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Category Archives: Family
The Velocity of Autumn
Last Wednesday our good friend, Casey surprised us with a pair of tickets to the pre-broadway engagement of The Velocity of Autumn, starring Academy Award winner, Estelle Parsons and two-time Tony Award winner, Stephen Spinella. Written by Eric Coble and directed by the all-amazing Molly Smith of Arena Stage, this play of two on-stage characters takes you into the aging and glowingly lonesome life of Alexandra and her gay son, Christopher.
The entire play takes place in Alexandra's Brooklyn brownstone living room, filled with arsenal of molotov cocktails and a woman with her husband's Zippo lighter who's on the edge of blowing up the entire block in a painfully desperate attempt to stay in her home. Her estranged son, Christopher lives in New Mexico and returns to New York City, reluctantly becomes the family negotiator between his exhausted and seemingly volatile mother and his siblings. This beautiful play is a compelling story of what seems like a long-lost mother-son relationship, whom both have more in common than they realize. The audience are provided with the opportunity to witness the living room ping-pong match of extremely funny dialogue as well as deeply touching moments, as these mother and son characters re-discover their bond and love through unconventional ways.
The splendor of any good play, is being able to relate, sympathize, and empathize. In the ever-increasing velocity of a me world, do we pause in our life to think about the ins and outs of our relationships with our family members, especially those who are aging? When we seem to grow distant from family members (and long-time friends for that matter) through differences in our lives, beliefs, and understandings – do we embrace and nurture the bonds we once had to begin with, or do reconcile such distance, being that too much time has passed in placing little or any effort into trying to rebuild what once was?
I've often asked myself those same questions about the relationship between me and my 81 year-old grandmother. Though we weren't entirely close when I was younger, there was still a profound bond between the both of us. As I grew up, we both became distant to a degree, and after father passed away – we re-connected our relationship and have continued to nurture it since then. Perhaps we needed each other the most as she began to grieve the loss of her first-born son and I began to grieve the loss of my father. In many ways we are alike, and in many more ways we are very different in "where we've been" and what we believe. Yet though the beauty and mystery of the family bond, we depend on each other in many special ways. I interpret that this is very similar for Alexandra and Christopher – though years of separation have passed, they have reached a point in their lives where they need and depend on each other.
The Velocity of Autumn is playing through October 20, 2013 at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater's Kreeger Auditorium. If you're a DC local, I highly recommend that you enjoy this great theatre production!
Mason Jar Jack-O'-Lanterns
I can't believe that tomorrow begins the month of October. The countdown to Halloween is officially here! For me, Halloween is such a fun season to use creativity and imagination with everything from costumes to food, decorations, and more. When most stores are overstocked with the same old, boring, commercial "Made in China" Halloween decor…using one's creativity is essential.
Fortunately I have a fiancé who loves Halloween just as much as I do, maybe even a little more. Last week he came up with the brilliant idea of reusing some mason jars with some of our existing arsenal of craft supplies to make these adorably cute mason jar jack-o'-lanterns! So I wanted to share this with all of my readers so you can join in on the fun too! It really doesn't get more easy to make and most of the supplies you probably already have.
- Mason jar
- Elmer's glue
- Orange tissue paper
- Black construction paper
- Green ribbon
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Rice
- Tealight candle
- Cut strips of orange tissue paper and lightly glue them vertically to the outside of your mason jar.
- With a pencil, draw eyes, a nose, and mouth on the black construction paper and cut them out. Great jack-o'-lantern face patterns are available for free downloaded on the internet if you need some added inspiration.
- Glue the face cutouts to the outside of the mason jar.
- Wrap the green ribbon around the mouth of the mason jar and tie a bow for extra cuteness. You could also add some crafty extras like fake vine, leaves, etc. if you like.
- Slightly fill the bottom of the mason jar with rice and put a lit tealight down in the center.
Voila! Now you have yourself a cute, little mason jar jack-o'-lantern!
10 Fascinating Facts About Pigs
Who loves piggies? I do! Who doesn't love piggies? Not that I hold one animal greater (or more cute) than another, but pigs played an instrumental part in my conversion to a vegan lifestyle. Pigs are often times mistaken as being dirty, mud loving animals – but they're so much more than the common myths and misconceptions. They're incredibly smart, remarkably clean, and more like you and I than we realize! Once you fall in love with pigs, there's no turning back. So I wanted to dedicate an entire special post solely to pigs: because they truly deserve it! Here's the Top Ten Fascinating Facts About Pigs written by the folks at PETA. Oink! Oink!
- Pigs snuggle close to one another and prefer to sleep nose to nose. They dream, much as humans do. In their natural surroundings, pigs spend hours playing, sunbathing, and exploring. People who run animal sanctuaries for farmed animals often report that pigs, like humans, enjoy listening to music, playing with soccer balls, and getting massages.
- Pigs communicate constantly with one another; more than 20 vocalizations have been identified that pigs use in different situations, from wooing mates to saying, "I'm hungry!"
- Newborn piglets learn to run to their mothers' voices and to recognize their own names. Mother pigs sing to their young while nursing.
- According to Professor Donald Broom of the Cambridge University Veterinary School, "[Pigs] have the cognitive ability to be quite sophisticated. Even more so than dogs and certainly [more so than human] 3-year-olds."
- Pigs appear to have a good sense of direction and have found their way home over great distances. Adult pigs can run at speeds of up to 11 miles an hour.
- Professor Stanley Curtis of Penn State University has found that pigs can play joystick-controlled video games and are "capable of abstract representation." Dr. Curtis believes that "there is much more going on in terms of thinking and observing by these pigs than we would ever have guessed."
- Pigs do not "eat like pigs" or "pig out." They prefer to eat slowly and savor their food.
- Suzanne Held, who studies the cognitive abilities of farmed animals at the University of Bristol's Centre of Behavioural Biology, says that pigs are "really good at remembering where food is located, because in their natural environment food is patchily distributed and it pays to revisit profitable food patches."
- Pigs are clean animals. If given sufficient space, they will be careful not to soil the area where they sleep or eat. Pigs don't "sweat like pigs"; they are actually unable to sweat. They like to bathe in water or mud to keep cool, and they actually prefer water to mud. One woman developed a shower for her pigs, and they learned to turn it on and off by themselves.
- In his book The Whole Hog, biologist and Johannesburg Zoo director Lyall Watson writes, "I know of no other animals [who] are more consistently curious, more willing to explore new experiences, more ready to meet the world with open mouthed enthusiasm. Pigs, I have discovered, are incurable optimists and get a big kick out of just being."
When Pets Speak to Psychics
Last week Gracie (our labrador retriever mix) and I got an invitation from WTTG FOX 5's Annie Yu to join her live on the set of the FOX 5's Morning News for a special "Pet Project" segment with animal communicator and psychic, Diane Roadcap. Gracie is an avid lover of everything water related…except baths! She loves swimming and playing in the ocean, rivers, and creeks…but will do whatever it takes to avoid a bath. Paul and I have always wondered why this is the case, so we gladly accepted the invitation in hopes that Diane could give us some insight as to Gracie's thoughts and feelings. Amanda Marie Bowen and her 2-year old deaf Great Dane, Luna were also invited on the show. Of course some are probably skeptical about a pet psychic or any psychic for that matter…but I believe Diane had an amazing connection with Gracie, and I bet the same could be said by Amanda (the other segment guest) who brought Luna to have a reading as well.
Diane Roadcap's website says, "As a child, Diane recognized that she had a deep spiritual connection with animals. Playing with a variety of animals in the wooded areas around her home outside of Washington, DC, she discovered that she could connect with them at a soul level. This connection was confirmed at age five when her dog Blackie telepathically warned her that a poisonous snake was dangerously close to biting her. She heeded his warning and slowly backed away before it could attack her. She continued to receive communications from animals and discovered that she could easily read their needs and wants, humor and insights, aches and ailments."
While we were still in the green room, Diane already began reading our pets as well as Amanda and her family. She knew that Gracie had a smaller, older K9 companion at home which would describe our 11-year-old Miniature Schnauzer, Tabatha. She also mentioned another light-colored labrador which had passed away…of course I knew this was Heidi, a beautiful labrador who passed away when I was around 3-years old. "She wants you to know she's standing next to you", Diane exclaimed. I could have fallen out of my chair! She went very into depth reading Amanda, her family, Luna, and their pets at home which I won't go into detail, as it's not my place to tell about that very special moment.
Do you believe in psychics? As far back as I can remember, I have had ongoing contact and communication with human spirits who have passed away…family and strangers alike. To my knowledge, there's nobody in my family who has this "gift." Though the information given to me is often vague, it is something I've gotten used to and experience daily. So it makes perfect sense to me that people have an ability and "gift" to fully communicate with pets, both passed and living. But at the end of the day, we will believe what we know as truth and dismiss that which we don't. For me, I believe!
