vastness and multimodality of our decision space, so we have to use hacks to become more agentic. Before we delve into a more structured and theoretical part, here are some of those hacks that work nicely out of hand: As paradoxical as it may sound, you can outsource some of your agency. For instance, Alcoholics Anonymous do exactly this, you come there and use the power of the community to set yourself straight. Interpret that as you wish: it may be an evolutionary hook that makes us tribal or it may be not that, but the fact is that a body of people is often helpful when you need to get things done. Another way to exploit this is to join more communities with wildly different agendas. Each group’s preferences will tug yours in some direction which may help your set of beliefs become more elaborate and robust. Plus, it may boost various useful skills. Similarly, you can make use of behavioral frameworks. Month-long challenges like Inktober, personal commitments, you name it. My favorite frame is “do it 100 times” where you commit to do something 100 times without deadlines or any other modifiers. Just do it. 100 times. Learn and mix more concepts from a variety of fields. It’s always great to apply patterns from software architecture to how you schedule your day, or a machine learning concept to your explanation of agency. A bonus that’s often overlooked is that you become eloquent with complex ideas, especially when you need to communicate them to several people from different domains. Employ your ability to change faster than culture. Recognize your petty tyrants and become unswayed by them. Petty tyrants are those who exercise their power to distract you or make you suffer. Commonly, those are people but in a broader sense, even a crossroads with a messy street light pattern may be your personal tyrant. Never let them get you. Detect and unmake imaginary rules you have imposed on yourself. You are allowed to do many more things than you think. Conversely, you are allowed not to do many things (honestly, almost all). Feel free to abandon past commitments if they don’t serve your current goals. In the end, there is no achievement for a perfect track record. Before we get to the wordy part, here’s the last quick hint. Simply thinking about agency increases it. (Don’t overdo it though.) Primordial Soup of Awareness Everything is built on a certain substrate. All agentic skills, both short- and long-term, rest on the foundation of basic, elemental awareness. That awareness is being grown, step by step, not achieved in a quick rush. We can speed up that growth, though. As boring as it may sound, strong willpower and sense of control root from the body, not the other way around. Healthy diet, regular exercise, and good sleep will do 80% of the work. The best source I can recommend on all this is the Huberman Lab podcast. But this is just the first step. Meditation should have been the second fundamental but let me move it to the third place. I believe that what’s more important is to read more books and, specifically, stories with inspiring characters. Part of the character’s agency is yours — if you’re ready to absorb it. Well-written heroes never fully fade in your mind, and we can decide whose voice to amplify. As for the other, non-character ones, everybody has their lists but let me give a few more books that have worked miracles on my agency: The Beginning of Infinity by David Deutsch; Diaspora by Greg Egan; The Foundation series by Isaac Asimov; The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins; Dune by Frank Herbert; Mother of Learning by Domagoj Kurmaic. All of the works above are very different which is a part of the appeal but they also share one trait that I value a lot: each of these books has its distinct vision of the evolution of the sense of purpose in an individual. I recommend them fervently. With this short digression being resolved, let’s continue. Meditation. First, I must disclaim that I’m pretty new to the trade. Second, I will leave the description of traditional and advanced techniques to the professionals. My recommendations comprise three forms of (what may be called) meditation: Listen to X, where X can be your breath, your body, the soundscape of your city, a dripping faucet, or the birds singing in the trees. Let things go. The first form (especially when you’re listening to your body or your motivations) will provide you with many things you could let go. Bodily tension is one of those things, and getting rid of it is worth a lot. Wander aimlessly. I’m not talking about going for a walk, I’m suggesting you to spend a day without any plan, any intention to do something useful, nothing. Just sit and watch the clouds go by. With all that partly mastered and regularly attended to, the last and strongest enemy that muddies the waters in our awareness pond is fear. Fear the mind-killer. Fear the little-death. There is no simple recipe to fight off fear, and you probably don’t want to get rid of it completely but anyway, fear is only strong around your most sensitive spots. Most of the damage it does is collateral. Deconstructing why something is scary often dispels its detrimental effect because it actually only seems scary. When you are focused on something, you tend to ignore everything else. Like in this famous selective attention experiment. But your attention doesn’t have to be a narrow spotlight. You can expand it and be more aware of your surroundings. That will give you the sense of presence, easier time reacting to unforeseen stimuli, and a bunch of other nice perks. The contracted to expanded awareness pipeline is often taught as Alexander Technique, and one of the best websites on it is this one. Not only modern psychologists have elaborated on spatial awareness. In the 17th century, a legendary Japanese swordsman and philosopher Miyamoto Musashi wrote The Book of Five Rings where he laid out his principles of the perfect warrior. He praises the skill of being keenly aware of one’s immediate environment as the greatest virtue, and he also gives valuable advice on timing, styles of movement, honesty, and many other things. Y’know, this is yet another book I wholeheartedly recommend. The epitome of how to whet your awareness in warrior cultures comes in the form of treating death as your best advisor. “Be aware of the fact that you may die the next second, and you will become invincible.” Not an easy path for most contemporary folks but in case you’re interested in this approach, I wrote about it here with a little more detail and here with a different frame. A wise man once said, "You are only ever as agentic as your political theory says is the upper bound of rational agency." What is the most agentic thing you can imagine? How does it relate to ambition? What’s the most ambitious endeavor humanity could undertake? These are all open questions but pondering on them reveals a lot about your values and the ways you set and pursue your goals. Acting in a world full of benevolent cooperators is noticeably different from striving on your own. The choice of this frame is up to you, but if a little hint is allowed, the setup involving a lot of cooperation manifests a much more ambitious (and agentic) variant of the future. Let’s zoom out and look again at fear. All those things fear suppresses but not targets, they can be mapped to points in your decision space. The more of them are disabled, the weaker is your ability to maneuver. And it being capped means that a larger subspace of alternatives will be locked in the more distant regions of the future. Once you free up one move you’ve been afraid of, that unlocks ten moves a year from now and a hundred moves two years from now. And don’t worry about depleting the alternative timelines mine, it’s unrealistic for a human to exhaust it. Finally, we can revisit spatial awareness and look at it from our high-ground strategic viewpoint. Why only expand your awareness in the physical space? You can take any abstract conceptual space and expand it there. I highly recommend 4X strategy games as a playground for this: you have to keep track of several spatial, conceptual, and temporal contexts while not allowing yourself to focus on any single one. Surely, many real-life experiences suit better as they are even more high-dimensional, but the upside of the game is that it allows you to test and experiment with novel approaches in a low-stakes environment. Together, the methods described in this post form a powerful toolset that will boost your ability to analyze and control your life. I wish you to be ever increasingly alive and agentic!
Join War on the Rocks and gain access to content trusted by policymakers, military leaders, and strategic thinkers worldwide. Being a European in the Early Middle Ages was rough. “Barbarians,” such as the Franks and Vandals that destroyed the Roman Empire were settling into kingdoms in their own right. Dynasties like the Carolingians and Merovingians dominated Western Europe. Diseases, poverty, and starvation were rampant. However, the Early Middle Ages had another looming threat: Vikings. All over Europe, stories circulated of fearsome bands of raiders who would appear over the horizon, sail to Europe’s shores and pillage monasteries and towns. These raiders came from the Scandinavian countries, and were known at the time as Norsemen (literally men from the North). Their fighting prowess was the stuff of legend — so much so that the Byzantine Emperor all the way in Istanbul hired them as his closest bodyguards (Graffiti carved into the railings of the Hagia Sophia still bears the name of one of these Viking guards). These fierce warriors terrorized Europe for hundreds of years, and to Europeans it seemed as though nothing could stop the mysterious men from the North. What did the Vikings have that allowed them to strike anywhere in Europe with impunity? What was it that made them so effective at attacking European coastal towns, raiding the local monasteries or villages, and fleeing before the king could rally his troops to fend off the raiders? One reason is the unique and advanced vessels known as longships. The longship was the preferred warship of the Vikings. It was not armed, but it could easily carry 75 or more troops. The ship was advanced for its time for a number of reasons. First, it had a sail that allowed the ship to travel close to the wind direction, and maintain a heading even as winds shifted. It also had oars that allowed the ship to move even in the absence of wind. The Viking longship’s keel was shallow, and it only needed a meter of water to sail effectively. This allowed it sail to shore and disembark its raiders quickly. It also allowed the ships to sail up the mouths of rivers like the Danube and Volga. The boat was able to bear the ferocious storms of the North Atlantic through some engineering that was ahead of its time. The longships’ construction intentionally included significant allowances, making the entire hull flexible. It could bend with the rock and pitch of the waves. Unlike rigid-hull ships, which risked coming apart under their own weight in a storm, the longship could easily handle the journey from Scandinavia to Italy or Constantinople. The final feature that made a longship so advanced was its long, narrow hull. The sleek design allowed it cut through waves. Viking longships could arrive at shore as little as 60 minutes after appearing on the horizon, leaving unready villagers at their mercy. Reconstructed longships have reached speeds of nearly 25 knots. The Vikings were also cunning strategists, and their tactics exploited the military asymmetries of the day. The Carolingians’ armies were pre-feudal, meaning that the decentralized nature of the vassal system had not yet permeated the continent, and armies were still poorly trained and relied on mass. Small groups like the Vikings were able to hit targets and run off before the slow-moving bureaucracy of the kingdoms was able to react. The Vikings also relied on their fearsome reputation to keep them out of fights entirely. Thanks to a justified reputation for brutality and ferociousness, Vikings would often land at a prospective raiding site, only to find the locals unwilling to engage them at all, preferring to surrender their goods instead of their lives. The raiders will also willing to forego many of the rules of chivalrous warfare that existed among kings of the day. Vikings, when engaging in combat, ambushed, fought in closed terrain, and generally made every effort to ensure that more powerful forces were unable to bring their superior combat power to bear on a Viking raiding party. The Vikings had another advantage on their side, a powerful drink deeply integrated into their religious and cultural life: mead. According to Viking legend, mead originated when two warring factions of gods signed a peace treaty and spit into a bowl to seal the agreement. From the bowl was born Kvasir, the wisest of all men. Kvasir met his death at the hands of a pair of dwarves, who collected his blood, also known as the “Mead of Poetry.” The mead passed from the dwarves to a giant. When Odin, the Norse god, learned that a giant held the mead, he ventured down to the giant’s lair, seduced his wife, and obtained the mead by transforming into an eagle and swallowing it. Norse legend also states that when warriors arrive at Valhalla in the afterlife, they are rewarded with a draught of mead served by beautiful maidens. Our modern term “honeymoon” refers to the Nordic practice of giving newlywed couples 28 days’ worth (literally one lunar cycle) of mead. Mead was also a prominent cultural fixture. The Norse served mead during their three largest feasts: the celebration of the harvest, mid-winter, and mid-summer. Feasts were also held to commemorate life events such as a wake, christening, or even a barn-raising. The celebration and consumption of mead was a way to both commune with the gods and build bonds among the community. The serving of mead itself was highly ritualized, with the wife of the king or chieftain serving mead first to the king, and then to the rest of his war party in order of social rank and precedence. Norse drank their mead from intricate drinking horns or in elaborately decorated silver cups. Mead is a simple beverage brewed with honey, water, and yeast. Many regard it as the oldest alcoholic drink known to man, and it has also gone by the names honey wine, ambrosia, or nectar. The drink is ancient in origin, and unique recipes can be found in Poland, Nepal, Croatia, England, the Scandinavian countries, Ethiopia, Greece and Mexico. Mead, while thought of today as being beer-like, is usually 16-percent alcohol, though it can get up to 18 percent if fermented with modern methods. The balance of honey affects the sweetness — additives greatly alter the flavor. These additives range from hops and malt to fruit, spices, and even egg whites. Mead’s flavor can elicit comparisons ranging from beer to dessert wine. Mead’s brewing process is relatively easy — so easy, in fact, that you can probably get everything you need to brew it at your local super store. Mead ferments in as little as a few weeks, or it may take as long as a year. For Vikings, mead represented an easy, potent, and delicious brew that facilitated closely knit communities and tradition in a way few other things at the time could match. The age of the Vikings lasted until around 1066 AD. The cause of their decline is the subject of considerable debate, but a few common theories emerge. The first is the rise of Christianity, which for obvious reasons opposed the pillaging, looting, and killing inherent in raiding. Christian authorities also forbade raids against monasteries. Another reason was the increasing inequality in Viking society. Wealth in the society consolidated as fewer Norsemen held land, and more and more were landless serfs laboring to pay rent and survive. This left few Vikings available to go raiding. In continental Europe, the formalization of the feudal system meant that small localities and principalities were able to raise reasonably well-trained fighting forces to meet Viking incursions effectively. The Viking tradition remains alive today, in everything from TV shows to T-shirts. The Viking code of bravery and sacrifice resonates with many, particularly the small, tight-knit military community. Today’s world could also benefit from remembering the Viking society’s deep sense of community and mutual support. Mead is a simple recipe that even an amateur home brewer can make with relative ease. Below is a simple one, courtesy of LoveBeerLoveFood.com: Start with a large pot of boiling water. Boil the water for 10 minutes to ensure it is sterile, and then chill it with an ice bath (immerse the pot in ice water). Sanitize a funnel and the carboys prior to adding in the warmed honey, and just enough sterile water to nearly fill the carboy. Each batch then gets one third of the contents of a rehydrated yeast packet and 1 teaspoon of yeast nutrient. Seal in your carboy, and place somewhere with a cool, consistent temperature. Test the taste periodically after a month or two, but be prepared for it to take up to a year to fully ferment. And remember, the first toast of any feast is always: To Odin! Paul Lewandowski is a graduate student, veteran and writer. He prefers a good gin gimlet to just about anything else. America is his favorite country and his favorite color is a tie among red, white, and blue.
