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"Folk Hero and Funny Guy" is profiled as part of our month long focus on Modern Musicals.
Reviewed by Lesley Coffin
At this year's Tribeca Film Festival, one of the smartest and funniest comedies to play in competition was the directing debut comedian Jeff Grace, Folk Hero & Funny Guy. As the film's title would suggest, the movie focuses on the lives of friends and performers; comedian Paul (Alex Karpovsky) and folk singer-songwriter Jason (Wyatt Russell). While Jason's star has risen to some significant levels of fame, Paul spends more of his time working as a temp than performing stand-up. To encourage his friend, Jason invites him to be his opening act on his tour, one the heavy drinking Jason planned with alternative motive of seeing old flame Becky (Melanie Lynskey in a brief but outstanding performance). On the road they meet newcomer Bryn (Meredith Hagner) a fellow singer-songwriter and invite her to open for Paul…causing tension when it becomes obvious that the tour could be a bigger break for her than it is for Paul. Grace based the film's premise (loosely) on his own questionable decision to tour as a comedian as the opening act for his lifelong friend for Adam Ezra, who also scores the film and wrote original songs (along with Wyatt Russell and Meredith Hagner). The movie's breezy pacing is deceptive in how it handles some deep and significant moments of drama about friendship, love, and growing-up. Grace manages to show a true compassion for his often flawed characters which suggests he is already a mature and thoughtful filmmaker with his own voice and perspective. The movie has a comfy, warm style; set in fall and winter the movie almost feels like something audience will want to watch on a snowy, lazy day with a roaring fire in the background. Alongside Karpovsky, already established as a filmmaker-actor, Russell and Hagner feel like true discoveries in this movie. This is Russell's second major role this year (he was also a stand out in Everybody Wants Some!!) and his seamless ability to move within character from comedy to drama suggests he is on the rise. As for Hagner, (best known for her work on TV's Royal Pains and currently starring in the series Search Party), if the film finds its audience, don't be surprised if she's labeled a breakout star. Her infectious energy on screen, quirky but relatable personality, and lovely voice suggests a star in the making. I spoke with Grace, Russell and Hagner about their outstanding film which is currently playing the film festival circuit.
I noticed there was a big change to the musical vibe at the end of the film, after Jason's concert, when Paul goes to the comedy story club and you picked the Brenton Wood song Oogum Boogum to close the movie. To end a movie about folk musicians with that song feels surprising, where did that idea even come from?
Grace: Originally I thought we would have far more folk music in the movie, but as we were layering the sound mix with our editor John Melin and our music supervisor Don Wilcox, we realized having that much folk music in kind of a talky movie can start to feel monotonous, and it wasn't upbeat enough for this movie. So we found a lot of music from all different genres to put into the movie, to kind of off-set the folk music Wyatt and Meredith sing. We have music that reminded us of Paul McCartney in Wings. And that song at the very end was a song our editor laid in to try to convince us that we should pull away from the folk music in a big way to end the movie. And I needed convincing until I heard it, and then I realized he was totally right. We weren't sure if we were even going to have a score, so we were editing with music drops, and interspersing that with the music Meredith had previously written and then Wyatt and Meredith wrote their songs together.
Russell: That was cool, because you almost never get to be in a movie that lends itself to that. A lot of movies force music into the soundtrack, but it was completely necessary with this movie and the movie's tonal changes lent itself to all those different pieces of music.
Were you listening to music during production to set the mood?
Russell: We did and music was always sort of on in the background for this movie. Meredith and I listened to a lot of John and June Carter.
Hagner: They were our inspiration for the song we wrote. I had previously written the songs I sing in the movie, and they just happened to fit the movie and fit my character, so we got to use them. But the song Wyatt and I wrote and sing is inspired by what we were listening to during the production. People like John and June Carter and Gillian Welch. Singer-songwriters that made us think, "If we're just one percent as good as they are, we'll be on the right track."
When did you write the original music you perform?
Hagner: Most of my songs were previously written, but Adam Ezra wanted to collaborate on one song. And he had great ideas for that song. And then Wyatt and I started writing a couple of weeks before shooting and then we'd just keep writing at night, because we were all living together. So we were working on the music throughout the actual production.
Russell: We wrote the music beforehand but were tweaking it throughout production.
Grace: We added a lot of music into the film just because we liked so much of what they wrote. We kind of created a montage after we heard one of their songs. I loved the idea of Alex trying to sing along, and he's so terrible he basically stops the montage the audience is watching. We had a lot of last minute discoveries like that. Also, in that montage scene, when they're having a sing-along, Meredith wacked her head so hard on the guitar case laughing and the sound her head made was so loud it was distracting and we had to mix it down in post.
Hagner: My brain hasn't felt right since that day. But hey, I really dive into my roles.
Whose idea was it for you to write music and contribute to the sound track?
Russell: It was a fluid process. There were songs written specifically for the movie. There were parts where it just said in the script, Jason sings, and I just played a song I had written, Firewater, because it's just background. And at a certain point Jeff realized he would need a few more songs, so Meredith and I decided to collaborate and contribute original songs to the movie.
Hagner: That really did embody the spirit of the movie, where Jeff encouraged us to just try new things. Jeff's an excellent director and I would recommend other actors work with him. He's so fun and spirited. I was working with Adam Ezra originally, because he planned to write a lot of Bryn's songs. And he's so talented and brilliant, but the songs would have worked for Wyatt's character, but didn't feel right for Bryn. I think it can be hard for a male song writer to write for a female voice, so we ended up using my own songs. But that only comes from no one having a big ego and a willingness to collaborate.
Grace A big reason I cast Meredith and Wyatt was because I knew they had musical abilities and I knew they could sing. I heard some stuff they sent me during the casting process. But I never expected the actors to contribute original music. I thought we'd either have Adam write all the music or hire someone else to write original music for the characters. But with Meredith, I loved her first for the part, but then she took it upon herself to send me the demos she recorded on her iPhone. And when I said "can we use them" she thought they wouldn't be good enough. She was too modest.
Hagner: That's where I sort of mirrored the character. It was intense to kind of put myself out there as a songwriter for the first time.
Because you were the writer of the character's songs, do you feel that gave you the opportunity to add more of yourself to Bryn's character?
Hagner: Oh, yeah. So much of what I do happens to be broad character work. But she was so fun to play because she felt so close to me. Every part has pieces of you, but this role definitely felt the closest.
Did you and Alex work on combining your comedy styles?
Grace: The stand up's the one area of the movie where I wasn't sure what he would be doing until we started filming him. During rehearsals he'd be like "and I'll do a little stand up here…" and I'd be like, "well, can I hear what you're going to do?" But I ended up understanding why he took that approach, because it's really hard to do the right kind of comedy until you see the room and the crowd. And when I'd ask Alex about doing an open mic to kind of rehearse, he'd go "yeah, I don't know about that." He didn't jump at the idea so I didn't push it.
I'm assuming Wyatt's character wasn't really based on Adam, but what kind of inspiration did Adam provide?
Russell: There are aspects of him that wound up in the character. We met for about three days just to go over the music. And I always know that doing a movie, scripts go through a lot of changes and I had an opportunity to contribute to the character on this film. There are aspects that I pulled from my own life, but more so, from people I knew a few years ago. Musicians I'd come across in my life, my former brother-in-law's a musician who would consider himself part of the psychedelic folk-rock genre scene. So he's an amalgamation of a lot of people I've known and met and liked over the year.
Grace: It was ironic but Wyatt had so many real-life experiences that served him so well in creating this character. He didn't tell me this until after we cast him, but he said "I've actually built my own guitars." And I was just like, "well, that's a plus." He'd gone on tour with a band.
Russell: The guitar I used in the movie is a guitar I built with Daniel Stickel, my mentor in Vancouver.
Hagner: What a renaissance man! Did you also make your own shirt? How many jobs have you had?
Russell: Not a job, I was just bored. I was playing hockey in Vancouver and needed a hobby.
Not to get too Meta, but being a bunch of actors on the road to make a movie, and playing creative people on a tour, did you feel like the relationships started to mirror your characters?
Hagner: In the film, I come in later, but we were working on the film beforehand. I was always around Alex and Wyatt, long before my character showed up, because you film out of order. But we did establish a rapport early on that mirrors how close they got on tour.
It's a completely different vibe when your character finally arrives, because the guys seem like they're exhausted on tour, almost from the first day they start the trip. And then you show up and make things seem more fun and lighten them up.
Russell: That's true.
Hagner: Jeff was so great, because I felt like I was coming in to be the female love interest, which has been done so many times before. And being someone who loves comedy and wants to do different characters, I don't want to just be the girl who shows up and goes (baby voice) "hi, I brought you muffins." I don't know why, I always think of muffins, but whatever she does. It's the girl defined as the love interest. And Jeff really let me play with the character and we really collaborated and give Bryn her own perspective.
What aspects of the character did you want to enliven that hadn't really been explored before in these road-trip, buddy comedies?
Grace: In terms of how the guys' relationship is tested, I liked the fact that Jason would sleep with her right away, and his friend would still fall for her. I've had friends who are the guys that always seem to get the girl, and I always seem to work a little harder to meet somebody. Friends who will literally talk about how "you know that girl you aren't into any more, can I date her? And I thought that made Bryn's character more relatable..
Hagner: What are you talking about? Did you really just describe her as a sex object? How are you going to spin this!
Grace: Well, my favorite scene is the one where Bryn says "why should I apologize to you for having sex with someone else I wanted to. Why should I feel bad for not liking you the way you want me to?"
Hagner: By the way, I know he doesn't feel that way about Bryn, I was just joking. Because Jeff was so upfront that he did not want this character to just be the object of affection or obstacle in their friendship. He never wanted her to feel cliché or like the one dimensional female love interest. And I think it worked, I think Bryn's a great character.
Grace: But she also works as just another talented person on this tour, even if the sexual feelings don't apply. Jason invites her on tour randomly, and she's so good, it's just another stab in Alex's heart, but as a performer. I had this discussion once, do you think it can ever work to have a comic perform BETWEEN two musicians?
Grace: Agreed, but I've had to do it and it was the worst time in my life. Audiences would just get impatient and start talking because they were waiting for the band.
But, I think it's particularly bad to have music, comedy, music, because people have to be active listeners with comics but they can be passive listeners to music.
Grace: And opening acts, they literally turn the volume down lower than the main act, so how frustrating to have to listen to a comic that's hard to hear. It's just not a good idea.
Hagner: I just love the aspect of Wyatt's character that's just like, and we all know people like this, that go "everyone come to the party." And you're the person going, "we don't have enough room" or "we don't have enough food." And he's just like, "it's fine!" And then at the party everyone's a little too close.
Grace: A buddy of mine is the most generous guy I know, and will say "everyone come on over." And we used to do sketch comedy together and he would say "I asked those two girls we met if they wanted to perform before we go on." And then you're just like "I guess so?" but really you don't want them invading your space. That generous spirit Jason truly has makes him kind of a pain in the ass to be around.
Did you end up feeling like Jason's a likable character?
Russell: Probably not, but that's okay. And I think he learns some pretty big lessons on this trip. And that's what life's all about. He needed to learn that hard earned lesson, "I am not the center of my world." And that journey is really what the movie's all about. When you see Jason backstage and Paul and Bryn are talking, you realize they needed to separate and go their own ways to grow up. They needed to have that fight so they could show themselves to be assholes, and feel embarrassed that they're behaving that way in public. Part of the reason they're not talking at the end is out of embarrassment. Because we saw that message in the movie, Jeff and I, and Alex, we wanted to lean into that idea and show the audience how unlikable guys can be when they act like that. When she says she has no interest in being with either of them because look at the way they're behaving, they feel shame and embarrassment because they know they were completely in the wrong to act that way and now everyone in that bar knows it too.
The buddy film, buddy road movie genre has a rich history, but there's always the risk of being repetitive. Did you think about what you would be contributing or how to avoid that trap?
Grace: Writing the script, I tried to avoid looking at other movies that could be described that way…but I would be lying if I said I didn't think about movies like Sideways, because I love that movie. I think in my subconscious I named him Paul because of Paul Giamatti, thinking "what's a good name for an anxious character." I share some of Alexander Payne's sensibilities, the warmth in that movie between those guys and the idea that comedy comes through pain. Originally we were concerned that Paul would be seen as too whiny, he can be a bit of a sad sack, and we wanted people to honestly root for Paul and not just feel bad for him.
The scene you play over the opening credits, the split screen of them waking up and starting their day, where did that idea come from?
Grace: I wish I could say I thought of it all on my own, but I can't. I wanted something that would immediately stress the idea that they are friends now running in different circles. I love opening sequences that actually move the story forward. And I thought it could be funny to show the life of a rock star and the life of a temp side by side, while also helping to establish some character a little faster. 500 Days of Summer has a split screen too. Directors use it in a lot of experimental films.
How difficult was it to figure out the timing for that scene?
Grace: It was pretty labor intensive. Just timing it so they both got out of bed at the same time was a big challenge.
Hagner: I love that opening so much. It just sets everything, the characters, the tone, the style. I love the music you picked for it.
Grace: Our cinematographer Nancy had this idea to draw Alex's face and put it on this Plexiglas thing and we then put over the monitor to see if their faces would line up on screen while filming. We also needed the lines of the beds to match up. The first day we were shooting, I remember thinking we had too much to film, I can't spend this much time on a title sequence. It took a day or two to film, but it's no more than a two minutes of screen time. Thank god we didn't have to worry about dialogue in that section, but it was hard for the editor to get it just right too, because the timing had to be perfect.
The movie looks far more expensive than its budget would suggest. What were your ideas for creating the visual style of the film?
Grace: Originally I thought we were going to have to make it really low-budget and kind of gritty. A lot of times the reason you see these vérité and handheld movies at festivals are because that's what the budget dictates. But when we hired Nancy Schreiber as your cinematographer and she say "I think you would be selling yourself short to film it that way" you listen. And we started talking about Hal Ashby movies and his movie The Last Detail, which is a wintertime road movie too. And she said, "I think we can do that, I think we can give the movie a 70s studio era feeling." So I'm glad you feel that way, because that was what we were attempting. And in hindsight, shooting the music the way we did, recording it live, really made everyone commit to the live performances on screen. They didn't get a lot of takes and they nailed it. A few times I'd tell Wyatt, you have 10 minutes, go through the song 3 times and I'm just going to roll. And he nailed it.
You also have some scenes where someone's performing on stage in the background, while two actors are having a conversation in the background, and those scenes look like they'd be almost impossible to film live.
Hagner: That is crazy the way they pulled that off. The first scene I'm in, the timing of that scene worked out so well.
Jeff: I have to give my editor all the props for accomplishing that bit of magic. I really gave him a puzzle to put together when I gave him all that footage and audio to work with. But he really pulled it off and it feels seamless.
Lesley Coffin: Is editor and founder of Movies, Film, Cinema. A writer with a masters degree from NYU's Gallatin School in biographical studies and star theory. She wrote the biography on Lew Ayres (Lew Ayres: Hollywood's Conscientious Objector) and Hitchcock's Casting (Hitchcock's Stars). Lesley currently freelances as a critic and interviewer for a number of sites, including regular contributions to The Interrobang, Pink Pen, and Young Folks, and previously wrote for The Mary Sue and Filmoria. (Twitter handle @filmbiographer, website lesleycoffin.com)


