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Planning to leave town because of the schools? This parent didn't, and couldn't be happier
Landing Near the Bottom
I never intended to be a pioneer in the trenches of San Francisco's beleaguered and maligned public school system. Back in 1993, when my first child started kindergarten, I'd been lucky. At the time, there were five public elementary schools out of seventy-three that anyone I knew would risk putting their children into. My son was assigned to one of them. As a result, the question of whether to pay an arm and a leg to set the kid squarely on the private school track or to sacrifice him to the maws of our state's notoriously under-funded public schools did not keep me up at night.
But then, a decade later, my second child was about to graduate from pre-school. I was faced with the dreaded decision once again. As far as I'd heard, the San Francisco Unified School District had only gotten worse. Even my elder son's "rock star" public school's reputation was on the rocks. Its principal, a leader par excellence, had retired after 16 years, and was followed by a parade of ineffective principals; and that great ship, national recognized in the '90s for its achievements, had slowly begun to sink.
Could my husband and I inveigle our way into one of the Bay Area's prestigious private schools? Unfortunately, with our dearth of savings, we felt we could not. Relying solely on scuttlebutt, we toured the same five reputable public schools I'd seen in 1993, debated endlessly about which one would be our first choice, wrote all five down on our enrollment form, and did not get into any of them. To this day, these schools get as many as 1,000 requests for a meager 60 spaces. Instead, we ended up at an unknown, under-enrolled elementary school called Miraloma that was tucked away in a neighborhood no one I knew had ever heard of.
A sensible person might have bolted in the opposite direction based on the school's test scores alone. The year my son was to enter kindergarten, 47 elementary schools in the district claimed a shameful 35% (or less) of their fourth grade students were even proficient in math, English, or both. Miraloma was one of them. Meanwhile, at the rock star schools, 65-80% of the 4th grade kids tested proficient or above in these same subjects.
Miraloma's student demographics, a microcosm of the district as a whole, seemed challenging at best. In 2002, the year my son enrolled, 35% of the students were English Language Learners; 16% were in special education, the majority with behavioral problems; 65% qualified for a free or reduced cost lunch; and 36% were labeled EDY, educationally disadvantaged youth. Buses crammed with children chugged up the hills to Miraloma from Ingleside, Diamond Heights, and as far away as Hunter's Point.
The Miraloma Park neighborhood, a wide swath of more than 2,000 well-kept single family homes built along the eastern slopes of Mt. Davidson in the 1930s, had all but given up on the state-of-the-art elementary school built for them 50 years before. The neighborhood children were commuting to distant public schools or going to private ones. After a week at the school, I understood why.
Like quicksilver, the majesty of Miraloma's spacious campus with its million-dollar view, and my confidence in its valiant principal, fell away. I saw large fourth- and fifth-graders barreling down the hall to get to recess. The expansive blacktop seemed boisterous and dangerous, kids limping into the main office for ice packs, of which there seemed to be an endless supply. Restrooms reeked of urine. Hallways seemed cavernous and barren with few displays of student work. I watched the kindergarten kids, including my son, straggle and chatter down the hall, some pushing and kicking, devoid of respect for their shushing teacher.
In those first two years at Miraloma, I volunteered in the classroom, initiated school-wide programs and attended countless meetings, but at the end of the day, I would go home and weep. There was no P.E. teacher and no librarian. Hardscrabble class management rarely seemed to result in an environment conducive to learning. The principal, a tall, large-boned woman, was constantly tilting down the hall like Mother Superior in the "Madeline" stories to quell some new trouble.
It is at this critical juncture, if not before, that many college-educated urbanites escape to the suburbs or hock everything they own to put their children in private schools. But there is another, crazier idea: stay. My husband and I had no desire to abandon the city we love or its diverse population. Together with parents like ourselves who had multiple skills and flexible work schedules, we dug in our heels. I kept my job but I chose to give up much of the rest of my life - a labor of love that may not be for everyone. I made a commitment to changing Miraloma into the school I wanted it to be, a school where my child - and every child - might flourish.
Coming Out on Top
Fast-forward to this past December: my goofy, inquisitive kindergartener now a high-achieving, happy-go-lucky fifth grader about to graduate.
I am chatting, as usual, with a couple of Miraloma moms and dads in the entrance hall as our new 32-year-old principal laughs and twirls a giggling toddler in the air. We are surrounded by watercolor signs of welcome in 13 languages, a row of tiny bedroom slippers lined up tidily outside a first-grade classroom, brightly-colored tissue-paper replicas of rocky shores spilling off a display table, a huge bulletin board quilted with our children's poems, and the joyful sound of children singing.
Suddenly, as if on cue, more than 60 parents trample through the glass front doors for a school tour. Back in 2002, you could walk in the day before school began, as I had, and cinch a spot in any of the three kindergarten classes with room to spare. But this year, 500 prospective parents visited our school, disrupting classrooms with their fervor. Miraloma miraculously skyrocketed from being near the bottom of the pile to being the 11th most requested elementary school in San Francisco; number nine in first-choice requests. It has even surpassed one of the rock star schools in popularity.
Playing Detective
How in the world had this happened? How had our struggling school somehow managed to fashion an educational system and culture that could guarantee the academic, emotional, and social success of any child? And in just a few high-octane years? And were there other San Francisco schools that were doing this, too?
There were the obvious things: the infusion of resources, skills, and funding that had come with an increase in middle-class and college-educated families such as my own, a trickle at first and then a torrent. PTA membership jumped from six parents in 2002 to 190 today, while its budget zoomed from $5,000 to $135,000. An additional $250,000 flowed in from parent-driven grants. All this funding paid for a flurry of new high-caliber arts, sports, and gardening programs. Meanwhile, parent involvement grew steadily. During this past year, 150 parents volunteered more than 17,000 hours, the equivalent, at a modest $15 an hour, of $255,000 worth of free labor, or 15% of the total school budget. This enrichment has benefited every child at every grade level at our school.
Then there was that 67 point jump in the school's standardized test scores the year my son was in fourth grade, which had, on a bet, obligated our new principal, Ron Machado, to get his head shaved into a pink Mohawk on the school black-top with the whole school watching. (Released yesterday: Miraloma leapt up another 53 points last year.) Some of this increase could, no doubt, be chalked up to the rising number of college-educated families at the school and their academically advantaged children. On the other hand, while an achievement gap stubbornly persisted - an intransigent challenge for the entire state of California - all student scores were slowly rising.
Miraloma families unquestionably had good cause to celebrate.
Yet there was something even more profound going on, I was certain of it; something that went beyond test scores (still barely above the district average), enrichment opportunities, and PTA fundraising; even beyond demographics. Something that had to do with the quality of life at the school: not just what we accomplished, but how we accomplished it. Something that made my son not want to come home from school each day because he felt well-nourished here, and which rewarded me with numerous friendships, a deeply satisfying sense of belonging, and far more appreciation than I could possibly deserve.
I decided to speak to the wizards behind the curtain, the principal and teachers; to elicit confessions from staff who had been on board since the '80s; to listen to the perspective of parents who'd come before me, and to the newcomers fresh out of pre-school.
Through their stories, I learned that the success of a school results from the dynamic interweaving of three equally important forces: an empowered principal, a faculty of empowered teachers, and empowered parents. If any one of these groups is weak or disengaged, the school will falter. A lackluster principal, for example, will disenchant the teachers and parents, and ultimately the students, dooming the school. The quality of a school is contingent upon the personal and professional relationships between its many stakeholders. It is a precarious balance.
The Difference a Principal Can Make
My son's school's most recent transformation began with a bold and visionary principal, Marcia Parrott. When Marcia arrived in 1999, she encountered a hierarchical and compartmentalized culture. Teacher independence and isolation were the rule. Children, she felt, were too often being blamed for the failures of adults. "Miraloma," she told me, "needed a paradigm shift."
Her mission was to create a vibrant learning community for teachers, students, and parents based on high expectations, teamwork, and collaborative decision-making. Everyone was welcome at the table. Blame and failure would not be part of the equation. Instead, the question she would ask her teaching staff would be: What can we do to help this child? Followed by, what do we need to learn - or what resources do we need to acquire or hire - in order to give this child the help she or he needs?
To keep the ailing school vital, she made quality professional development and collaboration time abundantly available to teachers. "Learning something new motivates them," she explained to me. "When the teachers get excited, the students get excited." Teachers I spoke to agreed.
"Everyone had a learning curve, " said Marcia, recalling her first years at the school, "and with the paradigm shift, transition came."
And it came fast. Half the original faculty was gone by the time my son was in the second grade. A school's growth, as well as its demise, I learned, is circular. Teachers who no longer fit in choose to retire, leave, or change and join in. New teachers, attracted by the school's philosophy, tend to deepen and expand that philosophy once they are fully engaged in the life of the school. "It was like night and day," said a third-grade teacher, the only pre-Marcia classroom teacher who is still on the premises Marcia's style of leadership was a stretch, she acknowledged, but now she thrives in the school's collaborative environment. "When the teachers are supported," she said, "the whole school gets happier."
Statistics show that after five years, public school teachers tend to move on. But the teachers I spoke to are adamant. "Why would I leave?" said one. "I feel like I'm part of a community here. Next year I have 10 siblings coming into my class." Teachers value their regular grade-level meetings. They benefit from teacher mentors. When a teacher's car was stolen last year, the others raised money to help her out. When the faculty plans a picnic at Dolores Park or goes out for TGIF, participation is typically 100 percent. "Teachers here have passion," said one fifth-grade teacher.
This was the professional environment that our current principal, Ron Machado, walked into two years ago when Marcia retired. "It's amazing how close and tight the staff is," he told me. He noted how reflective the teachers are about what they do. "They're not afraid to ask for help or to re-examine their own work regardless of how experienced they are." These are the qualities parents rarely get to know about or see. But the surge of creativity and excitement was contagious. Let's figure this out together, was Marcia's motto, breaking with the isolation of the past. When a parent had an idea - and ideas were coming a mile a minute - her mantra would be, "Let's try it and see how it works!"
Inviting Parents into the Fold
With Marcia at the helm, parents felt welcome. We knew we could have an impact. In every cranny of the school, we experienced potential. And so we created partnerships with teachers, the principal, the numerous specialists, and with each other. We elected a dedicated and diverse School Site Council to make decisions about school policy; established a strong PTA to work in concert with the Site Council; and launched a panoply of new programs - a room-parent program, a parent-tutoring program, after-school Mandarin, a school newspaper - and committee after committee: art, grounds, technology and community service. When volunteers invited other parents to get involved, we invited them personally so they would know they were valued. We worked long hours to ensure that every family felt empowered to have a voice. "Being at the ground floor of something like this has been very rewarding, " said one parent whose first Miraloma child graduated last year, and who has a son in fourth grade. "The ability to hope is infectious."
