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FOR sci-fi movie fans, the opening titles of "Alien," Ridley Scott's 1979 voyage through interstellar dread, perfectly evoke the film's ensuing themes. As a series of white rectangles gradually align to form the movie's title, the camera pans across the expanse of an enormous planet floating in the numbing, ominous, infinite void of outer space.
For visual effects aficionados, Coca-Cola's 1992 television commercial featuring Paula Abdul hoofing it with digitally inserted film clips of Groucho Marx and Gene Kelly presaged time-traveling lures of later award-winning works like the movie "Forrest Gump," in which Tom Hanks was digitally transported into the Kennedy White House.
And for contemporary digital interaction buffs, Nike explored fresh marketing and communications terrain last year when it deployed a towering electronic billboard in Times Square that allowed shoppers to dial commands from their cellphones to customize footwear appearing on the giant screen above them.
The creative thread linking all these efforts -- these kindlings of mood, persuasion and pitch -- takes shape in Robert M. Greenberg, a 57-year-old with the spectacles and visage of Benjamin Franklin; the eclectic, Renaissance interests of Leonardo da Vinci; the fashion sense of a well-turned-out ninja; the obsessive tics and serpentine conversational habits of Woody Allen; and the legerdemain of a hands-on businessman whose first job was running his uncle's mirror factory in Chicago.
Nestled for almost 30 years in the Manhattan neighborhood called Hell's Kitchen, Mr. Greenberg's advertising and communications agency, R/GA, makes its home in a rambling, spare Bauhaus nest set far back from the curb on West 39th Street. Mr. Greenberg's journey -- from titlemeister of "Alien" to Ms. Abdul's digital choreographer to Nike's Times Square showoff -- has been a mixture of wandering curiosity and professional reinvention. He now oversees a diverse team of about 450 people trying to wed design and marketing in groundbreaking ways.Continue reading the main story
The background music in Mr. Greenberg's little symphony is, of course, the Internet and other technological leaps like the cellphone, which are upending the advertising and marketing industries in much the same way that they have begun to turn businesses as varied as media, entertainment, retail and communications on their heads.
"I think technology is going to wreak havoc on the agency business," Mr. Greenberg predicts of an industry that plans to give him its most prestigious award, a Clio for lifetime achievement, in May. "Because of advances in technology and communication, we're surrounded by information we see and hear. Overload is a huge issue.
"I think things are going to get infinitely more complex," he adds, "and the challenge is about taking things that are infinitely complex and making them simpler and more understandable."
Consumers are so swamped by pitches that many simply tune them out. And the more affluent among them exercise enough control over how, where and what they shop for that, with the flick of their fingers, they can bypass unwanted advertising. Mr. Greenberg, the chairman and chief executive of R/GA, wants to engage them in digital conversations that are so entertaining, involving and valuable that they won't want to ignore them.
Many in the communications industry are aware that consumers are turning their backs. "The old approach of marketing saturation has created a clutter environment that people are now resisting, in an era when people feel they have less time in their lives for all the things they want to do," said J. Walker Smith, president of Yankelovich Inc., a marketing research firm. "People are willing to give up sleep at night to get time back into their lives and the question I ask advertisers is, 'Do you think people are willing to give up sleep to look at your ads?' And the answer is no."
MR. GREENBERG'S response is that in order to cut through the clutter, advertising needs to be shaken up, and shaken up immediately. All of the corporations, agencies and marketing professionals who jointly hone and fire off a fusillade of messages across the commercial landscape each day, he says, need to overhaul both their organizational structures and how they relate to consumers -- particularly the 20-something buyers called "millennials."
"It's not about linear communication, and the millennials understand that; it's about symbols and icons and you click here and you click there and you control it," he says. "Corporations have to create products that people want and customers are going to help them make that decision -- and that means quality, imagination and transparency."
Mr. Greenberg offers his thoughts gently, even sweetly, giving them the care of an academic and the deliberation of a visionary. But he also prides himself on being an iconoclast and a troublemaker in an industry that is flashy and kinetic on the outside but which has grown conservative and risk-averse at its core. (The language and imagery of "Think Different," Apple's 1997 ad campaign, is one of Mr. Greenberg's mantras, but it is also an ad, alas, in which he did not have a hand.)
It has become fashionable, and maybe largely accurate, to look at advertising of the last several decades as an opiate to help brainwash Americans into becoming avid, mindless shoppers. Mr. Greenberg's new equation offers a brighter insight: Technology has put consumers in the driver's seat by giving them a vast array of new choices and better information -- and corporations and agencies that want to succeed had better get on board.
This new dawn in consumer power is consoling, perhaps, but a nagging existential devil remains. Does all of the spinning and coaxing that surrounds America's love affair with buying and selling -- our carnival of consumption -- really matter? Does it make us better people?
Well, yes, Mr. Greenberg says, it does.
"It's not just that the interactivity and creativity is about commercials, TV and advertising," he replies. "The development that comes out of it all is about how people interact and communicate. It's about how they learn."
"If you've had a freakish education, use it. An artist's only concern is to shoot for some kind of perfection, and on his own terms, not anyone else's." J. D. Salinger, "Franny and Zooey"
In addition to working and living in Hell's Kitchen, Mr. Greenberg owns a weekend getaway in a Fire Island community called Lonelyville. A few years ago, he considered buying property in Death Valley in California. The sole purpose, he says, was so that the letterhead at the top of his personal stationery would read: Hell's Kitchen/Lonelyville/Death Valley.
He never secured his Death Valley parcel, but Mr. Greenberg still considers himself to be on the outside looking in. He clearly recalls his high school teacher warning his mother that her son was "never going to amount to anything," an evaluation unencumbered by the knowledge that Mr. Greenberg was struggling then, as now, with dyslexia.
But, he says, he doesn't think that dyslexia ultimately held him back. "Dyslexia may be one of the key elements of creativity, if you overcome it, for people in art, architecture, filmmaking and other creative fields," he says. "I'm not an expert, but I think dyslexia can give you enormous powers to previsualize things."
Influenced by sources as diverse as the novelist J. D. Salinger, the pianist Glenn Gould and the film director Sergei M. Eisenstein, he also eventually became an avid collector of "outsider art" -- paintings and other works by artists without formal training who thrived outside the artistic establishment.
"The connection between becoming an artist and people who are outside the mainstream is important, particularly for people who are self-taught -- like me," Mr. Greenberg says, noting that he loves outsider art because he feels that it is the "most individual and unmediated creative response to the world."
His friends say he thrives on the fringe. "Bob's always been exploring something new and educating himself about whatever is 'next,' " says Jon Kamen, co-owner of @radical.media, an entertainment and media company, who has known Mr. Greenberg for about 30 years. "It's a constant sense of curiosity, and his pursuit of being on the edge is everywhere -- in his work, in the neighborhood he lives in, in the art he collects."
Despite his passion for the ethereal, Mr. Greenberg says he shocked his parents when, unable to find a job after college, he took over the mirror factory. He first became acquainted with computers while running the factory, and he says his experience there gave him a lifelong fascination with both technology and plain-vanilla industrial and corporate processes. It also made him comfortable navigating between corporate and creative spheres, and, unlike many creative souls, comfortable in serving the needs of corporate America.
In 1977, Mr. Greenberg's brother, Richard, an animator, coaxed him to New York to start a business together: R/Greenberg Associates (later renamed R/GA). Richard was the start-up's designer, Robert was the cameraman and producer, and the brothers began experimenting with computerized special effects when such efforts were still in their infancy. The brothers wanted to open a design shop that developed newfangled motion graphics as well as films and videos, and they succeeded handsomely. A year after hanging out their shingle, they developed innovative, three-dimensional "flying titles" that rushed from the screen toward the audience for the box-office hit "Superman." Though Richard left the business in the late 1980's, Mr. Greenberg describes him as a pivotal influence, and the two remain close.
R/GA's work on "Alien" followed shortly thereafter. Later came special effects or titles wizardry on such films as "The World According to Garp," "Zelig," "Predator" and "Seven." Along the way, Mr. Greenberg and his brother scooped up an Oscar in 1986 for their contributions to computer-assisted filmmaking. As the company's film business grew, Mr. Greenberg took R/GA through one of its periodic reinventions, expanding into feature film work, commercials and print campaigns.
As the nature of computer-assisted filmmaking changed, Mr. Greenberg eventually scaled back that side of his business and adopted yet another organizational model that he is still refining today: a "multiplatform" agency that makes use of databases and online interaction, as well as integrated teams of techies, software developers, strategists and project managers, to develop advertising and marketing campaigns linked to new technologies and products.
Mr. Greenberg says he was a devotee of the Web well before the Internet rage began accelerating into full throttle in the mid-1990's, and he adds that he remained a true believer even after the dot-com bubble burst several years ago. "The Web is not a one-trick pony," he says. "The Internet is a new language because it's not linear. The novel is linear, film is linear, but the Web is not."
Others agree that Mr. Greenberg was an early adopter who, even after the dot-com meltdown, stayed the course. Now, they say, he is reaping the fruits of his commitment.
"He's someone who saw the potential in this digital space much earlier than most other people," said Rick Boyko, the former chief creative officer at Ogilvy & Mather who is now the managing director of the VCU Adcenter, a graduate program in advertising at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. "He's probably the best versed in the country right now in the digital space that he plays in."
Among the companies that Mr. Greenberg has invited into his digital sandbox are Subaru, Target, Verizon and Nokia. For Target, R/GA developed a Web site rich in product details and embroidered with the company's buoyant personality.
After R/GA got its hands on a Nokia Web site that promoted a lineup of new cellphones, it turned it into a pulsing exercise in montage and product "stories." Subaru's Web site lets car buyers immerse themselves in product details and "build" a car from scratch after navigating panes of shivering, shimmering images.
Even more traditional companies have used R/GA. I.B.M., which operates one of the world's most sprawling corporate Web sites, used the agency to refine and distill some 4.5 million separate Web pages into a more seamless encounter that R/GA says is intended to "help users help themselves without resorting to excessive searching or, worse yet, abandoning their online purchases."
Johnson & Johnson, one of the country's largest media buyers, criticized traditional agencies last year for failing to explore new forms of marketing. J.& J. recently turned to R/GA to devise some new advertising approaches that it declines to discuss until it unveils them.
"The media landscape around the world, and the marketing landscape in particular, are radically changing," said Brian D. Perkins, Johnson & Johnson's vice president for corporate affairs. "Bob and his gang at R/GA have helped bring a vision of what the future is and what the possibilities are in reaching our patients and our customers."
On Wednesday, John Stratton, the chief marketing officer for Verizon, another R/GA client, offered a withering assessment of traditional advertising, warning agencies that they were failing to grapple with the realities of alternative media.
"Major money is going to be in motion in the next decade and yet no one really understands exactly where it will land, or even if it will land, or just disappear altogether," he said at an Advertising Age conference in Beverly Hills, Calif. "Your clients are in trouble. They are looking to you to save them."
BUT authentically new approaches are in short supply, Mr. Stratton added, saying that the advertising models that have taken shape over the last 50 years "no longer work."
Consumers would seem to agree.
A Yankelovich study in 2004 of about 600 people aged 16 or older found that "clutter, competition and fragmentation have steadily chipped away at the productivity of marketing" and have undermined the powers of branding. Among the study's respondents, 70 percent indicated that "they tune out advertising more than they did just a few years ago."
More easily said than done, Mr. Greenberg says. Too many agencies, he believes, are tethered to a "30-second TV spot" mentality because "agencies get paid based on 30-second spots and that financial incentive keeps them from changing their model." Whip up those spiffy Super Bowl ads and those catchy print ads as much as you like, he says, but their impact is fossilizing and the companies that foot advertising bills are increasingly aware of it.
Direct mail remains the most heavily used advertising medium because its impact is clearer and more response-oriented than most print, TV and radio ads. Spending on Internet advertising still amounts to a small fraction of that for other media, but it has measurable impact. And digital interactions can be tailored in an infinite number of ways.
Other marketing frontiers are arising, and Mr. Greenberg is happy to tick off some examples: quick response codes embedded on movie posters that allow trailers to be downloaded directly onto cellphones placed near them; billboards used by companies like Dove that let consumers vote on themes or messages by cellphone; instant messaging and ads streamed through game consoles like Xbox or online gaming networks; and wireless services like Dodgeball that help people find peers at bars and restaurants within a 10-block radius after they pinpoint their own location by sending a short text message to the service.
Mr. Greenberg ideates and germinates through collaboration, and he likens R/GA to a campus where people embrace what is new rather than feel afraid of or betrayed by change. "I think of our company as a university -- people come in and go out and they spread the knowledge," he said.
Dawn Winchester, 38, R/GA's manager of client services, describes herself as a "refugee" from other agencies stuck in formulaic approaches to problem-solving. "Bob didn't agree to be defined by the language and the concepts already out there in the marketing and advertising industry, and that was very attractive to me," she said, an assessment shared by some of her other colleagues.
THE Interpublic Group of Companies bought R/GA six years ago and folded the company into its unwieldy stable of marketing and communications businesses. Although Interpublic has been rocked in recent years with financial and managerial woes, Mr. Greenberg said R/GA had been able to steer its own course because it remains "substantially profitable." He declined to break out the company's financial results. Advertising Age ranked R/GA 11th on its 2005 list of the country's largest interactive agencies, with revenue of about $112 million, up about 40 percent from $80 million the year before.
As Mr. Greenberg continues to engage with what he calls "a new world of ubiquitous content on demand," he says he has no desire to abandon Hell's Kitchen (lest that also leave him too far from Lonelyville).
In the meantime, the outsider appears to have found something of a home. He's built his own inner circle.
"It's all about one thing: creative problem-solving sponsored by corporations to get the story out," Mr. Greenberg says. "What I'm doing is working with teams of people who all know a lot more about certain things than me. I'm there in a conductor-like way."Continue reading the main story


