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Editor's Note: World-renowned chef, author and Emmy winning television personality Anthony Bourdain visits Los Angeles' Koreatown in "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown" with self-described "bad Korean" Roy Choi and David Choe. Grace Lee is a Los Angeles-based independent filmmaker of fiction and documentary films that have explored identity. Her new film is "American Revolutionary" about Detroit activist Grace Lee Boggs.
(CNN) - Over the years, I've envied the achievements of the "good Koreans": their Ivy League credentials, their fluency in the Korean language and their dedication to their golf game and families - no matter what.
Even into my 30s, I regularly pondered whether it was too late to go to medical or law school so I could provide for my parents in their twilight years, or at least give them something to brag about to other Korean parents.
I went to graduate film school instead and made films on topics such as zombies, street food and electoral politics. My latest documentary, "American Revolutionary," is about a 98-year-old Chinese-American woman in Detroit who devoted her life to the civil rights and black power movement.
My career may sound exciting to the average reader. But these pursuits do not come with job stability or a 401(k). Bad Korean.
At the same time, I know many "good Koreans" who confide to me that they wish they could have chosen a different path. They tell me about their dreams of making movies. I tell them I wish I had their benefits and health insurance.
They are incredulous when I tell them my parents never pressured me to make a ton of money, that they instead encouraged my sister and me to be independent and seek happiness on our own terms. I tell them that I wished they had meddled a little more – maybe then I could have gone to an Ivy League school!
Perhaps one of the hallmarks of being Korean-American is that we always think we could be better. No matter how good we are, we are not good enough.
Most of the second-generation Korean-Americans I know – myself included - think of themselves as "bad Koreans" – or not . I took an informal poll of some friends before writing this piece.
Though this random sampling includes successful artists, directors of nonprofit organizations and college professors, none of us think we are "good Koreans".
The reasons are varied. We don't speak Korean. We're adopted. We're only half Korean. We're gay or lesbian. Our parents have no idea what we do because we pursued our passions - art, the social sciences, community organizing - instead of becoming doctors, lawyers or investment bankers.
We don't go to church. We married or cohabit with non-Koreans. Even worse, some of us aren't even planning on having kids, effectively halting the proliferation of more "good Koreans".
Reading over this list, it appears that many of us could benefit from therapy, one more thing that "good Koreans" don't need.
I explored all these ideas in "The Grace Lee Project," a personal documentary that aimed to unpack the model minority stereotype of Asian-Americans. I set out to prove that all Grace Lee's (many of whom you might recognize as "good Koreans") were not interchangeable, but learned that it is our individual complexities that define us.
Reducing ourselves to being good or bad fails to recognize that we have multiple identities. It's a bit like talking about the Axis of Evil, and we all know which Korea is the "good" Korea, right?
After making that film I needed a break from thinking about my Korean identity. I pursued other topics, but now that I have a child I have been wrestling with this question all over again.
His father is not Korean, but my son knows that he is. Korea is the place where his grandparents came from, where PSY dances to "Gangnam Style." He is obsessed with one day flying on a Korean Airlines A380 jet. His identity and his feelings about who he is will evolve as he becomes an adult, just as it did for me.
I'm Korean-American. But I'm also a woman. A mom. A Midwesterner. A filmmaker.
On any given day, I'm good at one or two of these identities and bad at the others.
I hope the world that my son grows up in can expand upon what being Korean means. That Koreans can reflect the diversity of our community: from fourth generation Americans who don't speak the language to undocumented Dreamers. From Miss Koreatowns to transgendered artists. From adoptees to people mixed with other ethnicities.
That Koreans can be good, bad and everything in between.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Grace Lee.
A high percentage of koreans push themselves and will do anyhing to achieve sucess, money and power without caring to stop and think on real hapiness, I for instance do not trust people who portray themselves as humble when around the rich and despot when around the common. Too bad being that their ancient cultures were more inclined to find the perfect spiritual balance. money is not everything in life. For some korean people the thought of being poor can make them take their own lives. (South korea has one of the highest percentages of suicides on the world) On the other hand some koreans excel in all aspects of life. But people... money is not eveything.
It was fun reading this article.
I often find that first generation Korean-Americans living in the States could be more traditional in different ways than people living in Korea today. I know a number of Koreans and Korean Americans, and yes, everyone is different. Things are changing in Korea: doctors, lawyers are not always preferred job, I think, but I still hear that those are preferred job in _some_ Korean American families in US. Or perhaps I have a biased sample of Koreans that do not represent "typical" Koreans. What I am saying is that the author has a point.
"Good, bad, and everything in between" could contain million different types Koreans, but I see the point of the author selecting these expressions. Well, as the Korean-American culture evolves in US as American culture, the diversity of expressions will grow, too – hopefully in a "good", peaceful, and happy way.
My parents always supported my dream, and I will do the same for my kid. I am an American, a Korean American, and I see nothing wrong with saying that I am Korean American. American culture contains many different cultures, and Korean culture is one of them, and I like it. I especially love to taste and learn about all other cultures in the world.
It is not a Korean thing. It is an Asian thing.
its not even an asian thing..its an immigrant thing
most immigrants whether asian or african or european..only see few professions as worth pursuing..they shy away or atleast try to shy away from professions that are more "personally fulfilling"..and more so "does it give you a guaranteed income and used many other places??..if it doesnt then its time to reconsider.
Those professions are often the lawyers, doctors, engineers ..something like women's study masters, not so much
ummmm im going to say its every parent's thing even if you are not an immigrant. Successful happy children is our goal but women's history or whatever is not what we parents, no matter your ethnicity, really want to pay for. Even Americans want to brag on their kids and not have them live in their house as we want our kids successful and also to enjoy our golden years. I don't care if we all grew up on Oprah and nurturing self-esteem....the fact of the matter is even Oprah through her turmoil is one of the richest self made ladies in the USA.
I sure hope she finds a way to be happy
My daughter-in-law is Korean and she is fantastic. She and our son has given us to beautiful grandchildren. EJ loves her father-in-laww and spoils him rotten and now our granddaughter is following suit. We are truly blessed when our son was in Seoul and fell in love with EJ and now 15 years later it just keeps getting better. TRULY A GREAT KOREAN NOT JUST A GOOD KOREAN.
So you're like everybody else, only different. Not always meeting the expectations of your parents, having it better in some ways and worse in others. I've heard this song. Like the rest of us, a few are great, most OK, and some spectacular failures.
Welcome to life. You don't get out alive.
Who decides what's a 'good Korean' or a 'bad Korean' anyway? Actual Korean people, from Korea, would laugh at the definitions. Going to church makes you a "good Korean?" Becoming a doctor makes you a "good Korean?" BAHAHA please. Maybe in your narrow point of view.
Do me a small favor: Next time any Korean-American wishes to speak about their sociological experience growing up (which, for the record, I think is valuable) don't forget to add the "-American" after the word "Korean." Because for all the ways you speak about "being Korean," you sure don't speak for me. Stop misrepresenting an entire country of people you frankly don't understand, and stick to what you know.
The sooner the Korean-American community can get over themselves the better.
(It would also help for the K-A community to realize that the experience of having upwardly mobile values is not a uniquely Korean experience – that's the immigrant experience, welcome to The Dream.)
This is one of the biggest problems in America, no allegiance from it's citizens, especially new citizens. Everyone is an African American, Polish American, Irish American, Iranian American, etc. What about just an American? No one is saying to discard your families past culture, but we have too many people in this country more concerned with where they have been instead of where we are going.
My great grandparents came from Italy, but what does that mean to me? Nothing. I am an American and I am a strong individual who doesn't need my families past to feel connected to this world. Be what you want to be, don't be what you think you should be because that is what your parents or grandparents think you should be. This is a bigger problem for humanity, too many people going through the motions not even being sure why, but their culture tells them to.
Most of the time I feel humans are a failure, we showed promise and now this quagmire of terrible religions, humans feeling lost in a sea of faces, and a battle for planetary domination, which will be won by those that breed the most.
even with your 'individuality', you're no better or worse than anybody else. you just feel good about yourself that you have 'individuality. What comes out of it? Nothing, Nada,Zilch.It's amazing how people with 0 achievements complain about how other people live their lives.
Actually most 2nd generation typically say they are "American" or "Born in USA". The problem is like this writer, others are generalizing for them because 2nd generation just blend into society and don't have banded voice. This applies to all cultures who comes to America for that "American Dream". She missed the mark entirely by generalizing her feelings rather than facts. Everyone's their individual, so don't generalize the society or culture using your own lens.
I disagree with what you say. My ancestry is mostly Scandinavian (specifically Swedish) and then the second largest is English. I cannot say I am necessarily proud of my background in that I individually had anything to do with it, but I accept and revere my past. My past not ending with me, but those who are my family. They are after all where I come from, and that link is important for me to hold onto for me to understand who and where I am. Where we came from is just as important as where we are going. The reason we are able to go the places we go is strictly because of those who preceded us.
I'm a person who belongs to this world, and I only happened to be born in America just like my ancestors happened to be born is Sweden or England. But I still have a connection to my past and through my past I have a future. Is it wrong for me to know who I am?
You know why? Because being a Real American only means you have to talk and act just like white people. And not everybody on this planet yearns to be a nice white person, who are really only nice to each other,
While Americans with European heritage or even African-Americans are usually never asked "where are you from?". Yet many 2nd generations Asian-Americans in this country are always asked that question. It's not that Asian-Americans don't assimilate and think of themselves as an "American". In this country, we are constantly reminded by society that we will always be a hyphenated Americans...
Very nice article and it made me chuckle. It is this level of introspection and brute honestly that makes Korean values so endearing. I married a Korean-American who came to this country as a young girl with her family. I absolutely love the culture, love their honesty (my mother in law will tell me I am getting fat, and then feed me until I am sick), amd love their passion (particularly with sporting events). I am a white male of Irish decent, and while I am sure my in-laws would have preferred my wife marry a Korean, they never made me feel like anything less than family. I have heard the Koreans referred to as the Irish of the East due to their passionate nature and short tempers, and I couldn't agree more. Throw in the American sense of individualism with Korean family values, work ethic and culture and it is easy to see why so many Korean-Americans are successful, whatever their endeavor. I simply love this culture (and food)!
yeah another white male getting married to Asian women and not the other way around. Asian parents feeling their status has up-ed by marrying a white guy...bc all this culture mash up
I got a few Asian friends married white girls.
And if that comment wan ment for me chen zheng I'm black,Irish and native. My son has ancestors from every continent people live on(except south America).
only meant for Asians, if you are black or brown Asian chicks won't mingle with you but if you are white their pants are auto down
I'm Brown and engaged to a Asian. That might be true for a lot of adopted Asians but not for Asian women that come from immigrant parents.
brown as in close to white or brown as in close to black?
I'm mixed,black,Irish and Lakota. My skin is brown,no one mistakes me for white.
I understand what your getting at. But I think more than being predisposed to getting with white boys Asian women in general can have a issue with materialism. It's a cultural issue. That being seid I think Korean women are the least that way. Less than even white girls.
You don't know Korean women very well, do you?
Well enough
Shame on you! you are totally misjudging everything in a very brief, short comment. This only proves that you may be one of those ignorant people who could not overcome "White guy marry Asian lady" stereotype. and I assume that you are likely to possess some portions of Asian blood(in terms of ethnicity) as well by your last name? then, it's like you are demoralizing yourself and your culture as well.
Korean women are no joke. There the least materialistic of Asian cultures. Homemade chapchee and seaweed soup are the best.
"I absolutely love the culture, love their honesty (my mother in law will tell me I am getting fat, and then feed me until I am sick)"
This is so true! my parents do this to my husband too!! LoL!
Good, bad, and everything in between...Sounds like every race of people in every country everywhere. We need to re-install common sense in places like California, where the people red around the neck and mind have brought some bizarre old sweeping generalization tea klux klannery back to town. The thing to do is treat people on a person-by-person basis. 1 person doesn't represent everyone anymore than all people with the first name John are John Malkovich.
If you truly are looking for people to instill with common sense, and end the bad habit of making sweeping generalizations, particularly of those with red around the neck, I recommend you start by looking in a mirror. Would it be wrong to claim that all people like you hide your lack of IQ behind an unearned sense of smug faux intellectualism? Maybe it would be better to say you express your false intellectualism under the guise of non-existent, yet ingrained sense of, victimhood? Maybe, just mraybe, it would be better to simply call you a hypocrite.
Grace – deep breath.. embrace your bad-korean-ness because if you are bad, then as far as Im concerned, bad is freaking awesome.!
That said – the good-bad issue applies to every race in the world.. the real question and conflict is that maybe we as village humans suddenly have evolved to a point where surviving and breading is not really our top priorities anymore.. its really a huge pain in the rear type luxury. is it not.?
Michelle Rhee ruined it for all of you.
What a farce of article. First the generalization based on very limited understanding. Also, this is typical change in any immigrated families. First of all my son think of himself as "American who has Korean Heritage" not as Korean-American. This is most of what 2nd generation feels today which I totally agree as coming from 1-1/2 generation in my case. I want the kids to feel proud of being an American who has parents who are Korean. As any kids in US, today's kids are not as driven as previous generations as they are not as poor. However there are many driven because they want to not because someone told them (like their parents). Everyone wants to succeed, 2nd generation American Koreans are no exception however the need for success is not as great as in previous generations for sure.
It would help this reader did more research in terms of what does it mean to immigrate into different country (this is the backbone of America where different culture keep replenish change for good). Korean families who immigrate to USA is no exception to other countries who wants the American dream.
I am just flabbergasted on generalization.
Very interesting article and well written. I definitely relate to you in some ways. I am a Korean who was adopted at a very early age and because of that have no memory of Korea, being adopted, or know the language. Therefore, I was raised basically American, yet I know and have learned lots of Korean customs and know a fair amount of the culture. I went back to Korea in 2001 (and got stuck there for 4 extra days due to 9/11).
Likes – Very family oriented, some of the nicest people you will ever meet, very hard working and smart individuals, values good moral ethics, and if you are a 'good Korean' gives you special treatment.
Dislikes – It is ALL about the family.....in other words, you live for them and they do not like individuality, do not like confrontation.....you can't talk with them or challenge them (or older people), but more of a yes or no sir/mam, you are considered 'bad' Korean if you do not have a high paying job, if you disrespect them they find it very, very hard to ever give you respect back
Obviously, every culture and human has good and bad, but being adopted and not knowing the language and not having the education/job like they want....they never will see me as a 'good Korean' and probably only see me half Korean. That is okay because their pride is what blinds them to reality at times and since they would just ignore me anyways, it is nonsense to talk to them about it. Don't get me wrong, I take pride in being Korean, but just like any other race it also embarresses me too. That is why when things go bad I will say I am American, but if America is not good in the public spotlight, I will say I am Korean....LOL
What a superbly written article. I realize most non-Koreans don't understand the intense drive of some Koreans. And that drive is admirable and is producing incredible products and services both in South Korea and abroad. But it should be stressed that finding a balance, which you seem to have done, is the best way to enjoy your life. As a Christian I don't agree with some of your choices, but I also see many people working to death to be the apple in the eye of their parents. Parents that are just human, that have made many mistakes, that often value a life lived as necessitating a lot of financial savings, which is often in their best interests. We should stress financial responsibility, but not to work mindlessly to the detriment of our families who may never see us because of our insane workload. I find the Korean culture fascinating in so many ways. I have to admire their work ethic, yes, but most I meet are not satisfied in the slightest with their lives because they are striving to meet the goals of others. Your article points out the importance of living for ourselves (responsibly) instead of being puppets of others. You're a fine writer and I hope you write a lot more on this subject. The average North American could learn so much from reading your work. The principles discussed here are endemic in every culture to a degree but Korean products are leading the world in many areas so naturally our focus in often why that's happening. A most fascinating and intriguing culture indeed.
You will be happy to know that all races and nationalities fell the same way. We all look at our friends within our own ethnic community and wish we could have been 'more like them' whether financially, lifestyle, or in my case, I wish I had at least one child. Perhaps this obsession with being more like our peers is more pronounced in the Korean community, but I can assure you it's pretty bad no matter what your background is!
We are all trained since we can remember to strive to be better. Better than our cousin, better than our brother, or even better than ourselves when we are the most successful. Parents want the best for their children, and sometimes that translates into pressure to succeed on the child. And lets' face it, inside each one of us, that child is still in there trying to please the parent.
It sounds like you've been successful in a way which few could replicate. I'd say the uniqueness of your success makes it much greater than the commonplace successes. We have enough Doctors and Lawyers and too few Film Makers. Bravo to you!
very nice!!!
oh whatever. Seems to me that the good and bad both turned out alright.
this is ridiculous
I am half mexican, half caucasian. My wife was born in korea but raised in S. California. Our kids are then half korean, and part mexican and caucasian. My own experience being mixed was that you are judged mostly by your actions. There are plenty of demographics that you can check off: race, height, weight, income level, favorite band, favorite food, favorite sports team etc etc. But in the end those are just things you use to associate with a group. Those do not make the person who you are. My mother would tell me "son, your name is _____." That is who you are.
Daughters?....I'm sensing some second wife material!!!!
Kalbi! mmmmm good!
I prefer to assume best intentions. An alternate theory based on my own informal poll:
– Native Korean parents now living in America are formed by hardship. Only 50 years ago, Korea was poor little country, colonized repeatedly. Some of them were Korean war refugees, all of them have some experience of the war. Some of them came to America with little resources and the hopes of providing a better life for their family.
– When you come from hardship, you want your children to avoid hardship. Desperately. The most practical way to seem to do this is via "Ivy League schools, doctor, lawyer, I Banker".
– Korean families sometimes don't communicate well. It is a culture, like many Asian cultures, that avoids confrontation. Sometimes to state something plainly and matter-of-fact is rude. It is more polite to infer.
– Parents should be saying to their kids "I only want you to be happy. I really think you will be happy if you follow this track. But ultimately it is up to you and I will support you either way." But they don't. Thus, sometimes the interpretation is "Do this and you are good. Don't do this and you are bad."
i think in every culture you have all types of people...my girlfriend and her sisters are kind happy koreans , but their father who was born in korea treats them like dirt because they aren't males...one daughter moved across the world and hates him, the other fortunately rarely sees him..good/bad korean? no just a selfish little man
I think much of this discussion relates to Korean parents that arrived in the US during the 1970s and 1980s, as much as anything. This is a group culturally stuck in the mindset of that period, remaining far more conservative than today's Korea.
We need universal health care, so that people aren't stuck with their job because they need the health insurance. So that more people can strike out and start a new venture and pursue their dream.
I don't think this phenomena is really that unique. i think any 2nd generation race away from their home country will feel this. Koreans are prideful and in a way depend on respect, which drives this "good korean" notion. Also, if you weren't in the army, you're not Korean and never really will be. plain and simple. I see it similar to a fraternity. Every male in Korea has gone through it. We may have an understanding of language and culture, but definitely do not and never will understand or feel as deeply about it as someone raised in Korea.
Well...as 1.5 gen naturalized-US citizen-Korean-American, I can say that all parents (Korean or not) treat their kids similarly – they want their kids to be happy and prosperous – and will "force" the kids to become something that the kids do not want to become. I think it's up to the kids to make up their own damn mind and do what they want to do, despite all the external pressure. I know I did. In the end, there are "no parents who can triumph over the kids" (as the old saying goes).
We should stop blaming the parents to force you to become something that you did not want to do.
I don't get articles like this. I guess people still don't understand that it doesn't matter what ethnicity you are, there are good, bad, and everything in between in all races, since we are all human and have the same weaknesses and strengths.
I agree. The article is vauge and general. Seem to be focused on Koreans when this could apply to everybody. I hope the movie is better than her article writing.
Jeremy Lin did pretty well for himself and still starting in the nba
psy got a hit in the US
Lets see if any other koreans have made it ... can't think of any.
about 70% of lpga golfers?
Btw, Jeremy Lin is Chinese American.
Jeremy Lin is Taiwanese-American
I grew up on the out-set of the Korean culture since I believed I was a "bad Korean" since I am only half Korean, I barely know the language, I am a female and I went to college later in life. It was tough being the first born and the first to be born in America. There were a lot of pressures placed on me and it was normal to be compared to other Korean kids who were "so wonderful". Now that I am older, and so is my mother, we have a wonderful relationship and I know that following the Asian sense of being good isn't always the right way. I have a great life and I now consider myself a good person – not just a good Korean.
Good article. I am a good Korean (Ivy league, doctor) just as you write. My brothers are "good" Koreans too (doctor, pastor, ivy leagues). BUT, I was almost an art major, always think about art and movies, etc. Wish at times that I could be doing something more "creative." Essentially, I agree with your point that 2nd gen Koreans are never satisfied, we can't win, we want to either be MORE Good or MORE Bad. sigh.
BTW, if you send your kid to a liberally minded Ivy League school, they come out with some non-traditional values that don't sit well with Korean immigrant parents. Be careful what you wish for...
(PS. Since I don't play piano, violin, or have a blackbelt in TaeKwonDo, I might be a BAD Korean).
Your experience isn't unique to Koreans. Born in CT, Italian dad and Czech mom, banker, almost majored in writing, and wish I could be making movies. Your experience is American, certainly not limited to one race or ethnic group.
it is good to see someone write about what we see has an half korean... My mother is from korea and her family all still live there I am frist generation born in the state my father is also irish amrican... I was lucking enough to know my grandparents and famly... now I am married and have a son and he too has the chance to have his grandmother and also the korean family... but it was hard there still issies where your not good korean because of being a communictaion and being a girl my son on there other hand is the apple of her eyes because he the one that supposed to be what i did not become.... Thank you for writing this and like to here more information and ideals
Great article and start to what could be a very engaging conversation. I think it'd be a good exercise to sit with your variety of friends/those you polled and just have an open forum (or venting session? 🙂 ). First off, I commend your parents' mentality to raise you and your sibling to become successful independent individuals even though your paths were not along those of the stereotypical "good Koreans". I am proud of my own parents who have put their sweat and tears into giving both my sister and I a fabulous future but think back to see the struggles they had and the dissonance they must have felt while raising me (textbook "good Korean") and my sister who went against the grain. We both had our own struggles and therapy is definitely not solely for those who are "bad" or in-between. Good Koreans could use it just as much, maybe even more... Whatever the upbringing or outcomes of our children, I also hope that the world can evolve even more to encourage and embrace the "good, bad, and everything in-between".
He's just one idiot. All cultures have lots of idiots. No big deal, at least at the moment.


