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Thursday, July 19, 2012
movie review: 'the dark knight' (RETRO REVIEW)
I remember the hours of waiting in line with my friends, where we talked, argued, played cards, and tried to coordinate with our friends who were arriving later. I remember getting some of the best seats in the theatre for the movie, and I remember the audience bursting into shocked applause at the end of the film, still working to take in what they had seen.
Yes, The Dark Knight was that good. For me, it was something of a formative experience - I know for a fact that scenes in a few of my stories were shaped by those in that film. It was also the first film that appealed to my thinking on political issues - as I suspect it was intended. It also did wonders in defining the superhero blockbuster and was part of the sequence of fantastic films that came out in 2008, which was one of the best years for movie geeks since 1982. Both critics and audiences hailed it, and the choice by the Academy to extend the Best Picture category was driven primarily by the refusal to nominate this film. It wasn't just a formative film for me - it was a film that reshaped elements of the cinematic landscape. It catapulted Christopher Nolan to stardom, provided additional fuel for the revitalization of comics along with Iron Man (which would lead into The Avengers), and gave Heath Ledger the Academy's first posthumous Oscar-winning actor since 1976.
And to be completely honest, while I have seen The Dark Knight dozens of times since it was released in 2008, it's a little hard to talk about - mostly because for a contemporary superhero blockbuster, it has been one of the most intensely analyzed and discussed film in recent years. And it wasn't just film critics this time - Nolan's clear emphasis of themes and symbols have made the film accessible, so everyone could talk about it. My issue will be having anything new to say on the subject.
So, let's clear some things out of the way first. Yes, The Dark Knight, sequel to Batman Begins, is a great film. It's one of the best superhero blockbusters of all time, propelled by a tight (albeit not error-free) script, excellent cinematography and direction, and great acting across the board. If you've seen any movies in the past four years, statistics indicate you've probably seen this one. And while there are problems with this movie (I will get to them, don't worry), there are so many things about this movie that are iconic and powerful that make it a true touchstone in modern cinema so that it can't be dismissed.
But part of me wonders whether or not a film like this couldn't have succeeded or resonated with people so well if it hadn't played directly to the discussion of issues that have dominated the American psyche for over a decade now. Not only is this film very modern in design and technology, but also in culture and theme, and I wonder whether or not this film would have struck a chord with so many people if it had been released in, say, 1992, particularly with American audiences.
Enough beating around the bush (bad pun intended), let's make this very clear: The Dark Knight is a film about terrorism. Not only is the Joker considered and openly called a terrorist in this movie, most of the second and third acts are actively exploring how the law and those who safeguard it might respond to terrorist acts in the modern age. It's a post-9/11 film in every sense of the term, and you can tell through the language and style that the film was intended to resonate with anyone who was deeply affected by the events of that tragic day. Now, granted, this isn't a new observation - a number of articles accused The Dark Knight of being pro-Bush and pro-PATRIOT Act when it debuted, and most of those articles somewhat missed the point. Nolan was indeed making a statement about terrorism, but his broader themes involved power and its abuse, most of which can be summed up in Harvey Dent's speech delivered to Bruce Wayne and Rachel Dawes in the restaurant early in the first act. It's a speech that directly applies to the very powerful Bruce Wayne, and if we continue the feudal motif from Batman Begins, it makes a shocking amount of sense. Batman becomes Caesar, refusing to give up his chosen duty (something Rachel realizes midway through the movie) and lordship over Gotham, despite every attempt the Joker makes to destroy it. The statement, 'You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain', is one of the penultimate statements of the film.
But if we continue with the feudal motif, we also have to consider the city of Gotham itself, and its population - the vassals in Bruce Wayne's fief. When he can't protect them from the Joker, they demand he turn himself in, hold himself accountable - and when he doesn't in a desperate scheme to capture the Joker, he burns the bridge with Rachel. But even despite the very real anger that Gotham has for Batman, he still believes in them and their inherent goodness - the principles he claims to represent. And indeed, they don't disappoint him.
However, even as Alfred gives speeches to Batman, suggesting that he's taking a principled stand by not turning himself in, by asserting his will above the others and ultimately taking the responsibility for the deaths, you really can't say that Bruce Wayne is acting out of the plain goodness of the heart. His psychological dependency on the Batman alter-ego is consuming him, and it's important to consider that he's not hunting the mob because he wants to save Gotham or make it a better place, but because he wants to continue his long, fruitless task of avenging his parents. He considers criminals uncomplicated - because, in his mind, they're simple targets for his revenge - and the Joker, well, complicates things. Alfred knows this and recognizes Bruce's damage, and yet he burns Rachel's letter - a letter that might have persuaded Bruce to put aside Batman and move on with his life - because he believes that Bruce's Sisyphean vengeance is indeed doing good for others, despite the horrible things it's doing to Bruce.
Now I admit this paints Alfred in a pretty bad context, but keep in mind the man was a former soldier/mercenary according to Batman Begins - and if anything, he's the one who knows about the horrible things Batman might have to do to stop men like the Joker (he gives a speech about it near the end of the first act). If we're looking for the man who might have been Jack Bauer in another life, look no further than Michael Caine's Alfred. Don't get me wrong, it's a fascinating portrayal of the character, but I can't help but be very much aware of the dark side that Alfred is guiding Bruce towards - a fact I suspect weighs very heavily upon the old butler, and one I suspect will be addressed in The Dark Knight Rises. But a very interesting counter-point is Lucius Fox, played by Morgan Freeman (it's amazing how well-cast the supporting cast is in these films, I have to say). Despite being the head of a corporation, Fox has maintained his wry sense of humour and his ethics. The scene with the cell-phone sonar technology in the third act and his rejection of it is one of the best damn scenes in the movie, because it shows a man with profound integrity even in the face of calamity. It's a damning indictment of Bush's wiretapping and the PATRIOT Act, showing that there must be moral standards in the search for justice, and while Fox opts to help Batman in the most extreme of circumstances (out of some loyalty, I think, to Bruce, and that's about it), he swears that he won't remain at Wayne Enterprises as long as that machine is. It's a statement of how, like Bruce, he believes in the good of the people of Gotham, and that he will not impinge on their freedom.
Now, granted, Fox isn't the only other one besides Batman who believes in good. We also have my second favourite actor in this film, Gary Oldman, playing Lieutenant and later Commissioner Jim Gordon. Once again, we have the necessary everyman, the guy who supports Batman on the ground, the cop who does whatever he can to protect his family and the city where he lives, all with the hopeless burdens of bureaucracy, crime, and the task of maintaining Gotham's precarious hope. Without a doubt he's the most human character in the story, the only man who could deliver statements like 'he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now' and sell it. He's the kind of guy who might lose hope after everything he's seen as he maintains the hopeless task of keeping peace in Gotham City. He also realizes - at about the same time Batman does - that the man really isn't a hero (and if you read the paragraph's above and the last review, you'd agree that Batman is far from the traditional brand of hero). He might have been the 'hero' Gotham deserves, with festering corruption and the omnipresent mob, but not the one they needed to make things better. But who was that? Who was the hero Gotham needed?
Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce Harvey Dent, played superbly by Aaron Eckhart, my personal favourite actor. Two years earlier, Eckhart had played a sleazy lobbyist in my personal favourite movie of all time, Thank You For Smoking, and he steps into the role of Harvey Dent like he was made for it. He's the white knight to Bruce's dark knight, he's got the same charisma, intelligence, and ruthlessness that Batman has, only practised in the light of day. And of course it's no damn surprise he's also dating Rachel, to complete the parallel. I'm not going to lie, while most people say they love The Dark Knight because of Heath Ledger's Joker (which I'll get to, because I have a lot to say), my liking for the Dark Knight comes from Aaron Eckhart's Harvey Dent. Part of this is personal preference - I'm a huge fan of Aaron Eckhart, the character of Harvey Dent is one of the best in the Batman mythos, and Two-Face, without a doubt, is my favourite Batman villain. But what makes Harvey's character work so damn well in this movie is the symbol he becomes - he becomes the symbol of hope for Gotham, the symbol that the law so maligned in Batman Begins can indeed work with honour and dignity. To draw an analogy to my last review, he's the blend of Superman's ideal of hope and Batman's ideal of justice, complete with a clever smile and a massive chin.
And let's make this clear - for the first act of the movie, Harvey Dent is the real scene-stealing hero. He's witty, he's charming, he has swagger but still humility, he's clearly a threat to both Bruce and the Joker, and the man has the raw confidence to own every second of it. He's probably one of the few men who could have made the Spartacus statement, 'I am the Batman', and he did it in front an entire press junket, all as a plan to bring the Joker to justice! He's in love with Rachel, but unlike most male characters in Nolan movies, he doesn't let this love handicap him - in short, in Nolan's eyes, Harvey Dent is the ideal man.
And thus it's perfect symbolism when the Joker takes great pleasure in utterly destroying his sanity. He knows Batman will go after Rachel, so he lies and has her killed - and in a wonderful side-effect, he leaves Harvey horribly scarred. And then the Joker shows up and delivers a speech to Harvey in the hospital which not only exploits Harvey's grief with Rachel's death, at failing to stop the mob and the internal corruption of Gotham's police, but also points out that sometimes being the loose gear in the system can be the only way to achieve the purest sort of justice - raw chance. The loaded coin - often seen in the background, yet never used by Dent to scam or cheat anyone - is damaged to its iconic status and now becomes his method of justice, which now relies only on chance. It's a perversion of true justice, and you get the feeling that Dent knows that, but he doesn't care - he just wants everyone to feel the same pain he feels. He's done the best he could to save Gotham, and now that the city failed to live to his standards, he's going to exact the form of justice he feels the city deserves. 'We were decent men, living in an indecent time!' indeed (that final scene, with Gordon and Dent and Batman makes me tear up every goddamn time).
The sad thing is that the city as a whole always did live up to Dent's standard of honour and justice - the scene on the ships proves that - it was just the criminals who never did. In fact, I suspect the Joker was only able to convince Harvey of anything because he appealed to Harvey's sense of honour and reason and justice, and his hatred of traitors and those that evade justice. He's not purely a bad guy, which makes the final scenes in the movie so damn tragic. Hell, the fact that his likeness is still used as a symbol even after his death proves the power of hope that Harvey Dent represented, a new dawn for Gotham (ten to one in The Dark Knight Rises, this symbol will somehow be perverted).
