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Happy New Year Quotes, SMS and New Year Cards best Wishes for You – Happy New Year's Quotations, Sayings photo and images for everybody. Top 500 Happy New Year Wishes for Your Boyfriend or Girlfriend, Romantic Happy New Year Messages, Cute Happy New Year Card Messages and Happy New Year Wishes for Family.
More: New Year Quotes, Wishes, Saying, Messages
- Christmas quotes, Sayings – Merry Christmas Quotations
- Top 400 Mery Christmas quotes and best greetings cards
As the New Year approaches us with hopes anew, here is to wishing you and your family a wonderful year ahead. Happy New Year!
As the New Year dawns, I hope it is filled with the promises of a brighter tomorrow. Happy New Year!
Even if our talks may lessen, our hellos and our stories as well, but remember that, no matter what happens, my prayers and wishes for you will never fall short. May this year be the best year by far, and may this year bring with it endless joy and happiness.
Every end marks a new beginning. Keep your spirits and determination unshaken, and you shall always walk the glory road. With courage, faith and great effort, you shall achieve everything you desire. I wish you a very Happy New Year.
On the road to success, the rule is to always to look ahead. May you reach your destination, and may your journey be wonderful. Happy New Year.
No one can go back in time to change what has happened, so work on your present to make yourself a wonderful future. Happy New Year.
You're supposed to let go of the past and start off new. You're supposed to forgive all those who have hurt you, and be open to new relationships, with open arms. That is why it is called the 'New' Year. May you have a Happy New Year.
May what you see in the mirror delight you, and what others see in you delight them. May someone love you enough to forgive your faults, be blind to your blemishes, and tell the world about your virtues.
Don't forget the past, learn from it. Happy New Year.
"This Bright New Year Is Given Me To Live Each Day,
With Zest To Daily Grow And,
Try To Be My Highest And My Best…!"
"Naya Sawera Nayi Kiran Ke Sath, Naya Din Ek Pyari Si Muskaan Ke Sath,
Ap Ko Naya Saal Mubarik Ho Dher Sari Duaon Ke Sath,
Happy New Year 2016!"
"Naya Saal Aye Ban Ke Ujala Khul Jaye Ap Ki Kismat Ka Tala,
Hamesha Ap Par Rahe Mehirban Upar Wala Yahi Dua Karta Hai,
Ap Ka Yeh Chahne Wala, Happy New Year 2016!"
"Happy New Year It is time to forget the past,
and celebrate a new beginning!"
"This New Year eve, wish that the New year,
Ahead be as colorful as a rainbow,
Have A Happy New Year!"
Cheers to the New Year. May it be a memorable one. Happy New Year.
Don't worry when others are unable to understand you. Worry only when you are not able to understand yourself. May you have a Happy New Year.
I wish for this year to have lesser disasters, less hate, less accidents and loads of love. Happy New Year.
I wish you a very Happy New Year. Hope you have a great time ahead.
I wish you a very sweet and prosperous New Year. May God pour his love and blessings on you. Enjoy!
It is time to forget the past and celebrate a new beginning. Happy New Year.
It's time for champagne, cake and balloons. It's time to celebrate the new year. Happy New Year.
Let go of the past behind you. Right ahead, lies a new beginning. Make it a memorable experience. Happy New Year.
Let this New Year be the one, where all your dreams come true, so with a joyful heart, put a start to this year anew. Wishing you a happy and prosperous New Year.
Let's give a warm welcome to the year that starts a new, cherish each moment that the year shall behold, so let's come together and celebrate a blissful start to the New Year. Happy New Year.
"A brother is someone,
who is sweet & supportive,
kind and loving,
cheerful& inspiring,
a friend and my all time laughter,
Bro you mean so much more than words can say,
Happy New Year!"
"You are one of the best blessings,
For me sent from heaven,
Enjoy this New Year 2016 full of gifts,
Wishes and prayers,
Happy New Year!"
"I feel very blessed to be able to spend time my mom,
Family & very wonderful friends. Very grateful,
May only good things come this year,
Happy New Year 2016,
Happy New Year!"
"Please always know I love you,
and no one can take your place,
Years may come and go,
but your memory will never be erased ,
Happy New Year!"
"Vanish everything that's bad,
Welcome everything that's good,
Wish you a very happy new year 2016!"
"Lets celebrate this,
colorful New year,
with a smile,
Wish you Happy new year 2016!"
May each and every day of yours be renewed with lots of happiness and love. Happy New Year.
May New Year's Eve find you seated around the table, together with your beloved family and cherished friends. May you find the food better, the environment quieter, the cost much cheaper, and the pleasure more fulfilling than anything else you might ordinarily do that night.
May the coming year bring more happiness to you than last year. May you have an amazing year. Happy New Year.
May the gift of love, happiness, peace, and warmth be yours as you make a new start. Happy New Year!
May the New Year bring to you Warmth of love and a light to guide your path towards a positive destination. Happy New Year!
May the new year bring you greater heights of success and prosperity. Have a happy new year!
May the new year that follows be the best you have ever had. Have a blissful new year!
May the telemarketers wait to make their sales calls until you finish dinner, may the commercials on TV not be louder than the program you have been watching, and may your check book and your budget balance – and include generous amounts for charity.
May the year ahead brings you good luck, fortune, success and lots of love. Happy New Year to you and your loved ones.
May this new year, bring in loads of joy and fun in your life. I wish you a very sweet and warm New Year, and pray to God to bless to with his love, care and support. May you achieve big feats this year.
May you have a smashing new year filled with lots of delightful surprises. May you have a Happy New year.
"2016 is at the door,
Life is short, break the rules,
Forgive quickly,
love truly,
laugh uncontrollably,
never regret anything that made you smile."
"I Made No Resolutions For The New Year,
The Habit of Making Plans,
Criticizing, Sanctioning,
And Molding My Life,
Is Too Much of,
A Daily Event For Me!"
"Just As A New Bloom Spreads,
Fragrance And Freshness Around,
May The New Year Add A New Beauty,
And Freshness Into Your Life!"
"Nights are Dark but Days are Light,
Wish your Life will always be Bright,
So my Dear don't get Fear,
Coz, God Gift us a "BRAND NEW YEAR".
Happy New Year!"
Happy New Year SMS
May you know the joy of love,to soothe all tears away, true friend to walk beside you,through each and every day.I pray the year is brighter than the one passed before,good health and happiness and blessings by the score.Happy new year.
May your days be painted in gold. May your life be filled with diamonds. May the stars shine bright on your world. May you have a fun filled year. Happy New Year.
No matter if every sunset steels one day from our life, but every sunrise gives us one another day to hope!i wish new hopes will always be a part of your life.Happy new year.
On this New Year I wish that you have a wonderful January, a lovely February, a Peaceful March, a stress-free April, a fun-filled May, and Joy that lasts from June to November, and finally a happy December. May my wishes come true and may you have a charming and lucky New Year.
New Year Messages for Teachers
On this New Year, may you change your direction and not dates, change your commitments and not the Calendar, change your attitude and not the actions, and bring about a change in your faith, your force and your focus and not the fruit. May you live up to the promises you have made and may you create for you and your loved ones the most Happy New Year ever.
Season's greetings and best wishes for a new year that fills your heart with joy. Happy New Year!
The future ahead, holds numerous surprises for you. Be open to changes. Happy New Year.
The New Year is the time of unfolding horizons and the realization of dreams, may you rediscover new strength and garner faith with you, and be able to rejoice in the simple pleasures that life has to offer and put a brave front for all the challenges that may come your way. Wishing you a lovely New Year.
Happy New Year Messages Quotes 2016
"New Year Begins Let us Pray, That It Will Be a Year with New Peace,
New Happiness, And Abundance of New Friends,
God Bless You Throughout the New Year!"
"Let the New Year Make you Correct all Your, Vices and Brush,
Up all Your Virtues as You, Strive to Put Your Best Foot,
Forward to Welcome 2016, Happy New Year!"
"Thank You for Pushing Me to Do Great Things,
Which I Thought I Cannot Do, I Hope To Follow,
Your Path So That I Can Also Be Called,
A "Boss" Someday. Happy New Year 2016!"
New Year's Wishes for Business Partners in Prosperity
There are things that are sometimes left undone and there are things that can be left sometimes unsaid. There are things that can be sometimes left unsaid, but wishing someone like you can't ever be left, so I take this moment to wish you and your loved ones a joyous and wonderful New Year.
Time is like a flowing river, no water passes beneath your feet twice, much like the river, moments never pass you by again, so cherish every moment that life gives you and have a wonderful New Year.
When you are happy, smile and celebrate; but when you're sad, again celebrate to bring a smile to others. Happy New Year.
Wishing you a new year rich with the blessings of love, joy, warmth, and laughter.
Wishing you a year that is filled with all the fragrance of roses, illuminated with all the lights of the world and be blessed with all the smiles on the planet. Hope this year will be the year when all your dreams come true. Happy New Year 2015.
Wishing you good health, happiness, and success in the coming year and always. Happy New Year!
With a passing year, shall pass the pains and troubles of the past. Stop thinking about the times that are gone, instead waste your time worrying about the future. May you have a great New Year.
Best Happy New Year SMS 2016
"As this year is ending, I wish all the negativity and,
Difficulties also end with this year and 2016,
Bring success and desired results for you!"
"As the New Year renews all the happiness and good tidings,
Hope the joyful spirit keeps glowing in the your heart forever,
Happy New Year!"
"Happy New Year to you. Wish this year brings to the warmth of love,
and illuminates your path of life towards a positive direction,
Happy New Year!"
"New is the year, new are the hopes, and new is the resolution,
New are the spirits, and new are my warm wishes just for you,
Have a promising and fulfilling New Year!"
"Dear New Year, Please let me, my family, my colleagues,
My clients and my friends be just happy in this time,
Fill Your Life With Happiness & Bright Cheer,
Bring to You Joy and Prosperity For the Whole Year,
And it's My New Year Wish For You Dear,
Wish You a Very Happy New Year!"