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Telephone interview with Dr. Bettina Schaar on "Exercising in the heat"
moveguard:Good morning Mrs. Dr. Schaar. High temperatures of more than 30° C are not optimal to exercise. What do athletes have to keep in mind?
Dr. Bettina Schaar:Even if it's already commonly known – I still want to repeat it: drink, drink, drink! Drink water regularly before you get thirsty. If you keep forgetting to drink on a regular basis, I recommend to have one or two water bottles within easy reach at your workplace. In this way you remember to drink every now and then.
moveguard:When is the best time to exercise or should I really train when it is that hot?
Dr. Schaar:It does make sense to train, but you should definitely avoid midday heat and strong sun radiation. That is why it is better to exercise in the morning or in the evening when it is not that hot anymore. Apart from the high temperatures and sun radiation you should keep an eye on the ozone level in your region (you get information on the current ozone levels on the radio or the press). Usually, they are higher in the evening. For this reason I recommend exercising in the morning.
moveguard:Which effect does sun radiation have on my training?
Dr. Schaar:In general, the best protection is not to train in the blazing sun, but rather in the shade. Apart from the UV radiation, the warmth that has an effect on the body, is extremely high. If the Meteorological Service forecasts 30° C in the shade, the temperatures measured in the sun are much higher. It is important to wear loose and breathable clothing and to cover your head with a hat or the like. The heat also affects the soil – due to the heat usually soft mossy soils are dried out and can get hard as concrete. In this case you should use runners with a stronger damping.
moveguard:Which additional advice do you want to give our athletes?
Dr. Schaar:Train sensibly and listen to your body. If your body does not tolerate high temperatures at all you should look for alternatives in the gym or in indoor swimming pools. It is very important to wear functional and breathable clothing which prevents heavy transpiration. And finally again: drink a lot of water!
Dr. Bettina Schaar, University of the Federal Armed Forces, Departement of Sports Science, is expert in the fields of recreational sport and training science.