Active parent involvement, I discovered, is the third essential ingredient for success at a public school. Every day I witnessed the astronomical things parents can accomplish when invited, encouraged and given the chance. Where there is lack, they step in. Where there is no lack, they embellish. Marcia was masterful at channeling this boundless energy into an established, democratic structure. She also understood the power of food to attract. She never arrived at a meeting without her creaky wheely-cart stocked with drinks and fresh-baked cookies. The healthy partnership with parents that she forged during her tenure endures to this day.
This was, for me, the biggest lesson. A principal's unfailing confidence that anything is possible, that staff and parents together can solve any problem and be respectful of each other while doing it, will provide both the foundation and the catalyst for any struggling school's meteoric rise. Marcia established the collaborative spirit that is at the heart of Miraloma's extraordinary community today, the community that Ron had the fortune of inheriting two years ago and which he continues to support and expand.
"From this open approach, " Marcia said, "leaders always emerge."
Marketing the School the Old-Fashioned Way: Word of Mouth
One early leader was parent Elizabeth Halperin, who, when she arrived in 1998, was the only volunteer she ever saw on campus during the school day. While one grandmother from Miraloma Park would roast Thanksgiving turkey for the whole school, most parents did not have flex-time or lived far away. So while Marcia was busy changing paradigms and supporting teachers, Elizabeth started marketing the school. She coordinated with the newly formed advocacy group, Parents for Public Schools, to have an orientation for pre-K families at Miraloma. This turned out to be a brilliant strategy. It got parents through the door that had never heard of the school. Once there, Parrott was charming, and people started to come. One parent brought another.
The year before my son entered kindergarten, a handful of neighborhood co-op pre-school families chose to give the "disreputable" school a try. They lived nearby, which made their habit of volunteering all the more convenient. The following year these same families persuaded other co-op families to take the plunge. Meanwhile, the Miraloma neighborhood was changing. The original homeowners, now seniors, were moving out, replaced by families looking for affordable housing and a decent public school. Slowly but surely, the school began to fill with new kindergarteners and transferring families.
I Had Dreams, Too
In such a climate, I soon learned to keep my eye on the prize rather than on perceived deprivations. During my son's first year, I taught poetry in every classroom, and got to know, through their poems, every student at the school. I shocked my son's kindergarten teacher by asking her to dream about what she would like to happen in her classroom - a first for her - and what parents could do to help. Room parenting, I felt, could be a strategy for grass-roots community building, so I phoned each family. I didn't settle for speaking to just the mothers. I spoke to the fathers, too. If parents felt valued as volunteers their first year at the school, I theorized, they would form a habit and a desire that would last for years - and they did.
I was tactful but persistent. I asked them about themselves. I explained to them the ways they could help in the classroom and asked them how I could help them contribute. Every one of them wanted to assist in whatever way they could. There was not one exception. We had a restaurant cook, a physicist, an airport guard, a publicist, a house cleaner, an architect, a nursing student, a carpenter, and stay-at-home moms. A handful of them spoke little English, but I spoke some Spanish and sought help from our school's Chinese liaison.
I learned lesson after lesson while volunteering alongside parents, uncles, and grandparents at Miraloma and the linchpin was this: my son learned right along with me. This was the "good" education that I had never imagined and didn't expect. For years, I went to every PTA meeting, every Site Council meeting, every art committee meeting, every multi-cultural group meeting, and I would always give my son his choice: Do you want to stay, or go home? He chose the meeting every time. The dynamism of change is like an addiction. He, too, has wanted to be part of it. This past year, he was the student body president, running meetings and collaborating with his student council to fire up school spirit and spur change.
Making the Right Choice for Your Child
It is this culture of optimism and trust, not the mediocre test scores or even the plethora of enrichment programs that continues to attract families to Miraloma today. The quality of the school "far exceeded our expectations," these newcomers tell me. The word "expectations" is significant, because it is often our assumptions about public education in general and about certain schools in particular that keep us from even setting foot in a school. Many of us still make our choices based on rumor rather than on actual experience. The same negative assumptions that had families looking into Portland real estate back in 1993, when my first son entered kindergarten, and again in 2002 when my second son arrived, continue to run rampant in pre-schools today. The newcomers I spoke to admitted feeling intense pressure from other families in their pre-schools to go private.
On the other hand, these same parents had a totally different experience when they actually came to our school. "I visited many schools but I loved yours the most," one told me, "You feel it when you walk in."
Some were surprised to realize that they actually preferred the parvenu Miraloma to the tried and true rock-star public schools and private schools. One parent, who transferred her children from an expensive private school, explained that while her son's previous school had more resources and a better adult-child ratio, his academic and emotional needs were not being met. Despite her concerns, she found the school to be unresponsive. "The attitude was: 'There's no problem. We know what we're doing. Trust us'," she told me, adding that she had not been allowed into her son's classroom the entire three years he was there. "At Miraloma the attitude has been, 'What can we do to fix it?'" she said. "At public school I feel like an owner. I can be an advocate for my children."
Another parent transferred to public from a fast-track private school where over 50% of the kids get outside tutoring just to keep up. When her own daughter fell behind in first grade, her self-esteem plummeted. "Miraloma encourages her ability to be creative, as opposed to having a curriculum shoved down her throat," this mother told me. " There is an acceptance here that people dance to different drummers. As a school culture, the kids are learning this."
The Bane of Celebrity
San Francisco families, as well as families-to-be, are starving for good news about our public schools. They swarm when they get the word: Another phoenix is rising. Not surprisingly, the majority of the families coming to tour our school are middle-class parents (who else can afford to tour schools on weekday mornings?). Most are white, including many from the Miraloma Park neighborhood, relieved to hear their local school is flourishing.
On the other hand, my son's classmates, together with the students in the grades above and below his - the kids he's hung out with since kindergarten - are 19% Black, 14% Latino, 23% Chinese, 6% Filipino, 10% Other - Palestinian, Indian, Thai, Brazilian, Ethiopian - and 17% white. Fifty-three percent qualified for free or reduced lunch. Nearly all of these families pitched in to improve the school and everyone reaped the benefits. Yet as Chinese, Black, and low-income families graduate, new families from these same groups are not enrolling. The demographics of the school are shifting. The middle class, many of whom worked hard to improve Miraloma alongside others, have rushed in to take advantage of these changes, leaving little room for groups who have been - for a variety of reasons - less proactive about enrolling. I tried tirelessly to stem the tide, but ultimately, I could not.
Families such as my own that want San Francisco's ethnic and economic diversity to be an essential part of their child's educational experience may have to consider a broader range of schools than the classic rock-star schools, or even the new ones, like Miraloma. On the other hand, the rich diversity of a school totally depends on which families request that school during the enrollment process. The only antidote to a school having a single-race majority is for multicultural families to apply.
Popular schools have other minefields to watch out for. Newcomers, relieved to find a school that is already what they want it to be, may tend toward complacency and be less actively involved in the school or neglect to reach out to their hardest-to-reach members. The principal, teachers, or parents may naively sacrifice an extraordinary culture of collaboration for the sake of efficiency or convenience. The needs of low-performing students and their families may not be given sufficient support - possibly solidifying or even worsening the academic achievement gap and attracting fewer of these families to the school.
An important lesson I learned at Miraloma is this: Unless all families are authentically valued as significant stakeholders in a school, regardless of race, ethnicity, education, and income, these same families may feel unintentionally excluded, resulting in a school culture that is segregated or even divisive. Parrott aptly compared Miraloma's growth over these last few years to that of a company's. The start-up, she said, is thrilling. But the company is a living organism, shesaid, and needs to remain relevant to the needs of its changing population. "A school must remain dynamic and responsive," she told me, "in order to flourish and thrive through the years."
Applying the Lessons
Now that my son has graduated and is moving on to middle school, we take with us the many lessons Miraloma has taught us. A school's excellence, we now know, has less to do with test scores, new playground structures, arts enrichments or demographics, than it has to do with vision and valuing, collaboration and trust, things I'd never realized were the foundation of a quality education.
This wisdom recently guided us in our search for middle school - often a frightening prospect for parents of 10-year-olds, many of whom would just as soon keep their kids one more year in elementary. After touring eight schools, my son was accepted at his first-choice public school and at a private school with a scholarship offer. We wrung our hands -- the gated community with all its reliable quality and comfort, or the world: dynamic, multi-faceted, less safe and less predictable?
In the end, we chose the public school. After Miraloma, we were hooked. I'm already scheming. Let's see. At my son's public middle school there will be 1,200 students. How many days will it take me, I wonder, to teach them all to write a poem?
San Francisco Unified School District is the highest performing large urban school district in California. While the state has no bragging rights nationally, many San Francisco public elementary schools are on the rise and offering enormous benefits: language immersion programs, steady test score increases, and lively multi-cultural communities. So when it comes time to sign your child up for kindergarten (or middle or high school), I exhort you: be a pioneer.
Close your eyes and spin the SFUSD globe. See where your finger lands. Junipero Serra Elementary. Jose Ortega. Visitacion Valley. Monroe. Go to the school before rejecting it outright. See how it feels. Interview the principal. Is he dynamic and collaborative? Is she accessible, innovative, and knowledgeable? Do the teachers look happy? Are there at least a handful of parents involved? If at least two of the three required ingredients for success are in place, gather a couple of friends and enroll. Since your chosen school is truly a hidden gem, you will get your first choice.
Help shape a school into the school you want to have for your child and every other San Franciscan. Plan to give up bowling and your favorite TV shows for a few years (you'll be painting a gymnasium or writing an academic plan for your child's school). But think of it. You are at a start-up, riding the bucking bronco. Feel the drama and the exhilaration!
Leslie Kirk Campbell is the author of "Journey Into Motherhood" (Riverhead Books), and the founder of Ripe Fruit School of Creative Writing: www.ripefruitwriting.com. She lives with her two sons and her husband in San Francisco. Email her at email@example.com


