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To Asa Gray 23 January 1877
Down, | Beckenham, Kent. | Railway Station | Orpington. S.E.R.
Jan 23. 77
My dear Gray,
Thanks for the card about Pontederia, & I have written to Mr Leggett.1 I am going to trouble you once again but I honestly believe for the last time. In a letter dated Nov 21, 1870 you say that Phlox subulata presents two forms which have been named as species & which you are inclined to think is a case of di or tri morphism: you speak of this as a common species, & if so could you send me two or three dried flowers of the different forms that I might compare their pollen grains & stigmas.2 In the same letter you mention Gilia aggregata (pulcella) with the stamens & pistils varying much in length; I suppose this is a rare plant; but if not so, I should much like to examine the two forms.—3
Forgive me & believe me | Yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin
Thanks AG for card about Pontederia.
Asks for specimens of Phlox subulata and Gilia aggregata to check for dimorphism.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Asa Gray
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (120)
- Physical description
- 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, "Letter no. 10811," accessed on 25 January 2020, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/DCP-LETT-10811.xml

subset: commoncrawl


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This September, for the first time in over 30 years, Glenn Danzig is going to step onstage with the rest of the Misfits to perform horror rock anthems like "Where Eagles Dare," no doubt leading thousands of devilocked devotees at the Denver and Chicago Riot Fests through its sing-along of "I ain't no god
Be the First
Read More »
Jason Corbett from ACTORS has become one of the leading characters steering the Vancouver independent music movement, and although it seems like it happened over night, it has been brewing for years. He's a plucky, pithy talent and not only do we have an exclusive of their new song, but we have a fun back and forth with him to start off your week. Enjoy.
What's the worst part about full length albums in 2016?
When the nice folks at ION first got in touch with me about doing this interview, they acknowledged that I have a track record of being, shall we say, less than friendly to the majority of music journalists who have crossed my path. In my defense, every journalist who has been sent to interview me in the past just happened to be a barely literate failure of a human being.
Penicillin Baby consists of Jon Tyler Conant, Charlie Davis, Taylor Lowrance, and Wes Mitchell, who met when they eventually found themselves in Nashville, Tennessee. The band has a surprising obsession with rooftops, and Jon Tyler Conant reflects on how "in almost every city we go to, we find a way onto the roof of some tall building.
It kind of makes me feel like a little kid
There must be something in the water, because it seems like everyone wants a piece of Coleman Hell these days. It's been a giant 2015 for the Toronto-based, Thunder Bay-bred singer, with his banjo-fied house pop banger "2 Heads" having racked up millions of listens on Spotify and nuzzled up to other radio hits on both sides of the border.
Good friends and good food are just a couple of the blessings Texas soul artist Leon Bridges is enjoying when we catch him on a rare day off in Dallas. The last few years have been a blur for the singer-songwriter, taking him all the way from the first few strums on a guitar to jet-setting behind his recently released debut LP Coming Home.
The Belle Game are rising stars, not only in Canada, but around the world. Their debut album Ritual Tradition Habit has received praise from critics and fans since its release. Andrea Lo fills us in on the band's (ahem)... habits.
Michael Brock stirs a golden mix of West Coast groove and effortless Euro swagger. Breaking ground in Vancouver, as a white R&B artist, he braves stages solo, while keeping a crisp and du jour repertoire. He likes to strip down to the essentials, focusing on lyrical layering and minimal production.
Music Go Music are a pop music band from California that will send you in a time machine right back to the 1970's world of the Bee Gees and ABBA. David and Meredith Metcalf and Adam Siegel are a band from a different era, though, which don't see those as being kitschy pieces of 1970's pop culture.
Hi there everyone, it's my first pay a quick visit at this website, and article is in fact fruitful
for me, keep up posting these types of articles or reviews.
They should be mine because I love to sport the "ying and yang" of fashion!


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Beyond the Classroom – School Life
We believe that the school years offer an opportunity for each student to explore and develop their talents and interests. In addition to providing opportunities for students to excel in their studies, at Tyndall College we also encourage all our students to participate in a wide range of extra-curricular activities, groups and events. These provide excellent, supervised opportunities for recreation, and also opportunities to develop team-working, problem-solving and communication skills, whilst furthering friendships and having fun!
Student Council & Prefects Tyndall College responds to the student experience of the school, and the Student Council is a central part
Tyndall College responds to the student experience of the school, and the Student Council is a central part of school life. Each year groups is represented on the Student Council, and the council is responsible for a range of activities throughout the year. In addition, the Student Council reports to the Tyndall College Board of Management twice each year.
Tyndall College prefects are senior students who apply and are interviewed for roles as student leaders within the school community. Following special training, and supervised by staff, Prefects are involved in a range of activities to support new students who join the Tyndall College community. Prefects are involved in supporting the First Year Induction phase and are available to help new students settle into life at school.
Being a Prefect is a responsible position, and is a very significant achievement for those who are appointed to these roles.
Lunchtime and After-school Clubs
At Tyndall College, staff and students organise a wide range of lunchtime and after-school clubs. These
are an important part of our school community and great opportunities to develop social skills as well as explore areas of talent and interest. Students can participate in supervised, fun group activities including:
• Arts, Crafts and Textiles
• Charity Events
• Choir
• Computer Club
• Engineering Projects
• Friends for Life
• Games
• Garden Projects
• Homework Clubs
• Music and Performing Arts
• Outings to Theatre, Concerts and Shows
• Sports
• Visits and Tours
• Wood Turning
Trips and Visits
Tyndall College organises a wide range of trips and visits, all of which are designed to enhance the curriculum and personal development of our students. These trips and visits include theatre shows, visits to cultural events, Dáil Éireann, outdoor activity centres, the zoo, and seasonal events including ice-skating. We work to ensure that the events are as affordable as possible and that all students have the opportunity to participate in them.
Tyndall College students have many opportunities to participate in a wide-ranging of sporting activities. In addition to PE, all students are encouraged to participate in the additional sporting activities on offer within the school in order to promote fitness, team-spirit and a healthy competitiveness.
You can take part in lunchtime and after-school teams including:
• Athletics
• Basketball
• Gaelic Football
• Handball
• Hurling
• Soccer
• Tag Rugby
• Volleyball


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Painted in acrylic on plaster and wood, Fein's portrait will be displayed alongside such works as an 1871 marble bas-relief profile of Lincoln, early nineteenth-century cut-paper silhouettes by French artist August Edouart, and Kara Walker's 2005 Cotton Hoards in Southern Swamp (from Harper's Pictorial History of the Civil War).
Skylar Fein, a resident of New Orleans since 2005, believes that Lincoln's opposition to slavery was shaped by a trip that he took as a teenager to New Orleans, which was then the center of the slave trade. Fein's use of the silhouette taps into a long visual tradition, examples of which are included in the installation.
The silhouette was popularized in eighteenth-century Europe and soon caught on in the United States. Figures and profile portrait heads were cut from black card and set against a white ground or, in some instances, painted on glass. Evocative of the antebellum period and offering a graphic contrast of black and white the silhouette has inspired explorations of racial issues by contemporary artists such as Fein and Kara Walker.
A native of New York, Skylar Fein (born 1968) was a participant in Prospect.1 New Orleans, the 2008 biennial curated by Dan Cameron. His Remember the Upstair Lounge, a multimedia installation about a disastrous 1973 New Orleans fire at a gay bar that killed thirty-two and injured dozens, received broad critical acclaim. His work has been the subject of solo exhibitions, including the 2009 exhibition Skylar Fein: Youth Manifesto at New Orleans Museum of Art, and is represented in public and private collections.
Image: Skylar Fein (American, born 1968). Black Lincoln for Dooky Chase, 2010.


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Hi Friends:)
Firstly, HAPPY BELATED GLOBAL RUNNING DAY! I should have slipped that into yesterday's post, but I totally didn't. I celebrated with 8 miles before work thanks to a much-appreciated late-start at school.
Once again, I am a week late choosing goals for this month. BUT I checked back in on my goals for May, and I was pretty happy with where I ended up!
Just to jog your (and my) memory, my May goals were…
- Eat a Real Dinner Every Night… But Be Okay with Takeout: I did this! I focused on not just eating snack-dinners but real meals that include lots of nutrients throughout the month. Making this goal was the hard reset I needed to get back on track nutrition-wise.
- Don't Jump Back Into Running Full-Force: I felt super tempted to go crazy with speed workouts, but I managed to keep my crazy on lockdown and instead I leaned into building easy milage as I enter into my next training cycle. Another successful goal:)
- Switch Up My Cosmetics: This was expensive but also super fun. I switched from my cheap, target-brand shower and makeup products to more organic, non-toxic products. So far I have been pleasantly surprised by to, so many of the items I invested in. I mean, I doubted that "Tom's of Maine" organic brand of deodorant would hold up to my running workouts, but somehow it does.
- Get My Bloodwork Checked: Check! Still a little hyperthyroid, but that's kind of normal for me and as long as I am close to the normal range my doctors and I feel okay with it.
- Spend More Time With Friends: Done! I reached out to some people and it was great.
Okay, so, goals for JUNE….
- Stop Skipping Strength Workouts: Um, yeah, I need to get into more strength training sessions. My life has been so, unbelievably busy that I've had to skip a lot of my beloved leg-lifts in the last few weeks. But now that tutoring is done and school is (almost) done, I want to get back to the gym to strengthen my muscles and make gains!
- Get More Sleep: I'm honestly pretty good about sleep; I always manage to get 7-8 hours. But lately I've been feeling like I need a little bit more and I've been dragging my feet on answering my body's calls for rest. This problem is closely connected to my next goal…
- Reduce my Screen Time: I am spending wayyyyyy too much time on my phone, computer, and ipad. I've been letting myself get too into social media stuff and I totally need to cut it down. I'm using an app called Space to help me monitor my phone use, and I'm using a chrome extension called Blocksite to block out websites I get sucked into for hours at a time (facebook, pinterest, ect)
- Purge and Reorganize my Back Room: My apartment has a back room (an attic, really) where I keep a whole lot of STUFF. Like, stuff I do not need to be keeping in my apartment. Stuff that I do not need to own at all. Stuff that I don't even remember I own. My goal for the next two weekends is to purge it and reorganize it so I know where everything is!
- Invest in Trail Running Shoes: I'm planning to explore some AMAZING trails this summer, and I think it's time for me to bite the bullet and invest in some legit trail running shoes. I've got a history of ankle injuries, so I'm really committed to finding a stable shoe with lots of traction that will take me places on trails not only all over New England but also in Peru!
I hope you guys have a wonderful weekend! Let me know if you've got any goals you're working on this month:)