Besides learning that Gracie doesn't like to be in a confined areas…she's a very happy dog. "She wouldn't change a thing. She loves people…the more people she's around, the more she loves life", Diane affirmed.
Below is a video from the segment. Check it out!
Essentially Lavender
As a massage therapist, I've used a variety of essential oils over the years with my clients as well as for myself. Essential oils, also called "essences", are botanical extracts of various plant materials, and do not only originate from flowers, but from herbs, trees and various other plant material. Essential oils are used in a variety of ways, including the more common aromatherapy method (where the oil is absorbed through the skin) or vaporization (where the essential oil molecules enter the bloodstream via the lungs). However, essential oils are also used medicinally by treating a problematic are (topically) or even taken internally. I use essential oils in all of my massage oil mixtures, formulating the perfect combination for each individual client.
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) has a fresh, sweet, floral, herbaceous aroma that is soothing and refreshing. It is by far my favorite essential oil to use. Because it is the most versatile of all essential oils, no home should be without it. Lavender is an adaptogen, and can help the body when adapting to stress or imbalances. It is a great aid for relaxing and winding down before bedtime, yet has balancing properties that can also boost stamina and energy. Therapeutic-grade lavender is highly regarded for skin and beauty. It may also be used to soothe and cleanse common cuts, bruises, and skin irritations. The French scientist René Gattefossé was among the first to discover these properties when he was severely burned in a laboratory explosion. Lavender may also be used to enhance the flavor of foods.
Here's 15 ways to use lavender essential oil to make your life more calm, balanced, and healthy!
- Aching Muscles
If you've spent a back-breaking afternoon in the garden, jump into a lavender bath to soothe aches & pains away. Apply Epsom salts & a few drops of lavender oil to the bath and soak away the tension.
- Acne
Lavender is one of the most valuable oils for the treatment of acne, according to aromatherapists. "It inhibits the bacteria that cause the skin infection, helps to rebalance the over-secretion of sebum, which the bacteria thrive on, and reduce scarring". Add a few drops of lavender oil to a plain cream sold by chemists and use as a moisturizer or cleanser.
- Bugs & Bacteria
French laboratory studies in the early 20th century showed that lavender is a powerful antibacterial in dilutions of 5 per cent or less it is lethal to bacteria that cause typhoid, TB & diphtheria. Combined with Lemon Balm, for its clinically tested anti-viral properties.
- Burns (minor)
After you have cooled the area by immersing it in running cold water for 5 minutes, gently stroke on neat lavender oil. Pain relief is almost immediate, and burn usually heals without scarring.
- Cuts & Wounds
Apply lavender oil to sooth pain, prevent bacterial infection and aid scar-free healing. Apply neat.
- Earache
Warm a bottle of lavender oil in hot water for a minute or two, then gently massage a few drops into the skin around the ears and throat. For babies & small children, add 2-3 drops of the warmed oil to a little olive oil and massage in the same way.
- Eczema
Stroke infused lavender oil (a few drops of lavender oil & carrier oil) into dry, itchy skin – small children will find this especially comforting or add a few drops of lavender oil to calamine lotion, just remember to shake before use.
- Fatigue
Add 5 drops of lavender oil to a hot foot bath and relax while your feet soak in it. The soles of the feet are particularly porous, so lavender reaches your bloodstream very quickly, exerting its stimulating and soothing effects on various systems of your body.
- Fevers
For babies or small children, sponge them down very gently with tepid water to which you have added a drop of lavender oil. Take care not to let them get chilled. This works for adults too.
- Giddy Spells, Faintness or Palpitations
Make your own smelling salts – sea salt , lavender oil, peppermint oil & basil oil.
- Headache
Spray lavender mist (lavender oil and distilled water) around your head. It is highly refreshing and soothing. Alternatively, make a compress of a piece of cause or muslin soaked in icy cold water then sprinkled with a few drops of lavender oil and apply to the forehead, or massage a few drops into the forehead, temples and nape of the neck.
- Insomnia
In a number of small studies, elderly psychiatric patients have been shown to sleep better and be more alert during the day when their sleep medication is replaced with lavender oil either dropped on their pillows, or placed in a diffuser on the ward. To help to induce sleep, put 3 or 4 drops of lavender oil on your pillow. For babies, add 1 drop of lavender oil & geranium oil in carrier oil and massage into a babies back or a few drops in their bedtime bath.
- Long-Haul Travel
Combine lavender, rosemary, frankincense & sage oils and rub into into your hand luggage. Also, be sure to roll it over your pulse points to help you keep a clear head during those endless hours in the air.
- Menstrual & Tummy Cramps
Massage a few drops of lavender oil into your lower abdomen or apply a hot compress onto the area, which a little lavender oil has been sprinkled.
- Moths & Mosquitoes
These annoying little insects all hate the smell of lavender. To prevent bites, splash yourself with lavender mist (lavender oil and distilled water) before you go out at sunset or to bed, put 3-4 drops of oil on your pillow or soak cotton ball in the oil and leave it on a saucer in front of the window. Lavender oil is also a terrific remedy for insect bites, soothing itching & inflammation: dab it on to them neat as soon as possible. To keep moths off your clothes, hand lavender bags on you coat hangers or keep them among your sweaters and refresh them with a drop or two of lavender oil from time to time.
- Scabie
This infestation by a tiny mite burrowing into your skin causes intense itching. Rub the whole body with neat lavender oil, then following every day until better with a mixture of lavender oil and alcohol. Change and wash bedding and clothes and sprinkle lavender oil on the mattress.
- Shingles
Combine a mix of lavender oil with, analgesic, antiviral & scar preventing essential oils neat or on compresses on the agonizing lesions of shingles. It usually produces a cure within 5-8 days.
- Sinusitis
Lavender is one of several essential oils that aromatherapists recommend for inhalations to relieve sinusitis, add two drops of lavender & thyme oil to a bowl of near-steaming water and inhale slowly and deeply, with a towel over your head & bowl.
- Stress & Anxiety
Keep a small spray bottle of lavender mist (lavender oil and distilled water) – handy to spray on your face during the day, or apply lavender oil neat to your temples.
- Sunburn
Spray lavender mist (lavender oil and distilled water) directly onto the skin or Add 8 drops of lavender oil and 4 drops of peppermint oil to a teaspoon of jojoba oil. Pour it into a cool-to-lukewarm bath and soak for 10 minutes.
Aquarium Therapy
For most of us, a trip to the beach can best be described as relaxing and therapeutic. According to Trip Advisor's 2013 Top 25 Destinations in the World, 14 locations are seaside and 20 locations are seaside or along a major waterway. There is no denying that we are balanced by water, whether that be an ocean, bay, river, or lake. But for many of us, when we think of the greatest relaxing vacation, we think of a tropical beach oasis. Destinations like Maui, Bora Bora, St. Lucia, Belize, and the Fiji Islands are just some of those popular names that come to mind when you think of aqua blue waters, reef life, warm sands, and tropical air.
Have you noticed an increase of saltwater marine aquariums in public locations? Perhaps you've seen them at a clinic, restaurant, hotel, spa, or maybe even a classroom? Aquarium Therapy is not new concept, but it is constantly studied and growing with high popularity!
Most people who watch a tank with fish will feel a calming effect, therefore reducing stress. At Purdue University, researchers discovered that displaying tanks with brightly colored fish helped to curtail disruptive behaviors and improve eating habits of people with Alzheimer's Disease. It helps to boost physical and mental health. It was shown to help create bonding and a positive attitude. Studies have shown that seniors who were given the opportunity to view aquariums with fish had significant blood pressure reduction as well as cholesterol. Children, when visiting a doctor's office, were found to be much calmer, especially children who suffered from hyperactivity disorders. Dental patients watching a fish tank required less pain medication. It also helps in reducing insomnia and persons coping with obesity. How awesome is this?
My fiancé and I have two saltwater marine aquariums filled with various fish, invertebrates, and corals. Contrary to popular belief, we find saltwater aquariums to be be more easy to maintain than freshwater…and not to mention more stunning, beautiful, and therapeutic. What I find so awesome about a saltwater marine aquarium (particularly a reef tank) is how organic the system is. When properly maintained; your aquarium becomes its own ecosystem. This is maintained through bacterias, diversity of species, live rock, live sand, etc. No unnatural chemicals are needed!
Another added benefit to aquariums are their incorporation into feng shui design. It is believed that moving water brings prosperity and good luck to a home or office. Aquariums are great feng shui enhancements because they are at the same time soothing and energizing. The sound and motion of gurgling water activates chi and adds humidity to a dry room, helping to balance chi. Moving water gets things going when the chi has been stagnant for a while (think of ice melting in the spring). Use moving water cures anywhere you want to enhance water or wood energy.
As amazing as this all is, any aquarium still requires learned knowledge, experience, time, money, and patience. After all, your marine life are all pets and should be treated with the proper respect and care that every pet has the right to. It is also very important to purchase and trade your marine life with reputable dealers and passionate and ethically driven marine enthusiasts. Marine life should never be harvested from the oceans!