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About Our Site
Italiana was formed to offer a unique reference point on italian food, drink and culture.
This website offers a comprehensive source of information about Italian, well...Italiana!
The name Italy conjures up images of dusty olive groves, rich soil, abundant harvests and big social gatherings. The best quality fresh food: prepared and shared amongst family and friends-without giving away too many of mama's secrets. Wine, beer, cheese, pasta, abundant fruit and vegetables, seafood and heavenly desserts; what more could there be to life?
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Our concern was that there was no single UK resource for interesting features and practical advice on this subject.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Firefighters in Breathing Apparatus established hose lines to the rear of the property and stopped the spread of the fire to a neighbouring house.The house was unoccupied.The fire has been deemed suspicious and will be investigated.Victoria Police and Ambulance Victoria also assisted on scene.
The Australasian Fire and Emergency Services Authority Council (AFAC) recommends monthly testing of smoke alarms to ensure they are working correctly.
Only working Smoke Alarms save lives.


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Project Arrow: Financial Due diligence, Retail, Onsite
- Project status
- • Cancelled
- Project start date
- Not specified
- Project posted
- 1 Dec 2014 12:41
- Project duration (approx.)
- 74.0 Days
- Budget (approx.)
- £675 / day
- Industry
- Consumer Goods, Retail
- Area of expertise
- Finance and Accounting
- Consultant location
- On-site
- Location
- United Kingdom
Objectives and Key Deliverables
Our client is a leading on line retailer looking for a Finance Director level Consultant to undertake a financial due diligence/M&A project.This will be a full time on site project based in Nuneaton that will last approximately 2 months. The project has an aim to be completed by February 14th 2015.
Requirement: Do you have Financial due diligence/M&A experience within FMCG/On-line retail or retail?
Desired response: Yes
Requirement: Have you operated at Finance Director level, equivalent or above?
Desired response: Yes
Requirement: Are you available to begin a protect on the 10th December?
Desired response: Yes
Requirement: Can you commit to this project full time until February 14th 2015?
Desired response: Yes
Requirement: Can you work full time on site in Nuneaton, UK?
Desired response: Yes


text: When Karoline Elsig — one half of the Danish duo mono mono — sings, "Always push me away from you, but I know / You've got secrets, too", I get goosebumps. I feel the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. I find my self wanting to talk about things I've had trouble talking about. In a very uncomplicated way, she and musical partner Jakob Franck have gotten under my skin on the song "Feel" with their psychological refrain at a time when talking about how we feel is more important than ever.


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An edgy development set within New Farm's backdrop of green streets and bustling cafés and bars.
Site: Annie Street, New Farm QLD
Size: 30 Apartments
Date: Completed May 2015
- Detailed Design
- Documentation
- Complete Interior Design
A build comprising of natural light filled open floor plan arrangements that promote comfortable inner city living. The structure incorporates subtle modern industrial elements through the expression of raw materiality via copper shading devices and exposed concrete elements, designed to weather naturally, gradually embedding the structure within its surrounding environment.


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Lameness is one of the most devastating disease impacting animal welfare and profitability in U.S. dairy operations. Economic losses commonly associated with lameness include treatment costs, reduced milk production, decreased reproductive performance and premature culling. Some cited costs include:
• $6,000 per 100 cows per year, based on a fatality rate of two percent, an increase in days open of 28 days, treatment costs and additional labor of $23/case.
• In Wisconsin, the cost of lameness has been estimated at $12,400 per 100 cows per year.
• According to a Minnesota study, the average cost of a case of lameness was approximately $180 per cow.
• Other researchers have estimated lameness to cost $350 per case in lost milk, more days open, treatment and labor.
Preventative hoof care can go a long way in reducing new lameness cases. Regular hoof trimming, copper sulfate footbaths with an additive like HoofMax, and prompt application of HealMax spray or foam to digital dermatitis lesions, can help reduce the incidence – and cost – of lameness in your herd.
Shearer, JK and S. Van Amstel. Lameness in Dairy Cattle. Proceedings from 2000 Kentucky Dairy Conference, Lexington, KY, pp. 1-10, 2000.
Geni Wren. Investigating Dairy Lameness. Bovine Veterinarian, November 1, 2004.
Karl Burgi. Dairy Cattle Lameness Causes and Effects. Progressive Dairyman. February 6, 2007.
Peggy Coffeen. How much is lameness costing you? Agri-View, February 7, 2013.


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Suzanne has been in the real estate industry since 2014 and is a lifelong resident of Middlesex County in New Jersey, although, surrounding counties are also in her area of service. Sue resides in Milltown, NJ. She is a graduate of The College of Boca Raton in Florida and has two beautiful daughters. Sue has built her business on working with referrals, and these are her core values: To live by the get by giving philosophy, To always make his clients #1 goal, his #1 goal, To always live up to his standards, To always be willing to work towards a common good, and To always do what he says she will do, sometimes more, just never less. Call Sue today with any and all of your real estate questions or concerns 908-227-2075


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NAB Young Footballer of the Year Nominee - Thomas Deng
Football Federation Australia (FFA) and NAB, together with Melbourne Victory, are proud to announce Thomas Deng as the final nominee for the Hyundai A-League, NAB Young Footballer of the Year 2017/18 Award.
Deng, who scored a stunning volley for Victory in their round 25 3-1 win over Western Sydney Wanderers FC at AAMI Park, joins Bruce Kamau and Daniel Arzani (both Melbourne City FC), Daniel De Silva (Central Coast Mariners), Joseph Champness (Newcastle Jets), and Christopher Ikonomidis (Western Sydney Wanderers FC), as a nominee for the prestigious Award.
While Deng has performed consistently this campaign, towards the completion of the regular season he proved himself to be an integral member of Melbourne's squad as they secured their sixth consecutive Hyundai A-League Finals Series berth.
Deng started every match for Victory in the March/April nomination window, helping Kevin Muscat's men to an impressive four wins from six games.
The Hyundai A-League NAB Young Footballer of the Year 2017/18 Award will be announced at the Dolan Warren Awards Night at The Star in Sydney on Monday, 30 April 2018.
NAB's Chief Marketing Officer, Andrew Knott, said he is proud to see the NAB Young Footballer of the Year Award continue to identify and reward outstanding achievement of talented young footballers.
"We congratulate Thomas on his nomination and look forward to watching his development and growth on the football field in the years to come," said Knott.
"We are also pleased to recognise Thomas's nominated junior club, Adelaide Blue Eagles in South Australia, and hope that our support will help the club to continue developing the game in communities across Australia."
Adelaide Blue Eagles will receive a NAB Club Recognition Award, which includes a range of equipment along with $1,000.
The overall winner of the Hyundai A-League, NAB Young Footballer of the Year 2017/18 Award will receive a $10,000 personal investment portfolio, along with a NAB Private Client Manager to assist with a range of banking products and services.
"As a supporter of the NAB Young Footballer of the Year Award, we are proud to play an important role in identifying and rewarding the future stars of the game," concluded Knott.
Each month representatives from the FFA Technical Department vote on a 3-2-1 basis for the most outstanding U23 players in the Hyundai A-League during that period.