subset: commoncrawl


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Review: Zoflora Concentrated Disinfectant
I have to admit I am a bit of a clean freak. This used to mean that my house was spic and span, had been cleaned within an inch of it's life every weekend and was very very tidy. It does not mean that anymore. I have a 3 year old who leaves a trail of mess wherever he goes and I have given up trying to get my house to my old standards. However I still like the house to be as clean as it can be and any products that can make this easier for me are welcome in my cleaning cupboard!
The lovely people at Zoflora asked me to review their concentrated disinfectant and I of course agreed. I haven't used Zoflora much but I always remember my Mum using it a lot. I was sent two 120ml bottles of Zoflora. One in the scent Warm Cinnamon and one in Twilight Garden.
I have to admit I wasn't sure how to use concentrated disinfectant but there is an easy to use guide on the box and bottle. There is a list on the box too which shows all the surfaces and parts of the house it can be used on. I tested it on my kitchen floor. It was easy to dilute and cleaned my floor really well. Both scents were lovely and it was nice to have a scented cleaner rather than the usual 'cleaning' smell around the house. I especially liked the Warm Cinnamon scent as I am a big fan of cinnamon anyway. I like versatility of Zoflora; I can use it to clean my floors but then I can use it to clean the bathroom too! Using a product like this that can be used in so many different areas of the house is a great cost saving exercise too as I can often find myself buying a different product for every part of the house!
I will definitely be purchasing Zoflora disinfectant when I run out which I think is the best reflection of what I thought of the product. It comes highly recommended from me! You can read more about Zoflora and find out where to buy it here.
I'm off to do some cleaning!


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"Amaming" ~Amazing
"Kiki"~ Cookie
"Gooey"~ Cody
"Ucky Cone" ~ Ice cream Cone
"Ucky Toes" ~ Twinkle Toes
"Chill" ~ Chill
"Asha's Amaming" ~ Asha's Amazing
"Hees" ~ Please
It is just so funny to listen to her talk. She is getting so verbal.
She also likes to mimick what is going on on her favorite cartoons. She is a big Blues Clues fan and copies most of what they do which is really good since they do alot of sign language. She also tries to sing along with the songs. It's so very very cute!!
I wish you could all hear her. Like I said before she's got the voice of a thousand angels. It's just the sweetest thing to hear and I feel so blessed to be her mommy!!


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For reasonable vacation ideas, search for final minute offers and packages near you so as to drive to your destination and save money. So we can enjoy a day right here and go up the mountain with out freezing my pattooti off or getting moist. If you cannot find anything to your satisfaction on the Internet, you can place a name to a realtor who deals in dwelling rentals in that area. Vacation accrual is predicated on years of steady service and whether or not or not you are exempt from the Honest Labor Standards Act (FLSA). I am simply sorry that I did not listen to all the unfavorable reviews earlier than I bought this terrible film.


text: Do your mother proud by letting the world know that you were "Responsibly Raised" with this t-shirt. These tees are made of 100% Organic Cotton Jersey by Loomstate for Chipotle. They are Unisex Sizing (These garments will skim the body - not loose or tight). Wash cold with like colors. Do not bleach. Hang dry or tumble dry low heat. Wear, recycle, repeat.


