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Part Two: Visualizing the Visual Mind with 'Mind Mirrors'
The Concept: To perceive is to think and to think is to be. Indeed, it is our perception that guides our conscious reality. I chase after my thoughts to understand how they work. I find myself picoseconds behind the present conscious moment; never quite able to precisely perceive my thinking experience. Nevertheless, I want to force a meeting with myself and provoke a state of heightened self-conscious awareness. I seek the instant when I am able to perceive myself from within myself, although I am seemingly outside of myself looking in.
Inherent in my 'self' is the desire to scito te ipsum (Latin, translated as "know thyself"). "Why am I here? . . . I have to figure out some way of explaining that to myself." (Burnett) It is our very connection to reality that is at stake. "The neurotic turns away from reality because he finds either the whole or parts of it unreadable." (Freud) It is therefore important for us to develop tools to help us understand our 'selves'.
The transition from needing to know to actually knowing the 'self' is facilitated by 'reflection'. Reflexivity is highly relevant to my explorations of the mind and perception. Mirrors have the power to reflect not only our physical appearance but our dynamic conscious perception of that appearance simultaneously in a single yet constantly changing conscious moment (reflexivity). This self-awareness experience can therefore be described as circling around the sensation of feeling our 'self' in the moment.
It is by mindfulness or awareness of my perceptive apparatus that I hypothesize I will reach 'hyperconscious reflexivity'. My intention is to build a mental mechanism such that the mind can identify with the self as it continuously changes. My focus will be the research and development of 'Mind Mirrors' that achieve a reflection of the mind back onto itself. I will combine the principles inherent in reflexivity with biofeedback information collected from viewers in a gallery space.
I will research the perceptive apparatus of the mind (as separate from the brain), the physiological expressions of the mind (biofeedback), and theoretical concepts of consciousness to help me build artworks. Through creative electronic visualizations (displaying a metaphor of the mind), I will explore the possibility of visualizing and thereby understanding our dynamic visual perception. My goal is to answer the question: can perception be visually displayed or metaphorically visualized? Furthermore, can we reach another layer of awareness through 'hyperconscious reflexivity'?
Knowledge Deficit: "Is our scientific understanding of fundamental principles already more or less complete? Have all the big questions been answered?" (Sheldrake) "Philosophical, psychological and neural theories" (Rose) attempting to explain how our consciousness works have been developed. We are even beginning to investigate the physical theory of the electromagnetic consciousness (McFadden) but science has not provided a complete explanation for the brain/mind paradigm.
"To many people, science is seen as a source of certainty, a box full of answers that can be trotted out when dealing with life's many questions. Most working scientists, however, see their subject in a very different light: as a method for navigating effectively in an uncertain world" (Cohen). Currently, interpretation of our subjective perception eludes traditional scientific understanding. From a purely biological point of view, our 'visual reality' is thought to be a physical connection of light, our eyes and brain, yet we know that we interpret the world when we perceive it. It is important to recognize that there exists a significant knowledge deficit in the area of the perceptive apparatus and human consciousness. Phenomena like "telepathy and the sense of being stared at are currently unexplained in scientific terms" (Sheldrake).
Therefore, my investigation will be focused on creative experimentation, co-fitted with interactive technology, to develop a metaphor of the thinking experience and address the knowledge deficit in our understanding of the mind and our extended perceptive apparatus.
The Role of Art: "Art is somewhat like the brain. It is a vehicle out of which from nothing comes so much" (Burnett). The functional similarities between the creative arts and the mind make art a likely candidate for the study of the mind. Art exists at the point where perception and understanding coexist. Furthermore, one must ask if the scope of science is capable of this exploration alone, or if some partnership with art is more likely to provide some answers. My research is somewhere at the intersection of art and science, as they both relate to the perceptive apparatus. I am trying to build a concept that is not as much a social understanding (in art terms) as it is a study of how concepts regarding perception and the mind can be developed using art.
It is important to mention here that the complexity of the mind and the perceptive apparatus cannot be reduced to the functions of the brain alone. The brain is a mass of biological matter that computes information using bio-electrical signals. In contrast, the mind is an interpretative (dynamic and expressive) experience 'space' that is currently undefined physically or conceptually in any unified description.
Rescher explains that; "if nature were not rulish in exhibiting manifold regularities – if it were pervasively 'unruly' (say, because its laws changed rapidly and randomly) – then anything approaching a scientific study of the world would clearly be impossible" (Rescher). With this line of reasoning we can see how it has been difficult for biological science to explain the mind (as distinct from the brain) and subjective perception because the mind changes rapidly and seemingly without a quantifiable order. A similar disorder is observed in artistic expression because it is dynamic, uncertain and 'unruly' as a creative process (or method). The process of artistic expression may be characterized as disordered, even though a 'finished' work of art results from an artist's innovative labor. Thus, it is sensible to consider the use of the creative arts to excogitate theories about our dynamic conscious mind. "Art then, is an increase of life, a sort of competition of surprises that stimulate our consciousness and keep us from becoming somnolent" (Whiten). "The minute you relax and you are comfortable with your own state of mind . . . you actually fall asleep" (Burnett).
There are several reasons why I think that the arts are pivotal to my investigation of the conscious mind. First, the artist has an inherent sense of human perception. When making works of art we are always conscious of the 'perceptive potential' of our intended audience. Second, the creative arts always take a flexible methodological approach to any kind of investigation and this allows for a holistic 'bottom-up' perspective. Third, "an artist is multidisciplinary by nature" (Burnett) and this allows for 'cross-inter-multi-disciplinary' collaborative research initiatives that are certainly required when attempting any sort of inquiry into something as complex as the mind. Fourth, the artist is always 'experimenting', but rarely equates art to scientific research although they are both scholarly endeavors. Finally, many artists throughout history have studied human perception and shown that art can illuminate contemporary investigations of the mind and reflexivity.
One specific example is Diego Velazquez's oil on canvas painting 'Las Meninas' (1656) (Fig.1). Velazquez uses a mirror in the background to unveil the concept of reflection as a window of access into the symbolism that is inherent in reflection. First, he is painting his 'self'-portrait. He is also painting a reflected subject being painted in his painting (the king and queen and the observer or arguably the painting within the painting) (Werness). Finally, he is painting the vehicle of reflection itself – the mirror – in the background. These three representations of the observer, the reflected and the source of reflection (the mirror) encompass the critical elements required for understanding the perceived cycle of reflexivity. Foucault reads Velazquez at the beginning of his text, The Order of Things (Foucault) as portraying a paradoxical relationship between reality and representation (Ashley). Essentially, Foucault demonstrates that "they are all representations of a point of reality outside of the painting" (Ashley).
The fine arts have always elucidated complex philosophy through visualizations, and have been able to help us study the 'essence' of things. Creative visualizations of reflexivity transition us from the stagnant perspective of oppositions to a continuum of interwoven relationships. Understanding our reflection in terms of a dynamic event can allow us to accept the uncanny feeling we experience during the reflection sensation.
Redefining art with technology: I am not a scientist. I am working with a metaphorical representation of the mind as 'visualized' by art. However, I make use of biofeedback and other technology to drive these investigations, analogous to cognitive scientists. Artworks such as 'Las Meninas' (1656) are complete in their own right, however, the introduction of electronics and interactive technology have provided us with new faculty in 'research' driven creative projects. We are exponentially speeding towards a new era of interactive art using augmented reality, modular robotics, interactive cybernetics, immersive environments, and kinetic art. We are adding a new dimension of technology to traditional explorations of perception in the arts. Additionally, since "an artist is multidisciplinary by nature" (Burnett), this facilitates interdisciplinary collaborations. As such, I will be utilizing cognitive science and electrical engineering expertise. I have established research collaborations with Dr. Hélène Gauchou of the University of British Columbia (UBC) Cognition Lab (headed by Dr. Ronald Rensink) and electrical engineer Randy Glenn.
A foundation has already been established in creative electronic art that explores the mind and reflexivity. For example, "Aurora Consurgens" (Driesen) (Fig.2) is "proposing to the world a way of communication with the inner realms of consciousness through technological processes." (Driesen) The artwork samples biofeedback in the form of electroencephalography (EEG) from viewers who can see and interact with each other based on the visual representations of their thoughts projected on the wall. It is important to reiterate here that the complexity of the mind and the perceptive apparatus cannot be reduced to the functions of the brain alone. Therefore, when using biofeedback I will not only focus on EEG, but instead use a wide variety of biofeedback to explore various mind/body reactions using a holistic cross-disciplinary approach.
"Wooden Mirror" (Rozin) (Fig.3) is another example of creative electronic art that explores the mind and reflexivity. The "Wooden Mirror" (Rozin) is made up of small wood chip 'pixels' and reflects light in such a way as to display a 'wooden mirror' image of the observer. Just like a glass mirror, the 'wooden mirror' changes with the viewers' movements. However, this mirror reflects a pixilated image. Similar to a glass mirrors' reflection of light, the 'wooden mirror' contains the basic ingredients required to provoke a state of image recognition. However, the viewer is more likely to engage with the artwork as a technologically exciting gadget rather than a display provoking self-awareness. Part of the reason is that it does not provide the amount of detail that a 'bathroom mirror' can, even though it does provide enough detail for recognizable forms to appear.
The key to successfully reflecting a recognizable form that also induces a 'super-conscious' state of 'hyper-real' self-recognition is including the critical elements required to generate said reflection at a high enough 'resolution'. Therefore, my use of biofeedback technology to reflect the mind in a 'Mind Mirror' will be tested to its 'reflective potential' as a recognizable reflection of thought is attempted.
Can the source of thought, as extracted from the body using biofeedback, be recorded and reflected with minimal 'pixilation' and maintain the key elements required to generate an effective 'thought awareness mirror'? Is it possible for a transformation from a self-centered view to a self-actualised perspective of the 'self' with my 'Mind Mirror' displays? At the intersection between the biofeedback technology of "Aurora Consurgens" (Driesen) and the creative kinetic electronics of the "Wooden Mirror" (Rozin) is my own thesis project the 'Mind Mirror'. I intend on contributing to knowledge in the field of interactive and creative electronic art research.
Thesis Concept: At the heart of my research projects are two concepts; the mirror (as facilitator of reflection) and the 'self' (the metaphor of our reflection representing our perception). The 'Mind Mirror' displays I will develop as a part of my research are an exploration and experiment into whether or not visual metaphor (using real biofeedback data) will give some sense of the mind's visual cognitive apparatus.
Mirrors have the power to uncover the very nature of our being. They confirm our existence by reflecting an image of us enacting our 'self'. Our reflection can take on both the role of reflector and reflected (perceiver and perceived). The mirror stage of a child's psychological development is an important starting point in understanding our visual reflection. Lacan states that: "the mirror stage is a phenomenon to which I assign a twofold value. In the first place, it has historical value as it marks a decisive turning-point in the mental development of the child. In the second place, it typifies an essential libidinal relationship with the body image" (Lacan). Using our newly discovered mirror image, we achieve a heightened capacity for self-awareness that enhances our state of consciousness.
A mirror locks our eyes and our perception in a cycle of 'hyper-reality' and I assert that a mirrors' reflection can help facilitate understanding of the thinking experience. Consider the word RE-flections. "The Latin particle re-, which corresponds to the English 'again' and 'against', properly denotes a turning back (upon oneself or itself) or an opposition" (Gasche). A reflection is therefore manifested in 'simulacrum' defined by Plato as a copy of a copy or a double of a double; which itself signifies an original (Gasche). This cycle of a reflective continuum is whole and moving at the same time and that is what facilitates the reflection sensation. The mirror image and the viewer's body are being reflected simultaneously against one another to produce a moment of recognition and this is the moment I will focus on in my 'Mind Mirrors'.
It is not in the initial physical reflection but in "the secondary reflective relation" that "introduces a certain separation or transcendence within the self, and finally permits the range of self-consciousness" (Brockelman). Using these fundamental principles of reflection I intend on building 'Mind Mirrors' that will facilitate 'hyperconscious reflexivity'.
Thesis Projects: "When I get an idea I start at once building it up in my imagination. I change the construction, make improvements and operate the device in my mind" (Tesla). This is a perfect description of my creative process. My work will be a creative behavioral experiment investigating our perceptive mechanism in an effort to understand (visualize) our complex objective mind.
I have planned three works of art that I intend on manifesting as experiments to test my theories of metaphorically visualizing perception and inducing 'hyperconscious reflexivity'. In each case I will use creative interactive electronics, the basic principles of reflection, and contemporary theories of consciousness to build 'Mind Mirrors'. Each display attempts to illustrate something that is 'unseen' using creative visualizations (metaphorical representations). The three 'unseen' elements explored (as relevant to the perceptive apparatus and consciousness) are "The Sense of Being Stared AT" (Sheldrake), 'mind energy', and the electromagnetic consciousness.
The first creative experiment attempts to make the viewer aware of their viewing experience and explore "The Sense of Being Stared AT"(Sheldrake). Entitled 'Zeugen v2' (a completion of a work in progress called 'Zeugen v1'), this creative experiment asks if we passively witness or if we are also witnesses of ourselves in the act of witnessing. 'Zeugen v2' is a robotic (cybernetic) artwork controlling 32 motion tracking human-cast faces that have moving eyes for watching and tracking patrons' movements in the gallery space. The interactive technologies used for this project are motion tracking cameras and ultrasonic distance sensors. A power struggle is revealed causing tension between the witnessing and the witnessed. This vaguely uncomfortable sensation of being stared at is the self-reflexive element in this work.
"Energy Reflection Mind Mirror (a tribute to Tesla)" is the second experiment that will attempt to reflect pure energy back to the mind as a visual metaphor for the viewer's mind. I will use biofeedback such as: galvanic skin response (GSR), thermal feedback, electrocardiography (ECG), electroencephalography (EEG), and a Theremin (E-field sensing). I will combine the data expressed by the body and show representations of thought on a grid of Tesla coils (Fig.4). The resulting visual experience will be similar to miniature bolts of lightning traversing a matrix (grid) of pure electrical energy. As the viewer is excited or increases their state of intense thought, the display will react attempting to mirror the mind in visual metaphor and evoke 'hyperconscious reflexivity'.
The third project entitled "Magnetic Mind Mirror (body waves)" will be based on "the conscious electromagnetic information field (CEMI field) theory, claiming . . . the brain's electromagnetic field is . . . capable of communicating its informational content to the outside world" (McFadden). "Magnetic Mind Mirror (body waves)" will use various biofeedback inputs from the viewer and transform the data into interpretations on a magnetic display. For the display, I will generate a grid of nails that can be thought of as pixels on a screen. The display will also have a "ferrofluid"-like (Herlach et al.) magnetic aqueous solution that will respond to magnetism. Each nail (or pixel) will then be activated magnetically to varying degrees and the resulting display will be a grayscale image entirely controlled by magnetic forces. I have been influenced by the recent artwork of Kodama and Takeno, "Protrude, Flow" (Kodama and Takeno). This work consists of a dynamically changing interactive ferrofluid that used magnetic energy and was "affected by the sounds and spectators' voices in the exhibition place"(Takeno).
In exploration of various interactivity and response loops each work may also include accelerometers, inertia measurement units, and force sensing resistors. Each project will involve to some degree human-computer interaction. The focus will be on body gesture and biofeedback computer interfacing.
As an artist I am trying to balance metaphor and scientific concreteness by displaying creative cartographic visualizations of the brain, while at the same time using real data. However, seeing the brain activity is one thing, but being able to interpret the data is another. I am researching current trends in biofeedback mapping and I am conscious of the fact that thinking cannot be totally captured through a graph or points on a screen.
Biofeedback visualization tools will allow for observing reactions of the brain and interrelated metaphorical representations of the mind. The 'visualized' interpretations (metaphor) of the biofeedback data will only be 'readable' by each individual viewer in a self-reflexive event. I am linking the mind and body with technology to visualize perception, not from a strictly biological model, but as an artwork that requires unique and individual interpretations of each viewer. The visualization technology becomes an abstraction from which we can extract meaning about the visual mind/body space that is expressed and represented when a viewer interacts with my work. The complex nonlinear nature of the mind makes it impossible for an all encompassing visualization of perception (be it EEG, MRI or others). Rather than try to 'accurately' visualize the brain's activity (as a representative of the mind), I will attempt to provoke the individual response of each viewer. I hypothesize that each viewer has the ability to translate abstractions into personal meaning via 'Mind Mirrors' in a 'self-reflexive' moment.