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Take Back the Streets! It's PARK(ing) Day
A parking spot transformed into a park in Munich. Image Credit: ITDP-Europevia Flickr
If you're ever frustrated by how much urban space is dedicated to cars instead of public use, today is your day. All over the world, citizens, artists and activists are taking part in PARK(ing) Day: taking over metered spaces and transforming them into parks for everyone to enjoy. It all started in 2005, when San Francisco art and design studio Rebar turned a metered space into a public park for two hours. Since then, the idea has become an annual event, with participants in six continents. Last year's celebration included 700 parks in 21 countries.
A park in Ijzerenleen, Belgium, in 2007. Image Credit: Kris, via Park(ing) Day
The event's website writes:
In addition to being quite a bit of fun, PARK(ing) Day has effectively re-valued the metered parking space as an important part of the commons - a site for generosity, cultural expression, socializing and play. And although the project is temporary, we hope PARK(ing) Day inspires you to participate in the civic processes that permanently alter the urban landscape.
If you're interested in getting involved, the PARK(ing) Day organizers encourage you to grab some quarters, "rent" a space, and settle in. (They also note you should look into your city's legal codes before getting started.) You can map your park, or find one near you, with their interactive map. If you want to know more about the ideas behind PARK(ing) Day or support the cause, you can a tee-shirt, poster, or the PARK(ing) Day manifesto through their website.
More on taking back urban space:
Parking Lots to Parks: Designing Livable Cities
'Empty' Spaces are Full of Life in Berlin -- For Now
Spectacular Urban Transformation in Student Green Roof Design Competition

subset: commoncrawl


text: CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG-TV9) -- The Mount Mercy Volleyball team is already 4 games into their season, but they couldn't go any further without officially signing their newest player. 14-year-old Alexis Bezilla of Marion was signed to the team Monday. Last March she was diagnosed with a brain tumor called medulloblastoma. Now, she's six months out of treatment and cancer free. See the full story »


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Floors Castle, Scotland
Floors Castle, on the western outskirts of Kelso, south-east Scotland, is the seat of the Duke of Roxburghe. It was built in the 1720s by architect William Adam for the 1st Duke, incorporating an earlier tower house. In the 19th century it was embellished with turrets and battlements by William Playfair for the 6th Duke. Floors Castle lies on the River Tweed and overlooks the Cheviot Hills.Read More