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Tea tree oil not only gets rid of ingrown hairs but it also eases the pain while you still have it. This oil is known for having antiseptic properties that help speed up the healing time. It also has antibacterial properties that help with possible infections. To use this oil make sure you always dilute it before putting directly on your skin. You can use oils such as olive oil or coconut oil. Just mix the oil and the tea tree together, then apply to skin. Be sure to rinse this mixture off within 10-15 minutes.
Learn More: 25 Ways to Use Coconut Oil in your Beauty Routine.
so you would be helping your skin out in the long run.
Grab your favorite scrub, salt or sugar and use it on the infected area. Using the scrub, it exfoliates your skin by removing dead skin cells, allowing the hair to grow out of the skin.Learn More: DIY: Brown Sugar Body Scrub.
For me, I have never really seen where it has said that dry brushing helped with ingrown hairs. Ever since I have been dry brushing I have seen a lot less ingrown hairs. I just simply dry brush before my shower then rinse off with apple cider vinegar.Learn More: Amazing Dry Brushing Benefits for Stunning Skin
• Replace old razors.*I am not a doctor. I just love sharing recipes and ideas that work for me. For best use always test these scrubs on a small part of the skin to avoid problems with your skin and body.
If you like this post, please share and comment down below.

subset: commoncrawl


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Columbia Heights is a busy area for real estate, and Slate Properties is hosting a seminar on the basics of real estate investing this Saturday. Here's a bit more from Slate's Alex Khachaturian:
The thinking behind this is that there a a lot of seminars out there that cover home buying (esp. for fist timers) but nothing geared towards people interested in learning the basics of real estate investing (i.e. buy and hold and being a landlord, earning rental income, etc.).
Sounds pretty interesting, here's more details. There is no cost and there will be coffee and bagels too. Here's the Eventbrite invitation, or you can email or call.
Saturday April 2 at 11:00 a.m.
Slate Properties
1810 Florida Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20009
Join us for a seminar on the basics of buy & hold real estate investing at Slate Properties – a full-service real estate brokerage, investment, property management, and development firm based in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, DC. The seminar will aim to take the uncertainty out of one of the simplest and most stable forms of investment, covering the local real estate market. Highlights include:
Comparison of real estate to other investments
Fundamental real estate investment terms and calculations
Financial benefits to holding real estate investments
Investor "action plans"
Q&A session to follow.
** Refreshments will be provided **
** Please RSVP today to reserve your space by emailing email@example.com or calling 646.295.5179 **


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The Genelec AIC25 Active In-Ceiling speaker system consists of a two-way speaker enclosure and a matched remote amplifier module RAM2.
Designed to the same rigorous standards as all other Genelec's high performance speakers, the AIC25 features extremely low distortion, neutrality and sound pressure capability unequalled by other in-ceiling loudspeaker of similar size. The AIC25 speaker has a 5 inch woofer and a ¾ inch tweeter giving an accurate and uncoloured acoustic response. The solid, carefully dimensioned closed enclosure gives far better control of bass reproduction than typical in-ceiling speakers together with well controlled high frequency dispersion.
Key Technologies
Technical specifications
100 dB
62 Hz - 25 kHz (-6 dB)
± 3 dB (68 Hz - 20 kHz)
Woofers 5 inch + Tweeter 3/4 inch
Woofer 40 W + Tweeter 40 W
Diam x Depth 284 x 158 mm, 11 3/16 x 6 3/16 inch
3 kg / 6.6 lb
1 x XLR analog input, 1 x RCA analog input


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Printer Training
All In One Multi-Function (Pixma (MG, MX, TS) series (not for Selphy printer))
During the 1hr session*, we will be showing you how to use the software like Easy PhotoPrint EX and Scangear, for generic printing and scanning purposes. We will also share tips on Ink Cartidge management for new users.
Important Notes
Please note complimentary training contents are not model specific but a generic sharing session, and DO NOT cover fax setup, wireless setup, color management and trouble shooting user experience.
Additionally, this training is conducted in windows PC operating environment, we are unable to demo usage on Mac OS system.
For queries to above, please contact our Customer Service hotline at 6799 8686 during office hours from Monday - Friday 8:30am-5:30pm.
* For selected models only. Not applicable to all laser printers (MF series & LBP series), professional models e.g. Pixma Pro 1, Pro 10, Pro 100, Pro 9500, 9500 MK II, 9000, 9000 MK II and all Selphy printer)
WE ARE LOCATED AT: 1 Fusionopolis Place, (Level 3, Training Room) Galaxis (via East Lobby) Singapore 138522


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A month or so ago I received an email from James Poole (Advent Running co-founder & Adidas Running Captain) inviting me to an event he was collaborating with Strava on – the Strava Mile. I'm good friends with JP, use Strava and really enjoy mile races, I was in!
Before I knew it race day arrived. After a big weekend of mileage at Endure 24 and a tough 10 x 1k track session on Tuesday night my legs were feeling a bit sorry for themselves. I opted to run the 4k or so from work to Mile End track to try and loosen the legs up. Struggling to hold a few 4 minute kilometres I wasn't expecting to be breaking any records on #MyMile.
I was greeted at the track by Claire, Bill and Johnny from Iffley Road. They were supporting the event and providing tees to runners. As I'm a Team Iffley ambassador Claire gave me some of their lovely Thompson shorts in a new blue colourway to race in.
The event was a lot of fun; it was great to catch up with friends that I hadn't seen in a while due to training predominantly on my own for the last few months. As the start time of 7pm neared James hit the mic to let us know the schedule, there was to be 4 mile races: Sub 9, 8, 7 & 6 and below. With my legs beaten up I was glad the final mile was sub 6 and not 5. I thought I would be left suffering at the back in a sub 5 race. It was great to watch friends flying round the track, many of them achieving personal bests. For some it was their first mile race, I suppose there aren't that many around so it's great for events like this to be organised.
I ran a few strides to try and get the legs ready for action. There was a large group in the sub 6 race. I positioned myself near the front but decided I would try and crank the pace up in the final two laps if the legs would allow me. With my mile PB at 4:44 I knew I wouldn't be able to get near that but thought 5 would be a good target. In hindsight I should've tried to get the inside lane like James Brewster (pro!) or started a bit further up as I was forced to take a wider lane on a couple of occasions costing valuable seconds. I got into my stride and was on the right pace for sub 5, 3:06min/km.
It was great to have people to chase down, surprisingly my legs felt good after completing the first lap and going under the Strava gantry to cheers from friends.
Going through halfway I was still on pace and another sub 5 was within reach, I started to pick it up to try and bank a few more seconds and make sure I would achieve the time.
The last few laps went by in a blur; I gained ground on some of the runners in front and crossed the line in 4:55.
I was really happy and surprised with the result. It always makes me wonder what time I could achieve if I trained and tapered specifically for a mile race.
After everyone had run their miles we grabbed some tacos and beer. The event was a lot of fun, thank you James, Strava, Iffley Road, Eddie (Camden Town Brewery) etc for putting it on. I really hope there will be many more events like this in the future.
I hope everyone else that was there had as much fun as I did. See a lot of you soon.


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Once again, taxpayers in the dark on pricey city employee departures
City Attorney Rob Schultz is moving on from Morro Bay, and again a local governmental agency is paying a high-ranking public employee not to work.
Also, again, we have no idea why. I won't rehash how irritating this is. (I just did that a couple of weeks ago.)
As far as Morro Bay goes, Schultz is only half the story, as City Manager Andrea Lueker will likely be following in his footsteps, collecting taxpayer dollars to spend her time on other endeavors. We won't know why that must happen either.
Who knows, the new council majority may very well be on target with these moves. Evidence does suggest that the outgoing leadership may have been trying to shield the two city executives when it boosted their severance pay last November, shortly before they were voted out of office.
Perhaps they thought by increasing the severance, the new majority would be less inclined to oust Schultz and Lueker. Or maybe they knew the hammer would fall after their exit and were just looking to reward some longtime employees while they still had the power.
See what happens when we get into these civic messes and no one reveals the true motivations? I'm left to wild speculation.
In any case, it's always illuminating to get a look at the contracts bestowed upon public officials. Of Schultz's impending $163,235 parting gift, more than $47,000 is coming from accrued holiday, sick and vacation time.
According to the separation agreement, Schultz had 56 hours of unpaid holiday time, which is kind of amazing, because when do you ever see city workers in the office on a holiday? It's not like the Fourth of July celebration at Tidelands Park requires the services of the city attorney.
Schultz also had racked up 531 hours of unused vacation time, which amounts to more than 13 paid weeks off. Hey, Morro Bay, how about as part of this housecleaning, you cap the amount of vacation time that employees can roll over?
Which leads me to Schultz's unused sick time: That benefit tallied up to a whopping 625 hours, or almost 16 weeks. Fortunately, a clause in his contract only allowed him to cash out $4,500 of what could have been a $45,000 bill. Finally, a bit of frugality. But who gets that much sick time? And is there any limit to how much such an employee can accrue?
Yet again, we observers on the outside can only watch and shake our heads. Hopefully, the powers-that-be in Morro Bay know what they're doing, because just like almost every other government personnel move, these games of musical chairs don't come cheap.


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Rich, dark fruit and incredible softness make this harmonious wine ideal for dinner, drinks, or date night. Luscious wild berry bramble, Bing cherries, sweet vanilla and milk chocolate aromas give way into a lengthy, herbaceous finish.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
17/20 – Jancis Robinson
Gold Medal – LA International Wine Competition
Silver Medal – Consumer Wine Awards
This dark magenta Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon carries on the legacy of our spectacular 2012 vintage, uniting rich, dark fruit and incredible softness into a focused, harmonious whole.


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new season produce to add to your box
Each month we offer an exciting range of fresh seasonal extras as well as a whole host of organic goodies. This month we have lots of great new season produce including fantastic local spring greens and watercress, sweet and juicy cherry tomatoes, Montezuma dark chocolate for a little Easter treat and locally produced flour.
After months of searching for a regional, traditional flour miller we hve found a brilliant farm just down the road. Rebecca Rayner took on the family farm at Kings Ripton near Huntingdon about 8 years ago. Now she grows a mix of organic bread-making wheat at Glebe Farm. The cereals are milled on site, between good old-fashioned millstones that keep more nutrients in the flour than the modern high-speed roller mills.
To look through the list go to "this week's box" on this website, put in your postcode and you will see the "goods from out of the box" or find your list in your box (week beginning 2nd April). If you see something you would like, either order directly on the website or call your local distributor.