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On June 7 I arrived at Breadloaves and promptly ran into Jill and Meg, friends from years past. That evening I followed them down to Bath Rock where Helen and Paul had an extra parking spot. Jill and I climbed at Lost World. On the way over in my truck I saw her eyeing the rubber chicken I keep on the console. “Don’t even think about squeezing my chicken!” Jill promptly grabbed it and squeezed several times, with the chicken emitting a squeal each time. “Aw jeez, why does everyone have to squeeze my damn chicken?” “Hey, and old dude like you should be happy a woman wants to squeeze your chicken!” The 5.9 at the far right end of Lost World has a bouldery start above a ledge. Jill started up but didn’t like it. “Push me up, I don’t want to fall. Just grab my butt and push!” “But Jill, my wife says I shouldn’t grab other women’s butts!” “I’m a lesbian, it doesn’t count! Now push!” It’s almost two months later and I’ve forgotten most of this trip. I also climbed with Suzy for a day. Joan, who Sue and I have climbed with a couple times before, showed up after a week and we made a good team for the remaining two weeks. Joan is a solid trad leader and we were able to swing leads on some new crags I’ve never been to including the crack house on the back side of Castle Rock, as well as Creekside Crag. Both of those have a nice collection of 5.7 to 5.9 crack climbs. My long Covid joint pain was on a down swing so I was only limited by my right knee which didn’t like high steps. I ended the trip with a hang dog ascent on Bloody Fingers. I hung at least 7 times, including the first 25 feet of rattly hands. But there were long sections where I had to climb above small gear, like a 00 brassy, or a sketchy cam. I wasn’t always able to pull on gear and had to really climb much of it. Near the crux at the top I was hanging-resting on a super sketch flared #1 red. Then I had to climb above that thru the friction crux. There may have been a semi good green, but after that it was go time to the top where I got in a tipped out yellow totem right before the chains. I needed a lot more prep time to get ready for that climb. I basically went from 5.8 to 5.10, much too big of a jump. A few days after returning Sue and I went to Squamish but my joints were acting up and I could barely bend my knees enough to climb 5.8. We bailed early after 5 days and I went in to to see my doctor. She gave me a 12 day tapered prescription for Prednisone. That was an overnight miracle cure. All my long covid joint pain symptoms vanished. A couple weeks later I went back to Squamish with James to meet Chad and L. By chowing down on Ibuprofen I was mostly able to climb, but I was only half the climber I used to be. We thrashed up Sky Walker. That used to be a cruiser for me, but I was super sketched on most of my leads. It sucks losing all your skill. We did have a fun time on Front Side 180. It’s a 9 pitch bolted 5.7 at Chek. The walk off is long and I was glad to have walk off shoes. August 8th I went in to see a Rheumatologist. He diagnosed me with PMR, possibly triggered by Covid. But it could have also just been bad luck & old age. Similar to Menieres Disease, which I got at 40, PMR hits people at 60. Gosh, there are so many fun milestones while getting old. PolyMyalgia Rheumatica is an inflammatory disorder. He said he can cure me and prescribed a low dose of Prednisone in a months long taper. He also said it might take as long as 2 years. I was very relieved to finally put a name to all these symptoms. The drugs started working after 3 days. Most of my pain is gone. One of the warning symptoms that you are getting PMR is pain in the neck. Not surprisingly, I’ve had a trick neck for 3 months. I have trouble looking to my left. Now, finally, I can use my neck again. Necks are quite useful when they work. Friday I went for a bike ride to the Amazon yellow box for a package. As I was coasting down a gentle hill in the mellow evening light, I saw an insect zooming toward me. I figured he’d just bounce off but no. He slammed into my bare neck and bit me right below the adams apple 3 times. I guess African Killer Bees have entered our town. It burned like a hot poker for the next hour. Then I started swelling up. It’s freaky to get bit on the neck right by the windpipe. I was worried it would start to choke me. Then my entire body started to itch like crazy, from my feet to my hands and scalp. Everything was on fire! I realized I was having some kind of a reaction. I called Lisa and she said to take 2 benadryl. That seemed to stop the acceleration of symptoms but my chest continued to swell up and redden. I had a hard plate of skin on my chest the size of a soup dish. Sue was worried I’d go into anaphylactic shock. While all that was going on, Lisa went into labor at midnight. They couldn’t bring their 2 year old to the hospital so Sue rushed down to their house in the middle of the night. I was too messed up from the bee sting to go with her. By the next day we had a new grand kid. I drove the Tundra down to see them at the hospital. They were there two nights but were home Sunday. My symptoms have backed off to the point where I can play ping pong again. I’m half the player I used to be due to stiffness, but it’s nice to be back in the game. I’ve been working through the Tundra 50,000 mile service. So far I’ve changed the gear oil in both differentials. Next up is the transfer case. It uses a flat 75 weight oil and has weird drain plugs. They use pipe threads with a 10mm allen bolt. You either have to apply your own sealant, like on a house water pipe, or buy the drain plug from the dealer with the sealant already applied to the threads. Craig advised the dealer route since there were no specs on the proper pipe thread sealant.