In a glass mirror, our perception is contained by the image of our physical body and because it is hard to completely identify with the sensation of simultaneity in the reflection, we tend to ignore or deny this 'other' sensation. This ultimately results in our inability to realize our full 'hyperconscious' perceptive potential. Simultaneity is a key concept in reflexivity. We are continuously becoming the image of ourselves when we look in the mirror. A mirror not only shows the minute changes in our appearance as we comb our hair, but the dynamic perception of our self-image that is changing in our mind throughout our entire life. What distinguishes a representation from a reflection? A reflection is distinct because it happens in real time and changes as we do. It is not one thought but our entire consciousness that is being represented in any given reflective display. However, the interactivity between the viewer and the artwork gives the work a layer of simultaneity as an immersive environment. My ultimate goal remains to investigate the possibility of representing visual perception, analogous to a painter representing something literal in an abstract painting.
Additional Outcomes: Duchamp's "Rotary Demisphere (Precision Optics)" (1925) was "an early example of 'interactive art' … the viewer becomes an active participant in the art . . . required to turn on the optical machine and stand one meter away." (Rush). Since then, artists have taken to using microcontrollers and sensors when building interactive electronics projects. In order to facilitate the viewer's biofeedback interactivity with my 'Mind Mirror' displays I will also be using creative electronics microcontrollers.
One of the most popular microcontroller and programming environments for artists is Arduino. "Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. It's intended for artists, designers, hobbyists, and anyone interested in creating interactive objects or environments" (Arduino). However, the Arduino cannot provide the scalability and control that are required to realize my designs. In collaboration with Randy Glenn, I am designing a new microcontroller called 'Displayduino'. The controller will be based on the Open Source Arduino programming language and once completed I will offer it to the broader artist community online (under the GPL Open Source license). A technical contributions blog, extensive information, and community support website will be built (http://www.Displayduino.com). In addition to Displayduino, we will be developing 'daughter' or 'sub' boards for controlling servo motors, LED lights, and any other electronic device operating from 0 to 12 volts. These boards can be 'daisy chained' or networked (via RS485) to extend matrices of the devices. In pursuit of my own creative electronics projects and as an extension to my thesis research, Displayduino will also become a tool that artists can use to develop similar creative experiments.
In addition to the microelectronics controller contributions I have planned, I will be developing an online open source database collecting the interactivity and biofeedback information from my artworks for future research and analysis. Open Source Interactive (http://www.OpenSourceInteractive.net/) will consist of a project share and open results database that will promote international contributions of biofeedback and interactivity data and will contribute to the study of cognitive psychology and human computer interaction design.
Epilogue: I am developing artwork that can be expressed as a metaphor of the mind and I 'visualize' biofeedback data in the displays from physical responses. I want to understand the conscious experience and achieve another layer of awareness through 'hyperconscious reflexivity'. The experience of being reflected must be realized in a dynamic way in order for us to identify with the sensation of reflection and eventually use 'reflexivity' elements to design the reflection of pure thought. It is quite obvious that the purpose of a mirror is indeed to provide a reflection but limiting our understanding of the 'reflection sensation' to the visual image denies us the simultaneity of "that thinking feeling" (Heywood). However, "any kind of research is always operating at a certain level of abstraction from the real and the best research is the kind of research that says 'we are only able to take a small portion of this' and perhaps a consequence of that are some generalizations . . . always tentative" (Burnett). Embracing this reality, I will use the powerful and observable theoretical constructs of metaphor and simulation to develop visualizations of the mind using 'Mind Mirrors'.
|Figure 1: Diego Velazquez 'Las Meninas'
|Figure 3: Daniel Rozin "Wooden Mirror"
|Figure 2: Horia Cosmin Samoila and Marie Christine Driesen "Aurora Consurgens"
|Figure 4: A Tesla Coil
Works Cited:
- Arduino. 2009. <http://www.arduino.cc/>.
- Ashley, David "Las Meninas". 2008. University of Wyoming Website. <http://uwacadweb.uwyo.edu/Ashleywy/las_meninas.htm>.
- Brockelman, Paul. Time and Self: Phenomenological Explorations. New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1985.
- Burnett, Ron. Dr. Ron Burnett in Thesis Meetings with Morgan Rauscher. Morgan Rauscher, Vancouver 2008-9.
- Cohen, Ian Stewart and Jack. Fragments or Reality: The Evolution of the Curious Mind. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997.
- Driesen, Horia Cosmin Samoila and Marie Christine. Aurora Consurgens. 2009. ghostlab.org.
- Foucault, Michel. The Order of Things: An Archaeology of the Human Sciences. New York: Vintage Books, 1970.
- Freud, Sigmund. The Unconscious. Trans. Graham Frankland. 106 ed. London: Penguin Books, 2005.
- Gasche, Rodolphe. The Tain of the Mirror: Derrida and the Philosophy of Reflection. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London, England: Harvard University Press, 1986.
- Mu Sr on Co1-Xpdx, an Alloy Exhibiting Ferromagnetism in the Liquid Phase. 8th International Conference on Muon Spin Rotation, Relaxation and Resonance. Aug 30-Sep 03 1999. Elsevier Science Bv.
- Heywood, I. A Shock to Thought: Expression after Deleuze and Guattari. British Society of Aesthetics, 2004.
- Kodama, Sachiko , and Minako Takeno. Protrude, Flow. 2001.
- Lacan, Jacques "Some Reflections on the Ego." International Journal of Psychoanalysis 34 (1953): 11-17.
- McFadden, Johnjoe. "The Conscious Electromagnetic Information (Cemi) Field Theory." Journal of Consciousness Studies 9.8 (2002): 45-60.
- Rescher, Nicholas. Cognitive Harmony: The Role of Systemic Harmony in the Constitution of Knowledge. Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh Press, 2005.
- Rose, David. Consciousness: Philosophical, Psychological and Neural Theories. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.
- Rozin, Daniel. The Wooden Mirror. 1999, New York.
- Rush, Michael. New Media in Late 20th Century Art. London: Thames and Hudson, 1999.
- Sheldrake, Rupert. The Sense of Being Stared At : And Other Aspects of the Extended Mind. New York: Crown Publishers, 2003.
- Takeno, Sachiko Kodama and Minako. Protrude, Flow. 2001.
- Tesla, Nikola. My Inventions: The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla. Cosimo, Inc., 2007.
- Werness, Hope B. The Symbolism of Mirrors in Art from Ancient Times to the Present. Lewiston, Queenston, Lampeter: The Edwin Mellen Press, 1999.
- Whiten, Tim. Tim Whiten: Messages from the Light. Toronto: The Koffler Gallery, 1941.
Complete Bibliography:
- Ashley, David Las Meninas. 2008. University of Wyoming Website.
- Driesen, Horia Cosmin Samoila and Marie Christine. Aurora Consurgens. 2009. ghostlab.org.
- Duchamp, Marcel. Rotary Demisphere (Precision Optics). 1925.
- Kodama, Sachiko , and Minako Takeno. Protrude, Flow. 2001.
- Montgomery, Sean. Thinking Cap. 2007.
- Rauscher, Morgan. Energy Reflection Mind Mirror" (a Tribute to Nicola Tesla). 2009. Emily Carr University of Art and Design, Vancouver.
- Rozin, Daniel. The Wooden Mirror. 1999, New York.
- Snow, M. Encyclopedia. 1929. Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto.
- Brockelman, Paul. Time and Self: Phenomenological Explorations. New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1985.
- Burnett, Ron. How Images Think. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press 2004.
- Carman, M. Decentralised, Non-Hierarchical, Automatic Response System. Cultural Affairs No.6. Ed. P. Spackman. New York: Assosiated Councils of the Arts, 1969.
- Carroll, Lewis. Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There. London: Macmillan and Co. 1872, 1832-1898.
- Cohen, Ian Stewart and Jack. Fragments or Reality: The Evolution of the Curious Mind. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997.
- Cornwell, R. Seen: The Films and Photographs of Michael Snow. Toronto: Pma Books, 1980.
- Crary, J. . Techniques of the Observer. MIT Press Cambridge, Mass, 1992.
- Deleuze, Gilles. Cinema 1: The Movement-Image. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1986.
- —. Difference and Repetition. Trans. P. Patton. New York: Columbia University Press, 1994.
- Feibleman, James K. Inside the Great Mirror. The Hague (Netherlands): Martinus Nijhoff, 1958.
- Foucault, Michel. Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. Blackwell Publishing, 1977.
- —. The Order of Things: An Archaeology of the Human Sciences. New York: Vintage Books, 1970.
- Freud, Sigmund. The Unconscious. Trans. Graham Frankland. 106 ed. London: Penguin Books, 2005.
- Frisby, Ilona Roth and John P. Perception and Representation: A Cognitive Approach. Philadelphia: Open University Press, 1986.
- Gasche, Rodolphe. The Taine of the Mirror: Derrida and the Philosophy of Reflection. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London, England: Harvard University Press, 1986.
- Gerhard K. Lang, M. D. Ophthalmology. Trans. John Grossman. New York: Thieme Stuttgart, 2000.
- Heywood, I. A Shock to Thought: Expression after Deleuze and Guattari. British Society of Aesthetics, 2004.
- Hodin, J.P. Modern Art and the Modern Mind. Cleveland: The Press of Case Western Reserve University, 1972.
- Ippolito, Joline Blais and Jon. At the Edge of Art. London: Thames & Hudson, 2006.
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- Recher, Nicholas. Epistemology: An Introduction to the Theory of Knowledge. Ed. George R. Lucas Jr. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2003.
- Rescher, Nicholas. Cognitive Harmony: The Role of Systemic Harmony in the Constitution of Knowledge. Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh Press, 2005.
- Rock, Irvin. Perception. New York: Scientific American Books, Inc., 1995.
- Rose, David. Consciousness: Philosophical, Psychological and Neural Theories. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.
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- Roth, Ilona, and John P. Frisby. Perception and Representation: A Cognitive Approach. Philadelphia: Open University Press, 1986.
- Rush, Michael. New Media in Late 20th Century Art. London: Thames and Hudson, 1999.
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Book Sections:
- Comolli, Jean-Louis. "Machines of the Visible." The Cinematic Apparatus. Ed. Teresa de Lauretis and Stephen Heath. vols. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1980. 121.
- La Belle, Jenijoy. "The Differential Image." Herself Beheld: The Literature of the Looking Glass. vols. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 1988. 42.
- Lauretis, Teresa de. "Through the Looking-Glass." The Cinematic Apparatus. Ed. Teresa de Lauretis and Stephen Heath. vols. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1980. 187.
- Levine, Steven Z. "From Self-Infatuation to Self-Reflection." Monet, Narcissus, and Self-Reflection. vols. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1994. 15-24.
- McMahon, Melissa. "Beauty: Machinic Repetition in the Age of Art." A Shock to Thought: Expressions after Deleuze and Guattari. Ed. Brian Massumi. vols. London: Routledge, 2001. 3-8.
- Murphie, Andrew. "Putting the Virtual Back into Vr " A Shock to Thought: Expressions after Deleuze and Guattari. Ed. Brian Massumi. vols. London: Routledge, 2001. 188-209.
- Tudor, Andrew. "Sociological Perspectives on Film Aesthetics." Working Papers on the Cinema. Ed. Peter Wollen. vols. London: British Film Institute. 10.
- Turim, Maureen. "The Place of Visual Illusions." The Cinematic Apparatus. Ed. Teresa de Lauretis and Stephen Heath. vols. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1980. 143.
Edited Books:
- Baumgartner, Peter , and Sabine Payr, eds. Speaking Minds: Interviews with Twenty Eminent Cognative Scientists. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1995.
- Beardon, Colin, and Lone Malmborg, eds. Digital Creativity: A Reader. Lisse: Swets & Zeitlinger Publishers, 2002.
- Brand, Myles , Peter Culicover, and Keith Lehrer, eds. The Representation of Knowledge and Belief. Tucson: The University of Arizona Press, 1986.
- Brown, Paul, et al., eds. White Heat Cold Logic: British Computer Art 1960-1980. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 2008.
- de Lauretis, Teresa , and Stephen Heath, eds. The Cinematic Apparatus. New York: St. Martin's Press Inc., 1980.
- Hentschel, Uwe, Gudmund Smith, and Juris G. Draguns, eds. The Roots of Preception: Individual Differences in Information Processing within and Beyond Awareness. Amsterdam, New York, Oxford, Tokyo: North-Holland 1991.
- Massumi, Brian, ed. Shock to Thought, Expression after Deleuze and Guattari. London and New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, 2001.
- Rodeschini, Giacinto Di and Maria Cristina, ed. The Future of Futurism: The "Italian Revolution" To Contemporary Art. Milan: Electa, 2008.
- Warnock, G.J., ed. The Philosophy of Perception. London: Oxford University Press, 1997.
Films or Broadcasts:
- Zardoz. Dir. Boorman, John. John Boorman. 1974.
- Eagle Eye. Dir. Caruso, D.J. Alex Kurtzman Steven Spielberg, Roberto Orci, Pat Crowley, Ed McDonnell. 2008.
- The Day the Earth Stood Still. Dir. Derrickson, Scott. Erwin Stoff and Paul Harris Boardman. 2008.
- 2001: A Space Odyssey. Dir. Kubrick, Stanley. Stanley Kubrick. 1968.
- Metropolis. Dir. Lang, Fritz. Erich Pommer. 1927.
- Blade Runner. Dir. Scott, Ridley. Michael Deeley. 1982.
- X-Men (Film Series). Dir. Singer, Bryan , Brett Ratner, and Gavin Hood. Lauren Shuler Donner, et al. 1994-2011.
- Minority Report. Dir. Spielberg, Steven. Gerald R. Molen, et al. 2002.
- Total Recall. Dir. Verhoeven, Paul. Mario Kassar. 1990.
- The Matrix. Dir. Wachowski-brothers. Joel Silver. 1999.
- Equilibrium. Dir. Wimmer, Kurt. Jan de Bont and Lucas Foster. 2002.
Journal Articles:
- Cowey, A., and Stoerig. P. "The Neurobiology of Blindsight." Trends Neurosci 14.4 (1991): 140-5.
- Foucault, Michel. "Des Espace Autres." (1967).
- Lacan, Jacques "Some Reflections on the Ego." International Journal of Psychoanalysis 34 (1953): 11-17.
- Luu, Sheena. "Decoding Subjective Preference from Single-Trial near-Infrared Spectroscopy Signals." J. Neural Eng. 6.016003 ( 2009).
- McFadden, Johnjoe. "The Conscious Electromagnetic Information (Cemi) Field Theory." Journal of Consciousness Studies 9.8 (2002): 45-60.
- —. "Synchronous Firing and Its Influence on the Brain's Electromagnetic Field." Journal of Consciousness Studies 9.4 (2002): 23-50.
- Ramachandran, V. S., and D. Rogers Ramachandran. "Synaesthesia in Phantom Limbs Induced with Mirrors." Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B-Biological Sciences 263.1369 (1996): 377-86.
Newspaper Articles:
- Hamilton, W. . "With the World Redesigned, What Role for Designers? ." The New York Times Oct 25, 2001.
- Lord, T. "Honda Develops Brain Interface for Robot Control ". Slashdot Mar 31, 2009.
- Thomson, Elizabeth A. "Monkey Controls Robotic Arm Using Brain Signals Sent over Internet." news office Dec 6, 2000.
Online Multimedia:
- "Self-Replicating Repairing Robots." Ed. Cornell University: youtube.com, 2006.
- BBC. "Oliver Sacks – Rage for Order." Rage For Order from the Mind Traveler: Google Video, 2008.
- BMW, (Bavarian Motor Works). "Bmw Augmented Reality." youtube.com, 2007.
- Boahen, Kwabena. "Making a Computer That Works Like the Brain." Trans. Kwabena Boahen. TED. USA: TED, 2008. 16:12. Ed. TEDTalks.
- Daniel Broten, Graham Bury, David Johnson. "Augmented Reality Technology (Art) of War." Ed. University of Waterloo: youtube.com, Oct. 2007.
- Eaton, Marc J. Seifer and Tim. "Nikola Tesla – the Forgotten Wizard." youtube.com, 2007.
- Edelman, Dr. Gerald. "Gerald Edelman – Neurophilosophy." Scripps Research Institute: Google Video, 2007.
- Hawkins, Jeff. "Brain Science Is About to Fundamentally Change Computing." TED Conferences, LLC, Feb 2003.
- Institute, The Neurosciences. "Gerald Edelman – from Brain Dynamics to Consciousness." IBM Research's Almaden Institute Conference on Cognitive Computing: Google Video, 2006.
- TED Conferences, LLC. "Juan Enriquez: Beyond the Crisis, Mindboggling Science and the Arrival of Homo Evolutis." TED, Feb. 2009.
- —. "Pattie Maes & Pranav Mistry: Unveiling The "Sixth Sense," Game-Changing Wearable Tech ": TED, Feb. 2009.
- UC-Berkeley. "John Searle – Beyond Dualism." IBM Research's Almaden Institute Conference on Cognitive Computing: Google Video, 2006.
- Arduino. 2009. <http://www.arduino.cc/>.
- Ashley, David "Las Meninas". 2008. University of Wyoming Website. <http://uwacadweb.uwyo.edu/Ashleywy/las_meninas.htm>.
- Dean, Max, Raffaello D'Andrea, and Matt Donovan. "Description of the Robotic Chair". Zurich, 1984 – 2006. roboticchair.com. <http://www.roboticchair.com/description.php>.
- Fried, David. "Self Organizing Still-Life (Sos) – Sound Stimulated, Kinetic Interactive Sculptures". Düsseldorf, Germany, 2009. 2009. <http://www.davidfried.com/sculpture_pg1.html>.
- Gardeur, Hadrien. "Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There [Feedbooks.Com]". Garches (France). XML. (Dec. 08): Feed Books2008. <http://feedbooks.com/book/23>.
- Kodama, Sachiko , and Minako Takeno. "Title: Protrude, Flow (2001) Sachiko Kodama + Minako Takeno". 2005. <http://www.fkodama.hc.uec.ac.jp>. <http://www.kodama.hc.uec.ac.jp/project/protrude.html>.
- Ortega, Pedro. "Active Electrode Building Guide". Trumpington St., Cambridge, 2004. 2009. <http://www.dcc.uchile.cl/~peortega/ae/>.
- Rozin, Daniel. "Mechanical Mirrors". New York, 2005. DANIEL ROZIN INTERACTIVE ART. Wednesday, April-22-09. <http://www.smoothware.com/danny/woodenmirror.html>.
- Smith, Josh. "Electric Field Imaging: 'Seeing' by Inverse Electrostatics ". 2003. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab. <http://web.media.mit.edu/~jrs/efs.html>.
- sourceforge.net. "Openeeg Project". April 25, 2009. 2009. <http://openeeg.sourceforge.net/doc/index.html>.
- Vinck, Marc de "Hacking the Brain Machine: Alternate Build of the Brain Machine by Mitch Altman". Sep 23, 2008. O'Reilly Media, Inc. <http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2008/09/build_hacking_the_brain_m_1.html>.
Other (AV material, Conference Proceedings, Dictionary, Patent):
- Boys, The Beach. Good Vibrations. 1966.
- Burnett, Ron. Dr. Ron Burnett in Thesis Meetings with Morgan Rauscher. Morgan Rauscher, Vancouver 2008-9.
- "Electromagnetic Radiation." A Dictionary of Physics. Ed. John Daintith. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. Vol. Oxford Reference Online.
- Fleming, W. . Color Enhancing Pin Screen. 22 Oct 2008.
- "Light." A Dictionary of Physics. Ed. John Daintith. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. Vol. Oxford Reference Online.
- Martin, Elizabeth, and Robert Hine. "Retina." A Dictionary of Biology. 6 ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. Vol. Oxford Reference Online.
- Mu Sr on Co1-Xpdx, an Alloy Exhibiting Ferromagnetism in the Liquid Phase. 8th International Conference on Muon Spin Rotation, Relaxation and Resonance. Aug 30-Sep 03 1999. Elsevier Science Bv.


