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Every potential customer interacting with your company might need to interface with your employees and understand what needs to be done to create a better platform for communication and understanding of your unique value and solutions.
The question is what is the biggest source of frustration for my employees? Are we making it simple to service our clients, or are we creating situations where our employees spend time trying to navigate back-end systems that makes the whole process tedious for all involved.
We need to review the customer journey based on their interactions and ask ourselves: are we easy to do business with, or are contracts long and difficult? is interaction slow? and are the response times weeks instead of days?
A major reason for employees leaving companies is simply due to the frustration of having to understand technology to get their job done. They often have to take long training cycles just to get their minds round the systems, and then once they have understood all these systems, they have to tackle exclusions and discrepancies between the different information streams in the company.
Systems that offer employees information at their fingertips and eliminate the daily mundane tasks will make all the difference – rather than leave, staff could actually remain with the company and build a long-term career with the business.
Why not automate the business processes that create frustration and develop the capacity of your employees to solve business problems and could give you the competitive edge.
Who knows your company better than the people on the coal face? Hearing all the complaints and understanding the difference small changes to your product could make in terms of market adoption, or simply resolving some of the product problems before they arise by adapting the offering.
Are you listening to your employees and understanding their view of the customer journey? We all understand the importance of the customer experience, and the retention of those core clients, the question is: are we creating the ecosystem for our employees to grow into brand ambassadors?
Are your employees so fixated on solving problems, and replicating mindless tasks that they are never able to think for themselves, take initiative and use the opportunity to innovate your business with you.
Your company might need creativity and innovation to move to the next level in the market and beat competitors, but some of the most innovative people are leaving your company either because of menial labor that could and should have been automated, or they feel their opinions and input is not taken seriously.
Understanding business process automation from a holistic point of view, and finding a vendor and partner that is able to look at your business and help you understand the benefits of deploying technology will give you a competitive advantage.
Cutting edge technology partnered with industry trends is not good enough to make you a market leading world beater, you will also need to innovate like never before and enabling every person in your business to contribute to your vision could be the next disruptive edge you've been looking for.
It is important to only automate business processes that changes the journey of the customer, and makes life better for those employees you want to retain. Innovation always needs to precede automation, otherwise you might end up with IT systems that create work you never anticipated and bottlenecks that could be more detrimental to your bottom line.


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Sunday – June 22, 2014 – Read the Word on Worship
Introduction to 1 John from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.
Word On Worship – Sunday – June 22, 2014 Download / Print
1 John 5:13-15
"These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him."
Watchman Nee, in his very helpful book, What Shall This Man Do?, suggests that these three ministries of John, Peter, and Paul can be distinguished by, and are characterized by, the tasks that each of these men were performing when they were called of God.
Peter, for instance, was called as a fisherman, and we are told in the Gospels that the moment of his call occurred when the Lord found him casting a net into the sea. That work of fishing for men is characteristic of the Apostle Peter. He is always beginning things, initiating new programs. To him was committed the keys of the kingdom by which he could open the door to the new things God was introducing. On the day of Pentecost he used one of those keys and as a result caught 3,000 fish in his gospel net. You find that characteristic of this man all through his written ministry.
To the Apostle Paul, however, was committed a different task. When Paul was called he was a tent maker. He made things. He built things. This, then, was the ministry committed to the Apostle Paul. He is a builder. He not only lays the foundation, but he builds upon it. He calls himself "a wise master builder" and to this man, this mighty apostle, was committed the task of building the great doctrinal foundation upon which the Christian faith rests.
But John is different than both of these. When John was called he was found mending his nets. John is a mender. His written ministry comes in after the church has been in existence for several decades, and at a time when apostasy had begun to creep in. There was need of a voice to call people back to the original foundations and that is the ministry of the Apostle John. He calls men back to truth. When we begin to drift, when some false concept creeps into our thinking or into our actions, it is John who is ordained of the Lord to call us back, to mend the nets and to set things straight. The apostle John wrote the epistle First John against the backdrop of influential false teachers to help believers know that their faith was genuine and that they possessed eternal life in Jesus Christ. His great emphasis is on the differences between the genuine Christian and the spurious, and how to discern between the two. John wants us to know our salvation with certainty!

subset: commoncrawl


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Table on Revised Pension of Pre 2016 Retirees wef 1-1-2016 (Based on Chapter 10.1 & Pay Matrix as per 7th CPC Report) by NP Mohan President RSCWS-
NOTE: Based on the recommendations of 7th CPC vide Para 10.1.67 of its Report, an ALL-IN ONE table for pension has been prepared from where the likely pension can be determined easily.
· The table covers all the 5th CPC scales from S 4 to S 29 (except S 6) grouped in 4 PBs after 6th CPC. These have been assigned Levels 1 to 14 in the matrix table by 7th CPC.
· The table also gives pension for pensioners falling in 3 age groups i.e. upto 80 years and with additional pension @ 20% and 30% after the age of 80 and 85 respectively.
· Since the pension as per option 2 may take time, the pension as per option 1 (with a factor of 2.57) may be paid in the first instance as an interim measure.
· Pension as per option-1 is to be calculated on the basis of pension as fixed after 6th CPC. This being different for pensioners retiring from the same scale, the figures in the table under option -1 are according to the minimum revised basic pension as per DOP OM dated 30-7-2015. The Pension is to be finally fixed at the higher of the two Options.
· In some levels like levels 6, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14, there is no common min revised pension as per 6th CPC (differing with each scale though GP is same). The table can accommodate only one figure. Therefore, in such cases lowest of the figure has been taken as representative of the respective level.
Compiled by N.P . MOHAN C.E (Retd.) Railways & President RSCWS


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SOPHIE Shares "Lemonade" From Forthcoming 12"
Photo by Masha Mel
SOPHIE: "Lemonade" (via SoundCloud)
Enigmatic producer SOPHIE, whose single "Bipp" was one of our favorite songs of 2013, is readying another new release. The new 12" featuring "Lemonade" and "Hard" is out August 4 via Numbers—find the A-side above. It will be out digitally and on limited edition vinyl.
He's also announced a new batch of tour dates—find them below.
Revisit our Rising interview with Sophie.
08-02 London, England - Visons Festival
08-08 Los Angeles, CA - Club Nokia *
08-09 Palm Springs, CA - Splash House Festival
08-09 Los Angeles, CA - Club Nokia *
08-11 Los Angeles, CA - Club Nokia *#
08-31 Glasgow, Scotland - The Last Big Weekend
09-06 Long Island City, NY - MoMA PS1 Warm Up !@$
09-12 Dallas, TX - Gorilla vs Bear IV %&
- with Flume
with the Range
! with Evian Christ
@ with Lone
$ with Forest Swords
% with Panda Bear
& with Blues Control


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Slidebean presentations are created easily and in short time. If you are looking for some examples of how good a presentation can be, click on the button and discover some beautiful presentations created with Slidebean.
Remember you can create unlimited presentations and work with our professional Templates. Go ahead, start creating better presentations 😎


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How You Might Be Tracked for Ads in a Post-Cookie World
The Web cookie may be dying, but that doesn't mean it's the end of consumers being tracked online.
An industry group representing online publishers that are supported by advertising published a white paper Tuesday that examined how online ads would function in a world without "cookies," the small pieces of code that track people's web browsing. In the paper, called "Privacy and Tracking in a Post-Cookie World," the Interactive Advertising Bureau also explores technologies that could replace the cookie.
The upshot: Most replacements for the cookie shift control of the basic technologies of online tracking from large websites and marketers to web giants, namely Google and Apple.


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Google Calico, a biotech company for research and development pertaining to aging and the diseases related to it; was founded on September 18, 2013, by Google (now Alphabet) and Arthur D. Levinson. Calico is derived from the acronym for 'California Life Company'. As of 2015, Google announced restructuring into Alphabet; making Google and Calico its subsidiaries, amongst others.
C4 Therapeutics develops drugs based on Targeted Protein Degradation (TPD). Their focus is to target the difficult diseases and develop different therapies for serious conditions. C4 Therapeutics, on March 23; announced a five-year partnership with Calico on its official website. This collaboration is mainly to discover and develop along with commercializing the new therapies; that are helpful in treating diseases related to aging, as well as cancer. The companies are not aiming for a life-saving elixir, but for developing drugs to prevent the diseases.
Collaboration of Two Major Biotechs – Google Calico and C4T
Given the fact that Google Calico is stealthy in nature; it has maintained that it will not disclose the financial and detailed deals and targets of the collaboration. Previously, the San Francisco biotech company has signed deals relevant to various life sciences with many companies and institutes. Calico's deal with California's QB3 explores the science behind age-related diseases and longevity. It has also collaborated with academic institutions like MIT's Broad Institute, University of California/San Francisco, and Harvard for research at the discovery stage; and with companies like 2M, the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, and AbbVie.
These two life sciences companies will notably collaborate to discover and develop the protein degraders as therapeutic agents. Basically, this partnership is a combination of Calico's expertise over the years; and C4 Therapeutics advancement in biochemistry, pharmacology, and chemistry, etc. Google Calico will head the responsibility of the clinical development of medicines developed and its commercialization. While the responsibility of discovery and research will be on the shoulders of C4 Therapeutics.
Development of New Therapeutics
The research will be carried out at the labs of both the biotechs; at Calico's CA labs in San Francisco, and at C4T's labs in Cambridge, MA. A fleet of scientist ranging from fields like drug development, molecular biology, system biology, and medicine; to the fields of computational biology, DNA and genetic research will work on the same.
Cancer and researches related to this disease have remained a fervent topic for a very long time now. Many life sciences, pharmacy companies, and system biology researchers have explored the vast horizons of Cancer. The partnership of Calico and C4T will not only develop therapeutics for Cancer; but also for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's amongst other age-related diseases. With the World Cancer Day held just last month and every year on February 4; the news of this collaboration is another significant hope for the advancement in research involving Cancer and other age-related horrendous diseases.
New Rays of Hope
The President and Chief Scientific Officer of C4T, Andrew Phillips; mentioned that they are thrilled to partner with Calico to pioneer novel therapeutics. Additionally, Hal Barron, the President of Research and Development at Calico; expressed that it is a challenge to find the effective pharmacologic inhibitors for the biologically well-validated targets in cancer as well as other diseases. He added that the alternative strategy which specifically targets degradation proteins; will give the opportunity of identifying and developing new therapeutics.
Calico and C4T will jointly pursue the pre-clinical experiments for small molecules of protein degraders. They have a sky soaring goal to achieve, and we believe that their expertise and clinical assistance will help them do so over the years.