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Freshman Elizabeth Vetter scored three first half goals to help lead the Skyhawks tonight.
Shannahan and Vetter net three goals each to lead Skyhawks to win
EASTON, Mass. (April 16, 2014) – Stonehill College, ranked 13th in this week's Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division II poll and 14th in the Lacrosse Magazine poll, got back on the winning track with a 13-3 triumph over Merrimack College in Northeast-10 Conference women's lacrosse action at Timothy J. Coughlin Memorial Field at W.B. Mason Stadium tonight.
Senior Kelsey Shannahan (Mendham, N.J./Morris Catholic) posted four points with three goals, including the 100th of her career, and an assist, while freshman Elizabeth Vetter (Great River, N.Y./East Islip) added three goals as well to lead Stonehill to its fifth straight NE-10 win. Shannahan also contributed two ground balls, two draw controls and two caused turnovers, while Vetter collected three ground balls and a draw for the Skyhawks.
Senior Mary Lee Mahony (Yardley, Pa./Villa Joseph Marie) added a goal and two assists for three points, while junior Lizzie Lane (Sandwich, Mass./Bishop Stang) and sophomore Rebecca Matheson (Reading, Mass./Reading Memorial) each chipped in with a goal and assist. Lane also posted two ground balls, two draws and a caused turnover for the Skyhawks. Juniors Cassandra McGill (Westborough, Mass./Westborough) and Jillian Yung (Bridgewater, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham) as well as sophomore Caitlin Sweeney (Hollis, N.H./Hollis-Brookline) and freshman Shannon Booth (Pearl River, N.Y./Nanuet) also netted markers for the Skyhawks.
Junior Ashley Armstrong (Northborough, Mass./Algonquin Regional) made two saves in goal for Stonehill which finished with a 30-11 advantage for shots on the night. The Skyhawks took advantage of 18 Merrimack turnovers, committing just eight themselves, including a 9-2 edge in the first half to help build an 11-1 halftime lead. Draws finished even at nine apiece, with Stonehill posting an 8-5 edge in the decisive opening half. Senior Inna Hedden (Woodbine, Md./South Carroll) made eight of her nine saves in the first half for the Warriors, adding three ground balls and two caused turnovers.
Senior Kelsey Shannahan netted three goals, including the 100th of her career, and added an assist for a four point night. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes)
Senior Dara Hayes (Calgary, Alberta/Centennial), sophomore Shealyn Anthony (Stoneham, Mass./Austin Prep) and freshman Megan Fero (East Manlius, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius) all netted goals for Merrimack. Sophomore Danielle Riley (West Point, N.Y./James I. O'Neill) collected four of the Warriors nine draw controls on the night.
Stonehill scored the first four goals of the game within a four minute span after seven and a half minutes. McGill opened the scoring 3:43 into the contest with an unassisted marker. Matheson added another unassisted tally just over a minute later before back-to-back goals by Vetter less than two minutes apart gave the Skyhawks a 4-0 lead with 22:30 left in the first half. Matheson set up Vetter's first goal before Shannahan dished up her second marker.
Anthony got Merrimack's first goal with 14:42 left in the first half off a feed from senior Jessica Otis (Pittsford, N.Y./East Rochester). Stonehill broke a ten minute scoring drought with Sweeney's ninth goal of the year with 12:57 left in the half. The Skyhawks added six more goals in the final 9:16 of the half to take command and open an 11-1 lead at the break. Mahony and Vetter netted unassisted markers for Stonehill less than a minute apart before Shannahan reeled off three straight within four minutes for a 10-1 lead with 39-seconds left. Shannahan's first goal of the run marked the 100th of her career at Stonehill. Lane and Mahony assisted on Shannahan's second and third goals during that stretch before combining to cap the scoring with 18-seconds left in the half for Lane's 12th of the season.
Hayes scored the opening goal of the second half for Merrimack 3:35 in. Neither team scored until Booth potted her fourth of the year with 15:24 to reclaim a ten goal cushion for Stonehill and then Yung scored off a feed from junior Keri Gould (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury) with 11:55 remaining. Fero capped the scoring on the night with a free-position goal for Merrimack with 6:10 to play.
Stonehill (9-5, 8-2 NE-10) is back in action on Saturday for a key non-conference matchup at Dowling College, receiving votes nationally, at 2 p.m. The Skyhawks return to W.B. Mason Stadium on Tuesday for its Purple & White Game on Senior Night when they host 15th-ranked Saint Anselm College for a big NE-10 clash at 7 p.m.
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter and Facebook. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks mobile app on iTunes and the Android Market.


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- 3
- 5 person maximum
- 2 double beds, 1 sofa bed
- 2 bedrooms
- Building dimensions: 950 sf
- 1 bathroom
- Property dimensions: 36,000 sf
Chalet aux 4 vents
Enjoy the tranquility of this small rustic chalet with unsuspected charm! Let yourself be caressed by the softness of the landscapes that surround you. Listen to the silence and take time to relax.
Located directly on the edge of the peaceful lac Clermoustier in Chertsey, and not far from great natural environments, Chalet aux 4 vents is the perfect balance between tranquility and outdoor fun and adventures!
During the white season, several activities are available to you:
- Skating on the lake (when the conditions are good)
- Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing on one of the trails in the lac Clermoustier area (walking distance from the cottage)
- Downhill skiing at Montcalm (Rawdon, 19 km), Val St-Côme (Saint-Côme, 34 km) or Mont Garceau (Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm)
- SPA La Source Nordic Baths (Rawdon, 20 km)
- Kinadapt, dog sledding activities (Rawdon, 30 km)
- Trout and Bass fishing (permit required)
- Outdoor campfire (at all times)
- Spa adjacent to the cottage
- Non-motorized water sports: kayak, pedal boat, paddleboard and rowboat (May to October)
- Arbraska, hebertism in the trees (Rawdon, 20 km)
- L'Estérel Golf Club, (Estérel, 28 km)
- SPA La Source Nordic Baths (Rawdon, 20 km)
- Hiking (walking distance from the chalet)
- 4 seasons SPA for 4 adults located on the back patio with a stunning view of the lake
- Living room with stone fireplace (November to April), HDTV with Bell digital service, Bluray player, Xbox 360 console with some games and movies, radio capable of accommodating a smart device, free Internet WIFI;
- Fully equipped kitchen with recent appliances (fridge, stove and microwave oven) dishes, cutlery, pots, utensils, toaster, meat / cheese and chocolate fondue dish, filter coffee maker, Bodum, coffee grinder, water dispenser
- Dining room for 5 people
- Bathroom with bath and hairdryer (towels are not provided);
- Two closed bedrooms with double bed and wardrobe. Futon in living room for 1 extra person (additional charge);
- Bedding is provided (except futon);
- Functional year-round propane BBQ;
- Access to the lake and a private dock directly from the cottage.
NOTE: Since the chalet is supplied with water by a surface well, it is recommended to bring your water for drinking (18 L bottle or other). You can still cook, wash and brush your teeth with tap water without any problem.
Near this cottage
- Body of water: Lac Clermoustier (75 pieds)
- Golf course: L'Estérel (28 km)
- Ski Hill: St-Come (34 km)
Long walks or snowshoeing in pure nature on our 5 trails near or around the lake (beginner to expert level).
Spring/Summer/Fall : Kayak, Paddle boat, Fishing (trout and bass), Walks in nature, etc...
Winter season : Cross Country Skiing, Snowshoeing, Skating ring on our lake, Walks in nature, etc...
Activities at short distance from the cottage (in 10 to 25 min.) :
- Tourism Lanaudière www.lanaudiere.ca
- Regional Park of Ouareau Forest www.parcsregionaux.org where you can do snowshoes, cross-country skiing, biking or hiking
- Sled dog rides at Rawdon www.kinadapt.com
- Ski Resort Montcalm www.skimontcalm.com or Val Saint-Côme www.valsaintcome.com
- Snowmobile adventures in Entrelacs www.arcticaventure.com
- Super Slides of St-Jean-De-Matha www.glissadesurtubes.com
- La Source Nordic Bath at Rawdon www.lasourcespa.com
- Paintball adventures at St-Alphonse www.bigfoot-paintball.com/accueil.php
- Tree rides Arbraska at Rawdon www.arbraska.com
- Kayak EKMF www.kayakekmf.ca
- Golf club St-Jean-de-Matha www.golfmatha.com
- Golf club l'Estérel www.golfesterel.com
Period of the year 2 Nights Weekend (Fri. to Sun.)
5 Week Nights (Sun. to Fri.)
7 Nights Week (Sun. to Sun.) Jan 3 - June 12 $450 650$ $850 $ School break - - $1200 June 12 - Sept 18 - - $1100 Construction Holidays - - $1200 Sept 18 - Dec 23 $450 650 $ $850 Christmas or New year week - - 1250 $
Rates are for 5 people or less ;
Strict monitoring of the number of occupants is applied;
50% deposit (by Interac e-Transfer) is required to secure your reservation (non-refundable deposit), the final payment and the $200 security deposit is payable upon arrival. This security deposit will be fully refunded at departure if no damage is found and the chalet is delivered in the same condition as upon arrival;
An aditional fee of $50 is charged for the maid service
Arrival time is usually 4pm and the check out time is 11 am.
The CITQ is mandated by the Minister of Tourism of Quebec to administer the official classification of seven categories of tourist accommodation establishments. This establishment is visited by the CITQ every 24 months.
The classifier visits the establishment and, using hundreds of strict and objective criteria, rates:
- The quality of physical facilities (bedroom, bathroom, common areas, outside, etc.);
- Its appearance;
- Its cleanliness.
The classifier also looks at:
- Services offered;
- Certain environmental considerations.
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Last update of the calendar : January 8, 2020