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Marital Issues
According to a 2012 research study by the Journal of Marriage and Family Therapy, infidelity is more commonplace than one might imagine.
Details from the study stated 41% of married respondents admitted that either one or both partners had cheated either physically or emotionally during their marriage. More concerning is that 57% of men and 54% of women surveyed confessed to committing infidelity in at least one relationship they have had.
In terms of an actual physical affair, 22% of married men and 14% of married women admitted to having had one. According to the study, the average affair lasted two years and the survival rate of the individual's marriage post discovery was 31%.
So what does this all mean?
First, affairs are much more commonplace than one would imagine.
This potential has only increased with the advent of social media and its ability to reconnect and rekindle former flames. According to a 2010 ABC News article, 20% of divorces are now due to Facebook. With new forms of social media coming online every day, this number is sure to grow.
Second, aside from social media, workplace romances are one of the primary drivers of infidelity.
According to the same study, 36% of those surveyed admitted to an office affair with 97% saying it occurred during a business trip.
Third, without the risk of being caught or labeled as an adulterer, many more affairs would occur. In fact, 74% of men and 68% of woman said that if they knew they would not get caught they would have one.
Finally, these statistics reflect a sobering state of marriage. No marriage is immune from this potential destructive force. However, understanding that this possibility exists is the first step to preventing it (as the one who may be cheated on or the one who may be drawn into an affair).
Successful healthy relationships are built on respect, trust, and open communication. Secrets, by their very purpose, promote separation. Openness and forthrightness must be foundational principles upon which you build your marriage.
So whether your relationship has gone through the tragedy of an affair, the beginning stages of a future one are occurring, or you want to take the steps to "affair proof" your marriage, we are here to help.
The Center for Family & Crisis Counseling is here to assist in identifying causes or concerns in your marriage, developing strategies to eliminate those issues, and create tools that will help in uniting each partner in marital purity.

subset: commoncrawl


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Study examines the causes of high school disconnection by youth and potential solutions
(Medical Xpress)—The Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiatives at Tulane University released an extensive report, High School Disconnection: Insights from the Inside, which explores the causes of high school disconnection by youth and potential solutions to address it.
The study uses information gathered in interviews with high school administrators and staff, leaders of supporting youth development intermediaries, as well as focus groups with youth, to understand the root causes of youth disconnection and current practices and interventions targeting dropout prevention in New Orleans. The discussions centered around the issues of academic preparation, school culture, building relevant and rigorous curricula, and relationships with adult mentors and peers.
"We are very excited to release this report," says John Ayers, executive director of the Cowen Institute. "We hope to serve our schools and nonprofits by providing them with a helpful resource as they work to address the critical needs of our at-risk and 'opportunity youth.'"
Also known as disconnected youth, "opportunity youth" are 16- to 24-year olds who are disconnected from school and work. "Opportunity youth" cost the country $93 billion and the New Orleans metro area $195 million in 2011 due to lost tax revenues and increased spending on social services.
This report confirms that youth want to succeed and, with support, they can. In the words of one of the young adults in the study: "If you put your mind to it, you can do it. You got to believe it to achieve it. So do what you got to do, focus on school, pay attention and make it worth your while."
The Cowen Institute is an action-oriented think tank that informs and advances solutions, through policies, programs and partnerships, to eliminate the challenges impeding the success of K-12 education in New Orleans and beyond. The institute's work is in applied research, policy, college and career readiness, and reconnecting "opportunity youth."
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It has special attractions & a wow cuisine,
Friday, 17 January 2014
Guess This Place!
It has special attractions & a wow cuisine,
30 comments:
This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDelete
Wow! A lovely poem, Anita! And I would guess the state to be Orissa or Bengal. :p Do let me know if I am wrong! :DReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks Preeti :) Now that I have added the big-clue pic in my Post, you can find that your guess is right! Odisha, it is :)Delete
Hahah!! Any prizes for the correct guess, eh?! ;)Delete
Have to plan for my Blog then for the future Posts :) What prizes would you like to win? :)Delete
I was just kidding, Anita! :DDelete
But, I am serious, Preeti :)Delete
Maharashtra is my guess... True?!!ReplyDeleteReplies
Preethi, from the given clues & pics-> Odisha is the right answer :)Delete
Odisha it is Anita..as you've added the picture of the Great Wheel of the Sun Temple, Konarka..and that silver filigree work..I bought a couple of them during my last visit to Puri, Odisha :-) other pictures are also indicating the same..ReplyDelete
This has to be Orissa!ReplyDelete
The silver pendant gave away the answer.
This has to be Utkala - Orissa, as in the anthem!ReplyDelete
Have been there in the past...
Wrote this pointing to the Photokatha, didn't you?
I will go with the Audience poll. Am I right?ReplyDelete
I read the answer already so I won't guess :pReplyDelete
BTW lovely poem :)
lovely post Anita. so it is Odisha.. hmm. before i can guess i saw your comment below :PReplyDelete
It is the beautiful Odisha state.ReplyDelete
Oh I'm too late to type Odisha :DReplyDelete
Very nice poem on our state Odisha. Always proud to belong to the land of immense natural beauty and ancient divine architecture, with stalwarts & visionaries like Gopabandhu Das, Harekrushna Mahtab, Madhusudan Das, Nilkantha Das, Biju Pattnaik & an endless list of great men and women....:)ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks Amrita. Very true. Odisha has had an illustrious past with its ancient history & tremendous power as the erstwhile Kingdom of Kalinga. The enterprising youth established trade with S.E.Asia.Delete
Stalwarts & Visionaries deserve their rightful due. Too many names to list...