My Fair Concubine by Jeannie Lin is the author's take on the Pygmalion trope. Basically My Fair Lady set in 9th century China. I tend to love this theme because, when done well, it says a lot about identity, appearances, and how people perceive both. Also, the nature of this theme tends to mean a lot of forced proximity for the romantic couple. After all, one character has to tutor the other in the ways of polite society. Chang Fei Long is not in a good situation. His sister, Pearl, has run away from home in the name of "true love." Which would be all well and good, except the romantic ninny was supposed to be a heqin bride. As a "princess," a betrothal was arranged for a "peace marriage." It was a diplomatic practice not unlike Queen Victoria marrying off her children and grandchildren all over Europe. Pearl running away is a disaster, because with his father's death, Fei Long has inherited a mess. His house is swimming under a sea of debt, and "losing face" within the diplomatic community would spell certain doom. Normally not one to take risks, with his back pushed against the wall, that's exactly what he does. Yan Ling is a nobody. Having been left there as an infant, she knows nothing but the lowly tea house where she lives and works. She's a servant. Her job is to not be seen. However something pushes her over the edge the day Fei Long enters the tea room, and the unthinkable happens - he notices her. Then he spins her the most fantastical tale about "princesses" and "peace marriages" and he thinks he can tutor her in the ways of high society in two months (!). While the task is daunting, and she thinks he may be a little nuts, Yan is also a terribly practical girl. Gee, spend the rest of her days toiling in the tea house for masters who barely tolerate her, or go to a faraway land to live the life of a pampered princess? Yeah, not a tough choice - that is, until all those tutoring sessions with Fei Long blossom into romantic feelings. This is an interesting departure of Lin, because although she's still working within the Tang Dynasty time period, the bulk of this story is set in the capital city of Changan. So readers get a glimpse of all the things such a city would have to offer - which includes the markets, entertainment district and a seedy underworld. It's a feast for the senses for a girl like Yan who has never gone anywhere or done anything outside of the narrow scope of the lowly tea house. Fei Long is all about honor and propriety. Anything that would bring dishonor to the family name would be unthinkable, and would result in nothing but disaster. His father has left a mountain of debts he must deal with, but he must do so very carefully in order not to "lose face." Also, he needs this deception with Yan to go well. Because having "Pearl" pull out of this arranged marriage? Not a possibility. At all. Which means even though he's developing feelings for Yan, he mustn't admit them to anyone - including himself. This story is a bit of a slow mover, basically because of the nature of the conflict. Fei Long is a very bottled-up man, from an emotional stand-point. His entire would is about appearances, honor, and respect. He's a man who has a lot of burdens, a lot riding on his shoulders. I wouldn't go so far as to label him as repressed, but he's not a terribly demonstrative fellow. So while he's tutoring Yan, he's also holding himself back from her. Readers need to understand that, and get past the first half the book. There's not a lot of "action" during these chapters to keep one glued to the pages. The meat and potatoes of this story is all in the second half. When both characters realize that they have these feelings, and the emotional angst starts spilling out on to the page. There are some amazingly tender, heart-felt, and downright torturous emotional moments with the couple realizing that they may feel the way they feel but it doesn't change their reality. It was these moments of emotional truth that made this book for me. Yes it starts out deliberate, even a bit slow, but the payoff is worth it. Final Grade = B-
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Humans of IEEE WIE highlights a dedicated WIE volunteer who is well known for his/her notable contribution to IEEE WIE. IEEE WIE: Please give us a brief introduction about yourself and your family. I was born in northern rural Sweden on a small farm, we had 5 cows, hens, and a horse in the 1960s. My great-grandfather and grandmother have owned the farm since 1904, and my mother was the third generation of female owners. I have a younger brother and a sister. I have “green fingers” and love gardening and growing food. I have an interest in Viking history from around 1000 AD and participate in Viking reenactment, as well as being the skipper of Viking Plym, a replica of a Viking ship found in Norway. I am a Senior member of IEEE and I was the first female Director of IEEE in R8, Europe, Africa and the Middle East 2017-2018. I am an M.Sc. and the founder of a consultancy firm Irbis Konsult AB in 1989, working with information and cyber security for public and private associations. I am a certified Data Protection Officer. I was a member of the WIE committee 2003-2005 and the newsletter editor. I dreamt of creating a magazine for international women in engineering with interesting topics. I am so happy that we have such a magazine 20 years later. I was also a driving force to make sure WIE was represented in the Region 8 board, and Clementina Saduwa was the first female in that position. She was sadly killed in a robbery, and after that Region 8 created the Clementina Saduwa awards to commemorate her pioneering work. IEEE WIE: What is your specific area of STEM? My STEM career started in Mechanical engineering and Energy technology, and I finished my studies in Power engineering at The Royal Institute of Technology 1988 in Stockholm, Sweden. Since 2004 I am working with information and cyber security and since 2018 protecting personal data according to the General Data Protection Regulation, aka GDPR. IEEE WIE: Please tell us something interesting about your life that may be why you chose the STEM field. My role models were my father, a skilled mechanic and my uncle who worked as test engineer with Ericsson. I always liked mathematics and natural sciences in school. On a farm there are always practical and often technical problems to solve, and I observed my father and grandfather working with wood and metal. My mother and grandmother were inspired to gardening, sewing my own clothes and knitting and crocheting. My creativity was boosted all the time, and I felt proud of the things I created. IEEE WIE: As an empowered woman, please share how you plan to empower other women. How do you encourage them to take leadership positions? I always encourage youngsters to figure out how a gadget works, disassemble it and then try to repair it. For example, take care of your bike or vehicle, be curious about how it works is a great start. I also encourage young people to take leadership positions by inviting them to be part of a group or association, and then involve them in a small project of their interest. Soon they get hooked, become members and later leaders! Young women often come up to and tell me how I have inspired them by being a successful female engineer and leader. IEEE WIE: In your opinion, how can everyone ensure that technological advancements are used for the betterment of humanity? Most technological advancements can be used for good and bad purposes at the same time. It is up to engineers, researchers and politicians to govern this duality towards good purposes. The risk for abuse is always present, as we see in the use of internet for scams and cybercrime. On the good side, these risks drive development of better and more secure solutions. IEEE WIE: What is one piece of advice you can give to young professionals who are IEEE WIE members? Be curious about the world and how things are used and their function. Your interest is the strongest driving force to gain new knowledge. Do not listen to people saying “girls cannot do xxx” – they know nothing about you! On the contrary, say as Pippi Longstocking “How can I know, when I have not tried it?” IEEE WIE: How do you challenge the status quo or how do you identify problems in your field and propose solutions to bring positive changes? As an engineer I collect and present facts about the situation, including comments from people about their experience and feelings, as well as what they would like to have instead. Then I create a proposal for change with a tentative time plan and budget and re-present it to the people who experience the problem, adjust the proposal if needed and present it to leadership/management for decisions. IEEE WIE: An empathetic leader helps promote a better work environment. Would you agree? I agree that empathy is needed in a good leader. Empathy must also be paired with positive drive and ability to make decisions.
BECKLEY, WV (WOAY) – The iHeart Church of Mt. Hope took to the outdoors Easter morning at the Linda K. Epling Stadium in Beckley so they could safely congregate and fellowship together for a special service. And as it turns out, there was no better day to worship together outdoors. “We had an opportunity that arose and the Epling family was so gracious to allow us to be here, and it’s obviously a beautiful venue,” says Quinton Runyon, a staff pastor at iHeart Church. “You can see the mountainside, and it’s just really a great way for people to come out and worship our risen Savior together.” The church decided to hold the Easter Service outside due to the ongoing pandemic and large indoor gatherings still seeming slightly too risky. But the outdoor setting at the stadium turned out to naturally be the most fitting on a beautiful, special day. “It’s absolutely joyous that we get to be here and celebrate our risen Father and be a part of our brothers and sisters.” The service kicked off with singing songs of praise and worship led by the church’s worship band, followed by a powerful Easter message. And after such an inspirational service, the church, like all of us, is ready to positively move forward. “I just think this is a great way to kick off Spring, going towards Summer, and of course, 2021,” Runyon says.
I have always been a runner. I like the feeling of lightness, exuberance and joy, running in the woods brings me. I like hearing the crunch of the leaves, or the squeaky cushion of the new grass. I like smelling the earth’s many changing fragrances, from spring’s damp musty revival to summer’s fresh bright green scent to the autumn’s yellow gold crisp aroma of harvest’s transition. I often run with a song in my head. I don’t wear headphones. The songs are just the playlist and the rhythms that accompany me on this journey of life. So often the scurry of a squirrel or chipmunk will catch my attention. A garter snake may slither across the path, as I jump up to avoid treading on its tail. Being in the forest, or meadow, or riverbank brings all of the 5 senses to the forefront. Yes, even taste as water tastes better when the air around one is clean. There is another reason why I enjoy running. Running brings my mind into alignment. The chatter that accompanies me daily can be filtered out. It is necessary to focus on the inhale and exhale as the heart pumps, and the lungs expand to fill the need for more oxygen. The rhythm of a footfall, one step leading to the next, creates synergy. The rigid limitations of my brain start to become flexible. The challenge of a complex tax form, is as attainable as the steep incline up a pine needled strewn hill. Place one foot in front of the other, even if you have to slow to a walk or a crawl. When you get really tired, stop and walk. Something worth pondering on this journey is: are we running towards something? Or are we running away from something. It can be a combination of the two. The difference is in how one chooses to feel about what you are running towards or away from. At one time, I knew I was running away from the noise, chaos, and emotional upheaval of where and how I was living. I couldn’t wait to get my shoes on and get out that door. When I got balanced, got the emotions out, I could come back and manage the activities that had to be done. Eventually, a decision had to be made to change the template, because running away from it would not solve the problem. It was a coping tactic. It gave me the outlet needed until I had the courage, wisdom and energy to make a big decision to change. I am grateful for the ladies that I had the opportunity to run with along those trails, and roads. Each of them has a story worth sharing. When we set a goal, we give ourselves something to run toward. If you want to complete a 10K race or an obstacle race, you start by training to reach small objectives. The first 5K accomplished, the first 25 pushups, the first time you sign up and show up for your own objective. I encourage you to celebrate those successes along the training trail. Don’t wait til the final tape is crossed. Celebrate and build on your successes. They are successes. Each one carrying you towards the next success. Have a look at how you define your success. Just showing up and giving your best is a success. It is personal. Forgive yourself if you don’t accomplish what you set out to do. Rest, renew and start again. Remember you are not your accomplishments. You are not your degree, your accreditations, your last promotion. You are You. That beautiful creative spirit, shining out, that thought of God. Have a look at what you are running towards. Is it your heart’s desire? Is it what society tells us we are to seek? Can you refine your goal and put it in alignment with what your heart truly wants? Can you commit to that which brings you joy? What would change if you were to do that? Set your objective, adjust your visor and lace up your shoes. Take those first steps on a new path. Soon you will be finding your stride, focusing on the rhythm and feeling the elation as you round the bend and head up that hill. The view is worth it. The joy is worth it. You are worth it.
Central New York Couple Celebrates Special Wedding Day From 6 Feet Away A central New York couple celebrated their wedding day, from feet away. Jim O'Reilley & Brittany Busa have been together 10 years, engaged for 3. They've been waiting for the perfect moment to tie the knot. "They decided now was the perfect time to bring some positivity and hope for their family and friends," said Brittany's sister and maid of honor, Ashley VanDenTop. The wedding didn't take months to plan, stressing over invitations, place settings or a wedding dress. It took hours, with family and friends making posters and face masks. Within 24 hours, there were curbside balloons, flowers, posters, champagne, and even a cake for the bride and groom to enjoy after the wedding. The wedding party maintained social distancing, while Jim & Brittany tied the knot on the courthouse steps. "With some ingenuity and creativity the day was perfect," said VanDenTop. "We all came together to make it special for them and also give us something to take our mind off this pandemic." Congrats to the happy couple who will have one heck of a story to tell their kids about the day they got married. And thank you for reminding us all, perfect moments are the ones you create, surrounded by those you love. Even from 6 feet apart.