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Made in the USA
Cruelty Free
Phthalate Free
Gluten Free
Paraben Free
Pawsome - For the Love of Pets Collection - Bath Bomb
Made in the USA
Cruelty Free
Phthalate Free
Gluten Free
Paraben Free
Sit. Stay. Bathe.
Our Pawsome Bath Bomb will have you ready for bathtime in no time! This adorable collection features a paw-shaped bath bomb adorned with glittering gold. As it dissolves into a calming teal, you'll be reminded of gorgeous afternoons at the park as floral fragrances like orchid and white freesia mix with sunlit meadow and bamboo to make a scent that puppers and humans alike will enjoy.
Plus, inside each bath bomb, discover 1 of 5 doggie-inspired ring designs featuring a glittering aquamarine CZ center stone set in a rose gold, silver, or gold toned band along with a code with the chance to win an additional ring worth up to $10,000 through our Enter the Vault Sweepstakes!
The best part?! A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. As the largest no-kill sanctuary in the nation, the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary's mission is providing a pawsome home for every four-legged pet. Be part of the rescue with Fragrant Jewels and help save them all!
More About Best Friends Animal Sanctuary
Best Friends Animal Society operates the largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals in the country and it runs rescue, adoption and advocacy programs nationwide. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary's adoptable companion animals list includes dogs, cats, bunnies, guinea pigs, birds, horses and more!
|Hand made in USA, Phthalate-free, Paraben-free, Gluten-free, Cruelty-free
|Only the highest-quality ingredients and oils are used in our unique Bath Bombs for a relaxing, therapeutic, and enjoyable bathing experience.
|Free Bonus
|Each Bath Bomb contains a beautiful aquamarine cz ring and a code that gives you a chance to win a ring with a retail value between $100 and $10,000!
|Net Weight
|5.5 oz (155.92 g)
|Ship Time
|5-7 business days
|Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Fragrance, Magnesium Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Glycerin, May contain: Colorants, mica
Enjoy your Fragrant Jewels product.
Find your beautiful ring and your secret code.
Enter your code in the vault for a chance to win an additional $10,000 ring!


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Wendy Jones, Australia/New Zealand GAL (Girlfriend Assisting Leaders)
I have known Susan for 2 years. Susan has a burning desire to help women from all walks of life, so that they can reach their God-given potential. She is a great encourager, motivator and a Godly woman who just wants to serve our Lord and help other women to be women of God. I have attended a number of conferences where she has been the speaker and I also have the pleasure of meeting with her monthly on internet networking sessions.
Shannon Hoagland Mother/Daughter Camp Coordinator
I have had Susan speak at 2 different Mother/Daughter Camp events and also at our Ladies Banquet for church. She is a breath of fresh air and brings such a joy with her to the event. I would highly recommend her for your next speaking engagement.
Larry Crane, Children's Minister/Group Ambassador
Susan Lawrence is a gifted speaker with a genuine infectious love for Jesus. Her passion is to speak to the heart of women with words of encouragement, humor,hope and the power of God's word. She is a student of God's word and her wisdom is evident when she speaks.
Kimberly Price, Girlfriends Unlimited Coordinator
Susan is a passionate encourager of women everywhere as well as a very gifted speaker. God has given her the ability to connect with women on many levels and encourage them to seek their full potential in Christ. She is such a blessing to so many and it's a pleasure to call her my friend.
Audrey Bowden, Women's Ministry Volunteer
Susan Lawrence is a creative, gifted woman of God. Her love for the Lord shines through all she does, her care for women is evident in how she can encourage someone in any circumstance, and can always see the positive side of all situations. She is able to communicate effectively, competently and can do so at any type and size of gathering.


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Exercise With or Without Education May Prevent Low Back Pain
EBM Focus - Volume 11, Issue 7
Read the full EBM Focus and earn CME credit.
Reference - JAMA Intern Med 2016 Feb 1;176(2):199 (level 2 [mid-level] evidence)
- Most people will experience a low back pain episode in their lifetime and recurrence is extremely common within 1 year of the episode.
- A systematic review of 21 randomized trials assessing measures to prevent low back pain in 30,850 persons currently without low back pain found exercise with or without education significantly reduced episodes of low back pain.
- Other interventions including education alone, back belt, and shoe insoles were not effective for preventing low back pain episodes or sick leave due to low back pain.
Low back pain is very common, with 49-70% of the population experiencing at least 1 episode of acute low back pain in their lifetime (BMJ 2006 Jun 17;332(7555):1430). Approximately 70% of patients with an acute low back pain episode will have a recurrence within 1 year, and identifying interventions that can effectively prevent low back pain episodes could significantly reduce this healthcare burden (ICSI 2012 Nov PDF, Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol 2010 Apr;24(2):155). To help identify effective interventions, a recent systematic review analyzed 21 randomized trials assessing interventions to prevent low back pain in 30,850 persons currently without low back pain. Trials examining both primary prevention of back pain and secondary prevention were included in the analysis.
The interventions were categorized as exercise, education, exercise plus education, back belt, shoe insoles, or other. Control groups included no intervention, minimal intervention, or placebo. Low back pain episodes and sick leave due to low back pain were assessed as both short-term (evaluations at ≤ 12 months) and long-term (> 12 month follow-up) outcomes. All trials included in the analysis were of low to moderate quality and the duration of interventions as well as the specifics of each intervention group varied widely. Interventions associated with a significant reduction in low back pain episodes or sick leave are presented in the table below. There were no significant differences in short or long-term outcomes with education alone, back belts, or shoe insoles.
The results of this systematic review suggest that exercise, either alone or in combination with educational interventions, is an effective intervention for preventing low back pain. However, these results are limited by the low quality of evidence and the heterogeneity of exercise interventions included in the trials. The type of exercise, number of sessions, and duration of the intervention varied widely, making it impossible to determine if one type of exercise may be more effective than another. On the other hand, this heterogeneity also suggests that multiple forms of exercise may be beneficial, allowing programs to be tailored more towards individual needs and desires. Though exercise alone significantly reduced short-term episodes of low back pain, the addition of education to exercise further reduced both short and long-term low back pain episodes. These results indicate that education may be important in preventing low back pain episodes, but the small number of trials investigating long-term outcomes limit the ability to determine the magnitude of its role. Equally important to identifying effective preventative measures, this systematic review also identified interventions that are not effective. The results indicate that back belts, shoe insoles, and education alone may not be effective for preventing low back pain.
For more information, see the Acute low back pain topic in DynaMed Plus. DynaMed users click here.


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Title: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Author: Jesse AndrewsRelease Date: March 1st 2012
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★
+Add to Goodreads
Greg Gaines is the last master of high school espionage, able to disappear at will into any social environment. He has only one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time making movies, their own incomprehensible versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics.
Until Greg's mother forces him to rekindle his childhood friendship with Rachel.
Rachel has been diagnosed with leukemia—-cue extreme adolescent awkwardness—-but a parental mandate has been issued and must be obeyed. When Rachel stops treatment, Greg and Earl decide the thing to do is to make a film for her, which turns into the Worst Film Ever Made and becomes a turning point in each of their lives.
And all at once Greg must abandon invisibility and stand in the spotlight.
My Review:
I've heard a lot of great things about this novel, that it's hilarious, witty and generally amazing and heartfelt. I finally got the chance to pick it up and read it since I plan on seeing the film that is adapted from this novel (Book and Movie Review will be up later this week!)
I read Me and Earl and the Dying Girl on a weekend, and it's a quick and easy read. The narrator, Greg, has everything figured out on how to remain invisible and ordinary in his high school while making strange, and in his own words, awful films with his only friend, Earl.
This novel makes it very clear that this is not a standard cancer story, where the two main characters fall in love and the reader, which is us, will leave feeling fulfilled and enlightened on incredible life lessons on love, life, and cancer.
You can tell early on that Greg is insecure and incredibly defensive on how insecure he is and how much he depends on other people's opinion of him. He undermines everything he feels and experiences, especially when he experiences emotional distress.
For this genre and topic, I suppose that the narration is refreshing but I felt that this blasé attitude was not only a character trait on the main character but an extension on how the author wanted his novel to be perceived.
The entire novel is devoid of any meaning, and the characters are one-dimensional wooden stereotypes.
For example:
-The eccentric dad
-The over worrying mom
-The crazy teenage little sister
-The black best friend with a wrecked family life and low-income status
-The sweet and quiet cancer patient
The jokes were repetitive at times and it felt like the author was trying really hard to push home in big bold shiny letters that THIS IS NOT A TYPICAL CANCER STORY.
The plot, all of the secondary characters, including Earl and Rachel, were ignored in terms of character development and Greg didn't really grow as a character either. Greg is in a different place than the start of the book, but having a high school senior go to college is not some huge leap of the imagination.
Overall, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is a fast read but fell flat in terms of plot, character development, and anything else that makes a good story. I'm giving it three stars because the writing is great, and the parts were the story is told as a script work fantastically. Earl and Greg's friendship and exploration of the films they both loved was great to read.
I would recommend this novel to the nihilist in your life who thinks that they are smarter and more worldly than they actually are.
Check out my Book + Movie Comparison Review here.
Check out my Book + Movie Comparison Review here.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is available here.
-Amanda Leon