text:
TERRIFYING MMA powerhouse Francis Ngannou took UFC 218 by storm in his pay-per-view debut with a jaw-shattering uppercut to KO heavyweight great Alistair Overeem.
The UFC world was in awe of the 31-year-old's brutal power after clocking Overeem, one of the most well-rounded heavyweights in the competition, on the chin to send him to the canvas like a rag doll.
Commentator Joe Rogan said the main card fight was "like a scene from a movie" as UFC stars around the globe tweeted about the blockbuster finish.
"I'm not sure if I've ever seen a human's head snap back like that," featherweight Dennis Bermudez tweeted.
"Scary, scary power," added former lightweight contender Kenny Florian. "Nobody at heavyweight wants to get hit by that cinder block fist." Flyweight Ray Borg feared for the entire roster. "That's it, Ngannou can no longer fight humans," he said. "It's not fair and someone might die."
Fans of the Cameroon-born star, who has an inspiring rags-to riches story, only need to wait a few more weeks to see him back in the Octagon — and this time the stakes are as high as they can get.
Ngannou has been confirmed to fight heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic at UFC 220 on January 20 next year.
Ngannou has won all six of his fights in the UFC by stoppage, but Miocic has a five-fight
streak of his own — including a run of four first round finishes against Andrei Arlovski, Fabricio Werdum, Overeem and Junior dos Santos.
"Now they've got a star," Joe Rogan said after the weekend's madness. "I think Ngannou, one or two more fights, you're going to be looking at Mike Tyson days. That's what I think. You're going to watch fights just to see how long these mother(expletives) can survive against this guy. That's what I think. That could be their big, breakout star."
Meanwhile, interim middleweight champion Robert Whittaker has found himself in a UFC mess after an illness relegating champion Georges St-Pierre to the sidelines put a hole in the Aussie's plans.
Middleweight fighter Luke Rockhold doubted St-Pierre would ever defend his new title, and took aim at the confusion surrounding the middleweight title.
"Where's the clarity in the division?" he said on MMA Hour this week.
"I did say that if he (GSP) did win, he wouldn't fight any one of us and we'd just be more tangled up.
"(He's) backtracking on all these other levels. It's clear as day, he's not fighting. He's not fighting any of us. He's too small. Guys like me will feast on Georges. He won't last here.
"He had his opportunity, he got his belt, good for you. Move along. Let us handle our business here. I'm ready to fight somebody that makes sense and right now nothing makes sense."
Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannouo (heavyweight title)
Daniel Cormier vs. Volkan Oezdemir (light heavyweight title)
Islam Makhachev vs. Gleison Tibau
Dustin Ortiz vs. Alexandre Pantoja
Thomas Almeida vs. Rob Font
Shane Burgos vs. Calvin Kattar
Kyle Bochniak vs. Brandon Davis