(Akiit.com) There are few things more heartbreaking in this world than finding yourself separated from your family. Whatever reason that there is behind it, finding yourself apart from the people that you love most in the world can be a miserable, stressful experience. It can often make it difficult to do anything at all. Seeing the point in getting on with your day-to-day life can seem pointless and impossible when the people you love are so far away. But of course, the worst thing that you can do for the sake of your family is to just give up on everything. Your family needs you to stay strong. With that in mind, here are some ways to help you deal with separation from your family. One of the most frustrating parts of being away from your family, especially over large distances, is not having any idea what to do. The best thing that you can do is to try to stay as well informed as you possibly can. If you’re separated from your family across countries, then it’s a good idea to stay up to date on immigration law so that you have the best idea of when and how to be reunited with them. It won’t necessarily change what you can do about your situation, but staying informed can make the whole circumstance a lot less confusing and frustrating. One of the best thing about living in the modern world is that it’s never been easier to stay connected to the people in your life. Even across massive distances, the internet allows you to stay in close contact with just about anyone, no matter where they are in the world. There was a time when being apart from your family meant that you could only talk to them very sporadically through letters and, if you were lucky, the occasional phone call. But now, instant messaging and video chat apps like Skype allow you to talk to the people you love face to face in an instant. It’s not the same as being together but getting to talk to each other regularly really can do a lot to help you cope with separation. Focus on the little things When you’re far away from your family, it can feel as though the worst thing is all of the important things that you’re missing. Things like holidays and birthdays might feel like the stuff you’re really missing out on, but you’d be surprised just how much you come to miss the boring, everyday stuff. Make sure that you’re kept up to date on that stuff as much as possible. Don’t forget to ask your family about the little things. How your partner’s day at work was, how your kids are doing at school. These little things might not seem important in the grand scheme of things. But when you’re separated from your loved ones, these little details are a great way to help you all stay connected to each other. Staff Writer; Doug James
TW: This post includes details of self harm. Please take care reading it. It's got to a point where I don't just use my fingers, I use pins as well. I've come to realise that this has become a form of self harm. Although it hasn't required medical treatment, I've caused myself to bleed a fair amount, and have needed to use plasters. Small parts of my body have reduced/no feeling now as well. I've admitted (some of) this to my parents, and think it has worried them. I try to conceal the wounds and make excuses for why I've been out of the room for so long. It is something I guess I feel ashamed of, but the more I hate myself for it, the more I do it! I've been trying very very hard to reduce how often I do this and have so far managed up to a day with no picking. I just about managed yesterday, and I'm trying to make it two days without picking. It is so difficult, because I'm having to try to ignore those intrusive thoughts and urges. I'm trying to find ways to distract myself, by keeping myself as busy as I can. This of course isn't helping my physical health, but sometimes I have to compromise in order to help my mental health a bit. A while back, I bought one of those fidget toys. It was some little wooden blocks strung together with elasticated string. You could make different shapes by twisting and moving the blocks. Unfortunately, I found it didn't really help. It kept my hands busy for a bit, but it just wasn't the same. I wasn't "fixing" anything, just adjusting it. I've tried adult colouring books too. It helps a little, and can be a good distraction sometimes, but it doesn't require much focus so doesn't really help keep my mind off intrusive thoughts and urges. In order to calm my skin down a little, I've used ice cubes on the worst marks. Although it took some of the redness away, I ended up using this as a way to harm myself; by holding the icecubes on my skin until the pain was too hard to bear. At the moment, I'm using cross stitch to distract myself and keep my hands busy. I struggle with concentration, but on my not-so-bad days, I can focus on this and push those picking urges back a little. I game a lot as well; casual gaming when I can't concentrate for too long. I'm feeling so restless right now, but I'm trying to hold it together and not give in. Can I make it to two days without picking? Wish me luck, I need it!
I'm Jeannette Heinze-Graham, casually known as Netty. I'm a compulsive artist. I have been since I can remember. Much of my working life in art has been as a graphic artist and signwriter and also in entertainment. Lately I've been doing loads of Paint and Sip parties and I absolutely LOVE doing them! I also enjoy painting faces and bodies. In my private time I paint whatever inspires me. I live in the beautiful Bega Valley on the far south coast of NSW Australia. Our place is a paradise called Wombat Hollow. My husband and I have horses, cattle, dogs, cats, chooks and lots of wildlife who share our property. Since we have so many gorgeous wombat residents, we named our property after them. They were here first after all! A lot of my work is whimsical and some is on the gothic side. I think I reach for ways to show what's striking about a subject, because that's what I naturally seek out when I look at the world around me. The world is so full of incredibly beautiful design, I'm trying to express that in simple ways so that it's clear to see. If I can be of service to you with any of the things I do, please get in touch, I'd love to hear from you.
In 1964, a remarkable Belmont High School undefeated football team captured the Class B State Championship. This upcoming season will mark the fiftieth anniversary of that team’s run to greatness. The ‘64 team is also historically significant for reasons that reach way beyond the hard work and preparation that goes into building a winning team. At a spring awards ceremony at BHS this year, my son, Kyle, was awarded the Teddy Lee and Donald Ray Memorial Scholarship. Knowing nothing of what these two young men had done or why there was a scholarship in both their names we set out to learn who they were. Edward “Teddy” Lee and Walter “Donny” Donald Ray grew up in Belmont, were teammates on the 1964 Class B State Championship football team at BHS, graduated in 1965 and joined the army and were eventually sent to Vietnam. As so often is the case when individuals join ranks and form teams there is always an individual who appears larger than life. Someone whose character and charisma sets him apart from the rest and Edward “Teddy” Lee was that someone. Teddy grew up on Bradley Road with his two sisters. When Teddy was ten years old his father passed away. According to Teddy’s younger sister, Barbara Hanley, Teddy took his father’s passing to heart and felt he needed to become the protector of not just the family but everybody. Barbara said that even though Teddy took on the additional responsibilities, he did everything with a smile on his face. Teddy spent his summer days working for Skippy Viglirolo and playing a variety sports with friends on Town Field. When I began to ask those that knew Teddy in his youth, the adjective “Legend” was used to describe him. He was physically imposing and good at everything but most of all he was a true friend and this made Teddy a very popular kid around Belmont. When Teddy was a freshman he was a mere 5’3” 115 pound kid who was not allowed to play football. By his senior year of high school, Teddy had worked himself into a physically imposing stalwart on defense playing linebacker. Teddy’s tenacity on defense helped the 1964 BHS Football Team go undefeated and win the Class B State Championship Title. Teddy’s teammate Bill Skelley described Teddy as tough as nails and recalls that he had a never quit attitude that displayed itself at the end of the season when teammates learned that Teddy had played and finished the season with a broken foot. After graduation, Teddy could have gone on to play football at Northeastern University but instead chose to enlist the Army and serve his country in Vietnam. During his first tour in Vietnam, Teddy was severely wounded in the leg and received two Purple Hearts and a Silver Star. The wound was his ticket home but Teddy reenlisted, this time joining a newly formed, volunteers only, Long Range Patrol (LRP) Field Force attached to the 101st Airborne. It was September 1967 when fellow LRP Rick Ogden met Sgt. Edward Lee. Mr. Ogden was not aware that Edward Lee was called Teddy here in Belmont. In Vietnam he was known simply as Lee. According to Ogden, Lee was still fighting infection in his leg when he joined his unit. Mr. Ogden, who resides in Oklahoma, said Lee was one of the bravest and most fearless men I have ever known and a day does not go buy that I don’t think of Lee. Mr. Ogden went on to tell me that on two separate occasions he found himself in dire combat situations along with Lee. He said on both occasions that Lee disregarded his personal safety and did what had to be done to tip the scales in their favor. In the eyes of the men that served with him, Lee was the ultimate combat soldier. Rick paused and said, “I don’t like the term but for lack of better words, he was like.. John Wayneish.” Having just a few months left to serve in Vietnam, Teddy Lee was set to embark on another stage of his life at Northeastern University in the fall of 1968. On May 13, 1968, Lee and his men were on a long range patrol deep in the jungles of BinH Dinh Vietnam when a snipers bullet found him. I asked Rick Ogden how the men in his outfit took the news of Lee being killed. Rick said, “To be honest, in May 1968 a lot was happening in Vietnam. More soldiers were killed in May 1968 than any other month but Lee getting killed; that shocked all of us and we were not easily shocked at that time.” When discussing Teddy’s death, his sister Barbara said, “Teddy lived life to fullest and though he died young, he died full of life.” I asked Mr. Ogden if Lee was one to brag about his exploits or if being called “Hulk”, due to his muscular physique, led Lee to believing he was somehow above his fellow soldiers. He paused and said there were very few guys like Lee. There were plenty of good soldiers that were not good people or friends but Lee was special. He never bragged and was always counted on by his fellow soldiers. He said everybody in the outfit had “Lee” Stories. Mr. Ogden wanted the people of Belmont to know that Lee cared deeply about his friends and relatives in Belmont. After one mission General Westmoreland happened to visit their area and Lee and the General had quite a talk about their hometowns. Mr. Ogden also wanted us to know that Lee cared deeply for the Vietnamese people and took the time and interest to learn their language. I spoke with Paul MacAuley who was a friend of both Teddy Lee and Donny Ray. Paul also went to Vietnam as a soldier. Paul told me Donny Ray grew up on Oak Avenue and after graduating from BHS, Donny enlisted in the Army and joined the 173rd Airborne. Paul MacAuley said he was heartbroken when in November 1967, he learned that Donny Ray had been killed in a week’s long battle in Kontum. A bloody battle that would ultimately claim 158 US Soldiers Killed in Action and another 33 missing in Action. When Paul learned that Teddy had been killed he was shocked. To this day he ponders how these two strong, tough kids were killed over there and he made it out. I had a conversation with Bill French who grew up around Town Field and new Teddy though he was younger than Teddy. Bill said Teddy was a legend to the younger kids. He was strong, friendly and a great athlete. Bill told me a story about how his friends were playing baseball at Town Field when Teddy stopped by in full uniform on his way to his second tour. Bill said Teddy dropped his duffle bag, hopped the fence and asked if he could hit a couple and then went on the hit two monster home runs. Teddy hopped back over the fence, picked up his bag and told the kids, “I’ll see you in a few months.” That was the last time Bill French and his friends ever saw Teddy Lee. Bill Skelley, former Belmont Selectman and teammate of Lee and Ray, founded the scholarship in their name. Fifty years ago, Skelley, Lee and Ray played on a team that the Belmont Herald labeled “The finest team in history.” I’m glad Bill has been able to keep the Scholarship going all these years and it demonstrates how competing in team athletics brings people together and often times provides the opportunity for communities and individuals to connect across generational lines. Lee’s and Ray’s name are joined with seven other Belmont citizens on the Vietnam Memorial in Washington DC. If you’re planning on visiting the Washington DC area this summer please stop by the Vietnam War Memorial and take the time to touch the names of two Belmont’s residents who were teammates, friends and heroes. Other Belmont residents killed in Vietnam: Robert Larson, Allen John Eastman, David Hugh Holmes, John Clifford Chaves, Creighton Rooney Grant, Taher Fathi Ghais.