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Back home from the hospital, there was some adjusting to be made and I was not ready.
My mother-in-law moved in with us, even though I heard that culturally it was supposed to be my mother doing the moving in. We don't roll like that where I come from, plus Cynthia and I agreed that it made more sense to have her mother with her after childbirth.
With someone else in the house, I had to make some lifestyle changes.
Cynthia and I used to dress down at home, like birthday suit dress down, but now I had to make conscious efforts to wear clothes around the house. A small price to pay for the help and support she brought.
They talked to each other almost like equals but with respect. Back when we were still dating, Cynthia's mom would ring her and she would answer with "What's up?" This fascinated me then, but I was on the outside looking in. Now, we lived in the same house and breathed the same air, I was always confused as to how to respond to her or what to call her.
Growing up, my mother was my mother and we had an adult-child relationship. We called her mma or mama, and replying with "ma" was the verbal measure of respect.
With my mother-in-law, I tried "mummy" like Cynthia, but that didn't roll off my tongue smoothly. I considered "grandma" but that only worked if I pretended I was speaking for the baby or to the baby about her. I tried "what's up" once and, even though it didn't make it past the thought phase, I swear I felt my mother's disapproving look all the way from her house.
While completing the setting up of the baby's room, a few things became clear to me:
- We didn't really need a baby's room, except as a place to put his things in. We made a bigger bed that held a regular sized mattress for the adults and a smaller mattress on the side for the baby. From the first night home, I was bounced to the smaller mattress.
- More than half of the things we bought for the baby would not be used. Although we had the wisdom not to buy clothes in 0-3months and 3-6months sizes instead of new-born, we had booties, hats, socks and swaddling blankets that were instantly too small for him or too warm for Nigeria. We also had two baby carriers where only one would do, and even the one we used only once or twice. I recently packed up his cot which only served as a holding cell when he started crawling – but that's in the future.
- Babies differ.
The nights were not as bad as I expected. I was promised sleepless nights and an endlessly crying infant, and while I slept less because we had to feed him every two hours, as soon as he was fed all he wanted to do was sleep till the next feeding time. His routine didn't vary much during the day. Only two things made him cry: hunger and sleep. The first was easily resolved with a nipple in his mouth, for the second I found that my voice worked wonders.
I would rock him while singing Bez's 'My Baby' and he would fall asleep. A little bit about my singing: I am tone-deaf and can't hold a note, but my baby doesn't mind. In fact, Cynthia once tried singing this song to get him to sleep and it made him cry harder.
I know one day he will realise how awful a singer I am and maybe ask me to stop singing, but until that happens, I will enjoy my audience of one.


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This year, for the first time, I decided to add some fall decoration to our back deck. It usually goes right from summer planters to everything put away for the winter, but I'm so glad that we added a little fall back here this year -it's so lovely to sit here and look at the forest behind our house, with all of it's changing colours for fall. Of course I didn't want to spend a lot of money on it, but for under $30 I love how it turned out.
I picked up a mini bale of straw? hay? -I never know the difference? at a local farm stand. I like that it's mini, adds texture, and height, but not too big of a commitment.
I found the more unusual "pink" pumpkin at a farm stand, for $5. Here's my tip, buy a few interesting ones, like this one, and the minis, but for the rest just pick up pie pumpkins at the grocery store and mix them together. I've found the pie pumpkins for just 50 cents each after a little looking around. And if you're on a budget, buy your mums at a discount grocery store too, these were $3.66, and they're a good size.
I had this cute little gold bee, love how it looks in the orange mum.
The two white Muskoka chairs are new replacements this year. We had a wooden set, but after many years, and many times of re-staining them, we switched to these no maintenance composite ones in the spring and they've been great .
On the other side, more mums and pumpkins.
I love how the mums look in the vintage galvanized pails. They couldn't have been simpler to do, I just emptied out the summer plants and dirt that were already in them, and inserted the mums, still in the plastic pots from the nursery. Easy peasy and will make putting things away for winter in some weeks, that much easier too.
I made the pine cone garland with some pinecones, hot glue, twine and ribbon. Such a fun little detail.
And in front of the garland, my dollar store candle find. These pretty pumpkins lanterns were only $2 each -love the rope handles.
And, they add a warm glow as the sun goes down.
It's calling for rain, rain and more rain this weekend, but hopefully there are still some warm fall afternoons and in our future to enjoy the back deck. With pumpkins and mums to enjoy, life really is a party!
This post is linked up The Inspiration Gallery, The Weekend Retreat Party, Sundays At Home, Motivational Monday, and The Party Bunch.


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Dr. Ziemba offers Nutritional counseling and Functional Medicine evaluations. Dr. Ziemba may utilize several types of diagnostic studies to discover nutritional deficiencies and metabolic imbalance. Blood tests, saliva tests, food sensitivity tests, and stool analysis are some of the ways used to check for nutritional and metabolic problems. These problems often lead to low energy, slower healing, premature aging, and degenerative diseases. Genetic testing is also an important procedure to check and see if your body may have problems with certain metabolic processes, such as methylation pathways, or creating enzymes, or Vitamin D synthesis. Genetics can be tested by use of saliva test through "23andme" company.
Nutritional imbalance has also been linked to many autoimmune disorders (fibromyalgia, lupus, Chrons, rheumatoid arthritis, and MS) and Metabolic conditions such as Diabetes and Hypothyroidism.
Dr. Ziemba will provide recommendations for supplements, vitamins or minerals, diet, and possibly other lifestyle changes to benefit your health care needs. Each patient is considered unique and evaluated and advised on their specific individual needs.
INITIAL CONSULTATION for FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT: includes consulation, physical examination, and review of previous blood work or other diagnostic testing: $125 per hour.
WEIGHT LOSS: Ideal Protein
Ideal Protein is a medically designed weight loss method which utilizes two key components - Weight loss through diet and by promoting healthier lifestyle education to assist you in losing weight and keeping it off. The program is a KEOTGENIC low carbohydrate/ high protein diet which allows you to eat foods you prepare, and supplement with daily high protein Ideal Protein foods. Ideal protein offers a variety of easy to use snacks and foods, including oatmeal, pudding, shakes, chips, nuts, and soups.
The Ideal Protein method was developed over two decades ago and has been evolving ever since. This protocol is the recommended weight loss method in over 3,000 Professional Establishments worldwide. It has been used by Olympic athletes, and has been found to be very successful.
To schedule an appointment or if you have any questions please call us at Health and Wellness Center of Port St. Lucie at (772) 336-1770
For more information on Ideal Protein please click the link below.
Explanation of in house tests:
Nutritional Risk Assessment Test: check for nutritional deficiencies and metabolic imbalance. Some tests are performed in office, such as urine, saliva PH, and blood pressure. The doctor may send you out for blood work, or give you take home kits for saliva or stool testing. A nutritional risk assessment will be done prior to any testing, by first having a consultation and physical with the doctor.
Digestion: This test determines the undigested foods in the bowel, inflammation in the bowel, and excessive bad bacteria in the bowel. This means your digestion is slow, and food is "rotting" in your bowel, allowing bad bacteria to form. This leads to toxins developing, which can affect your absorption of nutrients, and affect your overall health, including symptoms of skin rash, allergies, and stomach problems.
Free Radicals: This test determines the free radical damage which is occurring in your body. Excessive free radicals can cause stress to the liver, kidneys, and contribute to onset of cancer, it also ages the skin, and is associated with degenerative diseases, such as arthritis, and heart disease.
Calcium: This test determines if your kidneys are excreting calcium in the urine. If you are, you may develop osteoporosis later. Calcium is vital for heart beat, muscle contraction, producing hormones, and energy metabolism, as well as bone growth and repair. This test helps determine if you are low in calcium or if you are losing calcium too fast.
Vitamin C Test: This test will determine if you are deficient in vitamin C. Vitamin C is crucial to immune system, vascular health, joints and connective tissue, and is a powerful anti-oxidant.
Urine Chemistry Tests: The chemistry strip tests 10 things- specific gravity, PH, white blood cells, nitrates, protein, glucose, ketones, urobilinogen, bilirubin, and blood. These help rule out serious disorders, such as kidney damage, liver problems, diabetes, infection, and PH imbalance.
Blood tests may be ordered though local labs to check for Cholesterol, Glucose, liver enzymes, anemia, hormones, and more . Diet and supplements may be recommended if abnormal findings.
This tests for abnormal drop or rise in blood pressure from sitting to standing. A drop is considered "orthostatic hypotension", usually due to lack of electrolytes in the blood. A high rise is due to hyper active adrenals - often from stimulants like caffeine, sugar, or artificial sweeteners.
Saliva Test: PH test strip to check for high acid or high alkalinity. Most people tend to be too acidic, due to poor dietary habits. High chronic acidity leads to increase in degenerative disease, such as arthritis, arteriosclerosis, and skin wrinkles.