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subset: commoncrawl


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January 23, 2013
This is the first time I've compiled a personal best of the year, and I realise the resulting list says as much about my buying habits as about my taste in classical music. There's little you might call the mainstream classical repertoire, because I don't often look for more than one recording of a work, and a tight budget has meant some higher-profile releases never reached my ears; moreover, I've also been filling gaps in my collection with older recordings rather than buying new ones. So, give me a month and a couple of hundred euros and it might be a very different list. But let's stick with the excellence at hand. The order of the list has changed repeatedly during the compiling, and would presumably continue to do so if I didn't stop now.
1 John Adams: Harmonielehre – Michael Tilson Thomas, San Francisco Symphony (SFS Media). In the early 90s, I discovered the music of Gustav Mahler and Philip Glass at roughly the same time. What I didn't know then was that a few years earlier John Adams had combined the two (and plenty more besides) in Harmonielehre. The title comes from the treatise of the same name by Schoenberg, but Adams's music is a gleeful rejection of Schoenberg's aesthetic, a grand mix of influences and references that constantly surprises.
2 Prezioso Quartet (ERP). This quartet's members are Estonian, and they've been together since 2006. This is their first recording, and it makes a big splash, with a vivid acoustic and some surprising repertoire. Webern's highly uncharacteristic Langsamer Satz and an arrangement of a likeable chamber concerto by Estonian Jaan Rääts are framed by a cheerful dance suite by the not-well-enough-known Erwin Schulhoff and the sublime fourth quartet of Peteris Vasks.
3 Voyage en Russie – Claire-Marie Le Guay (Mirare). Basically, a whole bunch of short Russian piano pieces, with a focus on Rachmaninoff and Scriabin. Some of the "greatest hits" are here, but there's plenty of unfamiliar music, and it's all captivating. Claire-Marie Le Guay brings everything together into a convincing program, from the opening Flight of the Bumblebee to the closing Vers la flamme, Scriabin's astonishing depiction of the heat death of the Earth.
4 Veljo Tormis: Curse upon Iron – Orphei Drangar (BIS). Tormis's choral music, of which this selection for male voices represents just a small portion, is firmly rooted in the folk music of his native Estonia. Some of it's heart-achingly beautiful, while other pieces tap into stronger, darker forces, such as the shamanic title work (adapted from the Kalevala, the Finnish epic poem), full of chanting and pounding drums. An exhilarating experience.
5 Le Paris des Romantiques – Le Cercle de l'Harmonie/ Jérémie Rhorer (Ambroisie). It's hard to decide what's the highlight of this imaginary concert from Paris circa 1850, played on period instruments. On the one hand we've got the beautifully clear performance of Liszt's first piano concerto, with Bertrand Chamayou playing an 1837 Érard. On the other, there's Napoléon Henri Reber's fourth symphony, which manages the neat trick of coming across like a long-lost Beethoven composition while simultaneously sounding utterly fresh.
6 Morava – Škampa Quartet (Supraphon). I kind of surprise myself by having a second quartet disc in my top ten. Most of this release is taken up by the three string quartets of Pavel Fischer, all of which are greatly inspired by folk music from Moravia and elsewhere and full of fascinating twists and turns; the most magical moment is in the quartet "Wild Mountain Thyme", where that Scottish song suddenly emerges at the end of the middle movement. There's also a quirky quartet from violinist/singer Iva Bittová, who herself sings on a couple of other pieces.
7 Ravi Shankar: Symphony – London Philharmonic/David Murphy (LPO). Shankar's symphony is indeed a four-movement structure modeled on the traditional classical symphony but employs raga scales and makes considerable use of the sitar, played here by his daughter Anoushka (this is a recording of the work's premiere in 2010). I know next to nothing about Indian music so all I can report is that this "sounds Indian", and I guess it's this aspect of the work that lends it a general post-minimalist feel.
8 Mieczyslaw Weinberg: Symphony no.6 – Vladimir Lande (Naxos). Weinberg's star continues to rise, though my explorations are at an early stage and I'm still inclined to fall back on the description "sounds quite like Shostakovich, with a bit of Mahler thrown in". In the Sixth Symphony, the composer's gift for orchestration is dramatically enhanced by the presence of a boys' chorus in three of the movements; the music is increasingly troubled but ends with a hopeful lullaby.
9 Elena Papandreou plays Nikita Koshkin (BIS). An intriguing collection of new guitar music from the Russian guitarist/composer, three of the four pieces being written for Papandreou. The lengthy Megaron Concerto is a mostly sombre work, though it sports a very catchy second movement. The quintet for guitar and strings is also rather dark-hued; it's all in a thoroughly accessible idiom but you'll never mistake it for Boccherini! Overall, an album that patiently creeps up on you.
10 Beethoven: Diabelli variations – Andreas Staier (Harmonia Mundi). Beethoven's epic adventure brought to spectacular life by Staier, who plays a copy of a Beethoven-era Graf fortepiano that comes with some surprising sound-effects features. These provide bonus entertainment but Staier's playing is, of course, the main event. For good measure we get ten other composers' contributions to Diabelli's project; the effort by 13-year-old Franz Liszt is hilariously easy to pick from the line-up.
11 Advent at Merton – Choir of Merton College, Oxford (Delphian). I'll freely admit that English church choirs aren't usually something I enjoy, so this one came as a surprise. It's a collection of old and new pieces, including seven antiphons commissioned from the likes of John Tavener, Rihards Dubra, and Gabriel Jackson by Merton College's chaplain. Old and new combine beautifully in Jan Sandstrom's hypnotic reworking of Es ist ein Ros entsprungen, but it's gorgeous music all round.
12 Himmelslieder – Franz Vitzthum (Christophorus). An excellent countertenor, in a program of German Baroque cantatas and songs. The collector in me is delighted to add some new composers to the library (Johann Augustin Kobelius and Johann Hildebrand, anyone?); the music lover is thrilled to hear Franz Vitzthum's ethereal purity—it floats like no other countertenor I can think of—and the Capricornum Consort Basel's sympathetic support.
13 Bach guitar transcriptions – Graham Anthony Devine (Naxos). The miracle of Bach's music is that it can be adapted to pretty much any instrument and still sound wonderful. Graham Anthony Devine himself has arranged the fourth cello suite and second violin partita, among other works, and the results seem wholly natural; comparison to the originals is pointless, as this is fine, expressive playing that stands on its own merits.
14 Josquin Desprez: Missa Ave maris stella – Weser Renaissance/Manfred Cordes (CPO). My medieval and renaissance listening this year has mostly been confined to older recordings as I slowly work my way through my History of Classical Music. This is a lovely collection, sung by male voices only, of a mass and several motets by – as I'll hopefully soon get round to describing him – the greatest of the Franco-Flemish composers.
15 Seán Ó Riada: Orchestral works (RTÉ). Seán Ó Riada was an important figure in Irish music who died too young, at age 40 in 1971. This is a collection of several orchestral works, including his landmark score for the documentary film Mise Éire, making use of various well-known Irish tunes, and the vibrant Hercules Dux Ferrariae, which combines twelve-note rows with a theme by Josquin and no longer sounds like the forbidding piece I thought it was when I first heard it as a teenager.
16 Dowland in Dublin – Michael Slattery & La Nef (Atma). This album takes as its starting point the suggestion (not well supported, it must be said) that English Renaissance composer John Dowland was in fact an Irishman. Here, the American tenor Michael Slattery joins forces with Canadian baroque ensemble La Nef to present some of Dowland's lighter music with a distinctly Celtic flavour. There have been sniffs from some quarters that this isn't "authentic", which rather misses the point.
17 Antonio Vivaldi: La Cetra – Rachel Podger & Holland Baroque Society (Channel). These twelve concertos aren't among Vivaldi's most popular, but one listen will make you wonder why. Rachel Podger and the Holland Baroque Society are clearly having a ball here, with music full of incident and invention. We all know there's more to Vivaldi than the Four Seasons, but it's nice to be vividly reminded. Of the twelve concertos, is there a highlight? Um… all of them?
18 Mieczyslaw Weinberg: Symphony no.20; Cello concerto (Chandos). More Weinberg! Thord Svedlund and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra's recording of Weinberg's Third Symphony was my first introduction to the symphonies and became an instant favourite, and their follow-up is also impressive. The symphony (written in 1988) is a dark work that gradually tightens its grip on the listener, while the cello concerto has a beautiful, lyrical first movement that should be much better known.
19 Fazil Say: Istanbul Symphony (Naive). Fine musical picture-painting from the Turkish pianist/composer. The Istanbul Symphony is, in Say's words, a picture of "a nostalgic, dreamy, vintage Istanbul" that makes use of Turkish instruments alongside the Western symphony orchestra. Its partner on the disc is the Hezarfen Concerto for ney (a Turkish flute, played by Burcu Karadağ) commemorating the man who is claimed to have glided across the Bosphorus in 1632 using wings of his own construction.
20 Goethe Lieder – Marlis Petersen (Harmonia Mundi). Schubert and Wolf are the obvious choices for a program of Goethe settings, and they're here, but the particular value of this set comes from the appearance of less-obvious pieces, with composers ranging from Fanny Mendelssohn to Charles Ives to Manfred Trojahn. Multiple versions of "Wanderers Nachtlied" shed light on how different composers deal with the same text.
Finally, I must highlight two pieces of music from albums that didn't make the cut. Pedro Sanjuán was a Basque conductor and composer who spent a decade in Cuba. The slow movement of his orchestral work Castilla is a gorgeous, sinuous piece with a saxophone tune that's a first cousin of Ravel's Bolero. The rest of the album from the Basque National Orchestra is fine, but this movement—En la llanura—gets my award for favourite individual track of the year.
Meanwhile, the award for best musical depiction of a dog in a spaceship goes to Jon Øivind Ness's Zvezdochka in Orbit, an alarmingly vivid portrait for cello and wind band of what Yuri Gagarin's immediate predecessor might have experienced in her capsule. It heads a very varied program played by Ernst Simon Glazer and the Norwegian Navy Band, which includes Friedrich Gulda's entertainingly daft concerto.
Filed under Analysis and Opinion, Classical, Reviews


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Vanguard Practices in CTE: A Podcast with Oscar Aliaga
Oscar Aliaga, co-principal investigator of the NRCCTE's Vanguard Practices project, talks in this podcast about how this field-based study seeks to identify teaching methodologies that have a demonstrable impact on school and student outcomes.
An important function of the NRCCTE is to help improve practice. Although the ideal is to base practice on scientifically based research, the reality is that little scientifically based research is available regarding educational practices. However, many other methods, activities, curricula, and even programs have lesser levels of evidence suggestive of their value. Still other practices have been created by practitioners in their own classrooms or schools and shared with others informally or through exchanges at professional meetings. Others employ novel approaches to CTE that may be untested but nonetheless show promise. Although their level of evidence varies, these educational practices attract attention because they are considered innovative. Vanguard practices, a type of innovative educational practice, may be thought of as unique teaching methodologies that have demonstrated success in high-performing schools and have been deemed capable of producing change with longer systemic impacts. To be deemed effective, such practices much be tested in research settings and generate published evidence in the scholarly literature. When actualized in daily use, changes attributed to vanguard practices can be shared, transferred, modeled, or replicated somewhere else.