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Created in 2014 for experienced Career Choices instructors hoping to take their programs to a new level, this institute remains on the conference agenda because feedback from participants has been so overwhelmingly positive.
With sessions presented by seasoned Career Choices educators and members of the Career Choices curriculum support team, you'll learn strategies that will enhance not only your course but also your professional satisfaction. You'll come away with a better understanding of the myriad opportunities for helping your students become career and college ready -- not just as freshmen, but throughout high school and into college.
You'll be exposed to teacher-tested tips and strategies to revive, enhance, and assess your Career Choices classroom. Presenters will share instructional ideas that will help you energize your classroom and avoid pitfalls when integrating technology.


text:
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Heart Breaker!
Inside card...
Okay, I know I said I was tired of red (and I am), but I had to do one more! Ever since Dustin released this guy I wanted to use him. Seriously, how do you begin to make a card for this? He needs a big hug! So when I saw that More Than Favors - Cricut Cartridge Chaos Challenge was using the Rock Princess cartridge I knew he would finally be rescued! Then of course, I had to see what The Cuttlebug Spot challenge is this week. Their challenge is to make a gate fold card. Hmm...I've never created a gate fold card, never used my Rock Princess cartridge (I know...shocker, right?), Mr. Skunk has been waiting and it only seemed logical that a broken heart needed two sided card. Perfect match for all three! And instead of a smooth heart, I used my embossing folder to give the hearts a broken texture.
Yesterday, I grounded myself from going to the scrapbook store. I really, really wanted some type of black patterned paper for this card. Thankfully, it was super windy and stormy which lowered my motivation (to zero) to go outside. I have so much paper that I could open my own store! Yet somehow I needed NEW paper. You know the drill. One day when my office is clean (yeah that's not today), I'll post pictures of my room. It's crazy how much money is sitting/hanging in here waiting to be used. Anyway, I forced myself to find something to use here in my collection. Not doubt...I found a great selection in one of my DCWV stacks. I really need to learn control! :)
Good news! I also entered this card into the Cricut Circle Weekly contest (project must include a heart and embossing. Project must have at least 2 Cricut cuts to qualify). Anytime I can use a Doodle Dragon Studios image, my Cricut and my Cuttlebug on one project my day is more complete!
Doodle Dragon Studios image - January Membership
Rock Princess Cricut cartridge
Sizzix - Tim Holtz embossing folder - Cracked
DCWV - Glitter ABC Stack
American Crafts cardstock
4 comments:
super cute and sad too, with his broken heart. :(ReplyDelete
So cute!! But I feel bad for his broken heart!ReplyDelete
AAAWWWW, so cute! LOVE the embossing folder you used on the heart. great job on all of the challenges and thanks for sharing with The Cuttlebug Spot. xxDReplyDelete
What a cutie. Poor thing has a broken heart.ReplyDelete
I have a blog award for you on my blog!
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text:
Author on Author Book Review ~ Innocents (Dusty #1) by Mary Elizabeth and Sarah Elizabeth @TeamSmella @LittleGreyAche
Bliss knows all about bad choices but has yet to make them herself. With an innocent heart, she searches for freedom and finds it in the delinquent down the hall.
Dusty is a foul-mouthed troublemaker, tear-maker and heartbreaker. The boy with summer sky-blue eyes knows to stay away, but he can't resist the girl who made his house a home.
She's his reason, but he might not catch her when she falls.
She loves him. He loves her crazy.
This is what happens when a love made of secrets is kept with rules instead of promises.
Get ready for the ride of your life!
I'm typically a happily ever after girl.
When I caught the tag line associated with this book, I was incredibly intrigued.
I didn't expect flowers and roses. I expected messy and complicated and delicious and crazy. I got all that and much more.
Leighlee aka Bliss and Thomas aka Dusty in the beginning are just two impressionable kids who just want to have fun and make it from one day to the next. As we see the two grow, live, learn, and begin to love, their worlds twist and turn with secrets and never spoken promises. It's heartbreaking and painful, yet I wanted to read more.
The theme of this novel seemed to be love. Even at their worst moments, most of which were attributed to Dusty, as a reader I never doubted their love for each other. Addiction can be a cruel mistress and it had a firm grip on Dusty for the entire novel. It was there whispering in his ear, pushing the blood through his veins, and firing all the wrong synapse in his brain. Their love was impossible, yet undeniable.
I really wanted to smack some sense into the both of them at several points in the novel. What reader doesn't want to beat their favorite characters for making bad choices? It was all so horribly wonderful that I couldn't stop reading to find out if they could possibly redeem themselves.
I will have to wait to find out. I hear The Elizabeths original version of this story was 1,000 pages so they thought it best to split it up. The next installment isn't far off though. Dusty #2, Delinquents, releases October 23rd, 2014.
Thanks so much to Mary and Sarah for letting me be a part of the Dusty experience in exchange for an honest review. I am anxious to find out how these two turn out.
You can read my interview with Mary Elizabeth HERE.
Front windows cracked, we're relaxed in the back of his parents' old Audi and it feels good again.
"Caffeine isn't good for you, you know," Thomas says, glancing over.
The sun has set and the purple sky and the Yaquina lighthouse paint my temperamental troublemaker in soft hues. The scent and sounds of the sea drift in with the breeze, mixing with smoke from the blunt he's relit and the low melodies of Citizen Cope singing about a girl that won't give in and he'll never let go of.
Taking another drink of the coffee he bought me, I shrug. I don't know what he said to get the baristas to make a pumpkin spice latte in February, but cinnamon and caffeine fill me with warm relief.
Under his breath and around a hit, Thomas chuckles.
"It's bad for your bones and skin," he says, smirking as I tuck my toes under his leg. "And your heart. Uncontrolled beats are a prelude to heart attack, princess."
I roll my eyes and laugh some, because I do feel them. I felt them earlier in his bed, and before that, when I was thinking of him. My unsteady heartbeats have nothing to do with coffee.
"Bring on the palpitations," I say before taking another drink, letting Dusty lecture me about bad habits, as if I'm too young to understand irony.
"I'm serious," he continues, smoking up and blowing out. "Your body will build a tolerance. When you feel it's becoming bad for you, you'll want more. You'll need more. Caffeine's a drug, Leigh."
I laugh. I can't help it. Maybe I'm still high.
"Oh yeah?" I ask. "Like pot?"
This boy blows a cloud of smoke up, and I watch it swirl-spread out across the car's ceiling.
"Pot's from the earth," he says, puffing smoke rings while I wrap both hands around my cup, absorbing its warmth through my palms. I inhale the cream-sweet scent of cinnamon and nutmeg and ginger, and it may be full of stimulants, but I feel calm.
Thomas' presence is the best Valentine's Day gift. Candy is nice, and candy flavored blunt wraps were thoughtful, but this is what I wanted most. Just us.
"Pumpkins are from the earth," I say. "And coffee beans."
"You think there's real pumpkin in that?" he asks. When I can't do more than smile and stare at his lips, he sits up straighter.
"Caffeine's an analeptic. It fucks with your impulse control and your insulin resistance."
I laugh because, "What?"
He pulls a hit. "That shit will give you stress hormones, Bliss."
"How do you know all this?"
We're quiet for a second, looking at each other. His carefreeness is back, but his smile is understated.
"You sure you're not worried it'll stunt my growth?"
Between licking his bottom lip and bringing the blunt back up, Dusty glances at my chest without a stitch of modesty.
"You're growing up fine, girl."
My cheeks heat, and I hide my smile with another drink.
After I've finished my coffee, Thomas offers me the blunt. When I decline, my actual addiction leans into me, nudges his hood from my head, and exhales his smoke all over my neck.
The playful punk that was lecturing me is gone. This honest to a fault, recklessly unflinching, too-beautiful, fated youth is a person only I know. This is my person.
He tosses the blunt out the window while I drop my empty cup to the floorboard, and we shift together. We kiss open and deep, claiming and binding. We kiss the way I wanted to earlier, with eyes closed and hearts open, and I know the real drug is here. It's between us and inside us.
It's the way he opens my lips with his lips to kiss me deeper, and the way my pulse feels like his name is in my veins.
It's the way I can't stay hurt or mad or jealous, and the way he can't stand for me to.
It's the craving that never goes away, the need for more that grows as we feed it. It's the tolerance he was talking about and knowing he's right.
It's this, our secret.
We're the drug.
Mary Elizabeth is an up and coming author who finds words in chaos, writing stories about the skeletons hanging in your closets. Known as The Realist, she is one half of The Elizabeths—a duo brave enough to never hide the truth. Born and raised in Southern California, she's a wife, mother of four beautiful children, and dog tamer to one enthusiastic Pit Bull and a prissy Chihuahua. She's a hairstylist by day but contemporary fiction, new adult author by night. Mary can often be found finger twirling her hair and chewing on a stick of licorice while writing and rewriting a sentence over and over until it's perfect. She discovered her talent for tale-telling accidentally, but literature is in her stranglehold. And she's not letting go until every story is told.
To follow Mary's upcoming solo and collaborative projects, she can be found at her website http://www.maryelizabethlit.com/.
Brought together by their love of storytelling, Mary and Sarah Elizabeth are a pair of dedicated writers with complementary strengths who've cultivated a literary style that captures a Realist's brutality with a Poet's grace, uncovering the self-seeking side of tenderness and the undisguised truth of honesty. Inspired by the lyrics of a song, Dusty was born between emails and long G-chats before a single chapter was ever typed. A short story turned into a monster, and more than four years and several edits later, the first half of their collaboration, Innocents, will be released on July 14, 2014. And its conclusion, Delinquents, is set to release on October 23, 2014.
If you'd like to contact The Elizabeths, they can be located on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheElizabethsDusty?ref=hl.
Listener, messenger, secret keeper, Elizabeth, and TrueLove, Sarah works two jobs by day so that she's able to really work by night. She's written since she was old enough to hold a marker, and her writing bridges the sacred and profane, from first love to forbidden, with a longing for truth and a passion for hearts. She is currently based in Kansas City where her army is comprised of one little buffalo. Her best friends are girls named Moses and Bunny. Her hero is a boy named Bishop, and the one she loves has ocean eyes. In addition to Dusty, Sarah also has a collaborative novella, Light and Wine, due to be released on June 8th, and her solo work will be featured in the anthology Branded, this August.
Brought together by their love of storytelling, Mary and Sarah Elizabeth are a pair of dedicated writers with complementary strengths who've cultivated a literary style that captures a Realist's brutality with a Poet's grace, uncovering the self-seeking side of tenderness and the undisguised truth of honesty. Inspired by the lyrics of a song, Dusty was born between emails and long G-chats before a single chapter was ever typed. A short story turned into a monster, and more than four years and several edits later, the first half of their collaboration, Innocents, will be released on July 14, 2014. And its conclusion, Delinquents, is set to release on October 23, 2014.
If you'd like to contact The Elizabeths, they can be located on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheElizabethsDusty?ref=hl.