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Craigslist is a great place to find housing and also to find weirdos who will pay some or all of your rent if you do sex stuff with them. Here are 10 real outside-the-box roles you can fill in exchange for room and board TODAY:
1. Live-In Girlfriend And Possibly Mother of This Guy's Children Because Why Not, He Already Has a Spare Room for the Kids
The most hilarious part of this highly presumptuous offer is the requirement that you "be able to hold your own in jeans or formal." Not only does it read like criteria for a beauty pageant, but the phrase "hold your own" lets us know that this guy is setting a HIGH standard that any future lady needs to be able to match. After all, he does his own cooking AND cleaning.
2. Horse Farm Associate
FINALLY, a horse farm that will charge me a REASONABLE rate in exchange for my willingness to feed/muck/t.o.(???).
3. Short Term Benefit-Provider for a Divorced White Male
He probably means to describe himself as a divorced white male, but DWM is far more commonly used to refer to "dead white males." Which effectively makes this is an ad for a GHOST ROOMMATE. Great movie idea, terrible living situation.
4. Female Roommate Who Is Not a Pet
Got it, you don't want the platonic roommate you occasionally have sex with to be a cat or dog. Because THAT would get weird.
5. Old Man's Eye Candy
There is no way this "older, mature, established, sexy" and "420 friendly" man is not literally one hundred years old.
6. Housekeeper With Fingerprints
"FINGERPRINTING MANDATORY." Boy, if you're this chill about the hiring process, I can already tell you're gonna be a fun boss.
7. Prostitute/Maid
This guy's a profesional with a busy schedule, so he doesn't have time to waste on pretending to be interested in an emotional, friendly, or even courteous relationship. Nope, he wants a hottie who will blow him and then take out the dry cleaning. His straightforwardness sets a bold example for us all.
8. Submissive to a Married Couple
Consider this a PSA to creeps everywhere: check your posts for typos, please. I don't know what a fun tile is, but I don't think I want to take part in one.
9. Non-Sexual Bed-Friend
"Got it? Definitely not a sexual proposition. Just a friend who sleeps in the same bed as me. Who is a woman. That I am attracted to. And may start having sex with. So it's NOT SEXUAL. Okay?"
10. Live-In Girlfriend/Cook/Maid/Life Partner
Yeah, man, we all get why it's great to have a significant other to share our lives with/farm out our chores to. You don't need to convince us. What you do need to do is explain why you think the Craigslist real estate section is the best place to look for a girlfriend. It isn't. There are many other, better places. Even if you only want to use a website, that's fine! THERE ARE WEBSITES SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS PURPOSE.
11. Submissive House Cleaner
The beauty of this one is in the near-poetic ambiguity. Does the writer mean a submissive kinky-sex partner who also cleans the house? Or do they just really want a live-in maid who won't make eye contact with them?
12. Luckiest Girl Alive
"Yes, ladies. You read that right: it's real. I know it seems too good to be true, but pinch yourself, because you are not dreaming. Not only do you get to live in a place described as a 'nice house,' but you also get to date a man who is open-minded and mature enough to be 'flexible' about you even if you're not a 'fit blond.' Please, try to contain your visible sexual excitement."


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For President Donald Trump, professional athletes are the gift that keeps on giving.
You might recall how Trump withdrew the customary White House invitation from last year's NBA champion, the Golden State Warriors, because star Stephen Curry has the temerity to question whether he actually wanted to go. On Monday, Trump did it again, abruptly cancelling a planned celebration at the White House on Tuesday with the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles because a number of team members refused to join in. Their beef? Trump's strong-arming the National Football League owners into requiring players on the field to stand respectfully during the anthem and not do anything, you know, uppity.
Those protests, by the way, are meant to call attention to the repeated incidents of police shooting unarmed black men. But that's not the angle Trump takes. Here's how he characterized the Eagles' views in a statement Monday:
"They disagree with their President because he insists that they proudly stand for the National Anthem, hand on heart, in honor of the great men and women of our military and the people of our country."
You may insert your favorite quote about forced displays of patriotism here. But the bigger lesson here is that these White House dog-and-pony shows with championship teams are now utterly politicized, on top of being far too numerous (an example of Championship Celebration Creep: the White House ceremony last month for NASCAR's top driver). Players need to recognize that they're getting played by someone who's better at this than they are.
Trump sees the anthem issue (which also fed Curry's misgivings) like a slow curve into his wheelhouse, something that resonates strongly with his base. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Trump told as much to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, "Tell everybody, you can't win this one. This one lifts me."
Trump played up the us-against-them aspects in his statement regarding the Super Bowl champs. "The Eagles wanted to send a smaller delegation, but the 1,000 fans planning to attend the event deserve better," he said. "These fans are still invited to the White House to be part of a different type of ceremony — one that will honor our great country, pay tribute to the heroes who fight to protect it, and loudly and proudly play the national anthem. I will be there at 3:00 p.m. with the United States Marine Band and the United States Army Chorus to celebrate America."
That, ladies and gentlemen, is major league spin. The president stands with the fans and the military, while the Eagles find themselves in the role of disrespectful, unpatriotic athletes.
Championship teams are in tough spot. It's a huge honor to be invited to the White House, and these sorts of celebrations used to be puff pastry — light and airy. At the same time, it's a cherished American right to protest the way the government uses its enormous power — and to criticize anyone and everyone in office, including the president. And this particularly thin-skinned president lashes back.
So, should the Eagles have shut up and marched en masse to the South Lawn, where at the very least they could have enjoyed rubbing in their victory over a team owned, coached and quarterbacked by well-known Trump supporters? That seems like too big a trade-off. It would be better if players told their leagues to inform the White House that no matter who their champion is, they won't be visiting the White House. It's infinitely preferable to being played by the guy who lives there.
Jon Healey is a columnist with the Los Angeles Times.


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St. Mary's is hosting its annual Blessing of the Animals on Saturday, Aug. 3, at 11 a.m. with a special service of comfort at noon to mourn the loss of a beloved animal. The service honors St. Francis of Assisi and features refreshments for both humans and pets.
07/31/19 4:30pm


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Weekly Haiku – Senryu Prompt Challenge – 11 – Bright & Colorful
#weeklyhaikuchallenge -11
Simple Guidelines.
Using the words "bright & colorful" or just one or the other, write a Haiku or Senryu poem.
Haiku (also called nature or seasonal haiku) is an unrhymed Japanese verse consisting of three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables (5, 7, 5) or 17 syllables in all.
There is much more to haiku than the made-up 5/7/5 version.
Here is an in-depth description of Haiku – Senryu (also called human haiku) is an unrhymed Japanese verse consisting of three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables (5, 7, 5) or 17 syllables in all. Senryu is usually written in the present tense and only references to some aspect of human nature or emotions. They possess no references to the natural world and thus stand out from nature/seasonal haiku.
You can write your haiku or senryu poem any way you like not necessary the 5/7/5 version.
Not sure of your Syllable count? Check Here
You can use the picture above, your own or no picture at all.
Copy and paste the link of your finished Haiku or Senryu in the comments below. I will acknowledge them the following week, also share on social networks as I receive them.
My Haiku or Senryu Poem – using the word "bright & colorful".
feeling the freedom
bright colorful scenery
nature at its best
Bloggers that wrote for the Weekly Haiku Prompt Challenge – Week 10 – Plants & Fresh Air – 10 October 2017 – Thank you.
The Bag Lady – Cheryl is a widow, handicapped, a constant writer on her blog, loves doing most things.
Reena Saxena – Founder of ReInventions — Coach, Trainer, Writer and Personal Branding Consultant
Miriam writes great poetry she left a Haiku/Senryu poem in my comments this week if any of you {my readers} would like to do that, please do.
Henrietta Watson – She loves reblogging, looking for ideas for writing, check her blog out.
Charmedchaos – Musings of Life, interesting poetry, short stories