Yamaha TDR250 - Modern Classic Review & Buyers Guide By Steve Rose The launch of Yamaha’s latest oddball three-wheeled Niken should serve as a reminder that no motorcycle manufacturer does ‘bonkers’ like our friends with the flute factory. Up till the early 80s Yamaha was much like every other Japanese maker and then, from out of nowhere, we had the 20v FZ750, the V4 RD500, curiously-framed FJ1100 and loony tunes V-Max all in the space of 18 months. And just when we thought they’d gotten over it, Yamaha built this, the TDR250. It wasn’t a trail bike or a sports bike or even a proper supermoto. The TDR250 was and remains an absolute one-off and, in my opinion, it is still probably the most enjoyable motorcycling experience you can have. Making just 46bhp from its two-stroke twin-cylinder engine, the TDR isn’t all that fast. But it feels it because although benefitting from Yamaha’s midrange-boosting YPVS system, the TDR arrived before the clever digital ignitions and computer-controlled carbs that took the loopy out of two strokes in the early 1990s. That means it has enough bottom end power to potter through town (except no one ever potters on a TDR), a fat midrange that in reality is just getting you ready for the teeniest spurt of concentrated power that lights up your life at 6500rpm and lasts through five snappy gear changes till you and your micro-motorcycle are doing speeds in excess of not-that-many mph, but the rate at which you got there makes it feel like at least a million. Putting the engine from their TZR250 race replica into an upright, wide-barred chassis was genius on Yamaha’s part. Resisting the temptation to build a trail bike was the icing on the cake though. While every other manufacturer got the supermoto thing wrong by using long travel off-road suspension, lumpy single cylinder motors and puny brakes, Yamaha got it bang-on by using firmly damped short-travel suspension, the same brakes and flexible-but-rapid (and tuneable) motor as the TZR racer and small wheels that steered quickly. They also fitted twin underseat exhausts seven years before Ducati’s 916 and positioning the enormous expansion chambers lowdown and forward of the engine gave the TDR a unique weight distribution – absolute mass centralisation 15 years before Honda made it ‘a thing’. TDR250s didn’t have to handle at very high speeds because they never go that fast. But in low-medium speed corners you use the wide bars, lack of mass and that off-key weight distribution to plant the front tyre in a corner fully confident that it will stick every time. Knowing this allows you to take huge liberties in traffic, safe in the knowledge that wherever you expect to end up the TDR will get you there. And the engine’s flexibility means you’ll have the shove to get you into the gap when you need to be there too. Riding a good TDR through town is an exercise in balance and invincibility that no other bike quite manages. Most old bikes disappoint because they simply feel like worse versions of the latest models. But 30 years after it first arrived the Yamaha still feels exciting and relevant because there has never been anything else like it and a good Yamaha two-stroke is sublime - like when Honda take the time to make a proper inline four. Ok, I’m sold, where’s the catch? Back in 1988 the biggest one was that no one in sportsbike Britain knew (or cared) what a TDR250 was. Or why this steel-framed pseudo trail bike should cost the same as the exquisite alloy-framed TZR250 (and not that much less than a pre-registered last-year’s model GSX-R750 back in early 1988). So few were sold. Added to this problem is that Yamaha’s build quality in the late 80s was slightly less robust than your neighbour’s 1998 Korean hatchback. The engines were superb, but everything else might as well have been built by British Leyland. Wheels corroded, spokes broke, indicators fell off, brake discs warped, bodywork cracked and suspension linkages seized. By 1994 there were no good TDR250s left. They were saggy, rusty, badly-fuelling, horrible pieces of tat. When our local dyno operator ran mine he reckoned a typical example was lucky to make 24bhp. Somehow I got the last remaining good one – mine made 43bhp at the wheel - but then I’d already owned half a dozen others and knew how to spot a decent example. In the 27 years since I bought my first one there have only been 34 months when I haven’t owned a TDR, but buying a good one is a nightmare. By 1998 there were a few examples of Japanese-spec bikes coming in as grey imports. They were in superb condition and had an alloy swing-arm too (denoted by a yellow ‘Mono Cross’ sticker), but also came with a weird restriction that cut the ignition spark at high revs making them feel flatter and less exciting than the full power UK bikes. These days there are more decent examples about because a whole load of riders who ignored them when new have finally realised what they were missing and those tidy grey imports supplied plenty of parts to put tired bikes back on the road. Prices have rocketed in the last few years along with every other two-stroke 250 and you’ll be paying at least £4000 for anything that runs well and is basically ok. Look carefully and you’ll still find tidy grey imports around now. The blue bike in our photos was imported in summer 2018 by West Coast Imports in Minehead and has just 650km on the clock. Common problems are often down to lack of use. Ethanol in petrol rots ancient rubber seals and fuel pipes. Rust in fuel tanks, while less of a problem than other models (because the TDR’s two-stroke oil tank is part of the fuel tank) still causes problems, especially around the rev counter binnacle. Suspension rarely gets the attention it deserves, brakes need a proper refit and many engines didn’t get the proper rebuild they should have (the bill for engine parts alone when I had mine restored was either £65.00 or £650 depending on whether my wife is reading this or not). Like all old bikes expect the one you buy to still have a summer’s worth of stuff still to go wrong and need fixing. You will break down half the time you ride it and things removed and replaced in the rebuild will fall off again – that’s why they call it a shakedown. Turns out that the blokes at the Yamaha factory did know a thing or two about bolting bikes together – more so than you or the bloke who rebuilt it last year. But, when the shakedown is finished and you reach the second summer your TDR250 will be as good as all the write-ups suggest. They really are that good. Impractical? Yes, beyond belief. Uncomfortable too, uneconomical, unreliable and expensive to run. But you won’t care because every time you ride it you will fall in love with two strokes, motorcycling and riding like an idiot all over again. Take thirty years off your life for just £4000? It’s a bargain, trust me.
This recently happened to me when shopping at a big box retailer – I was having trouble looking for a particular item and noticed an employee walking by. I stopped her and asked if she could help me. She quickly said, I’m sorry, I can’t help you. I’m on a break” and continued walking. I was taken aback by this statement, but after learning more, I found out that it is company policy to not work in any way, shape or form, while off the clock. In thinking about it, I understand this policy from the company’s perspective in a way, but as a typical customer, this only gives the impression of employees who don’t want to help customers and can give a negative perception of the store and its staff. If this type of policy is in place, it’s a good idea to train staff on ways to handle this situation without appearing as though they don’t want to help or ‘do their job’ in order to maintain a positive experience for customers. Some tips to achieve this goal include: 1. Encourage staff to appear as much like a customer as possible – whether this means removing an apron that identifies them as an employee, putting a sweater or jacket on over a uniform, or anything else to help not identify them as an employee as they are walking through the store to take their break or meal will make them less conspicuous to customers, and hopefully this will lessen the interaction during these transition periods. 2. Teach them the right way to say things – in my example, the employee simply apologized and stated she could not help me. In a perfect world, it would have been better for the employee to say they couldn’t help me right now, but they’d get someone who could. In walking back to where ever this employee was going, I’m sure they would have encountered a coworker or possibly stopped at the service desk to let a coworker know I needed help. Another option would be to guide the customer to a place where help was available, whether it meant going to the service desk, picking up a help phone within an aisle, or offering another quick solution. This might alleviate any negative perceptions that may arise during these interactions. 3. Offer alternative exits and entrances when possible – this may not be possible within all companies, but providing a means to exit and enter the building that is out of the main customer traffic might be helpful. This way employees are not put in this type of situation. 4. Don’t penalize employees, at least not too harshly – if it happens where an employee ends up assisting a customer while off the clock, remind them of the policy and offer ways around this (see above), but try not to punish them too harshly. I once encountered an employee who could not help me because she was off the clock, and shared with me that she “already got in trouble once before, and if it happens again I’m really in trouble.” While I was sympathetic with the employee and did not want her to jeopardize her job, my perception of the company lessened a bit. I don’t think any employee should be fearful of losing their job over something like this. Of course, there could be a back story I’m not aware of as to why this employee might be on the verge of more trouble, but from my limited perception, it didn’t bode well for the company. And, as they say, perception is reality. Ensure your employees feel empowered to handle all kinds of situations in the workplace to make them feel successful at what they do. This is just one small example, but I’m sure there are others you can think of. It might be a good time to ask your employees for their feedback on stumbling blocks to their work – you never know what they’ll share!
Pound-for-pound lists are about as subjective as it gets. Those who come up with said lists, typically boxing fans and media pundits, sprinkle a little bit of everything in there. Facts, more than anything, aren’t a needed ingredient. Still, even with those lists varying, most of them contain many of the same names. We all know the usual suspects right? Canelo Alvarez, Terence Crawford, Jermell Charlo, Naoya Inoue, Gervonta Davis, Dmitry Bivol, and a handful of other great fighters have earned their spot. But while those in boxing circles take their sweet time when putting together those lists, one name that you practically never associate with any pound-for-pound rankings is Janibek Alimkhanuly. While it may all be opinion based, the current WBO middleweight champ doesn’t appreciate his absence from the party. “I don't like it when my name is not in the pound-for-pound rankings,” said Alimkhanuly on his social media account recently. To a large extent, Alimkhanuly (14-0, 9 KOs) doesn’t have elite-level dance partners at his disposal in order to change everyone’s mind. For a number of years now, the middleweight division has been stuck in purgatory. Gone are the days of Daniel Jacobs, Gennadiy Golovkin, and Canelo Alvarez running things. As a result, collecting those precious titles have come a bit easier than normal but it’s also come with a lot less fanfare. Even Jermall Charlo, probably the division's biggest and most well-known name, is now a part-time fighter. With no established fighters to prove that he’s one of the best boxers on the planet, Alimkhanuly, ostensibly, has a trick or two up his sleeves. Although he was a bit cryptic, he did reveal that fighting and defeating a certain fighter could and should place him in the pound-for-pound discussions. “I have to fix this,” Continued Alimkhanuly. “Now you know my one more target!” On October 14 in Texas, Alimkhanuly will attempt to secure another world title when he faces unbeaten IBF world champion Vincenzo Gualtieri in a title unification showdown on at Fort Bend Epicenter in Rosenberg.
God, you've got to love obsessed people, especially when their preoccupations result in something as magically wonderful as Pandora Radio. It's an on line station where they pick a variety of music based on your tastes. And it's not just the typical or always what you'd expect, in fact they went about the research in a highly scientific way: “we set out to capture the essence of music at the most fundamental level. We ended up assembling literally hundreds of musical attributes or “genes” into a very large Music Genome. Taken together these genes capture the unique and magical musical identity of a song?we've carefully listened to the songs of tens of thousands of different artists – ranging from popular to obscure – and analyzed the musical qualities of each song one attribute at a time. This work continues each and every day?quot; That's dedication and I should shake the hands of Tim Westergren and his team for their work. The site introduces me to something new every day, like Spirogyra, Fever Tree and Paul Parrish (now I just have to get my hands on this rainbow colored album of his). There are some limitations. You can only fast forward so many songs within a play list within an hour, and often times the site itself has has technical difficulties when I've tried to log on. I also stubbornly refuse to accept the truth that The Eagles are somewhat like my beloved Fleetwood Mac but I am not surprised to find that very little in this world is like Nick Cave as much as the man himself (by the way have you gotten your tickets for his Oct 4th show??). Seriously take some time enjoying getting your horizons broadened by this site. Plus, it works at offices that don't allow streaming media, so use it liberally at work to drown out any body else's ipod that you may not want to hear. Pandora Radio makes me wish I had nothing but idle computer time on my hands.