And with that, I think we're finally ready to talk about the role that earned Heath Ledger an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. To prepare for that role, Ledger holed up in a hotel room for around a month with a small diary, trying to create the perfect representation for the role. Later, he would admit to a reporter and to fellow actor Christopher Plumer that he was having a lot of trouble sleeping after the completion of the filming, and began taking prescription medication - from which he would eventually overdose. Whether or not the creation of the persona led to his insomnia (comments from his former fiancee Michelle Williams suggest otherwise), one cannot deny that The Dark Knight would not have been nearly as successful if it hadn't been for Ledger's death (as tragic as that is).
But make no mistake, Heath Ledger's version of the iconic Joker (my second-favourite Batman villain, cemented by this performance) is certainly deserving of the Oscar win, and also earns the right to being one of the all-time best villain performances anywhere. In The Dark Knight, the Joker is an insane sociopath with zero empathy. Nothing scares him, little fazes him, and everything is a joke. The character is a constant liar, with no consistent story about his history and life, and nothing to suggest that his entire 'not-having-a-plan' schtick wasn't total bullshit.
However, Nolan chose to implement something new with his version of the Joker - a hard, violent anarchist bent, and enough visible intelligence to become truly terrifying. Speaking honestly, I was more surprised than I should have been with the Joker's political side, but it makes complete sense with his character. The contempt for authority, the belief that humanity is nothing more than animals that will ultimately fall when the law fails them - this is anarcho-nihilism given to a character who 'just likes watching the world burn.' Sure, he might put together elaborate plans to prove his point, but that doesn't make him less of an anarchist in the correct sense of the word (it always annoys me when people mischaracterize anarchism as wild/barbaric behaviour, when it's really significantly more complex).
What I tend to find interesting about the Joker, though, are his views of the other characters. For starters, he has just as much contempt for the mob as he does for the police - namely because the mob is an organization that is content with being 'small', all things considered. All they care about is money, and the Joker has never cared about cash - he wants humanity to destroy itself, and he wants to enable it and watch.
His feelings about Harvey Dent, on the other hand, are a little stranger. Let's consider something here: if we think about the police van chase through the undercity during the second act, why doesn't the Joker just open up with the rocket launcher on the van if he wants Harvey Dent dead? Well, outside of the meta-logic answer ('uh, it's movie-logic, go with it'), I think the Joker understands how much of a symbol Harvey Dent represented at that time. Not only was he Gotham's symbol of hope, he also 'was Batman' at the time, so if he had actually managed to kill Dent, he would have made him one hell of a martyr - and plus, Batman was more fun to play with rather than kill. Instead of destroying the symbol of hope, he had to pervert it.
And this brings us to the Joker's view of Batman. Let me make a hypothesis here: all of the analysis I did of Batman's character above, that he's not doing his crime-fighting purely for saving Gotham and instead acting out his endless task of revenge, the Joker knows. Obviously, he can't know some of the finer details, but considering how Batman refused to turn himself in early on - which, if Batman was a martyr working solely to protect Gotham, he may well have done, and which Harvey Dent did do - it's not difficult to believe the Joker figured out the Batman pretty well. When he says things like 'You're not like them... even if you want to be' and 'You're just a freak... like me!', he's not referring to the costume or the vigilantism - the Joker knows that Bruce Wayne is just as fucked in the head as he is, just in subtly different ways.
And the Joker loves this. He knows that Batman's belief in the ultimate good of Gotham is the only thing that's keeping him sane, and he wants to push that belief as far as it will go. And to break him, he's going to push every button Batman has to forcce him to kill, force him to sink to the Joker's level, because he knows that 'madness is like gravity - all you need is a little push.' That's why he makes the comment that maybe he and Batman could share a padded cell together - because the Joker knows all too well that it would take very little to push Batman from his precious moral precipice and into the same insanity that the Joker inhabits.
All of these factors constitute less of a man than a force of nature - and this is intended, because the Joker's best weapon has always been the fear that his actions create, driving people to greater and greater extremes (the hospital threat is pitch-perfect proof of this). The character is arch and is intended as heavily symbolic - as are all of the characters in Nolan's Batman movies, if we're being honest - but what makes the Joker work are the human tics, the little gestures, and the general insane humour of the character. It might be a force of nature, but he's still recognizably human, his scruffy unkempt make-up revealing skin beneath it, revealing the man behind the paint. It's what makes him such a deeply, deeply affecting villain, and ultimately what elevates him over pretty much any other live-action version of the character.
But let's face it - all of the broad symbolism that I've spent paragraphs and paragraphs going on and on about would not have worked if the movie was filmed poorly, or lacked tight direction, or didn't have an exceptionally good script. But fortunately for us all, it does. There are problems, mind you - when the Joker crashes Bruce Wayne's party and then Batman goes out the window, how did the Joker get out of Wayne Enterprises, and why didn't he kill more people while he was up there? And once again, we have a film that fails the Bechdel test dramatically - if my count is correct, of the five women in the film who get any real screentime, Rachel Dawes and Judge Surillo are killed, Jim Gordon's wife is abducted and plays a 'damsel' role, Natasha the Russian ballerina is something of a bimbo, and Ramirez is a traitor.
And I have to be honest - the film goes on for a little too long, and feels a little overstuffed. Granted, everything in the film is good, but it does drag a bit at times. Some critics have condemned the film for being too bluntly obvious with its themes and messages, but that was part of the point - Nolan didn't want his themes to be lost behind the mechanical artifice of his filmmaking, and like all good filmmakers, there are layers beneath the initial themes that lead to plenty of analysis.
Make no mistake, I think The Dark Knight was a superb film, one that I sincerely believed could complete the series - and while I do expect good things out of The Dark Knight Rises, I have my doubts it can top this film. Sure, I expect the supporting cast to be good, and I expect the script to be complex and interesting, and I expect that Christian Bale will do well, but there are two factors that I feel might hurt that movie that I'd like to mention in comparison to The Dark Knight.
First is the casting of Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle and Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate. The latter casting choice intrigues me, because as much as Cotillard has denied that she's not playing Talia al-Ghul, I can't help but think there's some sort of connection with the League of Shadows and her character (particularly considering the loose ends left with the League and the rumoured cameos). But then again, that's the obvious and predictable choice, and I'm fairly certain Nolan might throw a curveball here.
As for Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle, otherwise known as Catwoman... ugh, I've mentioned in all of my Batman reviews that Nolan films tend to dramatically fail the Bechdel test, and here, I can't help but feel I know exactly the role Hathaway will play. Here's the deal: Christopher Nolan in previous films has tended to denigrate the role of women in his stories, preferring a hyper-masculine view of logic and reason, and this does apply to his filmmaking as well (see: The Prestige and Inception). So I can't imagine how on earth Nolan's going to write Catwoman - one of the most famed sex symbols in comic book history - other than as the femme fatale that somehow seduces Batman off the track which leads to some sort of attack. Of course, the other element in Catwoman's mythos is that she's a burglar, and I suspect Nolan might focus a bit more on this, perhaps casting her as some sort of champion of the lower classes (it's high time a character like this shows up to challenge the Wayne family fiefdom over Gotham).
The second big problem is Bane - and yeah, I read Knightfall and Secret Six, the only two comics where Bane has ever been relevant. The problem is, he's only ever been an intelligent brute of a character - and that's really, really not that interesting. The only interesting thing he's ever done is break Batman's back in Knightfall (that's not a spoiler, the comic's been out since the 90s, and I suspect Nolan will do something different with it if he tries that storyline), and while I can't deny that it would make for pretty horrifying stuff to watch Bane do that in live-action...
Look, I'm sure Nolan's got a plan for something - hell, from pre-screenings, the critics have really liked The Dark Knight Rises, so they must have found some way to make Bane work. But right now, I just don't see how Nolan's going to make Bane more interesting than the average supervillain, and certainly not interesting on the level of the Joker or Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight.
But once again, I'm sure Nolan has a plan. I'm sure the script will be tight, the action will be well-shot, and the symbolism will be heavy and plentiful. That's how Nolan does things, and it's worked for him so far. Let's hope it works tomorrow, when I take a look at the finale of the Christopher Nolan Batman movies, The Dark Knight Rises.
2 comments:
Theo dõi nghiệp vụ tạm ứng.ReplyDelete
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Ok... I am a little late to comment on this, but I only found out you reviewed Batman today. I have 2 issues with your review:ReplyDelete
1) "The only interesting thing he's ever done is break Batman's back in Knightfall (that's not a spoiler, the comic's been out since the 90s,"
I really didn't expect you to be one of those and I hope you changed your mind. So what if it's been out since the 90s? Nobody has ever watched every movie there is, much less read every book there is. I am actually not a person who goes out of her way to avoid spoilers (I'd actually say I go out of my way to find them – patience is not my virtue; and I'd even argue that that's not really a spoiler – that's kind of the only reason Bane is known), but that excuse is really lame. Like I said no one ever read or watched every book/movie/series there is. It's not even possible to do that. Also, some people might not want to read a book which they know is going to be adapted to a movie and they'll probably watch it. While no film is 100% faithful to a book, I can kinda see how it could feel redundant (specially in comic books) or how reading the book will (almost) inevitably cause the movie to fall short (my fav book is "Wuthering Heights" and there is a reason why I avoid every single adaption of it). Also, people have jobs and things to do and other interests – why can't they prefer occupying their time watching movies than reading books?
2) You mentioned the Bechdel test a lot...
I'll acknowledge that Nolan is not particularly kind to how he portrays women (can anyone even deny that?). This should be concluded through the analysis of his work, which you do in a summarized way. However, the Bechdel test is not the right test to be applied to just one movie, which you do mention over and over how it fails it. The Bechdel test requires only two named female characters who talk to each other about something other than a man – however, it has no real applicability when it comes to just one movie. I mean, whether or not one movie passes it or not, it doesn't really matter. What it does matter and reveal the lack of representation of women in the 7th art is when it's applied to several movies. I know that you reflect that this is a problem in Nolan's films in general, but I think you put too much emphasis on this one.
BTW, just in case you're interested in representation of women (and minorities) in the movie industry: http://annenberg.usc.edu/pages/~/media/MDSCI/Inequality%20in%20700%20Popular%20Films%208215%20Final%20for%20Posting.ashx
(I hope this doesn't treat my links like youtube).