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Frequently asked questions
What days can you deliver on?
Most deliveries are made Monday to Friday. No deliveries are made on Sundays or Bank Holidays.
What happens if no one is home to meet the courier?
If no one is home, our courier will either leave a card to say they have attempted delivery, or they will leave the parcel in a safe place or with a neighbour. The calling card will ask you (or your gift recipient) to contact them to re-arrange delivery, or to arrange collection of the wine - whichever is the most convenient. You may find it easier to authorise our courier to leave the order in a certain place, but Great Western Wine will not be held responsible if you do choose this option. If a calling card is left it is your (or your gift recipients) responsibility to call the courier within 2 working days, otherwise the wine will be returned to Great Western Wine. You can then either collect your parcel from us, or pay our cost price for us to re-deliver (currently £7.50 per dozen bottles, UK mainland).
What happens if my wine / wine gift is broken in transit?
Our transit boxes are designed to withstand most things, but unfortunately wine does sometimes break in transit. Our carrier advises us if there are any breakages in a daily delivery audit of all parcels sent the previous day, and we resend all breakages immediately they tell us of any problems. It is, however, still very important that you let us know of any breakages once received so we can arrange replacement wine for you as quickly as possible. We will always replace any wine broken in transit as soon as the breakage has been notified to us, be it your own personal wine, or in wine gifts sent to your customers, staff, family or friends. Please always check both the number of parcels, and the condition of any wines you sign for - as we cannot be held liable for any breakages once you have accepted and signed for them.
Will Great Western Wine provide a refund for, and collect, any wine I don't enjoy?
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Conservative Republicans, it being their nature, say and do some dumb things. Take, for instance, this one:
A Michigan Republican with a criminal record for breaking into cars and masturbating is urging residents to move out of state to avoid the "homosexual agenda."
You'll be happy to know that this guy is running for a seat in the Michigan legislature. And, if you live in Michigan, you'll be happy to know that he thinks "as long as there are those that love God here, we can win souls and see God move in this city and state." Yes, in case you didn't know, legislating is all about winning souls watching God "move."
And speaking of God moving, mysteriously he was moved yesterday to reveal to the Huffington Post a video he shot of Joni Ernst, the testicle-hating senatorial candidate from Iowa, telling folks at some gun rally in 2012 that she packed heat and reserved the right to use it against "the government, should they decide that my rights are no longer important." As many have now pointed out, this is the same wacky ball-hater that wants to castrate the rights of women to control their own reproductive health.
But even slightly more sober conservatives say and do dumb things. Chris Christie recently said to his Chamber of Commerce pals that he is "tired of hearing about the minimum wage." Then, after he realized how dumb it was to say something so dumb, he said something equally dumb:
My comments are never almost universally interpreted the way I mean them.
And we can see why.
But some Republican conservatives not only say dumb things, they say dumb and dangerous things, things that scare and mislead people. Rand Paul, plagiarist and self-certified ophthalmologist, said recently that the Obama administration has inaccurately described Ebola to the public and has "tried to downplay the transmissibility" of the disease, when, in the opinion of the self-certified ophthalmologist, Ebola "is something that appears to be very easy to catch."
Man, that level of numb-headed irresponsibility makes Chris Christie look good, which is no small feat.
Speaking of small feats, there is my congressman Ozark Billy Long. Let me show you a still from a campaign commercial that is airing here in Hooterville, and I should tell you this commercial was actually "Approved by Billy Long. Paid for by Billy Long for Congress":
Shouldn't the Democrat running against Long, Jim Evans, be running that ad? I mean, Long is bragging that he did something 56 times that failed. He was recently accused of being an ineffective legislator and it turns out his own ad proves it! Brilliant stuff that.
On the darker side of local politics around these parts, I present to you a scene from a campaign commercial running here in Joplin put out by Rep. Lynn Jenkins. She is a Republican from Kansas who represents my old home town and who, in August of 2009, told Kansans that "Republicans are struggling right now to find the great white hope." Here is a screen shot of the ad I saw last night:
Just who is that woman in the ad? And who is that shifty and scary looking negro standing behind her? Well, the woman is Democrat Margie Wakefield, who happens to be Jenkins' opponent and who happens to be giving Jenkins a run for her money. And I think you all know who the other guy is. He is The Scary Negro himself. And, man, doesn't he really look like he's up to no good? Maybe he has a gun in her back or maybe he's about to stick a shiv in her. Maybe he's about to rob her and take her money or, God forbid, something worse like force her to support ObamaCare. What other reason would he be standing so close and looking so creepy?
Sad thing is, this ad doesn't really qualify as another dumb thing conservative Republicans are saying or doing these days. It's actually pretty smart, in a Southern strategy political sense, to remind people in mostly rural Kansas that The Scary Negro is out there, ready to do something ugly. But whatever ugly thing that Barack Obama might do between now and the end of his term, it won't be nearly as ugly as that ad.


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Jon and I are in the process of moving to Baltimore, which means that our current place in DC is a mess, our new place in Baltimore is a mess, and then there's turkey to be had in Chicago. So, after several late-nights of painting, cleaning, packing and panicking, we sadly decided to skip the roadtrip to Chicago and leave me behind to do more of the painting, cleaning, packing but without the panicking while Jon goes back to visit with his family. So, after some savvy Internet hunting, I stuck Jon on a Southwest flight to Milwaukee (hour drive from his parents' place) and departure out of Midway, for $340.
It's a little higher than we'd ordinarily spend for travel to Chicago, but it is a far difference from the $450 ticket I paid in 1994 from St. Louis to New York one Thanksgiving, because I didn't book far enough in advance. Yes, that's 15 years ago. Airline tickets haven't increased a whole lot since I was jetting back and forth around college, but it is more difficult to fly, and I used to get away with bringing four carry-ons and all my liquids.
So, if you're still wistfully thinking of visiting family or friends, it's not too late. There is a "cornucopia" of options! (forgive my themed reference)
1. Check all the search engines, not just one. Kayak has a lot of options, but it doesn't display Southwest flights. Check Southwest separately.
2. Be open to obscure airports (like Milwaukee). Think like a driver in Los Angeles (i.e. it could take an hour to drive 10 blocks). In holiday traffic, driving from O'Hare could take even longer than driving from Milwaukee, so it wouldn't be so bad to choose another airport.
3. Try various one-way options. We booked a one-way from Baltimore to Milwaukee, then out of Midway back to Baltimore by buying two separate tickets. You can also try different airlines. Shop around, but don't linger too long because the flights will continue to rise quickly.
4. If you're willing to fly on Thanksgiving, do that and plan to arrive before the dinner starts. Also departing on Saturday instead of Sunday reduces your fare. Yes, you miss a day of visiting, but it's better than not visiting at all, which was your original plan until now.
5. Be willing to wake up at the crack of dawn to catch that 6:30am flight. It's annoying, but it's less expensive, and you'll make up the lost sleep during the flight anyway.
5. Consider Priceline. You set a price limit and bid on a mystery flight. Be aware that you won't know your travel times until after you purchase your ticket, and they set the hours between 6am to 10pm. If you are traveling on Thanksgiving day, know that Priceline might send you on a flight during dinner time and you'll miss everything.
5. Save money on peripherals: Take public transportation to/ from airport. It's cheaper, it bypasses traffic, and you won't spend extra dollars on parking. Pack light (avoid baggage fees) and don't eat anything, so you'll be ready for the feast!
Happy Thanksgiving and safe travels!


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Wicked Butternut Squash Casserole
I wasn't planning on posting this recipe, because some things are just too good to share. But, my mom has been asking me for a couple of weeks to write it up for her so I figured I'd put it here, too.
To be fair, this is not *MY* recipe. I didn't come up with it. My boss actually introduced me to this dish a few months ago and until that time, I had never actually even HAD butternut squash. Earlier in the summer, she got me addicted to "flying saucer" squash from her garden and then the butternut squash casserole.
I love my boss 🙂
Okay, this…..is a butternut squash.
Don't let the outside fool you, this is a beauty of a squash ;^)
Butternut squash is cuh=razy good for you. Just one serving of butternut squash is chock-full of Vitamin C, B-complex vitamins and contains over 350% the recommended daily value of Vitamin A – yes, that's three hundred and fifty percent! It's also loaded with calcium, potassium and – something that's very important to my anemic behind – *IRON*!! Butternut squash contains no saturated fats or cholesterol which is nice because I'm sure the rest of this recipe makes up for that – lol 🙂
1 lg. butternut squash
2 cans of cream of celery soup
1 yellow onion, diced
1 box of your favorite Stove Top stuffing (I use Savory Herb)
1 tbsp of butter
*Fresh ground black pepper (optional)
Okay, you might have read that the skin of the butternut squash is thick, hard and inedible. I would have to assume that depends on how you cook it because I have yet to come across that problem. But do make sure you have a strong knife that's comfortable for you as the actual flesh of the squash can be difficult to cut. I've been told that baking the squash for about 30 minutes before cutting it up makes it a little easier but I don't find it to be that much of a hassle.
- Wash and lightly peel the skin of the butternut squash – I personally do a quick peel around the squash just making sure to remove any imperfections.
- Split the squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.
- Carefully cut the squash into small cubes – about an inch seems to work well – and set aside.
- In a medium sauce pan, melt butter and quickly saute onion just until softened.
- Add cubed squash to the sauce pan and stir.
- Add the two cans of cream of celery soup.
- Use a can to measure out 1 and half cans of milk (obviously, this doesn't have to be exact)
- Stir well and make sure that all of the squash is covered with the soup.
- *Add black pepper and incorporate well.
- Cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes or until squash is tender.
- Once the squash is ready, prepare the Stove Top stuffing.
- Lightly scatter about half of the stuffing on the bottom of a casserole dish.
- I use a slatted spoon to transfer the squash to the casserole dish, reserving the soup in the pot.
- Distribute the rest of the stuffing across the layer of squash.
- Carefully and evenly pour soup over the top layer of stuffing.
- Bake at 300 degrees for about 45 minutes and enjoy! (Top with shredded carrots if you like ;^)
*The black pepper is completely up to you, I am trying to use more black pepper in my diet and I do like it in this dish. I did not think any additional salt was necessary with this dish, but to each his own.
One important thing to remember is to make sure the squash is covered with the soup in the sauce pan – depending which pot I'm using – and how big of a squash I bought – the 2 cans of soup and 1.5 cans of milk is just right. If you find that your soup is a little low you can either add some more milk or, if you prefer, some water…..I use water.
This casserole really is to die for and the best part of it is that it's not overloaded with a ton of spices that hide the flavor of the squash. Boss lady says this recipe works great with ANY squash, but at the moment, I haven't gotten over my love affair with the butternut yet ;^)
Posted on 07|01|2013, in domestic goddess, yumm-o and tagged butternut, butternut squash, casserole, recipe, squash. Bookmark the permalink. 6 Comments.
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RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) -- A grand jury has indicted a 34-year-old South Richmond man in connection with a Hanover teen's February shooting death.
Dominique Tylvann Clark, of the 3600 block of McRand Street of Richmond, was charged Monday with voluntary manslaughter for 16-year-old Robert Lee Fox's shooting death.
Richmond police said Clark met with detectives at police headquarters Monday where he was served the arrest warrant. Officials said Clark will be arraigned Tuesday.
Officers received a call for a person shot in an alley behind the 3600 block of McRand Ave. around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 25.
That's where they found Fox, of the 7100 block of Caitlin Ave., Mechanicsville, lying in the alley. He was transported to VCU Medical Center, but later died from a single gunshot wound.
Some South Richmond residents said a string of vehicle break-ins took place around the same time the 16-year-old was fatally shot in an alley.
- Details emerging in mysterious shooting death of a 16-year-old in South Richmond alley
- Commonwealth's attorney: Teen's shooting may have been self-defense
- Police ID slain teen as Robert Lee Fox of Hanover
Stay with WTVR.com and CBS 6 News for the latest updates on this developing story.