Chapter 53: A Full Mahjong Table Shen Xi dragged her suitcase down the hallway and swiped her key card to enter her hotel room. The moment she stepped inside, a faint musty smell hit her. Or maybe it was just the smell of being broke. After all, even as a mystery guest, she was still just a contestant. Getting a regular hotel room was already decent. She wasn’t some superstar judge who could expect a five-star luxury suite. She set her suitcase down and flopped onto the bed, only to nearly fold her waist in half from how firm it was. Well, it wasn’t that hard. Just nothing like the luxurious bed in her room at the Gu family’s villa. Looking around at the tiny space, which was even smaller than the villa’s bathroom, Shen Xi sighed. "Seriously? Am I actually complaining about a hotel now?" Maybe what she wasn’t saying out loud was that… she kind of missed the villa. By the standards of her past life, this hotel was already pretty good. But after getting used to the luxurious lifestyle of a wealthy socialite, it was hard to adjust back. If this went on for another year or two, would she even be able to go back to living like a regular person? She used to think that having 190 million in two years would be a lot. But if she just saved it… Shen Xi pulled out her phone and did some quick calculations. Hmm… she could make around 10,000 a day in interest alone. That would’ve been more than enough in her past life. But even if she only maintained half of her current lifestyle, it still wouldn’t cut it. She once saw a luxury mansion in a short video. It was a bit cheaper than Gu Hanling’s villa but still fully equipped with top-tier facilities. The monthly rent alone was 3 million. Utilities and maintenance? Another 200,000 a month. Even if someone gave her that mansion for free, just keeping it running would burn through 20 days' worth of interest every month. And that didn’t even include hiring maids and a Michelin-star chef. Her life after being isekai'd felt like a real-life transformation reality show. She got to experience the high life. Every other transmigrator she’d heard of managed to thrive, so why should she be any different? She wasn’t about to downgrade. That’s why she had to seize this opportunity with the variety show. Once she had a solid financial foundation, she could also help children in rural areas. Something that had always been a personal goal of hers. "Wait a minute!" Suddenly, a thought hit her, and she sat up abruptly. Back in the lobby, she vaguely remembered Lin Yueyue mentioning the judges, Weiwei and Yufei. "No way… could it really be them?" She had been so focused on practicing music theory and vocal training lately that she hadn’t even checked the show’s official lineup or promotions. Pulling out her phone, she looked it up. Sure enough, the judges were Feng Weiwei and An Yufei. That guy hadn’t even mentioned it to her. Maybe he thought she already knew. "Don’t tell me… the male lead, Shi Jingyan, is coming too?" As soon as she said it, she quickly clapped a hand over her mouth. But given how things worked in this world, it was very likely. Whether she said it or not, it was bound to happen. Well, great. Looked like they had just enough people for a mahjong game now. Meanwhile, on the other side… Shi Jingyan had been feeling miserable and frustrated lately. After Shen Xi exposed his lies a few days ago, he had been too embarrassed to reach out to his usual group of rich, useless friends. Feeling empty inside, he had instead spent time with a few high-class escorts, exploring the meaning of life. But even in those fleeting moments of pleasure, he found himself missing Shen Xi’s cold and teasing attitude. At the same time, he also liked how obedient and eager to please Lin Yueyue was. As the original novel’s domineering male lead, Shi Jingyan would never apologize to Lin Yueyue. With his protagonist halo, he had never failed at anything, so he never considered himself in the wrong. It was always other people who had to beg for his forgiveness. He would never lower himself to ask for theirs. If Lin Yueyue couldn’t tolerate him and refused to compromise anymore, well, he’d just find someone else who would. Just then, his phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, a smug smile appeared on his lips. Of course, it was Lin Yueyue, calling him first. Over the phone, Lin Yueyue told him how difficult the past few days had been without him, how much she had suffered, how heartbroken she was. She said she had finally realized just how much she loved him and was willing to forgive all his past mistakes. But… she had one small request. She wanted to join the talent show Masked Singer as a mystery guest, just like Shen Xi. The Shi family had some connections with the director of Su City TV, especially Director Chen. Years ago, Jingyan’s parents had saved his life by funding his medical treatment. Out of gratitude, Director Chen had once said that as long as it was within his power, he would return the favor. To Shi Jingyan, this was no big deal. It was just a guest slot on some singing show, so he agreed right away and arranged a meeting with the TV director and Director Chen. In the original storyline, Shi Jingyan had actually used this same favor to leverage Director Chen’s resources, helping the Shi family get through tough times and setting himself up for future success. But now, just to impress his woman, he was calling in this favor early. After hanging up the phone, Lin Yueyue was so excited she practically bounced around the room. If Shen Xi could use the Gu family’s connections to get in, then so could she! Besides, she had never heard Shen Xi sing before, while she had placed in the top three of the campus singing competition every year. There was no way she would lose to some spoiled rich girl like Shen Xi. The Next Day. Shen Xi got up early and headed toward the TV station. On the way, she caught the attention of several passersby. Today, she wore a simple yet elegant white dress. She didn’t put on any makeup, just a light layer of lipstick, making her look fresh, refined, and naturally graceful. She wanted to leave a good first impression on the TV directors and vocal coaches. A habit she had developed from years of work experience. It wasn’t her first time wearing a dress. And since performing on stage would definitely require short skirts and crop tops in the future, she might as well start getting used to it now. Upon arriving, she followed the directions to Director Chen’s office. She gently tapped on the door, and a deep male voice responded from inside. Shen Xi pushed the door open and saw Director Chen buried in a pile of planning documents. He looked up when he heard her enter. For a brief moment, a flicker of surprise flashed across his face. She was stunning, but not in an overly flashy way. There was an understated, elegant beauty about her that was impossible to ignore. But soon, his brows furrowed as he studied her carefully. She looked even more beautiful in person than in her profile photos. Her unique aura gave off the vibe of a classic white moonlight heroine. The type of woman a powerful CEO would cherish above all else. No wonder she got in through connections. But that was exactly the problem. If this were a dating show, she would definitely become a viral sensation. But Masked Singer was a singing competition, and since all the contestants were masked, what was the point of being pretty? What was she going to do, get eliminated early and then shock everyone with a face reveal? That would be useless. The audience would just mock the show for inviting a pretty but talentless guest singer. “You’re Shen Xi?” Director Chen’s tone was a little cold. It was clear he wasn’t too thrilled about this mystery guest. Shen Xi nodded politely and smiled. “Yes, Director Chen. It’s a pleasure to be part of Masked Singer King.” Director Chen didn’t return her smile. In fact, his expression became even more serious. “It’s not just a recording. By the time you go on stage, it’ll be the semi-finals, and the show will be broadcast live, both online and on TV. The standards are much higher.” “It’s not just about singing skills. You also need strong stage presence and the ability to connect with the audience. Do you think you can handle that?” Shen Xi sensed the change in his attitude and felt a little confused. But she didn’t ask any questions. She remained calm and composed. “Director Chen, I may not have much stage experience, but I believe in my abilities and my dedication. I won’t disappoint you.” Director Chen frowned. He clearly wasn’t satisfied with her answer. Just as he was about to say something else, the office door suddenly swung open. Shi Jingyan walked in, holding the hand of Lin Yueyue, whose eyes were still red from crying. Without knocking, he stepped inside. “Director Chen, hello, I’m Shi Jingyan.” As soon as he finished introducing himself, his eyes instinctively landed on the graceful figure in white standing in the room. His gaze froze for a moment. It had been days since he last saw her, and somehow… she looked even more captivating. It sent a ripple of emotion through Shi Jingyan, causing his heart to skip a beat...