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I live in northern Idaho and I'm semi retired and my first name is Steve. When I was younger I enjoyed riding bikes, mainly trail bikes. Back then we lived on a farm and my 1st bike was a Honda 55 ... more
Questions and Answers about yourself:
Personal motto: Live to Enjoy Life
Occupation: Semi-retired
Interest and hobbies: Biking - Fishing
Favorite bands and musicians: Beach Boys, Johnny Cash, Elvis, The Supremes,
The Tempations, Creedance and etc.
Favorite movies: Almost anything with John Wayne in it. Mel Gibson movies.
Favorite blogs and websites: Cruisercustomizing - Hotleathers.com
Favorite games, sports, and teams: Favorite game is football. Go Seahawks and Huskies
Status: Other
Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Education: Some college


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Accounts receivable financing isn't just for businesses in trouble
Fleet Safety Council panel discusses new ways to prevent accidents and deal with their aftermath
Beware the cookie cutter approach. Spec's can vary widely from fleet to fleet.
Heavy-haul company relies on Web-based software to run its business
Figuring out how to make a self-driving truck is the easy part. Integrating autonomous technology into society is
where the challenge truly begins.
Caterpillar's new CT681 is a short nose, set forward vocational truck designed for use in Eastern urban environments.
Mullen Group senior VP Richard J. Maloney talks about the new partnership, industry consolidation and the driver shortage.
Kriska COO Jonathan Wahba gives an in-depth explanation of the deal between Kriska and Mullen and how it will affect Mill Creek, existing customers and Canadian trucking industry.
Conflicting statistics and economic indicators don't sink positive expectations for next year. On the release of Fleet Executive's Annual Equipment Buying Trends Survey we compile data for a look at where the trucking industry will be in 2015.
Diesel engines are becoming cleaner and more efficient, but alternative fuels are gaining in popularity. Will diesel still be king of the road in 2025?
Canada Cartage builds its own information system
Good-bye sole proprietors. Hello incorporated businesses. As of September 1st, the Muir's Cartage division of Calyx Transportation Group Inc. will refuse to assign a load to owner/operators running their businesses as sole proprietors. The company called a short-notice, attendance-mandatory meeting…
Manitoba trucker lucky to be alive after 10 rounds fired into his truck and trailer


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If the South Pasadena Downtown Revitalization Project had not gotten hung up in litigation and a bad economy, our little town might have had a bowling alley to ride out summer's hottest days. Oh well, East Pasadena is an easy drive and that's where you can find 300 Pasadena. It's cool not only in terms of air conditioning but also because of the high-styling decor and dance-y tunes.
The sense of accomplishment I felt after bowling a strike was a good indication I should probably aim higher with my goals. Then again… nah. Set up another frame!
Read the Full Story at Glimpses of South Pasadena


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7 Surprising Things You Can Do to Help Prevent Colds
It might be called "the common cold," but there's nothing common about it. There are more than 200 kinds of viruses that cause colds, and spread from person to person. Here are 7 tips that can help you boost yours with a more surprising approach to cold prevention than you might expect.
Tips for a Healthier You
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See three smart ways to hack your beauty routine with ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda.
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3 of 112 How To


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In today's fast-paced, time is money world, jargon is a timesaving alternative. Acronyms litter our conversation, and everything has to be done by COP today. Of course, we all use jargon from time to time, but where is it most prevalent – lawyers? Doctors? Bankers? No, it's the humble IT professional. A survey into jargon carried out by Six Degrees Group found that people … [Read more...]
9 Writing Tricks For Building A Killer Landing Page
Ever ended up on a landing page and had no idea what the page is about? The page failed to state a clear message and instead just made you feel confused. How long did you stay on that page? Probably not long enough to dig through the information offered to discover the page's purpose. This is the scenario you don't want when people land on your page. You want people to … [Read more...]
Why Typography Matters For Better Visibility
With constant advancements in web design, the design arena has started to evolve more in terms of visual communication, image production and depiction of expressions. In all this, typography has marked its significance and is gaining immense popularity among designers. The art itself is alluring to draw everyone's attention and that's the reason why visitors are naturally … [Read more...]
5 Ways to Improve Your Email Marketing Strategy
With all of the marketing options available via social media these days – everything from sponsored posts to autoplay video ads – you might think that good old email marketing is obsolete or at least on its way out. But that's not true at all. People still do communicate by email, both personally and professionally, and email still has its place in your marketing strategy. … [Read more...]
Content Marketing: Selling To The Digital World
Having content on a site may seem to be not too much of a big deal, but you would agree to the fact that if there is no quality content on a site it can cut its story short. If you can understand the role content plays in the global marketing sphere, you will understand why it is not only marketers who can't afford to ignore it. In fact, we have already highlighted how … [Read more...]
The Seven Deadly Sins Of Ads And Their Sole Redemption
1. Lust Consumers click ads to seek solutions. Remind readers you understand the problem by echoing their concerns rather than covet advocacy and subsequent account registry. This brand's ad is a result for a 'fat loss.' The landing page looks like: They question the obvious, then follow with repeated urges to register... a bit creepy. And, the copy does not present added … [Read more...]
The Usability Of Your Website Starts With Its Content
Before going any further, it's important that we make one point very clear. Regardless of industry, niche or interest, the internet is a competitive place to advertise services or attempt to do business. With a potential daily audience numbering in the hundreds of millions, the potential rewards for savvy internet entrepreneurs are staggering. Due to the fierce competition … [Read more...]
9 Guidelines To Make Your Blog More Readable
According to the Nielsen Norman Group, the average person spends less than a minute on a webpage. Many users only take 10-20 seconds to decide whether to stay on the website or explore the depth of the internet even further. That means you have very little time to capture the attention of your reader. The internet is filled with millions of different blogs on every type of … [Read more...]
5 Guidelines For Improving Your Blog's User Experience
It seems that everyone and their brother today is talking about conversion rate optimization. Site owners large and small are leveraging conversion rate optimization software programs to test every button, link, and widget on their landing pages. Most of these site owners have adopted the practice to have a blog for various reasons - including (but not limited to) … [Read more...]
Are Internet Searches Replacing Traditional Research?
Once upon a time, there were buildings called 'libraries' that housed these large, leather-bound reams of paper known as 'books'. Now you may have heard of books, but the books in libraries were nothing like the ones we have today. For starters, there were no such things as 'vanity publishers' or 'self-publishing'. Back in the day, books underwent a rigorous proofreading … [Read more...]


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Understand your condition and the treatments available for you.
Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease affecting the whole gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus. Symptoms of this disease may include abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, bowel obstruction, fever, skin rashes, eye inflammation, low energy, and weight loss. Crohn's disease is caused by a combination of genetic, environmental (eg. smoking), and bacterial factors. Crohn's disease is not believed to be an autoimmune disease in that it is not being triggered by the body itself.
Those with Crohn's disease are at greater risk of bowel cancer. Researchers believe that the disease is the result of an abnormal response by the body's immune system to attack cells in the digestive tract. There is not yet a medical or surgical cure for Crohn's disease. Treatment options are designed to control and reduce symptoms and prevent flare ups of the disease. About 20% of people with Crohn's disease are admitted to hospital each year. Half of those with Crohn's disease will require surgery at some point over a ten-year period to address abscesses, certain bowel obstructions, and cancers.