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A subsistence farm used RDP support in order to become commercially viable by investing in organic production.
Projects & Practice
An agricultural cooperative invested in setting up organic apple orchards with anti-hail nets. They also acquired agricultural machinery to support the production of organic beef.
An example of sustainable cultivation of olive trees and extraction of olive oil using innovative ultrasound techniques.
This project created free outdoor recreational infrastructure for a range of age groups and motivated them to take up physical activity through workshops and presentations.
A family farm used RDP support to switch from cattle to turkey breeding in response to market demand.
An old abandoned farm through three separate investments was turned into an orchard with hail protection nets and a building to store the produce and equipment.
A LEADER project tackled the limited possibilities of children in the peripheral part of the capital city of Ljubljana to engage in free-time activities.
Two RDP funded projects enabled a company specialised on biomass heating to grow by financing the purchase of mobile wood chipper and later on a pelleting system.
The cooperative 'Dobrina' used LEADER support for awareness raising and capacity building activities in order to promote locally produced high quality fresh food to public schools and attract more producers.
Awareness raising and sales promotion for organic crops and products


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Syndicate Bank Cheque Printing will help to configure your Tally to print cheques from Tally for the Syndicate Bank customers. In day-to-day Accounting people needs to issue cheques to different payees. now preparing this cheque manually and again posting the same to Accounts is a time consuming job and subject to human Errors.
An accounting software which supports the in built feature of cheque printing is always welcome to avoid repetitive daily tasks.
One tallynine.com reader Ms.Purnima has successfully set up cheque printing dimension for SBI and Syndicate bank after reading articles on Axis bank cheque printing and ICICI bank cheque printing.
On our special request she agreed to publish dimension of both SBI and Syndicate Bank Cheque for the benefits of fellow readers and we are thankful to her.
I will not repeat the basic set up which requires for cheque printing that is through F11.
To set up the basic, please browse the above articles in anchor text and then set the below dimensions for syndicate bank
Syndicate Bank Cheque Printing
Before you go with Syndicate Bank Cheque Printing, you should be sure that a bank ledger is Created in Tally under the Group Bank Accounts/bank OCC Accounts
After creating the bank ledger, Go to F11, Accounting features and set yes to enable Cheque printing
You can also set up Syndicate Bank Cheque Printing dimension for your desired bank by using a trial and error method.
Please do not hesitate to share your experience with your fellow readers regarding tally.erp 9 and accountancy.
An update : With release 3.6 Tally.erp 9 now supports auto configuration of cheque printing. so gone are the days when the users were struggling for cheque printing configuration.


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DEAR BENNY: I live in a 12-unit condominium complex. We self-manage. One of the units will probably be going into foreclosure in the very near future. What does the complex need to do to collect the monthly dues and yearly assessments once the unit is in foreclosure? –Sara
DEAR SARA: Unfortunately, this is a very common problem that many condominium associations throughout the country are facing. It has a downhill spiraling effect: When a unit owner is delinquent on his/her mortgage payments, that owner doesn't pay the condominium fees either.


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The first analyst Bill Ackman hired for his Pershing Square fund in 2003, will be leaving within weeks to start his own hedge fund, Bloomberg Busienssweek reported.
Scott Ferguson, now a partner at Pershing Square, was hired by Ackman fresh out of Harvard Business School in the fall off 2003, about six months before the inception of Ackman's famous fund, which has returned 379% net of fees.
Ferguson, who's 38 years old, has been speaking with Ackman about leaving the firm for a while now. Ackman, who launched Pershing Square at 37 years of age, believes that it's an appropriate time for Ferguson to launch his own fund.
According to Scott Ferguson's LinkedIn account, he's a 1996 Stanford graduate and a 2003 graduate of Harvard Business School.
Like Ackman's fund, Ferguson's hedge fund will use an activist strategy and will conduct value-oriented research while pushing for internal changes at under performing companies.