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You Had Me At the Search Engine
You've likely heard of the movie, Jerry Maguire, with its famous line, "You had me at hello." Jerry Maguire was luckier than web sites we find in search engines. Many web sites don't attract user devotion at the first word, let alone after scanning the home page.
How many times has this scenario happened to you? You've performed a search in a search engine or directory, reviewed the results and found a page description that fits what you were looking for. When you click on the page that looks the most promising, usually you arrive at the web site's home page, where one or more things might happen:
1. The page loads slowly due to too many graphics, dynamic applications or scripts
2. There are terms used on the page that you don't understand.
3. It promotes products or services that were not mentioned in the page description from the search engine.
4. The products or services are unrelated to what you searched for.
5. The page is "amateurish" in appearance and you're not feeling confident about things like customer service, user privacy and security, experience with the product, or other credibility issues.
6. The page is so busy you don't know where to go to next, or distractions caused you to forget your original mission.
7. Something has turned you off, such as swimsuit models that don't look like you do, corporate images of businessmen, not women, or multiple animated things.
8. An invasive advertisement appeared that you had to click away so you could read the content underneath it.
9. The page loads but your scum ware radar starts beeping like crazy or popup and security alerts appear.
10. You need a magnifying glass to read the content.
If a keyword search brings back an inside page, more common frustrations occur to drive people away from the web site. They include:
1. There is no navigation to the rest of the web site.
2. There is navigation, but no visible, easy to locate link to the main home page or main web site.
3. A link "home" is offered, but sub-navigation is missing, so that the user must start at the beginning to figure out where they landed inside the web site.
4. Link labels do not help explain what the web site is about, so the visitor may not be inspired to click around.
5. There is no suggested click path to follow. For example, if the page happens to be an article, it might be useful to say "Did you find this article helpful? Here are more articles that may interest you."
We often forget that search engines index more than our home page. People often stumble into our web sites while searching for other things, linking from another web site, or receiving an email link from a friend. The starting place isn't always home base.
So, how do you make a web site page approachable in a crowded room of search engine results? First, make sure your title tag is accurate. Every page requires a title tag unique to the content it represents. The home page is an overview page, so focus on the lead goal, which is often also your main keyword(s).
Next, write a genuine, honest description that isn't all hype and glorified self-worship about how great the web site is. If the site is going to sell something, what does it sell? Does it specialize? Avoid words like "unique", "amazing", and "special" because, frankly, everybody makes these claims.
It's important to not put too many keywords in your title and description tags because these are displayed in search engines as your site or page description. When read by humans, they don't make sense. People are getting wiser. They know that what you're doing is trying to get higher rank but it doesn't mean your web site is any better in quality that those lower in search results.
Whether a home page or inside pages, there are lots of ways to attract attention or generate curiosity so that your visitor becomes a potential customer, or simply finds the content interesting enough to keep browsing around. My favorite part of discount stores are the displays they toss clearance items into, or those "Oh yes, I forgot I needed that" type items. You can do the same thing with your web site. Simply place the toenail clippers, scotch tape and calling cards out front where they're easily seen. In other words, remind your visitors of what they didn't know they came for.
Here are some other ideas to try:
1. Provide a good reason to enter your site. Don't expect anyone to take your word for anything. Offer incentives.
2. Put a visible text link to your sitemap on every page. Even your local shopping mall has a map with a "You Are Here" pointer.
3. Be forthcoming and descriptive with pictures. If you sell shoes, show the tread. If you design and make your own crafts, show close-ups of the detail and workmanship. Furniture looks great alone, but can a woman site comfortably with her legs crossed? The sunglasses line you offer is likely filled with brand name shades, but what types of faces will they look right on? I have a difficult time buying artwork online because I can't visualize the dimensions in my head. A picture of a framed version, hanging in a room with furniture, will help me understand what I'm trying to purchase. In a virtual world, you must go to great lengths to sell things people can't touch or see in use.
4. Place words like "sale", "getting started", "first-time user", "learn more", "try now", "buy now", "free", "download", "we deliver" and "free shipping" on your pages, above the page "fold". This is what users are looking for.
5. On your home page, provide an introduction and suggestions for where your visitors might like to go next, based on their needs.
Search engines can only bring a visitor to your doorstep. It's your job to grab them by the hand, invite them inside and show it off.


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Perfect International (FZC) have set up a new division of Rubber Lining in joint venture with Western Rubber Works PVT. LTD. (INDIA), who are specialized in anti-corrosive rubber lining (Natural & Synthetic Rubbers). We are the first and only rubber liner to have used blair rubber sheets in India.
Western Rubber India Pvt. Ltd. is the leading manufacturer, exporter and supplier of quality rubber products and industrial rubber products. We offer complete range of industrial rubber products which includes extruded rubber products, moulded rubber products, inflatable seals, diaphragm, rubber parts for steel products and pharmaceuticals. We offer the full range of custom-moulded rubber products like rubber bellows, heat exchanger gaskets, synthetic rubber bellows, synthetic bellows for a broad range of industries, including medical, aerospace, commercial, industrial, government/military, high-technology, office automation and transportation as well.
Western Rubber Works PVT. LTD. (INDIA) is one of those few companies, who have the most advanced technological set-up. Today we boast of a state of the art manufacturing unit, which is fully equipped with latest technology. We also have a testing lab that comprises of highly modernized testing machines that are used to test rubber from compounding to finish products.
We have an extensive knowledge and understanding about the rubber market and thus are able to manufacture goods that are very much required in the market. Our product range is highly comprehensive and is inclusive of items like extruded rubber products, moulded rubber products, custom rubber products, rubber parts for steel products and pharmaceutical products.
Our Company is committed to deliver quality services to our customers all over the world and thus have been able to carve a niche for itself. The Company's products are equally in demand in both the national and international market. The Organization is strongly determined to continue the good work and keep winning laurels.
Quality: Quality has always been our prime forte of excellence and as a company we have always laid a lot of emphasis on the same. The entire production procedure is the result of stringent quality measures that are adopted by us. We have a team of quality managers who keep a strict and close eye on the entire production procedure right from the selection of the raw materials to the final dispatch


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Companies across all industries are coming to terms with the fact that content is now the single most important aspect of a marketing strategy.
Filling your site and your social media platforms with valuable, relevant content is crucial to appealing to your audience and promoting the power of your brand.
But creating content isn't enough -- you should also have a content calendar that marketing teams can share and use to plan out all their content marketing activity. This helps ensure you have a clear picture of how you will distribute your content throughout the year.
Here are some basic steps to keep in mind when developing an editorial schedule for your content team.
Create a List of Content
The first step is to create a list of content you will develop over the coming year to fill up different platforms. Remember to think about ways you can repurpose or repackage content to get more traction out of it (e.g., turning key points from a blog post into an infographic).
Organize Content
Once you have figured out the basic ideas for your upcoming content, you'll want to make sure the different elements of each piece are all accounted for.
Every post should have a title, a broad description of what the content is, target keywords to use in descriptions and hashtags, target keywords, meta tags and meta description, CTAs, and promotion methods. Also make note of whether or not you will be cross-sharing content over different channels.
Assign Roles
Everyone on your marketing team should have a different role when it comes to your editorial calendar.
Assign roles corresponding to what content needs to be developed. This should include choosing editors, writers, designers, managers and other positions as needed.
Determine Quantity
How often do you plan on publishing content on each platform? You'll need to know how much content you will require, as well as how many pieces can be repurposed.
Try to have everything you need up to three months in advance. That way, you won't ever have to scramble to get material together if you see you are losing engagement on a site or network.
Set Dates
Once everyone has their roles established, lay out the critical dates in the content marketing process.
You'll want to establish dates for a comprehensive content marketing strategy, including the dates that content should be completed and dates you plan to publish for each individual platform. This will help ensure that you have the materials ready by the date they are needed and that you stay on track and fill all of your channels with rich content.
When setting dates, make sure to highlight upcoming occasions, such as holidays or events, that are related to your business or industry.
Things like industry new releases and trade shows can be a great time to plan for added content. And don't overlook local events, such as a speaker coming to town or festivities your audience will be engaged in. You should be able to find a way to tie your content to these events and make them more appealing to your customers.
No matter how great your content is, there is always room for improvement when it comes to laying out an editorial schedule for your marketing team.
A solid editorial calendar is an essential component for managing the lifecycle of your content marketing program and setting you on your path to content marketing success.


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See other odd ball photos over at Cee's Odd Ball Photo Challenge
Clouds reflected in a soap bubble
See other abstracts at Cee's Fun Foto Challenge
Noahs Ark Attraction, Hong Kong
See others at Cee's oddball photo challenge
One of my regular walks crosses through farmland and one farm straddles the path. Cows are often grazing on and around the path. This shot is uncropped at 124mm. As you can imagine the mother cow was keeping a very close eye on me.
See other farm animals over at Cee's blog
see others here
Along the Seine
When I was in Paris earlier in the month I took this shot with Cee's (then upcoming) theme of bikes and motorcycles in mind


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Fabric marking tools come in handy whether you are sewing a garment, home décor project or are making a quilt. There are many different kinds on the market today, but here are some things to consider when selecting one. First, it is important to know if you are going to need temporary or permanent marks
marking tool
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Volunteer Opportunities
We're excited you've landed on our site. We would love to tell you more about ourselves!
Serve At Our Church!
Here's the truth… we would be NOTHING without the great group of volunteers who help make things happen here at One Church. From greeting guests on Sunday to helping in the nursery, there are plenty of opportunities for you to serve here at One Church.
Check out some of these opportunities and fill out the form below to find out more about joining one of these teams.
Creative Arts Team
If you are a graphic designer, video editor, craftsman, or just a dreamer, find out how you can serve God using your unique abilities.
Youth Ministry Team
Our student ministry involves investing in students in grades 5-12. Opportunities are available to be a small group leader of students, help run the weekly programs, and to help out at monthly outreach events.
Guest Services Team
If you love to smile, talk to people, and make guests feel at home, find out how you can use these gifts at One Church!
Tech & Production Team
This team is for anyone interested in lighting, cameras, sound, and running the computers for worship and the message.
Have Kids?
We're all about kids here. We offer programs for kids all the way from pre-k to high school!