text:
01 March 2017
ITR Correspondent
Please enter a maximum of 5 recipients. Use ; to separate more than one email address.
On December 30 2016, Supplementary Law 157/2016 was enacted to establish noteworthy changes in regards to the tax levied on the rendering of services in Brazil.
The Service Tax (imposto sobre serviços ;
ISS) is a municipal tax levied on general services not subject
to ICMS (state VAT) which is collected by state tax authorities
and levied upon: (i) the sales of goods; (ii) inter-municipal
and interstate transportation services; and (iii) communication
services, which means ISS and ICMS shall not be levied upon the
same transaction/activity.
ISS is calculated based on service fees charged by the
service provider. Brazil's Constitution and the
Supplementary Law 116/2003 provide the general guidelines of
the ISS.
In addition, in order to charge and inspect ISS, the
Brazilian Constitution provides the Municipalities the autonomy
to enact their own legislation, regulating the levy of the tax
and the compliance with all related obligations. Municipalities
shall act in accordance with the provisions of all the rules
set forth in the Brazilian Constitution and the Supplementary
Law 116/2003.
According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and
Statistics (IBGE), there are 5,570 municipalities in Brazil,
which means that there are potentially 5,570 different sets of
legislation and types of collection system for such
In order to grant some consistency to the tax system,
general provisions established by Federal Constitution and
Supplementary Law determine:
In spite of the intention to standardise the ISS taxation in
accordance with the parameters described above, the levy of
such tax has been subject to many disputes, particularly due to
the following aspects:
The enforcement of such rules by the municipalities depend
on the enactment of their own legislation.
Tax war
Supplementary Law 157/2016 expressly determines that the
minimum overall tax burden to be defined by municipalities
shall be 2%. No incentives or any other mechanism that could
result on a tax burden lower than 2% shall be granted.
Non-compliance with this rule leads to the following
In what regards to this matter, it is possible to conclude
that legislation brings more certainty to the ISS taxation,
once the minimum and maximum thresholds are expressly defined
by legislation with the relevant penalties.
Characterisation issue, ICMS and ISS
As described above, ISS is levied on services not taxed by
ICMS. On the other hand, services taxed by ISS are expressly
described in the list provided by Supplementary Law
Hence, for purposes of defining taxation, it is important to
check whether the activities are characterised as a
communication, inter-municipal or inter-state transportation
service, which will be taxed by ICMS or if they are
characterised as one of the services described in the list
provided by the Supplementary Law. In addition, there is
controversy about the taxation of software, whether it is
characterised as a "licence" taxed by ISS or as a good taxed by
Historically, many disputes have arisen from this, since tax
authorities and taxpayers diverge in the definition of the
activities performed and companies faced some tax assessments
due to this scenario.
Supplementary Law 157/2016 brought some clarity regarding
the characterization for purposes of ISS levy, thus amending
the list of services originally provided by Supplementary Law
116/03. Main services described by new legislation and the
relevant controversies faced by companies in Brazil are
described below:
(i) Processing, storage or hosting of data, texts,
images, videos, electronic pages, apps, among other forms and
Previously, only the processing data activity was described
as taxed by ISS. There still is a discussion in Brazil about
what activities fall under such definition.
The new wording intends to bring certainty regarding
taxation of ISS on the activities described above, although
there are grounds to sustain that such imposition is
unconstitutional in view of the fact that activities such as
data hosting may not be characterized as a service as defined
by the Constitution.
(ii) Provision of audio, video, image and text
content via the internet without any definitive assignment
– streaming
Supplementary Law 116/2003 did not describe such activity as
taxed by ISS, which has strengthened the understanding of state
tax authorities for the levy of ICMS.
Tax authorities from the state of São Paulo have
already said, in private rulings 13194/2016, 10382/2016,
8741/2016, 8740/2016 and 8714/2016, that: "whether the software
is acquired in a physical media, downloaded or used through the
'cloud' (streaming), it characterises as a sale
transaction of a good, for ICMS purposes". This means that
state tax authorities are seeking to reach out the income
arising from the distribution of software through download and
even through streaming.
Supplementary Law 157/2016 amended the list of services
including a specific item describing the activities of
"enabling audio, video, image and text content via the
internet, without any definitive assignment, taking into
account the tax immunities for books, newspapers and
The new wording brings clarity about the levy of ISS and
will serve as a very good argument to avoid ICMS taxation.
(iii) Text insertion, illustrations and other
advertising and publicity materials, by any means (with the
exception of books, newspapers, periodicals and broadcasting
services of sounds and images subject to free
This is another activity that was not expressly provided by
Supplementary Law 116/2003.
The São Paulo state tax authorities have issued tax
assessment against internet companies in order to charge ICMS
on the activities related to advertisement on internet sites.
State tax authorities understand that placement of
advertisements on the internet are characterised as
communication services and the amount paid by announcers to the
companies shall be subject to ICMS.
New wording provided by Supplementary Law 157/2016 intends
to bring certainty to such services and the relevant taxation
by ISS, but other discussions may arise according to the text
approved by the Congress due to the fact that controversy
remains regarding who is the entity in charge for the insertion
and who is the entity in charge for the placement and disposal
of advertisement on internet.
Supplementary Law 157/2016 intended to bring more certainty
related to the tax burden applied for some activities. It is a
very good instrument to ease the tax war. In addition, it
intends to bring more certainty to the taxation of such
activities and may be useful to avoid and solve controversies
and disputes among states, municipalities and taxpayers.
This article was prepared by Marcel Alcades Theodoro of
Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Jr e Quiroga Advogados,
International Tax Review's
Brazilian disputes correspondent firm.
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text:
CLEAR SPRING — A pair of incumbents earned two more years on Clear Spring Town Council in the town's elections held Monday evening, according to Town Clerk Juanita Grimm.
Grimm said incumbent Steven L. Blickenstaff collected 33 votes in the vice mayor race, defeating challengers Sue Brennan and David Robertson, who received 14 and 12 votes, respectively.
Running unopposed, incumbent Councilwoman Megan Yeakle received 51 votes, Grimm said.
The terms for Blickenstaff and Yeakle will expire in 2014.
Grimm said a total of 57 people voted. Clear Spring does not keep an official record of its registered voters, but citizens must reside in the town for at least 30 days to be eligible to vote, she said.
— C.J. Lovelace