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KALISPELL, Mont. — Visitation to Glacier National Park increased last month despite wildfire-related closures and travel restrictions on its main thoroughfare.
The Flathead Beacon reports nearly 435,000 people visited the park in September, up from the nearly 390,000 people who visited in the same month last year.
The park had more than 2.9 million visitors from January to September this year. Nearly 3.2 million people visited the park during the same period last year.
A wildfire that began in August forced the evacuation of a large part of the Lake McDonald area and closed Going-to-the-Sun Road for much of the month and into September.
Information from: Flathead Beacon, http://www.flatheadbeacon.com


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How frequently should you have sex for pregnancy? Should you lie flat on your back with your legs in the air if you want to conceive a baby? How do you time intercourse to increase your chances of getting pregnant? If you're trying to conceive a baby, you might wonder about your sexual frequency.
"We've only been trying to conceive for two months, so we're not too worried yet," says Elizabeth on Find Out Why You Can't Get Pregnant – 4 Fertility Checklists. "But I have read conflicting reports on the frequency of sex for pregnancy. In other words, how often we should be having sex if we want to get pregnant? What do you know about the frequency of intercourse and the chances of conceiving a baby? Thank you."
Some fertility doctors and natural health practitioners advising having intercourse every second day – but new research shows it's better to increase the frequency of sex – to once a day – when pregnancy is your goal. If you're trying to conceive a baby, you might want to increase your sexual frequency. Below, I share ten things you need to know about sex and getting pregnant – including how often you should engage in the lovely act of intercourse if you're trying to achieve a healthy pregnancy…
If you've been researching how to get pregnant, you might already know that ovulation is a huge factor in conception. But one of the big questions is how frequently should you have sex for pregnancy? Can you have too much intercourse? Should you do anything special after sex, to improve the chances of getting pregnant?
So many questions, so few answers!
"All that we knew was that intercourse on the day of ovulation offered the highest chance of pregnancy, but we did not know what was the best advice for the period leading up to ovulation or egg retrieval for IVF," says Dr David Greening, an obstetrician and gynecologist in Australia. "I thought that frequent ejaculation might be a physiological mechanism to improve sperm DNA damage, while maintaining semen levels within the normal, fertile range."
Dr Greening believes that couples who are trying to conceive a baby might be more successful if they have sex frequently. But, other doctors and researchers have reported that too-frequent sex can result in abnormal sperm morphology.
I don't have a clear-cut answer for you, but here are…
7 Things You Should Know About Sex and Getting Pregnant
When my husband and I were trying to conceive, one of our biggest struggles (for me) was feeling like I HAD to have sex every day (the definition of "frequent sex for pregnancy" is once a day). Having sex for pregnancy – especially daily – made it feel sorta not very romantic! So I was happy to read in one of my "how to get pregnant" books that daily intercourse might not be the best route because it doesn't allow sperm to regenerate and proliferate.
Your thoughts and information about conceiving a baby are welcome below. I'd love to hear what you think, what you've learned, and what your experience is. I can't give advice or tips for pregnancy, but your experience is valuable.
1. Determining the frequency of sex for pregnancy isn't an exact science
Some fertility books and doctors say to have sex every second or third day, to allow sperm a chance to regenerate and grow. Other fertility doctors and books say more frequent sex is better, because it increases the sperm and thus increases the likelihood of conceiving a baby.
Dr Greening's research on frequency and pregnancy is interesting because it supports the second theory: have sex frequently if you're aiming for conception. But, it adds new and different information to the existing body of research. These fertility researchers found that daily sex (or ejaculating daily) for seven days improved men's sperm quality by reducing the amount of DNA damage.
2. Sperm quality increases with frequent sex
Sex frequency can improve sperm health and quantity. Dr Greening said the reason sperm quality improved with frequent ejaculation may be because the sperm had a shorter exposure in the testicular ducts and epididymis to reactive oxygen species (very small molecules, high levels of which can damage cells. This leads to reduced fertility in males).
Until now there has been no research-based consensus amongst fertility specialists regarding sex frequency for pregnancy and trying to conceive a baby – whether the couple is undergoing infertility treatments or not. This study shows that frequent sex (daily) decreased semen volume and sperm concentrations, but improved sperm motility.
So if you're trying to get pregnant, you should have sex frequently! The men in this study ejaculated or had sex every day, and did nothing else to improve their fertility levels.
3. Research doesn't prove if good sperm quality leads to higher conception rates
"Further research is required to see whether the improvement in these men's sperm quality translates into better pregnancy rates, but other, previous studies have shown the relationship between sperm DNA damage and pregnancy rates," he said. In other words, unhealthy sperm or sperm DNA damage decreases your chances of getting pregnant and increases your chances of an unsuccessful pregnancy.
"The optimal number of days of ejaculation might be more or less than seven days, but a week appears manageable and favorable," said Dr Greening. "It seems safe to conclude that couples with relatively normal semen parameters should have sex daily for up to a week before the ovulation date. In the context of assisted reproduction, this simple treatment may assist in improving sperm quality and ultimately achieving a pregnancy."
If you don't know when you're ovulating, get an ovulation test.
4. A man's fertility and health plays a big role in achieving pregnancy
This fertility research may mean that men play a greater role in conceiving a baby (or not getting pregnant) than previously suspected.
Dr Greening concludes that frequency of sex is important for pregnancy because it can improve sperm quality, which is especially important as men age. A man's fertility and health is even more important if couples are getting infertility treatments or undergoing assisted reproduction cycles. But, it's also important to remember that there are different reasons for not getting pregnant – no matter how frequent sex is. For instance, if a man isn't producing sperm at all, then it doesn't matter how frequently intercourse happens. And if a woman isn't ovulating, then she's not producing eggs…which makes conceiving a baby almost impossible.
Source of Dr Greening's information on frequency of sex for pregnancy: "Daily Sex Helps Reduce Sperm DNA Damage And Improve Fertility" from the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Amsterdam.
For more tips on conceiving a baby, read 6 Foods to Avoid When You're Trying to Get Pregnant.
5. Frequency of sex and a man's sperm count
Science has shown us that a sperm count of at least 20 million parts per milliliter is necessary for conception to occur, and studies show that chances of conception are highest when sperm count is at least 40-50 million/mL. There's a wide range for what's considered "normal" when it comes to sperm count—anywhere from 35 to 120 million/mL.
Has your husband or boyfriend tested his sperm for count, motility, normality, health? A semen analysis is a really important step for couples who are having trouble getting pregnant. If you and he have been having frequent sex for over a year and there's still no pregnancy, then it may be a sperm health issue. Male fertility problems account for about 33% of all problems getting pregnant.
Ejaculating every two to three days keeps sperm healthy. If your husband or boyfriend doesn't release sperm for more than two or three days, his sperm count will rise. But, it's not just healthy good sperm that increase – so does the proportion of dead, immotile, misshapen or abnormal sperm. This hurts your chances for conception.
Doctors and fertility experts say that men with low sperm counts and quality need to have a day off between ejaculations. This gives his sperm time to regenerate and blossom! But this is only if your guy has a low sperm count (below 40 million/mL). If he his sperm count never goes below the 40 million/mL mark, then you can have sex as frequently as you'd like without hurting your chances of pregnancy. But there's no way of knowing for sure without doing a semen analysis.
A semen analysis can help your husband determine his sperm count, quality, and health. Read How to Understand the Results of Your Semen Analysis for more info on sperm health.
6. Frequent sex improves a woman's immune system
I don't know if this is good news or bad news: the frequency of sex has a positive healthy effect on a woman's immune system – even when she's not in her fertile window or ovulating. This positive healthy effect can improve her chances of chances of conception when she is ovulating. Sex changes a woman's immune system in ways that improve her chances of pregnancy.
According to data from the Kinsey Institute for Research on Sex, Gender and Reproduction and the Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior (both at Indiana University), ''the more frequently a woman engages in sexual activity, the more often her immune system gets the message that it's time to reproduce.'' That was a direct quote from Tierney Lorenz, the research scientist at the Kinsey Institute who led both studies. The research did not study or assess pregnancy rates or rates of illness and infection, so the practical implications of these findings isn't certain.
7. Intercourse during your fertile window is best for getting pregnant
"Having sex every day during a woman's fertile window (usually the five days leading up to the day of ovulation, including the OV day itself) gives you a 25 percent chance of conceiving," writes AvaWomen on How Often Should You Have Sex to Get Pregnant? "Doing it every other day gives you slightly lower chances, 22 percent. When couples have sex just once per week, conception probability drops dramatically – to just 10 percent." These fertility and conception statistics reflect pregnancies that ended in live births. When miscarriages are included, the conception rates are moderately higher for both daily and every second day sex.
Do you track your "fertile window"? You should if you really want to get pregnant – but if you're not tracking your ovulation cycle, don't worry about it too much if you just started trying to conceive a baby. You might want to increase your sex frequency to every other day all month long, though. This way, you're guaranteed to have sex at some point during your peak fertile time. If you don't know exactly when you're ovulating, you'd have to have sex every single day just to make sure you it your fertile window. It's probably better to track your fertility and ovulation cycle – unless, of course, you want to have frequent intercourse for pregnancy until you get that positive pee test!
Help Getting Pregnant
The Clearblue Digital Ovulation Test is an easy-to-use home ovulation test that is over 99% accurate at detecting the fertility luteinizing hormone (LH) surge. The optical reader interprets your result and gives you a clear smiley face in the result window when your LH surge has been detected. How is this helpful? It tells you what your most fertile two days are (ovulation), so you can have sex for pregnancy on those days. Having sex when you ovulate is extremely important — it offers the highest chance of conception.
Beloved reader,
May you be blessed with a successful conception and a healthy pregnancy. May your love be alive and fresh no matter how frequent it is, and may you and your husband enjoy a peaceful, joyful, loving relationship with each other and your children.
In faith and hope, joy and peace,
Are you trying to get pregnant? Fairhaven Health's Hormone Balance Bundle improves egg quality, encourages cycle regularity, and helps your body ovulate regularly.
Need encouragement? Sign up for my weekly "Echoes of Joy" email - it's free, short, and energizing. Like me!