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These days I become wildly protective of new mums whenever I meet one. Panting like an over-enthusiastic fat labrador in my efforts it can get a bit embarrassing if the new mum looks at me nonplussed and says she is absolutely loving every minute…Better safe than sorry though, eh…
I do feel bad when this happens though. I feel like the angry person scowling in the corner of the tastefully decorated monochrome gender-neutral nursery, spoiling the ambiance with my CLASHING SWIRLS OF RAGING COLOUR grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, whereas
occasionally most of the time, being a mum is easily the best thing ever for me too.
My assumption of the worst for new mums in fact comes only from a good place. I'm several years past those precious early days (treasure every minute, they'll be gone before you know it bleurgh… sorry just vommed a little – gone soon, you say? Er, yes please) but the memories of the unsettling storm of rampaging hormones, sleep deprivation, uncertainty, anxiety and the pressure of keeping a whole other human alive rocked, rolled and turned my world upside down.
Not least to turn me inside out was the fact that my previously reptilian skin, thickened by years of catering to that toughest of crowds – The Teenager – was not immune to the pummice stone that is motherhood. Like the best exfoliator the friction of parenthood sloughed away cell by cell, layer after layer, my bullshit identity – the person I thought was me – until there was nothing left except a tissue veneer loosely keeping my organs from jelly-like splashing all over the floor.
I might have become a bit "sensitive".
On one occasion, I cried because a family member wondered whether pregnancy yoga relaxed my first baby so much that she didn't want to be born. In the fragile emotional state I was in, knowing that this was absolutely bloody bonkers was not enough to have me rolling my eyes and moving on. She continued to wonder whether this was why my labour was so (fucking horrendous – my word, definitely not her's) challenging and my bullshit-deflectors failed me completely.
I just heard yet another shitty judgement on me, my body and my ability to be a mother. And I cried. And I cried. And I cried.
Part of the problem is that much of the shit that gets fanned in a new mum's direction often originates in helpful intentions. It's really hard to say "Oh just fuck off would you" when you know this would be seen as an "over-reaction", not to mention the fact that lots of the most hurtful things are said by family members (no escape), or (even harder to negotiate) your partner's family members, or even your friends.
These will probably be the people you have to draft in at some point or other to babysit. Piss them off at your peril.
Instead, tell yourself that they don't realise their offer of unsolicited advice is not going to evoke feelings of gratitude. That your response might in fact be, "Oh well, if s/he thinks I need to be told this then I must look like I can't cope", won't have occurred to them.
Tell yourself this so you don't drive yourself crazy, or sad, or both.
The fact is that some people left their sensitivity bone behind back when two cells were becoming four, so protect yourself. Tell the boneless ones "Thanks" or "because I want to", and entertain yourself by reading some of these internal rants that otherwise will never see the light of day because I need babysitters…
You should/ you must/ you will… Oh just fuck off would you? There is no should, must, will about it. This is my baby and I am going to do it my way. I don't give two flying fingers of fudge that you have three children of your own, have cared for the entire under-5 population of a small Pacific island, nor that you have a PHD in offering unsolicited advice to anyone unfortunate enough to have ears and a baby, this is STILL not your baby and I'm STILL going to do it my way.
And besides, I have spent the last four night's at ninety minute intervals reading ev-er-y-thing in the internet so I already know there are approximately seven THOUSAND conflicting pieces of advice out there about how to get my DC/ DS/ DD2 (wtf?) to sleep through the night. AND I've already tried eight thousand of them.
What works for one baby, might not work for ten others so please go and file your "expertise" under sh for "shut up".
You've got to be strong now… Ok then, look at me. Look me right in the face – it might be a little drippy right now, but this <circle your head with a very pointy forefinger> has also just grown a person and pushed it out of her body/had it hoisted from the escape hatch.
Do you see me?
I AM the dictionary definition of strength – I am a chuffing HERO.
And if you don't believe me, take a look at my strung-together under-carriage. Like an abandoned Halloween mask left draped over the pumpkin flame five minutes too long, that thing is terrifying right now, and who KNOWS if it will ever mould back into shape.
Still need convincing? Well how about I flash you my cracked and bleeding nipples – it's not just milk dribbling out of those butt-ends right now, you know… Was that a WINCE? These are WORDS motherchuffer, just imagine how it FEELS.
I am a WARRIOR – who may be feeling a little unstable because, hormones – BUT Bow. DOWN.
Reassess your judgement of me as WEAK because I am crying a little – I am a GODLY-GOD-DAMN-GODDESS.
The baby is ok – that's the main thing… Oh is it? So me, mum, the person who changed her life, wardrobe, eating and drinking habits, who has not slept properly for months (sleep in the late stages of pregnancy is a cruel, cruel joke – like preparing for a freaking famine by going on a diet) and who has just had her body torn apart in countless ways so that "the main event" can journey earthside, is not the most important person?
Are you high?
I'm a freaking hero (there may be a theme developing here). And if I tell you that the birth was hard, just fucking listen, people. It was HARD. I have just been through the most traumatic hours of my entire life and you need to make space for me to talk about it.
I might talk about it a lot at first, I might bore the tits off you. But as my tits are being pulled and pummelled, are growing and shrinking, stinging, cracking, bleeding and oh, yes lactating; as MY tits are doing all of this a little bit of boredom for your's is no big deal.
So no: the main thing is not that the baby is ok – the main thing is that I am ok. An ok mother is an ok baby.
He/ she is/not hungry/ tired… I DON'T CARE. Even if you KNOW-KNOW – you've had seven children of your own, bottle fed three, breast fed four and tandem fed two of those, if you've co-slept AND cot-slept, sleep-trained AND gone insane, this baby is NOT YOUR'S so BACK OFF.
Let's face it, there is a VERY small list of things that can go wrong – hungry, tired, wet, poo-y, hungry, hungry, wind, hungry – so even if you're right, it doesn't matter because we'll get there eventually, without being made to feel like a twat for not knowing immediately like you do, apparently.
*Also see You should/ you must/ you will…*
You're making a rod for your own back… Maybe. But it's my back, right? I'm not going to actively "teach" my child to sleep nowhere except at a precise angle of 45degrees on top of me, but only when I'm wearing the green pyjamas and have the top two buttons undone so his little shell-like can rest on my pumping life-force, just so I can leave him/ her with you to scream for a few days while I go and party in Ibiza, am I?
So why are you so bothered?
Besides, maybe I don't care. Maybe right now stuffing enough rods to build Trump's fence down the back of my breastfeedingfriendly shirt is worth it, if that is all that stands between getting some sleep and getting none.
Maybe picking him/ her up whenever he/she cries makes ME feel calmer.
Maybe carrying him/ her in a sling all day instead of in the pushchair means that no one has to listen to the screams.
Maybe this is all just MY way and is none of YOUR business.
And maybe, just maybe, you do have something valid to add to the conversation.
But maybe just maybe, I'm not ready to hear it.
And maybe, just maybe, you need to respect that, button it, and say "You're amazing. Well done."


text: Study paves way for steroid treatments with fewer side effects 19 August 2016 BHF Press Office Category: Research An improved therapy to replace essential steroids in the body is a step closer thanks to new research we helped to fund. The new treatment – expected to have fewer side effects than existing therapies – could help people with disorders of the adrenal gland whose bodies are unable to produce a class of steroids called corticosteroids. What are corticosteroids? Corticosteroids are involved in a wide range of physiological processes in the body, including regulating metabolism, blood pressure and helping the body to cope with physical stress. The new treatment The therapy could help people with conditions such as Addison's disease and congenital adrenal hyperplasia, who need steroid treatment to avoid the risk of potentially fatal illness during physical stress. Treatment usually involves replacing one of the steroids they are unable to produce – called cortisol – with a medication. However, this approach also affects fat tissue and can lead to excessive weight gain, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh's BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science studied another steroid called corticosterone, which is also naturally produced by the body. Until now, there has been little research into its activity. What they found In a mouse study, the team showed that the effects of corticosterone on fat cells were reduced compared with cortisol. They found the effects were reduced because fat cells have a pump that removes corticosterone – but not cortisol – from the fat cells. The researchers tested the therapy in a small group of patients with Addison's disease. The team found that corticosterone was as effective as cortisol, but had reduced effects on fat cells compared with cortisol. What the researchers say Dr Mark Nixon, of the BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science at the University of Edinburgh, said: "The discovery of this selective corticosterone pump in fat cells could lead to a completely new approach in our search for safer steroid medications." The researchers say that, with further research, these findings may one-day lead to improved therapies for other conditions that respond to steroid treatment, including asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. Our research Find out more about BHF-funded research here


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While its great to honor the dead. A wise mind once said bring me my flowers while I'm still alive, so we're paying homage to 10 Black Celebs you may not have known were still alive and kicking.
1. Thelma Hopkins (Aunt Rachel From Family Matters)
Hopkins is best known for her roles as Adelaide "Addy" Wilson on Gimme A Break from 1984-87, Rachel Crawford on Family Matters from 1989-1998. She currently has a semi-regular role as Marilyn Persons in the series Are We There Yet. Hopkins is set to star in the upcoming FX sitcom Partners as Ruth Jackson, Martin Lawrence's character (Marcus Jackson) mother.
2. Jasmine Guy (A Different World)
She is best known for her starring role as the southern belle Whitley Gilbert on the NBC Television Sitcom A Different World (1987-1993).[/i] She has also performed voiceover work for animation. We last saw her in Scary Movie 5.
3. Lisa Fischer (Singer)
She rose to fame in 1991 with her debut album So Intense, which produced the Grammy Award–winning hit single "How Can I Ease The Pain". Known for her wide, high-reaching vocal range, Fischer has been recognized as one of the most successful session vocalists of the era. In 2013, Fischer joined the rock band Nine Inch Nails as a backing vocalist for their Tension 2013 tour.
4. Bebe Drake Massey (Ms Myra From Martin)
Best known for her roles on Martin as Ms. Myra, Drake was the landlord in Friday after Next and has done voice work for the animated series Boondocks.
5. Tonya Blount (Sister Act 2)
Not much became of her music career after her famous duet with Lauryn Hill on His Eye Is On The Sparrow. She is married to Gospel Recording Artist Michael Trotter Jr. Tanya and her husband currently Pastor a thriving church in her home state.
6. Juvenile (Rapper)
He's a rapper but he's still a gorilla ya understand? Back when Lil Wayne was still in diapers Juvenile was the money maker for Cash Money with hits like Back That Ass Up. Recently he collabed with rapper 2 Chainz.
7. William Allen Young (Moesha)
Hey wait a minute ain't that Brandy's Father? No he was Moesha's dad. His other television credits include Matlock, JAG, and The Jeffersons, among other shows. He portrayed a recurring character on CBS's CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and a different recurring character on CBS's CSI:Miami.
8. Tommy Davidson (In Living Color)
Davidson started his career as a stand up comedian in the mid-1980s, performing in various comedy clubs throughout the Washington Metropolitan region. His first major exposure came on the variety show In Living Color. More recently, Tommy Davidson played the role of Cream Corn in Black Dynamite.[/i]
9. Walter Emauel Jones (Black Ranger)
Go Go Power Rangers, Jones is best known for playing the role of Zack Taylor, the Black Ranger on the hit television seriesMighty Morphin Power Rangers. He appeared briefly as a salsa dance instructor on Age of Love. He also appeared in Mighty Med and as a poet in an episode of Disney XD's Pair of Kings. Additionally Jones has also been featured in a PetSmart commercial and a Bank of America commercial as well.
10. T.C Carson (Kyle Barker, Living Single)
He is best known for portraying Kyle Barker on the FOX sitcom Living Single and Star Wars: The Clone Wars as the voice double for Samuel L. Jackson. He is also well known for voicing Kratos in the iconic God of War video game series. He has most recently starred as one of the mall carolers in a Marshalls/T.J. Maxx commercial.