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Hold it right there mister! Just Cause 2 spoilers (not that you care) and massive Heavy Rain spoilers inbound!
[The following 2000 words are my complete and utter honest opinion. I predict from outside sources I'll be called a 360 fanboy, a hater on innovation and probably sent two or three death threats like last time. Truth be told, I am none of these. I respect that our industry has the potential to be the greatest art form in the history of mankind, but what I don't respect is what Heavy Rain represents. You may already have figured out hundreds of glaring plot holes, and it's almost impossible to compare to such maniacal braindead fun-fest such as Just Cause 2; which I am doing today. Whatever the differences in our opinions, I hope we can all discuss this in the comments instead of reducing ourselves to 12 year old little personal attacks. Not that it hurts me, I end up laughing at most of them so do your worst.]
Are you sitting comfortably? Good. Then we will begin.
Heavy Rain is, without a doubt, one of the most important games of 2010. It was critically praised for its involvement and emotional entanglement, but put down for its dumb story and other glaring issues. Just Cause 2 is, without a doubt, one of the most energetic titles of the last decade, surpassing San Andreas. It has been critically praised for its visual standards and encouragement of blowing stuff up, but put down for the lack of multiplayer and other issues.
Today, I wish to put forward that a game about skydiving and landing on a stripping club, held in the sky by massive balloons, is better than an (apparently) emotionally gripping tale about a child killer.
I'll divide this argument into 5 sections and judge which game deserves the point. Given the title, you already know who wins, but I'd like to give my actual reasons, and Heavy Rain will no doubt win a few points.
Given that Heavy Rain's massive marketable clause is the element of 'choice and consequence' in the game, it's good to know that Just Cause 2 grapples over this uncanny valley. When you incorporate choice into an videogame, it boils down to either Alternate endings or passive consequences. In Heavy Rain, however, all of your choices impact the story and characters. The endings are marginally different, the characters can be whoever you want them to be, but it never is interesting. It's borderline ridiculous that some of the choices become, completely abusing player intelligence. To begin to decode every choice would be repeating what the guys at Destructoid did in their Heavy Rain Spoilertoid. Instead, I'm just going to list maybe one or two stupid decisions.
The first one is quite obvious, being the decision you make after a certain trial. A broken down Ethan is one step away from finding is Son, even after being forced to kill a man, crawl through broken glass, cut off his own finger and drive into oncoming traffic on a motorway. It's one of the moments in the game where the action slows down a bit, allowing you to make intake some interactive between Madison and Ethan.
Now, we've spent some time with Ethan. We know he's a loving family man who will do anything for his Sons, nice guy. He blacks out every so often and wakes up with an Origami figure in his hand (but this plot device stops as soon as the trials start), but other than that, he's okay.
Madison is all okay too, apart from being mentally insane. She sees a distressed 30-something man with burns to the chest, his arms cut to ribbons and obvious mental scarring; but promises not to call an ambulance and just patch him up a bit. That's just a plot hole, which isn't my main point to make here.
Anyway, so we know that Ethan is running out of time. He's talked to Madison a few times, maybe even confessed he thinks he himself might be the killer. So the two will obviously do something after the events pass, maybe even something LOGICAL.
Instead, the player gets the choice to bone Madison. Right there with the clock ticking on Shaun's life. Nice.
Ethan, Madison and every other character you play in Heavy Rain is an established character. They have personality and traits that we can relate to. The choices in the first half of the game make sense. Here is an example, in the scene where Norman investigates a God loving psychopath, the certain suspect comes home to find the two officers in his apartment. He draws a gun on the two and the player is given a choice to talk it out or shoot right there. Both options seem reasonable in fitting Norman's image and the way he acts. The whole romance option completely butchers the foundations of logical literature and completely spoiled Heavy Rain for me. If it wasn't for the saving graces, I'd call it a complete gaming abomination.
Just Cause 2, on the other hand, is about a guy that goes into an Asian island and has to kill this American guy. The main villain is a green suited man with a chameleon on his shoulder, everybody talks like an American trying to do an Asian accent and it drives nothing in the game. There's no motivation from the characters, there's no real 'main plot', and the revelations matter nothing.
Here's the thing though: Just Cause 2 isn't about the story, it's about blowing stuff up. But, the story makes sense, unlike Heavy Rain.
I'm going to wake up with a horses head next to me but Just Cause 2 scores this round. Yes I said that. Just Cause 2 has a better story than Heavy Rain. Honest to god opinion.
Just Cause 2 1 – 0 Heavy Rain
Just Cause 2 is about blowing stuff up while dual wielding grenade launchers. It shows us the good old days of Grand Theft Auto, where anything goes. Madness and chaos rule the land, and only you can blah blah blah look there's a jet which fires missiles. To put into proportion how much fun this game wants you to have, the turrets are all detachable. Any one of them is an unstoppable killing machine, but here's the thing, unlimited ammo.
Sure, you may move slower than an obese turtle, but hot damn it just oozes satisfaction. You can stand in the middle of a military base and just spray everything that glows read, explosions, screaming, the chaos. Unfortunately, it falls into a massive pit of self-defeat. I do dare say it stole Heavy Rain's main gameplay device, quicktime events, shame on them! Shame on you Just Cause 2! Your stupid Mercenaries 2-like quicktime events! Tut tut!
I enjoyed Heavy Rain's gameplay more than its story, surprisingly enough, I loved being in the heat of the situation. The tense atmosphere, the two panels of game playing out at once. The scene where Madison is rescuing Ethan after he cuts his finger off, one panel shows Norman and Blake slowly making their way towards the house; and one panel shows your actual movement. There's some real ingenious ways that it puts quicktime events to use. Every single action feels suited to the interaction in-game, and it genuinely pains your fingers in some circumstances.
I got a whole lot of fun from Just Cause 2, just blowing stuff up, but it feels rather hollow. The enjoyment comes from blowing stuff up and watching chaos erupt, but Heavy Rain has a lick of flavour. I want to see more titles using the same mechanics and format, because I can definitely see it getting popular.
Just Cause 2 1 – 1 Heavy Rain
I'm not a graphics lover, I despise most publishers for pressuring developers to make their games look pretty than actual games. I'm not one to comment "the water looks good" on any videogame, because then I'm commenting on the technology.
I will still compare the two, and by god does Heavy Rain win by inches.
Just Cause 2's environments are astoundingly rich in content and character, it's almost like Gotham City except separate islands and a cardboard cut-out main villain. The water effects are beautiful, the lighting is great, everything is silky smooth. Some textures fault, not all the vehicles look properly, but it looks like a well put together game.
Heavy Rain however, in my opinion, is a giant step forward to realism. If the story was fixed up then I doubt I'd be even playing Just Cause 2 by now, that's how immersive it is. The atmosphere just resonates out your television, the water effects are the best I've seen and the facial animation is almost too real. Scarily real. It's not uncanny valley like most photorealistic games tend to shove down our throats. Sometimes the lip syncing is massively off and some textures and game objects like PS2 era – but for the faces alone it wins.
Just Cause 2 1 – 2 Heavy Rain
Sound Design
Heavy Rain's soundtrack is one of the best I've heard out of a videogame. The pitter-patter of the rain, the orchestral beats and the sound acting in sink with everything else; it's so deep and rich. But what pulls it down massively is the voice acting. Pronunciation from some of the actors is almost comical, particularly Norman Jayden, and it's rather hit and miss. Scott Shelby's voice actor is alright, he obviously fits into the role, but Ethan and Madison don't act in sync in their scenes. It feels way too forcefully dramatised at times, and often makes me facepalm.
Simple lines often dwell into vocabulary choking sentences, though that's the story's fault. Every voice actor, as far as I know, is European and having to do an American accent. Why not just set it in London? Story's fault again but I swear it could fit with European peoples in America.
Just Cause 2's voice acting is the worst I've heard in a videogame. The very worst. It's, at times, xenophobic and parodying Asian accents and other dialects. Every character is stereotypical, it just feels like one big mess. The music itself has about four tracks and none of them are adrenalin pumping.
Which is why I love it.
It's comical sound design at its best, I hope Avalanche Studios didn't actually attempt to stun people with the voice acting, because goddamn it's hilarious. I'm not racist but some of the voice acting is so comical that I can't help but laugh, not at the dialect, but at the attempts. Heavy Rain attempted to do something different, with serious voice acting and other niggling facts, but goddamn Just Cause 2 is just goddamn goddamn better.
Just Cause 2 2 – 2 Heavy Rain
Lasting Appeal
Heavy Rain is one of those gamer changing experiences, as bad as it may be, it's a great eye opener into what games can become one day. Trouble is it stops as soon as the action starts. Some of the endings are ridiculously shortcut, but I still loved the experience. I still cried in the end, it was worth the full price I paid for the title. It was only six hours long, and I doubt I'll revisit it unless I feel compelled.
Just Cause 2 starts off, for the first three hours, as a repetitive GTA clone. It has zero charm, energy or anything to involve the player. After the three hour mark, something magical happens and the world just seems a whole lot more fun.
In the times between blowing stuff up, attaching planes to planes, mocking the voice acting and jacking three-hundred helicopters; I've accumulated nearly 20 hours of gametime. I'm only 26% through the game (and I've finished the main story).
Some of the bloggers on the internet have soaked up to seventy hours into Just Cause 2 already, and I can see this being a beautiful relationship for me and Avalanche Studios.
Sorry, Quantic Dreams, one day I know you'll get it right.
Just Cause 2 3-2 Heavy Rain
Comment below, discuss, call me out as a troll. Thanks for reading etc.


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Whether Miami or Capri, Asia Argento or Leighton Meester, Siriano or starlet, 'tis the season for eye-popping glitz. And that's an understatement:
I don't know from Miami's Klutch nightclub, but given Kellan Lutz's muscle-beach Artful Dodger getup at the opening, I think I can die happily without ever darkening, and being summarily turned away from, its doors.
Tiziana Rocca, at the Capri film festival, obviates the good of tights and boots, warmth-wise.
Christian Siriano, in uniform, at Klutch.
Eugenia Chernyshova, in Capri, seems to have lifted her entire wardrobe from a Jayne Mansfield film. And that's no insult.
...exhibit C.
Leighton Meester's making a career of sartorial cheek - and, apparently, club openings.
Kinda love Asia Argento doing demure - wouldn't it be fun to be inherently subversive without lifting a finer?
[Images via Getty]


text: So you've bought yourself a microphone. Now what? Is this the only piece in the puzzle you'll need to get that studio quality recording? Unfortunately, it's not that easy. Home recording has become increasingly popular. The wave of budget-friendly microphones being shipped over from China has only added fuel to […] Beginner Microphone Tips You Can Use to Get The Best ...7 Dec, 2017 in How To / Recording by RMRS