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Mass of Thanksgiving for the Gift of the Eucharist.
Talks on the Message of Divine Mercy
Veneration of the Divine Mercy Image.
Veneration of first class relics of St. Faustina Kowalska, St. Maximilian Kolbe,
! and St. John Paul II.
• The Three O'clock Prayer to the Divine Mercy
Keynote Speakers:
Rev. Krystian Golisz S.D.S. Salvatorian Father spreading the message of Divine Mercy in Ottawa
Rev. Pierre Champoux ! Rev. Matthew Chojna! Keith Doucette! !
Pastor of Holy Redeemer Parish Associate Pastor Holy Redeemer Parish The John Paul II Centre for Divine Mercy
All are welcome bring your spouse, bring a friend !
Cost: $20.00/person. Includes continental breakfast and lunch by the Queenship of Mary Community
Date: St. Valentine's day, Saturday February 14th 2015
Place: Holy Redeemer Parish 44 Rothesay, Kanata
Time: 8:00 am to 3:30 pm.
Registration Deadline: Jan. 17th, 2015:
email Ed Olszewski at firstname.lastname@example.com with Name, email address, Phone #, Parish, and affiliation.


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Register Now for the 2016 PMP Summit
March 18, 2016
Registration for the 2016 Projections Managing Partnership (PMP) Summit at the Minneapolis Marriot City Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota on June 6-7, 2016 is now open.
Participation in the PMP Summit is free.
To view the agenda for the 2016 PMP Summit in Minneapolis, Minnesota, please click here. Also, this year's PMP Summit will feature a 1-day Projections Suite training on June 8, 2016
The PMP operates an integrated, nationwide program of state and local projections. PMP's mission is to enable/support states as they develop and deliver high quality state and local employment projections.


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How to stop malware in a 'Flash'
Profile: Jessica Scarpati
Always innovating, attackers have found ways to mask their malware by placing the code into PDFs and Flash files. The malware often appears to be legitimate ads for products, and it can be particularly hard to analyze. John Strand explains why and demonstrates how to be ready for Flash-based malicious code.
How to detect malware in a 'Flash' [ 7:09 ] Play Now | Play in Popup


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When thinking of expanding into a new market you need to do the groundwork and build a solid business case for the investment. You need to do at least an estimation of the market size and how it is developing. You need to size the competition and maybe also the legal situation. You might want to know who is a suitable distributor or a potential agent for my range of products.
I can be your partner i building a strategy for international expansion, or give a second opinion. I will assess the market size and potential, identify possible distribution options and connect you with local partners.
I can offer you assistance in the above preparatory work. Based on my experience from the food/beverage and packaging industries in the Nordic countries and my network from 30 years in the business I can offer my services.
With internationalisation I mean all kinds of cooperation and collaboration across borders. This includes export and import as well as JV's, licensing of patents and all other partnerships.


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I am a film buff. Beyond horror, Indian cinema in particular is one of my great passions, which is why I think it's time to call attention to a group of men (seven in all) known mainly for their schlock, as well as the fact that they are some of the rare filmmakers to actually create legitimate ('legitimate') horror cinema…in Bollywood.
Starting with 'Do Gaz Zameen Ke Neeche (1972)', which actually isn't a bad movie at all, the Ramsay brothers didn't come from cinema royalty, as quite a few actors/directors/etc in Bollywood in particular tend to, but they actually got into film after their father (F. U. Ramsay) opened a couple of electronics stores. DGZKN was their first (and possibly only) notable movie that really helped them get into the swing of budget horror.
Thanks to that movie, they were able to finance quite a few low budget horror flicks, a vast majority of them in the 80s. India wasn't, and still isn't known for their horror. This is perfectly understandable, when you remind yourself that a lot of Bollywood cinema does have musical numbers. It's almost impossible to make a terrifying picture in the midst of that element, and a lot of times it does take away from the very little horror that is available there in a big way.
The Ramsay brothers essentially ruled the roost in Bollywood horror in their hay day, because they were tapping into something nobody else really was. There was an odd film here or there, but really, the vast majority of even the more horrific Indian films tend to leaned towards noir. There were, of course, plenty of copycats to follow, but the Ramsays were the first. They also tended to do a lot of 'screen-stripping', the art of watching one movie, writing down your favorite bits, and throwing it into a new script with a different title and enough of your own flare to technically call it a different movie.
The introduction of the action boom in the early 90s saw their schlocky horror fare taking more of a backseat, as audiences simply lost interest in reincarnated demon-werewolf babies produced from the seeds of vengeance, promiscuous behavior, and murderous ancestor husbands. Their last true film they made in the genre was a Bollywood answer to Nightmare on Elm Street, 'Mahakaal'…which, like most of their movies, took your basic popular Hollywood film and applied a cultural wash. But, after that, they did the 'Zee Horror Show', which as a popcorn muncher…can be pretty fun. Afterwards, at least on the small screen, there have been countless different horror anthology series who I'm not afraid to say were and are heavily inspired by the Ramsays.
These brothers built a mini-industry with what they did. They blazed a trail. Essentially, they created an entire genre, and their movies still have a pretty massive cult following today all around the world. Essentially, they made fun films. Sometimes fun is the most important part in a horror movie. Without further ado, I think it's time to share a bit of music from the Ramsay Dracula, 'Bandh Darwaza'…which both illustrates how well they adapted stories for the Indian screen, but also why sometimes music just…doesn't work when you've got a monster in the room.


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Harrison Ford (Born July 13, 1942), Chicago, Illinois… What many of his fans do not realize is that the future Indiana Jones was far from the tough guy as a child. He was shy and often beaten up by his peers. Taking a stance of non-violence he refused to fight back, instead keeping the anger inside himself for years. During college he did not fit in, finding the school too conservative for his tastes.
He began exhibiting typical signs of depression, such sleeping long hours, missing classes and struggling to keep up with his studies. He later said of his time at college, "The kindest word to describe my performance was Sloth". Due to his failing a philosophy class during his senior year, he was expelled from school. Notoriously private about his life, Ford has not personally characterized this period of his life as one of depression, but has confessed to being painfully shy until his junior year of college, when he signed up for a drama class and overcame his fears.


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Job Description
Are you a customer marketing manager with experience of delivering fully integrated campaigns and, ideally, change behaviour strategies. Are you available immediately for (initially) three months? Then read on.
Customer Marketing Manager x 4 - 6 Month Contract - £230-£250 Per Day - London
Our client is the integrated authority for delivering strategy and commitments on transport in London. They run the day to day operation of the capital's public transport network and roads.
Reporting to the Customer Marketing Lead, you'll be responsible for planning and delivering a range of innovative customer campaigns and behaviour change programmes. This is a fantastic role as it gives you the opportunity to work across every element of the marketing mix including TV, radio, press, posters, inserts, DM, digital, social and media relations.
The successful candidate:
- strong knowledge of customer marketing and behaviour change strategies
- proven track record across the full marketing mix including TV, radio, press, posters, inserts, DM, digital, social and media relations
- demonstrable experience of planning and delivering 360 consumer marketing campaigns from initial brief through execution to evaluation and insight.
- budget, agency and stakeholder management
- available immediately
If this sounds like you, please apply online today.
Customer Marketing Manager x 4 - 6 Month Contract - £230-£250 Per Day - LondonIf this role isn't what you're looking for don't worry. At Stopgap we cover all permanent and freelance marketing positions, with specialist industry sector teams. You can check out all of our roles on our website and sign up for job alerts so you're the first to know about a new opportunity . Marketing Recruitment - The Stopgap Way.