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Michael Fahrig
Spokesperson Trade and Technical Press
+49 221 8885 5041
Fax: +49 221 8885 4865
LANXESS: New thermostabilization system for Durethan-brand polyamides
Cologne -
Specialty chemicals company LANXESS has developed a new heat stabilization system called XTS2 (Xtreme Temperature Stabilization) for polyamide 66 variants of Durethan. This system increases the heat aging durability of the polyamides so much that they reach into the heat deflection temperature range. "Thanks to the new iron-free thermostabilization, our polyamide 66 variants can withstand temperatures of up 230 °C in the long-term. They therefore provide an alternative to costly heat stabilized specialty thermoplastics, such as fully or semi-aromatic polyamides and polyphenylene sulfide," explains Dr. Thomas Linder, a Durethan material development expert in the High Performance Materials business unit at LANXESS. The first product from the XTS2 product range is a polyamide 66 reinforced with 35 percent glass fibers (by weight), which will be marketed as Durethan AKV35XTS2. There are also plans to offer XTS2 product variants with higher and lower glass fiber contents. A blow-moldable polyamide 66 for turbo charger components of cars that is stabilized with the XTS2 system is also in development.
Good flow characteristics and high surface quality
Compared to Durethan-brand polyamide 66 variants with the same glass fiber content containing H2.0 thermostabilization, Durethan AKV35XTS2 exhibits better flow characteristics. As Linder points out: "This makes it easier to realize delicate component geometries and thin walls." Another advantage is the high surface quality, which is even better than similar material grades with XTS1 heat stabilization.
LANXESS extensively tested the high long-term temperature resistance of the new polyamide 66 by conducting hot air aging tests. "Even after 3,000 hours of storage at 230 °C, the reduction in tensile stress at break and elastic modulus is barely measurable, meaning the material maintains its initial strength and stiffness despite the high thermal load," says Linder. The material was mainly designed for high-tech engine applications that are exposed to unusually high temperatures – such as air intake manifolds with integrated charge air coolers or air pipes located in the vicinity of the turbocharger.
Precisely tailored thermostabilizations
For thermostabilization of Durethan compounds LANXESS already uses miscellaneous additive systems that are tailored to various heat resistance levels, e.g. to those of components under the hood. For example, the established XTS1 and XTS3 systems enable continuous use of Durethan at around 200 °C. Just as H3.0 thermostabilization, XTS3 benefits from a very low metal and halide content. "They are especially suitable for plastic components that come into direct contact with metal components. This is because the metal- and salt-free stabilization helps to prevent contact corrosion," explains Linder. Typical applications include housing parts, plug connectors and connector strips. By contrast, the XTS1 and, for example, the H2.0 system are intended for black components where contact corrosion is not an issue.
Forward-Looking Statements
This company release contains certain forward-looking statements, including assumptions, opinions, expectations and views of the company or cited from third party sources. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause the actual results, financial position, development or performance of LANXESS AG to differ materially from the estimations expressed or implied herein. LANXESS AG does not guarantee that the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements are free from errors nor does it accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the opinions expressed in this presentation or the actual occurrence of the forecast developments. No representation or warranty (expressed or implied) is made as to, and no reliance should be placed on, any information, estimates, targets and opinions, contained herein, and no liability whatsoever is accepted as to any errors, omissions or misstatements contained herein, and accordingly, no representative of LANXESS AG or any of its affiliated companies or any of such person's officers, directors or employees accept any liability whatsoever arising directly or indirectly from the use of this document.
LANXESS is a leading specialty chemicals company with sales of EUR 7.7 billion in 2016 and about 19,200 employees in 25 countries. The company is currently represented at 75 production sites worldwide. The core business of LANXESS is the development, manufacturing and marketing of chemical intermediates, additives, specialty chemicals and plastics. Through ARLANXEO, the joint venture with Saudi Aramco, LANXESS is also a leading supplier of synthetic rubber. LANXESS is listed in the leading sustainability indices Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI World) and FTSE4Good.
+49 221 8885 5041
Fax: +49 221 8885 4865


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Category Archives: annoyances
An open letter to Rupa Huq, MP, regarding official Parliamentary videos
Andy Mabbett calls for the open licensing of official videos of proceedings in the United Kingdom's Parliament. Continue reading
Posted in annoyances, Wikipedia Tagged Charlie Brooker, copyright, House of Commons, hyperlocal, licensing, MP, MPs, open licence, parliament, pigsonthewing, Rupa Huq, video, Wikimedia, Wikimedia Commons, wikipedia Leave a comment
United Kingdom parliamentary URL structure: change needed
Andy Mabbett suggests how the United Kingdom parliamentary website's URL structure for biographies could be improved; and why it should be. Continue reading
HLF licensing requirement considered harmful
Andy Mabbett calls on the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to relax the licensing conditions they impose on grantees Continue reading
Posted in annoyances, Wikipedia Tagged HLF, lottery fundung, open content, open licence, Sasha Taylor, ThinkTank, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, wikipedia 1 Comment
A reply from the UK government to my request for road gritting open data
Andy Mabbett is not happy with the government's delayed and inadequate response to his request for open data on gritting routes. Continue reading
Transport Scotland/ ScotRail refuse plaque marking Jordanhill Station as subject of one-millionth Wikipedia article
Andy Mabbett is disappointed by Transport Scotland's response to his suggestion of a plaque to mark Jordanhill station as the subject of Wikipedia's one-millionth article. Continue reading
Posted in annoyances, hyperlocal, Wikipedia Tagged Alemannisch, Arabic, blue plaque, bureaucracy, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Esperanto, Finnish, French, geo:latitude=55.8826, geo:longitude=-4.3246, geotagged, German, Greek, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, latin, million, plaque, Polish, QRpedia, Romanian, Russian, ScotRail, Scottish Transport, Simple English, Spanish, Swedeish, Thai, Transport Scotland, Welsh, wikipedia 3 Comments
How can I automate repetitive find'n'replace operations?
Andy Mabbett asks for help automating a large series of find'n'replace operations, which need to be performed monthly, to update the West Midland Bird Club website which he maintains. Continue reading
Posted in annoyances, microformats, nature 9 Comments


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+ The Gaza pullout seems to be going well. I'm really glad. I'm hoping for good things, including getting a constitution in Iraq.
+ I haven't commented on Hunter S Thompson's suicide yet. Short version: sure, some people love him, but isn't the suicide a hint about the shortcomings of his 'philosophy' to anyone but me?
+ Latest computer thought: as much as I like del.icio.us, and I love it, emailing to my Gmail account the contents of webpages I would put in del.icio.us would make them more searchable, including within Google Desktop Search (new beta). Hmm...
Plus, as I look at the new beta, they're adding some Quicksilver-like functionality for launching applications. Looks like lots of cool new things over there. I, for one, welcome our Google overlords.
+ U.S. News & World Report's 2006 "America's Best Colleges"
The University of Iowa dropped two spots to No. 21 among the nation's top 50 public universities.
Cal Berkeley is No. 1. The Big Ten:
3. Michigan
8. Wisconsin
11. Illinois
14. Penn State
21. Iowa, Ohio State, Purdue
30. Indiana, Michigan State, Minnesota
8. Wisconsin
11. Illinois
14. Penn State
21. Iowa, Ohio State, Purdue
30. Indiana, Michigan State, Minnesota
Clemson dropped from 34 to 32. USC is 109.


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October 28, 2011
Skip the scary: Halloween safety tips protect holiday goblins
The excitement in choosing a costume and parading among neighbors and friends can distract children and make them more vulnerable to food-related hazards.
"Limiting trick or treating to your immediate neighborhood or a community-sponsored event is recommended," said Karen Blakeslee, K-State Research and Extension food scientist, who urged parents and children to be cautious with holiday foods:
* Offer a light meal or snack prior to trick-or-treating or other holiday event so that children will be less hungry, less likely to eat on the run and less likely to sample unknown treats.
* Encourage children to respectfully decline candy and other foods that are not commercially packaged. Examples might include a homemade caramel apple or popcorn ball, or a handful of peanuts or candy corn.
* Be ready and waiting to help trick-or-treaters sort candy and discard treats containing known allergens -- nuts, for example -- and others that could cause choking, such as hard candy or a small toy; or injury, such as a sharp pencil.
* Encourage children to choose preferred treats and enjoy one or two before storing candy out of site.
* Integrate holiday candy into meals and snacks over the next few weeks to manage the sweets and extend holiday enjoyment.
At community or other events, Blakeslee also advises checking to make sure any apple cider served is pateurized and, if bobbing for apples, to ensure apples have been washed before they were added to the tub.
At parties, "scare" bacteria away by keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold, said Blakeslee, who advised keeping trays of party foods stored safely until goblins arrive and to not leave perishable food at room temperature for more than two hours.
More information about food science and safety is available at K-State Research and Extension offices throughout the state and online: here and at the Research and Extension Rapid Reponse Center.