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It's amazing that a show about depression can be so uplifting and so damn funny, but Gethard pulls it off.
Chris Gethard: Career Suicide opened in New York City this week at the Lynn Redgrave Theater (45 Bleecker Street at Lafayette). Produced by comedy career-maker Judd Apatow, who now adds theater to the long list of comedy formats he presides over, and written/ starring Gethard himself, the show opened on Thursday night in the East Village. Most of you familiar with Gethard's career know of his huge success in the improv world through Upright Citizen's Brigade. After achieving major status at UCB, Gethard took a risk, and started over diving into the world of stand up with great success. His entertaining Chris Gethard Show which landed at Fusion after becoming a cult phenomenon on New York Public Access TV is a raucous endeavor that embraces the outlandish and incorporates the audience into the show itself. And Gethard's latest endeavor, a one man show, once again shows Gethard's ability to take a career u-turn and succeed.
In direct contrast to his television series, in Career Suicide, Gethard stands alone for the full 75 minute performance. No set. No chair to sit in. There are no bells and whistles, no music played. Some low key lighting changes add atmosphere, and a tapestry serves as the sole background. Not even a mic stand or a handheld mic comes between him and the audience. Gethard further erodes the boundary between performer and spectator seating his front row in living room furniture, as if to show there is no separation and he's just talking with friends. And center stage, there's Chris Gethard filling the empty space, explaining that he suffers from intense bouts of anxiety and depression, and has since he was a young boy growing up in a tough New Jersey small town. Being a sensitive kid was not an asset. Gethard takes you from his eggshell fragile early teen years, through his complicated college years and beyond, with recurring threads involving his unorthodox therapist, "Barb" and his one-sided love affair with Morrissey and The Smiths. He has had suicidal thoughts, at least one suicide attempt, and his stories reveal substance abuse, pain, recovery, and relapse, fear and strength, but above all, humanity.
Gethard's life obstacles are not placed in his path by others. With a few exceptions, the struggles he chooses to talk about in Career Suicide are internal, but you will never once succumb to the impulse that he should just 'get over it' or 'toughen up'. Gethard communicates his lifelong mental health issues with such clarity, and so much of the aforementioned humanity, that you get it, and you don't question whether any of this is Chris' fault. It's not.
Career Suicide is the live equivalent of a book you can't put down. His stories are not just strung together end to end, they're seamlessly choreographed, and you find yourself gripped early on by Gethard's frank and open telling of his lifelong struggle with some pretty dark demons. Most of the audience literally leans forward, listening. They nod along when Chris strikes a personal chord or shares a relatable moment; they gasp when they hear some of Gethard's more shocking revelations; and they laugh, because in Gethard's capable hands, there is humor in everything,
This is vulnerability at its barest, and his story is riveting, it's compelling, and it's also really really funny.
The best comedy comes from life's failures, not life's successes, and Gethard knows how to mine the failures in his life for all they are worth. It's not sledgehammer comedy, with punchline after punchline making your ribs hurt. But the laughs are frequent, and in many ways more satisfying than the laughs that come with joke, joke, joke formats.
There are heart wrenching moments in Chris' stories that may bring you to tears, but be assured, the laughs are equally powerful. The heartbreaking moment leading up to Chris 'coming out' to his mother as somebody who is contemplating suicide will stay with you for days, but you also won't hear a funnier story anywhere than his story that Gethard tells his therapist to prove he's not an alcoholic. It involves a Batman mask and an excessive amount of cheap alcohol. Gethard's ability to see the comedy in some of his bleakest moments is ever present, and is what makes Career Suicide work.
Gethard isn't the first person to get on stage and bare his soul talking about inner conflict. But maybe the greatest strength of Career Suicide, and what separates his show from others, is that despite being a one-man show, this show isn't only about Chris. Gethard doesn't pretend that his feelings and experiences are unique or any worse than scores of others living with mental illness. On the contrary, Gethard wants the audience to realize that his story is not unique- common even- and others need help. Yes, his stories are all personal life experiences, but Gethard uses his stories adeptly to address wider topics surrounding depression, anxiety and suicide, like for example, the stigma that comes with taking prescription medications, and the difficulty of finding help from friends and professionals who don't want to risk being "responsible."
Looking around you, you can't help but notice how often the audience nods, showing familiarity with drugs with names like Risperdal letting us know that degrees of mental illness may be much more prevalent than we realize. And ultimately, that's what Career Suicide is all about. Gethard shines a light into the darkness that so many share, and does so with giant laughs. And if we can laugh at our scariest demons, then maybe we can deal with them.
Chris Gethard Career Suicide is playing at the Lynn Redgrave Theater through November 27.


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Monday, June 18, 2012
We vacationed in Honolulu for 7 days and like I told my kids, when it's time to go home, you wouldn't want to. We stayed in Waikiki at Ohana Waikiki West. The hotel would have been fine if not for the 3 elevators for such a big hotel. People literally were fighting to get on. I hated the Asian tourists. I am Asian (Filipino/American) but will not hesitate to say that my fellow Asians were just plain rude! They don't attempt to learn English and used it as an excuse to be impolite. Take for example, lines. People line up for a purpose. I've seen several Korean tourists cut in line and push ahead of others and pretend you're not there. Chinese tourists were the same. The Japanese, however, were courteous, even though most of them did not speak English. And Hawaii was full of Japanese tourists. They even had their own trolley lines that only they can ride--lol. These were views from Kuhio Beach. The kids enjoyed this beach better than Hanauma Bay. Pearl Harbor was the best tourist spot in all of Oahu. The wait to get to the USS Arizona memorial was 3 hours long. But you only get to line up 30 mins before your tour. The rest of the time you can spend visiting the museums scattered around the harbor. I spent most of that time sitting on a bench under a coconut tree, enjoying the tropical breeze. As we disembarked the ferry to the USS Arizona, about 3 or 4 Korean tourists decided to stop right on the dock and take pictures, holding up the rest of us. The US Navy men/guides told them to move along and wait to take pictures inside the memorial. The Koreans ignored this and kept on taking pictures until they've had their fill. I admire the Navy men's patience. I would have pushed them in the water, he, he. On the way back, the same group of Koreans stood up and decided they wanted to take more pictures while the ferry boat was running. The Navy men promptly stopped the boat right in the middle of the ocean, and told them off. I would have died of embarrassment but no, stupid tourists took their time before they sat down. They pretended not to understand English. Nice excuse. All in all, our vacation was fun as long as we stayed away from the nasties. A lot of Filipinos and Chinese worked in our hotel and they were very nice. Americans from the mainland were nice too and most were laid back (unlike me). I would not hesitate to go back. Surprise note: I did not bring any knitting with me. Amazing.
Posted by Vicki Suan at 2:44 PM
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David Hasselhoff can be unlocked in Infinite Warfare Zombies to give your team a little extra help against the undead horde.
It seems the controversial supply drop feature available in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare's public multiplayer will also be coming to its Zombie mode.
It has been confirmed that gamers will be able to disable wall running and double jumps in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare's private matches.
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare will feature a YOLO mode that gives the player one life to complete the action-packed single player experience.
Activision and Infinity Ward have revealed that upcoming shooter Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare will include Supply Drops.
The multiplayer beta for Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare can be pre-loaded now along with confirmation how much space you'll need to install it.
Call of Duty gamers of past and present have converged on the internet today in remembrance of one of the shooter series' most iconic characters.
The Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare multiplayer beta begins on October 14th for PS4 users and Activision has released a trailer ahead of its launch.
Ahead of the release of Infinite Warfare this November, Infinity Ward has revealed the number of prestige levels available in the shooter's multiplayer.
An easter egg found on one Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare poster might indicate the shooter is in the same universe as the Modern Warfare...
Those hoping to pick up Modern Warfare Remastered separate from Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare take note, as rumors say the game will be sold...
Activision released a new story trailer for Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare that gives a glimpse of the shooter's villain, who just happens to be...


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(NB this is a review of an eBook so all you Luddites might as well go and play with an abacus, card some wool, or buy a new spokeshave, whatever that is...)
'The heart's the trouble...'
Gemma Farrow's novella begins with a burial. Thomas digs a grave for Keziah, his beautiful girlfriend. She has asked him to bury her under the willow where they liked to picnic together. In eight days Keziah will rise from the dead, and they can be reunited. She told him this herself, and stressed that her grave should be shallow.
This is a remarkable vampire novella (one that scores coolness points because it never actually mentions the v-word) by one of the rising stars of British horror. It's a simple story, but carries a lot of emotional weight. Thomas and Keziah are a happy young couple and very much in love when Keziah has a nasty encounter while out clubbing. Thomas can't at first believe that the wound inflicted on his girlfriend was from anything more(!) disturbing than an assault by a possibly deranged thug. But, as we learn is a series of flashbacks, Keziah has fallen victim to one of the undead, and must be buried in a shallow grave if she is to rise again. If not... Suffice to say, the consequences for Thomas will be appalling.
For a straighforward tale, this one can be interpreted in more than one way. The attack on Keziah that poisons her blood can be seen as a horror on the concept of rape as a 'fate worse than death', for instance. Arguably, there's even a touch of the sitcom, given the hapless Thomas' inability to follow his forceful girlfriend's quite simple instructions. But there is precious little lightness here, even in scenes involving Thomas and his good natured workmate Jonathan. The overall mood is darkly Gothic, the setting a pared-down and dangerous urban Britain, the characters largely sympathetic but fated to damage or - in the case of Thomas' sensible older sister - fail to understand and help one another.
Gemma Farrow writes with great emotional intensity, imbuing her characters with life (and afterlife) in only a few pages. Lesser writers have spent far more time struggling to convey the essential horror of losing someone you love to something evil and incomprehensible. Here the author delivers the goods by showing that love is at once unique and commonplace, familiar and yet always deeply strange. Above all, it 'makes you do the wacky', as Buffy remarked somewhere.
A poet once observed that we instinctively want to believe that love will survive death. Farrow shows the likely consequences if that should turn out to be true - the needs of the dead can never neatly dovetail with those of the living. As Keziah's transformation begins Thomas' reactions are all too credible - driven by a combination of love and fear, he can never be sure he is acting for the best, that he can 'save' Keziah or indeed himself. The conclusion takes the story full circle, as Thomas is confronted by his own failings as much as by Keziah's transformed self.
It's not perfect, of course. At times the prose is a little clunky or purplish for my taste, but I find that that is often the approved horror style. (And at least there is none of the 'gore porn' that some writers think is wondrously clever, but which in fact tends to be boring, repetative, and immature.) And - inevitably - the vampire lover theme will be too clichéd for some readers. My reply is, give this one a chance. I think the author avoids the latter problem by showing how brutal, inhuman and generally non-sparkly vampires are in her world - a neat corrective to all the Twilight stuff. All in all, this is a good read from a writer to watch.
Beneath the Willow is available for Amazon Kindle at a very reasonable price.