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Finding Noah: Witness the Journey
As expected, the documentary, Finding Noah, did not disappoint on the technical side. The producers are to be commended. The cinematography, the editing, and the sound, coupled with the backdrop of the scenery of the spectacular 17,000 ft. Mt Ararat made the film a pleasure to behold. One standout scene for this viewer was filmed while an intrepid climber descended into a deep crevasse into one of the glaciers on the mountain.read more
Noah's Flood, The Ark, and Hollywood
By: Bill Crouse You cannot overestimate the seriousness of the Biblical Flood as described in Genesis 6 – 8. Something occurred, some behavior of mankind, which caused the Creator-God to destroy all life on the planet and start all over again. What exactly that sin was…read more
The Durupinar Site — Ron Wyatt: Are His Claims Bonafide?
Historical Background In 1959 a pilot in the Turkish Air Force on a NATO-mapping-mission in the mountainous terrain of eastern Turkey photographed an unusual ship-shaped object near Mt. Ararat.?Later when these aerial photographs were viewed stereoscopically by…read more
Review: The Unsolved Mystery of Noah's Ark
The Unsolved Mystery of Noah's Ark. By Mary Irwin. Bloomington, IN: WestBow Press, 2012, xv+117pp., $11.95 paper. Reviewed by Gordon Franz and Bill Crouse Mary Irwin, the wife of the late moon-walking astronaut, Jim Irwin, has written a book about their adventures on…read more
The Search for Noah's Ark
(2008 Video Tape produced by the BASE Institute of Colorado Springs, CO. $14.95.) A review and critique by Gordon Franz, Bill Crouse, and Rex Geissler December 12, 2008 Introduction Adventurer Robert Cornuke has produced a new video which claims that remnants of…read more
The Bible Code Review
The Bible Code. By Michael Drosnin. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997. The Signature of God. By: Grant R. Jeffrey. Ontario, Canada: Frontier Research Publications, 1996. Cracking the Bible Code. By: Jeffrey Satinover. NewYork: William & Morrow, 1997. Reviewed…read more
The Lost Ship Wreck of Paul: A Critique of the Video
by Gordon Franz Introduction Robert Cornuke, a retired police officer and now president of the BASE Institute, has recently released a video (August 2011) about his adventures on the island of Malta. In the video he located old divers and spear fisherman on the island…read more


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Welcome to Moe's Gymnastics Academy!
Moe's Gymnastics Academy is dedicated to serving the Metroplex by providing quality gymnastics instruction for youth that is both safe and fun. MGA classes are year-round, and you may enroll at any time!
Our classes are taught by qualified and energetic instructors who love kids. Students get wonderful personal attention as our instructor to student ratio is low.
Boys and Girls (ages 3-5 years)
Boys and Girls (ages 6 & up)
Boys and Girls (ages 6 & up)
Members and Non-Memebers
Friday 7:30-9:30 pm
Saturday 1-3 pm
$10 per person
($5.00 sibling discount on tuition for 2nd child)
Please call to check availability on classes.
Copyright 2010 Moe's Gymnastics Academy. All rights reserved.


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PATNA: Municipal bodies in the state will again be empowered to pass the building maps in the municipal areas, according to an amendment in the Bihar Municipalities Act, 2007. The state legislature, during its just concluded winter session, passed the amendment bill which directs the urban bodies to earmark at least 25% of their budget for the development of infrastructure for the urban poor.
Earlier, the Patna regional development authority was empowered to pass housing maps. If any construction is done without the approval of authorized architect, the house owner would be slapped a fine of Rs 50,000 and an imprisonment which may extend to one year.
Standing committees of the municipal bodies will be given more financial powers and urban bodies will put house number on each building. If the property is divided, later on, fresh numbers will be given by the municipal body concerned. According to the government, the amendments were necessitated in view of the loopholes pointed out by the courts and the comptroller and auditor general ( CAG), in its annual reports in the 2007 Act. Now, the urban bodies will also decide the annual rent value of the houses. The built-up area of any house would include the constructions within the boundaries, thickness of the walls, use of carpet area and also roofs on each floor of the buildings.
Under the amended law, municipal bodies will have to put street lights on every road and street. Municipal bodies will make arrangements for fire fighting, fire protection and also work for economic empowerment of urban poor and create opportunities for their livelihood.
Municipal bodies will not prepare deficit budget, according to the new provisions. The state government will create rules and regulations regarding appointment, service conditions, postings, transfer, promotions and disciplinary proceedings against the employees and officers of the municipal bodies. Standing committees will be empowered to allot, grant on lease and settle any immovable property of the urban bodies. This power is at present vested in the executive officers and municipal commissioners.
Municipal corporations will increase the holding tax on the constructions by 15% every five years. Urban bodies can revise the holding taxes even before five years. Taxes will be levied on the vacant plots if construction is not done within two years of its purchase. To encourage rainwater harvesting, the house owner will get 5% rebate on the holding tax if the equipment is installed on the building premises.


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The Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Core is located in the Hilton Building, Room 123. The main focus of this core is to apply high resolution NMR spectroscopy to the structural characterization of biomolecules, small organic compounds, natural products; investigation of biomolecular complexes including protein-protein, protein-nucleic acid and protein-ligand complexes; identification of metabolites in biofluids; and fragment-based drug screening.
The Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Core has one Bruker 600 MHz Avance NMR instrument that is equipped with four channels, a TXI cryo-probe and a room temperature probe, and one Bruker 700 MHz Ascend equipped with TCI cryoprobe and a sample jet can handle up to 480 NMR tubes for batch screening study. Both instruments are operated with HP workstations running the Linux operating system, have pulse shaping capability on three channels (1H/13C/15N), and 2H decoupling capability.


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Free budget planner
Get on top of your spending with a free budget planner.
Last updated:
Budgeting is difficult and unfortunately it doesn't get any easier as you get older and your financial commitments grow. Luckily in the digital age we live in there are a range of free budget planners that can help you get your finances under control. Free budgets planners are great online tools that can help you understand your financial position and make it stronger.
Why do you need a budget?
For a lot of people, organising their finances isn't a top priority. Perhaps it's because they're dealing with bigger problems, or they just keep pushing their budgets further down their to do lists. But even if you would describe your finances as 'just fine', there is always room for improvement. Budgets can help you see areas where you are spending too much or even reveal opportunities for savings. Budgets give you a detailed understanding of the health of your finances and ways to improve it.
- Family budgets
The bigger a family, the bigger their expenses. Families have a variety of incomes and expenses which need to be understood and managed. By using an online budget planner you can divide both your income of your partner's between the expenses of your family, including groceries, medical, insurance and of course entertainment. By understanding how your money is being spent you may find ways to save and you may even be able to afford a better car or a longer holiday. When you have a family things are never neat, especially when it comes to finances, but you can try to make accurate estimates of your expenses for a period of time and allow for unexpected costs. It's important to plan for long term events, such as sending your children to school or even just the cost of Christmas presents and a budget planner can help you to do that.
- Business budgets
Whether you are a small business owner, a partner in a firm or simply an employee, free budget planners can help you manage your business expenses. For business owners, the benefits are obvious. Successful business ventures involve meticulous planning and financial controls, all of which can be achieved by using a budget planning tool. You may become aware of expenses that were more than you planned, or you may see opportunities to save money. If you are trying to attract investors to your business they will want to see evidence of financial planning and controls, all of which you can manage using online budget planners. If you're an employee you can also manage and keep track of business expenses using free budget planners, making your life easier when it comes time for tax.
- Budgets for singles
When you are in a single-income household or only have yourself to worry about, then it is easy to fall into the trap of not budgeting. It seems like an easy option and if you are the only one affected from poor planning then it seems more manageable. It's common for individuals to only worry about savings when they have something to save for, like a holiday or a car. But you will be in a stronger financial position and may have access to those larger items sooner if you use online budget planners. Budgeting is a lot easier when it is only for one person and if you use these tools to plan your spending you can tailor it to suit your lifestyle. Having a budget will also give you a better idea of your financial situation and help you plan for your long term goals.
Where can I find a free budget planner?
There are a range of free budget planners available to use, most being available online or as a mobile app. If you have an Apple phone, be sure to check the App store and if you're an Android user you'll want to browse through the Play Store. If you want access to a budget planner online through your desktop computer or laptop, a quick web search will bring up planners from banks, the government and more.
Preparing your budget
Budget planners are all different, but they all generally need you to put in the same information. It is helpful to look at your income and expenses over a whole year, although most budget planners have monthly or weekly options available to suit your budgeting needs.
- Income
Your income includes your salary, part time or casual wages, your government benefits, child support payments and any money from investments. Your income is variable, but you can use last year's earnings to estimate.
- Expenses
Your expenses include regular repayments such as your rent or home loan, phone and electricity bills and car or public transport costs. If you are unsure of your expenses you can look at your bank statements, credit card statements, receipts and shopping dockets.
There are a variety of free budget planners available, so pick the one that best suits your lifestyle. For example, if you are always on the go and want an easy way to track expenses, you should probably use a mobile budgeting app, but if you want to print out your budget you should ensure your budgeting tool allows for this.
Using your budget planner
It's good to keep track of your continuing expenses once you have made your budget, either by printing it out or continuing to keep track of it online or on the app you're using. The longer you keep track of your spending, the more you will discover in your patterns of spending. The best way you can do this is to cut back on the extras or divide your income into more specific categories, such as setting aside specific expenses for a range of leisure activities like dinner or movies.
If you are using your budget for your business, you will need to keep a good record of expenses and you may want to have a more meticulous review of spending for business purposes. It's also common for expenses to increase as businesses grow, so you will need to review your budget regularly and account for changes to your financial situation. It's a good idea to redo or review your budget every three to six months or if you have a significant change in your income or expenses, for example if your rent increases or if you get a raise at work. Once you get into the habit of tracking your spending and saving you will be naturally more inclined to think over your financial choices.
What to do if…
- You have money left over
If you have managed to save money with your budget, first of all, make sure you can stick to it. If your budget shows a surplus you may want to let it sit for a month and see how manageable your budget is to stick to. If you've budgeted correctly and can maintain the surplus, there are many options for extra cash. You can choose to put it into a high interest savings account, you could look into investing, or even think about making your own super contributions. If you are in a business, you may want to consider ways to spend it to help the business.
- You're spending more than you can afford
The good thing about budgeting is that you can pick out your financial errors and then work towards fixing them. Firstly, check your budget to make sure you have all of your amounts correct and then check your expenses to see if there's anything you can reduce. If you are worried about debts, you may want to talk to a financial advisor or your bank who will be able to help you manage your finances.
Planning for your financial future is important for anyone, whether they are part of a business or planning for their own or their family's future. Free budget planners make this process simpler and can help you gain control of your finances.
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ERGOTRON 45-243-026 LX Wall Mount LCD Arm
With 3 User Reviews
Review Date: 04/14/15
Cons: Wall mounting bolt heads are too big for the bracket pockets.
Pros: Quality is evident but for the price...it should be.multi adjustableGood install instructionsIncludes all fasteners and zip ties
I received this thing in about 2 days which surprised me. Thanks NCIX!Install instructions are clear and easy to follow but why for the love of God have it fastened to the wall by 3/8ths by 2.5 inch lag bolts?!? I went for the wood install and I can tell you your socket won't fit in the opening for the bolt after you've got the bolt head in the pocket!!!! You have to see it to know what I mean... Do yourself a favour and either get smaller bolts or get some washers so the head of the bolt won't go completely into its pocket. If you do that though you probably won't get the plastic covers on. If your going to replace the lag bolts look for ones with a 7/16th inch head and no longer than 2 inches. Jeeeeez! This thing isn't going to hold up 500 pounds!Other than that it's a piece of cake to install if you're mechanically inclined. You can tell the unit is really well engineered and well built. A nice touch is that you don't have to use the second arm. In our install the second arm just wouldn't work because of how I had to mount it. So I pitched the second arm and it's connected via the one VESA arm. Works perfectly and is really adjustable.Highly recommended and for an easier 2x4 wood install try and get lag bolts with smaller bolt heads.
Review Date: 03/10/15
Cons: none
Pros: Holds position well, easy to adjust, looks good. Comes with thumb screws for easy mounting
I have three of these arms now plus one desk mounted version. The first two I bought over a year ago and have 24 inch monitors being supported. The position is easy to set and hold in place without having to constantly readjust. Included are a set of thumb screws that makes attaching the monitor much easier, no need for a screwdriver.
Review Date: 06/17/10
Cons: none to speak of.
Pros: This unit has great flexibility with ease of use and easy to install by yourself.
After receiving the boxes from NCIX I opened them up to find that thay were packed to travel, The shipping company was brutal with the boxes and i expected some damage but none was evident after complete unpacking.I found the whole system was built very strong and the finish on the parts was incredible.All the arms were polished aluminum and with the built in cable management system hiding the wires was easy. install of the two units was easy ( used to set up my eyefinity system) just bolt the wall adaptor to the wall and then assemble the parts on the mount! and then you can mount up to a 22" monitor that easy!! now i can rotate the two side panel's in portrait for picture editing or leave them in standard to game with.I looked at a lot of systems and this one from Ergotron is the best!!! Thay also have a triple monitor setup that will hold all three screens but that is not what i needed for my custom setup. Five stars is what i give this product well done Ergotron.P.S.you can see my custom rig by googling "ebcogs" this is my sit in race simulator.