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United States NOT Founded on Christianity or Religion
The First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances".
Republicans are wrong when they say the United States is a Christian Nation and expecting every person who holds a position in government should be a Christian. The founding fathers were against the US Government being intertwined with Religion as shown in the above video containing quotes from our Founding Fathers.
The above video compilation has quotes from John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine about religion.
Religion makes people STUPID by brainwashing them into believing things which cannot be proven to be true. This is why Republicans can LIE to their base and get away with it. People who vote for Republicans are used to being lied to and accepting things which defy truth and logic.
The Republican party has made abortion a key issue which makes millions of stupid people MINDLESSLY vote for Republicans.
What most "Christians" don't know is there were many other "Jesus" figures going back thousands of years.
I was raised Catholic. When I was constantly told you must believe in and worship "Jesus Christ" in order to be accepted into heaven, I concluded by the time I was 14 that was a ridiculous claim and belief. That means everyone who practices other religions or no religion would be going to hell… and that is a stupid idea.
I always found the idea that Jesus died for our sins to be an illogical claim which made no sense. The fact that we make mistakes and are imperfect means we were designed with flaws which make us imperfect and that is that fault of our creator(s).
A list of some U.S. house of worship shootings since 2012
Some fatal shootings that have happened at U.S. houses of worship since 2012: Nov. 5, 2017: Dressed in black tactical-style gear and armed with an assault weapon, 21-year-old Devin Kelley opened fire at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas, killing 26 people and wounding about 20 others.
If there were a God who watched out over each of us, he would protect us and not allow worshipers to be shot & killed in churches ("Gods House")… he would not have allowed catholic priests to abuse kids, he would not allow children to be killed as they were at Sandy Hook or recently in their High School in Parkland Florida, he would not allow children to abused by their parents… he would not allow women to be raped
The fact that Unspeakable horrors happen to people every day with no intervention proves there is no God who listens, cares or acts upon prayers.
There may be an intelligent "God" energy which created everything but it's clear this "God" energy doesn't get involved in each of our personal lives. This entire planet is but a grain of sand in a gigantic universe.
It is clear there is a purpose to life… and there is life after death by the many accounts from people all over the world who has had near-death experiences. Religion has nothing to do with weather someone will going to "heaven or hell".


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When you're writing a novel, you generally have three acts. The first is to introduce the doorway and the challenge/opposition. By the time you get to the third, you're ready to bring things to a head and give your novel an ending. What a lot of writers struggle with is the journey, the middle, the part where you are heading toward the end. Sometimes, it ends up with no excitement. On Tuesday, I gave you ways to add to your skinny tale. Now we're gonna talk about ways to slim it down if it's too heavy.
- Cut out the boring. If you find the story lacking tension, take some of the scenes out. These can be reaction scenes, dialogue, or scenes lacking conflict. If your editor might lose interest, cut it down or cut it out.
- Take away a subplot. You can absorb a subplot into the main plot to strengthen it, or combine two subplots into one to make things more interesting for the reader.
- Kill someone off. That's right, kill them. Maybe they're stealing the spotlight from the main character or maybe you just decide their motives aren't for the purpose of good. As an alternative, you can combine two secondary characters and make them into one strong character.
If you craft act two well, you have the opening for a killer ending. You can put your protagonist through hell only to have them be rewarded for their struggles. Or, you can always have your protagonist fail. Some of those endings make a so-so book one that's remembered.
What exercises do you use to trim the fat?
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!


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There are as many American public school educations as there are students. One shared factor that affects a vast number of them, however, is race. Its impact drives the four narrative features in this week's Education Issue. But numbers can tell their own stories too. The statistics here suggest how much has changed — and not changed — in the more than 60 years since the Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education was supposed to make education equally accessible to all Americans.
The racial makeup of the U.S. school system is shifting. Public schools are seeing surges in the enrollment of students of color; Latinos are leading the increases, while the numbers of white students are shrinking. In Washington private schools are majority white, as fewer black students have enrolled over time.
Over the course of decades, court-ordered desegregation led to more diverse student bodies in Southern schools. But after integration peaked in 1988, courts began releasing schools from their mandates, and segregation began to take hold again. The trend extends beyond the South, too: Metropolitan districts from California to New York are seeing higher and higher concentrations of black and Latino students in certain schools.
Schools filled with students of color receive less funding, but employ more inexperienced teachers. Accelerated programs and classes remain less accessible for black and Latino students — and their inability to tap these resources can lead to the further stratification of classes by race.
New York City's highest middle-school test scores in English come from a majority-white-and-Asian district; its lowest come from a nearly all black and Hispanic district. However, attendance at specialized high schools in New York almost always leads to on-time graduation, and pre-kindergarten programs have proven to be remarkably beneficial for black children.


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Today we have a guest blogger with us, authors Amie & Bethanie Borst. I hope you enjoy getting to know more about their debut novel Cinderskella by Jolly Fish Press. Amie has given us ten things we didn't know about her. Enjoy!
Ten Things You Didn't Know About Me (Amie Borst)
1) I love pink. Anything pink. My first grade teacher named me "The Pink Lady" – not much has changed!
2) Daises are my favorite flowers. They were in my wedding bouquet and I knew they had to be placed in Cinderskella. They're simplistic and homey feeling.
3) I started college when I was 16 but I've never really thought I was smart.
4) When I was 18 I was the lead singer in a garage band named Velcrow Puppies. I was told I sounded like Natalie Merchant (10,000 Maniacs) but the world will never really know!
5) I love chocolate. For years I wouldn't eat anything but milk chocolate, but now I'm a fan of dark. I prefer it without any fussiness – just straight up chocolate. If I could take it in an IV, I would!
6) Given the chance to travel anywhere in the world, I would go to Ireland.
7) I don't work on my novels every day. I write when I feel inspired or when I have a deadline. But I do "practice" daily, whether it be blog posts, story charts or character interviews, I try to be constructive. I've never been one of these people that has to do something every single day. Even when I was a musician, I didn't compose daily, but I did hone my craft with scales or favorite songs.
8) If I could change one thing about me, I'd try to focus more on the things that matter.
9) I don't like revealing things about myself.
10) This was a really hard blog post to write.
Cinderskella (Scarily Ever After #1) is available in paperback and ebook formats at B&N and Amazon.
Genre: MG Paranormal
Goodreads Link
Description: Cindy is just a normal, average girl. At least until she wakes up one night to find out she is dead. Well, she isn't technically dead—she just doesn't have any hair, nose, or . . . skin. Yep, she is a skeleton—all bones and no body.
Human by day and skeleton by night, Cindy is definitely cursed. It doesn't help that her mother recently died, only to be replaced by an evil stepmother who makes her do gross things like eat liver and clean rooms with only a toothbrush. It really doesn't help that her father is scared of her strange nightly body appearance and that there's no way she can attend the school dance "dressed" like a skeleton.
What ensues is a hysterical tale of a young girl who, while coping with the loss of her mother, embarks on a journey of self-discovery, love, and forgiveness, all the while learning to deal with an evil step-mother and her "skeletal" abnormalities.
Author Bio: Amie and Bethanie Borst are a mother-daughter writing team. Amie believes in Unicorns, uses glitter whenever the opportunity arises, accessories in pink and eats too much chocolate. Bethanie is a spunky 13 year old middle-schooler who loves archery, long bike rides and studying edible plant-life. Cinderskella is their first book together and is part of the Scarily Ever After series.


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To build a successful mathematics program, mathematics leaders must establish a cohesive vision for teaching and learning and put it into action.
Develop a research-based math intervention program with common unit assessment. Increase student learning using the MTSS or response to intervention model to guide mathematics assessment.
Gain lesson-design strategies and instructional methods of teaching mathematics in a PLC that support student learning through standards-based math activities and lessons.
Use the PLC process to evaluate homework and practices in mathematics. Learn how collaboratively assigning and grading math homework increases student engagement and math skills.
Build and support math teacher teams in your PLC. This leadership guide will help you establish collaborative teaching strategies to improve math curriculum.
Create an accountSign up and save 20% on your next book or video order!


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A denture is a removable restorative dental appliance used to replace missing teeth. A complete or full denture is used when all of the teeth are missing, while a partial denture replaces missing teeth when some natural teeth remain. Dentures can be a wonderful choice for restoring the function and beauty of your smile. A full or partial denture can help to:
- Restore lost facial volume
- Improve your ability to chew and speak
- Enhance your smile
At Tony L. Humphries DMD PA in Columbia, Mississippi, we offer implant dentures to provide a more secure fit. A small titanium post is placed in the jaw to help anchor and stabilize the denture. We welcome you to call our office today to learn more about implant dentures and to schedule a consultation with our dentist, Dr. Humphries. We look forward to helping you improve your smile!