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dslrBooth – is a Awesome Photo Booth Software. If you're looking to run a photo booth using your dslr camera and a computer, then you've found the solution you need.
We built our photo booth software out of the same necessity. dslrBooth is a straightforward app that will powers your photo booth as it does for many others all over the world. Our users rave about our software.
We built our photo booth software out of necessity. We searched the internet and found software that can do the job but all of them either were too complicated, cost an arm and a leg, or didn't do the job. So we came up with a straightforward app that bridges the missing gap of going from single pictures to professionally printed and branded photo booth prints. Of course, we made sure not to imitate the poor solutions out there, our software is simple, cheap, and simply works.
• Compatible with PC.
• Triggers camera to take several photos and creates a print.
• Complete control over look and feel of final print including your own graphics, logos, and text. Includes a powerful Template Editor in Windows Edition.
• Stores all pictures and prints.
• Works with all digital dslr cameras as long as your computer can see them. Sorry, no support for webcams as we're sticklers for quality.
• Highest quality prints of all similar software thanks to your pro dslr camera combined with the latest in image processing technology. Standard Edition supports 4?6. Professional Edition adds support for all paper sizes,
• Optimized for Touch Screens.
• Optional Classic Unattended Photobooth Mode: Click a button and have a countdown with camera automatically snapping up to 4 pictures.
• Plenty of layout options in Standard Edition.
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Tour Description
This is the most popular trekking peak in Nepal and although it is also the highest, it is one of the easiest, too, being considered a "walk up" in good weather and if the snow conditions are not too soft.
Those who undertake this trek do need to be conversant with the use of an ice-axe and crampons, as well as being fit, but instruction in their use will be given in Kathmandu, and also at the base camp near Mera La, if required.
Summitting Mera is a highly rewarding experience, providing some wonderful views encompassing Kanchenjunga and Makalu to the east, with Everest, Nuptse and Lhotse to the north. Looking westward, the spires of Ama Dablam and Kang Taiga are clearly visible.
The climb itself necessitates establishing a high camp at 5800 m on the Mera Glacier, before attempting the summit on the next day. The ascent is via the north face glacier and is a steady push to the summit ridge, which leads, somewhat precariously, to the top.
Day 01 : Arrival Kathmandu – transported to HOTEL – tour briefing
Day 02 : Free time in Kathmandu
Day 03 : Transported to airport – fly Lukla – trek Chhutanga
Day 04 : Pangkongma (2,846 m)
Day 05 : Nashing Dingma (2,600 m)
Day 06 : Chalem Kharka (3,600 m)
Day 07 : Chunbu Kharka (4,200 m)
Day 08 : Rest day at Chunbu Kharka
Day 09 : Descent into the Hinku valley
Day 10 : Tangnag (4,360 m)
Day 11 : Dig Kharka (4,650 m)
Day 12 : Acclimatisation day at Dig Kharka
Day 13 : Mera Peak base camp (5,300 m)
Day 14 : Acclimatisation at Mera Peak BC
Day 15 : Move to high camp (5,800 m)
Day 16 : Mera Peak Ascent (6,476 m)
Day 17 : Free time
Day 18-21 : Return to Lukla
Day 22 : Fly Kathmandu – transported to hotel
Day 23 : Free time in Kathmandu
Day 24 : Transported to airport – flight to onward destination


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Renée Shellhaas
Renée Shellhaas, MD, MS, is a Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Michigan. She received her MD from the University of Michigan and completed residency in Pediatric Neurology and a fellowship in Clinical Neurophysiology at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Following her fellowship, she returned to the University of Michigan, where she joined the faculty and completed a Master's degree in Clinical Research Design and Statistical Analysis at the UM School of Public Health. Dr. Shellhaas' clinical practice and research focus on neonatal brain monitoring and early life epilepsy. She currently leads a multi center study on the impact of neonatal seizure treatment on neurodevelopmental and epilepsy outcomes, funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), and is a collaborator on multiple studies associated with PERCBACK TO LEADERSHIP [+]


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Single-syllable and adjectives ending with -y become comparative by adding -er to the end or changing the -y to -ier.
Place the word more in front of other adjectives.
Comparative adjective is used to compare two things. A superlative adjective is used when you compare three or more things.
For example, looking at apples you can compare their size, determining which is big, which is bigger, and which is biggest. The comparative ending (suffix) for short, common adjectives is generally "-er"; the superlative suffix is generally "-est." For most longer adjectives, the comparative is made by adding the word "more" (for example, more comfortable) and the superlative is made by adding the word "most" (for example, most comfortable).
If a 1-syllable adjective ends in "e", the endings are "-r" and "-st", for example: wise, wiser, wisest.
If a 1-syllable adjective ends in "y", the endings are "-er" and "-est", but the y is sometimes changed to an "i". For example: dry, drier, driest.
If a 1-syllable adjective ends in a consonant (with a single vowel preceding it), then the consonant is doubled and the endings "-er" and "-est" are used, for example: big, bigger, biggest.
If a 2-syllable adjective ends in "e", the endings are "-r" and "-st", for example: gentle, gentler, gentlest.
If a 2-syllable adjective ends in "y", the endings are "-ier" and "-iest", for example: happy, happier, happiest.
Some 2-syllable adjectives use the standard "-er" and "-est suffixes", including adjectives that end in "er", "le", or "ow". For example: narrow, narrower, narrowest.
For most adjectives with two or more syllables, the comparative is formed by adding the word "more," and you form the superlative by adding the word "most", for example: colorful, more colorful, most colorful.
Some comparative and superlative adjectives are irregular, including some very common ones such as good/better/best and bad/worse/worst.
This worksheet provides exercises for using comparative and superlative forms with all types of adjectives.
This document contains the worksheet and answer keys to Comparatives and Superlatives of Adjectives.
Total Pages = 2 - (Instant Download)
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I have already downloaded a number of quizzes which will suit my classes when I start the new school year. Quiz Studio is a nice looking app and you can download quizzes and learning materials from Quizlet. Quizlet is a site where you can make your own online learning tools no matter what the subject and then something like Quiz Studio puts then into a nice interface for you on your tablet or phone. Quizlet is also available as an iPad or android app. Quizlet is a good way of us helping each other and Quiz Studio organises the study in an effective way.
Filed under: classroom, e-learning, resources, software, technology | Tagged: anyhow anywhere anytime learning, iPad, ipads in the classroom, online learning, Quiz Studio, Quizlet, tablet, technology |


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Every Friday, I post a link to a blog post written by one of my fellow bloggers at Patheos, a web portal devoted to religion and spirituality. I encourage my blog readers to click through to read these posts, comment, and if you like what you read, follow these bloggers as well.
On his "Naked Theology" blog hosted by the Patheos Progressive Christian Portal, theologian Brian McLaren ponders adding something of value to our routines during Lent, rather than giving something up. This is an increasingly popular approach to our penitential season, as I have noticed in my own church. One of my pastors wrote in her monthly newsletter column about the discipline of "taking on" rather than "giving up." For our church-wide Lenten book study, we are reading my editor Jana Riess's excellent book Flunking Sainthood: A Year of Breaking the Sabbath, Forgetting to Pray, and Still Loving My Neighbor, which chronicles Jana's year-long experiment in taking on traditional spiritual disciplines.
McLaren's post puts a fresh spin on the idea of "taking on" rather than "giving up," noting that adding a new practice to your days will likely have the beneficial side effect of forcing you to give up other things to make time for the new practice. Those other things might include, for example, mindless television watching or web surfing. McLaren plans to read through all four Gospels, and to resume a journaling practice—writing with an actual pen on actual paper to force himself to slow down and contemplate his words more fully.I especially appreciated the way McLaren uses humor to make important points about what we tend to give up for Lent and why. He asks, "Why is God so anti-chocolate, for example? Is food only for nourishment and corporate profit, and not for enjoyment? (Similarly, is sex only for procreation and creating campaign issues?)" He wonders, "Which is worse, during Lent or otherwise: to indulge in a slice of devil's food cake slathered in icing, or to buy a tomato that was harvested by workers that some grocery chains still won't assure a fair wage?" and then goes on:
Of course, we questioners can even manage to get cynical about our own cynicism, because often, we who raise questions like these go ahead and have both the slice of cake and the tomato, and then we write about it on computers manufactured with conflict minerals!
You can read McLaren's entire post here.


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During each summer season we offer a number of courses (three to four weeks duration each) targeted to pupils that are about to finish secondary school and who may be interested in studying informatics. The following courses will be given (working language is German):
For details please see our German web pages for ProInformatik.
Each course will finish with a written examination. Successful participants can fully take the achieved points into account for their following informatics study at FU Berlin, thus shortening their overall study time.
The department charges a registration fee of 30 € per participant.
Successful participants can reduce their time effort for a future study of informatics by up to one year.
Being uncertain about being suitable for studying informatics, this program will allow a simple, practical and timely opportunity to come to a final decision, without the formalities involved when starting a formal study.
The typically long time between finishing the A-level exams and starting the study can be used very effectively.
Familiarity with the overall study syllabus and conditions, and with typical learning methods in informatics will be developed at an early stage.
For participants having achieved more than 13 credit points during ProInformatik a study place at informatics of Freie Universität Berlin is guaranteed.