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Assault generally means an unlawful attempt by someone to inflict harm
on another person. Aggravated assault, according to Federal Bureau of
Investigation's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, is an attack on
a person to inflict aggravated or severe bodily injury. In most cases,
there is a weapon involved that would likely result in great bodily harm or death.
Attempted aggravated assault also usually involves the threat to use or
to display a weapon. Such as weapon may be a gun, a knife or something
else that could produce serious bodily injury.
According to the UCR program statistics, there were 751,131 aggravated
assaults in the U.S. in 2011. When compared to aggravated assault numbers
from 2010, there was a decline of 3.9 present and a 15.7 percent decline
from 2002 numbers. The percentage of aggravated assaults that involved
the use of a defendant's hands and feet was 26.9 percent. Firearms
were used in 21.2 percent of aggravated assaults. Cutting instruments
were used in 19.1 percent of aggravated assaults.
The data for these statistics comes from the UCR program from the FBI.
For those facing such a charge, a strong defense is needed as soon as possible.
Aggravated assault and similar charges carry a significant penalty, including
the possibilities of jail time. It's important that you begin building
your case immediately and that includes directly after your arrest or
even during the initial investigation. This means not talking to police
without your attorney present. You don't want to say anything that
might be used against you if your case should go to trial.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation, "Aggravated Assault," accessed May. 15, 2015


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A vented microwave is a multifunction appliance that combines a microwave oven with a vented range hood. The ventilation feature directs airflow to ducts that carry air to an outside exhaust vent or circulate filtered air back into the building.
The installation location determines the available choices for internal or external venting. For example, installation of the appliance on an interior wall limits the method of external ventilation to the use of ducts that direct airflow through an exhaust vent installed in the roof.
Internal wall installation in a two-story building eliminates the selection of external exhaust completely. An external wall installation location allows for the use of short-run ductwork connected to an outside exhaust vent, regardless of the height of the building.


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To a Passing Stranger
The deafening traffic roared round me in the street.
Tall, slim, in full mourning, noble in her
grief, a woman passed by, with one stately hand
lifting and swinging the rich hem of her gown
Swiftfooted, aristocratic, statuesque.
As for me, like a maniac possessed, I drank
from her eye…livid sky, where tempests take shape,
the sweetness that enthrals, the pleasure that kills!
A lightening flash . . . then night! Lovely passerby,
whose glance has suddenly given me new life,
will I see you again only in Eternity?
Elsewhere—far from here! too late! perhaps never!
Where you flee, where I go, neither of us knows—
O you whom I might have loved, O you who knew it!
2 thoughts to "To a Passing Stranger, by Charles Baudelaire (trans. Darkmoon)"
I'm glad you did this very literal translation of Baudelaire's poem. It's almost a word-for-word rendition of the original. Here is Roy Campbell trying to do it in rhyme:
The deafening street roared on. Full, slim, and grand
In mourning and majestic grief, passed down
A woman, lifting with a stately hand
And swaying the black borders of her gown;
Noble and swift, her leg with statues matching;
I drank, convulsed, out of her pensive eye,
A livid sky where hurricanes were hatching,
Sweetness that charms, and joy that makes one die.
A lighting-flash — then darkness! Fleeting chance
Whose look was my rebirth — a single glance!
Through endless time shall I not meet with you?
Far off! too late! or never! — I not knowing
Who you may be, nor you where I am going —
You, whom I might have loved, who know it too!
— Roy Campbell, Poems of Baudelaire (1952)
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The City Council elections this year could turn out to be a referendum on whether Honolulu should pursue rail transit.
Councilmen Gary Okino and Rod Tam each have challengers in their respective re-election bids who say the incumbents are viewed as pro-rail.
» Charles Djou
The City Council is expected later this year to select a mass-transit system for Oahu from rail, dedicated toll lanes, a beefed-up bus system or nothing at all.
Okino is being challenged by truck driver Kenneth Harmeyer and physician Inam Rahman, while Tam's opponent is recording engineer Michael Wilcox.
The challengers say that rail is not necessarily the answer to solve traffic congestion.
"I don't see the rail as bad, but I think we need to look at other things," said Harmeyer, who also advocates dedicated bus lanes.
Rahman, who ran unsuccessfully for Congress two years ago, said, "I strongly believe that we need to invest in mass transit. When I say mass transit, it's just not only rail, but any other options."
"I'm probably the staunchest supporter of transit," said Okino, a retired city planner. "It's the experience and knowledge that I have in seeing (rail) systems worldwide and having studied the issue of traffic congestion and traffic relief."
Wilcox, who became politically active with a group trying to keep a racetrack on Oahu, said that instead of rail, the city should be expanding the bus system.
Tam said he has yet to decide on what to support.
"My position is we need to have some kind of mass-transit system. What technology? I'm not sure," Tam said. "Is the mass transit going to be convenient? Is it going to get them to their destination in a timely manner?"


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My friend Fr. Russell Asch quoted from TS Eliot's poem in his Epiphany homily. It prompted me to have a closer look at the story as told by Eliot.
Below is a rare recording of the poem read by the poet and is taken from a live interview T. S. Eliot did for the BBC, broadcast during World War II. The words of the poem are included following the clip in case you want to follow along.
It provides a different perspective on this journey as seen through the eyes of one of the kings.
The Journey Of The Magi by T S Eliot
'A cold coming we had of it,
Just the worst time of the year
For a journey, and such a long journey:
The ways deep and the weather sharp,
The very dead of winter.'
And the camels galled, sorefooted, refractory,
Lying down in the melting snow.
There were times we regretted
The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces,
And the silken girls bringing sherbet.
Then the camel men cursing and grumbling
and running away, and wanting their liquor and women,
And the night-fires going out, and the lack of shelters,
And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly
And the villages dirty and charging high prices:
A hard time we had of it.
At the end we preferred to travel all night,
Sleeping in snatches,
With the voices singing in our ears, saying
That this was all folly.
Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley,
Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation;
With a running stream and a water-mill beating the darkness,
And three trees on the low sky,
And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow.
Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel,
Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,
And feet kiking the empty wine-skins.
But there was no information, and so we continued
And arriving at evening, not a moment too soon
Finding the place; it was (you might say) satisfactory.
All this was a long time ago, I remember,
And I would do it again, but set down
This set down
This: were we led all that way for
Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly
We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death,
But had thought they were different; this Birth was
Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.
We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their gods.
I should be glad of another death.


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Do you want to get up close and personal with creepy creatures of the night? Come to the Estu-Scary Festival and Haunted Forest on either Oct. 27, 28 or 29 to meet a few of our resident critters. Learn about typically frightening animals, such as spiders, bats, snakes and bugs at the Kid-Friendly area. Meet our resident ambassadors – "Cornflake the Corn Snake" (Pantherophis guttatus) and "Terry the Diamondback Terrapin" (Malaclemys terrapin). You might even see a few other critters like crown conches (Melongena corona)!
If everyone is still feeling brave, explore the Haunted Forest where things go bump in the night! The Estu-Scary Festival, including games and Halloween candy, is free. The Haunted Forest trail ticket is $6.
To reserve your Trail Ticket, click here. For more information, please call 904-823-4500.


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These ProMark TX5BGW Hickory 5BG Benny Greb Drumsticks were designed by German drummer extraordinaire Benny Greb to capture full articulation and playability. It features a 5B-style design with slightly thinner taper and a more "pointed" tip. Great rebound, and exceptional cymbal articulation. Because of its resilience, responsiveness and durability, hickory is the most commonly used wood for drum sticks. Hickory is the classic drum stick feel.
Diameter: .600″ Length: 16″
Acorn wood tip provides a dark tone and is ideal for acoustic performance
Medium taper for balanced response and rebound
Made from Hickory wood, a popular choice for drumsticks due to its resilience, responsiveness, durability, and classic feel