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Periodically palaeontologists will announce a new candidate for the largest dinosaur to have ever walked the Earth with the finding of a new specimen or species. There are multiple credible candidates for this title on display in various museums though sadly each is inevitably represented by less than complete remains. Most recently a new giant from Argentina has been on show in the US that might top the lot, but even this may not have beaten a near mythical animal:a giant that was known from a single and incomplete top part of a vertebra from the middle of the spine.
'Was' is critical here because the specimen is no longer in existence. It was extremely fragile and at some point shortly after its discovery it apparently crumbled and fell apart. Such a fate is not uncommon for some kinds of fossils where exposure to the air or being freed from the supporting matrix can lead to specimens disintegrating but this was before the development of glues that could help consolidate and preserve fragile specimens, and it is also likely that no one immediately realised this was a risk.
Discovered in 1877 and then named the following year by palaeontologist Edward Cope, this small fragment of a dinosaur was still enough to establish that it was a new genus and a truly giant animal. It would have been a close relative of Diplodocus and so would have been relatively long and slender but the various estimates put on its size run from the outrageous to the almost inconceivable. There are, of course, plenty of issues with scaling up from incomplete remains and the general problems of correctly estimating dinosaur sizes but even the lower estimates that have been put forwards based on Cope's description come in at 40m in length.
This is, however, the problem – we are not working from the fossil anymore but the description of it alone. Palaeontology has enough issues with incomplete and fragmentary specimens without those we do have going missing. It's fundamentally impossible to verify Cope's measurements and his interpretation of the data because that data no longer exists. It's been suggested that the specimen was either incorrectly measured or recorded and the resultant colossal figures for this animal are ultimately the result of scaling from an original that was listed as being bigger than it was, even if that was accidental. Sadly, until any comparably large remains are found (and even if they exist, we may never get them) this animal will remain all but apocryphal.
This is not the only famous lost dinosaur though – Jurassic Park brought Spinosaurus to the attention of the public but this unusual predatory dinosaur was named in 1915 and had long been the subject or great debate as it was so unusual. Part of this stemmed from the limited information available on it as the original specimens (a jaw and some vertebrae and other bits) on display in Munich were destroyed by an allied bombing raid in April of 1944. All that remains again are the original descriptions and then some photos that later came to light.
Again, this leaves some frustrating gaps in our knowledge – there are suggestions that the original fossils may have actually been more than one different species that were mixed up together. Without the specimens to hand that is hard to say either way. At least in the case of Spinosaurus we have now found various new specimens but working out the taxonomy of this genus is complicated by the fact that the original material on which the name was based no longer exists. There are suggestions that there are multiple spinosaurs living at this time and working out which may be which is inevitably complicated by the absence of this critical material.
Plenty of other famous fossil specimens have also been lost. Other dinosaurs were also lost during the World Wars including some of the original bones of Thecodontosaurus, a small dinosaur from Bristol. While many survived, important fossils were lost though axis bombing of Bristol in 1940. Various Canadian dinosaur specimens en route to the UK were lost when the ship they were on was sunk by the German Navy. And it's not just dinosaurs, the famous hominid fossils of the original "Peking Man" went missing from a train in the fog of war of 1941.
There remains hope that some of these may have actually survived somewhere, manifests for ships and train changed all the time and were not always recorded. Given how many important art and fossil treasures turn up decades after they have been thought lost or destroyed it's not impossible that some great lost treasures will yet return. Museums are of course supposed to protect the specimens in their care and sadly things do go missing or are stolen and accidents happen, though it's hard to hand out any blame for falling bombs or self-destruction of fragile fossils. Happily these days museum are more aware of problems like the latter and there's good reason to think that dinosaurs being put into care now will still be available for study centuries in the future, bombing raids permitting.


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Watch the full CBS broadcast footage of Super Bowl IV, the Vikings first appearance in the big game.
Throwback Thursday: Colts Vs. Vikings, 1969 Regular Season Highlights
The 1969 Minnesota Vikings demolish the Baltimore Colts at Met Stadium in Bloomington, Minnesota, during this regular season game.
Daily Chat: Kryptonite
The Minnesota Vikings have been the New York Giants' kryptonite of late, going 4-0 against them since 2005.


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Cravings Blog
BurgerFi offers Burger Box special for Super Bowl Sunday
For some people, Super Bowl Sunday is about the big game. For others, it's all about the food.
BurgerFi is providing an easy Super Bowl party option with a one-day-only Burger Box special. Super Bowl party hosts can order the Burger Box at $50. It includes 10 cheeseburgers with a double natural angus burger, double American cheese, lettuce, tomato and BurgerFi's signature sauce.
To order a Burger Box, call the Sarasota BurgerFi at 941-800-1800. The restaurant is at 257 N. Cattlemen Road.
Janelle O'Dea: 941-745-7095, @jayohday


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Realize Your Potential at the College of Southern Maryland!
Your life is busy. At the College of Southern Maryland we understand busy adults and their lifestyles. That's why we're making it easier than ever to meet your educational goals. In addition to receiving a quality education at an affordable price, enrolling for classes has never been simpler!
In just one day you can do everything from filling out your application forms to making payment arrangements - and everything in between. And the best part is you can do it all close to home. Just visit any one of our three conveniently located campuses � in La Plata, Leonardtown, or Prince Frederick - on August 11th for Super Saturday.
So what are you waiting for? Start realizing your potential today. Call or log on today for more information or to reserve your spot. That's 301-934-7765 in Charles County, 240-725-5320 in St. Mary's County, or 443-550-6000 in Calvert County.[ Last Updated: 06-Sep-2007 | Hits: 10 | Reader Comments Report Problem


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Setting Up Your Drupal Blog
It seems everyone has a blog these days. A Drupal blog is a relatively simple way of getting your message out to the interested public. People read blogs, and a well-written blog may make the difference between a customer buying from you or going to your competitor.
Setting up a blog in Drupal begins with enabling the Blog module.
Enabling the Blog module
To enable the Blog module, follow these steps:
On the Dashboard menu bar, click Modules.
Scroll down to the Blog module.
Select the check box next to the Blog module.
Click the Save Configuration button at the bottom of the page.
The page reloads, and you see this message: The configuration options have been saved.
With the Blog module enabled, you have access to a new content type called Blog entry. Pretty easy, huh?
Creating your first blog entry
To create your first blog entry, follow these steps:
Choose Add Content from the Dashboard menu bar or from the Navigation menu of your Drupal page.
The content creation overlay opens.
Click the Blog Entry link.
You see the form shown in the following figure.
Enter a title in the Title text box and the text of the blog entry in the Body area for your first blog entry.
When you're done, scroll down and click Preview.
If you're happy with the preview of the blog post, click Save.
By default, your blog post is published to your site home page. Browse to your home page and take a look.


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Page One
Amyris Loses Major Mutual Fund Investment
Editor's Note: Richard Brenneman has been tracking the sinking fortunes of Amyris, a U.C. Berkeley spin-off which is typical of the kind of companies contemplated by the radical amendments proposed for the West Berkeley Plan and its zoning which the Berkeley City Council seems ready to pass in the next couple of weeks. This story first appeared on his blog, Eats, Shoots 'n' Leaves.
UPDATE: Shares just hit another record low as we were posting. They're now selling for $2.59.
Companies like to drop bad news on Friday. That's because few people are interested in news on Saturday.
Amyris, the UC-Berkeley spawned genetic engineering company created by Val "bioengineer" Jay Keasling, dropped a bombshell on Friday afternoon: Their biggest mutual find investor, the Fidelity group of funds, is selling off two thirds of their holdings.
The company had trumpeted the news when Fidelity bought 6.2 million shares on 28 February, paying $5.78 a share.
As of market close Friday, those same shares were worth $2.73, and as we write, they're going for $2.65, just four cents above the company's all-time low of two weeks ago. Shares were going to $33.85 just 14 months ago.
In a prospectus Amyris filed to sell the Fidelity shares, the company made the usually cautionary disclosures.
These in particular caught our eye:
We have very limited experience producing our products at the commercial scale needed for the development of our business, and we will not succeed if we cannot effectively scale our technology and processes.Back in 2010, in a video produced for Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where he hangs his hat as the lab's chief synthetic biologist, Keasling blithely dismissed any problems with scaling up. As he observes in the video "They scale beautifully."
[O]ur technology may not perform as expected when applied at commercial scale on a sustained basis, or we may encounter operational challenges for which we are unable to devise a workable solution. For example, in 2011 at our contract manufacturing facilities, contamination in the production process, problems with plant utilities, lack of automation and related human error, process modifications to reduce costs and adjust product specifications, and other similar challenges decreased process efficiency, created delays and increased our costs. Such challenges are likely to continue as we and our contract manufacturing partners develop our production processes and establish new facilities.
To which we can only add, except when they don't.
Back to the prospectus, where we discovered this little item:
The 4,173,622 shares of common stock covered by this prospectus may be acquired by the selling stockholders from us by electing to convert the senior unsecured convertible promissory notes issued to the selling stockholders pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated February 24, 2012, by and between us and the selling stockholders. We agreed to file a registration statement with the SEC covering the resale of the shares issuable upon conversion of the unsecured senior convertible promissory notes referenced above.Note that word "unsecured."
UPDATE II: Some background
Amyris was started by Keasling and funded by Bill Gates to used genetically engineered microbes produce a cheap version of the antimalarial artemisin to replace the drugg naturally derived from artemisia, the wormwood plant, which is cultivated by thousands of farmers in Asia and Africa.
While the bugs produced the drug, the price was no cheaper than the natural version.
They next converted the microbe to produce precursors of fuel from plant cellulose. So far the process has been used mainly to produce higher cost chemicals for use in cosmetics, and mass-produced fuel remains a dream, thanks to those scale-up problems Keasling blithely assured us weren't a problem.
Just what the future holds for the company remains very much in doubt, and just how long the other major institutional investors will be willing to accommodate massive losses before forcing a bankruptcy remains an open question