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Lead Scoring
Each organization has their own set of unique characteristics that make a qualified prospect. Sometimes it's at the individual level, other times organizations have an account-based approach and need visibility across their target accounts. Either way, Mautic allows you to implement a lead scoring or company scoring system that aligns with your marketing strategy.

subset: commoncrawl


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What are the different types of networking?
The word "Networking" describes many different types of conversations. Networking may be a casual, quick impromptu face-to-face or a proactive email exchange. It also can be a formal meeting with an agenda and specific questions. Any type of networking is an opportunity to ask for ideas, resources and referrals to other people. Each communication exchange needs to be strategic, well planned, and involves you being mindful of the perception you are projecting.
- Casual Conversation
Networking can be as simple as catching up with someone you know, talking with someone you meet at a social or business meeting, or introducing yourself at a job fair or conference. The objective is to catch up on projects, roles and current interests. Casual Conversations can be an opening for more in-depth conversations or informational interviews.
- Proactive Email Exchange
It could be with a hiring manager or recruiter. The objective is to briefly introduce yourself and your interest in a role or business area, highlighting your skill set and possibly arranging a 15 minute conversation. Email can also be used to contact people you know or have been referred to.
The following are all informational interviews but each has a different focus. The overall goal is to engage one of your contacts in a focused conversation that provides key information you need in your job search.
- Fact Finding Meetings
This is an exchange of information about a field, industry or position that interests you. It is an opportunity to compare your skills and interests to the true nature and environment of the area with someone who is more involved. You are engaging the person's expertise to help you decide on a focus for your search as well as getting feedback on your ideas.
One on One Networking
What are the different types of networking?
- Strategy Meeting
Once you've decided on a direction, this type of conversation can help you develop a plan of action to reach your goals. In speaking with people that know what it takes to succeed, you can do a reality check on how you're planning to proceed. It's helpful to develop relationships with contacts that naturally provide a specific type of advice:
- Technical Advisors - experts in technologies, markets, trends, strategies
- Cultural Interpreters - provide insight into norms, guiding assumptions of an organization
- Political Counselors - help you understand political relationships
From The First 90 Days, by Michael Watkins
- Referral Meetings
This type of conversation is an opportunity to ask for referrals to people, information, and resources that may be helpful in your job search. Obtaining referrals can come from contacts you have previously met with to gather facts or ask for feedback. Many times your contacts will put you in touch with the people they know, thus assisting you in expanding your own network when you meet with these new referrals.
- Consultative Meetings
When a contact is in a decision making role, your meeting may be an opportunity for you to focus on how you can help them find solutions. Though still an informational meeting, not an interview, this meeting is your opportunity to "soft sell" your knowledge and interests. Use this consulting process to let your contact see you as a solution provider with skills they need. Talk to your consultant about developing a 'Pitchbook' - a tangible way to illustrate how you will add value.
Event Networking
How do I network at events?
If you don't have a lot of experience, the first couple of events may feel uncomfortable. It's important to learn from your experience and the experiences of others. Here are some techniques the best networkers use when they are at a networking event.
- Have an opening line
- Ready with 20-second commercial
- Research the event - know who the speaker is as well as audience
- Have a list of "get to know you" questions
- Have a list of small talk topics (current events, etc.)
- Get in line - whatever line there is where others are going
- Plan to meet the speaker
- Walk up to a small group and ask to join the conversation
- Introduce themselves to the host or greeter and ask to be introduced to others
- Start a conversation with someone sitting next to them at the dinner / lunch table
- Create an exit strategy for leaving long-winded conversation
- Set a goal / outcome for every event attended and reward the accomplishments
List some "get to know you" questions you would want (or wouldn't want) to be asked.
What are some current events or topics of interest you can create small talk around?
On-Line Networking
What is on-line networking?
One way to find the individuals who can be most instrumental in your job search is to utilize on-line networking sites that link you through your own contacts. One such site is www.linkedIn.com
LinkedIn.com is one of the more popular professional online networking sites. It's a method to keep in touch and build an extended network by finding out who your contacts know. All people connected to your 1st degree are now your contacts.
It also provides for searches of professionals, has a job board that highlights your connections, and provides opportunities for recruiters to find you. LinkedIn users can search for contacts allowing you to look for members who have a common friend or interest by reading their profiles. From there you build relationships through e-mailing and informational interviews like traditional networking.
These networks give you a much broader reach. They quickly connect you to people who may work at a company you have an interest in or even to unadvertised positions. Many Executive Recruiters are using these sites to find possible candidates for their open searches.
It is a very convenient way to market yourself.
How does it work?
- Create a password and your career profile
- Search for contacts
- Build up your connections
Why should I get involved?
On-line networking can also be your most valuable way to give back to your contacts. Through these sites you can help your contacts find others who may be able to help them with a business challenge, or expand their own networking for career support.
Additional On-Line Networking site include:


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Written By: Eric Todd, Circle's Leader
Invisible. Forgotten. Discarded.
These words can often be used to describe a lot of people who live in poverty. Whether it's living on the system or homelessness, or addiction, or mental health; it's easy to feel invisible when your situation is so hard to deal with every day. When the world around you seems to be progressing at lightning fast speed and your situation feels like a slow crawl, or even going backwards sometimes. It's easy to get lost in the shuffle.
When you can no longer keep up with what everyone else is doing, that's when you become disconnected. This is where hopes and dreams become toxic, they become a reminder that you will never be like everybody else and you start to believe that you deserve the bad things that have happened in your life.
You start to wear masks, you learn to hide your pain.
Then it starts to become normal. You become passive. You don't fight for what you believe in or used to believe in. You don't vote. You don't interact with anyone outside your comfort zone and you start to lose connections. Once that happens, the rules of right and wrong tend to go out the window. That's when everything you do is a distraction.
A distraction from your pain. A distraction from your life.
That's when it gets really bad. That's when you overeat. When you binge on drugs or alcohol. When you engage in toxic relationships or you just find new ways to harm yourself. Whether you want to cover it up or rip it open, your pain becomes the driving force in your life, until you do something really bad. Then everyone around you will say, "we never saw it coming" or "you were so quiet," and "we had no idea." But the truth is you never knew the real them. You only knew the persona, the mask.
For some reason it has become socially unacceptable, to talk about feelings and pain in everyday life, unless it's to a paid professional. But most of us don't want to hear about someone's issues because it reminds us of our own issues. We are so afraid of things getting awkward, that we just don't allow for anything negative. We only want to hear positive happy things that will make us feel good. I would rather more awkward moments in life if it would mean less dead friends, less people in the hospital, and less people harming themselves right now.
We have created systems to make people become invisible. People become lost in their pain. People become lost in their terrible memories. People become lost in society.
I'm sure that a lot of people who end up in this situation, started feeling this way when they were kids. Maybe it was a bad situation with mom or dad, or the kids at school, or something worse. There is often a chain of events that leads to a bad situation later in life, or perhaps they don't even make it that far. So, I ask you London . .
How many more kids gotta kill themselves from bullying?
How many more teenagers have to die from bad situations in high school?
How many more adults have to end their life in their thirties from issues that were never dealt with?
How much longer are we going to allow the long-term effects of poverty shorten our elders lives?
We NEED to change the conversation.
We need to allow things to get awkward.
If we just learn to listen for someone else's sake instead of our own, it could do us all a world of good.
It doesn't take much for someone who is experiencing the many faces of poverty to become invisible, to become forgotten by friends and family, and to be discarded by society.
We can do better
Let's start doing better London.
You can help change the conversation by sharing what you've learned with others.


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Excellence in Communication and Presentations
Whether you are persuading colleagues, selling a client or energizing a team, the power of your presentation is the difference between success and failure.
This presentation seminar is as close as you can get to having a personal public-speaking coach. You present at least seven times over the course of two days. You get expert one-on-one coaching during each of your presentations. And you'll review a digital recording of each presentation with one of the coaches immediatly after your performance.
High-Impact Presentations will benefit managers who have prior public speaking experience. It is particularly useful for executives who speak in front of groups, sales people, and PR people who give press interviews.
In this day, it's also extremely beneficial for anyone presenting in front of a camera or webcam, creating video content, or conducting webinars.
This is a more advanced seminar, recommended for those with some experience speaking in front of an audience. If you are unsure about your presentation background, ask us if this program is right for you.
High-Impact Presentations is a two-day seminar that runs on consecutive weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Times may vary according to location).
Call Us: 614.420.2189
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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This review is from a real person who provided valid contact information and hasn't been caught misusing, spamming or abusing our website.
I would just like to extend my gratitude to the sales rep and the installers who came out and did such a wonderful job on installing the leaffilter product. I guess they must be very busy because they scheduled me for today which is Sunday.
I commend the installation crew for doing a spot on perfect job. It's a fantastic product. It's a fantastic service. Both of us will be happy to get ourselves off the ladder and on to other things.
Very professional in every aspect. I will be recommending you to my neighbours and friends.
Product or Service Mentioned: Leaffilter North Gutter Installation.
Reason of review: Good customer service.


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Directed by Erik Poppe
(Paradox Film/Nordisk Film)
I worked as the Production Visual Effects Supervisor on "The King's Choice", which was the Official Selection (Norway) at the 2017 Academy Awards®. The movie is an important part of the Norwegian WWII history and being historically correct was a big task, also of the visual effects work. We recreated several parts of Oslo city as it looked back in 1940, the attack and the sinking of the German war ship Blücher in the fjords outside Drøbak, as well as the battles at Midtskogen and plane attacks in Nybergsund. The visual effects work was done by Windmill Lane VFX, Storyline Studios, Varg Studios and Rune Spaans. The movie received the Amanda Award (Norwegian Academy Awards) in 2017 for Best Visual Effects.
Based on extraordinary true events, Erik Poppe's superbly-realised box office hit is an absorbing story of morality and honour set during a pivotal moment in World War II, when an unprepared Norway was invaded by German forces and their monarch presented with a terrible ultimatum. Copyright © Paradox Film/Nordisk Film.
The sinking of the German war ship Blücher in the fjords outside Drøbak close to Oslo, needed a lot of research to get right. The CG sequence was created by Windmill Lane VFX in Dublin. We shot plates at the actual location at Oscarsborg Fortress for reference. I worked for a long time to map out the events step-by-step, and talked to people who had family and friends who were eyewitnesses to the actual event. The attack is also very well documented in several books, and all this was crucial to get the sequence as accurate as possible. Due to budget restrictions we had to omit a few elements, but to date it is the most historically correct depiction of how the sinking truly happened. A keystone event in Norwegian WWII history. Here are a few slides from my research:


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Time to pull up your Winter style because Winter is all over the place and every inch of your body can feel it. It's a cold cold Winter this year!
You may be tempted to throw on whatever will get you through a rainy day just to keep you warm. Stop and think before you do so.
This is the best season when you can try something new and trendy with your fashion. New winter wear styles and designs are easily available in stores that you can add to your wardrobe. I added this long cashmere coat to my wardrobe. It never lives me. Stylish and warm and the huge plus is that you can wear in so many ways, whether you want to go for a sporty or chic, it will do the job perfectly.