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It looks like time has run out on Discovery Bay Games, a Seattle-based maker of gaming accessories and add-ons for tablet computers.
Sources tell GeekWire that the company closed its doors in May. We contacted Bob Belknap, VP of Finance at Discovery Bay Games, but he would neither confirm nor deny the closure. Belknap said he "couldn't go into it right now" and did not want to say anything beyond that.
Discovery Bay's office space in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood — Office 310 at 206 First Avenue South — is now occupied by Heavy Restaurant Group. They moved into the offices about a month ago and said they thought Discovery Bay went out of business.
Co-founded by Craig Olson in 2006, Discovery Bay started as a traditional board game maker and then began developing an iPad accessory known as the Duo, which works in conjunction with the iPad to bring physical hardware controls to games on the Apple tablet. The company, which partnered with mobile game developer Gameloft, marketed various games such as Duo Plink, Duo Pop and Duo Powered.
In June of 2012, shortly after former Microsoft and Clearwire executive Michael Sievert was appointed as CEO, Discovery Bay laid off an unspecified number of employees "to align with [its] new business model." But then two months later, the company announced a $15 million round from Trilogy Equity Partners and Logitech, bringing total funding to about $40 million. Sievert left the company after just six months, taking on the chief marketing officer role at T-Mobile last November.
We reached out to Trilogy for comment and are waiting to hear back.
A number of signs points to Discovery Bay's demise:
- The company's website, discoverybaygames.com, is on GoDaddy. When it was live, that website was redirected to duo-games.com, which is also on GoDaddy. A quick search on the WayBack Machine shows duo-games.com turning over to GoDaddy sometime in early May.
- The company's social media accounts have gone quiet. The Twitter account @Duo_Games last tweeted on March 7. Oddly, on the same day the company tweeted that it was closing the "Discovery Bay Games" page, it said would use @Duo_Games for future updates. However, there have been no updates from @Duo_Games since March 7. There are also no Facebook pages for either Discovery Bay or Duo Games.
- The six items sold by "Duo Games" on Amazon are all on sale and extremely cheap. This Groupon that ended on Saturday discounted the Duo Gamer Controller by 75 percent. There was also a similar sale in March.
The Duo Gamer Controller was the first-ever Apple-approved iOS game controller. It came out to not-so-hot reviews, mainly because it only worked with a few games (Gameloft titles only) and was priced at $79.99. Discovery Bay slashed the price in half a few months after releasing it, but that didn't appear to help a whole lot.
LinkedIn still lists 14 employees at the company. It's unclear as to why Discovery Bay shut down, and we'll be updating this story as soon as we find out more.


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Category: painting horses
More ACEO's and a Large Painting
Paniolo — Hawaiian Cowboy
Well, I just finished writing this whole post a few minutes ago, and somehow deleted it! Now I have to start again…DAMN! Sometimes I hate computers!
Anyways, I want to thank the wonderful girls who left me some great feedback. I took your advice and now I have a painting that I'm pretty happy with!
I lengthened the mane and tail, and made them fly out, adding to the sense of movement. I definitely feel like this makes it far less static. I spaced out the back legs slightly, defined them, and added a longer shadow. This, along with the longer tail, balances the painting out and makes the horse more grounded. I took away most of the dust behind the horse, and added some color to the dust in front. I defined some of the background shadows, and values, and evened out the color in the mountains.
All in all, I feel pretty happy with it now. Of course, there's still things I don't really like, but don't know how to change, or if they need it. Artists are their own worst critics! But, if anyone sees something that still might need help, let me know. I, unlike most, love constructive criticism!
New Painting in the Works, Finally!
So here it is, the sketch I promised…I'm not getting near as much painting done as I had hoped. I'm going to have to get more disciplined, I guess. There's just so much other fun stuff to do and sights to see in Hawaii. I'm taking lots of pictures for future paintings, and visiting as many art galleries as time will allow.
This has all thrown the kids for a total loop. My once almost weaned daughter is now up every two hours a night to nurse. If I don't nurse her, she won't sleep sound, so that every time I so much as sigh, she wakes up screaming, demanding "Sa Sa", (the Nuxalk word for nurse). So I'm back to total, ridiculous exhaustion. I even checked out the SuperNanny site last night to see if she had any words of wisdom that I hadn't already exhausted. Not so. Nothing works. So I give in.
My usually sweet-natured son has become a whining, demanding troll. He complains all day, and makes his sister mad or hurts her on purpose. We're in Paradise, but the kids just know that their world has been turned upside down.
Well, if I could get them back on schedule somehow, things might start to settle a bit.
For now, I'm keeping my fingers crossed, and just hoping for time to paint.
I got the underpainting done today, and it's a big one-18″ x 24″. It's going to be fun. I'll keep you posted.
Ciao for now.


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Differences Between Bisexuality and Pansexuality
Many questions arise when one proclaims that they are bisexual. But what about pansexual? Pansexuality is not a familiar term within people outside of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) community. I only learned about pansexuality in a feminism class three years ago. I had never heard the term before but when I learned its definition, I immediately came to like it. While I don't mind identifying as bisexual, I prefer the term pansexual when it comes to my identity. But how are bisexuality and pansexuality different? Aren't they the same thing?
How Bisexuality and Pansexuality Differ
The dictionary states the definition of bisexual as: "sexually attracted to both men and women". Meanwhile, the definition of pansexual is: "not limited or inhibited in sexual choice with regard to gender or activity." While it can be easy to say that both definitions mean the same, exact thing, the key difference between bisexuality and pansexuality rests on the focus on gender identity.
Bisexuality implies that there are only two genders, that being male and female. Pansexuality, on the other hand, implies that there are more than two genders. Pansexuals have no problem dating or sleeping with a transgender person, for example. This also includes people who fall out of the gender binary and consider themselves genderqueer (people who do not identify as just man or woman).
Pansexuality and Bisexuality -- Love Isn't Based on Gender
One thing that bisexuality and pansexuality do have in common is that the people who identify as such usually don't base their feelings on gender. Lately, I have noticed on social networks such as Tumblr that there is an active discussion between the bisexual and pansexual communities. A lot of bisexuals have come out and stated that they don't base their sexuality on gender identity, either. They still consider and call themselves bisexual, though.
This has created some confusion between the two labels. But I think it's great that there is an active discussion. If anything, it shows how fluid sexuality is in many people. Instead of it being as a concrete thing, sexuality is more complex and intricate than society likes to make it. Not everyone falls into the neat labels of straight or gay, and that's okay. That doesn't make pansexuals and bisexuals confused about their sexuality.
Choosing to Label Your Sexuality
For a long time, I had issues labeling my sexuality. I was ashamed of being bisexual and wanted so badly to just be a lesbian because of all the biphobia I had experienced outside and within the LGBTQ community. It's something that I regret to say, but it's true. Now, though, I am trying to accept and love myself more.
There is nothing wrong with being bisexual or pansexual. Also, I am learning that while labels are important in self-discovery and in accepting your sexuality, it's okay to not know. Sadly, I have noticed that many people are so hung up about labels and try to be a living, breathing replica of the exact definition. Maybe we should focus more on ourselves instead of trying to live up to a textbook definition. That way there is more room for growth and happiness in our lives.
APA Reference
Celis, V. (2014, November 5). Differences Between Bisexuality and Pansexuality, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2020, January 24 from https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/thelifelgbt/2014/11/differences-between-bisexuality-and-pansexuality
Author: Vanessa Celis
^At this link you can look at Sara Ramirez putting it in better words than I can.
I just ask that you reframe your relationship to the word "bisexual".
You just insinuated that trans men are actual men and that trans women aren't actual women. To say that if a bisexual person is attracted to a trans person they are actually pansexual is just transphobic and exclusionary.
This coming from a cis hetro male.
What sucks is those monikers shouldn't mean anything.
Is this labelling really important?????? We all are who we are..No Shame.
I'm a bisexual, a I wear it with pride. Don't need to think about so much, just carry on your lives people!! Be happy and mind your own business, you won't earn anything by judging and labelling, so just quit!!!!!!!!
Apparently it is - to you - as you go on to say you are bisexual.
then they are simply implied but not confirmed. Maybe we were given an opportunity to be told something, understand it,learn grow, modify it accept it even-- just to be faced with the ONE thing that could make us re do all of this again, our kids. Newer generations. Kids evolved from all that we have learned thus far. In short, I typed a bunch of words here that mean nothing unless read. They wont be. It's like the labels we keep assigning EVERYTHING. Nothing has any value until we give it some. Give people value. Save the definitions and see the divinity
Its nothing wrong having no desire for Sex, and Sex does not complete a person. Love or falling in love is not Sex, and Sex is not Love eventhough you can not claim to be in love with a person without having had a complete relation. I don't believe that persons of same gender fall in love or have attraction its just they hate each other want to punish or humble each other. You can also be loved by your surroundings and you don't need to need to have Sex because you already receive respect
So Breeding is just a choice or/and way of life-tradition, and not an organic or mental issue
P.S Breed boys, treat them as boys and don't ware them dresses, don't let them play with dolls.
My sense is that the meaning of certain words or labels may be evolving and this may add to confusion in communication. For example, there are two sexes, male and female. This is determined genetically. It used to be (I'm an older person) that the word "gender" was used to mean the same thing, e.g. on a form, you might be asked to identify your sex or gender - and there were two choices.
With changes in cultural understanding, people are now aware that there is something else called "gender identity" which, as of now, has no biological markers. It is based on a discernment of one's sense of oneself as male or female. Since we don't know what causes there to be differences between one's sex and one's gender identity, we do not consider mismatches (e.g. genetic male who identifies as female) to be a "disorder" but a variation in how people are. This variation is generally referred to as being transexual ("trans").
Sometimes trans people pursue a change in primary or secondary sexual characteristics through surgery/hormones. They remain genetically the sex they were born but may live their lives according to their gender identity, without or without medical intervention.
A more recent development in cultural awareness or expression is that there are some people whose gender identity may be both (as in fluid) or neither (as in asexual). Again, with no biological markers, this is something that people discern based on how they experience themselves. It is not clear to me if there has always been a significant number of people who identify as both or neither, or whether this is a cultural development. It is hard to know since open discussion of gender identity is a relatively recent phenomenon.
Gender identity is different from sexual orientation, the latter being the sex one is attracted to male or female (or both or neither). "Attraction" here means feeling inclined to engage in sexual behavior with someone, not simply thinking that someone is nice-looking or has a fun personality, etc.
However, issues of sexual orientation have become more complicated as more trans folks medically change their outward sexual characteristics and clothing/pronouns. Does one's sexual orientation include attraction to people who have made these changes? I think that must be a personal decision and doesn't need yet more labels - just discussion between the individuals considering a relationship.
With regard to people who are born with ambiguous genitalia or extra or missing chromosomes, these are "disorders", i.e. medical conditions caused by problems in development. Having such a medical condition does not make a person less worthy of love and respect. It is simply a challenge, as are many medical conditions.
In the end, we are all just people, seeking to live our lives in a happy and healthy way. I hope my comments haven't offended anyone and I don't mind being politely corrected if someone feels I am mistaken.
The same goes for "asexual". What you were defining as asexual is actually non-binary, somebody who identifies as neither or both male or female.
Asexual is a lack of desire to engage in sexual activity with any gender. (Asexuality as a label has a large gray area, since even asexuals still can experience sexual attraction).
Hope that cleared stuff up!
I call myself bi, rather than pan, because even though I have loved across the gender spectrum, I have a different attraction in traits exhibited for male presenting folk, than I do for female presenting folk, than I do for fluid or nonbinary presenting folk.
My partner identifies as pan. He is attracted to similar traits in people across the spectrum, regardless of their gender expression.
Again, it is personal to you, and what feels a best fit for you.
Like the definition of Bi is "romantically or sexually attracted to both men and women. While pan is "not limited in sexual choice with regard to biological sex, gender, or gender identity."
To me, Bi and Pan are the same thing and can be used almost completely interchangeably, one of them just makes it clear they are open to all.
However to some people there may be a big difference in using one or the other. For example, someone identifies as bi and while they are supportive of whereever people fall on the gender spectrum, they personally prefer a life partner who conforms to a single gender and therefore identify as bi rather than pan. Or a bi person might have no preference what-so-ever but chooses to identify as bi simply because it is more commonly known.
I feel that it largely depends on the person because gender, attraction, and sexuality are very fluid things.
This is in no way supposed to be attacking bi people by saying they only think there are two genders, in case some people see it that way.
It better explains the pan vs bi conversation better. Don't be fooled by the "bi" in bisexual and think it has to mean only 2 genders. Again the article I listed above really describes the differences much better than I ever could in this comment section.