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Two Texans recently turned Los Angelenos, GAL PALS, comprised of Jillian Talley (drums) and Lauren Mikus (guitar), aim to create pop gold on their self-titled, debut fulllength album, Velvet Rut, due out February 24 on PaperCup Music.
Their efforts might be better explained from by the experts in this arena:
"Blissfully thunderous & streamlined garage candy that will turn sand to glass at a beach party or put your T-Bird into 5th on the autobahn." - Bosco Delrey
"GAL PALS have taught me everything I need to know about perfect pop & Wicked Lester." - Ben Tipton, Burger City Records
"GAL PALS make me wanna be 7 & naked on the beach. I wanna eat strawberries & cream, run in circles, & start a mosh pit with a bunch of sassy girls. They put a bounce in my step." -Kate Nash "Two girls, one harmonious voice; a powerful combination." -Miss Alex White, White Mystery "Hot! Sexy! And good cooking!" - Sean Wood, The Spits
"These gals are really something! They could possibly be the answer for all the world's problems...if you want it." - Ringo Deathstarr
"Take one listen and you are definitely gonna wanna be pals with these gals."- Cole Alexander, Black Lips
"Sassy, sensitive, smokin'- GAL PALS satisfies." - Ann Mikus, Lauren's Mom


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This Smoke Grey Console / Dressing Table is a practical addition to your bedroom. Perfect in size to have a vanity mirror on top, with drawers to store make-up or jewellery.
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The Chronicle Of Higher Eucation / August 13 2009 / 1:00 pm / Josh Fischman
It may not be great as a phone–don't scream, Apple fans, but the iPhone has taken some knocks on call quality and battery life, though the latest version has improved–but the iPhone is getting more and more fans as a college-textbook reader.
CourseSmart, an e-textbook supplier, has come out with a reader app that draws on a library of 7,000 college texts from a dozen publishers, including McGraw-Hill Higher Education, Pearson, and Elsevier.
The app is free, and the e-books seem to be cheaper than hardcovers. [snip].
For algebra students who need extra help, Pearson Higher Education has rolled out its AlgebraPrep app, with tutorials and mini-tests you can take at the student union while waiting for class to begin. [snip]
Students can even use the iPhone to buy paper textbooks online. Bigwords, a book-shopping Web site, now offers its own app that does price comparisons of particular books from various online sellers.[snip].
Finally, and this online development has nothing to do with an iPhone, those who don't want to buy can rent. Cengage Learning, a large publisher, announced today it will start CengageBrain in December.
That Web site will offer students the option of renting books–in either electronic or paper form–and returning them after 60, 90, or 130 days. The company claims the price will be 40 to 70 percent lower than the retail buying option. [snip].


text: These Orbitwheel skates aren't quite rollerblades, they aren't quite skateboards and they aren't quite a trip to the emergency room, but they're pretty close to all three. They're essentially wheels that you slip your feet through the middle of, letting you scoot around sideways until you go over a curb or a rut and end up on the ground. They're available now for a kind-of-ludicrous price of US$145 if you're so inclined. [New Davincis]


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How to Quit Smoking Using E-Cigs
If you're a long time smoker, you've likely tried quitting once or twice only to find yourself puffing back on the bogey. At this point, you're probably sick and tired on the hold cigarettes have on your life, and your ready to give quitting a real shot. Maybe you've even browsed vapes and e-cigs online and gone ahead to buy e liquid online.
Well if this is you, then let me provide you with the roadmap on how to quit smoking using e-cigs.
It all starts with the turkey served cold
As much as you don't want to hear it, the first step to quitting smoking using e-cigs is to stop smoking completely without any nicotine replacement products. I wouldn't usually recommend this to a non-serious quitter, but your sick and tired of these cigs, so I know your strong enough to do it.
For at least 3 days, you need to stop smoking. You should choose Friday, or whatever day is lead stressful for you, to quit. Consider even taking the next 3 …


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States News Roundup
Gov. Robert Graham's proposed budget for the fiscal year 1983 would provide a substantial increase in funding for education. In his proposal, presented to the Florida legislature last week, the Governor recommended $3.4 billion for education--up $350 million from the current budget.
The increased spending would be paid for through a series of proposed tax increases, including an increased tax on alcoholic beverages, a rise in taxes on stocks and bonds, and an increase in the "required local effort"--that is, property taxes for public education. The property-tax provision would bring in an estimated $241 million in fiscal 1983, and $194 million the following year.
The new funds would be used for a variety of programs, some of which were suggested by a recent report issued by the Governor's Commission on Secondary Education, according to a spokesman for Governor Graham.
Teachers' salaries would go up an average of about $4,000 over the next two years, with $1,800 of that to be provided next school year. Currently, the average salary for teachers in the state is $18,540; by the end of fiscal 1983, it would increase to $20,121.
The Governor's proposal also in-cludes several measures designed to improve mathematics and science education. During fiscal 1983, the Governor proposes to spend $2.87 million to fund inservice programs for teachers in these fields. Another $2.4 million would be spent on a mathematics and science "adjunct faculty" program, which would bring technically trained industry personnel into the schools for a year. The Governor has also proposed a summer enrichment program for students who have a strong interest in these fields and a tutorial program that would pay teachers to work after school with students who wanted to do extra work in these areas.
The Ohio Senate last week approved a permanent 90-percent increase in the state's personal income tax, putting into place the last major piece of Gov. Richard F. Celeste's package of budget-balancing tax hikes and spending reductions.
Although the proceeds from the income-tax increase will not avert a $190-million cut in aid to elementary and secondary education this spring, part of the new revenue will be used to replenish the state's emergency loan fund for schools. State officials expect high demand for the emergency loans as districts try to cope with a 9-percent average cut in general state aid for the re-mainder of this school year.
A statewide coalition of public-education groups reluctantly endorsed the cuts, saying that this late in the fiscal year, the Governor and legislature had no choice but to trim education spending.
In an effort to meet the growing demand for science and mathematics teachers, the Massachusetts Department of Education will establish a clearinghouse that will collect and distribute information on prospective teachers, jobs, exemplary programs, and equipment. The clearinghouse may begin operating in the fall of 1983, according to a spokesman for the education department.
The plan, which received the preliminary approval of the state board of education last month, was prompted by a department report on the supply of and demand for science and mathematics teachers.
According to that report, Massachusetts now has a slight surplus of science and mathematics teachers because of layoffs prompted by Proposition 2. About 300 science and mathematics teachers were laid off following the passage of the tax-limitation measure.
However, the surplus won't last long, officials say, given the increasing personnel demands of in-dustry and the likelihood that schools will require students to take more science and mathematics courses.
The clearinghouse will also work with industry and foster efforts to develop personnel-exchange programs and related measures.
In an opinion that defines for the first time the extent of a teacher's responsibility to supervise students, the North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled this month that an instructor in Charlotte was not responsible for an accident that left a pupil blind in one eye.
The court said the foreseeability of harm to students in the class determines the extent of the teacher's duty to safeguard them from dangerous acts of fellow students.
The ruling came in a lawsuit filed by Larry James of Charlotte, father of Kristin Marie James, who was injured in February 1978 while her 6th-grade teacher was out of the classroom. During the teacher's absence, two students began "sword fighting" with their pencils, and one of the pencils flew back and hit Kristin in her left eye. She ultimately lost the sight in that eye.
Mr. James sued the teacher, Susan Stewart, and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, claiming that his daughter's injury was caused by the defendants' negligence.
Writing for the court, Judge Hugh A. Wells said the controlling question was whether Ms. Stewart "was under a duty to remain in her classroom at all times while her pupils were present in the class." The court determined that she was not.
The court noted that there were no previous holdings on that question and that other states had "significantly different standards of care required of public-school teachers."
Several dozen schools across the midwest were closed temporarily late last month, and those that remained open reported unusually high rates of absenteeism, as a strain of influenza identified as type A Bangkok swept across the region.
The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, the federal agency that monitors infectious diseases, reported scattered school closings nationwide and a higher-than-normal number of flu-related deaths.
Bangkok A, which is characterized by chills, high fevers, general body aches, and coughing, has been the most common form of influenza reported in the past few weeks, said Betty B. Hooper, a spokesman for the agency.
Public-health officials warn against treating children who may have influenza with aspirin or related drugs because of a suspected link to Reye's syndrome, a condition that may cause death or brain damage.
As of mid-February, 15 states had reported regional outbreaks of influenza and 22 had reported sporadic cases, Ms. Hooper said. "It's very difficult to assess [how widespread the disease is] in the middle of the season," she said, in part because coun-ty and state health departments are not required to record and report each case. Some states, she added, were still reporting their first cases last week, indicating that the disease was continuing to spread.
A recent decision by the Vermont Supreme Court invalidating state regulations governing the licensing of polygraphers--administrators of lie-detector tests--has raised legal questions about the Vermont Board of Education's authority to certify teachers.
The state attorney general's office has filed a motion asking to reargue several issues not resolved by the the state supreme court's earlier decision, according to Robert B. Luce, general counsel for the state department of education.
In its decision last month, the court ruled that the state's authority to license polygraphers automatically expired in 1981, six years after it initially took effect, under provisions of the "Sunset Law." Enacted in 1977, that law limited state agencies' licensing authority to six years, unless acted on by the state legislature, according to Mr. Luce.
The state board of education's authority in teacher-certification matters is in question, Mr. Luce said, because that law was enacted in 1969 and amended in 1975. In ruling that the Sunset Law was "clearly a catch-all provision," the court decision may also have invalidated the teacher-certification law.
A local creationism controversy in Michigan may be resolved without legal action, according to Howard L. Simon, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan.
The group recently filed a complaint with the state attorney general over a course on "controversies in science" being taught in the Western School District in Jackson County, Mr. Simon said.
A panel of educators sent by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Phillip E. Runkel to evaluate the course concluded earlier this month that it made a "biased presentation toward creationism."
Mr. Runkel has been negotiating with the district, and the matter may be settled soon, Mr. Simon said.
Nearly 500 high-school students gathered on the steps of the Boise, Idaho, statehouse during a lunch hour late last month to protest proposed cuts in the education budget.
They weren't left standing long. Gov. John V. Evans himself came out to speak with them and told them he supported their request, said Richard Kuntz, an administrator in the Boise Independent School District.
And soon afterwards, Governor Evans vetoed a $7-million cut in education funds proposed by the legislature, Mr. Kuntz added. The legislature, however, could override his veto.
At the request of a coalition of Mississippi branches of the naacp, the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights has begun an investigation into allegations of racial discrimination in the Calhoun County, Miss., public schools.
The district has a "notorious and longstanding history" of racially discriminatory practices against black students and teachers, according to Morris Kinsey, chairman of the naacp of Mississippi's education committee.
The investigation, which began Feb. 14, was prompted by the naacp's charges that the school district's practices are in violation of several federal statutes, as well as a 1970 desegregation order. On the basis of its own investigation of the district, the group alleges that the district has failed to hire and promote black administrators and teachers and that black teachers are placed in "less stable," federally funded positions that are more likely to be cut, according to Mr. Kinsey.
Currently, the district employs 37 black teachers and 133 white teachers. Nearly 40 percent of the district's students are black.
The group also alleges that the district discriminates against black students in its disciplinary practices, its placement of students in special-education programs and gifted and talented programs, and its transportation of pupils.
According to Mr. Kinsey, the district maintains a dual busing system with separate buses for black and white students.
A separate investigation is being conducted by the Justice Department, Mr. Kinsey said.
Vol. 02, Issue 23
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Senior archaeologists, including J.M. Kenoyer, Michael Jansen and Aurore Didier debate how to preserve this great site. Rebury? What do you think?
As the first Mohenjodaro Conference in 44 years just ended, it is worth looking back at the last one in 1973, when many of the same themes and concerns were raised. In hindsight, there is some evidence of impact, even if the situation at the site has continued to deteriorate and the basic issues of waterlogging, salinity and enroachment remain as acute as ever.
These postcards from the early 1900s and albumen photographs from the 1860s give us a glimpse into some of the fishing technologies and practices that were in use at the time.
A major conference on Mohenjodaro is opening today in Mohenjodaro, with leading scholars from around the world, including many who contribute to Harappa.com.
A recent exhibition of Sumatran (Indonesian) ceremonial hangings in cotton and silk from the 19th century at the De Young Museum in San Francisco made me wonder whether such textiles were also in vogue in another maritime culture, the ancient Indus, whose boats would not seem out of place in these examples.
A critical news report from Al-Jazeera about the state of the site in 2017, with footage which shows the difference between the city these days, and the relatively recent past.
An article in The Verge discusses efforts by scientists at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and others to use algorithmic analysis to decipher the ancient Indus script.
"Between the Buddhist stupa, with its surrounding monastic buildings, and the Great Bath, a considerable stretch of ground which sloped upwards to the east presented interesting possibilities . . ."
"The Harappans had a goddess of war connected with the tiger, another large feline that was once native to the Indus Valley. On a cylinder seal from Kalibangan, a goddess in long skirt and plaited hair holds the hands of two warriors in the process of spearing each other."
Mohenjo Daro is unique because it is the first cinematic release featuring this ancient city. In Hollywood and western cinema, there are many dramatisations on ancient Egypt which was contemporary to the Indus Valley Civilisation. In the Indian film industry however, movies do not go earlier than the time of the Buddha or mythological eras. Indeed, the last Hindi language film set in ancient South Asia was probably Asoka back in 2001.