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<< Pu'u O'lai >>
The puu (cinder cone) standing guard over Makena beach has often appeared in my paintings. I am continually drawn to the area's rich subject matter. If I were required to select one square mile from which to create a life time of work, the center of it would be Pu'u Ola'i.
This painting is featured on the Tedeschi Vineyards Wine Label.
Giclee prices shown below are for the unframed print and include insured UPS shipping within the USA. Please call for foreign shipping prices.
Pu'u O'lai is available in the following sizes:
All images are available unframed, gallery wrapped, or in a 1, 3, 5, or 6 piece furniture grade solid Hawaiian Koa wood frame with either linen or silk liner. Liners come in off-white, gray, or blue. The outside framed dimensions can be calculated from the image dimensions as follows: a 1 piece frame adds 1 inch to the overall framed dimension, a 3 piece frame adds 8 inches, a 5 piece frame adds 10 inches, and a 6 piece frame adds 12 inches. Please call or email and we will be happy to provide images to help you get the perfect frame style.
For more information about Curtis Wilson Cost's work, please call us at
808-878-6544 or toll free at 1-800-810-2678, or use our contact form.


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New evidence suggests the UK has detained Julian Assange for political reasons
Swedish prosecutors were considering dropping the extradition proceedings against Julian Assange in 2013, new evidence shows. But the UK government pressured Sweden to keep the case against the WikiLeaks founder going.
Assange is still in the UK five years later. And these latest revelations are stoking suspicions that the government is keeping him detained for political reasons.
The case
Stefania Maurizi is an Italian journalist. She has been digging into the arbitrary detention of Assange in the Ecuadorian Embassy. And she took the UK government to court in November 2017 in an attempt to force it to release information regarding the case.
Assange took refuge in the embassy in 2012. At the time, Sweden was investigating a series of allegations against him of a sexual nature and had a European arrest warrant for him. Sweden dropped the investigation in May 2017. But Maurizi has obtained emails which show the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) pressured Sweden to keep Assange's case going.
In August 2012, the CPS emailed Swedish prosecutor Marianne Ny about an article that suggested Sweden may drop the case. A CPS official wrote [pdf]:
Don't you dare get cold feet!!
Then, in October 2013, Ny wrote to the CPS saying that she was "obliged to consider to lift the detention order (court order) and to withdraw the European arrest warrant". She explained:
There is a demand in Swedish law for coercive measures to be proportionate. The time passing, the costs and how severe the crime is to be taken into account together with the intrusion or detriment to the suspect.
In response, the CPS asked [pdf] for some time to "consider all the angles". And in December of that year, a CPS official wrote to Ny saying "I do not consider costs are a relevant factor in this matter". The Metropolitan Police surrounded the Ecuadorian Embassy between 2012 and 2015 at a cost of at least £12.6m.
In response to the new revelations, a CPS spokesperson said:
As there are legal proceedings still under way it would be inappropriate to comment.
The politics
Maurizi's probing has also revealed that the CPS destroyed key emails relating to the case. She also discovered that the UK explicitly advised Swedish representatives not to travel to the UK to interview Assange at the embassy. Assange and his lawyers had offered such an option, which is fairly commonplace.
Assange has long suspected that if he left the embassy the UK would extradite him to the US. He suspects the country has a sealed indictment ready for his prosecution because of his WikiLeaks releases. And it's not hard to see why Assange is suspicious.
As Maurizi's investigation has shown, the UK has taken action that ensures Assange either stays in the embassy or walks out in chains. Indeed, even though the Swedish investigation is now over, the UK still plans to arrest him for skipping bail when he entered the embassy in 2012. Assange's lawyers will challenge this in court on 13 February.
But as investigative journalist Glenn Greenwald has pointed out, it very much looks like the UK is punishing Assange for publishing documents that the powerful would rather we didn't see. That would be political persecution, which has no place in 21st-century Britain.
Get Involved!
– Support whistleblowers with The Courage Foundation.
Featured image via CNN/YouTube
Since you're here ...
We know you don't need a lecture. You wouldn't be here if you didn't care.
Now, more than ever, we need your help to challenge the rightwing press and hold power to account. Please help us survive and thrive.


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Inner Bliss is a Spiritual Health Center Offering Nourishment to Body, Mind & Soul
At Inner Bliss you will find an oasis from the daily distractions of life. If you need rest and relaxation you can enjoy Dream~Pod Float Therapy, an Infrared Sauna or a deeply soothing Massage session.
If you are seeking an enlivening physical experience we have Yoga classes every day from the intensity of Bikram Yoga to the grounding & gentle beginners Yin Yoga. If you are thirsting for a more tranquil mind we have Meditation courses from beginner to advanced levels.
~Intro SPECIAL~ 1 Month UNLIMITED Classes 40.00* 218-464-4941
*30 days unlimited access for new students, includes all regularly scheduled yoga and meditation classes, excludes courses.
NEW Customer FLOAT Session Only 59.99 !
Inner Bliss – Who We Are
Inner Bliss Duluth was created to sustain a harmonious environment for improving our client's well-being with yoga, meditation, massage, energy-work and float therapy. We are committed to supporting each client's unique path towards physical, mental and emotional health. Encouraging our clients with leadership, humor, compassion, respect and professionalism as they engage in harmoniously changing their lives. The primary purpose of our space is supporting the spiritual health of our clients and students. Inner Bliss is designed to be a hub of learning and activities supporting our members in developing a sense of meaningful connectedness. Inner Bliss will simultaneously draw people in to learn, strengthen & heal while sending people out feeling nourished, resilient and inspired. My partner Tiffany and I are grateful to be blessed with this opportunity to share our space and the teachings we have been given to pass along. Tiffany became a certified Bikram yoga teacher in 2004. She has taught in numerous yoga studious throughout the west coast and Hawaii and is also a professional massage therapist. In 1996 I began teaching yoga, meditation and became a massage therapist. For more information on our services, Tiffany, myself and our staff of massage therapists & teachers click below.


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Centralize Your Documents
During the lifecycle of a typical product many documents are created containing critical information which needs to be shared and forms part of the product record. The creators and users of these documents are usually spread across many functions and locations making the management of these documents a significant challenge.
Controlled and Secure Access
Document Management with Aras includes version and change control for files in multiple formats in a secure, searchable repository. Users across multiple teams and locations now have easy access to critical information required for the projects they are working on.
Key Features
- Manages all types of documents and file formats, including Microsoft Office, PDF, drawings, TIF and more
- Associates documents directly to products or projects
- Secure storage in optionally distributed and replicated file vaults
- Simple and advanced full text search modes
- Document lifecycle status management, versioning and user access control
- Comprehensive revision and version control and change control workflows
Document Management Using Microsoft Office
Watch a demonstration of the business requirements for document management and how Aras Office Connector supports those requirements.
- Easy access to critical documents reduces unnecessary errors and delays
- Secure online collaboration supports global product development and supply chain collaboration strategies
- User authentication and access management increases control over critical intellectual property
- Ability to include documents in all PLM processes increases engineering efficiencies
PLM and PDM capabilities are powered by Aras Applications which are available on either an Open or Subscription basis.
|Enabling Application
|Product Engineering