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Skin-Absolute Day 1.7 fl oz. + Hand-Absolute 0.5 fl oz. + Eyes-Absolute 0.1 fl oz.
SKIN-ABSOLUTE DAY® 1.7 oz
/ Intense smoothing: a formula enriched with light activated boosting enzymes, to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
/ Complete firmness: pro-youth marine enzymes are incorporated in the formula (to restore) for a visibly firmer looking-skin.
/ Even Complexion: combined with illuminating white sapphire, a purifying extract rich in fructans to reveal a radiant looking skin.
/ Absolute hydration: hyaluronic acid enriched formula to rehydrate skin.
Snowy moisturizing texture.
HAND-ABSOLUTE®0.5 oz
/ Absolute comfort and softness: a combination of exclusive butters incorporated in an ultra-penetrating creamy texture to deeply moisturize and comfort the skin without leaving a greasy film.
/ Intense Pro youth action: a formula, enriched with a [lipopetide + hyaluronic acid + collagen] trio, to smooth, firm and plump hands in a single step.
/ Supreme evenness: a rare clarifying sea Lily extract to reduce the appearance of dark spots to reveal hands that look more even with a visible radiant glow.
/ Beautiful nails: a unique formula, enriched with a boosting ingredient, to make nails appear smoother, shinier and less brittle.
Nutritive texture, velvet gloves effect.
EYES-ABSOLUTE®0.1 oz
/ Ultimate youth [WRINKLES+LIFT]: A peptide base combination of ingredients helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles in the eye area. In addition, a duo of plant extracts acts to visually firm the upper eyelids to reveal a fresh/a reawakened and lifted look.
/ Revitalizing effect [DARK CIRCLES+PUFFINESS]: A combination of ingredients rich in metalloproteins helps diminish the appearance of dark-circles and puffiness.
/ Instant eye-beauty [RADIANCE+EYELASHES]: A white pearl extract profuse in micronutrients is associated with soft-focus agents to reflect light for a visibly radiant eye area. In addition, an isoflavone complex boosts eye-lashes to make them look visibly densified.
Cryo texture, instant cold and comfort effect.
Apply SKIN-ABSOLUTE DAY in the morning to the face, neck and décolleté area.
Apply EYES-ABSOLUTE in the morning and evening in the eye area, exercising light pressure then circular massages of the eye area, eyelids and lash area.
Apply HAND-ABSOLUTE any time of the day on hands and nails, using gentle circular movements.


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can i tax my company car?
If you exercise an employment or run a business with a company car that is also used for private purposes, a special tax facility will be
applicable to you. The benefit entailed by the private use of a passenger car or van made available by your employer will be taxed as wages in kind. This addition will be reduced by wage tax/national insurance contributions and the income-related contribution towards the health care insurance scheme. This addition is a percentage of the value of the car. The addition for private use applies to passenger cars and vans.
The value of a passenger car is based on the original list price of the car in the Netherlands, including VAT and private motor vehicle and motorcycle tax (Belasting op personenauto's en motorrijwielen, or BPM). This also applies if the car was purchased abroad or is registered abroad. As long as no BPM is owed on vans, the value of a van is based on the list price including VAT. In addition, certain vans may be eligible for a relaxed facility. If your car is older than 15 years, the addition for private use will be a percentage of the market value.
Filing your taxes quick and easy!
Filing your Dutch income tax return couldn't be easier! Start by signing up for free. No strings attached. Seriously! Onto your personal MyBlue Page you'll find a wealth of tools, such as our plain English tax questionnaire. Complete it at your own time and pace. When ready, it's our turn. We do the rest!
Calculate your income tax
Calculate your Dutch income tax! For employed and self-employed persons.
Dedicated business tax support for the self-employed and small business owners.
Are you employed or do you receive a benefit? In that case you pay taxes on your income because your employer or benefits agency withholds wage tax and national insurance contributions.
However, your employer or benefits agency does not fully take into account your
personal household situation.
You may therefore be entitled to a tax credit or have deductible items such as the
mortgage rebate ('hypotheekrenteaftrek') based on an owner-occupied house,
and/or study, medical or special childcare expenses.
Do you expect to receive an income tax refund this year, not necessarily you have to await next year for your tax refund. Already now it is possible to receive a provisional tax refund.
Let us do the work for you and apply for your provisional income tax refund.
You will be entitled to receive a monthly refund this year on the basis of a preliminary assessment. Once you have applied for a provisional tax refund for the first time, you will automatically receive a provisional tax refund in each fiscal year.
Why choose blue umbrella?
Reliable, convenient and time efficient expat tax expertise, in just 3 steps.
- 2. Cost Effective
Expat tax services at most affordable prices. Why pay more than the Dutch?
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Safe online storing of digitized tax letters & easy access with personal MyBlue Page.
Super efficient and affordable tax advisor. You just need to fill a form online (in English), provide the documents they request and they will make sure that your income tax is on file. I couldn't be happier. I was recommended by a friend and I would recommend them to anybody.
Gabriel Anca
We work in partnership with
Some Frequently Asked Questions
Aggregate family income is your total (gross) income formed by your combined income of your boxes 1, 2 and 3. If you have a tax partner throughout the whole year, you must also take this partner's income into account
If you exercise an employment or run a business with a company car that is also used for private purposes, a special tax facility will be applicable to you. The benefit entailed by the private use of a passenger car
If you live in the Netherlands, you must state your complete worldwide income in your tax return. Your income from abroad is also part of your worldwide income (for example income from employment or foreign property)


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SexSlaveIdeas.com is currently an idea tool. My Master had trouble coming up with ideas for me (her slave) to perform. I never have issues with ideas. But it's not much fun for the slave to always have to tell the Master to make them do this or that. Pretty much kills the mood. We decided to write down my ideas and then let the Master pick from those ideas at random.
We broke them down into 3 categories. Yes, there could be more but for now this works for us.
Task: A task is any activity that might be fun for the master or the slave. Typically, these are not extreme and can often be done over and over. An example of a task would be to make your slave write out a masturbation fantasy and read it out loud to the Master. You would not want to make your slave do that every day, but once a month might be fun.
Punishment: A punishment is just what it sounds like. Slaves need to be disciplined. When a slave does not follow the rules the Master needs to punish them. Punishments can be hard for the Master. Using our tool, the Master can randomly pick a punishment and not feel guilty. It's the slaves fault for not listening after all.
Reward: A reward is a treat for the slave. It is possible that the slave will behave and complete all the tasks. If so then the Master might want to give them a reward. Such as: Slave is free to read anything online for 1 hour.
On the home page you simply click the corresponding button and a new activity will be pulled at random. Yes, it is possible to get the same one twice. It is random. If that happens or if you don't like the activity you are free to click away till you find what you're looking.
Remember these are ideas. You and your slave are free to adjust them to meet your needs. There is no way I could know all situations or all desires. I figure putting mine online might help you figure out some of your own.
My Slave Journal?
I spent some time reading online about BDSM relationships and noticed that a journal is a common task for sex slaves or submissives. This gave me the idea to ask my Master about keeping a journal. She was all for the idea. Be warned, I am not a writer. I greatly prefer numbers to words. I'm not writing a book. I'm not looking for spelling lessons. I'm simply putting my thoughts into words.
The journal section of SexSlaveIdeas.com contains these thoughts and emotions. It's meant for my Master to learn more about what I do and do not enjoy. Communication is very important between a slave and their master. If you're not open, you cannot grow to learn what each other truly wants in the relationship.
Sometimes I will be given specific things to write about, other times I will write about tasks or activities I performed in the last week or so. Whatever it is, it should be an experience. I get an archive of stuff I have done. I get to relieve the feelings I had and you get more ideas. Remember that all slaves are different. Sure I may have enjoyed something, that doesn't mean your slave will. Talk to your slave about it, use my ideas to build your relationship.