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And here I stand before you with a shame face again.
If you remember, 2 weeks ago I had a bad weigh in—and that was ALL because of TOM. I had a really good week otherwise.
The next week, I struggled with getting on track and really never did. I was a bit relieved when I got stuck in the town I work in on weigh in day and another day after that—so I skipped weighing in that week.
This past week wasn't very good. The weekend was terrible and I started to get back on track Monday and Tuesday—but I didn't track!
So I weighed in this morning at 227.2—I have undone all of the weight loss I had accomplished in the first two weeks of January!! Almost all of that weight showed up on the scale on Monday of this week.
All of this back and forth. This week, I commit to tracking. I commit to staying within my points. And I begin this clean eating endeavor on Monday.
I do very well throughout the day. I have been eating too much at supper time. I have been dining out with my parents and try to make healthy choices but have been deterred by the bread basket a few times. Last night, we ate at a salad bar—so I'm not quite sure why I gained more this morning, but my stomach was all upset…so that might explain some of the gain.
No one can help me except me. Plain and simple. There have been so many times I keep thinking, maybe I should just stop blogging all together—I'm not getting anywhere! But then I realize if I stopped blogging, a lot of accountability would be gone. So even if I am a big stagnant and going back and forth—hopefully I won't gain more. Thank you for sticking by me through all of this. I PROMISE that someday I will get to goal.