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Praying Through…by Br. Nelson
The other day I was listening to a podcast and the host mentioned the concept of "Praying Through." It was a term I had not heard in a long while, and I was uncertain of its meaning. The idea intrigued me so I began researching. This is what I found:
"Praying Through" is a concept that has, for the most part, been lost in the modern church. Many used to greet each other with "Good morning! Have you prayed through today?" However, over time, people began to feel that questioning their prayer life (even if only in the form of a greeting) was offensive. So, in order to not make people feel uncomfortable about their lack of prayer, the custom dwindled.
The concept is very simple: Begin praying and do not stop until you've "prayed through." First, however, we must go through a key step of preparation. Psalm 66:18 and 19 states,
"If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer."
Proverbs 15:29 declares,
"The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous."
These (and many scriptures) make it clear: God does not hear the prayers of the wicked. Today, there are many in hospitals, school desks, mosques and churches, crying out to God in some form of prayer; seeking deliverance from an ailment or the latest stress. Their prayers end at the ceiling. God does not hear the prayers of the lost, other than the prayer "SAVE ME! I AM A SINNER!"
Now, we know if we are in Christ, we are clean. Our life, and all its sin, is hidden in Christ (Colossians 3:3). However, the principle is similar: God does not hear the prayers of those who cherish (regard it as something precious they cannot do without) in their hearts. Unconfessed sin is a barrier between us and God. Unconfessed sin grieves the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30), and we are ill-advised to do that.
So, before we can "Pray Through" (I'll get to the definition is a moment), we must bow before God in humble submission and confess our sin. I would recommend naming the sin (or sins) and tell God that you "no longer regard the sin of _____." It's real easy and real hard at the same time. Treat your sin with the contempt it deserves. Hate it. Loathe it. Disregard it. Count it as filthiness before a holy God.
Sin comes in all sizes and shapes. Some sins are easy to name; they stand out. Some, on the other hand, are hiding in the shadows of our lives. We need God to help us seek them out. We need the assistance of the Holy Spirit as we embark on a "search and destroy" mission. Perhaps your sin is abundantly clear and "ever before" you like David's (Psalm 51:3). It could be a hidden. It may be that your greatest sin is the sin of passivity towards God; your lack of prayer and devotion to Him. The sin of prayerlessness grieves the heart of God. We must confess it and repent of it.
In every way we need His help in identifying our sin. We must be like Job when he said "Make me know my transgression and my sin" – Job 13:23. We must follow David's advice when he cried, "Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!" – Psalms 139:23, 24
Need some help? Here's a guide:
"Father God, I come to you and ask that You shine the light of your holiness into my life. Uncover the hidden works of darkness I am so good at hiding sin and I've hidden some of my sin so well that I don't even know where to start looking. Search me, O God, and make my grievous ways known to me that I might confess them. Show me my secret idols and purge from me those things that keep me from walking in fullness with You; those things that keep me from the abundant life I am promised in Christ. I am sorry that I have sinned the sin of _____. I know you have forgiven me through the precious blood of Jesus Christ, but I am sorry nonetheless. Holy Spirit, I ask you to forgive me for grieving you. I know I have grieved You and I am sorry I disobeyed the Word of God and disregarded the commands of my Lord Jesus. I count the sin of ____ as nothing to me. I regard it as nothing. I loathe it and I do not want it to be a part of my life any longer. I cast it far away from me and my deepest desires are that I never see it again. I need You. I cannot overcome this sin without You. I am totally dependent upon You Lord Jesus. I am but a branch and my sin makes me worthy of being cut away and cast into the fire. I know that apart from You, this is my lot and my just reward. I cannot live this Holy life without You. I need Your help. I throw myself upon your throne and beg for mercy. Cleanse me Lord and make me hate the sin of _____ like you hate the sin of _____."
This prayer should be prayed from your heart, not from your eyes (as you read) and your mouth (as you speak what you read). My recommendation is to find a private place and pour yourself out to God. This process should not just take the minute it takes to read the "script." You should stay before the throne until you receive His pardon. You'll know it when it comes. There is an invisible wall of Holiness that surrounds the throne of God. We know that God hears the prayers of those in Christ, but it takes special effort to penetrate this wall and to get a touch from God. This is "Praying Through."
"Praying Through" is taking prayer to the next level. In order to enlist the assistance of the heavenly hosts, we must "Pray Through." We cannot survive this life without a touch from our Father. We get that when we "Pray Through." When you've "Prayed Through" everything changes at that time. That's where the presence of God is.
"Praying Through" is also travailing prayer. It's prayer that doesn't give up until it has its answer. This is the fervent and effective prayer we read about in James 5:16. It's important to remember that not just any ol' Christian has that dynamic and effective prayer that has great power. It's the "righteous" Christian who is promised this type of fruitful prayer.
There is a difference between "praying and Praying Through." We must never forget that short prayers are just as much a part of the believer's life as long, travailing prayer. Short, silent prayers can be just as effective as prayers that are "Prayed Through," provided there is a foundation of "Praying Through" to stand on. There is a time and a place for short prayers. Nehemiah prayed a short prayer when he was standing before Artaxerxes (Nehemiah 2:2-5). Peter prayed the shortest prayer in the Bible when he cried out 'LORD! SAVE ME!", as his solid faith became waves of doubt (Matthew 14:30).
There are also situations that require us to be like Jacob. There are times when we must grab hold of the Lord and declare: "I will NOT let go until you bless me!" (Genesis 32:26). "Praying Through" is loud and intense, not silent and passive. It's fervent. It's active. It often engages the whole of our being, not just our thoughts. Scripture often describes this type of praying:
"Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry come to you!" – Psalm 102:1
"Because of my loud groaning my bones cling to my flesh." – Psalm 102:5
"I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping." – Psalm 6:6
"With my voice I cry out to the LORD; with my voice I plead for mercy to the LORD. I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him." – Psalm 142: 1, 2
"…the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping." – Psalm 6:8
"I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy hill." – Psalm 3:4
I believe "Praying Through" is what Jeremiah was speaking of when he said:
"You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." – Jeremiah 29:13
And I believe Paul alludes to this in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 when he says "pray without ceasing."
"Praying Through" is praying "until." It is not giving up until you have broken through the invisible barrier that surrounds the throne. It is praying without ceasing until you've laid aside your flesh and entered God's presence.
As I embarked upon this journey of discovering the true meaning of "Praying Through," it just so happened (one of those "God-incidences") I read the short bio of John Hyde in the book "They Found the Secret." Hyde's life was a narrative of "Praying Through." His was a tremendous life dedicated to prayer, the sort of dedication this is certainly a gift from the Father. Hyde was a man who was devoted to "Praying Through" and his responses to trials and tribulations showed the importance of this idea of being constantly and intimately in the presence of God.
"Praying Through" is tough. It's like climbing a mountain on a bicycle. The climb is long, tiresome and challenging. However, once on top it's EXHILERATING! Once you have prayed though, your prayers move with great speed and little effort and the view is tremendous!
Jesus Himself spoke of "Praying Through" in Luke 18:
"And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, 'Give me justice against my adversary.' For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.'" And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?" – Luke 18:1-7
Jesus is clear: We must be persistent and "push through" with our petitions. We must be persistent in pushing up the hill. There is no set amount of time it takes to "Pray Through." Honestly, how long it takes depends on the condition of your life and how much sin you have to deal with. Your first trip up the mountain can take hours, but it's worth it. When you reach the top, there is found the presence of God that is unmistakable. You feel His touch and grace. You feel power as the Holy Spirit is loosed into your life. It is at that moment God releases the resources of heaven and sends them to your aid. It's there you find mercy overflowing and abundant love.
On the teaching of persistent prayer in Luke 18, John Calvin said this:
"We know that perseverance in prayer is a rare and difficult attainment; and it is a manifestation of our unbelief that, when our first prayers are not successful, we immediately throw away not only hope, but all the ardor of prayer. But it is an undoubted evidence of our Faith, if we are disappointed of our wish, and yet do not lose courage. Most properly, therefore, does Christ recommend to his disciples to persevere in praying."
Looking back on my life I can recall many times when I "Prayed Through," I just didn't know that's what I had done. My mistake was not seizing that moment and that momentum. My mistake was allowing myself to fall back down the mountain. Every trip down means another tortuous journey to the top. I can testify that "Praying Through" is easier if you stay on the mountain. Instead of an hour or two of climbing, it's a quick 5 minute walk. My advice: Once you've "Prayed Through," stay there!
Have you "Prayed Through" recently? Have you ever? If you don't know the answer, odds are you haven't. "Praying Through" is one of those things in life that are pretty unmistakable. Once you've done it, you know it. Psalms 16:11 says, "in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." "Praying Through" brings us into the presence of the Lord. If you've been in His presence, you've had that fullness of joy; you've felt the pleasures of His right hand. There is no mistaking what it is. You can look at pictures of Pike's Peak in a book or online, but when you've been to the top, you know it.
If you are looking for more power in your Christian life, power over besetting sin, or just looking to take a deeper walk in your journey, I urge you to not only fast, but "Pray Through." It's simple and hard at the same time. Find a time that's "wide open," a place you will not be disturbed, somewhere you can cry aloud to God, and get to it! If you fail on your first trip up, don't lose heart. Keep trying. Don't stop. Set another appointment for another time and make another go at it. God "is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." – Hebrews 11:6
It's worth it! The view up there…well…it can't be beat!
"Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully." – Psalm 24:4, 5
In HIM,
Br. Nelson