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|About us | Dynamic Testimonials | Employment | Site Map | Special Deals
I-O LANRPC Ethernet Connectivity for Twinax & Coax Printers
Ethernet Connectivity for Twinax or Coax System Printers
Finally...Seamless AS/400 to LAN Printing at an Economical Price
The I-O LAN RPC Print Server protects your investment in reliable legacy system printers when migrating to TCP/IP Ethernet. It allows twinax or coax IPDS, SCS, or SCS/DSC printers to be connected to an Ethernet network. Once connected through an I-O LAN RPC an IPDS twinax or IPDS coax system printer can be addressed via TCP/IP from an IBM AS/400 or 3270-type mainframe. The attached printer can be a laser, dot-matrix or line printer. The I-O LAN RPC will reliably communicate the IPDS data received over the TCP/IP Ethernet link to the attached twinax or coax cable.With an I-O LAN RPC a SCS twinax or SCS/DSC coax system printer becomes available to virtually any host on the Ethernet network. This includes AS/400, 3270-type mainframe, Unix, Windows 2000 and NT, and Novell host systems, as well as Windows 95/98 PCs. All host systems can simultaneously communicate with the I-O attached system printer. Line and matrix printers configured via AnyNet or SNA on an AS/400 offer page range printing support and posting of the FORM ALIGNMENT message. The latter is a particularly valuable feature when printing on pre-printed stationary such as checks and invoices.
With I-Os PrintControl Windows-based utility, the initial setup and configuration is a painless and straight forward task. Once an IP address has been assigned, administrators can easily configure even remote I-O print servers directly from their desktop.
All other copyrights remain the property of their owners.


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Birthdays: Thomas Gainsborough, George Lucas is 75, Thomas Wedgewood, Francesca Annis, David Byrne, Jack Bruce, Bobby Darin, Tim Roth is 58, Robert Zemeckis is 68, Kate Blanchett is 50
1842 - 1st edition of London Illustrated News.
1942- Walt Disney composer Frank Churchill, who wrote "Who's afraid of the Big Bad Wolf", shot himself at his piano at home.
1944- In the comic strip Dick Tracy, the longtime Tracy nemesis Flattop was killed.
1951 - Ernie Kovacs Show, TV Variety debut on NBC. Kovacs was a great pioneer in the video medium who loved creating surreal images and pantomime blackout skits.
1955- Kepler's Books in Menlo Park Cal, today's Silicon Valley, was founded by peace activist Roy Kepler. Keplers' books was a hangout for Stanford computer scientists, Hippies, and creators of the Whole Earth Catalog. The Grateful Dead and Joan Baez played there, Prof Douglas Englebart the inventor of the computer mouse, would pop in for coffee, and kids like Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak would ride their bikes over to check out the new computer books.
1976- Keith Relf of the rock group the Yardbirds, was electrocuted while playing his guitar in his bathtub.
1968 - Beatles announce formation of Apple Records.
1998 - Last episode of sitcom Seinfeld on NBC (commercial fees were $2M for 30 seconds) Elderly singer Frank Sinatra died shortly after watching it.


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New rules will require brokers to disclose fees on municipal bond trades.
Analysts expect municipal bond issuances to remain mostly flat in 2015, with bank lending providing borrowers with a source of capital for the short term.
Municipal bond issuance will be flat next year
According to Reuters, new borrowing by U.S. states and cities will likely remain mostly flat next year, with issuance of tax-exempt debt expected to increase from $273.5 billion in 2014 to $275 billion in 2015. Bond issuers are relying on banks to accommodate their borrowing needs, partly because bank loans tend to have less oversight and fewer disclosure requirements.
"The U.S. municipal bond market is worth approximately $3.7 trillion, of which approximately 44 percent is owned directly by individual investors."
It is noteworthy to mention that the U.S. municipal bond market is worth approximately $3.7 trillion, of which approximately 44 percent is owned directly by individual investors, according to Bloomberg Businessweek.
Michael Decker, head of a securities group at the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, confirmed the forecasts for next year.
"We expect municipal issuance to remain mostly flat to up slightly in 2015, with bank lending continuing to provide borrowers with an alternative to public bond issuance," said Decker, according to Reuters.
Interestingly, a SIFMA survey of banks and underwriters found direct placements of bonds to banks could decrease to $35 billion in 2015, compared to $45 billion in 2014. Total issuance, including taxable debt, Reuters reported, is expected to reach $357.5 billion in 2015, up from $347.1 billion in 2014. The anticipated rise is attributed mainly to long-term bond issuances next year.
Decker also commented that yields are expected to increase due to a possible rise in interest rates. Additionally, new regulations soon to be enacted requiring fund and portfolio managers to keep 5 percent of deals on their books may also impact yields, albeit indirectly.
"Short- and long-term yields will likely creep up, in part as a response to changing monetary policy," Decker said, according to Reuters.
As per the Municipal Market Data's benchmark scale, the yield on a top-rated 10-year bond was 2.79 percent, and the yield for a highly rated 30-year bond was 4.20 percent, reported Reuters.
New rules on broker trades of municipal bonds
According to Bloomberg Businessweek, the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board made a recommendation last month on how to prevent finance firms from overcharging customers. The recommendation pertains to broker trades of $100,000 or less, in which a broker trades in the same day as a client. Under the new rule, brokers would have to disclose trading prices of the bonds bought and sold.
The new disclosure requirement may result in greater competition among brokers since investors will be able to see how much they are being charged on trades. Investors may need to become more discerning when choosing deals and firms.
Lynette Kelley, executive director at the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, commented that the recommendation helps to ensure retail investors are thoroughly informed regarding the pricing of their transactions.
"Our approach takes information already available to the public online but provides it directly to retail investors at the time of the transaction, enabling them to more easily evaluate their transaction costs," said Kelly, according to Bloomberg Businessweek.
Transparency in fees across the board
The proposal comes after a move by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, with added support from Chair Mary Jo White, to promote transparency regarding fees charged to investors in fixed income markets, reported the news source. The SEC believes that overpaying may occur when commissions are not disclosed. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority mimicked these sentiments.
Overall, the takeaway is that while debt capital market activity remains strong, the regulatory environment is pushing borrowers toward bank lending rather than municipal bonds, and that authorities are calling for more transparency regarding fees. In the wake of the financial crisis, the need for transparency and compliance is paramount.
Fund and portfolio managers should always work to ensure that every trade they execute falls within regulatory limits. Black Mountain Systems' Everest software helps improve investment performance by organizing and streamlining the transaction data associated with trading floating and fixed rate debt, municipal debt, securitized products and derivatives. Everest is a state-of-the-art platform that is highly customizable and provides an organization with the highest level of insight from an unrivaled breadth, depth, and quality of data.


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Delayed Data
As of Jan 16
| +0.03 / +0.20%
Today's Change
Today|||52-Week Range
The 9 analysts offering 12-month price forecasts for e.l.f. Beauty Inc have a median target of 20.00, with a high estimate of 24.50 and a low estimate of 18.00. The median estimate represents a +35.59% increase from the last price of 14.75.
The current consensus among 11 polled investment analysts is to Buy stock in e.l.f. Beauty Inc. This rating has held steady since December, when it was upgraded from a Move your mouse over past
months for detail
Move your mouse over a quarter or year to see how estimates have changed over time.