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Wednesday, 14 October 2015
Style secret for petite women like me. Hey, get in here
Wearing skimpy clothes only makes you appear smaller than you already are.
Palazzo pants like the one worn here by fashion blogger Stella Uzo who automatically make you look bigger than you are and taller too.
Multi colored pants look good too on petite women, it make one appear tall
Always make sure you wear short, crop, or small tops on these pants. Long tops on pants like these would make you look short and crazy.
Lastly make sure you pair the pants with a pair high heels. I nor fit shout o. You re not LAWMA, I'm sure keeping Lagos clean with your pants is not your portion. Hehe
17 comments:
Can u post more pic or dresses of petite ladies ..tnxReplyDeleteReplies
Hahahahhahahahahhaha @Keeping Lagos cleanReplyDeleteReplies
Well said lau lau..posting more pic or dresses of petite ladies as Deeh said won't be bad.ReplyDelete
Well said lau lau..posting more pic or dresses of petite ladies as Deeh said won't be bad.ReplyDelete
Tru. Nice pix but we nid more in order to judgeReplyDelete
Maybe it's my eyes buh I dnt really like mbokReplyDelete
Maybe it's my eyes buh I dnt really like mbokReplyDelete
I love the blueReplyDelete
Thanks for the tips>>>big grin>>>ReplyDelete
For the perfect bag to spice up the heat...bbm channel...C003363D4...bbm pin 593B82AB
Thanks for d tips Laurraa cos im so petiteReplyDelete
Load on pix on this..ReplyDelete
Load on pix on this..ReplyDelete
Petite rocks! I love my size cos I can get away with almost any outfit. I don't wear big clothes or too tight ones anyway. We could even pull off a lil black dress alone with sneakers. Hehe now lemme see the 'hefty laries' try that.* tongue-in-cheek*ReplyDelete


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My Content
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Deangelis, the de facto leader, has assembled an excellent lineup and provided them with ample space to exhibit their considerable talents. The set moves primarily in the mainstream, but it also delves outside with very favorable results. The vastly underrated reedist Ralph Bowen deserves particular mention. Bowen provides several inspiring moments on flute, tenor and soprano saxophone, including his beautiful solo on the Ron Carter tune "Little Waltz. The other two members of the rhythm section, Jim Ridl (piano) and Matt Parrish (bass), impart an exemplary union of velocity, or give space where needed.
Throughout the release Deangelis provides crisp and inventive playing without falling into the trap of allowing the disc to turn into a drummer's program. His playing can be dynamic, as on "Takin Off and "Hail Caesar, or tastefully understated, as on the Leonard Bernstein ballad "Some Other Time.
Along with the impressive arrangements and compositions, the recording quality of this release is excellent. Engineer Matt Balitsaris did a great job capturing the sonic details, making every note seem to jump out of the speakers. This release will surely make my best of 2006 list. Since each musician heard here has now recorded as a leader, it remains to be seen if together they remain a working band. If so, I eagerly await their next release.
Track Listing: Volume 1: Everybody's Song; Long Ago And Far Away; Some Other Time; Takin' Off; Buenos Aires; Volume 2: Six-Nix-Quix-Fix; Little Waltz; The Summer Know; Hail Caesar.
Personnel: Tony Deangelis: drums; Ralph Bowen: flute, soprano and tenor saxophones; Jim Ridl: piano; Matthew Parrish: bass.
Title: Everybody's Song Volumes 1/2 | Year Released: 2006 | Record Label: TAJ Records
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1. RBI announces 4th Bi-monthly Monetary Policy:
- RBI's 24th Governor Urjit Patel has announced his first and country's 4th Bi-monthly Policy Statement for the year 2016-17.
- The RBI has reduced the policy Repo Rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25 basis points from 6.5% to 6.25% with immediate effect.
Current Rates as announced today are:
1. Repo Rate – 6.25% (reduced by 25 basis points from 6.5 % to 6.25 %)
2. Reverse Repo Rate – 5.75%
3. CRR (Cash Reserve ratio) – 4%
4. Bank Rate – 6.75%
5. MSF (Marginal Standing Facility) – 6.75%
6. SLR (Statutory Liquidity Ratio) – 20.75%
2. Three researchers share 2016 Nobel prize in physics:
- The 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics was one half awarded to David J Thouless and the other half jointly to F Duncan M Haldane and J Michael Kosterlitz for theoretical discoveries of topological phase transitions and topological phases of matter.
- David J Thouless is a Emeritus Professor at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA. While, F. Duncan M. Haldane is the Eugene Higgins Professor of Physics at Princeton University, USA and J Michael Kosterlitz is the Harrison E. Farnsworth Professor of Physics at Brown University, USA.
3. Jharkhand becomes first state to implement DBT in Kerosene:
- Jharkhand has become the first state in the country to implement Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in Kerosene Scheme.
- The scheme is being implemented in four identified districts of the state from 1st of October 2017. These districts are Chatra, Hazaribagh, Khunti and Jamtara.
- Under the DBTK scheme, PDS kerosene will be sold at non-subsidised price and the subsidy will be directly transferred to consumers directly into their bank accounts.
4. SBI becomes first domestic bank to open branch in Yangon:
- The State Bank of India today announced its entry into Myanmar by opening a branch in the capital city of Yangon, becoming the first domestic lender to do so.
- The Yangon branch is the 54th foreign branch of the nation's largest lender.
5. Elephant researcher Prajna Chowta conferred with knighthood by France:
- Film-maker and elephant researcher Prajna Chowta (46) has been appointed Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Mérite (Knight in the National Order of Merit) by the French government.
- She has been conferred with the France's one of the highest civilian recognitions in recognition of a life devoted to caring for wild Asian elephants.
6. 4–10 October: World Space Week
- World Space Week is an annual event that is observed from 4-10 October every year in various parts of the world including Europe and Asia.
- World Space Week, 2016 is being observed with the theme, Remote Sensing: Enabling our Future.
7. Urban areas of Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh declared open defecation free:
- Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh became the first states to declare their urban areas as Open Defecation Free (ODF) on the second anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Mission.
- The mission launched by PM Narendra Modi, with its urban and rural component handled by the respective ministries, aims to make the country ODF by 2019.
- All 110 cities and towns in Andhra Pradesh were given the ODF tag by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at an event in Tirupati.
- Gujarat gave ODF status to each of its 180 cities and towns at a function in Porbandar.
8. Reliance ties up with Dassault to execute Rafale offsets:
- Dassault Aviation of France has entered into a partnership with Reliance group to execute offsets for the recently concluded deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets.
- This is the largest offset contract to be executed by any defence company in India till date.
9. Ashish Vohra appointed as CEO of Reliance Nippon Life Insurance Ltd:
- Ashish Vohra was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Reliance Nippon Life Insurance Ltd.
- The position of CEO of the company was lying vacant after Anup Rau left the company in June 2016. Prior to this appointment, Vohra was working at Max Life Insurance.
10. Prasar Bharati CEO Jawhar Sircar resigns:
- Jawhar Sircar has resigned as the Chief Executive Officer of Prasar Bharati Corporation.
- His resignation came 4 months ahead of the end of his tenure which was about to end in February 2017.
11. KJ Yesudas, the brand ambassador of Kerala's Haritha Keralam project:
- Playback singer K J Yesudas has been roped in by the Kerala' government as the brand ambassador of its ambitious 'Haritha Keralam' project.
- 'Haritha Keralam' (Green Kerala) project, a massive initiative envisaged for a garbage-free and clean state.