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Android is notorious for their oft-delayed updates to all tiers of phones, regardless of who makes them. Sometimes manufacturers will promise an update 'very soon' only for it to be released 3-6 months later. Motorola recently told Atrix, Photon, and Electrify users they won't be getting ICS even though they were PROMISED it. The bottom line is that absolutely nothing is guaranteed in the Android world. If you don't own a Nexus or high-end device, good luck in getting a timely update, if you even get one. But fear not, there is a way to enjoy some Jellybean goodness if you're stuck on Ice Cream Sandwich.
Google Now is an new application/feature introduced in Android 4.1 Jellybean that includes a voice assistant and displays a wide array of information, that includes sports, traffic, and weather. All of this can be yours provided your phone is rooted and is running a deodexed ROM. If you have no idea what we are talking about then please check out this lesson on Rooting and Custom ROMs. If this is the first time you've heard the term rooting, it is strongly urged you don't proceed… You can learn more about how to root your phone by heading on over to the XDA Forums and looking through the development page for your smartphone. To tell whether or not your ROM is deodexed, kindly ask the developer that made it.
Note: Phones that are ARMv6 will not have voice working. Google Now wasn't intended to be run on ICS, so there are still bugs present.
Proceed at YOUR OWN RISK, we are not responsible for any issues that may occur. Proceed if you understand the risks involved and are willing to take the plunge. Also, I suggest you don't try this if you aren't experienced in doing modifications similar to this such as Rooting or installing a custom ROM on your devices.
Skill Level: 3/10 (There is an assumption you know basic Android development terms like rooting, flashing, nandroid, etc.)
1. Check to see if your device is either ARMv6 or ARMv7. If it isn't either, Google Now will NOT work. Use the link provided to identify what your phone is.
2. Make sure you are running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on a deodexed rom. Also, have your phone rooted with a custom recovery installed (Clockwork Mod, TWRP, etc.). Clockwork Recovery is preferred. To continue, you need at least 100 MB of free space.
3. Make a nandroid backup in Clockwork Recovery before you proceed (just in case!).
Directions for ARMv7:
1. Following the requests of the XDA members who found this exploit, you must go to the link provided to find the flashable zips needed to install Google Now.
2. Scroll down to Flashable Zips under ARMv7 and click the SHOW CONTENT button. Find the version of Google Now you want. There are 4 different options given and it is up to you which one you wish to download. Read the descriptions and choose to your liking because each version has their own pros/cons.
3. Once you've decided, click the download link of the version you want and download it to your phone.
4. Boot into your custom recovery of choice once download has completed.
5. Flash the .zip file and then reboot your smartphone.
6. Open the Google Now application after boot and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the set up process.
7. Google Now should work, it may take a while before it learns your searching habits so it can display information to your liking. Until then, feel free to: ask it questions, set alarms and reminders, or check the current weather.
Directions for ARMv6:
Note: Voice will NOT work although there is a workaround.
1. Download the file from this link and install it in your custom recovery. Reboot, open the Google Now application, and complete the set-up process to successfully install and get it working properly.
Note: I choose not to include voice in the ARMv6 directions because it significantly raises the difficulty and I intended this article to help Android newbies. If you are a veteran at this, feel free to head on over to XDA to learn how to do it.
Congratulations! You now have some form of Google Now installed. Feel free to ask it some questions, set reminders, or to do a 'barrel roll'. If it wasn't for the great developers at XDA, none of this would be possible. If you have any problems, please refer to the XDA forums for troubleshooting or post it in the comments as I will try my best to answer them.
Latest posts by Syed H (see all)
- What To Consider When Purchasing an Android Smartphone - October 6, 2012
- How to Install Google Now on (almost) any ICS Phone - October 3, 2012
- The History of Android: From Cupcakes to Jelly Beans - September 29, 2012


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The property is 9 or so acres within a 3000-acre working ranch, so opportunities abound for exploring creek beds for arrowheads, skipping rocks into the lake, finding the perfect walking stick, and keeping an eye out for deer, blackbuck antelope and mouflon sheep. When we were kids (gloriously before insurance premiums took the fun out of nearly everything), we galloped on horses and dove from the diving board at the community pool. We played tag on the windmill out front (so much for parental supervision!), tiptoed across the cattle guard, and baked many batches of cookies and peanut brittle in Grandma's kitchen.
My grandfather, a mechanical engineer by trade, could build anything. I felt so privileged to be invited into his workshop to help construct delicate miniature furniture that outfitted the Victorian dollhouse he made for me. He built model planes that really flew. He once sawed off half his pinky finger just before a big camping trip, and decided to leave it off because he figured he didn't need it much anyway (although I think he especially delighted in shocking the younger grandkids with the real live version of the ole 'separating your finger from your hand' trick).
I felt wistful as we entered the property this year, reaching the place in the hill that descends down towards the lake where you can spot my grandparents' windmill and barn from across the valley. I wished my kids could have met my brilliant grandfather, whom we lost far too young to early-onset Alzheimer's. I told stories about him, and Alex (whose middle name comes from his grandfather) said that he figured he got his grandfather's good building skills. I like that he feels a connection to someone that is special to me, despite the fact they never got to spend time together.
I do feel so fortunate that my kids get to spend time with their great-grandmother. This year, she taught all the great-grandkids how to play Charades, and Jackson got a lesson in a few solitaire card games. In my parenting moment of the year, I bribed Kenyon with a promise of candy to entice him to come out from hiding underneath the table and participate in this picture with his brothers, cousins, and great-Grandma.
We followed the typical Thanksgiving itinerary--gorged ourselves on my mom's cooking, hung out, and played Ticket to Ride, Catan, and Mexican Train. The kids got some good time in with their cousins.
We picnicked and explored at Dinosaur Rock one afternoon.
Um....horses' heads are big. I astutely noted this as the horses stuck their heads inside of our vehicle. Well, hello there! It was part cute (my mom's thinking), part frightening (my dad's thinking) to pet their soft noses and eventually thank them for their congeniality but we must really be going now, don't you have some hay to nibble on or something?
|Mom with an overly friendly horse
We'll be roughly 9,000 miles away from Kerrville this time next year, likely not celebrating Thanksgiving at all, but the feeling of family will stay with me despite the distance. I love these people.