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Appearing in "The Players and the Pawn!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Randall Chase
Other Characters:
- Hellions
- New Mutants
- X-Men
- Hellfire Club
- Butter Rum the Horse
Synopsis for "The Players and the Pawn!"
Fourteen-year-old Angelica Jones is adjusting to her life as a student at the Massachusetts Academy. She's been assigned a personal bodyguard, Randall, a Hellfire Club henchman that has misgivings about how his boss does business, but has to watch what he thinks around her as she's a telepath. Angelica particularly enjoys her time at the Academy's stables, where she's befriended a horse named Butter Rum. Frost has convinced Angelica to always wear a bracelet that she doesn't know is actually a "hallucinator" designed to make her see what Frost wants her to see. When Angelica is brought to the Academy's equivalent of the Danger Room for tests of her abilities, she's made to see images of the X-Men in the form of threats that she has to confront. Even though she currently refuses to hurt anyone with her powers, one particular Wolverine robot is rigged to explode in front of her so she thinks she caused it. Frost continues train Angelica, developing her powers, as well as gaslighting her, using the hallucinator to give her nightmares about the X-Men, aiming to groom her into a perfect assassin for the Hellfire Club. One night, a school dance is arranged at the Academy that Frost invites the New Mutants to attend. Despite their distrust of the White Queen, the X-Men allow it and the night starts off well. Angelica and Sam Guthrie hit it off and she even experiences her first kiss with him. Unfortunately, that's when the White Queen strikes, sending a telepathic message to make her worry that she's endangering the boy's life, and when she runs to the stables, they're rigged to catch fire and Butter Rum dies thanks to Emma telepathically stopping his heart. Angelica is traumatized, thinking her powers and her lack of control over them are responsible.
- Takes place some time between New Mutants #17 and Uncanny X-Men #193, as the New Mutants have already faced the Hellions once, but the X-Men have not yet faced Firestar as a member of the Hellions.
See Also
- Write your own review of this comic!
- Discuss Firestar Vol 1 2 on the forums
- 3 Images from Firestar Vol 1 2
Links and References
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Congrats to Our Grads!
Posted In: GeneralSunday, May 22 found two of our youth walking the stage and graduating at Harrisburg High School. Even though Shakayla and Jerad have both only been with us for a couple of years, we are extremely proud of their achievements and progress during that time. We think you will be too, as you read their
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The other night a lover and I started off our lovemaking with a practice on feeling the feminine, which is something we are sharing in my Exploring Tantra couples workshop. We decided to practice it to prepare for the workshop which then led me into being so open and in full receptivity to him!
So by the the time it came to penetration my body was so receptive that I had an internal orgasm from penetration only happen within about 5 minutes! This was the first internal orgasm that I've had without any kind of clitoral or g-spot stimulation.
Now you may be thinking that considering I am a sex coach, that I must have had all types of orgasms and this would be natural for me.
However, every woman actually is wired and conditioned so differently so what we are able to experience really varies. I am more of an energetic type so I experience more full body energetic orgasms.
Just a few nights ago I had a completely transcendental sex experience with him, where I felt that my lover and I intertwined as one, it was though we were moving as one energy together – it literally felt like I was in some other dimension!
So although I've experienced many different types of orgasms, the vaginal internal orgasm has been quite elusive for me.
Years ago I decided that I just wasn't one of those women that could orgasm from penetration and that I could only orgasm by stimulating my clitoris.
But since then I've done so much sexual healing on myself, hence why I have been able to experience a lot of full body energy orgasms, g-spot orgasms and other orgasms, some of them I am unsure what to label them as!
I felt a little in shock at first after it happened, like 'did that just happen?' and I had to stop and tell him because I was so excited!
Although he already knew because he felt my whole body vibrate underneath him, you should have seen the smile on his face!
The next morning we talked about what we think helped this to occur and I think it's a number of things:-
1. BEING IN FULL RECEPTIVITY – We started with the feeling the feminine practice which led to me being fully receptive, in surrender and open to him. I let go of any 'trying' to have an orgasm and just allowed myself to feel and let go into what was there. I had no goal on my mind.
2. CREATING EMOTIONAL SAFETY – We had a conversation earlier in the night about some very vulnerable things and held space for each other, which built a lot of trust and safety for me and made both of us more open emotionally.
3. THE WILLINGNESS TO BE HEALED – He is a tantric lover and every time we have sex I feel like he is sexually healing me. I am WILLING to be healed and I am willing to surrender to him and give myself to him.
4. HONOURING MY MOON TIME – I have my period, so I feel like it was part of really being in a place of honouring my feminine. It's so beautiful to be with a man who is super comfortable and enjoys having moon time sex!
The next morning I was feeling so happy, jumping and dancing around the house, feeling like a truly radiant woman!
If you want to learn everything I mentioned here, such as how to be fully receptive, creating emotional safety, having the willingness to be healed and surrender to a man, allowing and having a man sexually heal you and honouring your moon time as well as exploring different types of Orgasms, please contact me via email email@example.com.
I also teach a lot of this in my Soulgasmic Woman's Tantric Sexual Healing Program which you can check out here


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Cape Kidnappers
Hawke's Bay
Cape Kidnappers is a Tom Doak designed golf course which is amongst the world's most spectacular courses. The clever use of the layout is best seen from the air where Doak has used the natural landscape to craft some magnificent, memorable and challenging golf holes. Located in and overlooking Hawke's Bay, Cape Kidnappers is a spectacular course perched on the edge of the cliffs. The clever use of the layout is best seen from the air where Doak has used God created "fingers" of land to craft some memorable (and challenging) golf holes. A Par-71, 6510 meter course, Cape Kidnappers enjoys meticulous attention to detail in the golf course conditioning and five star service in the clubhouse thereby ensuring players a golfing experience of a lifetime.
Available Courses:
Cape Kidnappers (par 71)
Send us an enquiry for your chance to visit this fantastic course.
Course Photography © Gary Lisbon, www.golfphotos.com.au


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Now that your braces have successfully adjusted your teeth into their ideal alignment, they can be removed. However, you will still need to use a retainer to make sure your teeth remain in their new positions. There will still be some residual tension in the periodontal ligaments that anchor your teeth in the sockets.
Your orthodontist, Dr. Nehi Ogbevoen, will give you a schedule of the required times you need to wear the retainer in your mouth. If you fail to wear it during these times, or if your retainer is damaged, it could lead to other complications. This could increase the duration of time you need to use a retainer, or even cause your teeth to come out of alignment.
A Hawley-style retainer is the most common type of retainer Dr. Nehi Ogbevoen recommends for people who have just had their braces removed.
You can drink normally when wearing the retainer, but you should remove your retainer when you are eating. You should always keep it in the case provided when you're not wearing it. It's a good habit to keep the case with you at all times so you don't have to improvise by storing it in a napkin or a plastic bag.
To refresh your retainer, you can soak it in a mixture of one-half antiseptic mouthwash and one-half cold water. If there is a little plaque buildup on any part of the appliance, you can lightly brush the retainer with a soft-bristled toothbrush and non-abrasive toothpaste.
If you have questions about how to clean and maintain your retainer in Alhambra, California, you can always call Beautiful New Smiles at 626-458-8898 to seek further advice.


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with a view to doing(redirected from with an eye to doing)
with a view to doing somethingand with an eye to doing something
with the intention of doing something. I came to this school with a view to getting a degree. The mayor took office with an eye to improving the town.
See also: view


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Over the past two months the Owen King EU Hospital has been buzzing with activity, with the arrival and installation of numerous pieces equipment and furniture for the facility.
Since 2012, Claudio Meirovich has been involved in all tendering and supervision of contracts at the Hospital and reports that all is on target thus far.
"Right now we are working on the last five contracts that we have the five contractors that are providing all the general furniture, clinical furniture including all the beds, delivery beds as well. All the surgical tables, also ENT(ear, nose and throat), Ophthalmology microscopes and all the tools and equipment for the maintenance areas is also coming in this part of the project. The last two contractors that are going to be starting right now are for the physiotherapy equipment, lab and morgue equipment."
Meirovich stated that all equipment has now been shipped to St. Lucia with over thirty contains havoing already been destuffed at the facility.
Several teams of persons are currently engaged with the installation of equipment and furniture within all areas of the facility.
Meriovich targets the end of September to be completed with most, if not all the installation.
"We expect that some of the contractors will finish their work by the end of August. So we will have only a couple of contractors working in September and that means all the equipment and furniture will be ready to start training the doctors and nurses to start feeling the hospital as their new home."
From inception the office of the National Authorizing Officer has played a critical role in overseeing procurement, contract management and payments to all contractors under the new national hospital project.
"Without the NAO's involvement the communication would not begin. And so all the communication happens with and through the NAO. Yes, you may have other authority figures, the Prime Minister being a key person in that negotiation process but given that the Cotonou Agreement identifies the NAO in that role it must happen in his or her presence whoever sits in the chair at that time."
The NAO was borne out of the Cotonou Agreement which binds the EU with the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and functions as the liaison between the various ACP Governments and the EU Commission. Its pivotal role is in managing the developmental assistance provided by the EU.
The Technical Assistance Supervisor for the OKEU Hospital said St. Lucians will be very pleased with the state of the art facility which will soon be delivered to them.
"I tell this to everybody not only to St. Lucians. I think you are going to have a first class hospital on the island. Nothing is going to be missing and you are going to have the best technology to take care the health of the population, which is one of our objectives and I think the people of St. Lucia can be proud of."
Training on the newly installed Operating Room Tables commenced this August and continued training on ENT, Ophthalmology and sterilization equipment is scheduled for the end of September.