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Complementary consultations for new patients
Patient Centered Primary Care
Behavioral health integration
Medicaid (contracted with CareOregon)
Women's healthcare
Pediatric healthcare
Geriatric healthcare
Family healthcare
Auto injuries
Sports injuries
Mind/body medicine
Full laboratory services
Botanical Medicine
Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine
Spinal Manipulation
Physical Therapy
Stress management and stress reaction restructuring
Prescription drugs
Minor Surgery
Diet and Nutritional Supplementation
Fasting and Cleansing Program
Extended Healing Programs
The Center for Natural Medicine Dispensary is a great bonus for patients. Our providers are able to choose the supplements they use the most, the best researched and quality tested products, and can offer them to you. Call us at 503.232.1100 if you would like supplements sent to you or to see if they are in stock.
Second Opinions
Allergy Testing
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Resting and Exercise Stress EKG's
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On-site, 24 hour event and prolonged cardiac monitoring
Body Composition Analysis
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Gait Analysis with Digital Orthotic Construction
Immune IV's
Nutritional IV's
Hydrating IV's
A Center of Excellence (COE) is a team of experts that provide leadership, best practices, research and training, and support a specific focus area–in this case naturopathic cardiovascular medicine.


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These two had me swooning ALL DAY! Amanda and Will were married in front of an intimate group of friends and family at The Water's Edge Resort & Spa in Westbrook, Connecticut. Their ceremony overlooked the Long Island Sound, making for a perfect romantic location to exchange vows and share their first kiss as husband and wife!
I began my afternoon by capturing a few portraits of Will and his groomsmen as they were getting ready for the day's festivities. Amanda wrote her groom one of the most heartfelt love notes to accompany the personalized gifts she sent over to him. Will's reaction to her sweet words were absolutely priceless! They followed up with a First Look on the stairs in the back of the resort. As Will faced the Sound, Amanda was escorted to him by her bridesmaids, who helped to carry her veil and train of her dress to ensure it didn't get dirty. The emotion and excitement they both showed when they saw each other all dressed up was absolute perfection!
Amanda and Will, it was such an honor to capture your gorgeous day! Congratulations to you both!
Thank you to Rachel of A Storybook Image for having me assist you on this beautiful day.
If you liked this post, don't miss Christina + George's Wedding at Feast Caterers at Round Hill!


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Slabs, Templates, Texture, & Terra Sigillata with Jeremy Randall
Jeremy Randall presents the handbuilding and decorating processes he uses to create his vibrant architecturally-inspired vessels. Jeremy uses textures and asymmetry to reference aging industrial and agricultural structures. He explains his tar paper template...(Scroll for more.)
$39.97 — $52.97
$26.49 — $39.97
Runtime: 3 hours
Sneak a peek!
Purchased downloads are available to download for three days. Video files are compatible with Quicktime Player, Windows Media Player, and most other current video players. They are delivered as zip files containing the video files, and they require a broadband Internet connection to download (at 4 Mbps, this file can take 30–45 minutes to download.). Do not attempt with a dial-up connection.
…system, including a bonus feature on using tar paper templates to sketch in three dimensions, which allows a bit of control in form, but also leaves room for alteration. Through a series of projects, you'll gain a mastery of a textured slab technique and decorating style that you can incorporate into your own work or expand on in your own way. Original List Price: $69.97
"LOVE Jeremy! Great teacher. And he walked me thru entire constructions so clearly! I am once again on fire with clay. Ready to paint my "milk paint " on a piece today!" — Jan, California
"Techniques were very well explained. I plan to use some of what I've learned in my own pieces. His unique style sets his pieces apart from others." — Mary, Massachusetts
Off to a good start
Jeremy Randall constructs awesome pieces using textured slabs. He begins his DVD with a demonstration showing his technique for making slabs without the use of a slab roller by throwing them onto a work surface. Since his home studio is small, this technique is ideal and it also creates slabs that are stable.
Learning through projects
A great way to learn new techniques is by making something. Jeremy leads you through four unique projects—flower holder, hump mold tray, bale-handled bucket, and oval-lidded jar—where he takes you step-by-step through the texturing and construction process. Each project reinforces basic techniques while introducing new ones along the way.
"Great DVD, he is a very good instructor. Keep doing construction type DVD's….lots of handbuilders out here!" — Ronda, Phoenix
"Very educational. Spot on instructions." — Janekav, Delaware
Unusual techniques
Part of Jeremy's aesthetic is in how he builds forms with individual sections that have different textures and exposed seams. He also uses non-clay materials like nichrome wire and steel tacks to add even more visual interest and provide a jumping off point for further exploration on your part.
Complete finishing details
When you see Jeremy's work, you'll definitely be curious about how he gets such colorful surfaces. He describes his technique for how to make terra sigillata, add colors, and burnish a surface to create beautiful, naturally-sealed surfaces without glaze that will remind you of antique milk paint.
"This DVD has transformed my making! I now slab build as my main method of making ceramics thanks to Jeremy's tips and techniques." — Debbie, Oxford, UK
"It's a great video. I have watched several times, and each time I pick up something new. Very well done. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in hand building, terra sigillata and texture." — Inge, Michigan
A Review by Sumi von Dassow –Pottery Making Illustrated July/August 2012
. . . I watched the 2-disc set, Slabs, Templates, Texture and Terra Sigillata, with Jeremy Randall. Randall uses templates to create jars, buckets, and trays from textured slabs—although what I found more interesting than his use of texture was his use of nails and wire in his work. Since he fires to earthenware temperatures, he is able to embed these items in the clay for both decorative and structural purposes, something my students are always asking me about. Also interesting is his use of terra sigillata along with glaze and a copper stain to finish his work. The resulting pots are functional but feature a unique distressed surface reminiscent of old barns and industrial equipment.
Actually, from a texture point of view, I am most interested in trying out the crackle slip that he uses. I could also see myself experimenting some with terra sigillata instead of glazes, the way he does. If you are new to terra sig, he explains not only how to make and use it but also how to test each batch to be sure it won't cause trouble (such as peeling). The slip and terra sigillata recipes are at the end of the DVD along with a few of his glaze recipes.
Jeremy Randall's artist statement
Familiarity evokes memory and I look to this association to present nostalgia through form. My reference to rural American architecture and antique rural implements places the viewer in a familiar setting which is layered with time, function and history while color creates celebration in these iconic objects. The vessel forms tie these objects back to the domestic space, enriching ones living environment while allowing for quiet contemplation and a reminder of a simpler time. The colors used refer to milk painted surfaces, layered and stained by generations of use and the elements and steel tacks are placed in the clay surface to give a direct connection to ideas of construction and joinery. The vessels relate to buckets, tool caddies, toolboxes, connecting the ritual of use back to the everyday, creating a connection to the importance of our most simple actions.
A quote by Pete Seeger states… "The greatest paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings yet shorter tempers, we have wider freeways yet narrower viewpoints, we spend more yet we have less, we buy more yet we enjoy it less, we have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences and less time." As members of the American society we are caught up in the hurried lifestyle that surrounds us. Work pervades our every thought and action and we allow no time for peaceful contemplation or personal reflection. We as a society are caught in a cycle that is unraveling the very fabric, the connection to person and place that binds us. We are no longer attached to our community, we no longer know our neighbors, and, at times it seems as though we don't even know ourselves. It is through my work that I am addressing these issues of loss of community, loss of sacred place, loss of personal history, and the need to pay attention to what is around us. I believe that we need to re-connect to our surroundings, people, objects and community. My work is meant to be the catalyst for those connections.


text: Bright, cheerful, undeniably summery. Orange Blossom is our favourite sweet and peppy orange shade. Orange can be a polarizing colour. Searching through my own collection of projects using Orange Blossom was interesting. Unsurprisingly to me I tend to favour it when used in combination with lots of other colours. It plays so well in a rainbow! I'm Are you an orange person?