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Keep up-to-date on the latest news from Commerce Bank.
Commerce Bank promotes Ashley Johns to Evansville East Branch Manager
Commerce Bank promotes Denise Utley to Evansville West Branch Manager
Commerce Bank named the 38th Healthiest FDIC-insured Bank in the United States in 2019
Commerce Bank Adds New Business Development Officer
Commerce Bank Adds New Business Development Officer
Commerce Bank Adds Mortgage Processor
Commerce Bank Adds Operations and Commercial Loan Assistant
Commerce Bank President Published in Hoosier Banker Magazine
Luke Yaeger Named to the 2019 Indiana Bankers Association Board
Commerce Bank Senior Vice President presented the Spirit of United Way Award
Commerce Bank Holds Ribbon Cutting Ceremony For New Branch on Evansville's West Side
Commerce Bank Senior Vice President earns Small Business Administration Award
Commerce Bank named Indiana Small Business Lender of the Year
Commerce Bank promotes Couch to Senior Vice President of Mortgage Lending
Wahl promoted to Senior Vice President, Credit and Compliance Manager
Commerce Bank names new Senior Vice President of Deposit Operations
Luke Yaeger Named President and CEO of First Light Bancorp
New Chairman selected by Commerce Bank board
Commerce Bank adds new Senior VP of Commercial Banking
Commerce Bank names new Senior VP of Commercial Banking
Board of Directors welcomes Joe Framptom
New team and board leadership introduced for Clarksville expansion
Commerce Bank names new Vice President of Credit Administration
Commerce Bank promotes Ashley Johns to Evansville East Branch Manager
Commerce Bank promotes Denise Utley to Evansville West Branch Manager
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Employee Directory
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Automate all things!
The above tile came from Chris Wahl. As I continue my road to my #VCDX and technology in general, this quote still stands true.
In today's corporate world silo were built for the following reason:
- Regulatory
- Business Unit
- Interest Focus
- Project Focus
When these silos were created they were for very good reasons. In a large enterprise, there are competitions for resources and success, competing priorities and lots of irrelevant activities that are happening that can become distractions from accomplishing the goals of the teams.
The new enterprises are fast changing and can react/prepare for changes at a drop of a hat.
There are three main point that you need to consider as you look to automate.
- Visibility
A common misconception for an enterprise to commencing their automation journey is that the key preparation work is choosing a tool and training their staff up. You need to gain a holistic view of the environment. With legacy hardware and software this is no easy feat. Start small and work on a small focused process. If you do not completely understand the process do not automate it.
- Accountability
After you have accomplished visibility, you can now take the jump into accountability. You need to be able to validate the key components of your configuration at any point in time. Are the configurations in place? Are ports open? Are you patched? What network are you on? Are you using the correct software? This will require a state or a template. If you cannot validate do not automate.
- Automation
Now that you have accomplished visibility and accountability, you can automate. Next we need to look into the tools. Choose Puppet. Go with Chef. Try Ansible. If you use VMware use vRealize. I highly recommend you start in a test/development environment. Start small.
Happy Automating.


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In 1974 Thomas Nagel published "What Is It Like to Be a Bat?," a short essay arguing that the subjective experience of consciousness — what philosophers call the "qualia" — could not be fully reduced to the physical aspects of the brain.
That essay framed a landmark challenge to the materialist view of the mind that was then prevailing and helped cement Mr. Nagel's reputation as one of the most incisive and imaginative of contemporary philosophers.
But since the late October release of his latest book, "Mind and Cosmos," reviewers have given Mr. Nagel ample cause to ponder another question: What is it like to be an eminent (and avowedly atheist) philosopher accused of giving aid and comfort to creationist enemies of science?
Advocates of intelligent design have certainly been enthusiastic, with the Discovery Institute crowing about Mr. Nagel's supposed "deconversion" from Darwinism. The book, subtitled "Why the Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature Is Almost Certainly False," has also drawn appreciative notice from conservative publications that might normally disdain Mr. Nagel's liberal writings in moral and political philosophy.
The response from scientists and most of his fellow philosophers, however, has ranged from deeply skeptical to scorching.
Before publication the philosophers Brian Leiter and Michael Weisberg set the tone with a long demolition in The Nation, prompting the Harvard psychologist (and arch-Darwinian) Steven Pinker to dismiss the book on Twitter as "the shoddy reasoning of a once-great thinker." More measured but no less critical reviews have followed, including assessments last month in The New York Review of Books and The London Review of Books. The Guardian named "Mind and Cosmos" the "most despised science book of 2012." Even the more tolerant responses have tended to come with headlines like "Thomas Nagel Is Not Crazy."
So far Mr. Nagel, a professor of philosophy and law at New York University and a fellow of the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences, has not responded publicly to his critics, and declined to answer questions about the book and its reception submitted via e-mail. But some of his supporters paint him as the victim of an ideological pile-on.
"He is questioning a certain kind of orthodoxy, and they are responding in the way the orthodox respond," said Alva Noë, a philosopher at the University of California, Berkeley, who gave the book a rare positive, if not uncritical, notice on NPR's Web site.
To others, however, the vigorous response reflects the fact that even the best-supported science, empirically speaking, is still enmeshed in unsettled metaphysical questions.
"Nagel always makes formidable arguments, even when he's wrong," said Jim Holt, the author of "Why Does the World Exist?," a recent best seller about efforts by philosophers and cosmologists to explain the origins of the universe. "Here he's pointing out that there are important things in the world we live in, as opposed to the scientific image of the world, that science pretends to have a grasp of but doesn't."
"Mind and Cosmos," weighing in at 128 closely argued pages, is hardly a barn-burning polemic. But in his cool style Mr. Nagel extends his ideas about consciousness into a sweeping critique of the modern scientific worldview, which he calls a "heroic triumph of ideological theory over common sense." Consciousness, meaning and moral value, he argues, aren't just incidental features of life on earth, but fundamental aspects of the universe. Instead of random evolution Mr. Nagel sees the unfolding of a "cosmic predisposition."
Such ideas are anathema to modern evolutionary theorists. Mr. Nagel calls for an entirely new kind of science, one based on what he calls "natural teleology" — a tendency for the universe to produce certain outcomes, like consciousness, but without any help from a Godlike agent.
To many reviewers, however, including some who have themselves been critical of efforts to find Darwinian explanations for all aspects of human behavior, Mr. Nagel's own arguments fail to grapple with some well-established scientific facts.
After all, they argue, the evolutionary record shows plenty of lineages moving from complex structures to simpler ones, to say nothing of extinction — both of which throw cold water on the notion of teleology. As for Mr. Nagel's "untutored reaction of incredulity" (as he himself puts it in the book) that random evolution could have produced conscious beings capable, say, of doing science and philosophy in the 3.8 billion years since life on earth began, some point out that he fails to consider the vast size and age of the universe and the likelihood that consciousness might have emerged somewhere, at some time.
"I wouldn't criticize him for not knowing a lot of details about evolutionary biology," said Elliott Sober, a philosopher of biology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, who was highly critical of "Mind and Cosmos" in Boston Review. But Mr. Nagel's arguments, he continued, are marred by flawed reasoning about probability: "He sees the origins of life and consciousness as remarkable facts which had to have had a high probability of happening. I don't buy that."
The fiercest criticism, however, has come from people who fault Mr. Nagel not just for the specifics of his arguments but also for what they see as a dangerous sympathy for intelligent design.
"The book is going to have pernicious real-world effects," said Mr. Leiter, a philosopher at the University of Chicago, who has frequently chided Mr. Nagel on his widely read blog. He added, "It's going to be used as a weapon to do damage to the education of biology students."
It's a charge Mr. Nagel has met with before. In 2009 he caused a furor when he praised Stephen C. Meyer's "Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design" in The Times Literary Supplement of London. This came hot on the heels of Mr. Nagel's 2008 scholarly article criticizing the federal court decision, in Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District, banning the teaching of intelligent design in public school biology classes. ("The political urge to defend science education against the threats of religious orthodoxy, understandable though it may be," Mr. Nagel wrote, "has resulted in a counter-orthodoxy, supported by bad arguments.")
Mr. Nagel's depiction of a universe "gradually waking up" through the emergence of consciousness can sound oddly mystical — the atheist analytic philosopher's version of "spiritual, not religious." And even some readers who admire Mr. Nagel's philosophical boldness see a very fuzzy line between his natural teleology and the creator God of theists like the Christian philosopher Alvin Plantinga (who reviewed Mr. Nagel's book favorably in The New Republic, throwing more red meat to his detractors).
In his conclusion Mr. Nagel declares that the present "right-thinking consensus" on evolution "will come to seem laughable in a generation or two." But few of his colleagues seem to see much sign that a radical paradigm shift is imminent, let alone necessary.
"It's perfectly fair game for philosophers to say scientists are wrong about stuff," Mr. Sober said. "Everything depends on whether the arguments are good."
"Tom is a provocative philosopher, and his book will interest people," he continued. But when it comes to changing actual science, he said, "it's a hiccup."


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Learning Fraternity continues with you by the "Educational Agreement for a Fraternal Education!"
- Details
- Published: Monday, 07 October 2013 19:08
- Hits: 4323
Dowload the Educational Agreement for a Fraternal Education
The conference-workshop about Education and Fraternity wich took place in September is now concluded, but the Project of Learning Fraternity continues with lot's of enthusiasm.
Now, everybody became a promoter of a more fraternal education, living the pdf "Educational Agreement for a Fraternal Education" launched at the end of the meeting!
Downlaod the Agreement in: pdf English , pdf Italian , pdf French , pdf Spanish , pdf Portuguese


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Powerful photo shows 'Happy International Women's Day' being erased from university steps
A picture says a thousand words.
A picture says a thousand words.
The 20-year-old shared her acceptance on Twitter.
Pie is great. Just not in chart form.
He wasn't the only slaving away on those famous plays.
A nasty fight that pits big-name scientists at Harvard University and the University of Oxford against each other on the effectiveness of a multibillion-dollar class of drugs may be headed toward a settlement by month's end. The trans-Atlantic spat c...