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Does Azteca Milling offer stock?
While Azteca Milling is a privately owned partnership, its ultimate parent GRUMA S.A.B de C.V. offers stock on the Mexican Stock exchange with ADRs available on the NYSE (New York Stock Exchange) under the symbol GMK.
Does Azteca Milling invest in technology?
Yes. Azteca Milling has allocated an important share of its earnings to researching and developing new technologies. This philosophy has made Azteca Milling the leader of the corn masa flour industry with a technology 100% its own.
What are Azteca Milling's strategic guidelines
as an enterprise?
- To offer quality products and services
- To understand and meet our customers needs
- To strengthen significantly the value of our brands through efficient and effective marketing, distribution and customer service efforts
- To strengthen our competitive advantages through technological and market research
- To become active in those markets where long-term added values can be achieved through economies of scale
Does Azteca Milling sell tortilla-making machinery?
Although Azteca Milling doesn't directly sell tortilla-making machinery, the company can provide you with contacts to coordinate the purchase of the right equipment for your business. Please contact your sales representative for more information.
Who founded Azteca Milling?
The same entrepreneur who founded GRUMA over 50 years ago: Mr. Roberto González Barrera, current Chairman of the Board of Grupo Maseca. Mr. González Barrera's vision made possible the creation and development of the most important corn masa flour firm in the world.
Does Azteca Milling offer any other services?
Yes. Azteca Milling offers all of our clients on-site technical support at no additional cost. We can also schedule seminars and training tailored to our customer's needs. Additionally, Azteca Milling offers customers its expertise on the Hispanic market.
How does Azteca Milling manufacture corn
masa flour?
The industrial production of corn masa flour involves the nixtamalization, grinding, and drying of corn.
In a continuous process, lime, corn and water are mixed and heated. The corn cooks for several minutes; this corn cooked in lime is known as nixtamal. Nixtamal is then washed to remove excess lime and steeped before it is ground. The ground particles are dried very quickly at high temperatures, then cooled and sifted. Large particles are re-ground and sifted again to achieve the final particle size resulting in corn masa flour. Finished flour stored in silos is later packaged in paper bags. This entire process is subject to strict quality controls and sanitary manufacturing practices.
What are Azteca Milling brands and products?
Azteca Milling's brands are MASECA and MASA-MIXTA corn masa flours, SELECTA wheat flour, and JUANA corn flour. Our products include over 50 different types of corn masa flours and specialty products, such as our exclusive Pre-Gelatinized Corn Flour.
Does Azteca Milling have any quality
process certifications?
Azteca Milling is the first corn milling company in the United States to achieve and maintain ISO 9001 and ISO 9002 certifications and the American Institute of Baking Certification. In March 2002, Azteca Milling achieved ISO 9001:2000 certification, a new designation only given to those companies who meet the world's highest standards of manufacturing practices. Our plants also comply with the certification standards necessary to certify our corn masa flour as Kosher.
What are Azteca Milling's products?
Azteca Milling produces over 50 types of corn masa flour for a multitude of traditional applications including corn tortillas, taco and tostada shells, tamales, pupusas, and atoles; snack food applications for baked or extruded items such as tortilla chips, corn chips, and crackers; and non-traditional applications in the bakery industry.
Why was Azteca Milling founded?
Azteca Milling was founded in 1977 due to the need for quality corn masa flour in the United States. Since then, the company has become the leading firm in the industry thanks to our broad variety of quality products and our free on-site technical support.
What is Azteca Milling's experience?
Azteca Milling is a division of GRUMA (Grupo Maseca or Maseca Group), the world's largest producer of corn masa flour. GRUMA has over 37 registered patents for the production of corn masa flour and the production of corn and flour tortillas. GRUMA began operations over half a century ago in Mexico, and Azteca Milling is fortunate to benefit from this experience.
Who is Azteca Milling, L.P.?
Azteca Milling is the largest and most experienced producer of corn masa flour in the country, with an extensive client list in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, and the Middle East.


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There are some books that are etched in my memories of childhood—Babar, Where the Wild Things Are, Pierre, and last but certainly not least, Madeline.
I remember when my twin sister and I were about six-years old running down the streets of Paris on our way to school, chanting, "Boohoo, we want to have our appendix out, too!"[1]
And so, my heart skipped a beat when I heard that the New York Historical Society Museum & Library was commemorating the 75th anniversary of Madeline's publication, with an exhibit entitled, "Madeline in New York: The Art of Ludwig Bemelmans."
The exhibit follows the life of Ludwig Bemelmans, most notably from his arrival in New York through Ellis Island in 1914. He became a busboy at the Ritz Hotel on Madison Avenue and 46th Street in 1915.[2] He then served in the army, became a naturalized citizen, and subsequently returned to the Ritz. He spent 15 years at the Ritz, working his way up to assistant banquet manager. It was during the 1920s and 1930s that he also started work on cartoons and commercial pieces to help to pay his rent. His work for Judge magazine caught the attention of children's book editor, May Massee at Viking Press, who thought, "he had potential as a children's book author." (Source: NY Hist. Society Exhibit) Working on cartoons, also helped "hone his craft as a storyteller . . . " where he learned to "balance strong images with minimal text." (Source: NY Hist. Society Exhibit)
Bemelmans started to write Madeline at Pete's Tavern. (Interestingly, Madeline was originally spelled as "Madeleine," but as Bemelmans worked the story, he realized it rhymed better as "Madeline.") The idea for the story came to him when he was hospitalized in 1938, after having been hit by a baker's truck. When he was in the hospital, the girl resting next to him had appendicitis. He did some sketches at Café Voltaire in Paris, but "it was only in New York that he realized the full story of Madeline." (Source: NY Hist. Society Exhibit) Madeline won the Caldecott Honor Medal in 1940.
The exhibit includes illustrations from all six Madeline books, among his other notable works.
There is a wonderful family audio guide, for children ages 4 and up, to accompany you on your visit. The audio guide is geared for children with questions for them to ponder as they examine Bemelmans' work. The audio guide also includes an excerpt from Bemelmans himself. What a treat it was to hear his voice!
Bemelmans loved his work. He once described children as, "A clear-eyed, critical and hungry audience of people, all of whom are impressionists themselves, who love my pictures and sometimes even eat them." (Source: NY Hist. Society Exhibit)
The exhibit runs through October 19, 2014. The New York Historical Society also offers Madeline tea parties. For more information about the exhibit and their tea parties, please click on the word, Madeline.
And on a parting note,
"Good night, little girls!
Thank the lord you are well!
And now go to sleep!"
said Miss Clavel.
And she turned out the light—
and closed the door—
and that's all there is—
there isn't any more."[3]
[1] Bemelmans, Ludwig. Madeline. Ed. Simon and Schuster. 1939. New York: Puffin Books, Published by Penguin Group, 1998.
[2] The hotel was demolished in 1951, but Town & Country magazine commissioned Bemelmans to document his career at the hotel, and his wonderful illustrations are included in the exhibit.
[3] Bemelmans, Ludwig. Madeline. Ed. Simon and Schuster. 1939. New York: Puffin Books, Published by Penguin Group, 1998.


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Discuss A Better Way to Finance Social Enterprise within the International MBA forums, part of the Management Students Voices ( MBA,BMS,MMS,BMM,BBA) category; This is part of a series of posts on the challenges surrounding social entrepreneurship. The case of Ethos Water offers ...
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A Better Way to Finance Social Enterprise
A Better Way to Finance Social Enterprise - July 20th, 2012
This is part of a series of posts on the challenges surrounding social entrepreneurship.
The case of Ethos Water offers us an example of the challenges in financing a social enterprise and why we need to improve the instruments available to do so.
A little background: the founder of Ethos, Peter Thum, wanted to create a bottled water company that donated part of its revenues to a fund to improve water supply conditions in poor countries. Founded by Thum in 2001, Ethos was acquired by Starbucks in 2005 for a total of $8 million.
A one-liter bottle of Ethos Water sells for around $1.80. A fraction of this price is given to NGOs that work to improve access to clean drinking water in underdeveloped countries. Starbucks aims to raise $10 million in donations by 2010. Of the $1.80 sale price, however, only $0.05 is donated.
The concept and purchase of Ethos have been the topic of much criticism in the blogosphere. One blogger, writing from France, summed it up:
First problem: this practice is like a marketing operation disguised under false good humanitarian intentions. Second problem: selling bottled water to solve a problem with water. Indeed, it is as if a salesman was selling a Hummer SUV, and offered to donate portion of sales to organizations fighting pollution while claiming that the customer is helping to preserve the environment by driving the Hummer.We agree — it's a little weird. I am not challenging these criticisms except to add that $0.05 is not negligible and that $10 million is still $10 million. Every penny counts.
I use this example to discuss the company's initial funding. Ethos was founded in 2001 by partners Thum and Jerry Greenfield and two angel investors. Three years later, eBay founder Pierre Omidyar invested in Ethos after it had experienced difficulties. Less than 10 months later, Ethos was sold to Starbucks, where the CEO is a friend of Omidyar. After the 2005 sale to Starbucks, all of Ethos's original investors left with capital gains. During its four years of independence Ethos never experienced a profit, though it did contribute more than $100,000 dollars to several NGOs.
In the sale, the founders stipulated that Starbucks must continue to contribute revenues to a fund under their control. Instead, I would like to advance the idea today that it would have been better to create financial instruments in social funds independently. We would prefer to see the creation of financial instruments and markets that are designed specifically for social enterprise.
To do this, it may be necessary to create alternatives to the legal status of non-for-profit organizations that still provides the fiscal benefits of charitable giving. In return, shareholders agree to allow a portion of the capital gains be automatically reinvested in a social investment fund. More interestingly, it could be encouraged that these shares be traded in markets, which would improve liquidity and also attract a new segment of investors.
The story of Ethos is an example of the immaturity of existing financial markets today for the financing of social enterprises. It is scandalous that we have not managed to create financial instruments better adapted to the needs of social enterprise. We must create new, innovative markets for financial help in social enterprise.
The above is drawn from remarks made at "Leadership for the 21st Century", an interactive training session held at the U.S. Ambassador's Residence in Paris on October 23, 2008 to launch the Ariane de Rothschild Fellows Program: Dialogue & Social Entrepreneurship. The program aims to develop a network of social entrepreneurs with an interest in fostering a culture of mutual respect and dialogue among Jewish and Muslim communities.
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Color: White
Interior: Leather
Drive Train: Select
Transmission: Automatic
Vin: WBAKB8C58CC964368
Engine: 4.8L V8 DOHC 32V
Mileage: 64,471
Stock #: 964368
No Horsing Around Auto Plex
8516 S Lancaster Rd
I hereby consent to receive text messages from or on behalf of dealer at the mobile phone number I provided above. I understand that I am opting in to receive text messages from dealer or their employees. I include consent to receive phone calls at the mobile phone number I provided. I understand that message and data rates may apply.


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I've been climbing at The Cliffs and Island Rock, but never Brooklyn Boulders. I like The Cliffs better because it smells less like feet and lets in more natural light, but I don't have anything negative to say about Brooklyn Boulders.
Bouldering scares me because you're not hooked into anything. Going up isn't so bad but coming down makes me squeal in terror. I made it up to the top of the first V0 problem I tried but kept getting stuck on the second one. During my last attempt of the day, I finally made it up there as you can see in the photo collage above.
We went to Dinosaur Bar-B-Que for Shiner Bock and ribs afterwards, which is really the whole reason that I went to climb at all.
Thank you Adam and Ryan for including me in your Saturday ritual.