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Sisters Act to hit stage with Nigerian cast
The musical, Sister Act, would be staged in Nigeria in the last quarter of the year. And to make the offering different from anyone staged in Nigeria before now, promoters of the show is not just getting technical input from very resourceful team of the Waterfront Theatre School of South Africa, it is also ensuring that the cast is expected to be an all Nigerian team.
Speaking on the show, the Executive Producer, Dr. Soji Akinkungbe, stated that the whole project was based on bringing quality performance to the Nigerian audience. According to him, he had nursed for many years the opportunity to let the Nigerian audience see what they would see on broadways in America or anywhere in the western world.
"So partnering with the Waterfront Theatre School, whose primary focus is teaching theatrical skills was the right thing. For me, it was the right partnership because they are developmental. They are not transactional, not out to just make money. We are all beneficiaries of teachers. Sister Act just happened to be the first show of many shows, and it is not just bringing international shows; we are going to be looking at raising local performance into an internationally acceptable standard."
Akinkungbe has got the right for the staging of Sister Act in Nigeria. He provided some insight. "Basically, people who write shows that become public, sell the right to the show, that means, they give you the whole script of how the show should be put up and you can own that right for a specific area.
"So, it could be Nigeria, Ghana, the idea is that by giving the right, it means people around the world can experience the same quality of show because they have given the manuscript for the show."
He said hopefully the show would be coming up in November or December and Nigerians should be expecting two things; an exceptional show of which they already know the story because most Nigerians have heard about the story, then they are going to see an all-Nigerian cast, which means that they will have a direct ownership of the show.
"If this show was being watched and you brought the cast from outside, people will say yes, but when you are able to see some of your local celebrities taking active part in the show, it then gives you your taste, and there is more of an ownership of that show. Even though it is a global show, it is now a localized one with the Nigerian cast."
Producer of the show is Elvina Ibru. Sharing her experience in being part of the project and producing it, she said the experience is almost like every other producing experience she has had.
"So, it is nothing extraordinary that I have not experienced before, but it is very exciting because we have a team of really brilliant teachers. And I emphasize that word, teachers, because we have a lot of brilliant directors in this country, but we do not really concentrate more on teaching and having the patience to teach.
"And from what I have seen in the past few days, the standard of patience and level of teaching expertise that these people have brought with them to produce something that will be completely outstanding to watch. What we do not lack in this country is talent; we are a very, very talented people.
"I am excited. This is the project, out of the many projects I have produced; that has brought me the most excitement."
She further said that participating in the audition process to pick the cast for the show was a great learning process for her.
"I learn everyday. I was trained abroad, so I was one of the lucky one, but I have learnt in the last three days of the audition, so you can never stop learning."
Co-coordinator of the Waterfront Theatre School, Delia Sainsbury, provided some narrative around the Sister Act, disclosing it was first produced as a movie and now on the stage as a musical. "It was first produced on broadway, then it went to London and now there are production rights for Sister Act all over the world."
She said the story around Sister Act is about a lady who got an abusive boyfriend and she tried to run away from him, because he was in a gang of rogues, so was scared of him. The lady ran away and took refuge in a convent and when she arrived the convent, she had to hide by being a nun.
And they did not know who she was, they believed she was nun but she smoke, drink, and sneaks out to bar, but she is basically a wonderful woman. While in the convent, hiding from the police and her boyfriend, she completely transformed the convent choir from a sort of downtrodden one to something really quite spectacular.
Sainsbury said anywhere the show goes to there are usually some adaptions because as an American musical, not all American humour travels. "So once we get into the hostel and start working with the Nigerian cast, we would see if there are certain things that needed to be adapted for the local audience."
She said the audience should be expecting a lot of fun, when they come to watch the musical. "We want to take them out of themselves, including taking away anything they are feeling down or miserable about.
"Sisters Act is a huge blast, it is a party; so we want them to come have a really good time; laugh, experience good music and high-energy show. We want them to really go home feeling good."
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In conversation with Dr. Hassan Elmrani – Moroccan-born Poet and Professor – residing in Dubai.
Educational background: Ph.D. in Arabic Literature and Orientalism. Went to Paris, France for 2 years of research on French Orientalists and their interest in Arabic Poetry. Also, studied at University of Mohamed I, founded in 1978 in Oujda.
Professional background: He critiques literary work. He writes articles in different magazines and newspapers associated with culture and literature. He has 30 books to his credit, written in the Arabic language and published from Morocco and Lebanon.
One evening, on Dr. Hassan Elmrani's kind invitation, when I met up with him and his daughter, Iitimad Elmrani at the Emirates Tower in Dubai, the idea was different than this interview. We were meeting for a cup of coffee to discuss Dr. Hassan Elmrani's magazines. As our general conversation developed on the literary scene, it was easy to recognize Dr. Hassan Elmrani's ceaseless passion for poetry and scholarly interests. What followed quickly is that we mutually decided that it would be equally suitable if Dr. Hassan Elmrani's life journey could be projected to my readers through the advantage of this meeting. To catch up more precisely with time, Iitimad, started translating in English to me – what her father was saying, mainly in Arabic. So, among the three of us the arrangement of interviewing the great man – Dr. Hassan Elmrani worked out well. Iitimad most attentively, filled in all the relevant spaces – helping the dialogue to grow smoother and faster.
Dr. Hassan Elmrani was born in Morocco in 1949, and he received his school and college education in Morocco. Arabic and French were the languages for his syllabus. Much later on, for higher studies, he went to Paris for 2 years for further research. He received the Ph.D. degree in the Arabic language from Rabat, the capital of Morocco. 'The French Orientalists studied Arabic Poetry, and why they studied it, I wanted to grasp their point of view', Dr. Hassan Elmrani explains. 'Throughout my studies, I found that the poets from the West were very fond of the Eastern civilization – right from Morocco to India. Victor Hugo, Goethe – the German dramatist and Pushkin from Russia are the examples. I was looking at what these literary masters had accomplished and given to society.'
Little by little, we began talking about Victor Hugo, Goethe, Pushkin and questions began. We talked how they were all highly celebrated names. Hugo was French whose literary fame comes from poetry and also originates from his novels. Goethe was a writer and a politician, and his work includes epic and lyric poetry, plus, prose and verse drama. Pushkin published his poems at the age of fifteen and didn't stop to be recognized by the time of his graduation!
When I asked Dr. Hassan Elmrani how his interest in poetry developed, his tone was nostalgic. 'My father used to recite religious poems. The poetry was love for God', he expressed softly. It was apparent, Omar Elmrani had succeeded in sowing the initial seeds of literary creation in his son. These seeds were to sprout in many ways because as a student, young Hassan became fond of theatre – writing scripts and acting during his academic years. In 1971, his first poem was published in an Arabic magazine: AQLAM – meaning, THE PEN. The title of the poem, literally translated in English would be: The Entrance to Ages of Sadness.
Dr. Hassan Elmrani continued on, and where he stopped, Iitimad picked up. As a daughter, she was as much immersed as I was to know about her father's experiences of life. I also learnt that she has four siblings – two brothers and two sisters; her parents married in 1977. Her mother followed the devout call as a conservative Muslim lady and has stayed at home – looking after the family.
Now Dr. Hassan Elmrani joined in. 'Fez is the cultural seat of Morocco and until 1912, it was the capital of Morocco. Rabat became the capital, later', he tells me. 'I spent many productive years gaining knowledge and experience in Fez and in the city of Oujda. One of the interesting things I found at the University level was that the poets I'd read about were my Professors now over here. For me, this was something fascinating, totally fascinating.'
I could imagine how good the environment was to influence the young man – Hassan. Human nature is about looking up to peers and feeling a sense of inspiration. Through the process, the same human nature nurtures warmth, understanding, regard. For that matter, from the much-loved-relationship between Iitimad and her father – I could see the same features of affection!
I learnt that prior to shifting to Dubai, Dr. Hassan Elmrani was coming to UAE on many occasions. As a scholar, he was participating in conferences which were literary and religious. 'They could be rounded as cultural', Dr. Hassan Elmrani tells me. I also learnt that some of the conferences were encouraged by the support of Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. 'Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan was very keen on the importance of cultural bonding. He encouraged such gatherings where people could mix and express.' I responded 'Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan was a great leader with a powerful vision. His vision has borne advancement of UAE in many ways.'
'How did you feel on arriving to settle in UAE?' I enquired from Dr. Hassan Elmrani. He replied, 'The first year of 2007 was dry from poetry. There was a vacuum. I felt for myself that there was no network. The limitations of starting a new life were there at first. Then, the new place became similar to back home. The year of 2007 was a year of 'storage', a year of 'storing' emotions and thoughts.'
Dr. Hassan Elmrani critiques literary work. He writes in different Arabic magazines and newspapers on cultural and literary subjects. He has 30 published books to his credit. His first book was published by Al Mishkat Publishing – an establishment which is always been waiting to discover talented Muslim writers breaking from the traditional fiction world.
Time and again, Dr. Hassan Elmrani recalls with pride the name of his University – University of Mohamed I, founded in 1978 in Oujda. And why not! In a report published in 2010, University of Mohamed I ranked among the top thirty-five in the line of the Arab world and achieved the third position, nationally.
Dr. Hassan Elmrani shares another point of remembrance. 'In 1971, I wrote a poem meaning: Light. You know, Goethe, when he was dying said, 'Light, light, give me more light'. He was a Christian. I am a Muslim. Whatever the creed, the true poet has the same thought of unity. My message, my mission is to spread light.'
I asked Dr Hassan Elmrani who came in the category of his favourite poets. He did not really have to think and said almost instantly, 'Rabindranath Tagore and Muhammad Iqbal – both from India, though Iqbal moved to Pakistan after India was partitioned in 1947. My creative mind has a leaning towards Indian culture.'
I certainly felt good hearing this!
I remembered Iqbal from my own college-going-years – he was a great poet of Persian whose Persian Couplets exceed about 50% of his Urdu verses – though he never chose the languages as a part of his courses during his school, college or university education. As for Tagore, his poetry matures with the influence of Bengali rural folk music, which includes mystic Baul Ballads. And his poem… where the mind is without fear… is a poem of beauty and might! I find it to be so invigorating.
Dr. Hassan Elmrani writes all types of poems, including: love, adoration and verse which is political in flavour. 'One day, I hope to compile the work of my 30 books in one book.' He says with a gentle conviction.
Concluding our conversation, I asked Dr. Hassan Elmrani for his advice for poets, and he said, 'Reading poetry of renowned poets is helpful. Modesty is paying. Relying on God is a reward by itself. Our creative mind gains when we are in touch with Allah.'
I asked him, 'Sir, what views would you like to give me and my readers about your poetry?' Dr. Hassan Elmrani replied, 'I am looking for the human side and what is commonly good between civilizations. What serves humanity anywhere in the world through poetry is, what I'm looking at. When I read poetry from east and west – I find and look for connectivity. See, Tagore also speaks about light for sake of light. Tagore is a Hindu. Iqbal who was a Muslim is saying the same things that Tagore is saying. As I said, Goethe was a Christian mentioning light and that's how it goes with poets and poetry. That goes with you and me, as well!'
There was much to gain from Dr. Hassan Elmrani – besides the memory of a beautiful, serene evening. Iitimad's eyes continued to sparkle as she and me were wrapping up the interview. All three of us were now set to meet Dr. Shihab Ghanem – our common friend – the renowned Emirati poet at his residence.
On our arrival at Shihab's place, our discussion on verse and music continued. That was the purpose! Shihab was in his usual elements of hospitality, joined by his daughter-in-law Iman Bawazir. Finally, we broke company when it was nearly mid-night… time to say farewell… till we meet again.
Q1. What has been the turning point of your life?
A The College period, my first educational trips, and living away from family, made me focus on new literature, especially, French literature from Classics to Romance. I memorized many poems of Lamartine & Verlaine & Paul Valery... I was transferred from the pure Arabic poetry to the international poetry through those poets. It effected the way I wrote my poems and that transformation increased during my University time at Fez – when I was introduced to Persian and Urdu poetry especially, Mohamed Iqbal who amazed me as a poet and a philosopher.
Q2. If you could go back in time what would you want to be?
A I would want to learn foreign languages mainly German, English and Persian to discover their literature… apart from this I have no regrets, whatsoever.
Q3. What are your future dreams?A After the sixties (in age) it may end the dreams of human beings, but there is a saying of the Prophet Mohamed (Peace be upon him.), that opens to us new Horizons to the future – whatever age we reach: "If the Final Hour comes while you have a palm-cutter in your hands and it is possible to plant it before the Hour comes, you should plant it." This means that there are still possibilities to fulfill some dreams of my youth… such as discovering other nations' literature… and mainly of Eastern nations, such as: India, Persia, China – because those literatures I assume, they suit the ambition to spiritual ascension & self-purifying – which the human seeks by the end of his journey. Dreams never stop as long as there is longing for life... what concerns me most is to make my poetry special and my writing in general – calling for freedom, love and peace.
Iitimad Elmrani – daughter of Dr. Hassan Elmrani is a researcher and broadcast journalist. She has experience working for BBC in London. She is currently working in Media and Cultural Diplomacy, and she is CEO of Heat Creative Media Group, which has their head office in Abu Dhabi with offices in India and Morocco. Iitimad has completed her education from Trinity and All Saints & Oxford Academy in UK.