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Support this site! Clicking the links (below) takes you to
Amazon.com. If you buy ANYTHING, they pay for the referral. My books...
Written by and copyright © 2005-2019 by Thomas N. Bulkowski. All rights reserved. Disclaimer: You alone are responsible for your investment decisions.
See Privacy/Disclaimer for more information. Some pattern names are the registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Our hero, Basket Case Bob, is not dangling by a fingernail from the ledge of a high rise in some exotic country, nor is he commanding an army in Afghanistan. Rather, he is
perfecting his trading system. It's not quite right. Another tweak here, a moving average crossover there, and he will be almost done.
In fact, he's been working on what he calls the Holy Grail system, one that never loses and makes big profits, since I have known him. He is using his unfinished system as
an excuse to avoid trading. Are you the same way?
Deep down, what is his problem? Is he secretly in love with his mother and hates his father? Of course! He's a basket case, after all, but his real problem is fear.
It all started when he
was a young farmer. Farmers are risk takers, to be sure, but his family equated trading the stock market to gambling. When he took an interest in the markets, they criticized him and
warned him about the risks of failure.
"Fred the Red traded the futures market," warned his dad, "and now look where he is. He lost his farm!"
"He's right," added his mom. "Benevolent Betsy was investing for her charity and now it's in foreclosure."
Those warnings and a difficult economy reinforced Bob's fears about trading for a living. And the longer he goes without trading the worse he is likely to do once he starts.
Why? Because all of that stored anxiety will burst through and compound the difficulty of making a proper trade. He'll be a nervous wreck.
Here is a list of problems traders and investors may come across.
You may have read that the top traders have few parameters in their systems. Through testing and experience, they have found that the simple things work best. The more complicated
the system, the more things go wrong.
In college, a group of us submitted a grant application for hearing research for which we won a National Science Foundation grant. We spent a day at an institute to help
them do research on the quality of sound. "Use any scale you wish, like 1 to 10, to determine whether the sound you hear is different than the original."
They played the original sound and then about a dozen new ones. I ranked the sounds using the 1 to 10 scale as did most of us, but my friend used a binary test (that is, either the
sound was different or it wasn't).
Both of us scored near the top of the list for consistency, but he did slightly better because he used such a simple system. Simple is best.
What did Basket Case Bob do? He studied the best traders in the company where he worked using the following methods.
Since the traders all worked for the same company, he could simply ask them how they achieved their success, but he also watched them in action.
Once he had analyzed several pros to understand why they were successful, he created a game plan of his own. He followed these rules.
Some traders preferred a quick in
and out, cut and run method, catching the swings from low to high and the reverse. Others preferred a more relaxed system that waited for the longer run of a breakout.
By assessing his own lifestyle, he tailored his plan to his personality. Those too impatient at stoplights might prefer the 1-minute scale with quick trades, catching each ebb and
flow of price. Those in the slow lane that drive the speed limit prefer to wait for the breakout from a trading range. They switch to the longer time scales on their charts to determine entry and
exit points.
From his study of traders, he discovered the following.
Take the day off and go fishing, hiking, or visiting an art museum (or whatever). When I visited the local Japanese gardens, I came home and wanted to tear up my back yard. So I did!
The above photo is the result.
-- Thomas Bulkowski
Written by and copyright © 2005-2019 by Thomas N. Bulkowski. All rights reserved. Disclaimer: You alone are responsible for your investment decisions.
See Privacy/Disclaimer for more information. Some pattern names are the registered trademarks of their respective owners.
History does not repeat itself. Historians merely repeat each other.


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Tips for Using the Trackpad on Your Surface Keyboard
Both the Touch and the Type Cover keyboards for the Surface include a trackpad below the keys. Chances are good that you won't use it much: It's usually easier to touch the screen to do what you want.
However, it comes in handy if you spend much time on the desktop. There, the trackpad controls your mouse pointer, bringing the pinpoint precision needed to navigate the desktop's crowded menus.
|To Do This …
|… Do This
|Move the onscreen pointer.
|Drag your finger anywhere on the trackpad.
|Tap one finger anywhere on the trackpad or press the left
trackpad button.
|Right-click the Windows desktop.
|Tap two fingers anywhere on the trackpad or press the right
trackpad button.
|Left-click and drag.
|Hold down the left trackpad button and then tap and slide your
other finger on the object you want to drag.
|Slide two fingers horizontally or vertically, a handy way to
navigate the Start screen.
|Show a Start screen app's App bar.
|Tap two fingers anywhere on the trackpad.
Pay particular attention to these tips, which work equally well on both the Touch and Type Cover keyboard's trackpads:
When reading a website or browsing an app like the News app, put two fingers on the trackpad and then slide them back and forth or up or down, depending on how the page flows. That sometimes scrolls the page more smoothly than touching the screen with your fingers.
Tapping with two fingers brings up the right-screen menu on the desktop. That's often faster and easier than right-clicking by tapping on the trackpad.
The Touch Cover 2 and Type Cover 2 covers also let you pinch and zoom with two fingers on the trackpad. Also, swiping in from the left or right sides of the trackpad mimics doing the same on the screen. (That lets you fetch the Charms bar or see the currently open applications.)
Tapping with two fingers quickly brings up an App's menu. But because you still need to tap the menu item with a finger or well-placed mouse click, it rarely saves time.


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Each athlete begins their training process by completing a one-on-one comprehensive Functional Movement Screen (FMS) and overall athletic evaluation. These evaluations are used to gain a better understanding of each athlete's personal needs by assessing their overall body composition, range of motion, muscular imbalances, functional strength, sport specific speed as well as power.
Prior to any training, we map out training goals with our athletes to set the stage for personal focus throughout their training process. Our training programs cater to the needs of each athlete based on personal and sport specific demands.
EVerything under one roof
We now have the level of facility that caters to all the needs of all of our athletes, from pros to an elementary school student just discovering the love of soccer. The centerpiece includes a 50-yard expanse of turf, a dedicated weight room, a yoga studio/stretching room, onsite physical therapy, and just more room for everyone to enjoy.


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As a buyer or a seller, knowing what a business is actually worth from an objective and accurate assessment is essential before a sale or an offer to buy. For the seller, knowing the value helps to set a realistic market price that will move the business and also provide a fair return on the investment. For the buyer, taking the time to value a business helps to understand a fair offer to purchase.
For any business owner selling a business anywhere in Minnesota (MN), taking the time to have a professional, experienced business broker complete a business valuation is an essential stop. Once you know what the actual value is based on that process, you can then decide if this is the right time to sell.
Valuation Options
Different professionals may value a business based on different techniques and methods. Sometimes the choice of methods used to obtain the market value is a direct factor of the type of business. In other situations, there may be multiple options to use and the professional completing the valuation should choose the one to provide the most accurate information for the seller.
The most effective options for most small businesses will include considering the assets owned by the company that are part of the sale, but at their current cost, not at their new replacement cost. Additionally, the valuation will also consider if you own the building or rent and even what the industry trends are for predicted future sales.
In general, just looking at revenue is only a partial picture of how to value a business. These types of methods typically use a formula based on the industry that multiplies the revenue by a factor to arrive at a rough value.
As an MN business owner understands, not all the revenue or value in a business is revenue streams and assets. There are also issues to consider such as locked in low-cost contracts with vendors, ongoing contracts with existing customers for future products and services as well as the company reputation.
Even issues such as having the management team in place to stay through the transition to the new buyer can be of value and should be considered in developing a market price.
Ultimately, as the business owner, you will set the price. A smart business owner will work closely with their broker to determine a price that brings in a profit, but also ensures the business sells quickly once on the market.


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The primary advising resource for LL.M. candidates is the Office of Graduate and International Programs:
Once a student is enrolled, Dean Myteberi provides assistance in initial course selection and registration along with guidance throughout the academic program. Students are also encouraged to utilize the many resources for curriculum and advising available to the law school at large including:
- The Office of Student Services and Advising, which includes Dean of Students Maria Saez-Tatman and Director of Student Services Yannick Brookes
- The Office of Career Services, where students may contact a counselor for guidance on relevant courses for specific career paths
- Individual faculty members, who are available to meet with students to talk about course selection. Professors can be contacted by e-mail or phone, or students may visit during their office hours.
- Conversations with fellow students about courses they have taken, which can provide additional valuable information. For detailed feedback on individual courses and professors, course evaluations completed by students at the end of each semester are available at the library's Reference Desk.


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Champagne and sparkling wines are usually reserved for festive occasions. Most people generally don't drink Champagne except on New Years or for a celebration. But your bottle of bubbly doesn't have to be saved for a special occasion. In fact, sparkling wine is a great choice that is so versatile that you could really drink just this one wine throughout a meal.
Some 'bubbly' wines can be quite cost effective as well. If you choose a sparkling wine (rather than Champagne), you can find quite a few sparkling wines that offer as much without the price tag to match. Some examples are Cava, from Spain or Prosecco from Italy.
Sparkling wines generally have a lower alcohol content compared to most pre-dinner cocktails, so you can enjoy the rest of the evening without getting tipsy with a strong drink at the beginning of the evening.
If you are going to be eating a large meal, choosing to have a glass of sparkling wine can actually help improve your appetite. It doesn't weigh you down like a heavier wine or cocktail.
Sparkling wines can go with nearly any food. The bubbles are good to combat greasy food, and the light citrus flavor works well with anything. Sparkling wine can also stand up to pasta with heavy sauce, pizza, or fried foods.
Besides being refreshing, sparkling wines and Champagne also have a citrus-like tang which brightens the mouth when eating various foods. With its energizing zesty bubbles, Champagne and bubbly creates an occasion just by being opened. As Dom Perignon is credited with saying, Champagne…is like drinking stars!


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Photos and Adventures
21/May 2017
Overcoming The Fear of Sounding Dumb in Spanish by Going to Crime Scenes
Frustrated by how fearful I was about sounding dumb when I spoke Spanish, I arranged to host and interpret Spanish for an American documentary film team.
We were turned down for a ride-along with the municipal paramedics and thought the project was lost. But I was able to talk our way into the central station of Los Voluntarios, a well-known volunteer paramedic force that works in some of the most difficult, dangerous conditions in the world. So we filmed with them instead.
The high-stakes of speaking Spanish this night helped me become more adventurous in the language, and I learned it well afterwards.
Here's what happened. See the final segment by the documentary team in the caption below.
A late night ride-along with Guatemala City's volunteer paramedics, who face the bitter fruit of the 'War on Drugs' each day. This is my own 'b-reel' – the final segment is here.
Overcoming Stage Fright With a Global Telecom Corporation
As a kid, I had crippling stage fright that wrecked my ability to speak or perform in front of an audience. When I played music as a teenager, my hands would shake on stage. I've worked on this for years and, in 2015, pushed myself to audition for a national role in a series of parody commercials for Claro, one of the world's biggest telecom corporations.
I was cast as "Chip Williams", an overly-earnest hipsterpreneur that sells wildly implausible cell phone apps for "You Wish App Company". My friends joked that I was born for this role…
The series has three parts and each commercial in the series only gets more ridiculous and funny. The series debuted on national television in November 2015.
Update: 2016. The Chip Williams ad campaign was successful in Guatemala. Claro re-adapted and published it throughout Central America in Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador.
Photos of Places and People
5000 Calls Per Day – Central Station, Zone 4
Border Crossing, Juárez
Bullets for Genesis – Signs of Organized Crime, Sololá
Burn Victim, Zone 9
Chicken Bus Mechanic
Clothes Vendor with MPesa – Digital Banking in Kenya
Paperwork – Los Voluntarios Central Station
Disabled Traders Union – Kisumu
Homebrew Dispatch – Los Voluntarios Central Station
Line Up – El Basurer
El Basurero Swarm
Genesis – Guatemala
Guard – El Basurero
Herber Showing Off His Kids
"It was a shot to the head"
Get a better look – Zone 10
Homebrew Security System
Javier, 22
Miriam, Trashpicker
Fruit Trader – Mombasa
Onion Vendors – La Terminal
"Peace in Kenya" – Mombasa
Check Out My Phone – Mombasa
Ecoplast Plant
Red Zone – La Limonada
Revolving Loan Fund
"Pay your dues!"
Dustbowl – El Basurero
Scavenger Streetside
Vaqueros – Casas Grandes
Squatter House Chihuahua – Formerly home of Pancho Vill
"TGI Fridays"
New Generation - Sololá
Viejita and Dog
Vegetables Wholesale
Wilson Maina – Nairobi