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16 June 2012
I'll be back with a lot of new content soon but...
... I'll be without internet access until mid-July.
In the meantime, here is a very moving video in which a longtime Buddhist practitioner, Sexton Bourke, talks about the value of an ongoing meditation practice as he faces his death.
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Huge apricot nose that is powerful but not overbearing. The suave palate is full-bodied, very concentrated and juicy – not oaky or too weighty, just spicy and complex with good if not exceptional acidity. A top premier cru.
Wine-Searcher stockist search
Cru: Les Combettes
Drinking Window: 2016-2028
Taster: Stephen Brook
Appellation: Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru


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In these stressful times that we are living in, and the current pace of life, we find many drivers with eyes locked hard on to their phones and their feet stomped heavy on their gas pedals. These days, it is hard not to feel like the drivers to your left and right have become more territorial, more aggressive, and just plain meaner when they get behind the wheel.
Is the problem known as "road rage" a larger symptom of a general anger problem.
The following are common sign of road rage:
- Generally aggressive driving, including sudden acceleration, braking, and tailgating.
- Cutting others off in a lane, or deliberately preventing someone from merging.
- Chasing other motorists.
- Flashing lights and/or sounding the horn excessively.
- Yelling or exhibiting disruptive behaviour at roadside establishments.
- Driving at high speeds in the median of a highway to terrify drivers in both lanes.
- Rude gestures (such as 'the finger').
- Shouting verbal abuses or threats.
- Intentionally causing a collision between vehicles.
- Hitting other vehicles.
- Assaulting other motorists, their passengers, cyclists or pedestrians.
- Exiting the car to attempt to start confrontations, including striking other vehicles with an object.
- Threatening to use or using a firearm or other deadly weapon.
- Throwing projectiles from a moving vehicle with the intent of damaging other vehicles.
- People speeding past.
- Changing lanes with no signal.
- Weaving dangerously across three and four lanes.
- Passing too closely on either side of your car.
- Speeding up to block you out.
- Racing other drivers (i.e., two maniacs who think car-handling skills are better than they actually are).
- Roaring up behind as if they might intentionally rear-end you.
- Horn honking.
- Flashing high beams at your mirror when you are in "their" fast lane.
What used to be a largely male problem has crossed gender lines.
Women may not get into roadside fistfights or point guns at each other like men, but they can drive just as aggressively, rudely, and even dangerously.
For many men, aggression is supposed to be overt; for women it is more covert. But put them both behind the wheel, late for something, angry about something else, and in no mood for courtesy, and their behaviours will compare.
What factors cause a usually mild-mannered person to see red?
Some people who are ordinarily even-tempered admit that they have an easy tendency to lose control of their emotions when they get behind the wheel. Their fuses get lit when they put their keys into the ignition.
For some road ragers, it is a need for control, to counter other drivers who they feel violate their proxemic space, or their need for possession of their lane or their part of the road.
For others, it is unchecked anger and aggression.
It is hormone-based, primitive, small-brain thinking, bringing a lack of emotional intelligence or the need to dominate someone else and their unsharable space.
Add in unchecked egos, the need for superiority, narcissistic pride, and male genital one-upmanship: my vehicle is bigger than yours.
Psychologists define certain behaviours as problematic when they have consequences. Road rage, and especially those acts which lead to confrontations, can have significant consequences,
- Including getting cited by the police.
- Getting arrested for reckless driving (three or more moving violations in a row).
- Having your licence suspended or revoked.
- Losing or tripling your auto insurance policy.
- Damaging your car or the other driver's car.
- Injuring or killing someone in the other car or someone in your car, including your spouse or children.
- Road rage victims and perpetrators have been pepper sprayed, stabbed, beaten, run down, and shot by each other.
The minor consequences are that you continue to let one isolated event on the road ruin your whole day or get you a traffic ticket. In addition, do not discount the not-insignificant matter of embarrassing your family as you act like a spitting, cursing, raving lunatic. If you show that side to your kids too often, they could learn to see that behaviour as somehow "appropriate" when they get old enough to drive.
Solutions are easy to say and often hard to follow.
Some people do not have the will or resources to try to
control themselves, even under the threat of an injury, a crash, a citation, an arrest, or a lawsuit.
They suffer from the "It is the other driver's fault" syndrome.
One simple answer road rage is to concentrate fully and intently on your own driving,
Make extra allowances for drivers around you and expect that their driving skills may leave a lot to be desired.
- Perspective is an important part of road rage prevention too.
- You are you.
- The other driver is the other driver.
- Only you can let someone ruin your day or worse, or push your hot buttons.
- Focus on being "relentlessly positive" and realise you cannot control, coerce, or fix other people.
- You can only manage you.
- Practice kindness, starting with you first.
Road rage as a medical condition.
As early as 1997, therapists in the United States were working to certify road rage as a medical condition. It is not an official mental disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM V).
However, according to an article published by the Associated Press in June 2006, the behaviours typically associated with road rage can be the result of intermittent explosive disorder.
Intermittent explosive disorder (IED) is a behavioural disorder characterised by extreme expressions of anger, often to the point of uncontrollable rage, that are disproportionate to the situation at hand. Impulsive aggression is unpremeditated, and is defined by a disproportionate reaction to any provocation, real or perceived.
© 2014 – 2015, Content: Dr Vasilios Silivistris – Artwork: Ian Francis. All rights reserved.


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Paul Stephenson is a British poet. His poems have appeared in places such as Magma, Poetry London, The Rialto, and The North.
Paul's debut pamphlet Those People was published by smith|doorstop in 2015 after winning the Poetry Business Book and Pamphlet Competition. A new pamphlet The Days that Followed Paris was published recently by HappenStance Press.
Hi Paul. Thanks for taking the time to chat. Your latest pamphlet The Days that Followed Paris examines the aftermath and psychological impact of last year's Paris attacks. Can you tell us a bit more about these poems and the impetus behind them?
I was living in Paris at the time of the terrorist attacks. I didn't think to write poems in response when it first happened. But a few days later I received an email from Greg Freeman who runs Write Out Loud asking if I had anything to say in response. I didn't know. Everything was still so raw and, like everybody, I was still trying to process and make sense of it all.
But it set me off and I quickly started taking notes, reading stories, recording my feelings and recording the days, as much for my own diary as anything, so that I could look back. So that's the impetus, the catalyst, the trigger. The poems seek to chronicle in various shapes and forms, but they were written in the moment so they are not reflecting or analyzing.
The pamphlet also explores the relationship between the real world and our virtual lives with reference to things like Facebook statuses, Twitter hashtags, the colour-coded alert levels of the Vigipirate, and the veracity of news articles and online posts. I'm curious in what ways you feel poetry is suited to interrogate this 21st century phenomenon and its resulting dilemmas?
That's a really good question. What can we take to be true? These days we have to read several sources to build a nuanced picture. We can't rely on one outlet, one station or channel. But even then, we know that this news is controlled, the stories chosen and shaped, the information filtered and framed, depending on who is 'making the news', who owns the news media.
There is what happened and there is what is reported to have happened. Of course, this also relates to what is left out or down played, the incidents that are left ignored. So in the midst of the terrorist attacks we were trying to ascertain what was happening, and then why it happened, and whether the information we were passive recipients of was accurate.
Twitter hashtags make people active, give them a voice, enable them to construct the news and direct our attention. I was very much aware that the extreme emotions I felt at the time – of fear, confusion and suspicion (some of which are explored as poems) – were the product of my own consumption of social media. In that sense, some poems derived from indirect experience, some from the direct experience of walking the streets and observing how the city was absorbing the shock. But direct or indirect, both experiences feel authentic and real to me.
I hope poetry manages to interrogate such phenomena. Twitter is already used as a vehicle for poetry and some poets are active and very successful users. A poem as a tweet has an immediacy and a synthesis. It distills and is of the moment. Other poems might, in a similar way to poets being inspired by paintings and sculpture, also respond to Facebook stories or YouTube videos, allow for a textual (re)interpretation of events.
Your previous pamphlet Those People feels understandably lighter in tone but seems to have a kinship with your Paris poems, in that there is a sense you are interested in people and our relationships with each other. Do you think this is a fair description of one of your preoccupations as a poet?
The first pamphlet is certainly lighter, though there are some complex feelings running beneath some of the humour. Yes, I am certainly interested in people and their role in shaping places and events, and in all of life as a social construction. People make the occasion, are behind the incident, responsible for life and death. Paris was a painful episode with protagonists, heroes and villains, different scenes, various fates and outcomes.
Some of your poems – 'An Ear', 'Two Tannoys', 'Deathflake', 'Blindfold' – also experiment with how the layout of the words on the page can directly relate to the subject matter of a poem. Do you subscribe to the idea that the visual experience of reading a poem can be as important as the auditory experience of hearing it read aloud?
You mention poems that have appeared in my two pamphlets and beyond. In these poems I shape poems as an ear, a loudspeaker, a snowflake and a head. I am interested in concrete poetry and the sculptural potential of the poem on the page as a two-dimensional artifact.
Hearing a poem is quite different to reading it, when the poem can work as an image – the shape itself can be an event. The danger is that shape becomes some kind of compensation for an under-performing poem, or else distracts the reader from the essence of the poem. I'd hope that the shape complements the ideas and narrative, maybe even helps reinforce or enable the rhymes and play of line breaks.
Are there any dates in the poetry diary you have especially enjoyed this year or are looking forward to in the future?
I was lucky to experience my first Torbay Poetry Festival down in Devon at the end of October and I participated in Poetry in Aldeburgh last week, which all takes place in the pretty Suffolk coastal town, run by volunteers (new dates have already been announced for 3rd-5th November in 2017). It was a wonderful few days by the sea, spending time with poet friends from my workshop group.
I launched my new pamphlet in a Sunday morning session at the Jubilee Hall, reading alongside Dan Burt and Mona Arshi. The audience response was very encouraging but also emotional. A few French people came up to me to speak and one man was in tears. The poems transported us all back to that horrific night of Friday 13th a year ago
I am looking forward in 2017 to reading at StAnza in St. Andrews, where I understand there will be a focus on contemporary French poetry.
Finally, can you tell us a little about the poem you've submitted to Poetry Spotlight?
I have submitted the poem 'Suspicion'. I tried to capture the paranoia and anxiety we all felt in the streets of Paris in the days that followed, and particularly in places where people congregate. Suspicion in our waking hours, and in our sleep, acknowledging that we all had a specific profile in our head of what suspicious looked like.
We wear it about the neck and chest,
taking line seven to Gare de l'Est.
Bad combination, cuffed at the wrist,
it hangs wrong by Gare d'Austerlitz.
We see it blinking in bright blue neon
just next door to Gare de Lyon.
It doesn't go. We grind and snore.
Clashes beneath Gare du Nord.
It loiters, an accessory, looks bizarre,
a stone's throw from Gare Saint-Lazare.
We wear it, a mess at Montparnasse.
It wears sweats, a backpack, Adidas.