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How I Met Your Mother actor Jason Segel has revealed how he put on around 30 pounds while filming for his latest movie Jeff, Who Lives at Home. Jason plays the title character in the movie and admitted that fans will see the difference in his appearance as the movie progresses.
Segel explained, "It was the best thing of all time. We shot for three months there but the movie takes place in one day. So in addition to this movie having the themes it has, it's also the slow story of a guy gaining 30 pounds over one day, which I'm really proud of, it's not easy."
Jason then went on to admit that they intended to have an honesty about the movie, as well as the comedy element. He added, "The goal wasn't just to come in and have a joke-fest. It was to come in and really be honest, and that's why I wanted to do it."
As well as Jason Segel, Jeff, Who Lives at Home also stars Ed Helms, Susan Sarandon and Judy Greer. The movie was written and directed by Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass and is set to be released in the US on March 16 and in the UK on April 20.


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Andy Says: Reese Witherspoon's MTV Movie Awards Speech Was Brilliant!
Reese slammed Blake Lively, Kim Kardashian & more scandalous stars — without naming names, of course. What did you think of her speech?
June 5, 2011, is officially marked on my calendar as the day I fell back in love with Reese Witherspoon. We've seen her play countless roles over the years, but not until the 2011 MTV Movie Awards did we get to just see her play herself: honest, hilarious — and possibly a little drunk.
"When I came up in this business, if you made a sex tape, you were embarrassed, you hid it under your bed," she said in her acceptance speech for the MTV Generation Award. "And, like, if you took naked pictures of yourself on your cell phone, you hide your face, people!"
(I know I'm not the only one who was praying the show would cut to Blake Lively in the audience at that moment — but sadly, no dice.)
Reese also used her stage time to tear down brainless reality TV stars, who rely on outrageous behavior and gratuitous sexuality to compensate for their lack of any actual talent.
"I know it's cool to be bad; I get it," she said. "But it's also possible to make it in Hollywood without a reality show."
When I first heard that Reese is good friends with Chelsea Handler, it took me by surprised — but now it kind of makes perfect sense. I hope this is the start of a whole lot of real-talk from Reese. I approve!
Watch Reese accept her award below. Then tell us what you thought of her controversial (and hilarious) speech!


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Tiger sweatshirt
Japanese designer Kenzo Takada launched Kenzo in Paris in 1970. Today, under the creative direction of Opening Ceremony's Humberto Leon and Carol Lim, the label is as popular as ever thanks to its refreshed aesthetic. Best known for their audacious motifs and streetwear-inspired shapes, look to Kenzo to keep your casual wardrobe up to date. This grey cotton Tiger sweatshirt features a round neck and long sleeves.
Designer Style ID: F762SW7054XC
Colour: 98
Kenzo Tiger Sweatshirt 12245905


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Our most popular flavor at tasting events!
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Type 1 suits most casual sports people.
For users who prefer a strap or tethered Mouthguard this product exhibits all the same features as our strapless range with the addition of a loop fixture which allows the guard to be attached to the included strap. The Signature Type 1 Kids mouthguard is specifically designed for young children and is suitable for all low contact level sport.
- Absorbs impact
- Protects teeth, gums, jaws and joints
- Designed to fit mouth and teeth accurately to give better protection
- Has a comfortable fit to enable easy breathing, talking and drinking
- An affordable warm and fit design. Adapts to most mouths.


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India won't deploy troops in Afghanistan
New Delhi: India on Tuesday ruled out deploying troops in troubled Afghanistan even as it asserted along with the US that there will be no tolerance for safe havens for terror.
"There shall not be boots from India on the ground in Afghanistan," Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said at a joint media conference with visiting US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis after talks with him.
The minister was replying to a question about India's contribution in Afghanistan and whether it would deploy its troops there.
Mattis is the first high ranking official of the Trump administration to visit India and the US has been wanting Indian military presence in Afghanistan.
Sitharaman said India's contribution to Afghanistan has been there for a very long time in development activities like building dams, schools, hospitals, roads and any institution which the war-torn country may require.
"We are also at the moment training their officials in good governance… India's contribution has been there and we shall expand if necessary," she said.
Mattis said the two countries recognized threat to global peace from terror and both agreed that there should be "no tolerance to safe havens for terrorists".
"As global leaders, India and the US pledged to eradicate this scourge."
Mattis said both India and the US have suffered losses due to terrorism and "one aspect of this is universally shared by all responsible nations that there shall be no safe havens for terror".
The US Defence Secretary did not name Pakistan but Sitharaman minced no words in saying that terror attacks in Mumbai or in New York originated from Pakistan.
"The very same forces which did find safe haven in Pakistan were the forces that hit New York as well as Mumbai," she said.


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Glenn Beck to Megyn Kelly on Fox.
I remember it as an awful lot of fun, and that I made an awful lot of mistakes, and I wish I could go back and be more uniting in my language… because I think I played a role unfortunately in helping tear the country apart. And it's not who we are. I didn't realize how really fragile the people were. I thought we were kind of a little more in it together. And now I look back and I realize if we could have talked about the uniting principles a little more, instead of just the problems, I think I would look back on it a little more fondly. But that's only my role.
Close enough.


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Embellished Coin Camisole
This is the ultimate holiday & festival top - it is heavily embellished with bohemian coins and bright red and blue embroidery. Wear it with a little white skirt to complete the look or a pair of slouchy boyfriend jeans during the day for an ultra bohemian vibe. It has adjustable straps, too.
- Gado Gado
- Designed in Amsterdam
- Model wears size S
- 100% cotton
We Also Recommend


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Hello lovelies!
Today I have the first of three reviews and swatches of some Glam Nails polishes that were kindly sent to me by Beauty UK. Beauty UK are a family run business that sell cosmetics and nail polishes which are available to purchase from their online store www.beautyukcosmetics.co.uk (where they also ship internationally) and they are also available in Superdrug stores. The polishes retail at £1.99 for a 9ml bottle.
The first polish I tried was Beauty UK Glam Nails "Urban Jungle". When I first saw this polish I immediately thought that it was definitely not one I would have purchased as it wasn't normally a colour I would choose to wear. The polish is a perfect dusty khaki green creme. Due to this colour being so out of the norm for me I was intrigued to try this one out first.
The bottle size is 9ml and so the brush understandably is fairly small to work with but I managed ok. The formula was good and the first layer applied well but did require another coat for full coverage. The dry time was fast and the overall appearance was very glossy even without a topcoat.
Overall I am super impressed with this fab military chic polish and I actually am quite in love with it!
What do you think? x
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
BeautyUK Urban Jungle - Review and Swatches
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The term BioMusic seems to have many different meanings. At least a couple of them represent an authentic connection between art and science, and lend themselves to teaching and research at the university level. The research in this area seems to bring together biologists or doctors, musicians, and computer scientists.
One relates to the evolution of a musical sense as recently exemplified in research on bonobos (http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/15/us-science-animals-rythym-idUSBREA1E0ZL20140215) by Dr. Patricia Gray (https://performingarts.uncg.edu/mri/research-areas/biomusic) at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro (http://www.uncg.edu). This research involved an undergraduate research assistant. Other studies relate to whales songs and bird songs, and rhythmic abilities in parrots (http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17065-dancing-parrots-could-help-explain-evolution-of-rhythm.html#.UwJ7TRayfzI) and sea lions (http://news.ucsc.edu/2013/04/sea-lion-beat.html).
The other meaning relates to the sonification of human biological data including heartbeat, brainwaves, respiration rate, or protein patterns or genetic traits. There's even an ap for that : http://biobeats.com/our-story/. These topics related to health and biofeedback, as well as biological diversity.