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An Interview with Comics Journalist Joe Sacco (Part Two)/
Yesterday, I ran the first part of a two part interview with comics journalist Joe Sacco (Palestine) as conducted by CMS Masters student Huma Yosef (herself a former professional journalist from Pakistan). Today, I continue this interview. It occurred to me as I was putting this together that it represents a fascinating contrast to the interview I ran a week or so back with comics Creator Rob Walton (Ragmop). Both artists are very interested in using comics to explore political issues but they approach these issues from very different vantage points: Sacco creates realist comics that document the everyday lives of people from war-torn countries while Walton uses fantasy and comedy to encourage us to reflect on the American political process. Between them, they suggest some of the ways that comics may function as civic media. I now turn you over to Huma for the rest of her interview.
In what ways is your method of working akin to that of a journalist?
I conduct lots of rigorous, sit-down interviews, one after the other. Lots of things happen that aren't part of the interview process, and I'm often in situations where I can't take notes. In those instances, I duck behind a wall and frantically take as many notes as I can. In the evenings, I translate all my notes into a journal.
I also take photographs whenever I can. I'm currently doing a book about the Gaza Strip for which, after interviewing someone, I'd take his or her photograph. If someone refused to have a picture taken, then I'd try to quickly draw an image of the person in the margin of my notebook. Sometimes, there are things I realize I need to draw only after I start working. In that case, I visually research places later on. When I was working on Palestine, I wasn't aware of a lot of things and had to draw a lot from memory. With Safe Area Gorazde, my process has evolved. Now, if anything, I take too many pictures.
On the job in Palestine, I also started following stories as they unfolded. Like any reporter who has a little freedom, you follow your nose and try to cover the stories that you don't think anyone else will tell. For example, Gorazde opened up while I was there - I didn't know I would write about it until I arrived in Bosnia. Once I identified my subject, I conducted preliminary interviews about what happened, then broke it down into component parts. No doubt, the second time around was a more methodical process as I was a little more self-conscious about what I was doing.
What extra measures do you have to take given the visual nature of your work?
I have to ask a lot of visual questions about what a street or a camp looked like. Still, you're not always aware in the field of what visual stuff you'll need when you start drawing. Over time, my method has been honed, and I'm more aware of what I'll need later on.
I also need to do extra research sometimes. For example, the work I'm doing right now is sent in Gaza in 1956. I've made trips to United Nations archives to gather photographic evidence of Gaza city at that time. When I was interviewing people about what happened, I spent a significant amount of time talking about the visual details. I had people taking me around and showing me old houses, some of which had been built over, but still gave me a sense of how things looked.
Do you struggle with issues of journalistic integrity when drawing something that you haven't seen or been able to find photographs of?
I've never had a situation where I couldn't visualize something to some level of accuracy. I may not know exactly if there were trees or a hill there, but I'm not going to drop material because of details like that. I like to compare myself to a film director who's making a movie about the 1700s: you just have to recreate something to the best of your ability sometimes. Granted, not every twig is going to be in the right place, it won't literally be the same thing. But I'm clear about the fact that my work is an artistic rendition of something, a mixture of art and journalism. If I start obsessing about the details, I may as well be a photographer.
How do you respond to critics who argue that your work cannot be considered journalism because of its artistic dimension?
It's perfectly valid to argue against what I do and wonder whether it can be considered journalistic. I describe my work as comic journalism, other people call it documentary journalism, but these are all just labels to me. The fact is that no one can tell an entire story, everyone concentrates on what they want to, details are cropped out of photographs, stories go through an editing process. Every portrayal is to some extent a filter, and on that level something that someone might find problematic. Ultimately, I try to be as accurate when putting down quotations and describing things. I'm not making things up even though there is an interpretive element to my work.
You told The Guardian that you do "comics, not graphic novels". Could you elaborate on that distinction?
A novel to me is fiction. I think of myself as working in the non-fiction world and don't like my work being considered fiction. I think of the term 'graphic novel' as a marketing moniker geared towards adults who are scared of comics. But it doesn't bother me to talk about my work as comics. I consider myself a comic book artist. The notion of comics still has an underground feel to it, which is fun.
Have you had trouble explaining the medium that you work in to interviewees who may not be familiar with comics?
The main problem I've had is with myself. When I was working on Palestine, I would tell people I was working on a 'project' because I felt sheepish and unsure about what I was doing. By the time I was in Bosnia, things were different. Younger people were more open to me as they have a history of comics there. Moreover, by some weird coincidence, someone in Sarajevo reviewed my work just before I got there, so people were greased for it.
During my last few trips to Gaza, I would bring my book along and show it to people. Especially with older people, having my work with me worked to my advantage since they don't speak English but can recognize the streets or camps that I've drawn. Different cultures might be different, but in the Middle East they can get their head around the idea of drawing and depicting historical events. In Iraq, when I was with marines, there was no getting around what I was doing because they could easily google me and find out exactly what I was up to. So I did meet some lieutenant colonels who were skeptical about my method but were willing to give it a shot because I had press credentials.
Do you manipulate comic conventions such as framing to express meaning?
Yes. My drawing is a very conscious process. The choice of frames, the decision to put captions in little bursts, each angle is very thought out. In Palestine, I feel I overdid some things and have since learned how to discipline my drawing. While working on Palestine, I'd get tired of drawing the same angle so I'd change angles. But now I know to stick with something if I need to maintain a tone.
Does your process involve much revision?
I try not to revise much. I write the script of the comic first and spend a while on this stage. Most of the editing occurs when I realize that I don't need to write out something because I can draw it instead. Other than that, I try to keep the script as it is. In the drawing, on the other hand, I let myself be loose and problem solve as I'm working. I don't story board the whole comic, which makes the process a little more lively and spontaneous. If it were a matter of connecting the dots, I don't think I could carry on working without losing interest.
Where and how were you introduced to comic books?
I grew up in Australia where I read British war comics and some American western comics. I didn't read many super hero comics, other than perhaps strips about The Phantom. It became a hobby because I'd draw my own little figures, mimicking the ones I saw in the comics I was reading.
Do you think working in the medium of comics liberates your journalism from the constraints of the 24-hour news cycle?
I don't think the freedom from the conventional news cycle is peculiar to comics. Herr's Dispatches, for example, is liberated from the constraints of time. I think it's about the approach rather than the medium. With my work, it has to be about the approach. I look for stuff that people will respond to even if the material is dated. That said, I try to make my shorter pieces for magazine publication timelier.
What can traditional print journalism learn from your work?
've been trained in classic American objective journalism, but I feel like a reporter should not treat a reader like a repository for facts, rather as someone you're talking to across a table. When I'm reading about a place, I want to know what it's like, what it feels like to be there. I think American journalism lacks the human element that is a bit more prevalent in the British press.
When I'd be sitting with US correspondents in Jerusalem, they'd tell me a story about something that happened to them, but would never write about it. They're so focused on getting all the right quotes, telling this side of the story, that side of the story, interviewing the right spokesperson, and working by the numbers, that they end up doing a disservice to their readers by being objective. They're so focused on being balanced, they don't tell you what they know themselves. It's difficult to maintain objectivity when you start writing that way, but I think reporters should be human beings with an opinion. Why can't a reporter tell me exactly what he or she thinks? Why is all the talking left up to pundits who never leave their desks in DC?
How do you decide which events to cover?
The hardest thing about this kind of work is how much time you spend on the desk. There's that impulse to always see more, but I have to choose the things that matter to me personally for whatever reason. To some extent, it used to be a financial thing. But it's ultimately about what hits you in the gut. The Palestine issue really hit me in the gut. When you start thinking about it, you realize what a disservice has been done to the issue by its media coverage in the US, you realize how many tax dollars go into perpetuating the situation. Similarly, I felt compelled to go to Bosnia. And when I had the gut instinct to go to Iraq, I started calling up agents to see if anyone would be interested in my work about the war.
Of course, there are other things that I'm compelled to do, but if you spend three, four, or even five years on a book, the years start to go by and you can't get to everything, even if it is compelling and interesting.
You also need to prepare yourself before you go, and it can take years of reading to learn the ten per cent you need to know so that you can be open to what's happening there and not waste time asking the simple questions. That basic historical context is important, even though you learn the rest when you get there. That said, I now want to do some shorter pieces for magazines and get out more.
Do you consider returning to the territories you've covered in order to keep your work up to date?
I feel I've already gone pretty deep into the places I've covered. Ultimately, I don't think I can really go much further than I've gone without becoming an Arabist. I think I'd need an academic base to go much further. But then question arises: am I a cartoonist or an Arabist? Also, I feel the urge to cover new ground and be creative for my own sake.
Do you think you've created a market for comic journalism that didn't exist when you started working?
I just tried to do what I wanted to do and didn't think about whether it would work out commercially for me. I thought I was committing commercial suicide with Palestine. Then, half way through Safe Area Gorazde, I had no success at all and was about to give up. But it's always been about doing what I want to do and so I stuck with it. Other people have come to see value in it. It's been a long road and it has taken many years for it to happen, but now I can pick and choose a lot more than I ever imagined possible. It helps that there's been increased interest in comics too.
Does your methodological approach change as you cover topics as varied as rock bands and the Balkan war?
With most of my work, I try to draw relatively realistically, and that's been a struggle since I've largely self-taught myself. When doing the rock band book, then, I've got a looser style and I enjoy doing it more. When doing funny work, I'm less worried about accuracy, the stakes are lower, and I can have more fun with the material.
Has there been a political backlash to your work?
Not really. Once in a while a store won't put my work on the shelves, but I've never had to deal with anything I've been bothered about. When Palestine came out, it was under the radar. My next book may not be under the radar, but we'll just have to wait and see what happens with that.
Given that your work reflects a political stance that is uncommon in the mainstream media, are you concerned about broadening your audience?
I probably get a bigger audience now, in this medium, than I would otherwise. No other medium is going to publish or broadcast this stuff. I also feel that if you popularize the material, you have to dumb it down. Overall, I think if I was to try any other tactic, I wouldn't have gotten done what I have managed to do.