Part II: Keeping It Going This series honors the power of the personal essay. In the hands of a masterful writer, an essay has the power to evoke emotion or to lay out an argument that calls others to action. [See Part 1 if you’re wondering how to get started.] Now you’ve got your start on your essay. How do you write your way through the messy middle? It’s OK if at first you have two ideas about how you want to attack your essay. This wonderful podcast from NPR’s Planet Money talks about two different approaches the NPR writers took with a story, one starting out with shocking statistic and a more global approach, the other starting off with a “little story” that amplifies the theme, then plugging that little story into a larger picture. It makes sense that for a story about the rise of A/B testing, NPR would A/B test its two leads. They did a little test on each lead to see how it played with readers. One lead got better results. (I often use this example in my multimedia journalism classes at the University of New Mexico.) So once you’re rolling, how do you keep it going? One of my favorite memoir teachers, Marion Roach Smith, offers this algorithm to keeping your essay concrete, clear and focused. In her book The Memoir Project: A Thoroughly Non-Standardized Text for Writing & Life, she urges writers who get stuck to use this prompt: This is a story about X and it’s illustrated by Y X is your big picture stuff, your theme. Y is your little picture stuff, the real life details that show what it’s like to grieve your dying mother, the details that put you at the side of her hospital bed clasping her bony hand in yours as you recite for her of the names of the rosebushes she cultivated in her garden. In this way, you restore her memories back to herself after her stroke. It’s a cold winter night, and you’ve driven hours to be there at her side. This is a story about grief, and it’s illustrated by the way my voice trembles as I recite for my mother the names of the rosebushes from her garden as she recuperates from a stroke. Marion Roach Smith is a journalist, as I am, and this approach is informed by journalism, which is always looking for substantive, documented details from the physical world to show how we know what we know. This algorithm keeps you grounded in the 5W (who, what, when, where, why) and 1H (how). It will get you out of your head and heart and into your real body in the real world. It will help you “prove it,” to the reader, who hasn’t been where you’ve been or see what you’ve seen. Take the reader into the experience that produced the emotion or insight you’re writing about. And then the writing becomes believable and memorable. My other best way to get unstuck also comes from the discipline of journalistic writing. After you write a paragraph, ask yourself, “So what?” It sounds a little mean. You’re writing something that matters, something you care about, something you may have deeply felt. Who is asking this heartless question? But this provocative question can spur you the next detail or insight that really brings your message alive. It can move you away from vague language and insistent assertions that only amount to “Because I’m telling, you it really happened and it really was bad.” If you have to explain it was really bad, you probably aren’t showing it was really bad. Here are a few more rules for the road: - Write what you want to know better. Writing teachers are fond of saying, “Write what you know,” but the best writing comes out of what you want to know better. If you don’t know something, that’s a quest. That’s edgier. Go find out. Be curious. Ask great questions. Well-meaning writing teachers who say “write what you know” more likely mean “write what you have lived.” But see that question as dynamic. Write what you’re curious about and have had to figure out. - Show it. Don’t tell. You’ll get this advice a lot, if you’re writer drawing breath into your lungs, because you’ll find it quoted everywhere as though it’s a new revelation. It’s definitely true that showing has more power than telling. In an essay, the balance of telling vs. showing is different from fiction, and writing teacher Sonya Huber really nails it in this essay on LitHub (“The Three Words That Almost Ruined Me As a Writer: ‘Show, Don’t Tell’”). - Think in images. Word pictures take readers into your experience. People remember things better when they can experience them like they were really there. - Use all the senses. Visuals are great, but don’t forget sound, smell, touch and taste. - Use the “telling detail”—the detail that most characterizes the person or situation. Not every detail, the one that reveals the heart of the situation or what makes a person tick. - Use concrete nouns. Can’t say this one enough! - Use active verbs. Or this one! Concrete nouns and active verbs are the building blocks of every great piece of writing. Make this your habit. - Start your paragraphs with simple declarative sentences, then elaborate. Open your paragraphs with simple declarative sentences and remember the axiom that sentences go the middle of a paragraph to die. One of the best articles I’ve read on mastering the nuts and bolts of writing was “The Whistleblower Knows How to Write,” by Jane Rosenzweig, director of the Harvard Writing Center. Take her advice to heart, and you’ll always have that little something extra that gets your point across clearly and purposefully. Be concise and crisp. Specificity is your best friend. Prove that you were there. That’s what a journalist must do. NEXT WEEK: HOW TO MAKE IT MAGIC (AND HOW TO FINISH)
Sounds From The South: At The Crossroads Of Rock, Country And Soul (Soul Jazz) Review by Nathaniel Cramp This new double-CD from Soul Jazz could be seen as more of a lesson in cultural and political history rather than a mere compilation. At its heart lies the small town of Muscle Shoals, Alabama. It was there that Rick Hall opened FAME Studio in the late 1950s and recorded some of the most gloriously heartbreaking music you’ll ever hear; music that took in the soul sounds from Memphis, 150 miles to the west, and the country sounds of Nashville, 130 miles to the northeast, and stirred them up in a – yes – melting pot of black and white musicians. All right under the nose of Governor George Wallace who made his infamous “segregation today, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever” speech upon being elected in 1962. Muscle Shoals was where Dan Penn (whose ridiculously funky ‘If Love Was Money’ is included here) learned his trade, effortlessly churning out soul hit after soul hit. And it was where established stars such as Cher travelled to in 1968 in the hope that some of the grits and grease of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section – who by then had left FAME to open their own Muscle Shoals Sound Studio – would rub off on them. Her version of ‘I Walk On Gilded Splinters’ is proof enough that it did, as is Leon Russell’s ‘Out In The Woods’. It was Russell who christened the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section ‘The Swampers’, the same ones who were “known to pick a song or two” in Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘Sweet Home Alabama’. That track isn’t included here, thankfully, and neither is the similarly over-exposed ‘Freebird’, but two lesser-known tracks taken from Skynyrd’s early recordings in Muscle Shoals are. But this album is not just about Muscle Shoals. This new, soul-infused Southern rock spread to Macon, Georgia from where The Allman Brothers are also represented by some obscure selections, with two early Duane and Gregg cuts featuring alongside ‘Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More’ from Duane’s swansong, ‘Eat A Peach’. The sound also traveled back upstream to Nashville and informed the music of good ole country boys like Waylon Jennings and Music City’s very own Swampers, Area Code 615, whose ‘Stone Fox Chase’ somehow ended up as the theme tune to ‘The Old Grey Whistle Test’. However, as is always the case with compilations such as this, you can’t help but think of the songs that aren’t there, especially when there’s a good half-hour of free space on each of the two CDs. You start wondering why the compilers didn’t follow Bobbie Gentry’s ‘Mississippi Delta’ all the way down to New Orleans, although Soul Jazz’s ‘Saturday Night Fish Fry’ already drew a pretty decent musical map of The Big Easy. But there are anomalies too; Big Star’s ‘Thirteen’, unimpeachable pop classic that it is, is the work of a bunch of anglophiles who just happened to live in Memphis (and be distributed by Stax), whereas a track from Alex Chilton’s previous band The Box Tops would’ve worked much better here among the blue-eyed soul of Billy Vera and Joe South. There’s also the slightly baffling inclusion of Johnny Cash singing Tim Hardin’s ‘If I Were A Carpenter’ and a late-period Link Wray track recorded in San Francisco. But these problems are mainly geographical rather than musical, and any compilation featuring Tony Joe White’s ‘Polk Salad Annie’ and Boz Scaggs’ ‘I’ll Be Long Gone’, along with a lovely, informative booklet explaining how the real revolution of the ’60s and ’70s happened in the Southern states, rather than New York, Los Angeles or even Detroit, is surely worth having. Dan Penn: If Love Was Money [audio:https://www.caughtbytheriver.net//wp-content/uploads/2011/06/09-If-Love-Was-Money.mp3\|titles=09 If Love Was Money]
Hi, I'm Tammy! I started CharmPop Balloons & Rentals in 2021 with professional training in balloon installation and a history in art, woodworking, and design. One thing I've always focused on is making the experience feel special for each client. While it is great to go to an event decorator and pick out premade designs, I also wanted to offer a bespoke experience with customized mockups that offer different price points. I believe this is part of what sets my company apart. I also think it's extremely important to always be learning. Whether it's keeping up with industry trends or how to use a new power tool, I'm ready to take on the challenge. More about me personally - I live with my partner Andrew and our 2 Great Pyrenees dogs just outside of Portland, Oregon. I enjoy crocheting, hiking, and playing video games and board games with friends. I also enjoy doing just about anything creative and am always looking for the next crafty thing I can do or learn. CharmPop Balloons & Rentals
Hello everyone! Welcome back to my blog! Today is a very special blog post because it's been one year since I started this blog! Time has flown by so fast. It feels like just yesterday my boyfriend was helping me create this website. I have had so much fun writing about books, characters, and everything else. If you know me, you know that books are my life. I love reading, writing, and of course, buying books. I graduated from college with a degree in Creative Writing, and while some people ask, “Well, what are you going to do with that?” I find so much joy in telling them that I can do anything I want. People NEED writing no matter what job you get. I just happen to specialize in a certain area of writing. But I have found a job that lets me use my degree and my knowledge of the field. I love working in the publishing industry, and I can’t wait to grow more in my field as opportunities come along. This blog has helped me hone my skills in analyzing text, studying writing, dissecting characters and plots, etc. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea but there’s just something about it. It’s also made me realize just how much I love picking up a book and writing about it. I love reading other people’s thoughts on books to see if they caught something I missed or just to read about their opinion on a book. I didn’t know if this was going to be something that I stuck with. I thought maybe because I started in a pandemic that the thrill and fun of posting would eventually vanish as life progressed back to normal. BUT it hasn’t! I still love coming up with ideas for posts and I still love reading. My friends and family have been so supportive. I love that they read my blog and encourage me to continue doing the things I love. I still have so many ideas for upcoming posts, so I’m not about to stop now. Thank you to everyone who has read even just one post. I hope you find as much joy in reading each post as I do in writing them. Thank you and come back soon! <3
A JOB WELL DONE I often wonder how you decide if you did a good job of parenting your children. So many people struggle with putting in the effort and then having their adult children turn their backs on everything and make some truly awful decisions. It is so hard to be a mother of a child who makes wrong choices over and over again. Fortunately those children are in the minority.EXCEEDING OUR EXPECTATIONS For most of us, there is a sense of satisfaction in seeing our children launch themselves into the world and find their own way to a good life. It has been so rewarding watching both our children exceed us in their education and in their careers. They have both progressed further and faster than we did at their age and it is a testimony to their diligence and commitment to study, and a strong work ethic that got them there. (I'd like to think that we had a little bit of input too!)But it's not just how well they've done in their material world, it's also about the type of people they are becoming. As a mother I think I am even more pleased to see them mature and make good decisions and become really good human beings. It's nice to see them contributing to the world and investing in other people. BUILDING STRONG FOUNDATIONS It's an honour as a mother to have produced children who have turned out to be good people. Although I know in the back of my mind that it is by luck as much as by design, I am still relieved and pleased to know they are adding value to our society and not adding to the problems of the world. My heart goes out to parents who are struggling with children who are breaking their hearts with their life choices - no parent should have to go through that. I truly believe that the foundations we put into our children when they are young will eventually show through and that is the hope that these parents hold to. I just keep praying every day for my kids and I am so thankful they turned out to be adults I can be proud of.Ours are coming home for the Easter break and I can't wait to see them and their spouses and our little granddaughter. Life is good when your kids are independent, and even better when they like returning to the nest every so often for a visit. If you'd like to read more about Adult Kids you can go HERE or HERE. See you tomorrow for L which is for Letting Go of Drama. BEFORE YOU GO: If you'd like to know when I write a new post, please click HERE for email updates. If you'd like to comment but not here on the blog, feel free to email me at [email protected] - I'd love to hear from you. And please share this post by clicking on a share button before you go.