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Today is the deadline to apply for the 2019 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program lottery. President Trump has called on Congress to "terminate" the program, after it was reported that alleged Manhattan attacker Sayfullo Saipov entered the U.S. from Uzbekistan on a diversity visa.
The big picture: Trump said he favors replacing the program with "merit-based immigration" and "extreme vetting," and he blamed Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer for shepherding the program through Congress, but the existing system does include a vetting process and received bipartisan support when it was passed. Here are the big questions surround the program, and their answers:


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Massage is a perfect option for relaxation, as it has been shown to have a positive effect on the body.
Soles focus points that relate directly to different body organs. In fact, all these points create a whole body map. Stimulating them through massage before going to sleep is useful for your health.
Positive effects of the foot massage:
• Improves circulation
• Has a positive influence on muscle mass
• Helps against many diseases
• It is beneficial for the skin
• Eliminates lactic acid
• Reduces edema (during pregnancy)
• Stimulates perspiration
• Melts the fat
• Facilitates digestion
• Improves blood circulation through tissues
• Stimulates metabolism
• Relieves pain and stiffness caused by physical strain during the day
• Prevents and treats many symptoms such as stress, asthma, headaches, sinusitis, constipation and migraines.
NOTE: Use lotions, creams or oils. They will help the treatment, especially the oil that will soften rough calluses.
The treatment should last 10-15 minutes for the best possible effect.


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For the independent traveler you will want to pack as light as possible, especially if you are planning on taking trains or boats. When I travel to Europe, I take trains or budget airlines everywhere and there are certain advantages to packing light. It is easier to keep an eye on and it is easy to put into the sometimes small luggage compartments. The key words to packing for Europe are light, light, and light. I fit all my gear into a school size backpack. For some people this may be an impossible or frightening scenario! Below is a list of items that I often bring and the quantity taken, if more then one.
Also visit Dave's General Travel List for a complete updated list of items normally taken on a trip.
Keep in mind that this all fit into a school size backpack which contains one large compartment and 3 much smaller ones.
T-shirts (2)
Flip flops
Tennis shoes (which I promptly threw away after my hikes in the Alps)
Regular shorts
Swimming shorts
Socks (2)
Underpants (2)
Small hat
Thin lightweight long pants
Hooded sweatshirt
Postcards (3 from unusual places in the states!)
Small soap bar
Small shampoo containers (3)
Small toothpaste
Small toothbrush
Foam for keeping the back part of the pack stiff (2) (this probably isn't necessary)
Small radio (this may also not be necessary for most people)
Small role of toilet paper
Travelers checks
Currency from your home country
Small pocket knife
NOTE:: Small pocket knives are no longer allowed to be carried onto airplanes – Small pocket knives can still be taken with you on your travels, however they must now be in your "check in" baggage.
Small comb
ATM card
Visa, MasterCard – other plastic
Picture of family to show the local people (this is a good icebreaker)
Chap stick
Garbage bag (for keeping dry)
Digital camera – with a zoom lens
Small calculator
Photocopied travel info -maps, hotels ect.
Photocopies of passport, credit cards, ect.
There are some items on this list that I rarely used. Depending on the time of year, you may not even want to wear socks. I was washing these the most out of any article of clothing that I had. It certainly would be a time saver to go sock less in sandals in the summer. I never used the garbage bag, but it was there in the case of rain to cover me or my pack or both. I only used the pants, hooded sweatshirt, and tennis shoes when I was high in the Alps. The above seems like a bare bones list, but it served me very nicely while in Europe. Pack for general needs, not the exception. Some things you can certainly do without for a few weeks of travel or purchase if needed.
Another item that I utilized, especially after my purchases began to spill out of my limited space backpack, was a large sturdy carrying bag made out of fabric. Besides carrying your purchases around Europe, this bag is good for taking all your prized possessions on the airplane for the trip back home.
Daily Laundry
With only one or two pairs of each article of clothing, I was doing laundry fairly regularly. Most of the hotels I stayed in had soap. I did my laundry at nights after a day of sight seeing. The laundry was done in the sinks using warm to hot water. For most people who use washing machines – the art of hand washing clothing has been lost. You really need to lather the clothing. Take a bar of wet soap and wet your hands. Place the soap on a large part of the clothing. Next take your palm and hand and run it in circles on the soap bar so the lather begins to cover the article of clothing. Once you have the clothing well lathered on all sides you are ready to scrub. Hold two parts of the clothing and rub it vigorously against each other in a circular motion. Do this on several points on the clothing. Next put the clothing under the warm/hot water and squeeze it out. Repeat the entire process one or two more times before completely wringing the clothing out. The more water you can remove from the clothing at this stage, the faster it will dry in the long run.
To be honest – I only went through the full cleaning process every other time that I would do laundry. Doing a quick lather and rinse can get you by for several days, without odors and visibly dirty clothing.
After the wringing process I would hang the clothes to dry, either outside the room, especially if there was a balcony, or inside the room on the end of the bed or off of the chairs. Usually by mid morning they were fairly dry. The beauty of having two sets of clothing is that while one is drying, you always have another clean pair.
Keep in mind the above packing was done with concern for doing a lot of walking around Europe and traveling by train. If you are renting a vehicle you will certainly have more luxury of space when packing.


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The third and final Knitting & Stitching Show is on next week in Harrogate. This leg of the shows is the one I am most familiar with, having visited it for years as a punter and then more recently as a demonstrator in the wonderful Artists in Action stand. This year I won't be demonstrating because I'll be with my Findings gallery, TG6 in hall M.
The gallery space at Harrogate has different dimensions from the spaces I had in London and Dublin, so it will be interesting putting the work up in a differently configured space again.
I made some of my stitched limpets into brooches before the London show and they have been quite popular. There are a few on my shop here, along with some other small work. I hope to have some with me in Harrogate too.


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A weekly look at what's making news in the free gay mags:
Next: "Degrassi" alum and Broadway leading man Jake Epstein stars as a closeted bro in "Straight" / Read HERE.
An Education on Higher Learning Homophobia: A Gay Professor Looks Back in an Excerpt From His Memoir, "Office Hours" / Read HERE.
Matthew Griffin's debut novel delivers a searing portrait of an elderly gay couple./ Read HERE.
Guy (Ft. Lauderdale): Daniel Guillen and Reinier Yero cover the #SignleVSTaken issue / Read HERE.
If you're single this Valentine's Day, you might be interested in An Abbreviated History of Male Self-Pleasure HERE.
QX (London): Hang out at home with Gina & Courtney HERE.
Metro Weekly (D.C.): Joel Grey and Alan Cumming have a surprising amount in common / Read HERE.
Get Out!: Frankie Grande looks more like a tall to me / Read HERE.
The Fight (L.A.): "WeHo Party Boys" brings sexy sizzle to Santa Monica Boulevard in new burlesque show / Read HERE.
Grab (Chicago): Meet Helix Studios stud Brad Chase HERE.
MetroSource: We've read about him growing up in a madhouse and battling with addiction. Now Augusten Burroughs is back to continue his story, with his craziest challenge yet: finding a functional relationship / Read HERE.
GT (London): Aydian Dowling.becomes the mag's first trans coverman! Read HERE.
Cybersocket (L.A.): The sex issue looks rather punishing ... / Read HERE.