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One Woman's Proposal to Halt the Violence in Syria
As more bodies pile up in Syria's besieged protest hubs, the international community has failed to find a solution to end the violence the U.N. estimates has killed more than 7,500 Syrians since an anti-government uprising broke out almost a year ago.
Over the past few months, one woman has driven the debate over whether and how the international community should intervene in the Syrian crisis. Former State Department Director of Policy Planning Dr. Anne-Marie Slaughter, in writing and in media appearances, has offered one of the clearest outlines for a possible foreign intervention in Syria.
FRONTLINE spoke with Dr. Slaughter about her proposal for foreign military intervention in Syria, her response to some of her critics and what she believes is at stake if the international community ignores the crisis.
You've argued for the need to intervene in Syria on the basis of the responsibility to protect (R2P) doctrine — that if a state systemically abuses its own citizens, the responsibility to protect them shifts to the international community. Why do you believe the international community has the responsibility to intervene in Syria? What's at stake?
There was tremendous cynicism about [the use of] R2P docrtine [to intervene] Libya. There were many people across the Middle East who said why Libya? Why not Bahrain? Why not Yemen? Now as it turns out, in Yemen there was another way of diplomatic settlement. Bahrain is a very specific set of circumstances, but also the magnitude of the killing in Bahrain is not nearly what we saw in Libya or what we are seeing now in Syria.
I think its very important to make clear, to the extent we can, that [R2P] is a not a political tool, but [a doctrine for when] a government is committing crimes against humanity and there is any way to stop them, the international community does everything it can, including the use of force if necessary, at least through assistance or sometimes the direct use of force to protect them. …
And here in Syria, it seems to me if you don't intervene, it could look to the world as though no one liked the Libyan government, and the international community was able to use [R2P] as a fig leaf for political reasons rather than as a serious doctrine.
The only chance we have long-term of really making governments think twice before they turn their guns on their own citizens, as is happening in Syria, is to give this doctrine some teeth.
The plan you've proposed is modeled around the need to create no-kill "buffer zones" along Syria's borders with Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon. How would those make a difference on the ground?
The first thing to say is the international community should support the Arab League and Turkey in assisting the Free Syrian Army [a loosely organized rebel force made up of disparate groups, including Syrian Army defectors] to create as many safe zones as possible alongside Syria's borders, and defend them before the Syrian Army tries to overrun them.
Any [protection] would be better than no protection at all, which is where we are now. But the goal is an ink blot humanitarian strategy, whereby by establishing some peaceful no-kill zones — where it's not just the opposition not being killed; it's no killing period — around population centers, there is the possibility of their growing and spreading, particularly if local army forces would not in fact fire against them.
The idea is that you start with a few, and you make them in places where all Syrians are safe. And then if Assad tries to overrun them, you provide some weaponry. If [Assad] is going to use heavy tanks and mortars, you could even use drones to take those out.
So the point is to put in motion enough assistance to allow a humanitarian alternative to what's happening now.
You mention giving the rebels some weaponry. What kinds of weapons and under what conditions?
My proposal is that you can create these zones near the borders. … But if you're going to establish these zones in population centers, you need anti-sniper weapons, you need some anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, but at least initially, you don't need huge floods of arms.
The point would be you would make contact with the local coordinating committees and groups of soldiers and provide the arms necessary to establish and then to defend a safe zone. The operations would be conducted with special forces on the ground, real time intelligence, and really targeting defense against troops moving on one of these kill zones.
So if you say this weapons assistance is contingent upon these groups taking defensive actions only, for example fighting off the Syrian Army, what is to prevent these rebels — as some of your critics have suggested they would do — from using those weapons for offensive actions, like targeting Syrian government buildings?
You would supply these arms for defensive purposes, but you cannot stop individual soldiers, once they have weapons, from firing them however they like. What you can do is develop a whole program, along the lines that I'm suggesting, that makes clear the intelligence, the assistance on the ground from special forces, the continuation of all of that, is dependent upon protecting these zones, rather than actively attacking government sites.
And at the same time, the political process is ongoing. This is all to the point of getting to a political solution while safeguarding as many lives as possible. The situation gets worse and worse every day, and we may have [let this go on] too far, but I think as long as there is any chance of a political settlement, combining diplomacy and humanitarian assistance, we have to keep pushing for it and doing everything we can.
Others, like Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), have suggested arming the Syrian rebels, as was done in Libya. Do you believe that's a good idea?
That really plays directly into Assad's hands.
From the beginning, Assad has described the [opposition] as armed groups and terrorists groups. He has wanted to say from the beginning that this was not peaceful protest; this was not what we've seen in other countries across the Middle East; this was something unique to Syria, armed and fomented from outside. So from my point of view, if outside powers start sending in arms in to different groups — and remember, there are many different groups; The Free Syrian Army is an umbrella label, not a disciplined force — you are absolutely creating what [Assad] says he's fighting, and it delegitimizes the ability of neighboring states to act because it's no longer a government that's massacring people who are largely peaceful.
So how is your plan to provide some weapons assistance different from these other calls to arm the rebels? Why doesn't this also play into Assad's hands?
My proposal would take place in the context of a formal plan — adopted by the Arab League and Turkey and endorsed by many other countries — to create humanitarian zones and to enable the people on the ground through direct assistance — both weapons, intelligence and some special forces — to create those zones.
The difference is in terms of the [specific] context of what is the plan, what is the overall goal, what kinds of weapons would be supplied under what conditions; whereas their proposal is you send in whatever arms are needed to wage a civil war.
You've said Turkey is in the best position to show the Assad regime how serious the international community is. Turkey raised the idea of creating a "buffer zone" along its border with Syria several months ago. Why has it yet to do so?
Turkey is afraid that if it actually sends troops over the border, that Syria will take that as an act of war and respond on Turkish territory, which is an enormous escalation of the current conflict.
What should Turkey be doing right now?
I think Turkey should be actively working with the Arab League to develop this kind of a plan. This plan has to be at least approved by [both].
Turkey keeps talking about doing something like a buffer zone, but then they actually have to push to the next step. Because what's happened is [the Arab League and Turkey have] called for the political transition and nothing has happened. They've sent in monitors, and that didn't work. They have to take the next step.
Turkey is a critical country because it's going to get flooded with refugees. There are already some 70,00 refugees in Lebanon, and there would be equally that many in Turkey. And it's up to Turkey, as the biggest neighboring country, to keep the pressure up.
The countries in the neighborhood are the most affected and have the greatest legitimacy to act. The UN charter talks about threats to peace and security, either international or regional, and an ongoing civil war in Syria rapidly becomes a threat to regional peace and security. So Turkey, Jordan — and Iraq can say they're interested — Saudi Arabia, the Gulf states, they are all in the region and bear the brunt of stabilization, refugees and conflicts spilling into their territory.
I think Turkey [is also unique because it] has also asserted its status as an important power and made clear that it was wants to play an active role in the Middle East. One of the responsibilities of leadership is taking action.
A major obstacle for international consensus on intervention has been fears of Syria's increasingly fractured opposition. Syria's most high-profile opposition group, the Syran National Council, split last week. What can be done to unite Syria's opposition?
The best way to unite Syria's opposition is just the force of events and the recognition on the part of the Syrians themselves that unless they bury their differences, they can't get any assistance. There's nothing individual countries can do to unite them. But we can create conditions where there's a payoff for doing that, whether that is diplomatic recognition or other kinds of assistance.
In Syria, I would say, that working as closely as possible with the local coordinating committees [local opposition groups on the ground] to the extent you can.
Unlike in Libya, I think there is much more of a contrast here between outsiders and insiders. Remember in Iraq, you had exiled communities versus people on the ground. And in Libya, the people in Benghazi were the people on the ground. … I think the value of the Syrian National Council [which was created largely outside of Syria and is made up of many expatriate Syrians] is more as part of a political strategy, that there is an interlocutor, that there's a group who can say to minority communities across Syria that here is our transition plan, here's a draft constitution. That's the kind of thing that the National Transitional Council did in Libya, but that was part of a political process.
When it comes to actually humanitarian assistance on the ground, I would work through the people on the ground. There are I think at least 14 local coordinating committees who are doing the best they can under incredibly difficult circumstances.
One criticism has also been the failure on the part of these groups to reach out to Syria's minority groups — Christians, Alawites, Druze and Kurds — and convey to them their place in a post-Assad Syria. When can be done about that?
I do think that ultimately if some kind of plan can be issued for transition, or if the Syrian National Council endorses an Arab League plan which guarantees that minority rights will be respected, it is possible that peacekeepers could be deployed, absolutely, during early days to prevent revenge killings.
My proposal was also essentially not just to tell minority communities [their rights will be respected], but to show them by example. If you can create zones where there is no killing, you can demonstrate that this again is not sectarian, but political in ways that I think frankly might have more impact than any amount of words.


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Meet Stephanie Ford, your new Club de Soleil GM!
We are pleased to announce the promotion of Stephanie Ford to resort general manager. Stephanie's advancement augurs great things for the resort, which will flourish under her leadership and benefit from the industry experience she brings to the job.
Stephanie followed her father, a San Diego resort general manager, into the hotel business when she was 15. Her career has moved steadily upward ever since, with Stephanie assuming positions of increasingly greater responsibility along the way – including assistant general manager of Tahiti, our sister resort, in 2008.
We felt her loss when she left in 2013 to run a hotel property in Alberta, Canada, fulfilling her "before 30" goal of becoming a resort general manager. We welcomed her back in 2015, when she returned – thanks to a flood that closed her Alberta hotel – to take the vacant assistant general manager position at Club de Soleil following a stay as Flamingo Las Vegas hotel operations manager.
Her experiences in Canada and at the Flamingo were instrumental in Stephanie's development as a leader and convinced us she was the right person for Club de Soleil.
"I learned about my strength to manage in crisis and felt more confident as a person and as a leader," Stephanie said of her time in Canada, "and at the Flamingo, I was able to experience all the intensity the Strip has to offer."
One of Stephanie's primary goals for Club de Soleil is maintaining our record of excellent customer service.
"Training and development is near and dear to my heart," she said, "and I plan to take time with our team to ensure our owners enjoy the best possible experience during their stay."
We have every confidence that Stephanie will succeed.