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In Brazil, Business as Usual Often Involves Wiretapping
Banker Dantas, Arrested for Corruption, Thinks He Has a Case Against His Accusers
SÃO PAULO -- Brazilian banker Daniel Dantas is a very wary guy. He avoids sending email, switches phones frequently and makes calls from moving cars.
It all wasn't enough to escape Federal Police Inspector Protógenes Pinheiro de Queiroz. Beginning early last year, investigators led by Inspector Queiroz began monitoring dozens of phones and email addresses belonging to Mr. Dantas, his family and associates.
This past July, in a spectacular arrest followed by TV crews, Inspector Queiroz rounded up Mr. Dantas and 16 others and, relying on thousands of pages of recorded calls and intercepted messages, accused the banker of tax evasion, corruption and money laundering.
Mr. Dantas still faces charges related to the arrest, but Inspector Queiroz's methods are under the spotlight, too.
The bearded, bespectacled detective was hauled before a congressional committee, and police opened an internal inquiry. The head of Brazil's intelligence agency, whose operatives took part, was suspended pending an investigation into illegal wiretapping. Now, there's a growing debate in Brazil over what some call rampant official -- and unofficial -- eavesdropping.
Under Brazil's laws, wiretapping is meant to be an investigative method of last resort. But it has become a primary tool to crack white-collar cases. According to an estimate released by legislators, Brazil's phone companies received 409,000 judicial wiretapping requests last year.
"What we are seeing is a culture where police are investigating people, not facts," says Marina Maggessi, a congresswoman and former head of intelligence for Rio de Janeiro's police force.
More on Mr. Dantas
- Video: Mr. Dantas's Arrest (Portuguese)
Past Coverage:
For some, Brazil's wiretapping mania is a holdover from the country's 20-year dictatorship, when secret police kept tabs on political enemies. The government spies were nicknamed arapongas -- after birds known for their metallic, alarming cries. Military rule ended in 1984, but not Brazil's culture of spying.
These days, Brazil's political and economic elite are convinced someone is always listening. "I'm being taped, definitely," says Eike Batista, the multibillionaire who claims to be Brazil's richest man. He says he never discusses important business matters on the phone.
No one is immune. Police frequently record lawyers, judges, even one another. João Pédro Stedile, an organizer of peasant farmers, tells a reporter to call him at home. But he warns: "Sometimes it rings in the police station."
Dramatic Expansion
In other instances, officials are suspected of using the government's wiretapping apparatus for personal ends. In 2003, prosecutors accused a senator from the state of Bahia of having state employees tape his enemies, including an ex-lover and her new husband. The senator died last year, but prosecutors are still pursuing the case against his security staff.
According to law-enforcement officials, wiretapping underwent a dramatic expansion in Brazil in recent years. Police began buying a $250,000 computer system called Guardian, able to record hundreds of calls at once. That facilitated major anticorruption operations in which wiretaps led to the arrest of dozens of judges and politicians.
But critics complain that suspects -- frequently handcuffed and paraded before cameras -- aren't getting fair treatment. Snippets of incriminating phone conversations frequently appear in the next day's papers. "It's a moral death sentence. Many people in a situation like that never recuperate," says Mr. Dantas's lawyer, Nélio Machado.
Police enjoy wide approval, however. Brazil's crime rate exploded during recent decades, leading to public support for harsh measures. In Rio's slums, police kill three people a day, the United Nations says. Similarly, says Celso Sanchez Vilardi, a criminal lawyer in São Paulo, "society demands spying" as a way to confront economic corruption.
At the center of Brazil's wiretapping scandal is Mr. Dantas, a charming, vegetarian banker with a flair for political intrigue. Before beginning a recent interview at Opportunity, his investment company, Mr. Dantas checked the door, turned off the television and removed the batteries from his two cellphones. Spies, he says, might activate them remotely.
Mr. Dantas is best known for his investment fund's role in a long-running battle for control of Brasil Telecom, Brazil's No. 3 phone carrier. The fight involved rival Telecom Italia SpA, as well as other investors.
The bitter shareholder struggle rapidly turned into a game of spy versus spy, generating allegations of multimillion-dollar payoffs, secret dossiers and corporate espionage. Police, seeking evidence of political corruption, were frequently listening in.
Mr. Dantas's side hired Kroll Inc., the U.S. risk-consulting firm, to investigate Telecom Italia, as well as political rivals and journalists; Kroll even had hidden-camera films taken of the then head of the Banco do Brasil. But Brazilian police were wiretapping Kroll personnel and broke up the operation in a 2004 raid. Kroll, whose employees now face espionage charges, denies it acted illegally.
Officials in Italy say former Telecom Italia employees operated their own spy ring, at one point breaking into Kroll's computers. Prosecutors there are seeking to indict six ex-staffers, part of a probe that has targeted more than 30 people. Telecom Italia declined to comment.
Last year, Brazil's government began looking to end the Brasil Telecom dispute, pressing Mr. Dantas and others to sell their stakes to market leader Oi, formally known as Tele Norte Leste Participações SA. The $7.5 billion deal, Brazil's largest telecom merger, was agreed to in April. Mr. Dantas says he believed the truce would mean an end to all police investigations as well.
He was mistaken. Inspector Queiroz had recruited the help of more than 50 agents of Brazil's National Intelligence Agency, ABIN, to push forward with a sweeping probe of Mr. Dantas's business dealings. According to the policeman's testimony, his team amassed 2,000 pounds of phone transcripts and other documents.
Inspector Queiroz didn't respond to several attempts to contact him. In public testimony, he called the involvement of intelligence agents a routine matter. Brasil Telecom also declined to comment.
More Tape
Police arrested Mr. Dantas on July 8, at his home in Rio. The banker was quickly freed but is charged with offering police a $1 million bribe to drop the investigation. Mr. Dantas says he is innocent. Prosecutors say the bribe attempt, too, is on tape.
Inspector Queiroz's police report, quickly leaked to the press, proved to be a bombshell. Transcripts captured questionable, sometimes comical, conversations among a score of prominent Brazilian lawyers, financiers, politicians and journalists. Even the chief of staff of Brazil's president ended up on tape.
For some Brazilians, the investigation has become clear evidence of official spying run amok. The president of the Supreme Court, who believes he also was spied on, called police methods totalitarian. In September, Brazil's president suspended the head of the spy agency over allegations that it eavesdropped on officials.
The prosecutor in the Dantas case, Rodrigo de Grandis, thinks Brazil's wiretapping problem is being exaggerated. He sees a ploy by lawyers to shift attention away from Mr. Dantas's misdeeds and blame investigators. "It seems like everyone is taped, but that is nonsense," says Mr. De Grandis. "No one is talking about the crimes that occurred."
Still, Mr. De Grandis, glancing at his cellphone, admits that he uses it sparingly. He thinks the other side could be listening.
Write to Antonio Regalado at email@example.com
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Doctors are probably the closest thing we have to superheroes. They seem to know everything, have everything and need nothing. It's terribly hard to find a gift for someone who has everything! This sort of dilemma requires some creative thinking and unorthodox measures to give a meaningful present that will make a lasting impression.
Useful Gifts
The first and most practical way of choosing a present is to consider its usefulness. Thinking about what your doctor needs and could use is often a good place to start. Doctors usually wear a white lab coat with only just a touch of personal style. A subtle accessory could be a nice touch to a doctor's apparel, as well as serving as an icebreaker and conversation piece for patients. Consider a tie with pictures of medical instruments, toe tie-tag, syringes or x-rays. A necklace with a caduceus charm; a pin in the shape of the rod of Asclepius, the ancient Greek god of healing, or even a skull could add a unique touch to your doctor's lab coat. Doctors often work long hours and appreciate stress relief. Consider giving an item that brings a sense of relaxation and calmness to the office like a healing plant or flower such as aloe or arnica. CDs with shamanistic music, a session with a masseuse, or a ticket to a yoga class or spa may also be greatly appreciated by your doctor.
Fun Gifts
Sometimes the best cure is a good laugh. Many creative and humorous gifts that cater to the humor of the medical field are available. Depending on the type of doctor you are buying for, you can take the humor in many different directions. For example, there are stuffed animals of every bacteria, virus, organ, nerve and disease available online. You can also have one custom made with a name and text of your choice. There are also hundreds of comic posters and cartoons with hospital and patient themes your doctor can hang in her office. If you prefer something more interactive, a gift of Newton's cradle, a chessboard with a skeletal-pieced theme, a book of riddles or proverbs centering around life and death, anatomy puzzles, or a documentary on new and/or unorthodox medical practices or anomalies could really entertain your doctor's brilliant mind.
Beauty Gifts
A simple elegant gift is sometimes the best way to convey true gratitude. Some ideas include paintings in the theme of medieval medicine ,which included astronomy in their practice, or works from Bramante or Michelangelo who helped design hospitals in Italy. Small sculptures of great doctors, healers and scientists could also be appealing. Some examples include Einstein, Nostradamus, Aristotle or Isaac Newton. Depending on your doctor, you may want to consider him giving gifts from Eastern medicine and philosophy like a bonsai tree or a small rock garden. Also appropriate would be beautiful glassware filled with healing herbs or oils like gingko biloba, ginseng, gotu kola, frankincense or myrrh.


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The "Splash Brothers" are asking that people stop splashin'.
In a public service announcement released Tuesday, Golden State Warriors' superstars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson urge Californians to conserve water.
"They call us the 'Splash Brothers' because we make it rain on the court," Curry says in the short video.
U.S. & World
"But even we can't make it rain enough for California," Thompson says, finishing Curry's sentence.
"If we're going to take on the drought," Curry adds, "We need some defense."
The PSA is a joint effort between Save Our Water, California's statewide conservation program, and CSN Bay Area, which is owned by Comcast, also the parent company of NBC Bay Area. And it comes as California is preparing to enter its fifth year of drought. Gov. Jerry Brown is poised to require extending the mandatory statewide 25 percent water-use reduction if drought conditions persist in January.
The only other professional athlete in California who has made such an ad for Save Our Water is San Francisco Giants pitcher Sergio Romo, who starred in a similar PSA in July, saying "brown is the new green."
Curry and Thompson were obvious choices to spearhead the announcement, as their nickname highlights their shooting prowess and also plays with a water pun. During last year's championship season, Curry broke his own NBA record for the most three-pointers in one season with 286, and Thompson finished second in the league with 239. The "Splash Brothers" became the league's most prolific three-point duo with a record 525 threes.
"We are thrilled the Splash Brothers have joined the growing chorus of Californians spreading the word of the need to save water, even during a wet winter," said Jennifer Persike, spokeswoman for the Association of California Water Agencies. "Regular conservation isn't enough – we must take extraordinary measures to save water."