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Feature Section
By: darq3f
Quarles an advocate for environmentalism at school, home
By Hayley Munguia
Walk into science teacher Robert Quarles' room, and at first glance, it looks like any other science room in the school. Lab tables, desks, a chalkboard and a dry-erase board. But look closer, and you'll see that's not the case—a tower soon to be filled with the cocoons of future butterflies by his students, data on dry-erase board from his latest Biology lab. You may even hear the faint sound of bubbling as the water filtration process occurs for a lab his Environmental Science class is currently conducting.
Quarles sees his job as more than just a nine-to-five. He believes in teaching from experience rather than mere notes and quizzes.
Quarles' repertoire of environmental initiatives at the school includes starting the Sierra Student Coalition, turning the school into a drop point for a community-supported agriculture farm, and helping initiate recognition as a Green Ribbon School.
The Sierra Student Coalition is the school-sponsored branch of the Sierra Club. Most chapters are university-affiliated, but being a part of the high school equivalent gives students scholarship opportunities and a leg-up in college applications.
"A lot of students wanted to start an environmental club here," Quarles said. "I chose the Sierra Student Coalition because I'm a member of the Sierra Club. It's pretty neutral, whereas other environmental clubs can be more politically associated with the liberal faction. I wanted it to be a mainstream group."
Associating the school with Johnson's Backyard Garden, an organic community-supported agriculture farm, will affect the community overall rather than just the school.
"They've agreed to make the school a drop point, which means customers will buy a subscription to the farm, and every week or however long their subscription is for, the farm will come and drop that off," Quarles said. "So everyone around Pflugerville, not just students and teachers here, will be able to subscribe and get their fruits and vegetables that way."
As far as the Green Ribbon School recognition is concerned, Quarles said it's merely a way for the school to be recognized for things it's already doing.
Quarles' dedication to environmentalism doesn't stop once he leaves the school building. At his home (which was built with the roof facing toward the sun for easy installment of solar panels and is run entirely on wind energy), he uses natural forms of pest prevention instead of pesticides, harvests rainwater, and his bike is among his primary forms of transportation.
"Everything we do is green," Quarles said. "Whenever we have a choice, we go with the most environmentally friendly option that we can afford. But overall, I don't think my life's all that different [from that of the average student or teacher]. I eat food, but it's organic. I drink water, but it's well-filtered and it's good quality, clean water. I live in a house that looks just like anyone else's—you have to look for the environmental differences. A lot of people have to be told there's a difference."
Despite everything he's done and continues to do at school and at home, he believes improvements can still be made.
"I'm getting a lot of these ideas from students," Quarles said. "One thing we're going to try to do here is an energy audit, which is determining a fairly accurate estimation of where the school can turn off lights, do things regarding air conditioning and heating, and save money on energy costs. It'll be through the Green Ribbon Schools program and my Environmental Science classes will probably help out with it."
For more information on any of these initiatives, see Quarles in D100.
By Justin Paul
The popularity of organic foods is on the rise, but the cost of eating healthy is still high. And fast food is still immensely popular.
Organic food sales continue to grow by 20 percent a year. At the same time, Americans who consistently choose healthy foods spend nearly 20 percent more on groceries, according to a recent study by the University of California-Davis.
So even though the popularity and availability of organic foods is growing (roughly three quarters of conventional grocery stores carry natural or organic foods), the fast food industry is still thriving.
"I eat fast food all the time," sophomore Tatyana Dawson said. "I started eating fast food in eighth grade."
Fast food retails in the United States soared 900 percent from 1978 to 2004. On any given day, one in every three adolescents eat fast food.
"Most of the time I eat off the dollar menu," sophomore Daniel Brown said.
To teens, fast food has a strong attraction. The cost is affordable to anyone with $2 or $3 to spare. That kind of a deal is exceptional to those who don't have a consistent income.
"I eat fast food because it is so addicting," sophomore Daniel Brown said.
This is not a rare claim for the average American. Researchers found that foods high in fat, salt and sugar might be physically addictive.
So the next time you bite into a Big Mac, you may very well be on your way to an addiction.
More fruits, vegetables added to lunch menu
By Lilith Neal
Working toward a healthier future, the cafeteria has been incorporating more whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables since last September.
"[We've added] a mixture of fresh fruit daily to make sure they get a variety of vitamins," Cafeteria Manager Rachel Silva said.
The changes were inspired, at least in part, by Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" program, which aims at preventing childhood obesity.
"I still think that we have a lot of work to do," Silva said. "We have to perfect what we are doing here so it is not wasteful and it is still appealing to the eye."
PHS is also serving vegetarian options like fresh salads, cheese pizza and vegetable wraps. For those with peanut allergies, the district's food service provider uses sun butter in all its peanut products.
"I think [the food] has improved, I don't think you want to go back to the square pizza," Silva said.
Even with the improvements to the menu some students are still unsatisfied with the quality of food they are getting. Others haven't noticed the change.
"It's all fake and greasy and gross," junior Mackenzie Coffey said. "It's just nasty."
Principal Kirk Wrinkle said Coffey is not the only one who feels that way.
"When I was in school, I went back for seconds," Wrinkle said. "Obviously we don't have that option [because] they have to pay for seconds. I don't know of any kid that wants to go back for seconds here. Everything I hear from kids is that it does not taste very good.
"But on the other side of the coin, the government controls everything now. So [the district's food service provider is] only doing what they are capable of doing based on the guidelines the government gives them."
With the recent budget cuts in the district, the cafeteria will not be affected. By changing the menu, Wrinkle said he thinks the cafeteria will be saving money.
In April, the school will assimilate the Pizza Hut franchise. The pizza will no longer be ordered but made fresh on campus.
"We are being sent to training, and we will be making personal pizzas," Silva said. "[At] Hendrickson, they get the little personal pan pizzas with the little boxes. It's really cute."
Demystifying nutrition
A closer look at calories, carbohydrates, fats and proteins
By Oliver Green
Calorie: The unit by which food, and the amount of energy a person takes in is measured. To maintain one's weight, energy intake should equal energy expenditure. If the energy intake is negative (if a person consumes fewer calories than he or she needs or expends) then weight loss will occur. If energy intake is positive (if a person consumes more calories than he or she needs and expends), weight gain will occur.
Proteins: Small units called amino acids strung together in complex formations. Because proteins are complex molecules, the body takes longer to break them down. As a result, they are a much slower, longer-lasting source of energy than carbohydrates. The body needs protein to maintain and replace tissues and to function and grow. If the body is getting the calories it needs, it will not use protein for energy. If too much protein is consumed, the body breaks the protein down and stores it as fat.
Fats: Complex molecules composed of fatty acids and glycerol. The body needs fats for growth and energy. The body also uses fats to synthesize hormones and other substances needed for the body's activities. Fats are the slowest form of energy but are the most efficient form of food. Each gram of fat supplies the body with about 9 calories: more than twice that supplied by proteins or carbohydrates.
Because fats are such an efficient form of energy, the body stores any excess energy as fat. The body deposits excess fat in the abdomen and under the skin to use when it needs more energy. The body may also deposit excess fat in blood vessels and within organs, where it can block blood flow and damage organs, often causing serious disorders.
Carbohydrates: Depending on the size of the molecule, carbohydrates may be simple or complex. Many forms of sugar are simple carbohydrates, such as glucose and sucrose (table sugar). They are small molecules, so they can be broken down and absorbed by the body quickly and are the fastest source of energy. They can quickly increase the level of blood glucose (blood sugar).
Fruits, dairy products, and honey contain large amounts of simple carbohydrates, which provide the sweet taste in most candies and cakes. Complex carbohydrates are composed of long strings of simple carbohydrates.
Because complex carbohydrates are larger molecules, they must be broken down into simple carbohydrates before they can be absorbed. Thus they tend to provide energy to the body more slowly than simple carbohydrates but still faster than protein or fat.


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David Mathias
Solicitor, Weightmans
David trained with DLA Piper and qualified as a specialist planning, highways and compulsory purchase solicitor in September 2010. He joined Weightmans in March 2015 and has significant experience of acting for both the public and private sectors. He has been involved in a number of major regeneration projects advising on all aspects of the planning process. David also has experience of advising on large scale developments and is currently working on a number of complex schemes in North Wales and the South of England.


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Tag Archives: intense
Mixology 2! Available Now!
The much anticipated return of Mixology is now available! This collection is filled with new hindi bangers as well as the golden oldies that we all can't help but love! Your favorites with the Premier Entertainment touch, of course. This … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged ambition, dj, entertainment, hindi, indian, insomnia, intense, mixology, niral, premier, ravi, remix, wedding Leave a comment
New Videos!!!
Enjoy these video highlights from a few past events! Drift Elemental in DC, alongside DJ Insomnia & DJ Intense. DJ Ambition Warm Up More videos to come soon! -DJ Ambition
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged ambition, dc, dj, djs, drift, elemental, indian, insomnia, intense, premier, subcontinental, usa, wedding Leave a comment


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Within Your Reach
Beyond Your Expectations
Who Are We
For 30 years, we have been providing high energy, creative, and elegant entertainment for weddings, birthdays, and countless other parties for clients that we consider family. And we are absolutely committed to helping you design the event of your dreams. Smiling guests. A packed dance floor. Moments that scream fun. We know the past. We know today's trends. We live for the future.
We know we're in the business of making memories—your event should be memorable. With award-winning MCs, DJs, lighting, photo booths and special effects, we provide everything to make your event noteworthy.
We are Golden Note Entertainment.
30 Years of Creativity, Energy & Enthusiasm.
Read all about our innovative wedding entertainment.
Energy means meeting client and audience expectations.
We love weddings. We love parties. We'll love your event too.
What We Do
Our stability, quality, and reliability have been maintained for so long because of our dedication to provide the latest and greatest entertainment. Technology makes it easy for anybody to be a DJ. But what's the difference between a DJ and an entertainer? More importantly, with so many options, how can you choose? We know it's a tough decision. As a full-service entertainment company, we can make it easy for you.
From the moment you say, "I do" until the end of the night when you're screaming for one more song, your wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime day. Make sure it's perfect. Our experienced officiants, MCs, DJs, and event staff will guarantee you an unforgettable night.
Teen Celebrations
Teen Celebrations
Whether it's a Sweet Sixteen, a Quinceañera, a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, or any other celebration, we are ready with the latest music and millions of ways to personalize your event.
Corporate Events
Corporate Events
Music-filled holiday parties, team-building corporate picnics, awards dinners—you name it, we've done it.
Proms & Project Graduations
Proms & Project Graduations
Music, lighting, photo booths, games, inflatables—Whatever you need to design an extravagant prom or an incredible project graduation, we have all the tools, talent, and experience.
Casinos & Fundraisers
Casinos & Fundraisers
We are fully-licensed and prepared to help you build a casino fundraiser with professional dealers and high quality tables. Customize your event with chips, cards, and table surfaces. Or let us help you design a different fundraiser—we've done them all!
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Audio/Visual, Lighting, & Staging
From live camera feeds, to large format projection, to microphones and stage lighting, we can accommodate the A/V needs of any event, large or small. Have confidence that your private company presentation or public in-store activation is safe with our experienced crew.