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Journey into Discernment: Into the Desert
This sermon was given by Geoff Pound at ABC on Sunday 9 October 2016 and is the first in a series entitled, Journey in Discernment. The 'journey' being encouraged at ABC involves Sunday sermons, Group Studies and personal daily reflections. The format is based on the book, Making Life Decisions, which includes forty chapters for personal reflection and weekly studies for personal and group study.
Scripture Reading: Matthew 4: 1-11
4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished.3 The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." 4 But he answered, "It is written,
'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,
'He will command his angels concerning you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'"
7 Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; 9 and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." 10 Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written,
'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'"
11 Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
When Johann Goethe, the German writer and diplomat, was a young man, he had a hankering to become a fulltime professional artist.[1] One day while he was walking along the Lahn River, this question of whether to become a painter or not loomed large.
He decided to settle this matter once and for all. He took a knife from his pocket and got ready to throw it into the river. He resolved that if he could see the knife fall as it sank to the bottom he was to become an artist, but if the sinking knife was concealed by the willow trees, he was to abandon the idea.
He flung the knife into the river. For a time the willows hid the sinking knife. But then the water bubbled up like a fountain and the knife flashed once again.
His test was so ambiguous. The answer was so indefinite that he was still left in the dark.
I wonder what shonky guidance tests you have submitted yourself to? If this thing happens then I will go and do that. If that thing happens then I will go somewhere else. There must be a more excellent way.
In these next few weeks in Sunday sermons, in small groups and in daily personal study we're encouraging each other on a journey of discernment.
Some of you are young like Goethe and you'll be eager to discern vocational possibilities or questions about courses for next year.
Others are older and the discernment challenge may relate to beginning a new relationship, relocation, retirement or downsizing.
In many ways the discernment questions never die, so hopefully we are eager to explore and apply the light of the Scriptures, the prompting of the living Christ and the rich resources that our faith offers.
Today's Scripture passage begins with Matthew saying:
4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness.
Jesus sensed an urging to head for the desert. Did he know then that this desert experience would catapult him into his public ministry (Matthew 4:12) or was this God's providential timing and preparation?
It's a wise thing to be sensitive to the leading of the Spirit but we also see throughout Christ's life a commitment to this practice of disengagement especially before new chapters of his life or significant decisions that he was called to make.
1. The Journey of Discernment begins with a commitment to Disengage.
Andrew Sullivan is a British writer who lives in the United States.[2] Since the early days of blogging he had built up an audience of 100,000 readers a day, he had a news-media business that was profitable and a niche in the nerve centre of the exploding global conversation.
Every morning began with a full immersion in the Internet, as he broke stories, shared insights and responded to people all over the world.
About a year ago he sensed a personal crash coming upon him. He'd always joked that if the Internet kills you then He'd be the first to find out. Now the joke was wearing thin. His health was giving out with one infection after another and holidays became opportunities to catch up on sleep.
After 15 years of this treadmill, Andrew Sullivan decided to quit the World Wide Web. He threw his life and career up in the air.[3]
He went to a retreat centre for the ultimate detox. When he arrived he sat in a large hall with others and reached into his pocket for his iPhone. A woman came by with a basket to collect all the phones and he duly surrendered his device only to feel a sudden pang of panic on his way back to his seat.
In those next few days the only words he heard were in three counseling sessions and a couple of guided meditations. The silence grew. His breathing slowed. His brain settled. His body became more available to him. He could feel it digesting and pulsating.
Things that usually had escaped him now began to intrigue him. On a walk through the forest he began to notice the quality of the autumnal light, the splotchy multicolours of the fallen leaves, the texture of lichen on the bark. He heard birdsong for the first time in years. Of course he'd heard it but it'd been so long since he'd listened.
Soon enough the world of 'the news' disappeared from his consciousness. He felt the slowing of the ticking clock, the unwinding of the pace and he sensed a trace of freedom.
The novelty of the retreat slowly receded and Sullivan reported some periods of being overwhelmed, a confrontation with painful memories and the trauma that had marked his childhood. Counseling helped him express his anguish. Time soon eased or resolved it.
Sullivan prayed for relief but he said this was "like a natural process of revisiting, healing and recovering. It felt like an ancient, long-buried gift."
It takes courage to disconnect. 'A waste of time', some might say. But a ten day retreat was life saving for Andrew Sullivan.
4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness … 2 He fasted forty days and forty nights.
There's nothing magical about forty days but in the Bible the number 'forty' suggests a significant period.[4] It may not be possible or advisable for you to take forty days to be full time on the work of discernment but it'd be good to think of how and when we might carve out some special time so we can invest in this important work of discernment.
Perhaps as Christians, we've lost much of the benefit that can come through the weekly practice of Sabbath. As a committed Jew, Raphael Freeman describes the gift of the Sabbath.[5]
He says:
"We have a 25-hour reprieve starting Friday evening where all devices are turned off, iPhones, iPads, TVs, radios. No digital content whatsoever… Those of us who go to the synagogue, we have our time of meditation."
"We go to the park with the kids, see our friends and catch up in a meaningful way. No cellphone beeping, no digital distraction…"
"And our kids notice it. They love Shabbat even though they can't wait to play with their devices on Saturday evening as the 25 hours end. But they love it because they have their parent's attention 100%. No work. No calls. No texts."
Raphael concludes: "Whether you believe in God or not, the invention of Shabbat is brilliant."
That's one day a week but how do we carve out a mini-Sabbath to disengage every day?
Having reaped the benefits of a ten day retreat, Andrew Sullivan wrote:
"If the churches came to understand that the greatest threat to faith today is not hedonism but distraction, perhaps they might begin to appeal anew to a frazzled digital generation."
But then he starts to imagine other innovative responses:
"Restaurants where Smartphones must be surrendered upon entering, coffee shops that marketed their non-Wi-Fi safe space? More meals where we agree to put our gadgets in a box while we talk to one another? Or lunch where the first person to use their phone pays the whole bill?"[6]
The Journey of Discernment begins with a commitment to Disengage.
2. The Journey of Discernment continues with a commitment to Connect.
This report about Jesus fasting for forty days and forty nights meant connecting with his own humanity. Feeling not only his physical hunger but all the things that his body craved.
In the testing conversation that ensued, this period was a time of intense connection with God particularly through mulling over the Scriptures. To the tempting proposal to turn the stones into bread (4), Jesus says:
"It is written: 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" (4)
In the desert Jesus was on a nutritious spiritual diet of the Scriptures and finding their capacity to satisfy and quell the appetite for feasting on junk.
In the desert there are no markers but whether in his imagination or in some other way he is taken "to the holy city and placed… on the pinnacle of the temple," (5) and later he is taken "to a very high mountain and shown all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour," (9). This is a time of great testing.
Similarly we should expect our journey of discernment to be challenging, even gruelling. A time when without our work, our usual schedule and comforts we're being stripped down to see ourselves as we really are.
And in the silence we hear new voices, voices that urge us, voices that lure us. Maybe our constant addiction to noise is our way of deadening the voices within. Perhaps they're the anaesthetic we use to numb the pain.
When we imagine a journey in the desert as a time of intense connection with God do you wonder whether you could really hack it? How would we concentrate? How do we tame our wandering minds that flit and skitter all over the place?
When different voices are urging, Jesus shuts them down and says three times, "It is written." (4, 7, 10). He refuses to get drawn into this tempting chatter by the praying and quoting of Scripture. This brings focus, truth and strength.
The masters of prayer encourage the repeating of Biblical prayers (such as the Lord's Prayer), repeating the Jesus Prayer: 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me.'[7] All helpful things in our journey to maintain this connection with God.
Matthew's account finishes with these last verses (10-11):
'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'"
11 Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
Jesus renews his commitment to worshipping and serving God and the testing subsides and he is ministered to.
The Journey of Discernment begins with a commitment to Disengage.
The Journey of Discernment continues with a commitment to Connect.
The Journey of Discernment concludes with a commitment to Partnership.
At Stanford University, the most popular class isn't chemistry or computer science.
Stanford's most popular course is called, 'Designing Your Life'.[8] It's offered to give students the perspectives and the tools that they need to navigate decisions about their life and work after graduation.
The teachers launched 'Designing Your Life' back in 2010 and it took off in a heartbeat. It's so popular that students vie for the limited places.[9]
The students learn about vocation, finding purpose, developing passion, creativity, developing the whole person, self-care and being intentional.
The university course isn't directly to do with spirituality or religion but these things can have a place within its framework.
Their only bias is, "We can make the future better." We can design our lives.
The popularity of this Stanford experiment highlights how intriguing the questions of vocation and discernment really are.
It's a timely rider to any notion that we are simply sponges or that discernment is merely passive in which we wait for God to write signposts in the sky telling us what to do.
The image of Christ returning from the desert is one of freedom, intentionality and renewed partnership.
So let's be on our journey, open to all the resources for discerning our way, discovering that in partnership with God, we can design our lives and build a better future.
Lord Jesus Christ, save us from distraction.
Help us to find and make spaces away from the familiar and the noise, so to connect more with who we are and commune with you our living God, in the silence, through the Scriptures and amid the urges and craving that's rage about us.
May these times refresh and energize us for service in your world.
Bless our journey with you.
Enable us to support one another through Jesus Christ, our strength and Guide.
In your journey,
Go as far as your courage takes you,
For you can never go beyond the reach of God.
Give as extravagantly as you can,
For you can never outspend the riches of God.
Care as lavishly as you can,
For you can never exhaust the love of God.
Journey with joy and rest with confidence,
For you will never run out of the peace of God.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ will be with us all, Amen.
[1] This story about Goethe is told by F W Boreham in his book, 'Mountains in the Mist'. It appears in his essay 'Lead Kindly Light', 52.
[2] Andrew Sullivan, 'I Used to be a Human Being', New York Magazine, 18 September 2016.
[3] Jennifer Schuessler reports Andrew Sullivan's closure of his blog, 'The Dish' in her article, 'Andrew Sullivan on His Brief Return to the Online Political Fray', New York Times, 29 July 2016.
[4] Rain fell for forty days and forty nights during the Genesis flood (7:4). Spies explored the Promised Land for forty days (Numbers 13: 25). Forty days was the period from the resurrection of Jesus to his Ascension (Acts 1:3). In modern Christian practice, Lent consists of the forty days preceding Easter.[4] Advent is a similar period preceding and preparing us for the birth of Jesus.
[5] Raphael Freeman expresses this as a comment to the New York Magazine article by Andrew Sullivan listed earlier.
[6] Sullivan, 'I Used to be a Human Being', New York Magazine.
[7] More helpful material on this topic from Martin Laird, 'Into the Silent Land: The Practice of Contemplation', DLT, 2006, especially 48-74.
[8] Ainsley O'Connell, Stanford's Most Popular Class, Fast Company, 26 March 2015.
[9] Some students teach the class to their friends who weren't able to enroll.
[10] Adapted from WellSpring Midday prayers this week.


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Published at Sunday, December 17th, 2017 - 00:48:36 AM. Bedding. By Amia Fournier.
She designs bedding using very bright colors such as lime, butter yellow, chocolate, charcoal and ocean blue to create patterns like trellis, awning stripes featuring broad, bold striping, thin stripe which uses various widths of striping to create outstanding bedding patterns and dot or cube. Along with these bold graphic patterns, solid sheets and border sheets allow mix and match to create a very modern look for the bedroom.
For those seeking a good night's sleep, they may want to look into quality bedding sets. Investing in comfortable sheets, blankets, and comforters will help you be able to get the sleep you desire. Who doesn't enjoy waking up feeling refreshed and ready to start the day? Subpar bedding can leave you feeling tired and like you have to drag yourself out of bed in order to get started. Bedding can really have an effect on your sleep, so it is important that you choose the right sets.
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Words by Emma Do
Our descent into winter may have officially begun but that doesn't stop us from dreaming about the sunshine waiting on the other side. Thanks to fashion running seasons ahead, our daydreams continue to be fuelled by the pretty things landing in our inbox. Basically, we get to plan our summer wardrobes while wrapped in our snuggies.
For Summer 2013, Diaz has dreamed up a riot of jewel tones and quite possibly the cutest pineapple print to ever exist. It was the early Japanese migration to Hawaii which inspired the mish mash of kimono sleeves and hawaiian shirts though thankfully there's nothing too literal about Diaz's interpretation- hula skirts and obi belts need not apply. Edo Tropica is just a bunch of effortlessly cheery clothes which make us want to hoist up a beach umbrella and sip fruit punch three months too soon.