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Two AWEsome families!
Then, I had two in one week - it was great fun :)
The Furnish family wanted pictures before their daughter left for Panama for over 2 years with the Peace Corps. Keep her and them in your prayers!
This is my favorite :)
And the Campbell family! The kids were seriously the most well-behaved kids at a photoshoot I have ever done! Good work parents! It was a JOY to take these pictures!


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BEIRUT- The Arab States Research and Education Network (ASREN), headed by its Chairman HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, held a specialized workshop on " Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT)" with the attendance of representatives of scientific research networks and universities in Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Malawi, Palestine, Somalia, Switzerland, Tunisia and in addition to Jordan.
The workshop took place at the premises of the American University of Beirut, Lebanon, November 29-30 2016, targeting new or potential CSIRT personnel who wish to gain a solid understanding of the main aspects of working in an incident handling and response team. It offered experience and expertise in Operational, Organizational, Legal and Technical areas, which form knowledge basis for CSIRT personnel.
The workshop offered the participants a unique opportunity to mix with their peers and discuss security issues in a secured and trusted environment, whilst being tutored by seasoned experts of the European CSIRT community. The course was opened to individuals working for a CSIRT or network security related organization, and those with bona-fide interest in establishing a CSIRT. Applications were also welcomed from commercial, governmental, law enforcement and military organizations, as well as national research and education networks (NRENs) and research and education institutes.


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"I rode off the prison property with sixty-five dollars, a cheap suit (ten years out of style), a set of khakis and change of underwear in a brown parcel, and a bus ticket to Los Angeles."
Edward Bunker's novel No Beast So Fierce is a perfect example of the payoff we readers get when a writer writes what he knows. That's the only explanation for the authenticity and pulsing desperation of this raw, visceral story about an ex-con's failed attempt to go straight. Edward Bunker's life (1933-2005) was a series of institutions–beginning with foster homes, a military school, and juvenile hall, and by 1951, at age 17, Bunker was the youngest inmate at San Quentin. Paroled in his early twenties, he tried holding down jobs but eventually returned to crime. Locked up and then re-released, Bunker's subsequent crimes were much more serious, including bank robbery. Back in prison, Bunker published his first novel, No Beast So Fierce in 1973. After that last stint in prison, Bunker did not return to crime when he was paroled in 1975, and instead he made a living as a writer and as an actor. Bunker played Mr. Blue in Tarantino's film 1992 Reservoir Dogs, and the title of Bunker's memoir is Mr Blue: The Memoirs of a Renegade.
No Beast So Fierce begins with Max Dembo sitting in his cell in San Quentin on his last night inside. After an eight year sentence, Max wants to go straight ("the lunchbucket routine"), but we know almost immediately that Max's expectations are off when he complains that he wrote over 200 letters for job applications and got zero response in return. Fellow convict, Leroy tries to set him straight:
"Look here, Max," he said, "I went through the same shit you're going through–in your mind–until I decided not to fight destiny, and my destiny was to be a criminal and spend three-fourths of my life in prison. Maybe your destiny is different. But someday, maybe tomorrow, maybe twenty years from now when you're fifty, you're gonna realize that whatever you are and whatever you've done, it couldn't have been very different. You'll see that you're required to do this in life, and when you're at the end and everything's totalled, you'll have been that, whatever it is. Hope is still ahead of you–but someday it'll be behind you."
Since Max is out on parole, he's required to meet his parole officer and "bête noir," Joseph Rosenthal. Max understands his relationship with Rosenthal is crucial, but before their first meeting, Max wants to "exercise some choice, buy something," and so he buys a twenty-five cent cigar and a half pint of vodka. Max admits to Rosenthal he's a "little drunk."
If he accused me of doing wrong, I knew I had a prick and could act accordingly, lying to him forever after. If he passed over it with humor or understanding, I would know that I could manipulate him. But he did neither.
So this first meeting with Rosenthal, a significant figure in Max's subsequent downfall reveals a lot about Max's psychology. It doesn't take long for Max to butt heads with Rosenthal, and as Max explains to the reader:
Confrontation with authority was a game I'd played often, and I knew its unfairness.
Although Max starts out with the best of intentions of going straight, the odds are stacked against him. It's hard to pinpoint when things go wrong, but arguably, the turning point is the minute he gets off the bus. His old friends are still involved in crime on one level or another–even Willy, who has a family, lives in poverty and works, has a sideline as a heroin dealer and uses too much of his own product. It's crucial for Max to get a job, and he walks himself into blisters trying to find even menial employment, but no one wants to hire an ex-con. Rosenthal wants Max to move into a halfway house, and Max refuses. In possibly the book's most poignant scene, Max, in his last honest communication with Rosenthal, begs for some understanding:
You've got to realize that I'm not like you. I'm too warped and tangled by too many yesterdays to be like you. This doesn't mean I'm fated to be a menace to society. If I believed my future had to be like my past, I'd kill myself. I'm tired. I can bend enough to stay within the law, but I'm never going to be the guy who goes home to San Fernando to a wife and kids. I wish I was that guy, but I'm not.
While Max thinks that he can argue his case to Rosenthal, he also thinks he has a bargaining position for some basic freedoms:
Bend a little and I'll bend a little. Just ask that I don't commit any crimes, not that I live by your moral standards. If society demands that, society shouldn't have put me in foster homes and reform schools and twisted me. And these last eight years. Shit, after that, nobody would be normal. Just understand my predicament. I don't know anyone but ex-convicts, hustlers and prostitutes. I don't even feel comfortable around squarejohns. I like call girls instead of nice girls, I don't need a Freudian explanation, which wouldn't change the fact anyway. But because I prefer going to bed with a prostitute doesn't mean that I'm going to use an acetylene torch on a safe.
Max's powerful argument that he'll never be a perfectly upstanding citizen resonants with sincerity, and while we hope the best for Max as he struggles to fit in to society on the humblest level, at times, he isn't a particularly likeable character. He's too damaged for that, and it's a credit to the author that Max is sympathetic in spite of his actions, his bad choices, and his predilection for violence.
Possibly the most interesting aspect of the novel is the way Max treats other people. There's a definite nod to humanity here in the times Max risks his neck to treat people with a little consideration, and as it turns out this character trait is Max's Achilles' heel. One example of this is when Max stumbles across another ex-con, Augie Morales, and Max risks Augie shooting up heroin in his room as Augie's presence on the street will likely get him arrested & sent back to prison. Perhaps Max stubbornly resists abandoning the behaviour model of showing kindness as he has too often been the brunt of the alternative–dehumanization in the various institutions. In addition, part of Max's downfall is caused by the way he sees the world in terms of predator & victim, and he refuses to fall into the latter category. We see the predator-victim dynamic early in the novel through the violent, explosive relationships between prisoners.
And though it was free choice, it was also destiny. Society had made me what I was (and ostracized me through fear of what it had created) and I gloried in what I was. If they refused to let me live in peace I didn't want to. I'd been miserable that week of struggling–miserable in my mind. Fuck society! Fuck their game! If the odds were vast, fuck that, too. At least I'd had the integrity of my own soul, being the boss of my own little patch of hell, no matter how small, even if confined in my own mind.
When morning came I was strong; I'd transcended decision.
The novel is full of well-drawn characters: shabby ex-con Willy who's trying to juggle family demands with a heroin business, "vice-ravaged" party animal Red, former bail bondsman Abe Meyers, shyster lawyer Allen McArthur, and Allison, the girl who asks no questions. Occasional "writerly" additions to the author's blunt style do not complement his natural talent and instead feel forced and discordant. Here's one example, "But for all the exultation, the joy of leaving after eight calendars in prison was not unalloyed," and "In this fertile abyss, this void, an encompassing indignation bloomed." Fortunately these occurrences are few, and the author appears to grow more comfortable with his own style very quickly. Bunker shows us Max, a ex-con who wants to go straight, who is a fairly reasonable fellow, and someone whose desperation oozes from the page, but by the end of the novel, Max's raw violence and criminal intelligence explodes….This really is a fantastic read.
No Beast so Fierce was made into the film Straight Time. And the book's title is a quote from Richard III:
No beast so fierce but knows some touch of pity, but I know none, therefore I am no beast.
Review copy from publisher Mysterious Press via Open Road Media


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This beautifully upgraded 2 storey home in Rocky Ridge is waiting for you to enjoy! Offering 3 bdrms, 3 bthrms & a double garage. Located on a quiet street with a children's park within steps of the front door. Easy access to Country Hills Blvd & HWY 1 for weekend mountain getaways, all amenities and the new YMCA Rec Centre. Very spacious main floor layout with updated laminate and tile flooring, electrical outlet plates, fresh paint, modern baseboards, raised counter bar, walk-in pantry, breakfast nook, formal dining room & a cozy gas fireplace in the living room. Sliding patio doors lead out to the private yard with a hot tub to relax in. Upstairs features a bright bonus room/media room with MTN views. In addition, there are 3 bdrms, 2 bthrms & a convenient 2nd floor laundry room. The private master suite offers a 5pc en-suite bthrm, walk-in closet & lush forest views. Move-in ready house in a family oriented neighbourhood.
No Smoking Home, Patio, Vinyl Windows
Landscaped, Playground Nearby, Schools, Shopping Nearby, Public Transportation
Disclaimer: Information herein deemed reliable but not guaranteed by CREB®.
Listing information last updated on November 15th, 2019 at 12:45am MST.