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Orlando attorney Steven D. Kramer has written articles for many publications. Below, you can read some of the published articles by Kramer by clicking the VIEW ARTICLE link to view PDF files in a new tab or window and/or save to your computer for later reading.
Read articles featuring Kramer Law Firm
Speak with an experienced Florida attorney at our firm today.
Call 855-Kramer-Now (855-572-6376).
5 Things to Know about the Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby Decision and Your Business
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ruled against a provision of the 2010 Affordable Care Act requiring many employers to provide female workers with comprehensive insurance coverage for contraception at no extra cost. How will the court's ruling in Hobby Lobby affect your business?
VIEW ARTICLE - 5 Things to Know about the Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby Decision and Your Business - Orlando Business Journal
VIEW ARTICLE - Jacksonville Business Journal
VIEW ARTICLE - South Florida Business Journal
Family Business and Divorce
Family businesses are everywhere in Central Florida. But what happens to these assets when a marriage heads south? And what can a spouse do to protect their interest in the family business? Consider the following three ways a family business complicates a Florida divorce.
VIEW ARTICLE - Family Business and Divorce - Spacecoast Business Magazine
VIEW ARTICLE - Family Business and Divorce - I4 Business Magazine
The "P" Word - Four Reasons Not to Fear a Prenup
To many couples, the word prenup conjures feelings of infidelity, greed and mistrust. The reality, however, is that a prenuptial agreement can provide security and peace of mind to partners who are about to experience a significant life event: marriage.
VIEW ARTICLE - The "P" Word - Four Reasons Not to Fear a Prenup
How Families Can Cope with Divorce over the Holidays
Not hiring the right divorce attorney can make the holidays very difficult for families, especially children. If you are going through divorce or you are divorced, it can be difficult to decide who gets the kids on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, New Year's Day, and all of the in-betweens.
VIEW ARTICLE - How Families Can Cope with Divorce over the Holidays
Look Before You Leap: Advice on Starting a Business
Success is the focus when starting any new business. Planning for success demands a plan to avoid pitfalls that could result in the failure and bankruptcy of your business and personal financial ruin. In order to craft a successful vision for your business, keep the following four ideas in mind.
VIEW ARTICLE - Look Before You Leap: Advice on Starting a Business
When Foreclosure Follows Divorce
At the conclusion of a divorce, most individuals expect a measure of closure. However, many people find themselves back in court, fighting a foreclosure lawsuit on a home they do not own, alongside the last person they probably want to see- their ex-spouse.
VIEW ARTICLE - When Foreclosure Follows Divorce
Sniffing Out Horse Sense in Business Lawyers
Representing small business properly requires more than understanding multiple areas of law, it also requires understanding how business works.
VIEW ARTICLE - Sniffing Out Horse Sense in Business Lawyers
Factors that Determine the Greatness of an Attorney
The reality is that there are a variety of factors that determine the greatness of an attorney. Some factors are objective, such as trial experience, results in past cases, test scores, or grades. Most factors are subjective such as the quality or persuasiveness of an argument in court.
VIEW ARTICLE - Factors that Determine the Greatness of an Attorney


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Today's Five Minute Friday is coming at you late - kids and life before blogging, you know! But I did want to share the quick and easy way that I made these pretty place cards for my fall table.
Did you know that you can hand color stamps rather than just using an ink pad? I've had these Recollections brand brush markers for years, but I'd never tried them before.
The color palette for my fall kitchen decor was inspired by peacock feathers, so when I found this peacock stamp at Michaels, I knew it would make the perfect addition to my fall table. I got out my Recollections markers, and played around with various color combos until I found one that was just right.
The fine tip of the brush markers made it very easy to color each individual part of the rubber stamp.
Probably the most important tip you need to know when hand coloring stamps is that you need to "huff" on the stamp after coloring but before stamping - this re-moistens the ink so that you'll get nice, vibrant colors. I know this isn't the most attractive photo ever - but hopefully it clarifies what it is to huff on a stamp. :)
I then pressed the stamp firmly down on a piece of paper to test it out.
It looked just the way I envisioned...
Then I decided to get greedy to see if I could get a second vibrant feather without having to re-color the stamp. I huffed on the stamp again and pressed it to the paper a second time. No dice. Now, maybe there's a trick to this, but coloring the stamp was so quick and easy that I decided to just re-color it each time rather than researching how to get more than one stamp per coloring.
Now I was ready to make my place cards. I used a ruler and pencil to grid out eight 2"x4" place cards on to a piece of white card stock, then cut them out. I proceeded to color and stamp a peacock feather in the top center of each place card.
As soon as I was done with the stamp, I used a baby wipe to remove all of the excess marker ink to ensure that the stamp wouldn't get stained.
With nothing but the peacock feather on the white place cards, they looked a bit unfinished, so I decided to dress them up by adding a silver border around each using my silver metallic Sharpie. Quick and easy, but it made a big difference.
Since I was incorporating both gold and silver into my fall decor (like these metallic wine bottle vases, and my pumpkin tic tac toe), I used a gold metallic Sharpie to write names on the place cards.
There you have it, quick and easy, five minute place cards for your fall dinner party or Thanksgiving table setting.
To see more photos of the fall decor in our kitchen and throughout our house, take our Fall Home Tour.
If you are looking for even more seasonal inspiration, you might also be interested in these fall and Halloween projects:


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How to spy on WhatsApp chat?
To monitor WhatsApp chat or any other text messages, you do not need to spend tons of free time and get any terrible budgets. Everything is simple as ABC. All you need to do is just to find the phone tracking application – a spy software capable of monitoring WhatsApp chats:
- Read some reviews to find the tracking program you like
- Install it on the target phone. It will take just a few minutes
- Register your private account on the official spy app website
- Control every action and track WhatsApp chat on the target device remotely
What else can it do?
Today we start communicating with each other with the help of various chatting apps. As new technologies develop, new ways of cheating appear. This is more and more common all around the globe.
With no doubt, every one of us had situations when spying was the only solution to the problem. When our parents were spying on someone on the streets, read letters, and hired private detectives, we have something more interesting and simple. There are dozens of top-class mobile monitoring solutions that can be easily installed on your target device.
- WhatsApp monitors work quietly and track all the incoming and outgoing messages.
- You may set your own controls and marks in WhatsApp conversations remotely.
- You can view any WhatsApp messages and their members with all the supporting details such as phone numbers and messages.
mSpy, TheOneSpy, FlexiSpy, and many different WhatsApp monitoring applications are available for every one of us online. Just enter the Internet and get the phone spying tool you need. No matter what the reason is, what WhatsApp version you have, and what the target phone operating system is on your target phone. There is always a solution for you.