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This complete, luxurious facial routine is perfect for people who need a quick at home beauty treatment. All these ingredients are fairly common, and there's a good chance you can find them all in your fridge or pantry! Best of all, this is a 100% natural(and possibly organic) treatment.
1Get a fresh, clean face. You can accomplish this by using milk as a cleanser. Any grade or variety of milk is fine, though whole milk is ideal. Take 1 tablespoon of milk and apply it to your face with your own hands or a cotton ball that has been dipped in it. Gently rub around your face for 2-5 minutes. Rinse off.
2Exfoliate. Exfoliation is the process of removing excess buildup of dead skin cells, to reveal soft, smooth skin. Take a tablespoon of brown sugar and pat it on to your still wet face. If you have sensitive skin, or have never exfoliated before, let the sugar sit on your face and dissolve for a minute or two. Then rub is gently in circular motions all over your face and neck.
3Tone your face. Green tea is perfect for this, because of the antioxidants in it. Green tea can also help get rid of dark circles. Boil some water in a kettle, pour it into a cup, and steep for 8-10 minutes. Wait until it has cooled, then apply to your face with a cotton ball. Do not rinse.
4Use a moisturizing mask. Our single ingredient mask is honey. Honey has antibacterial and moisturizing properties. Simply apply a thick layer onto your face. Leave on for 15 minutes. Rinse off.Advertisement
Community Q&A
QuestionWhy is alcohol not good for my face?Tansy_200Community AnswerAlcohol is a product that can sting and burn when applied directly to skin, causing it to be irritated or dry.
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- If you don't have these ingredients, they can all be replaced. Olive or jojoba oils can be used as cleanser, white sugar can be used as an exfoliant, lemon juice diluted in water can be used as a toner, and olive oil can be used as a moisturizer mask.Thanks!
- Test on a small bit of skin to check for any allergic reaction or irritation.Thanks!
- Do not over exfoliate. This will result in red, irritated skin. Be very gentle.Thanks!
- If you decide the replace the green tea with lemon juice, know that lemon juice can have a mild lightening effect on skin.Thanks!
- Check and smell your milk before putting it on your face!Thanks!
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Q. I've been diagnosed with HER2-positive stage II breast cancer, and after surgery will be doing chemo (AC + T). After that's done, my oncologist says I'll be taking Herceptin. He called it a "targeted therapy." What does that mean? Is it like tamoxifen?
A. Unlike tamoxifen, or the various aromatase inhibitors (Arimidex, Aromasin, Femara), Herceptin (trastuzumab) is NOT a hormone therapy drug. Instead, it's called a targeted therapy (or immune targeted therapy). Targeted therapies are manufactured antibodies that "target" specific properties of cancer cells: their production of protein, their use of enzymes, or their ability to form new blood vessels to support growth. They leave healthy cells alone, which is a plus.
Q. Can we backtrack a minute? What's HER2-positive mean, anyway?
A. Cells do three things: they grow, they rest, and they repair themselves. Genes inside the chromosomes in your cells regulate their activity, telling them when to grow, and when to stop growing and rest. If the genes malfunction, the patterns of growth/rest/repair are disrupted.
In HER2-positive breast cancer, there's an excess of HER2 genes in the chromosomes of some of your cells. These genes tell the cells to grow extra protein receptors on their surface. With these extra receptors, the cells keep getting signals to grow, rather than to rest or repair. They grow much faster than the cells around them; this wild, uncontrolled growth turns them into cancer cells. Twenty-five percent of all breast cancers are HER2-positive.
Q. So, what does Herceptin do, specifically?
A. Herceptin is an antibody that blocks the HER2 protein from attaching itself to cancer cells, preventing them from growing. Herceptin works like tamoxifen, in a way: where tamoxifen attaches itself to a cell's estrogen receptors, thus depriving the cell of the estrogen it needs to grow, Herceptin attaches itself to the cell's protein receptors, effectively blocking the "grow" message. Herceptin can also signal your body's immune system to destroy the cell to which it's attached itself, so it carries a double punch. Like tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors, Herceptin works to prevent recurrence in women whose HER2-positive cancer hasn't metatastized.
Q. How will I take Herceptin? Is it a pill?
A. Herceptin is given intravenously, which means you'll get it in shot form. The first injection takes about 90 minutes; after that, weekly injections take about 30 minutes each. The duration of treatment depends on your specific pathology. Also, studies are currently underway examining whether Herceptin is just as effective given every 3 weeks, rather than weekly; stay tuned for updates from your oncologist.
FYI, Herceptin is also sometimes prescribed for women with large HER2-positive tumors, to shrink them before surgery. And it's often prescribed for women with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, where it's given indefinitely, or until the woman's doctor believes it's stopped working. It is typically given in combination with other chemotherapy such as a taxane, gemcitabine, navelbine, or other agents.
Q. Might as well ask - what about side effects of Herceptin?
A. Well, there's good news, and bad news (sounds familiar, huh?) The good news is, Herceptin doesn't cause hair loss and rarely causes nausea, two of the most dreaded side effects of chemotherapy. So you won't be facing THAT again, though you may feel like you have a mild case of the flu after the first injection.
The bad news is, Herceptin does come with some fairly serious potential side effects. Since it may affect the ability of your heart to pump blood, up to 7% of women taking Herceptin experience anything from mild heart failure up to stroke and life-threatening congestive heart failure. The heart failure is usually reversible. In very rare cases, Herceptin can also cause serious lung problems. Your doctor will make sure you have you have an echocardiogram or other heart test before starting Herceptin; if for some reason he doesn't, make sure to ask about it.


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Posts tagged deceive yourself
The Age of Delusion
4 years ago
by Steve in Podcasts 2015
This is the time and age we live in now! And it's not just the "world" that is being deceived, but it's the Church too!
False teachers, false prophets and compromising is at an all time high and has brought "apostasy" to the last times church.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 14:54 — 13.6MB)
Don't Be Deceived
4 years ago
by Steve in Podcasts 2015
We are entering a New Year, but it's a new year of "deception" and uncertainty with a world going out of control and fear trying to take over.
There are more people falling for the enemies lies and deception than ever before.
The church is being deceived by her own big ministry Christian "rock stars." (more…)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:27 — 17.8MB)


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As a veteran, there are education programs available which you may use for a wide variety of approved education and training programs including: apprenticeship and on-the-job training, college degree and certificate programs, flight training, and correspondence courses. Each program provides different benefits to different groups of individuals and offers a specified number of "months" of benefits. Typically, most education benefits can be collected for 36 months; however, the maximum amount that can be collected under any combination of VA education program is 48 months. Please note that veterans can only use one VA education benefit for training at a time.
Register with CalVet to get veteran benefit and service recommendations just for you!


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|<< Back
|Amazon.com Announces Third Quarter Sales up 39% to $7.56 Billion
SEATTLE, Oct 21, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) --
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2010.
Operating cash flow increased 16% to $2.62 billion for the trailing twelve months, compared with $2.25billion for the trailing twelve months ended September 30, 2009. Free cash flow decreased 5% to $1.83 billion for the trailing twelve months, compared with $1.92 billion for the trailing twelve months ended September 30, 2009.
Common shares outstanding plus shares underlying stock-based awards totaled 465 million on September 30, 2010, compared with 451 million a year ago.
Net sales increased 39% to $7.56 billion in the third quarter, compared with $5.45 billion in third quarter 2009. Excluding the $83 million unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, net sales would have grown 40% compared with third quarter 2009.
Operating income increased 7% to $268 million in the third quarter, compared with $251 million in third quarter 2009. The unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter on operating income was $15 million.
Net income increased 16% to $231 million in the third quarter, or $0.51 per diluted share, compared with net income of $199 million, or $0.45 per diluted share, in third quarter 2009.
"Every year for the last 15 years we've worked to improve the things customers care about, and this year is no exception," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. "This holiday season we'll have the best prices, the biggest selection, the highest in-stock, and the fastest delivery in our history."
Financial Guidance
The following forward-looking statements reflect Amazon.com's expectations as of October 21, 2010. Our results are inherently unpredictable and may be materially affected by many factors, such as fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, changes in global economic conditions and consumer spending, world events, the rate of growth of the Internet and online commerce and the various factors detailed below.
Fourth Quarter 2010 Guidance
A conference call will be webcast live today at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET, and will be available for at least three months at www.amazon.com/ir. This call will contain forward-looking statements and other material information regarding the Company's financial and operating results.
These forward-looking statements are inherently difficult to predict. Actual results could differ materially for a variety of reasons, including, in addition to the factors discussed above, the amount that Amazon.com invests in new business opportunities and the timing of those investments, the mix of products sold to customers, the mix of net sales derived from products as compared with services, the extent to which we owe income taxes, competition, management of growth, potential fluctuations in operating results, international growth and expansion, the outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, risks of inventory management, seasonality, the degree to which the Company enters into, maintains and develops commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, and risks of fulfillment throughput and productivity. Other risks and uncertainties include, among others, risks related to new products, services and technologies, system interruptions, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. In addition, the current global economic climate amplifies many of these risks. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.
About Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon's developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon's own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Kindle, Kindle 3G and Kindle DX are the revolutionary portable readers that wirelessly download books, magazines, newspapers, blogs and personal documents to a crisp, high-resolution electronic ink display that looks and reads like real paper. Kindle 3G and Kindle DX utilize the same 3G wireless technology as advanced cell phones, so users never need to hunt for a Wi-Fi hotspot. Kindle is the #1 bestselling product across the millions of items sold on Amazon.
Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, and www.amazon.cn. As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.
Amazon.com, Inc.
Certain Definitions
Customer Accounts
Seller Accounts
Registered Developers
SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.
Amazon.com Investor Relations