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Reviewed by: Christine Oka, Research & Instruction, Northeastern University Libraries, Boston, MA
Sociology of Development is published quarterly by the University of California Press for "the promotion and encouragement of intellectual diversity within the study of development." All manuscripts are submitted electronically and undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process. In the inaugural issue, the article, "The Sociology of Development: From Modernization to the 'Institutional Turn'" mentions the contributions, contradictions, and the development of the sociology of development: "Sociology's contribution to the study of international development registers several notable contradictions. On the one hand, it has produced over the years many significant contributions, engaging the minds of some of the discipline's most distinguished scholars. On the other hand, development never achieved a central role in the discipline, particularly in the United States. Until recently, there was no section of the American Sociological Association specifically devoted to this topic." With the rapid growth of the Sociology of Development section of the American Sociological Association, and a sociology of development research committee of the International Sociological Association, Sociology of Development provides an outlet for the international scholarly community on issues of development, such as "economic development and well-being, gender, health, inequality, poverty, environment and sustainability, political economy, conflict, social movements and more." The articles demonstrate this disciplinary range; in "From Pangaea to Partnership: The Many Fields of Rural Development," the author describes her analysis of rural development in Mozambique through many disciplines, including political economy, development, science and technology studies, and agrarian studies." Another article, "Development Sociology at the Subnational Scale: Open Questions about State and Market Processes Across the United States" examines "state and market forces that contribute to spatial inequality and uneven development." It also identifies challenges facing research around theoretical and policy issues on poverty and prosperity in the United States and asks questions for directing future research. These are examples of the distinctly interdisciplinary content. Articles are very well-written and accessible not only to practiced scholars but to students.
The UC Press platform is well-organized-- there are links for two formats: Books and Journals. Once one chooses the subject and selects the journal title, there is a basic search box and Advanced Search, which also includes options for searching citation, DOI, authors and keywords. All content is available in html as well as PDF format with sidebar table of contents links, menu options for output (email, print, share with a permalink), alerts and citation tools (linking to a dozen citation manager formats). The sidebar also parses the article content, making it easy to browse (depending on one's research) to the good parts. This feature is helpful for both experienced researchers as well as undergrads. Sociology of Development is, as its Editors have promised, the flagship journal for development sociologists.


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Thermoplastic fibres are man-made fibres, created by extruding polymer materials through spinnerets, forming a filament. Melt spinning is the most commonly used process. Centexbel-VKC focuses its research and development in this field mainly on:
- renewable, bio-based, sustainable alternatives for oil-based thermoplastics
- improvement of their properties to match and even surpass the ones of conventional materials
- functionalisation of thermoplastic fibres (chemical, physical, nano-technology)
- creation of bio-based prepregs and high-end fibre-reinforced or self-reinforcing composites suited to the most stringent mechanical requirements
- implementation of new technologies (e.g. Additive Manufacturing) in conventional processes
- recycling and closed-loop approach and Life Cycle Analyse
New biopolymer types require the development of appropriate processing conditions and additive selection to maximise the specific properties offered by these new polymers such as PLA (PolyLacticAcid), PHA's (PolyHydroxyAlkanoates), PHB (PolyHydroxyButerate), PBS (PolyButyleneSuccinate), TPS (ThermoPlastic Starches) or PEF (PolyEthyleneFuranoate). At present, PLA is the most economic biopolymer and available in the highest amounts. The majority of the research projects are directed to the use of this biopolymer in textile applications.
Some research results:
Agrotextiles from renewable resources with tailored biodegradability
"BIOAGROTEX" was one of the first large-scale projects on biopolymers, coordinated by Centexbel. The project aimed at developing fully biobased agrotextiles, exploiting the specific properties of biopolymers such as PLA to be composted after its normal lifetime. To those agrotextiles requiring a guaranteed lifetime of several years, but preferentially have to be composted after reaching its end-of-life, this polymer can offer an attractive solution. In the project we succeeded in defining appropriate grades and processing conditions for production of fibres, monofilaments and tapes, which fulfilled the requirements of the specific applications.
Based on the positive results, several industrial partners launched specific new biobased Agrotextiles into the market; amongst others:
• DURACOVER® – Bonar Technical fabrics: Woven groundcovers from PLA tapes.
• HORTAFLEX® – DS Textiles: needlefelt groundcovers from PLA fibre
• FILBIO®PLA –Texinov: Knitted insect screens from PLA monofil
The products have been successfully implemented in the market and a market growth is expected in those countries where public procurement rules define the use of biodegradable or more ecologic, sustainable products, especially in the case of large public projects (railways, highways, public green space, … ).
Biobased PLA yarns with high mechanical properties
Since petrol-based polymers have been perfected over several decennia to suit the most divergent applications, developments in biobased end products are needed to equal the properties of e.g. PP or PA products. To that purpose, Centexbel has defined an adapted set of extrusion conditions and PLA grades resulting in yarns with similar mechanical properties as e.g. PP yarns.
The figure on the left summarises the mechanical properties of PLA yarns (strength and elongation at break) that have been produced on Centexbel's pilot extrusion line. PLA grades and settings that were the original reference, show a maximum strength of about 26 cN/tex. From 25 cN/tex onward, the elongation at break was limited to less than 20%, due to the higher draw ratio.
The newly defined settings result in significantly stronger yarns (up to 38 cN/tex) and the possibility to set a higher elongation at break (up to 35%). Both the grades by Natureworks and by Corbion are suited to this purpose.
By means of an adapted process setup it is even possible to obtain strengths of more than 50 cN/tex, introducing PLA yarns in the range of high tenacity PET yarns. The high strength is not limited to a specific PLA grade. However, to obtain this strength, a very specific extrusion process needs to be used that is not available in most Belgian fibre extrusion companies.
The static shrinkage of PLA yarns has also been reported as being rather high. Adapted process settings can limit this feature. A higher temperature of the stabilisation roller (around 135-150°C) is an important factor. Centexbel succeeded in limiting the static shrinkage (measured after pre-treatment at 100°C) to 4.5%.
Recycled biopolymers with good mechanical properties
Melt recycling, in which waste fraction is applied in a new extrusion step is the most obvious recycling option. Centexbel has proved that it is possible to mix PLA-based monofilaments after pelletizing in a concentration of minimum 10% with virgin PLA without the need of adapting the extrusion conditions. The slightly lower viscosity of the PLA recyclate has no influence on the processing. There is no influence on the mechanical properties of the yarns either.
Even when the PLA recyclate belongs to a different PLA grade than the matrix to which it is added, the mechanical properties are similar to the ones of yarns without recyclates.
The practical application of the test results has been demonstrated by dosing several biopolymer-based textiles in a concentration of 10% during a second extrusion step. The effects on the mechanical properties of the new fibres were minimal: similar resistance to tear (at most -10%) and a similar elongation at break.
Centexbel also demonstrated the valorisation of these textile products as recycled matter for injection moulded products.


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There are roughly 14.8 billion ears worldwide. Every ear - even your left from your right - is unique, special, and different.
Just last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults are at risk of hearing loss. And it's estimated that 15% of the world's population already has some degree of hearing loss. That's 1 in 7 people! A lack of hearing health awareness represents an enormous burden for people around the globe, though it disproportionately affects those in low and middle income areas.
Adapted from data in: Stevens, Gretchen, et al. "Global and regional hearing impairment prevalence: an analysis of 42 studies in 29 countries." The European Journal of Public Health 23.1 (2013): 146-152.
The cost of hearing loss is estimated at hundreds of billions of dollars each year in decreased productivity, unrealized tax revenue, and expensive disability services. People living in developing countries represent a significant number of those affected, with hazardous working conditions and limited access to general health care getting in the way of the most basic methods of prevention. And in many instances, social and cultural stigmas keep affected individuals from both seeking and receiving the help they need.
#HereTogether is a movement aimed at bringing hearing health to the forefront of a global conversation. As technology, accessibility, attitudes, and culture have evolved, innovation in hearing health and the perception around assistive hearing technologies have remained painfully stagnant. The world cannot ignore this any longer, and it's time to recognize the far reach of hearing disabilities, beyond the aging population.
Global Citizens: join the campaign to spread awareness about the importance of hearing health. We cannot stand by and let our communities suffer financially and socially any longer.
A beautiful story to share on World Hearing Day remind us why hearing loss matters. Read more
"Right now I don't think I hear that well. I'm wearing hearing aids that cost $12K. That's a car." Read more
Hearing loss affects 600 million worldwide. Read more
Start with sending a letter. Read more
At one point, as a young adult, I had to make the choice between paying my rent or new hearing aids. Read more


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tonight i was a-chatting with ben on the internets (he's in vancouvaaahhh until sunday) & my computer was acting really spotty. it's pretty old & kinda slowly breaking down day by day - you'll notice in the picture below it's got all these lines running down it like wrinkles on a face. poor computer. anyway, we were skyping, the connection was spotty & the picture kept freezing. & here let me take a quick detour: something about ben is that he's the leanest packer ever. he'll be going out of town for two weeks & fit everything into an ever-lovin' carry-on. it blows me away every time because i only wish i could be that conservative in my packing. so i'm always interested in all the different outfit combinations he can make out of a carry-on sized wardrobe. now back to the main story: at one point in our conversation tonight, i asked him, "so, which of your two pairs of pants you brought are you wearing today?" & then this happened:
...aaaaaand my computer froze with this picture on the screen for about five minutes. eventually we had to just end the skype conversation & re-log back on. the magical pants picture was gone, but it would linger on in my memory forevermore...& on this blog. the end.