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Watch the fly escape the flyswatter
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German language debates seem to circle around the topic internet more often than not. In a recent post, avid blogger Nico Lumma² argues the debate not to be about the internet. It's about helplessness, he suggests. No wonder, with every other new invention, tool or platform influencing the post-digital ecosystem considerably, wait and see has become the preferred strategy amongst decision makers in politics and business. I like to think of this as an indicator for lack of brand consciousness and identity, hence obvious self esteem or lack thereof amongst businesses, agencies and political parties. The remedy then is learning while doing after a short period of having revisited and having regained consciousness of your collective brand values. Brand positioning, -attributes, -character, value proposition, tone of voice… all that. Do not enter social media without laser sharp clarity over set goals and without being in perfect touch with your collective and proven brand values.
Todays news in the German trade press reflect change or confusion for the better or worse, while the German creative community is relentlessly celebrating creative momentum in Europe:
- Frankfurt's Ogilvy chief executive Thomas Strerath is de-associating O&M from their toutet 360 degree advertising approach thus far at the core of the Ogilvy value proposition. The other old world advertising success factor detached from O&M is the big idea.
- TBWA Hamburg is first to replace good old boys networks with girls. Clara Schmidt von Groeling, Diana Pauser and Karin Reichl are the new heavies at TBWA in Hamburg.
- Consumer electronics wholesales Media Markt with a budget of 290 Mio realigns its marketing strategy with its prospected multi-channel strategy and drops incumbent creative shop Kempertrautmann while at it
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While Kempertrautman is a first case scenario, where a boutique agency with a creative agenda gets the finger from its bread and butter account, agile agencies with focus on creative and a firm believe in the power of ideas have been doing rather well around the globe despite the world economy crisis in my observation.
The flyswatter theory
Last night, I watched a documentary on how flies escape the flyswatter. A high speed camera documented a fly's take off under normal (relaxed) circumstances compared to its take off in lieu of danger. When relaxed the fly's take off took place with amazing synchronization and orchestrated grace. The fly would jump off by stretching its legs and the wings punping air accordingly. In sharp contrast to this routine orchestration of all systems involved, the fly changed it's take off strategy considerably when being scarred. It would now simply move as in a sudden explosion with no controlled orchestration of systems involved.
It sure looked awkward and stupid to see the fly do an emergency take off completely without control through the high speed camera's eye, as the fly simply moved or jerked suddenly, landed on its back, turned and jumped back into the air. With the immediate reaction in face of danger, the fly could gain split seconds neccessary to escape the fly swatter at the expense of elegance and control.
So yes, doing anything, even though without control and doing it immediately and fast seems a better strategy for the post-digital age than wait and see.
¹Simon Veksner is a creative director at London's Bartle Bogle Hegarty with a blog of his own called scamp. How to Make It as an Advertising Creative was published by Laurence King Publishing in 2010.
²Nico Lumma is a popular marketing blogger at Lummaland and a strategist of creative agency Scholz & friends in Hamburg.
³Famous German Community One [Kommune 1] founded January 1 1967 it broke up in November 1969. Rainer Langhans, Fritz Teufel and Uschi Obermaier were the celebrated members of Kommune 1 in Berlin with Jimi Hendrix to name a guest you can relate to.
- Auch 2011: Digitale Hilflosigkeit—Nico Lumma, Lummaland
- Image Source Bookcover—Simon Veksner, scamp
- How to Make It as an Advertising Creative—e Book, Laurence King Publishing. US only.
- Simon Veksner—Facebook
- Simon Veksner—LinkedIn
- Image source naked behinds—Rainer Langhans, meraH
BBH Clara Schmidt Diana Pauser Groeling Karin Reichl Kempertrautmann Lummaland Media Markt Nico Lumma O&M Frankfurt Rainer Langhans Simon Veksner TBWA The fly swatter theory Thomas Strerath


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i am about to hit the sack.
so much has happened over the last few days…mixed stuff.
just really wanna share this cause it really made my night.
hope it makes yours – day or night, wherever you are.
i am about to hit the sack.
so much has happened over the last few days…mixed stuff.
just really wanna share this cause it really made my night.
hope it makes yours – day or night, wherever you are.
by Max Lucado
"I am not worthy; I cannot answer you anything, so I will put my hand over my mouth." (Job 40:4)
The phrase for the chapel is "Hallowed be thy name."
This phrase is a petition, not a proclamation. A request, not an announcement. Hallowed be your name. We enter the chapel and beseech, "Be hallowed, Lord." Do whatever it takes to be holy in my life. Take your rightful place on the throne. Exalt yourself. Magnify yourself. Glorify yourself. You be Lord, and I'll be quiet.
The word hallowed comes from the word holy, and the word holymeans "to separate." The ancestry of the term can be traced back to an ancient word which means "to cut." To be holy, then, is to be a cut above the norm, superior, extraordinary. Remember what we learned in the observatory? The Holy One dwells on a different level from the rest of us. What frightens us does not frighten him. What troubles us does not trouble him.
I'm more a landlubber than a sailor, but I've puttered around in a bass boat enough to know the secret for finding land in a storm … You don't aim at another boat. You certainly don't stare at the waves. You set your sights on an object unaffected by the wind—a light on the shore—and go straight toward it. The light is unaffected by the storm.
By seeking God in the chapel, you do the same. When you set your sights on our God, you focus on one "a cut above" any storm life may bring.
Like Job, you find peace in the pain.
Like Job, you cover your mouth and sit still.
"Be still, and know that I am God" (Ps. 46:10). This verse contains a command with a promise.
The command?
Be still.
Cover your mouth.
Bend your knees.
The promise? You will know that I am God.
The vessel of faith journeys on soft waters. Belief rides on the wings of waiting.
Linger in the chapel. Linger often in the chapel. In the midst of your daily storms, make it a point to be still and set your sights on him. Let God be God. Let him bathe you in his glory so that both your breath and your troubles are sucked from your soul. Be still. Be quiet. Be open and willing. Then you will know that God is God, and you can't help but confess, "Hallowed be thy name."
From The Great House of God
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 1997) Max Lucado
don't you just love miffy?
i remember how my mum used to sew curtains, bedsheets and stuff with miffy all over them.
there's a possibility that i might still have them somewhere.
just the thought about making stuff excites me.
you might prolly not know this but i used to sew embellishments onto my bags, recreate my clothes and alter my fabrics just for fun. well, okay, i admit i wanted to "unique-fy" my outfits too ;)
oh how i want to sew again.
what do you think?
i dreamt that i went to japan last night and bought my self some cool, funky old school cameras.
i woke up happy.
till i realised it was but a dream.
but i still want to make it to japan! i've always heard/seen so much about it.
on a separate note, i got myself a new watch.
i set my eyes on it 2 weeks ago, having procrastinated for the longest time to get a new one because the straps of my two favorite watches gave up on me.
pretty bummed considering both have lasted more than a couple of years, the latter setting me back at a bargain of only 10bucks and i've never changed its battery once in 2 years.
its still running and i don't know what to do with it. i don't really know where to go to change the strap and things like that. any advice?
anyway, about the new watch – it's a casio. i was looking at another model but he (the watch uncle) sold it off 2 days earlier. boo. he was pretty shocked that i wanted it cause he said it was unpopular and aunty-ish. but i loved it and might still wanna see where i can get it though he made mention that there's hardly anywhere that carries that old model anymore. i'll tell you if i do get it though :)
and so he showed me the next on the list of unpopular models; albeit still baffled why i didn't want something more well received. having a penchant for things uncommon…i didn't want to scare him further by telling him that sometimes i choose things with imperfections….i chose this (my first pictures of it).
and so i went to work this morning, with a skip in my step, happy and content with my new accessory and lo and behold, my colleague (funny i never noticed) has EXACTLY the same watch as me.
we laughed as i shared with her this story because A. she knows my liking for one of a kind stuff and B. she loves the popular. we both concluded that since we chose the same watch, we must have great taste ;)
i still love my new watch.
whether you are common or one of a kind, i like you because you are mine.
happy with what it looks like now. for now. heh.
this came in my mail today. oh how i love this.
by Max Lucado
God is working in you to help you want to do and be able to do what pleases him.
Philippians 2:13 NCV
What God said about Jeremiah, he said about you: "Before I made you in your mother's womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work" (Jer. 1:5 NCV).
Set apart for a special work.
God shaped you according to yours. How else can you explain yourself? Your ability to diagnose an engine problem by the noise it makes, to bake a cake without a recipe. You knew the Civil War better than your American history teacher. You know the name of every child in the orphanage. How do you explain such quirks of skill?
God. He knew young Israel would need a code, so he gave Moses a love for the law. He knew the doctrine of grace would need a fiery advocate, so he set Paul ablaze. And in your case, he knew what your generation would need and gave it. He designed you. And his design defines your destiny. Remember Peter's admonition? "If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies" (1 Pet. 4:11).
I encountered walking proof of this truth on a trip to Central America. Dave, a fellow American, was celebrating his sixty-first birthday with friends at the language school where my daughter was studying Spanish. My question—"What brings you here?"—opened a biographical floodgate. Drugs, sex, divorce, jail—Dave's first four decades read like a gangster's diary. But then God called him. Just as God called Moses, Paul, and millions, God called Dave.
His explanation went something like this. "I've always been able to fix things. All my life when stuff broke, people called me. A friend told me about poor children in Central America, so I came up with an idea. I find homes with no fathers and no plumbing. I install sinks and toilets and love kids. That's what I do. That's what I was made to do."
Sounds like Dave has found the cure for the common life. He's living in his sweet spot. What about you? What have you always done well? And what have you always loved to do?
That last question trips up a lot of well-meaning folks. God wouldn't let me do what I like to do—would he? According to Paul, he would. "God is working in you to help you want to do and be able to do what pleases him" (Phil. 2:13 NCV). Your Designer couples the "want to" with the "be able to." Desire shares the driver's seat with ability. "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Ps. 37:4 NIV). Your Father is too gracious to assign you to a life of misery. As Thomas Aquinas wrote, "Human life would seem to consist in that in which each man most delights, that for which he especially strives, and that which he particularly wishes to share with his friends."
So go ahead; reflect on your life. What have you always done well and loved to do?
Some find such a question too simple. Don't we need to measure something? Aptitude or temperament? We consult teachers and tea leaves, read manuals and horoscopes. We inventory spiritual gifts and ancestors. While some of these strategies might aid us, a simpler answer lies before us. Or, better stated, lies within us.
The oak indwells the acorn. Read your life backward and check your supplies. Rerelish your moments of success and satisfaction. For in the merger of the two, you find your uniqueness.
From Cure for the Common Life
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 2006) Max Lucado
the God who shut the mouth of lions and opened the mouth of a whale is the same God who will make a way for me.
regardless of whether it's due to unforeseen circumstances or a result of my own undoing, my God is for me.
what an AWESOME GOD we serve.
what an AWESOME GOD who loves.