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'The new freedom of expression brought by the Internet goes far beyond politics. People relate to each other in new ways, posing questions about how we should respond to people when all that we know about them is what we have learned through a medium that permits all kinds of anonymity and deception." — Peter Singer
Does the internet really permit a much greater degree of anonymity and deception than the offline, face-to-face element of human communication or is this idea an illusion? The internet began the process of commercialization in 1988 and most sources agree it was commercialized in 1994.
People started going online and making up new identities for themselves. Presumably it was because the internet was anonymous. Nobody could see your face, physical shape, size, or hear your voice. The assumption is that people created new identities so they could be someone other than who they were under their real identities.
It seems a reasonable assumption; but then CB radio operators had been doing the same thing since 1945 and ham radio operators some 35 years or so earlier than that. My grandfather tinkered with ham and CB radio when I was a kid; he had a huge set up in his living room and would talk to people all night; nobody used their real names.
In the late 1990's when I got my first computer I was instructed to come up with a profile name for the ISP; something other than my real name because that was somehow dangerous. It made sense; you could never be sure of who you were really talking to on the other side of an AOL Instant Message. So I became Kitsuzo.
It was short, unique, kind of mysterious and exotic and I have never seen another Kitsuzo on the internet since. When I joined an online message board and chat community in 1999 I used Kitsuzo as my member profile. This site was the first incarnation of social media; long before Facebook, Twitter, etc., there was Delphi.
To this day Delphi still exists and I still have that same profile. Over the years I have come to think about the whole concept of anonymity. As the years went by and I joined LiveJournal.com, I added a new online name, Kaifoxx. I no longer use it; when I deleted LJ, I deleted that identity as well. Then Facebook came along and it had a catch.
For the first few years you had to use your real name if you wanted to be on Facebook. Then LinkedIn came along and because it was business oriented it made no sense at all to use an alias. The whole point was, and still is, to brand yourself as a marketable commodity; a product or a service. By that I do mean your name, face, body, etc.
Facebook became a potential liability to anyone on LinkedIn; and Facebook started letting people use aliases after a while. By the time that happened most people had become accustomed to the idea of coming out from behind the anonymous aliases. Others were still not convinced and I have had several discussions over the years about Facebook.
Facebook is not anonymous; it collects information about you. It reports the information to the NSA, the CIA, the FBI, local law enforcement, Amazon, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, every other major and minor retailer, the political parties, the news media, the Russians, our Moms, and Cambridge Analytica.
So does your internet service provider, Microsoft, your insurance provider, your bank, your cable and/or phone providers, Siri, Alexa, your iPhone, your iPad, and your Android. If you sign a terms of service agreement, information about you is being collected and shared about you with someone. You are not, nor have you ever been, anonymous.
And in most cases, the companies do their best to protect your information; including the government agencies which have to comply with various laws when it comes to the kinds of information they can collect, when, where, how, and for what purpose. This is a whole other subject that moves away from my initial topic of discussion though.
I joined Delphi as Kitsuzo in April 1999. That is almost twenty years ago now. There was quite a bit of overlap as offline friends were also members and online members became offline friends. The same thing occurred with LiveJournal, and again with Facebook, always there was an overlap. Kitsuzo, Kaifoxx, Cherilyn.
People get to know you; you get to know other people, online, offline, ultimately who you are doesn't really change all that much. You might think Kitsuzo is an anonymous identity, but after 19 years, the people in Delphi may as well know my real name. Since several of them are on my Facebook friends list, many of them do.
It would be news to people in LinkedIn but then again, maybe not; some of my professional network members are also members of Delphi. We just don't admit it in public. Likewise in Delphi we don't tend to discuss Facebook or LinkedIn because ZOMG don't you know they are watching you and collecting information?
Which brings me back to the word anonymity. An individual standing apart from a crowd, regarded by that crowd, whose name is being passed around is no longer anonymous. The name being passed around does not matter. It is an identifier; nothing more. The name could be your real name, a nickname, a Delphi profile, a CB handle.
How the crowd that is regarding you, and only you, has come to give your presence meaning; THAT is what matters. Your name is more akin to a proxy element of who you are. You have a presence, to others that presence has a context, a meaning, an operational definition if you like. Your name is not you, but it designates you.
You could go and change your name to something completely different on all of your important documents, it won't change YOU. It won't change anything external or internal about who you are. It only changes what you call yourself and what other people call you, but your context, meaning, presence, that is whatever others perceive you to be.
But you take the same individual, and this time have them be part of that large crowd, part of a large mass of arms, legs, torso, heads, eyes and noses, what happens? They become far less distinguishable as an individual. That is anonymity in an offline context; nothing has changed, except that it became incredibly difficult to identify one person.
They become the needle in a haystack of fellow human beings. The same thing happens in an online context, only it is even more difficult to distinguish identifying features for one individual in an online environment. This is why it is so easy for some people to depersonalize or dehumanize other people on the internet.
Years ago someone I knew made a habit of referring to other people on the internet, people we both knew very well, as "pixel people" and I have since noted the term used in other places on the internet as well. That is dehumanization; it strips person-hood from very real people who exist somewhere else because they aren't right in front of you.
Dehumanization is a concept that long predates the internet. It is a concept best known to the Military of various nations. It is a process that strips the elements of humanity from a group of people in order to make it easier to kill them. Dehumanization is very adaptable to the internet; possibly more so than it is in an offline context.
So is using one's real name on the internet, the one on your birth certificate really any more dangerous than using an internet alias that has developed enough of a context, meaning, presence, and identity? In 1999 it would have been impossible short of assistance from a hacker or an ISP to match Kitsuzo to Cherilyn Formanek.
Yesterday it would not have been an easy task but it would have been easier than it would have been in 1999. Now bank records would be enough to match the two names, you wouldn't need a hacker, the ISP, or the willing cooperation of any friends who would know. Today, they are matched courtesy of a searchable self report here in WordPress.
But I am still a needle in a haystack for the most part. I have to work hard to establish a brand under my real name, so I can establish myself as a marketable commodity; a product or a service. I have to create a written statement on WordPress and then publish it across WordPress, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn; and to most people, I am a nobody.
I am an anonymous name in pixels on a screen to 99.5 percent of the billions of people who could potentially read this blog post. Most people are not going to know who I am and even less are going to care. If I stopped writing and publishing tomorrow, only 12 people would likely notice. THAT is anonymity.
As for deception on the internet; sure people can be deceptive on the internet. They were also deceptive before the internet. Some people are sneaky and deceptive period; it doesn't matter if a computer is involved or not. People are not even more adept at being sneaky and deceptive on a computer than they are off of one.
The only difference is that we can be more mentally lazy; more gullible, and more prone to blaming it on the internet when someone deceives us. Truth is when someone deceives us, usually we know it on some level, we just don't want to admit it. So we make excuses for not being more suspicious; for failing to look closer.
People we know, love, and trust are often the ones who fool us most and best. And THAT my friends, has absolutely NOTHING to do with anonymity.
Post Modern Apocalyptic Failure
'The new freedom of expression brought by the Internet goes far beyond politics. People relate to each other in new ways, posing questions about how we should respond to people when all that we know about them is what we have learned through a medium that permits all kinds of anonymity and deception." — Peter Singer
Anonymity assumes there are no 'defining features', but even masks have 'defining features'. The bigger problem may be one of biases and assumptions; whomever speaketh first sets the context of perception; thus, this mask can be made to look ominous based on its context.
Does the internet really permit a much greater degree of anonymity and deception than the offline, face-to-face element of human communication or is this idea an illusion? The internet began the process of commercialization in 1988 and most sources agree it was commercialized in 1994.
People started…
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