Ever get stressed trawling allllll the shops online, looking for all the components of an outfit? Sometimes you just need to get everything in one place and be done with it. I like a little mission and I've collaborated with my faves at La Redoute and my mission was to build two looks, wearing La Redoute's own brands. If you didn't know, La Redoute also sell tonnes of popular brands like Adidas and Levis and their homeware is also banging - I've got so many items on my wishlist! Anyway, back to the task at hand! Who wants to see the two looks I put together? Look 1 - A Daytime Look Need some off-duty inspiration? Look no further! I have taken the cosiest jacket of all time and styled it with some super casual pieces for the perfect daytime look. Now, it's a little chilly at the moment BUT this puffa jacket is like stepping out in your duvet so even with the bare legs; you're good to go. I picked other casual items that you can style in heaps of different ways meaning you can optimize the amount of wear you get out of your one-shop items. I never knew I needed a white roll neck top until it arrived and I put it with the pencil skirt and jacket! I live in my standard black one but I feel like a white one is like having a little festive revamp! No daytime look would be complete without a pair of classic trainers and the colour of these really stood out. They tie in nicely with the burgundy stripe running down the side of the skirt and for a pair trainers, you can't complain about £23.40 - such a bargain! Look 2 - A Nighttime Look It's officially party season and if you've got a jam-packed diary - you'll need some party appropriate togs! I've taken one navy velvet dress and given it a 'Danie twist' by adding monochrome accessories. I read somewhere on Instagram that navy and black shouldn't be worn together and my eyes rolled so far back in my head; it's a surprise I can still write this! Of course, navy and black can be worn together - just look how great they look together in this look! This midnight blue, velvet swing dress is very comfortable and flowy and I reckon it'd be a great go-to dress - it's so wearable and fuss-free. Throw on a fluffy white coat and some seriously sexy boots - you're good to go! I love wearing heeled boots in winter instead of strappy heels, it keeps your toes warm and you don't have to worry about getting your unsightly toenails out! Need a cute little party bag, La Redoute have you covered...just look at this adorable circle bag! I've already taken it out with me for a few nights out and I can tell I'm going to reach for it all winter long. Shop my Nighttime Look Photographs by JKGPhotography *This post was sponsored by La Redoute
Heads-up for anybody who has got had chlamydia I understand one to currently over time we have adequate to-be speaing frankly about But i desired to express that it. There has been hook care(to my region) that it’ll provides caused difficulty. We went to the new dr’s past to have a followup appointment equipped with a listing of inquiries i wanted to ask as well as in the event it will be area of the reason behind my personal 2 losses. The brand new dr tested my notes and you may told you ‘oh you had anti-biotics to own chlamydia once your d&c’ to which I answered ‘no i had chlamydia last can get, i’d anti-biotics to possess an article op infection’ . This new Dr following explained that we have to have had anti-biotics to have chlamydia also given that a procedure including a d&c may cause it to return. Something that physicians just receive last year! Chose to allow you to all the see when you keeps got it and an excellent d&c you can aquire anti-biotics to you and your oh. statements ( twenty six ) Hello , They provided me with a couple vaginal swabs once my personal ERPC to test for all the illness, and I was towards the a couple courses away from antibiotics for a beneficial post-op illness , they certainly would have seen it if i had they here wouldnt it? I havent had a test because of it in advance of however if I did obtain it then they could have noticed they of theses swabs wouldnt they? It might be well worth inquiring your physician just to get on new safe front side hun,this will depend on what they certainly were actually selecting. We didnt have swabs over 🙁 I would score appeared because of it, just to be on the new secure side..can it really damage?? i will be worried it will because they swab I experienced pursuing the ERPC performed cause it complete smoe fasten thing Just watched it and envision I would feedback, I had Chlamydia, caught off my personal upcoming bf (now my better half) when we first found, I happened to be offered anti-biotics therefore eliminated. I then had expecting into the October regarding just last year, and you can sadly got an ectopic. I aged my personal tubing and you can was the cause of ectopic maternity. The fresh new ectopic tube is actually removed, I have an remaining tubing that they imagine is still healthy, even though they cannot learn until I really do get pregnant once again – We are however TTC and you will Ive got my personal fingertips crossed you to definitely the remainder pipe actually damaged. I can’t believe it is no more chatted about one chlamydia can result in such wreck. I hope there’s significantly more feeling raised! Perhaps I would’ve been less toward delivering looked up. I asked the new dr yesterday if it might have done any almost every other ruin and i are advised this just cuses troubles that have virility. little regarding the damage to tubes etcetera (couldnt select a genuine resentful face) Thank you hun. Consider i would end up being mastering when there is a way capable take a look without having to wait for some other mc or ectopic maternity to ascertain. Nicky, my personal mum said lately that there are good lady using one of them health courses (Shameful regulators, or something) who’d cydia and had they longterm, they angled the lady womb, and you can she wound-up riddled that have holes in both tubes, it got essentially wrecked this lady reproductive program. They said that she you’ll shoot for expecting, nonetheless it might be tough, and her chances of an enthusiastic ectopic pregnancy might possibly be a lot higher. Medical professionals are only perhaps not offering the correct recommendations, Chlamydia is addressed as the a brush-off problem. Take some tablets and you can hey presto, the work is performed, when most – it could be gently destroying the human body. I happened to be a person who constantly had checked-out immediately following unprotected (*Revise to state, by exposed I meant in the place of access to a good condom, I found myself using other precautions.) sex with my couples, up until I came across my personal today spouse, who had merely had you to partner before me personally, and you will they had one another been virgins once they found. This particular article forced me to foolishly laid back in the event it came to ultimately delivering checked – We left it lengthier than I’d in earlier times, I didn’t actually think about the facts from in which he had been devoted in the relationship- she hadn’t started, together with passed the condition on to him, who’d enacted it to me – by enough time I might revealed I had got it, I’d already had they for about 6 months. Devastating, even more very after i sustained an enthusiastic ectopic. Chlamydia damage the small hairs from the tube that assist this new eggs to maneuver towards uterus, by injuries these types of hairs, my personal eggs never ever managed to get to the right place, and implanted during my tubing.
Happy Valentine's Day! Hopefully, by the time you're reading this, you've already secreted away your special Valetine's Day card and bought that romantic gift for your partner. If you have not, I would strongly recommend that you do not now try to find a card at the local Halmark store since all that will be left will be in the category of "strangely weird" given that the longer term Valentine's Day planners-the true lovers-bought all the good cards back in January. And for us guys, buying the oversized Teddy Bear at Walmart or the single rose for $14.99 or a package of lottery tickets at the Cumberland Farms gas station on the way home will most likely not go over well especially when the other person was expecting at the very least a loving bauble. On a crisp and sunny Friday Valentine's Day, my transition to discussing Sales is very direct this morning. If you want to be successful in Sales, you need to love what you do!!! - Not just "do" Sales! - Not just "be in" Sales! - Not just "like" the world of Sales! You Gotta Love Selling! As highly successful sales professionals, in our skills, in our training, and most importantly in our emotions and our whole being as a person, we simply LOVE what we do! Personally, I love the science of sales in terms of knitting together solutions through processes and the use of various tools to sell value and solve problems for my customers. Here's a few other ideas to think about what it takes to love being a salesperson. It also may be as you think about these 5 bullets below that there's a category or two, where you might want to consider what it would take to enhance your sales skills in the first half of this year. - Are there skills you personally need to improve on? - Could you invest in an online skills training program in your CRM or negotiating capabilities? - Should you bring the team together for a half day of improving your sales processes? The Best Salespeople Love: 1. Relationship Building: Sales is all about connecting with people, understanding their needs, and building relationships. If you enjoy meeting new people and forming connections, this component is very fulfilling. If you do not enjoy this aspect of the job, you simply should not be in Sales. If you believe you can improve, then there's a relatively short list of improvement activities you can employ. Improving your skills in becoming a better listener would be an example. 2. Challenge and Growth: Sales often presents challenges that require creativity and problem-solving skills. It's a field where you can constantly learn and grow, honing your skills in skills such as negotiation, market knowledge, the use of specific technologies, or improving your hiring and training skills are just a few. 3, Impact and Results: Closing a deal or exceeding quota is incredibly satisfying! It's tangible proof of your hard work and skills, and it always brings a significant sense of personal accomplishment. 4. Variety: Every day in sales can be different. Sure, there's a level of repetitiveness, but that's balanced by countless opportunities to explore new markets, work with new prospects, and learn new skills. 5. Recognition and Rewards: I left this as the last bullet since too many non-salespeople think that this is the number one definition of a successful salesperson. I've worked with tens of thousands of salespeople, and, yes, there's a reason that the best salespeople are often the most highly paid people in the company, but that's the output and the end result, and it's not the #1 reason why the best salespeople sell. It is because they love what they do! Have a Happy Valentine's Day! Let me and others know what you love about your sales work! Enjoy the weekend! Working on your 2025 Sales plans! For a few ideas on how to customize your own sales planning for 2025, click here for our just updated, no-cost "Writing the Winning Sales Plan in 2025, outlining ideas on structure, sales models, process funnels, productivity tools and how to recruit, hire and onboard the best salespeople. A hands-on "how to" guide for real salespeople written by real sales managers. Connect with me any time at [email protected], and let's discuss your own sales planning ideas.
Top 5 Mantras for Interior Designers Running your own interior design business isn’t just about creating beautiful spaces—it’s about being the CEO, the creative, the bookkeeper, the marketing department, and sometimes the client’s unofficial therapist. It’s a lot. And if you’re new to the industry or struggling to gain traction, it can feel like you’re spinning in a hundred directions at once. That’s where mantras come in. I’m not talking about fluffy Pinterest quotes (although I do love a good aesthetic moment). I mean grounding, real-talk reminders—the kind that bring you back to focus when you're doubting yourself, overthinking your next move, or trying to be everything to everyone. Here are the top 5 mantras I often share with my interior designer coaching students who are ready to move forward—especially when things feel messy or overwhelming. 1. “Done is better than perfect.” Raise your hand if you’ve delayed launching your website, posting on Instagram, or sending a proposal because it wasn’t perfect yet. Perfectionism is sneaky. It disguises itself as high standards, but really it’s just fear—fear of judgment, fear of not being good enough, fear of failing. Here’s the truth: Your clients aren’t looking for perfect. They’re looking for someone who shows up, follows through, and helps them transform their space. So hit publish, send the email, share the reel. Progress is better than perfection—every single time. 2. “You don’t have to do it all at once.” As a designer, it’s easy to believe you need to master everything right now—refining your brand, improving your systems, finding clients, onboarding them perfectly, managing projects, and somehow staying creative through it all. But businesses aren’t built in one afternoon. They’re built in layers—like a well-designed space. You can’t implement everything at once. And you don’t need to. Focus on one area of growth at a time, do it well, and then move on to the next. You’ll move further faster by going step-by-step than trying to do it all in a single sprint. 3. “Your dream clients are looking for you, not a robot.” Imposter syndrome is loud—especially when you’re scrolling through Instagram, watching other designers with huge followings and seemingly perfect projects. But your dream clients don’t want a copy of someone else. They want you—your perspective, your taste, your energy. People hire people, not portfolios. So show up as yourself. Talk like you talk. Share what lights you up. The more you lean into your voice, the more your ideal clients will find you—and trust you. 4. “You’re the expert. Act like it.” This one is for the designers who hesitate when setting boundaries, pricing their services, or leading the project confidently. Let me say this: You know more than you think you do. You’ve done the work. You’ve got the eye. You are allowed to take up space and own your expertise. People pleasing can end up having the opposite outcome than you expect. Clients want to be led. When you step into that role with confidence, they feel safer—and you’ll attract more of the right people who respect what you do (and pay you accordingly). 5. “Everything is figureoutable.” That moment when the tile order is wrong, the client changes their mind again, or your Canva graphic deletes itself? Yeah, we’ve all been there. But here’s what I know: You’ve figured out hard things before. You’ll do it again. Instead of spiraling into panic mode, take a breath and remember—there is always a solution. You don’t have to have it all solved in 5 seconds. You just have to believe that you can figure it out. Because you can. Which one do you need most today? Pick a mantra. Write it on a sticky note. Make it your phone background. Let it be your reset button when you’re having a “why did I choose this career?” moment. And remember—you're not alone in this. Every designer has felt behind, overwhelmed, or stuck at some point. What matters is that you keep showing up, keep learning, and keep moving forward. Need a little more support? That’s exactly what we do inside the Interior Design Business Bakery. We help you simplify, take action, and build a business that actually works (and feels good). No fluff, no perfectionism—just real progress.

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