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Products I Love
This is a funny page for me to be writing. I never thought I'd recommended anything to anyone! I was a lawyer, y'know.
But as I've gained experience as a Gun Enthusiast, I've encountered some great tools and training opportunities that can really help gun owners earn more in today's gun culture.
Since that's what this blog is all about, I'm proud to recommend the products below.
My policy: I never recommend a product unless I have personally used it or have thoroughly reviewed it. The books and tools below are all created by mentors and teachers I really trust. I've used them, loved them, and they helped me build my business.
With everything it takes to be a successful Gun Enthusiast today, you need really useful, affordable tools that make you look professional. I'm frequently asked how I manage my busy career — so now you know what's behind the curtain.
If you click on the product links below, I will get a commission. I have some affiliate links in my blog posts, too. Want to be up-front about that.
If you are considering using these tools and products, I appreciate your using my referral links. Won't cost you a dime extra, and it helps keep this blog cranking out the free, practical tips that are built around what WE all are passionate about, GUNS. (If you're looking for books I recommend, scroll down.)
Raven Concealment VG2
If you conceal carry a Glock or Smith and Wesson M&P there should be no reason you don't own a Vanguard 2 holster from Raven Concealment. It does a stunning job of being minimal, incredibly versatile, uncomplicated and affordable. I like my pants/jeans to fit a certain way and going up a size just makes me look sloppy. Therefore, I need a very minimal holster if I want to carry my Glock 19 instead of having to drop down to my Glock 26. Here's the thing, you can use one VG2 holster for the Glock 26,19,17,23,22,27,30, etc. The Vanguard 2 is about as close as it gets to simply sticking a gun in your pants (Mexican Carry) without any of the drawbacks of well, merely sticking a gun in your pants. It's intended for appendix carry, but I usually carry at the 3 O'Clock position (Hip), and it works just fine.
Surefire X300 Ultra
I'm not the most brand loyal person on the planet. Brands are only as good as the new brand that's doing better what the other brand did better than the brand before last. However, I can't seem to shake my affinity for Surefire lights. Honestly, most Surefire lights are way more than what most people need (Durability Wise), but I like knowing that I could drop my light into the depths of hell and be surprised if it stops working. When it comes to mounting lights on my gun, I love the X300, mainly for the ergonomics, versatility, durability, and lumens. I like how you can use your finger to push the tab in for a temporary on, or swipe down for a constant on. The switch is on both sides and is activated by rotating up or down. Some may say that 600 lumens are too much for a defensive light, but I'm a self-describe lumens whore and can never have enough lumens. I'm also incredibly hard on my guns, especially when I review them, and I treat my x300 like an unwanted step child, and it's still ticking.
BCM GUNFIGHTER Stock Assembly and Grip
When I first saw the BCM Gunfighter stock online, I thought it was a rather ugly looking stock and grip set. Then I got a test and evaluation rifle from PWS fitted with the BCM Gunfighter stock and grip. Let's just say that pictures don't do the grip and stock justice. They look great in person. Then I ran the PWS MK114 Rifle during a Chris Costa 3 day course and fell in love with the stock from a functional perspective. Right now Magpul is dominating the market of stocks and grips. However, Bravo Company is closing that gap significantly. I love Magpul furniture and always will, but dammit, the BCM Gunfighter Stock, and Grip are a good looking piece of kit.
EarPro EP3 Sonic Defenders
Whenever I'm shooting the rifle, I double up on my ears just because when you put your over the ears on and you come up on the stock as you can see in the video, it breaks that seal between the stock and your earPro. They're electronic so they run off little hearing aid batteries. Therefore, I can adjust them just by turning up the volume. Then, I can control the type of sounds that I want to magnify and don't by pushing the button. The formatting suppressed I'll still run over the ears just because running suppressed while still getting the crack of the bullet at the sonic boom sound that's still not that great for your ears so I tend to be a little bit sensitive to sound just because I have tinnitus already so I'm like overly protective about protecting my hearing I try to protect as much as possible until I get into the truck and turn on my music and completely forget about the fact that I'm trying to protect my hearing because of music I usually turn up as loud as possible but then again I'm a moron in that sense.
Haley Strategic Partners D3 FlatPack Tactical Backpack
I've been running this bag for a couple of months now, and it enthralls me. It's a tactical bag, but I use it more for everyday carry. I love how slim it's profile is. There's nothing more annoying than a bag that gets in the way just as much as it helps you transport things. It carries my 12inch MacBook w/ power cord and plug, HK P30 w/ two spare magazines, and iPhone Battery pack perfectly. The bag is so discreet and easy to carry that I don't go anywhere without it. My only regret is that I didn't get it in the Disruptive Grey.
Elzetta B212


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Annabelle: Creation makes for a solid Conjuring prequel, with scares and thrills that make up for any noticeable shortcomings in the script.
Loving parents Samuel (Anthony LaPagila) and Esther Mullins (Miranda Otto) suffer an unbearable tragedy when their young daughter Bee (Samara Lee) is killed in an accident. Twelve years later, the two make an arrangement with Sister Charlotte (Stephanie Sigman) to allow girls from a shuttered orphanage to stay at their house as they wait to be adopted. Upon arriving at the Mullins' home, the girls - including best friends Janice (Talitha Bateman) and Linda (Lulu Wilson) - become infatuated with the place, eager to take advantage of its many luxuries.
On the same floor as the girls' bedrooms is a locked off room that everyone is forbidden to enter. However, one night, Janice receives a mysterious note and is able to walk into the room, encountering a child's doll in a white dress that behaves rather mysteriously. Janice has unknowingly let loose a terrible evil through the house, transforming what should have been a safe sanctuary for her and her friends into a terrible nightmare with no end in sight.
The fourth film in the Conjuring franchise, Annabelle: Creation is a prequel to 2014's Annabelle and explores the origins of the possessed doll that has been featured in previous installments. Whereas earlier entries in the series drew inspiration from Ed and Lorraine Warren's real-life case files (which include the actual Annabelle Raggedy-Ann doll), this film is an entirely fictional work that gives the filmmakers an opportunity to add to the Conjuring mythos the way they see fit. Producer James Wan brought his Lights Out director David F. Sandberg to call the shots, and it's safe to say this is a pairing that really works. Annabelle: Creation makes for a solid Conjuring prequel, with scares and thrills that make up for any noticeable shortcomings in the script.
Sandberg is arguably the true star of Creation, once again demonstrating his eye for crafting engrossing horror sequences that leave the audience on the edge of their seats. When the plot kicks into motion after a standard first act, the Mullins' home becomes something of a terrifying haunted house ride for viewers, where anything can strike at a moment's notice. Sandberg makes excellent use of the Annabelle doll prop, which continues to be one of the most unsettling in the genre. Much like the original Conjuring, Creation doesn't overly rely on jump scares, instead spooking moviegoers mainly with haunting imagery and creepy atmosphere that will linger after the credits have rolled, thanks to the contributions of director of photography Maxime Alexandre. The technical merits of Creation are quite strong.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the script written by Gary Dauberman. Creation contains more than its fair share of well-known horror movie clichés that will stand out to anyone with even a passing knowledge of the genre. Classic tropes like questionable character motivations and other plot contrivances will be frustrating for some viewers, especially since they ultimately make the film come across as a standard supernatural thriller, as opposed to being something greater. That said, Dauberman does deserve credit for crafting Creation as a mostly standalone story, balancing it nicely with larger connections to the rest of the Conjuring universe. The film is accessible for newcomers to the property, and thanks to its brisk runtime, it never overstays its welcome.
Annabelle is an ensemble piece, making it difficult for any performer to truly take charge and carry the film on their shoulders. Bateman and Wilson are the leads among the group of girls, getting a sweet and emotional arc buoyed by their sister-like bond. Neither character is all that fleshed out or memorable in the long run, but they serve the purposes of Creation nicely with convincing turns that sell audiences on the terrors of the situation. LaPagila is also good as Samuel, a tortured and grieving man just trying to get by in life. The script doesn't give the actor a whole lot of material to work with, but he makes the most of it and does what he can. At times, he's a very sympathetic figure, as anyone can relate to his pain.
The supporting cast members are all fine in their parts, there just likewise isn't much to many of the roles. While the character of Sister Charlotte is periodically undercut by the conveniences of the script, Sigman injects the girls' caretaker with motherly sensibilities and has some touching scenes with the child actors. She definitely has the meatiest secondary part, as several of the orphaned girls are there just to flesh the group out and take part in scary set pieces during the third act, leaving no meaningful impression. Otto is arguably wasted as Esther, being reduced to primarily reciting exposition that adds to the mysteries of the Mullins' house. As is the case with the rest of the actors, Otto doesn't give a bad performance, but she doesn't stand out, either.
In the end, Annabelle: Creation makes for a fun ride for horror enthusiasts - especially those who have been following the Conjuring franchise from the beginning. Sandberg is clearly in his element, and though the film does follow much of the genre's typical playbook, he throws enough change-ups at the audience to make Creation enjoyable. It doesn't exactly break new ground, but the prequel is a fine addition to the property, indicating there's plenty of life left in the series for future spinoffs and sequels. As we hit the end of the summer movie season, Annabelle is easy to recommend for casual audiences intrigued by marketing and Conjuring die-hards alike.