text:
The Road To Moving Forward
This topic is hard for me to talk about. In fact, many of those reading may not even realize what I went through. Mind you, I do feel like this requires a trigger warning as I talk about sexual assault and abuse. Those who do end up reading this, hopefully this helps show you a perspective of someone in need…View Post


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Parked Domains in Hosting
When you have a hosting plans from our company, you'll be able to park all of your domain names with ease. The function is offered for the domain names registered with our company, but not for the ones which are only hosted here and pointed from some other company, because a domain can be parked only through its registrar. Our Domain Manager instrument will permit you to select from a number of different templates and you're going to be able to include custom text to each of them. Forwarding a domain address to a different URL is as easy as simply typing the Internet address and saving it. If you decide to host any of your parked domain names, it takes only a mouse click to do it and our system will do the rest - changing the name servers, creating a domain folder in your account, setting up the necessary DNS records, etc. For much easier management, you are going to be able to filter the domain names registered within the account by their status - parked or hosted.
Parked Domains in Semi-dedicated Servers
Using our semi-dedicated plan you are going to be able to park an unrestricted number of the domain addresses that you have registered through us at no extra cost. We provide a number of parking templates to choose from plus the option to upload your own text to any of them. If you want to forward your domain address, it takes simply a couple of mouse clicks to do it. We have a feature-rich Domain Manager tool that you can access using your Hepsia hosting Control Panel and it'll enable you to park and un-park domains easily or filter all registered domains by their status and see just the parked or only the hosted ones. Un-parking a domain name takes simply a click and you'll not have to do anything manually after that, because our system is going to automatically create all the required records, change the domain servers and set up a domain folder inside the File Manager section.


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Card Recipe
Card Blank - 10.5cm x 15cm.
Penny Black Stamps - Quack, Happy Easter.
Doodlebug Designs Inc Design Paper - Spring Assortment.
Spellbinders Nestabilities Dies - Pennants.
X-Cut Punch - Flower.
Martha Stewart Border Punch - Grass.
Embellishments from own stash.
This image was coloured in using Copic markers.
Hints and Tips
Adding bunting to you card is a good way to use up left over design paper scraps.
This card was entered into the following challenges:
Penny Black and More: March Challenge Spring Time.
Penny Black Saturday Challenge: Week 193 This, That and the Other.


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Forest Fighter is a fun cause and effect game. In this game, a forest fire is suddenly raging out of control. Use simple tap or an external switch to drop water droplets on the fire to save the forest. Fun for all children, with additional features to help children with special needs. Fully customizable settings can adjust game options based on the skill level of the child.
Forest Fighter is a very entertaining game and is surprisingly challenging on the harder difficulties. My rating for it is 5 out of 5 stars, and I recommend it for all ages to play and enjoy.iTunes,
Great for kids! App is simple to use but still entertaining. Graphics are great. I especially like how I can change the difficulty level to make it more challenging without having to wait.Google Play ,


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Last year our church dared to dream a new dream, adopting a budget with new initiatives meant to connect with our community. Each of our ministry areas has a dream that we hope will make this happen. Our dream in our Spiritual Formation/Educational ministry is to host conference weekends or events, inviting an engaging author or speaker who could attract an audience we might not otherwise reach. One of the first ways we have done that is through the addiction and grace seminar led by Dr. Terry Ellis on September 18th. The fellowship hall was filled with over 130 people from our congregation and the community. They came to learn, to support someone who is struggling, and perhaps to seek help for their own addiction. Dr. Ellis talked about the dynamics of addiction as a disease but gave people the hope that help and healing was available. He, along with Whitney Jones, an addiction specialist in the Atlanta area, were able to answer many questions, and offer their services for support.
You told us that our focus should be on our community. The addiction and grace seminar was just the beginning of the dream projects you will see happening at Smoke Rise because of your vision beyond these walls and your generosity. Thank you Smoke Rise for having the courage to dream again and to reach into our community with God's love.