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For our final Best of 2013 DAD mix, we got Canada's NC-17 to bat clean-up. NC-17 has been moving in a number of drum & bass circles for the last six years, with stellar labels like DSCI4, Viper Recordings, Mac II, Circle, and Allsorts snapping up their tracks over the years. NC-17 is all about the upfront drum & bass pressure, as well as movies, so it made sense that they'd kick off their Grind5ouse Audio imprint in 2012. 2013 has been solid for NC-17, what with the dnb massive finally getting their hands on "Class of 1999," as well as the Sex, Drugs, Lies, Alcohol & Video Tape EP getting a released on Mainframe. Pure killers, no fillers, which is what gets brought forth in this mix.
In the style of dnb DJs like Mampi Swift and Andy C, NC-17 tease a fair number of classics in this mix, adding intensity to the selection of 2013 bangers they've provided. If you're a dnb fan, you have the perfect mix to end your year out with. Grab a bottle of your favorite drink and go in.
Keep in touch with NC-17: Twitter | SoundCloud | Facebook
Neo - Hive "Audio VIP" (RAM)
::Bacteria RMX
M-Theory - Maztek (Hardware)
Slugs - DC Breaks (RAM)
::Killers Don't Die
Mythos - Inside Info & Mefjus (Virus)
Demonz - Mob Tactics (Zooo Recordings)
Mr.Mac - Saxxon (G13)
::Steppin Stones
Class of 1999 - NC-17 & Explicit (Grindhou5e)
::Alien Girl
Hard Goin - Cabin Fever (Co-Lab)
::Robocop 2
Black Dragon - Mr.Explicit (Dread)
Soldiers - NC-17 (Mainframe)
Warrior - Loadstar (Ram)
Wanna Know - Black Sun Empire (SOM 2013 VIP)
We Rollin - NC-17 & Qo (Mainframe)
::Game Over
No Funk - Inside Info (Viper)
Bounce - Dose (Ram)
::Feel Me
Blood Money - Maldini (C4C Recordings)
Dead Mans Hand - Mob Tactic
Flinstone - Frankee (ProgRam)
::Late Night VIP
Sleaze Disease - NC-17 & KC (Mainframe)
Flash Forward - Six Blade (Viper)
Headroom VIP - Audio (Virus)
Related: The Best EPs of 2014 (So Far)
Related: The Best Labels of 2014 (So Far)
Related: The Best Albums of 2014 (So Far)


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It has been rumoured that Shyam Benegal is planning to produce a film titled Ye Raaste Hai Pyar Ke, with Pakistani actor Fawad Khan in lead role. The news certainly created a furore considering that Indian Motion Picture Producers Association (IMPPA) passed a resolution to temporarily ban Pakistani artistes from working in India following the Uri terror attack that took the lives of 19 Army jawans.
It was said that the film would be based on Indo-Pak relation, apparently in an attempt to promote Indo-Pak peace. To be directed by Harsh Narayan, Ye Raaste Hai Pyar Ke would revolve around two musicians who set out on a tour to both the countries. There are reports that Fawad could be soon seen playing one of the musicians. In fact, the report said that Fawad was in talks with the makers regarding the film.
However, Benegal slammed the reports claiming that he has no intention to make a film to promote Indo-Pak peace. He further said that Narayan was associating him with this film for mere publicity.
"I make films with subjects which interest me and I write their initial scripts as well. When somebody brings a script to me, I normally say 'No'. But here's a young man (Harsh Narayan) who is dying to make a particular film, and this is how he uses my goodwill to having merely spoken to him? I could understand if he wanted to involve me for mere consultancy to help him out, but I had clearly told him that I don't want to be professionally associated with his film in any capacity. What's his logic? May I say it aloud that I am NOT motivated to make a film to promote Indo-Pak peace," the National award winning filmmaker told SpotboyE.
He added, "He asked me to produce his film and I categorically told him that his subject is of NO interest to me. Later, he told me that he wanted to associate my name with his film to raise funds. I surely didn't expect that just these kind of conversations with him would boomerang on me so badly. I am extremely upset with him."
Meanwhile, Karan Johar is bearing the brunt of having casted Fawad in his soon-to-be released Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has been protesting against the release of the film despite repeated requests from many people and associations to allow the smooth release of the completed movie.


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Whether you teach a group, play in a group or just like to jam, understanding the anatomy of the traditional bluegrass sound will make you a better listener, teacher, and player.
The "Layered" Arrangement
What we did was come up with an imitation of a standard bluegrass group sound using ukes and bass only. When we play this live I do a little introduction about what we're doing and get the parts to start one after the other as a demonstration.
First comes the bass, playing a simple two- beat rhythm. This is the "Bessie" part (after Bessie Mauldin, who played bass with the original Bluegrass Boys for many years).
2. The "Bill" Part
Next comes the "Bill" part, the high off-beat "chop" that the mandolin plays in bluegrass (leader Bill Monroe in the Bluegrass Boys).
Bill and Bessie together make a quick "boom-chik" rhythm that can sound unstoppable if it's tight. It sounds best if you play chords higher up the neck and mute each chord after strumming it by relaxing the left hand between strums. A transcription of these higher-position chords can be viewed here: C6 tuning or D6 tuning.
3. The "Lester" Part
Then we add the "Lester" part (for Lester Flatt, rhythm guitar in the Bluegrass Boys), which is the "easy" uke part, simple first-position chords in a basic strumming rhythm.
4. The "Earl" Part
Finally, we add "Earl." Earl Scruggs was the five-string banjo player in the Monroe group and later in The Foggy Mountain Boys. Get a three-finger picking pattern clear and precise and it gives something of the effect of a five-string banjo, especially in re-entrant tuning.
If someone has a banjo uke, this is their part. Adding some colour chords – playing G6 for G and C9 for C, especially - will spice up this part, and those colour chords on the banjo are a big part of the Scruggs sound so typical of bluegrass. I'm using first-position chords but you can add another element by playing high close voicings even higher than the "Bill" part. The right-hand picking pattern I'm using is T-I-M-I-T-I-M-I-etc., with the thumb alternating on the third and fourth strings.
5. Time to Sing!
Finally, of course, it's time to sing. The key of G is a good key for this one and is easy for both C and D tunings (good to know if you're in a "bilingual" group where both are used).
Sometimes a few people will be able to harmonise by ear and if that works, you're in luck. Otherwise, I've scored out a basic three-part harmonisation. The parts may seem high, but that high-tenor sound is also pure bluegrass; Monroe had a high tenor voice that cut through a full band (and possibly through sheet tin as well). Women can take the top part an octave lower.
Try It Yourself!
Take this "layered" approach and apply it to other tunes in your repertoire. Whether you have a group that meets regularly or you sit in on a jam whenever you can, understanding the way different – but complementary – parts work will make you a better listener and player.
A professional multi-instrumentalist based in Kentville, Nova Scotia, John Kavanagh is a regular contributor to Ukulele Yes! He has a great CD called Parlour Music: Ragtime & Classical duets for uke and guitar. Find out more at http://ezfolk.com/audio/John_Kavanagh.


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Add a fun twist to doggy playtime with a unique toy that's good for the environment too!
Why We Love It:
We love the fun and innovative shape of this boomerang-inspired dog toy. The Bumi Dog Toy in Blue takes the shape of an "S" and flexes out to twice its length. In addition to being easily thrown, this toy can float too! Made with durable, buoyant Zogoflex material, Bumi is guaranteed to go the distance. Zogoflex dog toys are buoyant, tender on teeth, 100% recyclable, and non-toxic. Made in the USA.
Important Sizing Note: The following measurements are the dimensions of the actual product, not of the pet they fit. After measuring your pet, make sure all measurements fit within the following dimensions (with a little room to spare in the chest and neck).Small
He's chewed through every other "indestructible" chew toy we've tried, but this one is still going strong.By Beth on Apr 4, 2012
Bumi Dog ToyPosted On 07/21/17 by courtney fender from East Jordan, MI Yes, courtney fender recommends this product!
Great for a year old boxer that is a heavy chewer!
Bump Dog ToyPosted On 06/06/16 by Pat from Saugerties, NY Yes, Pat recommends this product!
My dog loves this toy! He has spent many hours chasing and chewing it.
Tough tug toy!Posted On 11/08/13 by Krista A from Ypsilanti, MI Yes, Krista A recommends this product!
This is a fantastic tug toy! My dog loves it, and she gets a kick out of how it stretches and twists around! It does get slippery after a minute, though, because of the dog slobber on the plastic. : )
The sweater fit perfect and our chihuahua loves it.


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My Princeton hotel room this morning got the news from Philadelphia. There was an ad for running for Barack Obama and I was impressed, as I always am, by the cadence with which he speaks.
Senator Obama speaks with a special quality of self assurance, as if he has thought about everything he's saying for a very long time and he has rendered a decision with such depth and profundity that there is not even the merest chance of contradiction. The Senator is sorry about this, he seems to be saying, but there is nothing to be done about it. That's just the way it is. The Senator wishes he weren't reading from tablets, but, well, that's how the thing falls out.
Obama hits the last syllable of his sentences with assurance. And then, surprise, surprise, he brings the sentence in for the softest of landings. This doubles the effect of self assurance. He enters that last syllable like a lion and leaves it like a lamb. And that's because, well, he really merely stating the obvious and it would be unseemly to pound the gavel or make a fuss.
This is deeply presuppositional speech and what it presupposes is that no reasonable man or women can disagree, that this truth is self evident, that the speaker is merely, and with some modesty, pointing out that all of us already know. More generally, this is the art of politics taken places it hasn't gone in some time.
The anthropological question (and today, after the heated debate of yesterday, I am prudently and quite pointedly putting my anthropology hat back on) is where did Obama get this very effective rhetorical instrument. It seems to me ecclesiastical, but it is not the sort of thing he can have got from the likes of Reverend Wright. It is also a little as if from the mold of the newscaster, Cronkite etc. But it doesn't appear to have a political precedent, not at the moment anyhow.
I think Obama has studied other oratorical exemplars. And I think he has made this a very careful and purposeful study. I leave it to someone with an ear better than mine to "reverse engineer" Obama's style speech and figure out what these influences are. Some of the secrets of the coming kingdom are there to be divined.
The Clerestory window of the poets at Princeton


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A new website which allows one to rate the NHS is to be set up, according to the government.
Using the new site, the public will be able to express their opinions of individual doctors and hospitals.
Eventually patients will be able to use the site to choose the best hospital to attend, rather than simply the nearest one, a Department of Health spokesman told the Telegraph.
The spokesperson said: "The NHS does amazing things every day.
"We want people to put down their views. Good or bad, we want an honest review of the services they have received."
Health secretary Patricia Hewitt will announce that the new site is to go online by this summer.
Meanwhile, a new plan to allow private healthcare centres to perform some of the simpler medical procedures has been greeted with suspicion by doctors.
Such a scheme could put hospitals under threat, the British Medical Association has contended.
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