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Are you thinking about renovating your living room? Perhaps it merely needs to be updated with some cool modern furniture. Whether you are looking for American leather furniture specifically or just modern furniture brands in general, it can be beneficial to have some background information about the history behind the furniture you are considering.
For example, people in ancient Egypt were among the first to produce tables, which at the time consisted of stone platforms that kept things elevated from the floor. Ancient Roman and Greek civilizations came up with tables specifically designed for dining. The tables utilized by the Greeks were built so that they could be stored underneath beds when they were not being used Continue reading "Thinking About Renovating Your Living Room? Consider Getting Modern Furniture"


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Note: With the release of NECN Succession, the Biomass extensions are now compatible and the 'Leaf Biomass' extensions are no longer necessary. User Guides are provided below only for archival purposes.
The Leaf Biomass Harvest extension simulates logging and other forest management activities.
Brief Description:
The Leaf Biomass Harvest Extension for LANDIS-II is derived from the Base Harvest extension and therefore generally behaves the same as Base Harvest. The largest change is that Leaf Biomass Harvest supports partial thinning of cohorts; these cohorts must include leaf and wood biomass.
Developers: Robert Scheller, Portland State University
Lineage: First released for LANDIS-II v6.0.
Extensions >


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Roma Bhim
October 2019
Ryan was recommended to us and we knew at our first meeting that we wanted him to be the one to DJ our wedding. We are SO happy with our decision. Ryan did such an incredible job with the music at our reception.. No one wanted to leave the dance floor! In addition to being amazing at reading the crowd, Ryan was so accommodating to our last minute requests. He was truly a pleasure to work with, very professional and friendly, and one of our most favourite vendors to work with. He's our go-to DJ from now on! Thanks for everything Ryan.
If you're thinking about booking with Alley Entertainment, do it right now! You won't regret it.
September 2019
We love DJ Ryan!!!! We first heard Ryan at our friend's birthday event which just happened to be one week after we got engaged. We knew right away that we wanted to book him for our wedding. Once we locked down our wedding date, Ryan was the first vendor we booked. He was so professional and friendly! He maintained a calmness throughout our planning process while still instilling confidence. Everyone loved the music and he read our crowd really well. His work speaks for itself as since that first birthday event, our group of friend's have collectively booked him for one engagement party and two wedding's.
We definitely recommend Ryan if you want your dance floor bumping all night long!
Kim Ho
September 2019
I was very happy to have the opportunity to work with Ryan and Justin. Despite the short notice from me, Ryan was very responsive, accommodating and very professional. Justin was very helpful, knowledgable and very attentive. Our guests were very happy with the music and entertainment. Justin helped making everything flow so well and smoothly.
On a personal note, Justin was very kind and helping us as we were family.
Highly recommend!
Dipak & Sangeeta
September 2019
Ryan did an amazing job DJing our reception in August. We were nervous since my wife and my song choices were not always aligned and our guests were from different ages and backgrounds. He listened and curated an amazing list of songs for the night. He kept the dancefloor jam packed until after close at 2am. Everyone loved the music!!!!! We would highly recommend Ryan for any event.
Paul Wishropp
July 2019
As everyone here has said already Ryan is simply amazing. My wife and I got married about a week ago and had an outdoor wedding followed by a tented reception. Ryan was able to put together a speaker system so all our 250 guests could hear our ceremony as well as setup another system inside the tent for our reception. Everything was perfect! He even helped us display a slideshow during our reception and dances. After dinner from the start to finish he had our guests out on the dance floor having the time of their lives. He knew exactly what to play and my guests did not want to leave lol. Definitely recommend Ryan if you are looking for a DJ and will recommend him to all of my friends/family!
Alley Entertainment is a top notch DJ service! Ryan has a commitment to excellence that fuels his strong reputation for creating memorable and outstanding dance parties.
Reliable, knowledgeable, helpful and experienced, his love of both music and people make him easy for us to recommend! *****
Always a pleasure working with Ryan ! His ambient lighting and custom monogram always brings a personalized touch to the venue ! Looking forward to working with you in the future again!
We've outsourced to Ryan (Alley Entertainment) numerous times, and every time he's delivered! He's able to play to the crowd extremely well, knows how to play for different groups and isn't afraid on getting on the mic.
Ryan, from Alley Entertainment is our go-to vendor for DJ entertainment! Not only is Ryan a crowd-pleasing, get-your-feet-up-and-dance-all-night DJ, he is a talented MC, is very professional and is fantastic to work with on any type of event, from charity fundraisers to weddings to corporate events. We've worked with Ryan on tons of events and look forward to continuing our collaborations!
Company Overview
Company Overview
Email:Send an Email
Phone:Show number
Website:Click here to Visit
Mississauga Grand Banquet & Event Centre
Sinfully Sweet Co.
Deals & Packages
The corporate party package
Price $775
What services are included with this Package:
- DJ services up to 7 consecutive hours
- Extensive music library
- 1 wireless handheld microphone
- 2 x powered speakers (1000 watts each)
- Illuminated DJ booth
- Full coverage/liability insurance
- Versatile music and professionalism for your company's event
Here's the Fine Print:
- GTA only, out-of-town rates May apply
- This package is exclusive to EventSource.ca visitors. To redeem, you must mention you found this package on EventSource.ca.
The essential wedding package
Price $1,100
What services are included with this Package:
- DJ services for reception (up to 8 consecutive hours)
- Musical wedding planning guide
- Extensive music library
- Full coverage/liability insurance
- Premium sound system (up to 150 guests)
- Digital wireless handheld microphone
- LED illuminated DJ booth
- 1-on-1 event consultation
- Contact us today to customize a package for your wedding!
Here's the Fine Print:
- Available in the gta, out-of-town rates May apply.
- This package is exclusive to EventSource.ca visitors. To redeem, you must mention you found this package on EventSource.ca.
Premier wedding package
Price $1,650
What services are included with this Package:
- DJ services (includes up to 10 consecutive hours of DJ services, ceremony inclusive of this)
- Musical wedding planning guide
- Extensive music library
- Full coverage/liability insurance
- Full 1-on-1 consultation for music planning
- Powered sound system for up to 150 guests
- 12 x LED uplights
- 2 x semi-intelligent LED dancefloor lighting
- Illuminated DJ booth
- Haze machine
Here's the Fine Print:
- Greater Toronto area only. Out of town charges May apply.
- This package is exclusive to EventSource.ca visitors. To redeem, you must mention you found this package on EventSource.ca.


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Whoa Mama! Cocoon Babywear
On top of being amazing moms, many of my baby mama's are also mompreneurs.....and very talented one's at that! These women have created the lifestyle they've wanted, managing a business at their own pace all the while raising their little ones at home.
These are hard workin' ladies that create and provide great products and services within our community and they deserve to be recognized and supported!
So let's get started! Cocoon Babywears first line focused on baby capes, featuring sumptuous end of the line designer fabric fro leading fashion houses in England and Italy.
The first of these tiny "couture" creations came to be following the birth of Cocoon Owner, Sara Halls' daughter, Arianna. "Upon her arrival, I found a beautiful woollen cape in a high end, baby wear, vintage store in Vancouver. I was quickly able to put this cape on Arianna when we were going out and we were frequently stopped by passers by asking where they could get one like it. Once Arianna grew out of the cape, I searched high and low to find another one suitable. To my dismay there was little selection out there and so began the story of Cocoon."
With "no fuss" elegance and attention to detail, Cocoon Babywear is a fashion forward boutique carrying only the best for your little fashionista.
Leave a Reply.


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To view previous network connections from a tablet, go to the control panel. Double tap the network connections icon. A list of network connections will appear. From there, you will have the option to view current and active connections and past, inactive connections. If you need to delete the inactive connections, tap on each one and remove the connection from your list.
Register Hereor login if you are already a member


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Ahmed Mater: An Artist's Lens on Mecca
The lecture "Ahmed Mater: An Artist's Lens on Mecca" and reception scheduled for Monday, October 22, as part of the series "Disrupting Unity and Discerning Ruptures," will not take place. We will seek to find another time in the near future that is more conducive to the academic dialogue on campus that is the purpose of the lecture.
Monday, October 22, 2018, 6-8pm
612 Schermerhorn Hall
Columbia University
1180 Amsterdam Ave
New York, NY
Reception to follow in the Stronach Center.
Renowned Saudi artist Ahmed Mater will talk about his documentation of a changing Mecca through his photography and video work. His art explores apparent contradictions embedded within this site between the holy and profane, historicity and eternal time, spaces of worship and sites of real estate speculation.
The sacred and holy space of Mecca called in Arabic haram denotes the act of forbidding, and excluding, and thus implies the apparent human faculty of defining spaces and setting borders between the holy and the profane. While the sacred space usually appears as totally autonomous and linked to the eternal, the profane zone seems to exist as bound to and dependent on historical time. This supposition results in assigning terms such as common, habitual, and ephemeral to historic times, as opposed to pure and intact designating the 'Holy' to everlasting time. But both spaces were and are constrained to historical time. Though aiming at iconicity, Mecca's haram visions have history too.
Mater's presentation will be followed by a conversation with Dr. Avinoam Shalem, Riggio Professor of the History of the Arts of Islam at Columbia University.
The event is organized by the Center for Spatial Research and the Art History and Archaeology Department at Columbia University with the support and help of the Middle East Institute, Columbia University and Middle East Institute at Washington DC. This event is part of the Arab Art and Education Initiative, a year-long collaboration between more than 15 leading New York and Arab world cultural institutions, seeking to build greater understanding between the United States and the Arab world.
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