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The conflict -
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Qataris hunt vulnerable birds in Western Sahara
Morocco invites Qatari businessmen to kill a vulnerable bird species in occupied Western Sahara.
Published: 26.09 - 2010 11:14
Printer version
These photos were recently taken outside the Sahara Regency Hotel in Dakhla, Western Sahara. The photos shows Qatari guests resting before taking the flight home. The group had just finished a hunting expedition in Western Sahara.
In the front, a group of hunting falcons.
Morocco regularly hosts Qatari guests to kill vulnerable bird species. Their main quarry is the wildly prized
Houbara Bustard (
Chlamydotis undulata
), who's conservation status is 'vulnerable'. The same bird has led to diplomatic disputes between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, due to the allocation of hunting rights.
The recent Qatari hunting expedition in Dakhla was described by its members as "excellent" with kills of 200 plus birds per day reported, Western Sahara Resource Watch has been told. As this photo was taken, their staff had to work over time to preserve and pack their trophies ready for shipment.
Also disturbing was the fact they where allowed to import weapons for the protection of their falcons. These were used on one occasion to kill a golden eagle that was disturbing their sport by its presence.
The Qatari visits in occupied Western Sahara is a regular event.
WSRW in 2007 revealed
images of a Saudi bird hunt expedition further north in occupied Western Sahara.
The Kingdom of Morocco has been a party of the Convention on Bidiversity since 21 August 1995 by ratification. But Western Sahara is not. Its still on the United Nations list of non self governing territories.
"At the moment the international communitys eyes are on the violations of human rights by the Moroccan colonial authorities. Morocco imposes severe punishment on every woman, or man, or even child, who insists on the right to self- determination. The kingdom of Morocco blocks WebPages, shields independent observers and evicts international reporters, trying to hide its repressive actions in the colony from the international public. Scientific research as all other forms of independent research is severely impeded. So it is not easy to ascertain how Moroccan colonialism has influenced the countrys biodiversity.", wrote Axel Goldau in 2007 in the report
Western Sahara - The destruction of biodiversity by modern colonialism
Click on photos for high resolution.
Morocco occupies the major part of its neighbouring country, Western Sahara. Entering into business deals with Moroccan companies or authorities in the occupied territories gives an impression of political legitimacy to the occupation. It also gives job opportunities to Moroccan settlers and income to the Moroccan government.
Western Sahara Resource Watch
demands foreign companies leave Western Sahara until a solution to the conflict is found.
Advanced search
EU Court cases on Western Sahara for dummies
It's not easy keeping up with all the different legal proceedings relating to Western Sahara. For the sake of clarity, here's an overview of the five different cases at the Court of Justice of the European Union.
Stand up for the Gdeim Izik 25!
Leading activists from Western Sahara are condemned to sentences ranging from 20 years to life imprisonment in connection to a mass protest in 2010 denouncing the Saharawi peoples social and economic marginalization in their occupied land; the Gdeim Izik protest camp.
Support Western Sahara Resource Watch
Help us to protect the natural resources of Western Sahara for the Saharawi people. Support our work by making a donation.
Report: Moroccan green energy used for plunder
At COP22, beware of what you read about Moroccos renewable energy efforts. An increasing part of the projects take place in the occupied territory of Western Sahara and is used for mineral plunder, new WSRW report documents.
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(Reuters) – Prime Minister David Cameron will face off against six political rivals on Thursday in the first and only full TV debate of Britain's election campaign, hoping the format will allow him to cast himself as a statesman against squabbling pretenders.
The contest comes before an unusually close national election on May 7 in which neither Cameron's Conservatives nor Ed Miliband's Labour Party have a clear lead, leaving the stewardship of Britain's $2.8 trillion (2 trillion pounds) economy in the balance.
The debate, to be held in a former pie factory near the northern city of Manchester, puts leaders of traditionally fringe parties like the anti-EU UK Independence Party (UKIP) and the left-wing Green Party on an equal footing with the Conservatives and Labour, who have dominated British politics for decades.
Leaders of nationalist parties from Scotland and Wales and Nick Clegg, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, the junior party in the country's coalition, complete the lineup for the event, which starts at 8:00 p.m.
Cameron, whose personal ratings are higher than those of his rivals, carries bitter memories of the first televised election debates in 2010. Over the course of three such debates, strong performances by Clegg helped deprive the Conservatives of an outright victory.
Read more at Reuters


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Gold Certificates Issued in exchange of specified amounts of gold, these are tradable in the market in a deregulated economy. The central bank of the country fixes the price of the certificates daily in line with price of gold in the London Metal Exchange and the dollar rate against the local currency. Investors have an option to receive cash equivalent or gold when surrendering the certificates. The interest rate offered is usually low.
Government have modified the central ideal in various small ways to suit their requirements, sometimes in an attempt to unlock the country's hidden gold, sometimes to mobilize black money (with the promise of no – questions – asked), and sometimes to meet a national emergency.


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Cast all your cares upon Him and watch Him declare peace and calmness in your situation today.
A blessed Sunday to you my able fam. Just as Jesus commanded in Luke 5:4-5, and fruitfulness sprung forth, we pray, at His command and our obedience to His word, may goodnews be continuous in our lives in Jesus Name, Amen.
Word for today... Luke 5vs1-7.
Do have a fruitful week ahead. God bless you and yours.
Life Experiences, Love, Relationship, Motivation, Inspiration, Lifestyle...and so much more. Let's gist. Contact me: firstname.lastname@example.com
Sunday, 21 February 2016
Launch out into the deep...
Cast all your cares upon Him and watch Him declare peace and calmness in your situation today.
Thursday, 18 February 2016
Thank you!!!
Hello Pamscribers, hope you all are doing great today.
I just want to say a very big thank you for all the wishes and prayers showered upon me on my birthday. May God grant you all your heart desires in Jesus Name. Amen.
Today is supposed to be Tantrum Thursday but I've got nothing to rant about. Its all about being thankful. So come in here and say Thank you Lord.
Also, this is to say congratulations to our very own Chincobee for she's hooked. Congrats dear.
Tuesday, 16 February 2016
Happy Birthday Pam!!!
OK, I posted this on Facebook, will like to share it here too with you.
This day twenty something years ago, a 5.1kg beautiful girl was born, and from then to this present day God has kept and directed her path. I am that girl, and indeed God has been so good to me. I may have not gotten to where I wanna be yet but I'm surely not where I used to be in the past years. So, this is to Wishing myself, Orji Ugochi Pamela, a beautiful, mouth watering, graceful, favorable, testimony filled, new year... The sky is just a starting point and may all my heart desires come to pass this season... Happy birthday to me and God bless me and mine... Cheers Pam... I am the real MVP.
So, today is my birthday hunnies, and I'm so excited. I hope you pray for me in your little corners. Thank you and God bless.
Sunday, 14 February 2016
Happy Valentines Day!!!
Happy Vals day my darlin Pamscribers, and a Happy Sunday to you all.
Remember, love is to be shared all round everyday and not restricted to one person or one day... Put a smile on someone's face today while we pray for love, peace and prosperity in our nation.
Remember, Jesus didn't come for the Jews only, He came for the gentiles too... Share the love people, let it even get to that person that doesn't like you... Give them a reason to wonder why you did it despite them knowing you know they don't like you. That's how love grows.
This is from me to you, I love you all. Do have a blessed week ahead. Ciao.
Saturday, 13 February 2016
Look who's here!!!
Hello everyone... Chai, so much dust in this Crib shaa... Who missed us?
Thank you for being patient with me, really appreciate. I really missed you guys, seriously.
So how are you all doing? How the Val dey go? It's a day to Val and three days to my buyday, 16th to be precise, Yippee!!!
For those with boos and the booless, remember that love isn't supposed to be a one day thing, it should be shared everyday.
You can visit a motherless babies home to share love or anywhere you think you can go to put an undying smile on someone's face. Share love everyday.
Well, I just came in here to clean the crib cos I think I'm really back this time. So help me God. I need inspiration to blog cos I hit the writers block big time. Been so preoccupied with a lot of stuff lately, but I know that Jesus has taken the wheel... Ehmm, please if you have that song "Jesus take the wheel" by Carrie Underwood, can you send it to me via watsapp... 07037531587... Tried downloading to no avail. Thanks.
Oya, you guyz take care of yourself. See you tomorrow baes... Cheers.
Tuesday, 2 February 2016
February is here.
Happy new month sweethearts... Hope you all are doing great?
Yes, it's been radio silence for a few weeks now. Abeg, make una no vex for me. I have somethings that I'm really trying to wrap my hands around, once I get my bearing I'll come back with a blast, I hope.
Thank you so much for the pings, calls, emails and all. God bless you all. Amen.
Ehmm... This month is my birth month... 16th to be precise. I thank God oh, no be small thing... I don dey old sef... Well, it's also a special year for me oh cos I've been looking forward to it for more than 10 years now. To God be the glory.
So, see you guys soon. Love you munchos always. Cheers.
Wednesday, 20 January 2016
Does age matter?
The first time I learnt about a wife older than her husband, I was marveled and couldn't believe it. That was many years ago back in the east.
Then I started hearing about some couples who their wives were older than the men, so an argument ensued on whether it was healthy and advisable.
Some people said there's nothing wrong with it, being that age is just a number. While some others said it isn't wise cos the woman may end up being dominating and disrespectful.
My opinion : I feel there is nothing wrong with that. As a matter of fact, I know of a few couples who their wives are older and the homes are so peaceful. Yes, most guys prefer being with women they are older than for reasons best known to them. So does the ladies want guys older than them too, but may end up with a younger guy. Remember, one can't control matters of the heart.
So for whatsoever reasons of yours, I still believe that age is nothing but a number. Don't feel cos she's older, or he's younger and let go of something beautiful you both have. Relationships and marriages survive so many things, so what is age that it can't survive?
Well, every aboki to his kettle. So many people will disagree with me on this, but it's my opinion though.
Cheers guys.
Sunday, 17 January 2016
Gracious God!!!
Happy Sunday to you all God bless you all. Do have a testimony filled week ahead.
Thursday, 14 January 2016
Thursday Tantrum.
The sun today is not for kids at all oh. Choi! God biko bless me with a car this year, Amen.
It's tantrum Thursday again, and yes, this time I get am for tantrum.
First of all, I heard that naira is now 300 against a dollar? Chisos!!! God help us in this country biko cos the price of things will be high shaa. Nawa.
Our transformer don blow oh, biko Nepa come and do something na, we are begging you. Life without light isn't funny, no water, the heat is too much. Chai.
Abeg, let me stop here.
Your turn...
Wednesday, 13 January 2016
Let's talk...
Hello beloved Pamscribers, how are you all doing? Well, it's been a couple of days now that I've been off line, hope you all are doing great shaa? Thank God.
So I was discussing with a friend and a question came up, I answered it in my own way, but I want to bring it in here so we'll share our answers too. Here goes:
Scenario : You have fallen in love with a guy, and you guys connect on a soul level.. You are both for each other, no doubt.. Then when the time comes, your family seems to want to become an issue/ they kick against your union, what do you do? How do you handle it?
Let's gist...
Sunday, 10 January 2016
God works in mysterious ways.
Most of us don't take heed to the little things God has put in place for us. We just expect to see big miracles at once, while not taking note of the little crumbs of beautiful things he has done for us.
We may not know the evil he has averted from our paths, but at that moment we just grumble. Let me give you an instance.
Years back, I boarded a bus from Lagos to Anambra state, but half way our bus broke down. We grumbled and spent a lot of time trying to fix the bus but to no avail. Then luckily a luxurious bus came over, and we boarded. Yes, we got to Onitsha very late, but we were told a serious robbery underwent and people were shot. God saved us, cos if our bus hadn't broken down, we would have been affected, who knows.
So you see, God works in mysterious ways, even when we don't know it. We even grumble, without even knowing He is fighting our battles for us.
God is always way ahead of us, and He will surely do what he said he would do.
Stay blessed and grateful. Happy Sunday to you all.
Saturday, 9 January 2016
Self-love and Self-worth!!!
In the early hours of today, I came across a message from Tyrese (an American actor) on Facebook, and his words spoke to me. Though it was a video, but I'll like to share the key points with you all.
If you allow your self worth to be based on what people think of you, it's the beginning of the end. Self love is the cure to self hate. Nothing makes you more beautiful than the belief that you are beautiful.
Always love and believe in yourself, so even if people stop loving and believing in you, it won't stop you from loving and believing yourself less.
"The day that you allow the opinion of the outside world to dictate the way you feel about yourself, is the beginning of the end of you living a less loving and secured life."
Your self worth is determined by you. You don't have to depend on someone telling you who you are. Love yourself even when the world stops loving, so whatever nasty and mean trash they throw at you, won't affect you one bit cos you've grown above those thorns.
Most people don't actually know their self worth, which makes them vulnerable to people's opinions concerning them.
Never rely on anyone to make you feel better or worse. Do not allow their opinions have a say in your life cos by the time you let their opinions matter, you'll always rely on them to put a definition to your personality.
Love yourself independently, irrespective of what people think, say or feel. Its a matter of knowing yourself more and doing that which you feel gives you true satisfaction. Remember, people will always hate whether good or bad.
Nobody will make you feel more amazing than the way you are supposed to feel all by yourself.
Never rely on anybody to fulfill your heart. And always remember, Self love is the cure to self hate. Also note that Jesus Christ is also involved in the process of self love. Know Him, and know peace.
#self love is the cure to self hate.
Friday, 8 January 2016
Enjoy the laffs biko.
Happy Friday to you all. Abeg, do enjoy the above cos I haven't stopped laughing yet.
#leavetrashforlawma inugo.
Do have a blessed weekend. Love you all.
Thursday, 7 January 2016
Tantrum Thursday!!!
First of all, I'll like to say a very big THANK YOU to each and everyone of you for your best wishes towards this blog. You guyz are the best. Thank you once again and God bless you.
So, today is the first Tantrum Thursday for 2016, so you are all welcome.
To the newbies in the house, Tantrum Thursday is a day we all come in here to vent out our hearts concerning issues that angered and drove us to the wall this week. So, instead of going out there to break someone's head, just come in here and type it all out. Lolz.
I've got no tantrum yet, aside all the orishirishi that I had during the festive period has come back to bite me. Infact, I think I'm loosing weight due to the constant visit to the loo. Time to flush them all out, right?
Your turn. Vent it out here, no go break person head abeg, cos I didn't dey oh. Lol.


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Quick Reference
The application of quantitative methods to the analysis of economic history.
From: cliometrics in A Dictionary of Economics »
Subjects: Economic History.
Related content in Oxford Index
Reference entries
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Fifteen Years of Pill-taking Can Reduce Your Danger of Setting Up Ovarian Melanoma
You already know that hormones have a huge influence in your everyday life (or, in some instances, it can be effortless to consider so). Received a colony of acne on your chin? Hormones. Famished for lunch before midday despite eating breakfast at 10 AM? Hormones. Bawled uncontrollably for the period of Sarah McLachlan's ASPCA industrial? Hormones. So it's beautiful foolish to suppose that beginning manage pills—which might be truly hormone regulators—can most effective be used for, good, delivery manipulate.
It may well make endometriosis bearable.
With this painful situation, tissue that typically grows within the uterus (and sheds in the course of your interval) also grows outside of it, more commonly on the ovaries, bowel, and bladder. This excess tissue factors swelling, irritation, and scarring, which ends up in extreme discomfort. The capsule will lessen the severity of month-to-month menstrual signs.
It may well preserve your blood.
How a lot purple you see in each month varies from lady to woman, but natural bleeding is regarded anywhere from a few tablespoons to 80 ml (about a third of a cup). If your float is way heavier than that, it could probably up your probabilities of anemia, leading to fatigue and absence of vigour. The pill can support via lessening your monthly tides. "basically, the pill thins out the lining of the uterus, and no more lining method much less bleeding each month.
It will probably prevent cash on groundwork (and waxing).
That colony of acne stated prior can customarily be cleared up through contraceptives. The identical factor goes for the few stray hairs in your chin. Those two nuisances are ordinarily triggered with the aid of an way over androgens, a type of hormone (testosterone is one), within the body. "When you're on start control drugs, your liver makes a protein that prohibits testosterone from floating round for your bloodstream, decreasing acne and undesirable hair development.
It may possibly present some cancer safety.
Fifteen years of pill-taking can reduce your danger of setting up ovarian melanoma by 50%; for endometrial cancer, that number shoots to 70%, in line with a gain knowledge of in the journal high-quality apply & research medical Obstetrics & Gynaecology. Ovarian cancer defense comes from stopping ovulation. "The idea is that the repetition of ovulation over many years can up the risk of ovarian melanoma, however the capsule prevents that. The prevention of uterine melanoma is similar—due to the fact that the pill thins out the uterine lining, much less tissue buildup method a scale down risk of developing the disease. It will have to be mentioned, nonetheless, that oral contraceptives may just expand your threat of constructing breast and cervical cancers, because of better phases of estrogen.


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Perfect Cup Tea Timer
Perfect Cup Tea Timer
The most common question we get asked in the store is "How long do I steep tea for?" Now we have an easy answer! This tea timer lets you know when your tea is done steeping whether it's a green, a black, or an herbal tea. You'll never over steep again!
Add To Cart


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Christopher Nolan must loathe the rumor mill because he spends half his time when talking to the press clarifying all the various reports about his next Batman film.
At an industry event last night for the upcoming release of his film Inception on Blu-ray and DVD, Nolan addressed the latest rumors about the return of the late Heath Ledger's Joker in the director's upcoming threequel, The Dark Knight Rises -- rumors that he'd already adamantly squashed before, but which seemingly refuse to die. "That's all wrong," Nolan told Thompson on Hollywood.
He also confirmed that Inception's Tom Hardy has indeed been cast in Dark Knight Rises in "a key role, not saying good or bad."
The script The Dark Knight Rises, which Nolan is writing with his brother Jonathan, is due in to the studio this January.


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Abaqus/Standard: powerful nonlinear implicit solver
Abaqus/Standard is a general-purpose finite element program that employs an implicit integration scheme, this means that it solves a system of equations implicitly at each solution increment. Abaqus/Standard employs a solution technology ideal for static and low-speed dynamic events where highly accurate stress solutions are critically important. Examples include sealing pressure in a gasket joint, steady-state rolling of a tire, or crack propagation in a composite airplane fuselage. Within a single simulation, it is possible to analyze a model both in the time and frequency domain. For example, one may start by performing a nonlinear engine cover mounting analysis including sophisticated gasket mechanics. Following the mounting analysis, the pre-stressed natural frequencies of the cover can be extracted, or the frequency domain mechanical and acoustic response of the pre-stressed cover to engine induced vibrations can be examined.
Abaqus/Standard for static or dynamic simulations
Abaqus/Standard offers complete flexibility in making the distinction between static and dynamic response; the same analysis can contain several static and dynamic phases. In such way, a static preload might be applied, and then the linear or nonlinear dynamic response computed (as in the case of vibrations of a component of a rotating machine or the response of a flexible offshore system that is initially moved to an equilibrium position subject to buoyancy and steady current loads and then is excited by wave loading).
Possible simulations
Abaqus/Standard is suitable to analyze static stress/displacement, dynamic stress/displacement, steady-state transport, heat transfer, thermal-stress, electromagnetic, coupled pore fluid flow and stress, mass diffusion, acoustic and shock problems. Abaqus/Standard supports general contact, a contact definition between all or multiple areas of the different bodies of an assembly.
Combination with Abaqus/Explicit
The results at any point within an Abaqus/Standard run can be used as the starting conditions for continuation in Abaqus/Explicit. Similarly, an analysis that starts in Abaqus/Explicit can be continued in Abaqus/Standard. The flexibility provided by this integration allows Abaqus/Standard to be applied to those portions of the analysis that are well-suited to an implicit solution technique; while Abaqus/Explicit may be applied to those portions of the analysis where high-speed, nonlinear, transient response dominates the solution.
Abaqus/CAE support
Abaqus/Standard is supported within the Abaqus/CAE modeling environment for all common pre- and postprocessing needs.